Dining Out
Mary Furr, For the Independent
Just off Main Street on Walnut Avenue is Gallagher’s Pub and Grill,
just the place to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Main Street doesn’t usually wake up until around 11 a.m., but on St.
Pat’s Gallagher’s will open for a full Irish breakfast at 8 a.m. and go
on celebrating until 1 a.m. the next day.
A home-style breakfast ($7.95 every day until 2 p.m.) offers a big
portion of everything: Irish bacon, thicker than American; bangers, those
fat port sausages just bursting with flavor; sauteed mushrooms; grilled
tomato slices; baked beans; two eggs, any style; Irish white pudding and
toast.
Ciaran Gallagher, co-owner with his brother Eugene, cooks up a great
white pudding -- a mix of bread crumbs and spices rolled like a sausage,
sliced and pan fried, a delicious selection new to me.
The brothers, born in Derry City in Northern Ireland, were practically
raised in their parents’ pub and seemed to absorb the spirit of a
friendly “drop-in” cafe. They’ve created an Irish pub in Huntington Beach
with a polished redwood bar, a dartboard nearby, plenty of tables and
chairs, the walls covered with posters and photos of well known pubs.
There’s a small sidewalk addition at the entrance and raised stand at the
back for a dance band.
Honest and True Irish Stew ($8.95) is as authentic as it gets -- big
chunks of tender lamb, carrots, celery and onions with red skin potatoes
in a great savory gravy. The carrots are ridged and sliced length wise to
absorb the tasty gravy.
According to their mother, Ciaran always loved to cook and is
especially creative with his sauces. Preparation is when ordered but the
wait passes quickly when sharing a prawn cocktail ($7.95). It’s a large,
stemmed dish with five beautiful fat prawns and sliced lemons hanging
over the edge and filled with tiny bay shrimp and celery in one of
Ciaran’s mildly zesty sauces -- not to be missed.
The pub serves 20 drafts and they can even draw a Guinness to form a
perfect shamrock in the creamy foam. As in Ireland the pub is a
neighborhood gathering place for fun and refreshment.
Another less “Irish” dish, one with a gourmet touch, is stuffed
chicken breast ($11.95) with seasoned mashed potatoes and fresh
vegetables. Tender, firm white meat is rolled around a mix of
garlic-flavored creamed spinach, cheese, mushrooms and fresh herbs. The
dish is not fussy but well balanced, and again the gravy ties the whole
dish together for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Shepherd’s Pie ($9.95), an Irish staple, is often ordered according to
Mrs. Gallagher. It was created originally to use up leftovers from Sunday
dinner and is a tasty mix of seasoned ground lamb, green peas, carrots
and onions topped with mounds of mashed potatoes. Oven baked, the
potatoes have a brown crusty top to which Gallagher’s adds melted cheese.
It is a great, generous dish that warms the heart as well as the stomach.
There is no better way to know a people than through their kitchens.
So, for St. Paddy’s Day drop in to Gallagher’s Pub and Grill where the
greeting is a hearty “cald mile failte” -- a “hundred thousand welcomes.”
* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments
or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail o7 hbindy@latimes.com.f7
FYIGallagher’s Pub and Grill
WHERE: 300 Pacific Coast Highway (Entrance on Walnut Avenue)
HOURS: noon to 2 a.m. daily, food served until 1 a.m.; on St.
Patrick’s Day, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.
PHONE: (714) 536-2422
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