Why are all those Irish eyes a-smilin? It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, the one holiday each year where drinking, pinching and a wee bit o’ hijinks are the order of the day. Taps turn green, beef gets corned and everyone’s a McSomeone on Wednesday, March 17th this year. BiteClub leads you to your own pot of gold, or at least mug of beer, at the end of the rainbow.
Irish(ish) Pubs
Murphy’s Irish Pub: You can take the high road or the low road, but all roads lead to Sonoma when it comes to annual St. Paddy’s parties. Just off the town square, this pub has one of the rip-roarin-est parties in the county, with plenty of Emerald Isle brews, whiskeys and cock o’tails. Music and dancing start at 3pm with Celctic harps and fiddles, Irish step dancing and the Cartunes at 7pm. On the menu: Corned beef and cabbage with colcannon, Irish beef stew and bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce. Because no meal is complete without whiskey. 464 First St. East, Sonoma, 935-0660.
Friar Tuck’s Pub: Let the bromance flow as costumed bagpipers belt out Danny Boy and other Irish tunes throughout the day, green beer flows and 500 pounds of corned beef steam at this Cotati pub. Because if you can endure all that without an “I love you man,” there isn’t an ounce of Irish in ya. $10 for the corned beef dinner buffet, noon to 9pm. 8201 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati, 792.9847
Nutty Irishman: Each St. Patrick’s Day, the shamrock-hat and beer-goggle crowd overrun this usually-quiet local bar to the bemusement of regulars. Not that they’re not glad to see you. The bar puts out a spread of green beer and corned beef and cabbage for everybody, because, as one staffer says, “We’re all Irish here.” 995 Piner Rd., Santa Rosa, 544-1447.
Black Rose Irish Pub: Imported black pudding (aka blood sausage) and
Donegal fry make this humble Santa Rosa pub one of the most authentic
in the area. But fear not, there’s plenty of pub grub to soak up the
Guinness. Because if you can Harp Lager-batter and fry it, it’s
probably on the menu here. Beyond the fryer, the pub does a decent job
at soups and stews (potato leek, lamb stew) along with a homey
Shepherd’s Pie (ground beef and veggies topped with mashed potatoes).
2074 Armory Drive, Santa Rosa, 546-7673.
Maguire’s Pub: The
former Finbar Devine’s Irish Pub has been revamped and reborn as, well,
another Irish pub. After dark, the scene is more bar than restaurant,
but fans say the burgers are solid as well as the fish and chips. 145
Kentucky St., Petaluma, 762-9800.
Ruth McGowan’s Brewpub: Up in
Cloverdale, the always lively Ruth McGowan’s celebrates its eighth
anniversary with happy hour specials all day, corned beef and cabbage,
Green Hornet Emerald Ale and McGowan’s Irish Stout. 131 E First St.,
Cloverdale, 894-9610.
Stout Brothers: Though you’ll need the
luck ‘o the Irish and the patience of a saint when it comes to
ordering, this cozy faux-tiqued public house will still be packed to
the rafters with whiskey and beer-drinking revelers on St. Pats. Fish
and chips are still solid contenders here, as are its signature
macaroni and cheeses (chicken bacon is tops). 527 4th Street, Santa
Rosa, 636-0240.
Honorary Irish Pubs
Barley and Hops: Noah
Bolmer pours a mean pint. The owner of this Occidental sleeper takes
his brews as seriously, which is why the only green you’ll find around
his bar is in the colcannon (an Irish dish of potatoes and kale). “No
respectable bar would ever sully the perfect pint with food dye.”
Oohhh, them’s fightin’ words. Along heady list of craft beers, they’ll
have Guinness flowing, along with other tasty Irish brews. Live music,
home corned beef, beer braised cabbage and some special desserts. 3688
Bohemian Hwy., Occidental,
Toad in the Hole: Really more British
than Irish, Toad in the Hole is, nonetheless, a pub. And really, we
Yanks don’t know the difference anyway. Solid fish and chips, Cornish
pasties and Shepard’s Pie along with football (that’s soccer) on the
telly and plenty of beer. 116 Fifth Street, Santa Rosa, 544-8623.
O’Aussiellos:
Known the rest of the year as plain old Aussiello’s Fifth St. Grill,
the downtown Santa Rosa beer bar gets its Irish on for a few days each
year in honor of owner Armand’s Irish-born mum. Well, that and the
fact that there’s no reason you can’t pour green beer anywhere, he
figures. Expect corned beef sandwiches, $1.75 retro beers and well,
beer that’s the color the Emerald Isle.
Silverado Brewing
Company: Niman Ranch corned beef steamed in organic Blonde Ale,
Irish spring lamb stew, juicy Reuben sandwiches, seasonal beer, the
“Blarney Stout” on tap. The Lenny Murphy Quartet will play from
5:30-7:30 p.m. For reservations, please call 967-9876.
Dempsey’s
Restaurant and Brewery: Irish faire, live music, award-winning
handcrafted Irish Ale and Ugly Dog Stout at this Petaluma brewpub.
Traditional Irish includes corned beef and cabbage with fresh grated
horseradish cream, stuffed cabbage roll, Irish stew, wood roasted
salmon and Irish ale steamed mussels. 50 East Washington Street
-Petaluma, 765-9694
fantastic! Lady gaga is a an awesome babe. I really love her music. I took my kids to see her last month in concert and had a fabulous time.
the only day better’n Saint Paddys is kick a ginger day aye!!?!!?!!
I assume by “You Media” you mean me. What you may have missed is that I actually went looking throughout the county for real Irish food and came up almost entirely empty. I also happen to be part Irish, so enough with the finger-pointing. If it wasn’t fried or potatoes, chances are it wasn’t on any of the menus. It ain’t the media who fail to honor true Irish cuisine! Frankly, I find the whole St. Paddy’s thing to be pretty silly all around…but hey, I didn’t want to sound like an old fuddy duddy.
I live for the day you media folks quit pushing green beer, corned beef and cabbage and drunken Irishmen jokes and actually learn something about Irish culture.
See you at Toad in the Hole on St. Paddy’s Day, then at the French Garden the next evening for SPD Phase II! Best of all, we hope to see you all at the Greenhouse CD Release Party at Studio E in Sebastopol on Friday 26 March.
Willie Birds also has Russian River IPA, Blind Pig, and Aud Blonde on tap
I like the photo for this post. The woman looks like America’s “Irish” answer to Lady Gaga! Kiss the Blarney stone!
Although Willie Birds isn’t exactly Irish, this St. Patrick’s Day is their 30th anniversary…corned beef and cabbage from 11:00am to 9:00pm for $9.95.
no love for 3rd Street Aleworks?