From Ireland to Boston

Last fall, a small group of us took a pilgrimage of sorts to Ireland in order to gain a deeper understanding and appreciate of Irish food & what makes an Irish pub an Irish pub. We went on a whirlwind tour of Dublin & beyond, spending time in pubs & restaurants as guests and behind the scenes talking to chefs & bartenders. We walked the rolling hills and spent time at the shore. What we found was a country with a strong pride and commitment to a sense of place. Pubs that have an almost indescribable quality of being more than just a place to eat, but that serve as communal spaces with hospitality at the core.

The Irish chefs we spoke to were committed to supporting Irish farmers & food purveyors. These commitments resonated strongly with our own love for sourcing the best local products we ourselves can find, while also incorporating true Irish ingredients such as Irish butter & cheese.

Some ideas we had been toying with received a bit of a modification. A 99 Flake is an incredibly common & popular quick dessert in Ireland – a vanilla soft serve in a cone with a Flake bar stuck in the side. We learned that the components of a 99 Flake are sacrosanct and, while we were planning our own version, it was important that we not brand it as an authentic 99 Flake, but a Sweeney’s 99 Flake! Ours features Baileys ice cream & Baileys caramel, something that might be Irish in origin but wouldn’t qualify as a 99 Flake in Ireland.

We’ve taken plenty of other classic dishes & put a Bostonian/American spin to them. Our classic Irish stew is modernized as a beautiful braised short rib slow cooked in Guinness with local roots. Our take on a classic Irish pub dish, the toastie, features Irish ham & Irish cheddar but served alongside a roasted tomato soup, a real meeting of Irish & American classics. We visited the Guinness Storehouse and learned the importance and steps to a proper pint.

More than anything, we took back a sense of love the Irish people have for both their neighbors, their homeland, and for creating spaces of hospitality. It’s our goal not to recreate an authentic Irish pub to the letter if it were transported to Boston, but to create a space with great food & drink served with heartfelt hospitality. Truly what an Irish pub would be if it were made in America.