Tis a great institution, the Irish pub. And, though scoffers looking at this world through raised beer glasses will deny it, ’tis a changing institution as well.
For proof, come with us on the cusp of St. Patrick’s Day as we tour a dozen Chicago-area pubs, some antique and some new, seeking Irish food prepared with skill and served in agreeable settings.
The very idea of looking for good food in a pub, or in Ireland by many accounts, is a sign of change. In “The New Cooking of Britain and Ireland,” published back in 1995, author Gwenda Hyman noted: “Even pubs, those former bastions of the forlorn sausage roll and factory-produced steak and kidney pie, are beginning to serve fresh, well-prepared dishes.”
“Today cooks in Ireland are still pushing the boundaries,” said James Moore, executive chef of the Fado chain. “They have traveled and have come back with fresh ideas. Their customers have more money and are more sophisticated than they used to be. The products are as fresh as you can find anywhere on earth. It’s exciting.”
“The image of Irish food is very, very greasy; very, very heavy,” said Debbie Evans, chef at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston. “But there has been a fusion with European and California cooking over the past few years that has inspired Irish chefs to lighten up.”
In this country, we find Irish food–new as well as traditional–in pubs that, in Hyman’s phrase, are still centers of “masculine conviviality and earnest drinking.” We’ve side-stepped the drinking aspect in our roundup and sought good food plus the warm, generous hospitality for which the Irish are celebrated.
Most of the pubs are large and some are expensively decorated. The interiors of four on our tour, the Kerry Piper, Peggy Kinnane’s, Fado and Fitzers, were created in Ireland and shipped to Chicago. These interiors make use of stone, tile, wood and slate and range in ambiance from dark, ultra rustic Fado to the shiny and bright Fitzers.
Raymond Welton, director of food and beverage at the Irish-owned Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel, where Fitzers is located, says, “We have had an extremely positive response to our Irish menu items such as beef and Guinness pie and Irish breakfast. But it’s a different market, so we cook American style: Nothing is overcooked.”
However, the local pub that has shown the greatest commitment to producing lighter, contemporary fare is Chief O’Neill’s. Steve Chiappetti, a chef trained in French classics and American innovation, was brought in as a consultant. “The food has been evolving,” Chiappetti says. “It’s lighter. We use less sugar and less fat. And we try to use as many products from Ireland as possible.”
Among the challenges confronting the Irish publicans trying to serve fine food are the customers. They are not necessarily there to eat. “They come to socialize and drink,” says Fado’s Moore. “We’re between a bar and a restaurant. Our customers may want anything from a snack to a multi-course meal.”
Because of this uncertainty and the large capacity of many Irish-American pubs, complex, from-scratch preparations are few.
Another challenge is finding talented cooks who are Irish, or who have been exposed to Irish food.
Standard, or traditional, Irish fare includes lamb stew, shepherd’s pie, boxty (a potato pancake with various fillings), bangers and mash (cereal-laden Irish sausages and mashed potatoes), mussels or beef stew cooked in Guinness stout, and smoked and grilled salmon.
Menus also are likely to contain unauthentic bar items such as Dublin wings, chicken O’Caesar salad, Blarney burger and Tipperary tortilla chips.
“We serve the traditional dishes, but we put our own spin on them,” says Tim Dowling, the American-born executive chef of Molly Malone’s in Forest Park. “I try to avoid two common faults of pub cooking: excess quantity and blandness. But I preserve the richness of the old recipes because I think it gives the food a homemade quality.”
At Tommy Nevin’s in Evanston, chef Evans has a showcase for her vision of modern Irish cooking in an eight-item section of the menu titled “Debbie’s Kitchen.” Her innovations include a wrap filled with corned beef and sauteed cabbage and cod roasted in a garlic mashed potato crust.
“I believe in moderation,” she says. “I think we can keep food traditions going and lighten up at the same time.”
Real Irish foodstuffs
God may send a man good meat, but the devil may send an evil cook to destroy it.
Keep this ancient Irish admonition in mind for, surely, if you have eaten badly in an Irish restaurant or home, the cause was not inferior ingredients:
In “The Complete Book of Irish Country Cooking,” Darina Allen writes, “The common misconception is, even among Irish people, that Ireland has no culinary tradition worth talking about. There is far more to it than bacon and cabbage and Irish stew!”
