Dining: McGinty’s Public House (redux)
Last spring, The Penguin did a lyrical number on downtown Silver Spring’s only Irish pub. This year, McGinty’s finds poetic justice.
Spring is the time to be thinkin’
About flowers and bunnies and drinkin’
Green Guinness on tap
With your bangers and mash,
Plus whatever the bartender’s bringin’.
So The Penguin strolled down to McGinty’s
On a weekend so damp and so windy.
She was totally famished,
But the corned beef and cabbage
Put her appetite’s grumbling to end-y.
The corned beef itself was so tender,
So delicate that it would render
The staunchest of vegans
To carnivorous eatin’,
Like a junkie spun off on a bender.
The cabbage arrived kinda mushy,
But The Penguin wouldn’t get too pushy.
See, it came with a sauce
Of a tangy cheese source
That sent our fickle Penguin gushing.
“I’ve never had cabbage with gravy!”
The Penguin exclaimed, all insane-y.
But she had to admit,
While it wasn’t legit,
She found the concoction quite tasty.
The service was all expeditious,
And the drinks came without any hitches.
Score some corned beef and cabbage,
Do your liver some damage,
And let the good humor leave you in stitches.
Corned beef and cabbage ($13 at lunch); Irish breakfast, which includes bangers and mash ($12 at lunch, not reviewed).
McGinty’s Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, (301) 587-1270.
Photo: The corned beef and cabbage at McGinty’s Public House. Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.
Drinkin’ Guinness on March 17,
With shots of Jameson in between.
When hittin’ the hay,
At the end o’ the day,
Tis you that’ll be turnin’ green.
Editor’s note: Nicely said, B. — JD (Mar 12, 2008)
Request the Shepherd’s Pie
And you’ll think you have died.
But don’t you dare drop
‘Til the server has brought
The Guiness that twinkles the eye.
Dear Penguin, m’lassie
You’ve gotten quite sassy.
Tis no corned beef for me an’
Me staunch fellow vegans,
For flesh, it makes us quite gassy!
Springvale Roader sounds like a real Beet & Potatoes kind of guy.
This one’s for B.
I’ll be drinking Harp, y’see.
Guinness being not vegan
Due to fish bladder protein;
“Isinglass,” ’tis a foul beastie!
Mmmm. . . fish bladder protein. . .
Springvale Roader, I know when I’ve been beaten. I sat here for one hour trying to rhyme Roader, while keeping it vegan & Irish, and I just got a headache.
I’ll be drinking a toast to you on Monday. Jameson with a Belgium style quad. (maybe I’ll try to bake some Corned Tempeh or Tofu).
Luck O’ the Irish to you & yours.
b,
Begorry! My tribe hails from the shtetls of Russian, but Mrs. Springvale Roader can trace hers back to the Blarney Stone. Ergo, we’ll be celebrating St. Patty’s along with you carnivores, only in our own mutant vegan way. So, luck o’ the Irish to you and yours too, and if you’re looking for something a little different on Monday, you can always try this:
Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped or shredded.
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths and quartered
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon mild horseradish
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6-8 ounces vegetarian “beef” or seitan or reconstituted TVP chunks (I used Lightlife Strips)
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine or cooking sherry (really adds great flavor)
Saute the onion in a large, non-stick pot until it starts to brown. Add the remaining vegetables, the broth, and the seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the “beef,” cover, and cook for 15 more minutes, until vegetables are soft.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and “beef” to a serving plate and keep warm. Return the broth to the heat. In a small cup, combine the flour, water, and wine. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the simmering broth. Cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the broth has thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the gravy over the “beef” and vegetables to serve.
Makes 4 servings. Each serving, using the Lightlife strips, contains 117 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 10g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 336mg Sodium; 7g Fiber.
I served this with Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill (instructions below) and Horseradish Sauce. To make horseradish sauce, simply mix prepared horseradish with your favorite vegan mayo to taste until you reach the right spiciness level. (Vegan horseradish can be hard to find; always read ingredients to make sure there are no eggs or dairy products. Better still, prepare your own.)
Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill
Preheat oven to 400. Cut small red potatoes in half, larger red potatoes into quarters (all should be about the same size). Allow about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of potatoes for 4 servings. Place into a non-metal baking dish and spray lightly with canola oil (optional). Bake until potatoes are lightly browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and dill weed, to taste.
Enjoy with copious amounts of beer.
Damn, that sounds good. And I just got back from Whole Foods. Though not a vegetarian, my home cooking is mostly Japanese with very little meat. I make my own dashi w/ kombu seaweed. Miso Master barley miso rocks.
Thanks for the recipe, I copied it and will try it soon.
We traced our family name as far back as 1240, in South West Ireland, but the last thing I need right now is a heaping pile of brisket.
I would like to be here at McGinty’s a little longer,
however, it is I who must leave because the atmosphere is so somber.
Strike me in the pocket, if thou shall will,
but McGintys I shall not return, and ditch without paying the bill.
Editor’s note: This poem was edited for content. — JD (May 16, 2008)