Sorry, no food p*** today. My computer crashed last week, taking all of my pictures with it. I hate it when I actually remember to take pictures and then I can't use them! I feel like such a failure.
Back in March a little Irish restaurant in the foodie mecca/suburb of Highwood invited me to come in and try a few dishes. I've actually been to Bridie McKenna's before, for a political event hosted by a friend of my husband's who was running for office. By the time we got there, all the food was gone. I did drink some Guinness, which seemed like what you were supposed to do at an Irish pub. Afterwards we had planned to visit our favorite Indian restaurant in the area, Curry Hut, but as we were leaving someone standing outside the restaurant next door, Alex's Washington Gardens, enticed us in. So I never did get to eat at Bridie McKenna's during that visit.
It's been a year or two since then. I have to admit that Irish food always looked comforting to me, but also fatty and jeetcityca.com not particularly exciting. Still, I'm always up for trying something new in culinary terms. So when Bridie McKenna invited me in for free food, how could I possibly refuse?
First, Bridie McKenna's is quite charming. I like the green phone box outside, and I'm hoping that sometime before the next Ice Age we'll have good enough weather to enjoy that cute little patio right outside. The place looks like it belongs on a little cobblestoned European street, and it features dark woods and lots of atmosphere inside, along with TVs at the bar where you can watch events like the royal wedding coming up this weekend. It features events like live music and dancing pretty regularly, and on Sunday we came here for Easter brunch (those white chocolate-covered strawberries from the buffet are my husband's new favorite dessert).
Since there are certain Irish dishes I'd never tried, I opted for my first visit to immerse myself in authentic fare. I had fish pie, corned beef and cabbage, beef and Guinness stew, and something else that involved mashed potatoes and meat. I also tried my son's fish and chips, which he absolutely loved. Wow, is Irish food heavy on the potatoes. I suppose I should have expected that.
I will admit that Irish food still isn't my favorite-it's heavy, and full of gravy (not that there's anything wrong with that). But the flavors are good, and can be very satisfying if you're in the right mood. And Bridie's does a fabulous job with traditional and iconic dishes like Shepard's Pie (their spelling) and corned beef, which is lovely with mustard or horseradish sauce. That fish pie was extremely tasty. I wanted a full entree, not just the sample size.
Bridie McKenna's also offers Irish beers like my husband's favorite, Smithwicks. It's owned by Irish people who know their stuff, and I hear it was a great place to watch the World Cup. So if you're jonesin' for a bit of Irish culture, this is a fine place to get it. I recommend it highly. And if I ever get access to my computer again, I'll post some pictures of the delicious samples I tried there.
Bridie McKenna's The North Shore Pub
254 Green Bay Rd., Highwood
(847) 432-3311
If you are interested in reading more about dining and drinking guides for cities across the US, feel free to visit website , where you can find where the real people eat and drink. I've already visit their website and I found a lot of city dining guides .
Back in March a little Irish restaurant in the foodie mecca/suburb of Highwood invited me to come in and try a few dishes. I've actually been to Bridie McKenna's before, for a political event hosted by a friend of my husband's who was running for office. By the time we got there, all the food was gone. I did drink some Guinness, which seemed like what you were supposed to do at an Irish pub. Afterwards we had planned to visit our favorite Indian restaurant in the area, Curry Hut, but as we were leaving someone standing outside the restaurant next door, Alex's Washington Gardens, enticed us in. So I never did get to eat at Bridie McKenna's during that visit.
It's been a year or two since then. I have to admit that Irish food always looked comforting to me, but also fatty and jeetcityca.com not particularly exciting. Still, I'm always up for trying something new in culinary terms. So when Bridie McKenna invited me in for free food, how could I possibly refuse?
First, Bridie McKenna's is quite charming. I like the green phone box outside, and I'm hoping that sometime before the next Ice Age we'll have good enough weather to enjoy that cute little patio right outside. The place looks like it belongs on a little cobblestoned European street, and it features dark woods and lots of atmosphere inside, along with TVs at the bar where you can watch events like the royal wedding coming up this weekend. It features events like live music and dancing pretty regularly, and on Sunday we came here for Easter brunch (those white chocolate-covered strawberries from the buffet are my husband's new favorite dessert).
Since there are certain Irish dishes I'd never tried, I opted for my first visit to immerse myself in authentic fare. I had fish pie, corned beef and cabbage, beef and Guinness stew, and something else that involved mashed potatoes and meat. I also tried my son's fish and chips, which he absolutely loved. Wow, is Irish food heavy on the potatoes. I suppose I should have expected that.
I will admit that Irish food still isn't my favorite-it's heavy, and full of gravy (not that there's anything wrong with that). But the flavors are good, and can be very satisfying if you're in the right mood. And Bridie's does a fabulous job with traditional and iconic dishes like Shepard's Pie (their spelling) and corned beef, which is lovely with mustard or horseradish sauce. That fish pie was extremely tasty. I wanted a full entree, not just the sample size.
Bridie McKenna's also offers Irish beers like my husband's favorite, Smithwicks. It's owned by Irish people who know their stuff, and I hear it was a great place to watch the World Cup. So if you're jonesin' for a bit of Irish culture, this is a fine place to get it. I recommend it highly. And if I ever get access to my computer again, I'll post some pictures of the delicious samples I tried there.
Bridie McKenna's The North Shore Pub
254 Green Bay Rd., Highwood
(847) 432-3311
If you are interested in reading more about dining and drinking guides for cities across the US, feel free to visit website , where you can find where the real people eat and drink. I've already visit their website and I found a lot of city dining guides .
