Oh for some Irish comfort

Yesterday a very nail biting period of waiting for a refi to go through ended with a more than two hour sigh-ning session before a notary next door to The Mayflower Pub in San Rafael. Naturally that is where I celebrated the future forward 4.75% with Dad.

Poor Dad has had a period of liquid diet due to some mouth bruising from new denture work. So he chose the smooth and creamy Cream of Broccoli soup. He loved every spoonful.

I declared it a 'holiday' and so ordered a most delicious Chicken Pot Pie which was accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy and carrots and peas. What delicious comfort food! Service was prompt and friendly. There is live Celtic music here every Tuesday night as well.

Restaurant Inspection Results

Critical: 1
Noncritical: 0
Last inspected: 9/21/2009

Previously reviewed:
April 12, 2007

Find address/phone number/directions on Anna's Map.

Delicious Irish

I've been in some very un-tasty Irish places. And some stellar ones, such as Johnny Foley's in San Francisco. I went to meet a couple friends for dinner there, not intending to blog the visit, but the food was so compelling, I just had to document it!

The light was a bit low, but you can still get a good sense of the food that we tried. I had the Fish and Chips. This was Fresh Cod in Lager Batter with Coleslaw, Garden Peas, and Malt Vinegar Aioli. The peas were 'smashed' and it was an interesting texture. Overall, it was great and the portion such that I couldn't finish it.

Larry had the Traditional Style Corned Beef & Cabbage. It came with Mashed & Boiled Potatoes, Buttered Carrots, and Parsley Cream Sauce. The ultimate compliment, Larry said that it compared favorably to his mother's.

Sachiko was fascinated by the Vegetarian Irish Stew. The waiter highly recommended it, and it was stellar. Sachiko gave me a bit to try. The mix of Portabello Mushrooms, Spinach, Asparagus, Barley, Mint, Mashed Potatoes, and Savory Vegetable Broth was heavenly. The service was prompt and friendly and we enjoyed our meal immensely.

Ambiance and deliciousness over come rain. It was quite the rainy day yesterday, and a couple weeks before the bay area usually experiences rain. Those who are worried about a drought were certainly cheering thinking this may be a good sign of enough rain this winter. And the flower boxes loved it. I took the photo of Rooney's Cafe & Grill from the side since these were so vibrant here.

Dad and I went out to beat the rainy day gloom by having a nice dinner, and a movie next door at the Tiburon Playhouse. We had belly laughs at Death at a Funeral after a lovely dinner. I'm afraid the dim light didn't allow me to take photos that show the food to its fullest advantage, but I can assure you it was presented beautifully, and more importantly it tasted great. Dad enjoyed every last bite of his Poached Scottish Salmon over fingerling potatoes, fresh green beans and English cucumbers.

I was drawn to African Chicken. And I was delighted with how well it fit with phase two of the South Beach diet, a modest amount of brown rice, sweet potatoes, avocado, egg and of course chicken breast in a smooth peanut sauce. I have to admit that the chicken itself resembled nothing I'd ever tasted in Africa, meaning that it was boneless and tender, whilst in Africa it was always on the bone, and truly tough. But you were grateful it wasn't roasted goat! I love the continual inventiveness of this kitchen and it was fun to have tastes reminiscent of Africa, with high quality ingredients. I reviewed Rooney's last for lunch in December 2006, I can't believe so many months have passed since my last visit!

Irish Music. Daniel & I looked around for some Irish music to enjoy dinner by last night, and thought we'd found some at Finnegan's in Novato. We went there, trusting the calendar on the website, and alas found that the band hadn't showed up in at least a month. It wasn't a complete loss as we both enjoyed a tasty bowl of vegetarian black bean soup. Remembering The Mayflower in San Rafael as having some good Irish sound, we tried calling them to find that there was no music there either. I was sure that there would be some in San Francisco proper, but we decided not to chase it further...

A breakfast like mom's. At Cookiecrumb's recommendation, Dad and I came to Lundy's Home Cooking for breakfast one morning.

Crowded and active, what looked like a local crowd was enjoying a variety of food. The hot water for my tea was served in a steaming pitcher.. interesting.

Nearly repeating what was written outside, there was a small whiteboard devoted to the "Homestyle Irish Breakfast". However, I saw no one on staff that looked remotely Irish. In fact, the staff seemed to mostly speak Spanish. The wooden tables were rather sticky, and it looked like this place had been well-loved for a long time without change of decor.

Dad decided that the "Country" breakfast with mild sausage an eggs over easy was what he was up for. He said it was 'great'.

