Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
Everyone becomes Irish around St. Patrick’s Day, and the Dining Duo is no exception! In our search for an authentic Irish restaurant, we enlisted the help of experts, namely, the Celtic Club. They gave us a few suggestions, and we went with the Claddagh Irish Pub in Geneva Commons. They also extended an invitation to us to attend their St. Patrick’s Day Dinner. We felt extremely honored to be asked, and we thought it would be fun to do interviews for Huntley Community Radio at that time. We will be after their “Lucky Charms….”
From the outside, the Claddagh looks like a little bit of Ireland magically appeared in Geneva. This motif continues inside. Straight ahead was a ginormous wooden bar flanked on one side by medieval castle décor complete with stained glass windows and flickering flame sconces. The other side resembled an old, Irish farmhouse with the required mural of Saint Patrick. You could almost smell the peat burning in the fireplaces.
For the evening fare, Nancy started out with her favorite, a Black and Tan ($6). This is Guinness stout and Harp beer layered together. To go with it, we ordered the Guinness Beer Cheese (dip) and Pretzels (homemade sticks) for $7.99.
For an entree, Nancy ordered the Irish beef stew ($7.99 lunch portion), which is cubes of beef, carrots, onions, and mushrooms in a burgundy wine sauce served with creamed potatoes and soda bread. Note: she picked out the fungi. Nancy also had a Caesar salad ($2.49) that was so pretty she didn’t want to eat it. It was a quarter heart of romaine lettuce with dressing and shaved Parmesan cheese on top.
Jim’s meal was the traditional shepherd’s pie ($13.99). It is a combination of ground beef, lamb, root vegetables, and peas topped with browned creamed potatoes and served with soda bread. He went with a cup of their signature corned beef, cabbage, and potato soup ($2.99).
We saved the best for last: dessert! We indulged in their Banoffee Pie ($6.99), which is a magically delicious blend of homemade toffee, bananas, and whipped cream in a graham cracker crust. I usually take a taste of the dessert and let Jim have the rest – not this time! It was dueling forks and every man for himself.
If you’ve ever been to Ireland, this restaurant will bring back memories. It has excellent food, atmosphere, and service, and that’s no “blarney!”
FYI: The 12-year-old Jameson is $8 a shot, the 18-year-old Jameson is $15 a shot (that’s the good stuff). Oh yeah, the pub is handicap accessible, too.
The total bill of fare for our Gaelic feast was $54.22, Slainte!
He said/she said:
Jim’s take: The soup sounded different but was actually delicious. I’ve never had shepherd’s pie before, and I discovered this is the ultimate comfort food. For the record, Nancy ate up all the dessert!
Nancy’s take: I never saw anything like this Caesar salad, creative and yummy. The hearty beef stew was good, but you must save room for the dessert. I did not eat all of “our” dessert! Next time I go there, I have a date with an 18-year-old named Jameson. Ladies, eat your heart out!
• Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
Claddagh Irish Pub
702 Commons Drive
Geneva, IL 60134
630-208-0337
www.claddaghirishpubs.com
Directions: Route 47 south
Estimated time: 33 minutes
