Christ, here comes St. Patrick's Day

I go back on forth on this one: are we failing to take the Irish people and their rich, complex history seriously when we merely use their holiday as an excuse to wander piss-drunk through the streets of every town across America (even Casper, Wyoming, for goodness sake)? But from across the pond, that's what it looks like they are doing in Ireland on St. Pat's, so are we good? Screw it, it's fun to drink.  Here's Denver's version this year:

Denver St. Pat's Day Parade Week includes performances of River Dance (oh, my!) and a ridiculously early parade (March 12).  But there are always the bars.

FADÓ IRISH PUB DENVER
1735 19th St.
Fadó  is the Irish expression meaning "long ago". The term, commonly used as the preface of old Irish stories, has become the name of one of Denver's most popular pubs, located just a stone's throw from Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies in Lower Downtown (LoDo). Blending the best of the old with the best of the new, Fadó's decor and friendly staff evoke images of the great old pubs of Ireland whereas the style of operating - the music, food and beverages - connects more so with the contemporary pubs and bars of modern Ireland.

SO WHAT?: Fadó holds a popular Pub Quiz every Thursday night starting at 7:30 p.m., and it's sure to get rowdy this week! 

KATIE MULLEN'S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT
Sheraton Hotel, 16th Street Mall
Bringing some OK Irish charm to the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver, Katie Mullen's is a welcome addition to this shopping district's pub scene. The owners also operate four bars in the North West of Ireland, making this authentic-ish?

SO WHAT?: Katie Mullen's Full Irish Breakfast, featuring two fried eggs, sausage, Bachelors baked beans, brown bread, bacon rashers and black and white pudding. Come to think of it, you may not need lunch after this breakfast. 

SCRUFFY MURPHY'S IRISH PUB
2030 Larimer St.
The food is really comforting here. Just minutes away from Coors Field, Scruffy's is the perfect place to grab a pint or enjoy some traditional Irish pub fare - shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, and much more. While you're there, say hello to Andrew Toole, the pub's owner, who is often manning the bar or chatting up the locals.

SO WHAT?: On Wednesday and Sunday, Scruffy's hosts a traditional Irish music session beginning at 7 p.m.

MY BROTHER'S BAR
2376 15th St.
My Brother's Bar is a Mile High City institution known for its Beat Generation clientele - this was renowned Beats Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady's watering hole of choice in the 1950s.

SO WHAT?: The sunny patio in the back of My Brother's (below) is kind of like a little slice of heaven. 

THE IRISH ROVER
54 S. Broadway
Amidst the indie rock clubs and cutting edge boutiques of South Broadway, you'll encounter the Irish Rover, a relaxed and friendly pub. Enjoy a pint or two, chat with the locals, sit by the fire place or on your high stool at the bar. Beware, though, television screens abound with sports flickering from all directions.

SO WHAT?: The Irish Rover's got a huge rooftop patio. We love us some rooftop patio in the Mile High City! (Seriously, it's awesome.)

PINTS PUB
221 W. 13th Ave.
OK, this one's actually British-style, and it's located just down the street from the Denver Art Museum. It's pretty cozy and chill.

SO WHAT?: The extensive menu of single malt whisky 16 pages long!

Ghosts of St. Patty's past

It's a blast form the past (well, 2010), but it's still my favorite St. Patty's Day post, and coddle is still my favorite St. Patty's Day food...enjoy! -- NR, 3.17.15


I have some Irish roots in my background, like so many Americans, and like most of the Americans I know, it doesn't have anything to do with how or why I celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I celebrate it because it's an excuse to drink and eat, and because it comes at the end of a rough winter, and because by the middle of March I have been so busy working that I haven't spent time with friends since December 31, and so on. And really, for me any holiday is about the food, drink, and company. (Oh, and please stop harassing me for not wearing green on March 17. Are we all still in fourth grade?!)


As I circle around my mid-30s, I also have this annoying habit of waxing nostalgic over trivial things--I blame the presence of my entire high school class on facebook. But since it's me torturing everyone within earshot, those memories are food-fueled.

As a kid growing up in the Chicago area in the 80s, St. Patty's Day meant the toxic, nuclear-green McDonald's Shamrock shake. It was thick and milky and tasted ever so slightly of mint. I loved it because you could only get it for a limited time. My husband tells me that they did not have these in Alabama McD's, so maybe Illinois was special. I hadn't had one in years when I got a craving one spring break at the University of Illinois and I dragged my roommate along. They sucked, actually. Little kids have terrible taste.