Great food that comes from the Auld Sod and its waters include oysters, Dublin Bay prawns, smoked salmon, farmstead cheeses and other dairy products, beer and whiskey.
In Ireland, milk and other dairy products are very important. Pork is eaten more widely than beef, and the pig provides bacon, ham, sausages and trotters. The best known vegetable remains the potato. The most ill-treated vegetable is cabbage, so often cooked to a pulp. Cauliflower, carrot, parsnip and turnip, along with peas, beans, spinach, sorrel and chard, are eaten broadly and often.
With meat and poultry Irish cooks create savory pies (chicken and ham is a favorite). Chicken, ham, beef and venison all make successful potted meats. Shepherd’s pie traditionally is served on Monday or Tuesday to use the roast beef left over from Sunday dinner.
Bakers produce what Allen calls “an encyclopedic range” of breads, puddings, pies, cakes and pancakes.
Barriers to obtaining Irish ingredients in this country include import and export rules, few retail stores and high prices.
Local sources for at least some of these products include O’Connor’s Market, 7280 W. Devon Ave., 773-631-0747, and Winston’s, at two locations: 4701 W. 63rd St., 773-767-4353, and at 159th Street and 80th Avenue, Tinley Park, 708-633-7500.
Spicy salmon
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes per batch
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from a recipe at Fado Irish pub, this is a Cajun/Asian take on British fish and chips.
2 tablespoons Cajun seafood seasoning
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt, optional
3 fillets salmon, about 6 ounces each, skin removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Asian red chili paste
1 egg
1 cup cake flour
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1. Combine Cajun seasoning, flour and salt to taste in a small bowl. Coat the salmon pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Set aside. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Combine mayonnaise and chili paste in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Beat egg in a 2-cup measure. Add enough water to make 3/4 cup liquid; beat well. Combine egg mixture with cake flour in a small bowl; do not overmix.
3. Heat oil in a wok or deep fryer to 350 degrees. Dip fillets in batter to coat. Fry in batches until cooked through, 5 minutes per batch. Serve with mayonnaise dip.
Nutrition information per serving:
590 calories, 59% calories from fat, 38 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 140 mg cholesterol, 665 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 31 g protein, 1 g fiber
Boxty with corned beef, cabbage and cheese
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from a recipe from The Kerry Piper Irish Pub in Willowbrook.
2 large russet potatoes, peeled, shredded, squeezed dry
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, paprika
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup each, shredded: cabbage, white Cheddar cheese
4 ounces corned beef, thinly sliced, chopped
1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Mix together potatoes, instant mashed potatoes, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper in medium bowl.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 of the potato mixture; flatten to form a round. Cook until bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cabbage, cheese and corned beef over potato; cook 1 minute. Fold potato over, using spatula. Place on oven-proof plate; keep warm in oven. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Nutrition information per serving:
325 calories, 54% calories from fat, 20 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 820 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 15 g protein, 2.5 g fiber
Fish and chips
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from a recipe from Fitzers Pub in the Fitzpatrick Hotel Chicago. You can use the oil for both the fish and the potatoes if you fry the potatoes first.
Chips:
3 large Idaho baking potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Salt to taste
Fish:
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bottle (12 ounces) lager beer, such as Harp
1 pound boneless cod fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
Tartar sauce, lemon wedges
1. Place potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to cook. Pour oil into a deep-fryer or Dutch oven until two-thirds full. Heat to 375 degrees. Drain potatoes; pat dry. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste; keep warm in a 200-degree oven.
2. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir in beer to make a batter. Set aside at room temperature 10 minutes.
3. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Dip cod pieces into batter; fry in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer fish to paper towels with slotted spoon to drain. Season to taste. Keep warm. Serve with potatoes, tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Nutrition information per serving:
480 calories, 53% calories from fat, 28 g fat, 3.6 g saturated fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 485 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein, 2.4 g fiber
Bread pudding with whiskey sauce
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 1/4 hours
Yield: 12 servings
Adapted from a recipe by Tim Dowling, executive chef of Molly Malone’s.
Pudding:
5 eggs
1 quart whipping cream
1/2 cup each: dark brown sugar, granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
Whiskey sauce:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup each: granulated sugar, brown sugar
1 1/3 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1. For pudding, whisk together eggs, cream, sugar, whiskey, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl until sugar dissolves. Stir in bread, white chocolate chips and raisins. Set aside 1 hour, stirring twice.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread mixture into a greased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan; cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Remove foil; bake until top is golden brown, 30 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.
