How best to celebrate the Feast of St. Patrick, but with feasting? March 17th is religious and cultural, going back to the missionary whose roots were in Roman Britain but whose personal faith bloomed full-force in Ireland. Here are four lucky spots to celebrate all things Irish!
Corned Beef and Cabbage at Ganly’s Irish Pub
Chef Sean Davies is the force behind Ganly’s tried-and-true Corned Beef and Cabbage, making sure that the beef is “fork-tender” — and full-flavored. “I just do it pretty traditionally,” Chef Sean explains. “Boil the corned beef and then the cabbage in the water from that.” He admits some secrets: “There are a few special seasonings!” Ganly’s roasted red potatoes provide the perfect complement with their attractive color and just-sweet, satisfying flavor. (Reds are also less starchy than white potatoes and contain high amounts of potassium and other nutrients.) Last St. Patrick’s Day, Chef Sean recalls, “We went through 400 pounds of Corned Beef and Cabbage.” As for the best drink to enhance the celebratory meal? “Definitely a frosty Guinness!”
500 Brownsville Rd., Sinking Spring
610.678.2000
Irish Stew at the Ugly Oyster
Many of the best recipes on earth have a fascinating — even serendipitous — history. And the story behind the Ugly Oyster’s hearty Irish Stew warms the spirit. “Our Irish Stew is basically a combination,” says Victor Pytleski, owner and main chef at this downtown Reading destination. “It started with an old family recipe my mother (now deceased) passed on to me… Then, when I first opened, a local guy simply reached out and sent me a recipe, which became an addition.” Interestingly, the recipe came from an old Irish bar that had closed down. Says Pytleski, “The newest version is a combination of that old family recipe and that other recipe. We use cabbage — we cook it into the stew — as well as corned beef. So, we use regular top-round beef that’s cut into cubes and then the corned beef, also cut into cubes, but it has to be added at just the right time so it doesn’t fall apart.” The meat gets incredibly tender, “cooked along with carrots, potatoes, onions, celery and our own seasonings.” As a dinner, it’s served with bread, but it’s also available in a soup-bowl size, or a cup. “It goes well with Guinness, of course,” says Pytleski, who adds that the beer is actually one of the stew ingredients. “You’ll be full!” His lifetime love of cooking came early. “I’ve been cooking ever since I was a little kid. I’d cook with my mother. She had all these old cookbooks…and I still like her Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cooking.” Throughout March, the Ugly Oyster has a full slate of Irish foods, including bangers and mash (made with imported Irish sausages) and corned beef and cabbage.
21 S. 5th St., Reading
610.373.6791
Bangers and Mash at Trooper Thorn’s Irish Beefhouse
For homemade Bangers and Mash, do check out Trooper Thorn’s. Owner Jacquie Trapp explains, “This is one of those traditional dishes from Ireland and Scotland — basically, Irish sausage served on top of homemade, creamy mashed potatoes with homemade beef gravy and sautéed onions.” Yumm. “Bangers look like our sausages here in America, but they have a completely different taste,” says Trapp. “The spices, the meal, the ingredients are very subtle.” This dish and many uniquely Irish specialties are available year-round, not just on St. Patrick’s Day, in a comfy, congenial environment with a full bar. “We do have a deck for outdoor dining,” says Trapp, “heated if it’s cold outside.” Takeout is always an option as well.
451 Morgantown Rd., Reading
610.685.4944
Irish Gold Cocktail at Flanagan’s Pub
Christopher Flanagan, owner of this jovial pub and restaurant in Shillington, says he’s excited about pleasing diners with a new drink this March: Irish Gold. “It’s a variation of an Orange Crush, only using Irish whiskey instead of vodka,” explains Flanagan. “The recipe calls for a large pint filled with ice, two ounces of Irish whiskey, a half-ounce of peach schnapps, a splash of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and four ounces of ginger ale — garnished with a lime.” The whiskey portion is usually Jameson, a classic Irish favorite, he says, “but we also make it with Tullamore Dew or Bushmills, depending.” Flanagan gives much credit to his regular customers, who all came by and picked up food orders during the 2020 St. Patty’s Day shutdown. “That was such short notice — and we had all this fresh food on hand.” Hundreds of Berks Countians came through for him during tough times, and he is truly grateful for these longtime Flanagan’s fans. In three words: “They supported us!” In addition to numerous traditional dishes like Guinness Fish ’n Chips and Irish Stew, Flanagan’s offers a special salmon dish with an Irish bent — moist and delicious anytime, but especially this March!
41 W. Lancaster Avenue, Shillington
610.777.6401
