by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
For the past two years, bars serving pub fare have been blossoming here in Jacksonville like desert flowers after a hard rain. Of those that have opened, there are three notable pubs that serve some of the best Irish-style fare in Jacksonville. If you plan to visit one of the three, here’s the lowdown on the food you’ll find.
967 Atlantic Boulevard, Atlantic Beach (904) 249-9595
If I were to move to the beaches area, Culhane’s would be the reason. It shouldn’t be surprising at an Irish pub, but I have to say— if it involves potatoes, Culhane’s dishes are marvelous. Lots of dishes include the mashed potatoes, which I highly recommend. Appetizers like the Irish farmhouse skins seem like typical bar fare until you taste them. The Irish farmhouse skins are Culhane’s version of the loaded potato skin. All the ingredients are fresh and cooked to absolute perfection, like the caramelized onions that add just the right touch to this appetizer.
Don’t leave without trying the devastatingly delicious potato leek soup. Both hearty and memorable, this soup had a slight tang of cheese to it. Try it with a Guinness and some of the brown Irish soda bead.
Under pub favorites or entrées you’ll find many of the dishes one comes to expect from an Irish, English or Scottish pub. The corned beef and cabbage is, hands down, no close seconds, the best I’ve ever had. I even recommend the shepherd’s pie to those that believe they don’t like shepherd’s pie.
Desserts are just as good as the main fare. Carolan’s fried cheese cake, covered in Irish crème sauce is a definite winner. The 24 carrot cake is a truly massive slab of carrot cake with a rich cream cheese icing and honest-to-goodness whipped cream. Six people sharing the slab of cake is not a stretch.
333 1st Street North, Jacksonville Beach (904) 242-9499
“Boxty on the griddle, Boxty in the pan, if you can’t make a Boxty, you’ll never get your man.” –Old Irish rhyme
Opened in May 2005, Fionn MacCool’s is part of pub explosion that swept through Jacksonville. But Fionn’s isn’t just a place to go for a pint; like the best public houses in Ireland, it’s also a place to fill your belly with soul-satisfying fare.
You’ll want to try the boxty, the traditional Irish dish they’re known for. Boxty, a traditional Northwest Irish meal, needs a little explanation since it isn’t common here in the states. Imagine a potato pancake as light as a crêpe wrapped around a meat filling in a rich cream sauce—that’s boxty. I recommend the County Cork Boxty, with a filling of savory ham, caramelized onions and finely sliced, sautéed Portobello mushrooms in an incredible Swiss cheese white cream sauce. The taste of the bold, flavorful meat in a rich but mainly spice-free cream sauce, reminds me of many of the dishes I ate while in Ireland.
111 Bartram Oaks Walk (904) 230-9670
Shannon’s has quickly become a fixture of Bartram Walk in Mandarin since its opening in December of ’05. Shannon’s location in Mandarin makes it both a draw for families and a local hangout for twenty to forty year olds looking for a neighborhood chill zone. The mix of ages and the general crowd mirrors the sort you might find in any given pub in Ireland.
Order the scotch eggs and you won’t be disappointed. You get two huge scotch eggs the size of small cannon balls. The boiled eggs are encased in a mixture of Shannon’s bangers sausage and deliciously fried breading. Shannon’s keeps their scotch eggs simple but sinful, just as they should be. A side of slightly spicy mustard completes this dangerously good appetizer.
If you’re suffering from a hangover but you still crave a full belly, go for the Coddle under Pub Grub. This Dublin dish is purported to cure a hangover. It’s a house stew of roasted pork tenderloin, banger sausage, vegetables and potatoes, under a puff pastry, served with a side of soda bread and the pub’s signature Guinness butter.
You’d do well to save room for dessert at Shannon’s, particularly for Shannon’s Secret Cake. Two slices of delectable gingerbread cake surrounded with ice cream and whipped cream serve as the base for this caramel and Irish whisky topped dream.
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