3. For sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugars, whisking constantly, until dissolved. Whisk in the cream; heat to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in whiskey. Cut pudding into squares; top with the whiskey sauce.
Nutrition information per serving (without sauce; sauce adds 225 calories and 17 g fat):
695 calories, 53% calories from fat, 42 g fat, 25 g saturated fat, 205 mg cholesterol, 320 mg sodium, 73 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 2 g fiber
Take the pub tour for good food
Chief O’Neill’s
3471 N. Elston Ave., 773-583-3066
If only there were a pub with such good food on every street corner in Chicago. This warm and friendly watering hole produces superior Irish dishes that make it worth visiting even if you never order a pint. On the menu you’ll find traditional bangers–links of mild pork sausage–in a puree of Granny Smith apples and caramelized onions. Another delight is the house-cured salmon, served with whole-grain bread and soft, sweet and sour red onion shreds.
On our visit, they were out of the shepherd’s pie but made up for it with perfectly battered and fried cod fillets with crisp steak fries. If Irish music is essential to your meal, you’ll find it Fridays and Saturdays when a live band plays and on Sundays and Tuesdays when amateurs can sit in. Prices from $4.50 to $19.
Fado Irish Pub
100 W. Grand Ave., 312-836-0066
Decorators had a field day finding flea market furnishings for this chain that operates in 10 American cities. Dark wood and cobblestones brought from Ireland line the floors of this two-story, dimly lit, rustic pub.
Most of the sandwiches and salads served at Fado make no effort to establish Irish heritage. The explicitly Irish dishes are a mixed bag. Galway Bay mussels come in a fishy broth while the Irish breakfast sausages, puddings and baked beans are tepid and dull. But a portion of blackened salmon arrives perfectly cooked with delightfully fresh coleslaw and splendid potato wedges. The desserts are printed on the menu in very small type, but not small enough to hide the brown bread ice cream. Give it a try. Prices from $3.95 to $12.95.
Fitzers
Fitzpatrick Chicago Hotel, 166 E. Superior St.,
312-787-6000
Walk down the small, spiral staircase that’s in the middle of this Irish hotel lobby and you walk into a charming pub area. Small wooden tables and chairs ring around the staircase, creating separate dining/drinking areas. Walls are brightly painted in orange then hung with signed portraits of Irish movie stars, maps and other paraphernalia.
Go for the larger menu with its well-done standards. The fish and chips begin with cod fillets dipped in a Harp batter, then crisply fried and served with thick-cut french fries. The bangers and mash team four nicely seasoned Irish sausages over a mound of mashed potatoes and topped with french fried onions. Other classics include shepherd’s pie, beef and Guinness pie and an appealing all-day Irish breakfast with eggs, Irish bacon, bangers, grilled tomato, and savory black and white pudding. Prices from $6.95 to $15.95.
Irish Oak
3511 N. Clark St., 773-935-6669
The Oak fills the long, rambling first floor of an aged Wrigleyville building. You find the semi-circular bar in the second of four rooms. It’s easier to talk and dine in the rear.
The safest bet on the Irish Oak menu is a generous serving of smoked Scotch salmon and brown bread. Batter-fried cod is mild and moist, but its charm is somehow negated by a ring of flavorless tomato-colored sauce around the plate. Prices from $6 to $15.
Irish Times Restaurant and Bar
8869 Burlington Ave., Brookfield, 708-485-8787
A crackling fireplace, a cozy dining room and 18 brews on tap. What else could you want from an Irish pub? How about companionship? Irish Times, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, attracts a wide spectrum of clientele, so this most democratic of hangouts is sure to keep everybody feeling at home.
The menu plays its role in boosting the congenial atmosphere. Gerardo Campos prepares his fare with a careful hand and fresh ingredients. The Irish dishes start with the freshly made potato soup and corned beef and cabbage soup, continues on with first-rate beer-battered fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and Irish beef stew, then winds up with an indulgent finale: the Irish blast cheesecake. Prices from $5.95 to $13.95.
J. Patrick’s
1367 W. Erie St., 312-243-0990
Unlike most places with this much dark wood and brass, this is a pretty place for lunch on a sunny day, thanks to a corner location and big windows.