I did not have a habit of going out to the bars on this Holiest of Holy Drinking Nights as a student. I suppose I had homework. But in my late 20s, I was able to live out the college dream in Casper, Wyoming. I was a member of the Wyoming Symphony then, and we always had a concert over St. Pat's week. After a rehearsal that lasted until 10:30pm (I called this the "rude awakening" rehearsal, because it was our first in a series leading up to the concert, and we always sounded terrible), my friends and I would drive up the main street and pass the dear old Wonder Bar, filled to the brim, decorated outside with random pukers on the sidewalk and cops glaring from every corner. I'm serious--you wouldn't guess it, but those people know how to party. I'd cram my way in to enjoy a local beer from a fine plastic cup, gulping whatever I could before I got bumped and spilled it all over the belligerent, overly made-up woman nearest me. I guess it was fine that I stayed in doing homework when I was younger.

Now that I am old and cranky (with a metabolism to match), I prefer making traditional Irish foods I don't have to chew. Go here for my favorite, colcannon. But when I was a graduate student at Indiana University, I enjoyed St. Patty's meals (and many other meals, and many many other pints), at a great watering hole called the Irish Lion. It's the real deal, complete with those ridiculous yards of beer you have to put on the floor to drink from and authentic Irish grub. Being one of the few bars in southern Indiana with Guinness on tap, I visited somewhat regularly. And when it was cold outside, when it had been a rough week, and particularly when my brain was swimming in alcohol, I would feebly point in my menu to the bowl of coddle, famed Irish cure for the hangover, and look pleadingly at my server.

IRISH CODDLE
6 Servings

1 pound sliced bacon
2 large onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
12 oz. light beer (like Budweiser)


In a dutch oven, fry bacon until very crisp. Remove bacon but leave bacon grease, then sautee onion and garlic in the grease until soft.

Add the potatoes and carrots to the pot and pour in two cups of water. Add the salt and bay leaf, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are very soft.

With a hand masher or large spoon, smash up the potatoes so that you have some chunks and some smooth bits that help to thicken the broth. Pour in the beer and return the bacon to the pot. Stir, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and add pepper to taste.

*Vegetarian friends can omit the bacon and cook veggies in olive oil. Cook Morningstar Breakfast Strips until crisp (I find the microwave works best) and crumble into individual bowls of soup.

Please do not add bouquets de garni, heirloom vegetables, or garnish with freshly chopped parsley. That's too fancy. It's not right.

Two in Boulder: Boxcar Coffee Roasters and Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub

Boulder might have the most coffee shops per square mile of any town in Colorado, so a review measley shop might seem a little unnecessary.  When I am in Boulder (infrequently, because I always feel like I'm interrupting someone's photo shoot everywhere in that town), I usually just stumble into the first one I see. Considering how many coffee shops there are in Boulder, they are surprisingly uniform: heavily tattooed hipsters act as mildly annoyed baristas, twenty-something customers rock brightly colored skinny jeans and oddly lumpy knit hats, and the coffee is always strong (that part I like).  But I wanted to try Boxcar for two reasons: 1) Food & Wine Magazine makes a big hairy deal out of them, and 2) they seem to operate on a slightly different agenda, which particularly peaked my curiosity given the aforementioned monotony.

The Boulder store is located at 1825 Pearl St. There is also a Denver location at 3459 Ringsby Ct., though they are closed (?!?!?!) on the weekends, which seems like it should be illegal for a coffee shop.  The Boulder location shares space with Cured, a high-end meat, wines and cheese shop.  There are a few tables scattered around the shop and counters on either side, one for coffee, one for the deli.  It has a terrific old, small-town market feel to it, and the atmosphere is bustling.  It was quite possibly the loudest coffee shop I have ever encountered in quiet, slow-moving Colorado.  I kind of dug it.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters is definitely for coffee nerds. The coffee is roasted in small batches using a classic Ideal Rapid coffee roaster that was built in Germany in 1929, which Boxcar claims keeps the roasting temperature extremely stable. They also employ the “cowboy coffee” method, which allows them to steep the grounds at 203 degrees to mitigate the problem of Boulder's high altitude, where water boils at a lower temperature and coffee and tea can be said to suffer.  

