Restaurant Review:

A friend of mine has been hit by the recession, and going out to eat has not really been an option for her.

It has been difficult because she used to go out to eat several times a week, but like most she has had to really scale back on her luxury expenditures.

Fortunately, her situation is starting to slowly turn around, and I suggested we hit a happy hour to celebrate.

Most restaurants with bars have adapted to the economy, and several are offering deeply discounted happy hour menus.

The problem is the food is usually fried or bland, or both, and neither of us wanted that.

I had walked by Gallagher’s Pub and Grill and saw that it had some unique appetizers and that they were half off during the week.

It took a little persuasion, but I got my friend over and we cruised over to the Irish-themed establishment. The décor is very similar to a pub in Ireland, and I even liked the authentic-looking Irish road sign that was on the wait station.

The food is just as authentic. Executive Chef Jason Raiola has taken a gastro pub menu and infused it with Irish accents, not only with the appetizers, but with most of the menu as well.

We began with an Irish cheese plate. Raiola picks several cheeses, mostly Irish, and places them on a serving tile with toasted bread, cornichons and Coleman’s mustard.

The first cheese we had was an Irish goat cheese that was very creamy and had a nice mellow flavor. The second cheese was sharp Irish cheddar that was not as sharp as I would have liked, but it was good. There was also an Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano and a French Brie.

At $14, this was the most expensive item we had, and I probably wouldn’t order it again if I was trying to have a budget meal.

The other four appetizers we got were $3.50, $4, $4.50 and $5.

Our favorite was the Cornish pasties. The braised lamb meat and bits of ground beef mixed really well with the mira poix. The puffed pastry was incredibly delicate, but so flaky.

The next dish was the prawn tartare. I liked the concept of the dish, a mound of jumbo prawn meat with diced avocado, red onion, tomatoes and hothouse cucumbers. My guest and I agreed there was too much onion, and it took away from what should be the focal point of the dish, the prawns.

The sautéed mushrooms were very good. The mixture of cremini and Portobello mushrooms in a garlic and red wine reduction sauce was a very nice appetizer. I might even add some toasted French bread slices like the cheese plate had.

The last item we had was the goat cheese and Irish bacon tart. This pastry was just like the other, with a really good flaky crust. The goat cheese tart was topped with Irish bacon and was on a bed of baby spinach that had a mustard bacon vinaigrette.

If you exclude the cheese plate, our meal — and believe me, there were more than enough appetizers to classify this as a meal — was $17.

Though people may think Gallagher’s is just a pub and that only the serious partyers are going to visit it, the food is definitely worth a trip. The appetizers alone will keep you happy and well fed and will do it for a very affordable price, even if you miss the half-off happy hour.

Gallagher’s Pub and Grill

Address: 300 Pacific Coast Hwy., Suite 113, Huntington Beach

Phone: (714) 536-2422

Website: www.gallagherspub.com

Cuisine: Micro pub and Irish

Specialty Dish: Grilled rib eye

Alcohol Served: Full bar

Entrée Price Range: $10 to $22

Family Friendly: No

Credit Cards Accepted: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

Rating: *** out of four stars

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at Nolimepublishing@aol.com or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.