Pub Crawling in Wallingford, Connecticut
One Pint, Two Pint, Three Pint, Four
The Old Dublin
Wallingford, Connecticut
Whether it’s a trip abroad or a night out with a good friend, I am always mindful that the best memories are the ones that have nothing to do with what I came to see or do in the first place. It has been my utmost pleasure to visit Ireland four times. Last year I spent St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin drinking copious amounts of velvety dark Guinness and crawling from one 900 year-old pub to the next; an experience that could very well spoil a person for good. A perfect pint and ‘good craic’ (pronounced crack - the Irish term for lively, irony-laced conversation) are best enjoyed a few hundred meters from the Liffey River or on the craggy banks of the Dingle Peninsula, right? So imagine my delight when I found myself standing in a proper Irish Pub in...Wallingford, Connecticut?
If you’ve never experienced the joys of an authentic Irish pub, allow me to give you a few pointers. When, upon opening the front door, if the lovely pitch of the penny whistle jumps into your ears – this is good. The Irish are prolific musicians and nothing makes a pint taste sweeter than a round or two of ‘Trad’ – or traditional Irish music. Your second clue would be that, immediately after entering, you want to move your bed into the corner for a long, cozy snug - also an excellent indication that you’re about to have one hell of a grand time.
Expect all this and more from the Old Dublin. Perhaps because the owner is a born Irishman himself, or possibly because the man upstairs knows that to live a full and good life, one has to be less than a day’s journey from such a place – whatever the reason - The Old Dublin is as much an Irish pub as any you’ll find on the Emerald Isle. Dark wood hugs a shallow bar-top that’s spiked with colorfully painted draught pulls, like so many Crayolas in a box. The bar wall are hung with crackly mirrors, pleasingly soft light surrounds you and the smell of tasty grub wafts through the kitchen’s doors. After just a short wait we were able to belly right up. Our intention on this Friday night, nay… our mission for you dear reader; drink five pints in five different bars and rate them according to: taste, freshness, temperature, pour and price. We want you to be armed and mentally equipped to fight off anyone who tries to force you to drink that ghastly green beer that everyone tries to give you on St. Patrick’s Day –green beer bad.
Suffice it to say, between the eight lively musicians – fiddle, bodhran (pronounced bow-rahn - a trad Irish drum), penny whistle, squeeze box, guitar and vocals – and the truly inspirational pint… well, we just weren’t getting to bar number two with any urgency. A compromise was made. An Irish-style negotiation. Drink five pints in one place, scrap the ambitious rating plan and enjoy ourselves entirely; a task similar to shooting fish in a barrel at The Old Dublin. This, in my humble, but thoroughly researched pint-drinking evaluation, is the mark of a perfect pint and a wonderful pub. (Call the movers and have them bring my bed.) Here’s another Irish pub tip: don’t get all ‘American’ when you order a pint of Guinness. This is not the drive-through or the express lane. Ree-lax. The pint here is expertly poured, and as in Ireland, you should expect to wait a full five minutes or more before your glass hits the coaster. The barman, or in our case, the lovely Trish from Cork, first pours the pint three-quarters of the way full, lets it settle and then tops it off. You should then wait again until the top has settled, at which point the brew turns a beautiful deep black. The mark of a skillfully poured pint? As you drink the glass down, the brew will leave thin rings to mark each mouthful. If you’re a quick-quaffer, order your next pint when you’re halfway done with your first. Not a Guinness lover you say? No worries. The Old Dublin serves 21 beers and ales on draught as well as an impressive selection of Irish Whiskeys and a full bar. They have live music Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Expect anything from Trad to ‘Rebel Folk’. The owner, Paul Pender himself, and Pat Robbins will be playing on St. Patrick’s Day beginning precisely at eight or nine-ish in the evening. Chef Scott and the kitchen crew are serving all the quintessential dishes of Ireland; fish and chips, Guinness stew, and corned beef & cabbage. Dinners start around $13 bucks. Treat yourself to one of Trish’s delightful pints for $5 bucks. The Old Dublin has no cover. What they do have is spirited trad music in an authentic atmosphere and capable, friendly hands behind the bar. And don’t forget the good craic. There’s a deck where you can step out for a breath of fresh air (or a puff). Laura Pender, the other owner, and a few of the staff hung out with us and we all enjoyed a good chat there too. By the way, The Old Dublin cleaned up in the ratings; five out of five pint points, but who’s counting? And me? I went to The Old Dublin with a good friend and found exactly the memories I wasn’t looking for at all. Slainte!