We tried cappuccinos made by each of their two espresso varieties, "Stella" and "Bare Knuckle".  Both were delicious.  Despite the names, Stella was the more assertive of the two; it was full-bodied and rich with a little spicy bite at the end.  The Bare Knuckle was similar, but finished smooth and creamy, and sort of dissipated as soon as I swallowed it.  Neither was highly acidic or sour. You can read the details of both roasts here; the drinks--and the beans themselves, which Boxcar sells in-store and online--are a bit pricier than most, but true coffee connoisseurs can definitely tell the difference.  Even I can tell the difference, and I usually drink World Market Coffee at home. 

Conor O'Neill's

And on the other end of the spectrum, there is Conor O'Neill's, an Irish-style pub just south of the Pearl Street Mall on 1922 13th Street.  Yes, it is part of a chain (the only other location is in similarly hip and overpriced college town Ann Arbor, Michigan), but they do a great job of feeling local by creating a worn, patched-together aesthetic inside and also by hosting a full compliment of live, local musicians on a rather dense rotating schedule.  The menu is filled with Anglo favorites like fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, and even Scotch eggs on the happy hour menu.  The presentation of the food is just a little bit "dressed up" in an '80s sort of way: my mashed potatoes (a ubiquitous side item on the menu) came piped out of a pastry bag, but they tasted real enough.  Portions are large and the food is pretty authentic to Irish and English pubs. The curry and chips from the appetizer menu is a beautiful rendition of a mild, creamy, sumptuous English curry served alongside battered golden potato wedges--I could have been happy with it for my meal.  However, I was also quite happy with the homey (and enormous) pub pie made of a flaky, golden crust and filled with smokey sausage and mixed vegetables.  I was impressed by the level of colorful flavors packed into this pie! And, just like Mom would make, it came served alongside a big pile of steamed (unseasoned, but still bright green) broccoli and mashed potatoes.  Well, Mom probably wouldn't have made the potatoes all fancy-like, but you get the idea.  

The Chicken Cordon Bleu was a little surprising because it wasn't breaded--it was merely a sandwich of sort, with thin slices of charred grilled chicken breast on either side of a slice of gooey cheese and some pretty flavorless ham.  The chicken was great, actually, and again, laudably flavorful.  The ham could have just been omitted based on what it added to the dish, but of course, it is part of a traditional Cordon Bleu. Better to up the ante and find some better ham.  

Conor O'Neill's offers a menu of what could easily be quite bland, gut-busting food, but they manage to take great care with preparation and seasoning, yielding instead a wonderfully modernized version of old English/Irish classics.  In this way, I guess they're not so traditional.  The taps featured a couple of local beers, but focused mainly on what you might see in the UK: Murphy's, Guinness, and Bass were front and center.  The pints were generous Imperial-sized.  And the vibe was not so much like the rest of downtown Boulder these days: friendly service, grungy digs, and reasonably-priced, heavy, homey food.  I think I've found my new post-hike place for lunch.  

Shepherd's Pie gets a makeover

I love Shepherd’s Pie, from the rich stew underneath to the crusty, golden brown mashed potatoes on top.  It’s a staple in British and Irish pubs, and it was a special treat we would occasionally eat at home growing up.  I equate it with cold winter nights, adventures abroad (in which I learned that many of my family's staple meals were merely rip-offs from the motherland), and the massive tangle that is Midwest-Irish-British-whatever-the-hell culture. But it’s filled with stuff I don’t eat much anymore: cheap cuts of meat, butter, loads of white potatoes… The trick is keep what’s best about the pie--the rich, hearty flavors and that fantastic crust on top--without creating a heart attack on a plate.  Easy.

Shepherd’s Pie, Made Over

Topping:
1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
¼ cup plain yogurt
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot of salty water, boil the cauliflower, potato, and parsnips until soft.  Drain and mash by hand with the garlic, yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cheddar cheese.  This step can be done the day before and refrigerated or can occur while you make the filling.

Filling:
Olive oil
4 oz. dried shitake mushrooms, hydrated, drained of excess water, and chopped
½ cup broccoli florets and stems, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pinch salt, and the smoked paprika and sauté until tender.  Stir in the broccoli, mushrooms, pepper, tomato paste, and red wine, lower to medium low heat, and cover.  Allow to stew about 10 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in chives and salt and pepper to taste.


Grease a a large pie pan or medium-sized casserole dish with a bit of olive oil.  Pour in the vegetable stew and smooth out so it’s even.  Spread the potato mixture on top, gently smoothing like a thick layer of icing over the stew.  If the potatoes are cold, cook uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes at 400°F before broiling; if everything is hot, place under the broiler and cook about 10 minutes, or until potato mixture gets browned.


