Guinness Beef Stew

THE DISH: The Dublin Pub and Grill

Staff Photo: Rachel Shirey
The Dublin Pub and Grill serves, center, the open face corn beef sandwich (sliced corned beef on grilled marbled rye bread with Thousand Island dressing and sauerkraut), left, shepherd’s pie (ground beef, carrots, mashed potatoes, peas and onions baked like a pie and smothered with cheese), right, Irish stew (beef cooked in traditional Irish style with carrots, onions and Guinness beer).

• Location: The Dublin Pub and Grill faces U.S. Highway 78 with Stone Mountain looming in the background. It is located in a solo-standing brick building with an Irish flag signaling passersby.

• Hours: Open from noon to 2 a.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from noon to midnight on Sundays.

• Atmosphere: The atmosphere can be described by the slogan painted on the dark green wall in an Irish-style font above the bar that is clearly visible as soon as you walk through the door:

“Welcome to the Dublin Pub where there are no strangers, just friends who have yet to meet.”

Chef Sean Clark said The Dublin Pub and Grill has a “very friendly” atmosphere where conversations start at random.

“There’s numbers of times you see people who don’t know each other, or they’re sitting across the bar from each other, and before (long) they’re sitting across from each other having drinks and just chilling. Literally,” Clark said. “And it doesn’t matter black, white or whatever the situation is, female, male.”

• Menu: The Dublin Pub and Grill is known for its food selection, as well as its beer selections.

Clark said their reuben rolls, shredded corned beef wrapped in a wonton shell mixed with sauerkraut and cream cheese served with Thousand Island dressing for dipping, are a popular commodity, and those are appetizers.

They have also made a name for themselves through their shepherd’s pie — ground beef, carrots, mashed potatoes, peas and onions baked like a pie and smothered with cheese.

“A great portion of it is fresh made and people might have had shipyards pie somewhere, but ours is just a little bit different which makes it unique and they really enjoy that,” Clark said. “We have a high mixture of food as well, even though we are a pub.”

The shepherd’s pie can also compete with authentic Irish cooking.

“We have a couple that comes in, and the woman is authentic Irish, She’s from Ireland,” Clark said. “Her sister (visited) from Ireland, and she brought her here. She tried our shepherd’s pie and was like ‘There is only one shepherd’s pie that I like better than this one, and that’s the one I make.’ and I was like ‘OK cool, I’ll accept that.

St. Patrick's Day Feast: Guinness Beef Stew Recipe

T. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Tomorrow, in fact. I’ve been cooking up a few Irish-inspired meals for the family to celebrate with stews, corned beef and plenty of potatoes . You’ll find no green beer here, but a pint of Guinness may be consumed by the of-age participants.

With Chicago dyeing the river green, parades and people dressed as leprechauns, it’s hard not to get swept up in the magic of St. Patrick’s Day and embark on a treasure hunt for that pot o’ gold at the end of the rainbow. It all begs the question: What is St. Patrick’s Day really?

St. Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday in Ireland to honor the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, who served as a bishop in Ireland and sought to Christianize the pagans there. Did you know the reason the clover and the color green is worn and used in St. Patrick’s Day decor is because Saint Patrick would use it to explain the Holy Trinity?

Today, St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated to show allegiance to Irish heritage more than for its religious significance. During the 1798 rebellion against British occupation, Irish rebels dressed in all green. It is under that same British control that Irish farmers were limited in land and needed to choose a crop that would give the most bang for their buck. Potatoes were then widely cultivated for their complete nutritional properties, which made them a staple in the Irish diet.

More Irish-Inspired Fare:

:: Corned Beef and Cabbage – thank the Irish-Americans for this classic. :: Irish Brownie Bombs – Guinness brownies, Bailey’s cheesecake, Jameson clovers.

Recipe: Guinness Beef Stew

This Irish beef stew is deep and rich with flavor and made with the Irish stout, Guinness. Serve it over a bed of colcannon or with a wedge of Irish soda bread to sop it up. This type of meat and potatoes meal is one I could get used to.