The menu is more American bar and grill than Irish pub, but the Irish stew we tried was a winner: tender, lean chunks of shank meat in a thick but not gloppy gravy; carrots and potatoes provided sturdy backup. A half-loaf of crusty bread was included. Prices from $5 to $14.
The Kerry Piper Irish Pub and Restaurant
7900 Joliet Rd., Willowbrook, 630-325-3732
The Kerry Piper’s furnishings and decorations were shipped over from Ireland and assembled by Irish craftsmen in the cavernous building that seats 200.
The sizable menu follows Irish traditions, with classics such as boxtys and shepherd’s pie. Guinness finds its way into several dishes, including the Guinness battered chicken sandwich and the braised beef tips.
One caveat: The address is a wee bit misleading and can make The Kerry Piper as elusive as a crafty leprechaun; if you’re not familiar with the area, call for directions. Prices from $4.50 to $21.95.
Kitty O’Sheas
Chicago Hilton and Towers, 720 S. Michigan Ave., 312-922-4400
This memorial to the English-born wife of Irish patriot Charles Stewart Parnell is a lively gathering place, offering live music nightly. It’s a large space with lots of nooks and crannies crammed with tables and chairs. If you hear a server or bartender speaking with an Irish accent, chances are it’s genuine.
“Dublin wings” and mozzarella sticks don’t evoke memories of the Emerald Isle, but the combination of corned beef (lean and tender) and cabbage (perfectly cooked) and the meaty, thyme-accented lamb stew are worthy reproductions of the real thing. Top-flight desserts. Prices from $4.25 to $10.25.
McNally’s Traditional Irish Pub
122 S. York St., Elmhurst, 630-941-7100
Celtic influences predominate at this cheerful, laid-back restaurant in downtown Elmhurst. The colorful exterior extends indoors, too, with eating areas that seat about 180 and include two levels of dining rooms
Diners’ first taste of the Irish menu arrives with the basket of soda bread, baked fresh daily. According to chef Mike Schoo, “There’s a lot more to Irish food than people realize.” Examples include Schoo’s Irish fish and chips (cod in a Guinness batter) with homemade tartar sauce, and a beef and Guinness pot pie. The chef’s ingenuity with the bealoga–Gaelic for “appetizers”–includes Irish whiskey wings (chicken marinated in whiskey) and Irish nachos (they’re topped with Irish bacon).
The restaurant has a second outpost in St. Charles. Prices from $6.50 to $16.95.
Molly Malone’s Irish Pub
7652 W. Madison St., Forest Park, 708-366-8073
This spacious, elegant pub is less than a year old, but it’s firmly anchored in tradition. Molly Malone’s gives its guests lots of elbow room. The place seats 120 and includes a dance floor and the Snug: a cozy room with a fireplace all its own.
“We wanted to try and stay true to a traditional Irish pub,” said executive chef Tim Dowling, and his menu offers proof of that commitment. In addition to corned beef and fish and chips, visitors can enjoy bangers and mash, an Irish farmhouse breakfast, bacon and cabbage and Dowling’s special bread pudding with ice cream and whiskey sauce. Prices from $4.95 to $14.95.
Peggy Kinnane’s
8 N. Vail St., Arlington Heights, 847-577-7733
The interior of this attractive, welcoming year-old pub–named for the mother of owner Derrick Hanley–was made in Ireland. The decor and signage suggest the shops of an Irish village and, at 7,000 square feet, Peggy Kinnane’s is just about as large.
Chef Mike Gallagher is proud of his cooked-to-order shepherd’s pie; boxty served with vast portions of seafood, chicken or vegetables; beer-battered Irish sausage and Icelandic cod. Corned beef, served hot with cabbage and cold on rye bread, is lean; the crispy coated “chips” are pudgy and tasty with a hit of malt vinegar. Patrons come for live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Prices from $2.95 to $15.95.
Tommy Nevin’s
1450 Sherman Ave., Evanston, 847-869-0450
Irish cooking stretches itself in the dining room of Nevin’s, which also sports a darts-enabled bar and the recent addition of a live-music club two doors north.
Certainly you can get lamb stew, an Irish breakfast or fish and chips (all less than $10), but how about a nice beef filet atop small cakes of colcannon, drizzled with a cream-based sauce flavored with (inevitably) Guinness?
For dessert, look for the sticky toffee pudding, but don’t ask for the recipe: Chef Debbie Evans keeps the secrets people entrust to her. Prices from $2.95 to $22.95.