I couldn't resist trying the "Authentic Irish Breakfast". I ordered my eggs scrambled, and it came with potatoes, Irish Sausage, Irish Bacon, grilled tomato slices and mushrooms. When it came it so reminded me of my mother's breakfasts when I was a small girl. The 'bacon' was the same, don't know where she got it, but it was like thinly sliced Canadian bacon that would become curly when cooked, as this was. The potatoes also looked and tasted just like hers, and had an earthy smell that was what first brought me back. My mother was not Irish, but I sure felt like I'd been put into a time machine and given some time with Mom. It's true that this place doesn't seem very connected to its Irish roots, and don't look for fancy cuteness, but the food is reasonably priced, plentiful, and most of all good. Thanks for the recommendation Cookiecrumb, this place is good, and I'll be back!

It had to happen. But let me tell you what later. Dad had a pretty big day with doctors and new things and all, so I coaxed out of him what he wanted to have for dinner. "An Irish place we've never been", came the reply. My brain whirled, then lighted on The Mayflower, where some years ago now, a date who plays bagpipes introduced me to, being familiar with it as a musician who played the venue. By sheer happenstance, we wandered into the pub on "Irish Music Tuesday". This has and will be happening for as far as my eye could follow down on a calendar composed of just Tuesdays.

We were greeted by a most warm and welcoming woman with a definite accent (Irish I supposed). She managed amazingly to work the entire room checking back with friendliness to all. I asked when the band would start, and she said, "Oh, sometime when they all roll in, one of them is sitting right next to you (gesturing to man at the next table). They're coming now, rolling in as they come." And roll in they did, one or two at a time until there were seven or eight musicians stuffed into a small corner, jamming those Irish tunes.

I looked down the menu with such items as "Gardenburger", and said to her that my Dad expressed a preference for Irish food, so which menu items were Irish? She made a sweeping gesture over the entire entree section of the menu and said, "All of them dear".

Dad chose the Fish & Chips. And then it happened, as I was snapping this shot. I will tell you still LATER in the post what happened here. I was having my doubts about bringing him here, he was starting to get a little cranky about not being able to read the menu in low light, and then the Fish & Chips were "too hot" and he couldn't see what he was eating. But the music started, and soon he was tapping his feet and telling the waitress that he used to play bugle in the army. All of a sudden, the food tasted good, and was a good quantity!

I ordered the Traditional Shepard's Pie. From past experience I knew this could be risky. But I'm sure glad I didn't order the soup with the crusty bread! Why! Well, because as I was snapping the shot of Dad's Fish & Chips, my small Sony Cybershot camera slipped out of my hand and landed right in my pie, making a goodly dent! Thank goodness for the buffer of the gooey cheese and mash. I tried spreading the cheese over the big rectangular dent, worried that I may have really ruined the nice presentation.. then I decided to pose it with the fork in the end to help disguise the damage. I think I managed that pretty well, don't you? The Shepard's Pie was pretty good comparing it to others in my memory, and having a smaller portion than others and adding a nicely balanced salad (you can't see the grape tomatoes or cucumbers and other goodies in this snap) makes it more attractive to order. Yes, this is a typical pub fare type place, including a selection of beers that match the flavors, and the experience with the music bringing the entire space together in toe-tapping as we munched made it definitely worth the trip.

Breakfast in Novato. Dad and I went out for brunch Sunday at Finnegan's Marin after a late night holiday celebration with my partners in Groundwork. Definitely an Irish pub, and a friendly comfortable kind of place.

I ordered Earl Grey Tea to start, and was pleasantly surprised by the tea serice with China Mist tea. No, it wasn't in a teapot, but the extra special tea did taste quite good.

Dad decided to live it up and have Eggs Benedict. He loved it, but couldn't finish because of the richness of the dish.

I decided to try something different and tried the Three Buttermilk Pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon. It came with a rich maple syrup and was quite good, although I couldn't finish mine either!

On the way home we stopped at the Bon Air Shopping Center so I could grab some fresh veggies for dinner later on, and it was all decked out for the holidays. Couldn't resist trying out my new camera on these reindeer. This post contains my first try with my new Cannon Rebel. It's nearly more than I can handle with all the options!

Oh and today happens to be my birthday, having dinner in Glen Ellen's Wolfe House to celebrate with my father, Linda, Yalda and Miss Olivia (5 yo) who is singing a solo in the Christmas pageant after dinner. Don't know if I'll snap photos or not, but I'm happy to go to Wolf House anytime as we've had many a successful and joyful occasion there.

Sunny day shopping in Tiburon. Surprised that I hadn't blogged about it yet, my friend and neighbor Jerrie suggested I try Rooney's Cafe & Grill in Tiburon, especially either the Curried Chicken Salad, or Stacked Crab Salad. Jerrie and I occasionally enjoy dinners out together, and I knew I could trust her judgement. I had been to Rooney's once before, a couple years ago when Paul convinced me to take a bicycle ride from my place to Tiburon. It was a glorious day, and I recalled Rooney's as being quite pleasant, althought I think I ordered something rather boring (like a clubhouse sandwich). It helps to have the inside track on the menu!

