Daniel Island Irish is Back...
It started out as an authentic Irish bar.
Owned and built by Guinness and shipped over here 3-4 years ago.
But it just didn't catch on.
Begorrah. (That's Irish for Yikes).
The place reopened as Two Rivers, though scaled back quite a bit on Olde Sod authenticy.
Well, I pegged it as just slightly
"Irish-ish"
January 1, three new owners took it over to create
Dublin Down. In just 19 days they improved on the original concept by adding cozy private little booths called
"snugs" with a table and low stools and other touches - like 12 church pews - that set a nice mood.
As far as I know, it's the only Irish bar around here offering traditional
Boxties.
Part pancake, part hash brown, this Irish staple COULD be had for breakfast but works well at teatime or supper as a side with a meat dish.
New owner Brian Mahoney said "
You have to make a boxty right and we do."The beers on tap are right on the mark too. They'll layer the draughts to form a Black & Tan or a Half and Half or try a Black Bee. Slainte!
(Years ago while touring some Irish bars in New York, I saw a sign outside one that said
"Soup of the Day" and a picture of a pint of Guinness. That would work here too. Click on images for detail and enjoy responsibly.)
Labels: Boxty, church pews, Daniel Island Grille, Dublin Down, fish and chips, Guinness, Mahoney Dowling and Cronin, Slainte, snugs, Soup of the day
A Warm Wintery Project....
Years ago - before I retired from The Post and Courier newspaper - I had a restaurant story idea. Obviously it would include photos.
But I never did anything with it.
Now I have a blog and remember what I wanted to feature about local dining spots.
An enticing haven during harsh winter weather. (Oh yeah...to cope with our low, low temperatures.)
Cozy fireplaces and the "warmth" they add to the dining ambiance.
Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island is a good example of what I have in mind.
Last night I stopped for a Guinness at
Tommy Condon's and I glanced at the fireplace there.
It was a busy Saturday and the place was packed. I thought I'd probably have to come back later.
But, as I was leaving, a large group that had filled a long table to celebrate a birthday or anniversary also was heading out. The fireplace now was in plain view.
(Hmmm. Do I see a pattern here? Fireplaces seem to come with paintings above them?)
In Dublin last year I sat next to one glowing with peat at
Duke's Pub. Peat burns for a long time I was told.
So far I have not seen one like that here in Charleston. Nor coal or thick logs. Mainly I see either gas or electric.
Please give me your suggestions where I should look.
"Home is where the hearth is" should be added to this collection.
(Click twice on the pictures for more detail. Oddly enough, in Dublin I was ALSO drinking a
Guinness. What are the chances of that?! Thanks for reading my stuff.)
Labels: Coal, fireplaces, Guinness, Home is where the hearth is, kindling, peat fire, Poe's, Tommy Condon's
IRISH-ish Pubs...
Well, it opened as a
Guinness corporate-owned bar.
The entire place was built in Ireland, broken down into numbered pieces and shipped to our little
Island .. of
Daniel.
It was carefully reassembled and, I believe, was called McCaffrey's. It was one of 400 Guinness-owned pubs in the U.S.
Unfortunately, it closed rather quickly and the building sat idle for over a year on Seven Farms Road.
It re-opened a few months ago as
Two Rivers Tavern but it's no longer officially
"Irish." The nooks and crannies (known as "snugs") have been removed but a lot of the original wood paneling is still evident. Check out the pressed tin ceiling.
Over in North Charleston - near Park Circle -
Cork Neighborhood Bistro opened for daily lunch and recently added dinner Monday-Saturday.
They welcomed patrons to their part of Montague Avenue during this year's
St. Paddy's Day celebration with a special beer for the occasion.
Hmmm..when I visited County Cork, in Ireland last year, I found that Bud was considered an
import and cost more than Guinness.
Down the street on Montague is
Madra Rua.
All Irish, all year long.
Slainte.(Click on the photos for more details. Yes, that IS a Guinness in the glass.)
Labels: Cork Neighborhood Bistro, Guinness, imported beer, Irish-ish, Madra Rua, Slainte, Two Rivers Tavern
Right Place at the Right Time....
The Guinness people declared a 2009 worldwide celebration in honor of its 250th anniversary.
On September 24, one was asked to raise a toast on
Arthur's Day. Happily, I was in Dublin.
Because Guinness requires two pours to be perfect, just before the 17:59 event, bartenders prepared a small backlog of "first pours."
Guinness was started in Dublin, Ireland and is considered the "National Beer."
It was dumb luck that my travels had me in Dublin during this particular week. What a fortunate circumstance!
A cozy laid back Pub was our choice and seats at the bar were readily available an hour before the toast.
When Arthur Guinness was saluted, the place was packed four-deep!
A few days later, we were first in line to tour the actual Guinness brewery where we were treated to taste a 10-day old beer sample right where it had been created.
(Ten days was the minimum "aging" before it could be sampled.)
Another stop permitted you to actually pour your own pint. That's when I saw that pulling the tap forward produces the nitrogen gas/beer mixture of
"The Black Stuff."Then you should wait 120-130 seconds for the second pour - beer only - by pushing the tap back. Two steps to a
perfect Guinness.
The easy part is drinking it.
Labels: brewery tour, Guinness, nitrogen gas, perfect pour
It started out as an authentic Irish bar. 
As far as I know, it's the only Irish bar around here offering traditional Boxties.
