Review

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At the Dublin Square, Guinness and Americana rock go down smoothly

By Larry Knowles

January 16, 2006

Gaslamp District--It’s always a good sign when you see an Irishman tending bar in an Irish pub here in the States.

So, when I checked out the Dublin Square Irish Pub the other night, and heard an Irish lilt coming from the bartender, I looked at my list of criteria for this review and checked the box next to “Irishman working in bar.” Legitimacy had been established.

“Yeah, it does,” he assured me. “It’s about the same as in Ireland. I don’t know about the band, though….”

Not a fiddle in sight

But, let me say right here, right now: I’d rather have a mellow, alt-country rock band up on stage than an Irish folk band. Up tempo and brogue just don’t go together. You can tell me all you want about the cultural value of traditional Irish song, but I’m not buying it. Give an Irishman lithium, helium, and a fiddle and you’ve got Irish folk music.

So, songs by Johnny Cash, the Eagles, and the Byrds were flowing as much as the Guinness. And they went down about as smoothly, too.

I was impressed with the menu. This ain’t no pub food we’re talking about. This is Irish American fusion with a touch of culinary artistry. You can order fish and chips, and the pub recommends it, but there’s so much more to the menu. Take, for example, the Gaelic Steak, a 14 oz. New York strip topped with a Jameson and mushroom demi-glaze and blue cheese crumble; or the Beef Braised in Guinness, tender chunks of sirloin in a Guinness infused stew, with a vegetable medley of zucchini and carrots, and garlic mashed potatoes.

What’s not to like about that? I ordered up the latter of the two. It came out quickly and at the right temperature, and the beef had more Guinness in it than a Dubliner on St. Patrick’s Day. The pieces were so tender, they practically fell apart on the fork. The sauce was unexpectedly tangy.

The beer selection at the Dublin Square isn’t so much about quantity as it is quality. There aren’t that many different beers on tap--I’d say about ten—but what they do have is first rate. (Okay, they have Bud, but that’s considered tap water in an Irish pub.) There’s Guinness, Newcastle, Smithwicks, Harp, and a handful of others.

I knocked back a Guinness, followed by a Smithwicks. A word about the Smithwicks: It’s pronounced Smithicks, or Shmiddicks. Drink enough of them in quick succession and the pronunciation will come naturally.

And you’ll probably dig listening to the bouzouki and fiddle, too.

Dublin Square Irish Pub

554 Fourth Ave.

San Diego, CA 92101

619.239.5828