I started with a cup of their Split-pea Soup. It was great! Sometimes spilt-pea soup can be rather sludgy, but this one was light, fresh and there were distinguishable bits of carrot and celery in the soup as well. The fresh warm bread served with it is also worth comment. They were serving bread baskets with a soft whole wheat bread, and a firmer crusted white.

Since I'd had crab on Sunday, I decided to order the Curried Chicken Salad. Fantastic choice! Not only was the chicken curry layer delightful with walnut pieces, grapes and fresh apples mixed in, it was topped with a cornicopia of fresh fruits. I recall persimmon, kiwi, pomegranate seeds, raspberries, blueberries, mango, strawberries, banana slices, watermelon, an orange slice, covered with a bit of cutney and sprinkled with coconut. Jerrie was also right that it is such a generous portion that I had to take some home. I overheard my waitress informing the next table over that they will be closed for the holidays after next week, reopening December 29th.

Since it was such a lovely day, and the streets of Tiburon were all decked out in holiday finery, I decided to take a little stroll and pick up a replacement candle at Baobab's on the historic Ark Row. A portion of Baobab's proceeds go to ArtPeace, a charitable organization which benefits young artists in Zimbabwe. (If you are interested in making your gift dollars help others, for even more direct assistance for Africans, you might check out Global Partners for Development's Gift Catalog - with some 'wilder' choices!) While strolling, I also noted that there is a box on the side of one of the stores with a map and information about a "Walking Guide to Historic Tiburon", a 5o-minute stroll. It looks like fun! If you have relatives coming for the holidays who have done the rounds of San Francisco, this would be a pleasant morning or afternoon place to dally and shop. It's easily accessible from San Francisco by ferry using the Blue and Gold Fleet as well.

The Napper Tandy. Noting a heavy influence of Asian cuisine on my blog as of late, and knowing tonight will be celebrating the states of Mexico, I thought it prudent to wander out a little bit and find a different cuisine for lunch. On the corner a few blocks away was a beaconing Irish pub. An Irish pub in the Mission? Yes, it is there.

So I walk in -- ooops! I thought -- the bar is the entire first room! And I'm the only woman in sight.. ah, a waitress shows up, and asks me if I'd like the bar or the dining room -- I choose the dining room. It must be authentic, as the only voices I hear have very distinct Irish accents.

It was nearly empty, but a couple of men were enjoying breakfast or rather brunch as it's noon. These gentlemen also have a recognizable Irish brogue. I scan the menu and order Shepard's Pie (hoping it will not be a greasy mess).



First I was brought some brown Irish soda bread by a very friendly waitress who also had a nice Irish accent.



This was an excellent Shepard's Pie, creamy potatoes, and nicely balanced and flavored beef and vegetables -- and importantly, not swimming in grease. It was a bit big, so I took most of it home with the soda bread, which the waitress told me toasts up great in the morning.

The gentlemen I passed in the bar, were exceptionally handsome, 30-40 somethings. Single women take note, if looks are of interest, all the gentlemen there were very fetching!

OReilly's. After a long sleep, Jo-Ann and I went to North Beach and tried a "Celitic Brunch" at an awesome Irish place. It has to be authenitic when the chef has a distinct Irish accent, and a waitress too! I had the Gammon (Canadian bacon-like Irish sweet cured ham) with poached eggs over Irish potato pancake. It came with some chopped cabbage on the side, and this freshly baked brown bread on the side that tasted very much like one of my Mom's recipes. Jo-Ann had the same thing but with Irish Smoked Salmon Boxty. The waiter thought I was Irish, when finding out that although my heritage did not include any Irish, but that it included a good dose of Norwegian, started chatting away in that language! Apparently he'd spent a couple years living there and picked up the Norse language. Fabulous place, and what atmosphere! Definitely a place to return.

We walked along Columbus Avenue enjoying the Sunday morning atmosphere, hearing old men smoking at tables speak Italian. I introduced Jo-Ann to the City Lights Bookstore, and then we went to Black Oak books across the street.

It was very foggy and chilly, so we headed off to San Jose to enjoy Santana Row, since Jo-Ann hadn't been there either. It was beautiful weather, and the right choice. We were inspired by all the creativity in the shops, but were not impressed by the pillow at Tommy Bahama's on sale for $59, reduced from $225, nothing exceptional! Provided fuel for discussion about relative values though. Found out the 1-bedroom 700sq ft condos were selling for just short of $500K...

Jonathon was cooking some fabulous Copper River Salmon as Jo-Ann and I headed back to their home for the end of 'girls' time, and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and conversation over some delish Ridge red. And, Jo-Ann's mother is going to be just fine, needs some observation time for a couple days though.

Now I'm home, blogging away! Savored this weekend!