Please, for the love of god, have this with a porter or stout while shouting over cheesy 80s punk music from the U.K.

Fish and Chips, baby!

• I visited Alaska a couple of weeks ago expecting to find all kinds of creative new uses for seafood.  I didn't find any.  What I did find was a whole bunch of smoked salmon and tasty fish and chips.  (BTW, Hangar on the Wharf, while touristy as hell, really does know what they're doing.)  Now I'm back in Colorado, where people have only had access to acceptable fish with which to cook for about a decade, and I am starting to miss the beautiful simplicity of a nice batch of crisp, fried cod and potatoes.  Ironically, this is the "seafood" I grew up on in Chicago, as well.  It seems that no matter where I go, people recognize that this is it.  Do whatever exotic things you want to your seafood--it might not ever get better than this.  

• 
  
• Easy Fish and Chips

Serves 6-8

• 4 medium russet potatoes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs chopped rosemary
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cold beer
• 1/2 cup cold water 
• Vegetable or canola oil, to deep-fry
• 8 small fish fillets (I prefer cod)
• Lemon wedges or malt vinegar, to serve
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 450°C. Cut unpeeled potatoes into thin wedges. Place potato in a medium bowl with olive oil and rosemary. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and gently toss to combine. Arrange potato on two greased oven trays. Bake, swapping tray positions halfway through cooking, for 35 minutes or until brown and crisp.
• 
  
• Meanwhile, sift flour into a medium bowl. Use a whisk to gradually whisk in beer and enough water to form a batter the consistency of thickened cream. Whisk until smooth. Set aside for 20 minutes to rest.
• 
  
• Place enough oil in a large, deep saucepan or wok to create a depth of 5 inches. Place over medium heat until you see faint wisps of smoke. Dip one fish fillet in batter and carefully lower into hot oil. If it sizzles and fries, you're ready to go.  Do not overcrowd skillet; cook two or three at a time.  Cook, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat in three more batches with remaining batter and fish, reheating oil between batches.
• 
  
• Serve with lemon wedges.

Irish Chicken

This recipe was neither given to me by an Irish cook nor eaten on the soil of Ireland.  But, they like potatoes, cabbage, and bacon as much as I do, so what the hell.  Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit, bitches.  

Irish Chicken

Serves 4

¾ pound new potatoes, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

4 6-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 slices bacon, chopped

½ small yellow onion, chopped

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ small head cabbage (8 oz.), cut into thin strips

Heat oven to 425°F.  On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast, tossing once, until golden, about 25 minutes.  

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown and cooked through about 6-7 minutes on each side.

Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm; wipe out the skillet and cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes.  Remove bacon, add the onion, mustard, and vinegar; cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the cabbage and cook until wilted, about 4 minutes.  Serve over the chicken and with potatoes on the side; sprinkle everything with bacon.  

My totally weird, but totally perfect new St. Pat's meal

I like to give props to my Irish roots around St. Pat's time, and I do loves me some boiled potatoes and cabbage, but it can be kinda bland.  And not brimming over with nutrients (because Irish cuisine seems to be cooked to death and then drowned in butter, see).

Enter Sauerkraut--I know, it's weird!  But it adds just the right amount of pickle-y zing that Irish food needs, and apparently it's all packed with probiotics and stuff. Splurge and get the stuff in the refrigerated section--the canned stuff is as healthy as corned beef.

Sauerkraut Plate: serves 4

Souped-up Sauerkraut

2 cups prepared (refrigerated) sauerkraut
¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ small carrot, grated
2 green cabbage leaves, chiffonaded
Handful of raisins, optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and allow to sit about 15 minutes.

Spinach and lentil salad

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups frozen chopped spinach
2 cups puy (French) lentils
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine broth, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet or large saucepan over medium heat.  When it shimmers, add the onion and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes.  Add the lentils and broth mixture and bring to a boil; lower heat to simmer, cover and cook until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.  Stir in spinach and heat thoroughly, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Super-salted potatoes

2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
¼ cup salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour salt into a large saucepan; add potatoes and shake to coat.  Cover with water and bring to a boil; cook until potatoes are tender but still hold together, about 20 minutes.  Drain and pour olive oil over hot potatoes; serve immediately.


Serve all with pickles, Irish soda bread, and lager.