The Old Dublin
171 Quinnipiac Street
Wallingford, Ct
(203) 949-8022
www.theolddublin.com
The Old Dublin
Wallingford, Connecticut
Whether it’s a trip abroad or a night out with a good friend, I am always mindful that the best memories are the ones that have nothing to do with what I came to see or do in the first place. It has been my utmost pleasure to visit Ireland four times. Last year I spent St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin drinking copious amounts of velvety dark Guinness and crawling from one 900 year-old pub to the next; an experience that could very well spoil a person for good. A perfect pint and ‘good craic’ (pronounced crack - the Irish term for lively, irony-laced conversation) are best enjoyed a few hundred meters from the Liffey River or on the craggy banks of the Dingle Peninsula, right? So imagine my delight when I found myself standing in a proper Irish Pub in...Wallingford, Connecticut?
If you’ve never experienced the joys of an authentic Irish pub, allow me to give you a few pointers. When, upon opening the front door, if the lovely pitch of the penny whistle jumps into your ears – this is good. The Irish are prolific musicians and nothing makes a pint taste sweeter than a round or two of ‘Trad’ – or traditional Irish music. Your second clue would be that, immediately after entering, you want to move your bed into the corner for a long, cozy snug - also an excellent indication that you’re about to have one hell of a grand time.
Expect all this and more from the Old Dublin. Perhaps because the owner is a born Irishman himself, or possibly because the man upstairs knows that to live a full and good life, one has to be less than a day’s journey from such a place – whatever the reason - The Old Dublin is as much an Irish pub as any you’ll find on the Emerald Isle. Dark wood hugs a shallow bar-top that’s spiked with colorfully painted draught pulls, like so many Crayolas in a box. The bar wall are hung with crackly mirrors, pleasingly soft light surrounds you and the smell of tasty grub wafts through the kitchen’s doors. After just a short wait we were able to belly right up. Our intention on this Friday night, nay… our mission for you dear reader; drink five pints in five different bars and rate them according to: taste, freshness, temperature, pour and price. We want you to be armed and mentally equipped to fight off anyone who tries to force you to drink that ghastly green beer that everyone tries to give you on St. Patrick’s Day –green beer bad.
Suffice it to say, between the eight lively musicians – fiddle, bodhran (pronounced bow-rahn - a trad Irish drum), penny whistle, squeeze box, guitar and vocals – and the truly inspirational pint… well, we just weren’t getting to bar number two with any urgency. A compromise was made. An Irish-style negotiation. Drink five pints in one place, scrap the ambitious rating plan and enjoy ourselves entirely; a task similar to shooting fish in a barrel at The Old Dublin. This, in my humble, but thoroughly researched pint-drinking evaluation, is the mark of a perfect pint and a wonderful pub. (Call the movers and have them bring my bed.) Here’s another Irish pub tip: don’t get all ‘American’ when you order a pint of Guinness. This is not the drive-through or the express lane. Ree-lax. The pint here is expertly poured, and as in Ireland, you should expect to wait a full five minutes or more before your glass hits the coaster. The barman, or in our case, the lovely Trish from Cork, first pours the pint three-quarters of the way full, lets it settle and then tops it off. You should then wait again until the top has settled, at which point the brew turns a beautiful deep black. The mark of a skillfully poured pint? As you drink the glass down, the brew will leave thin rings to mark each mouthful. If you’re a quick-quaffer, order your next pint when you’re halfway done with your first. Not a Guinness lover you say? No worries. The Old Dublin serves 21 beers and ales on draught as well as an impressive selection of Irish Whiskeys and a full bar. They have live music Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Expect anything from Trad to ‘Rebel Folk’. The owner, Paul Pender himself, and Pat Robbins will be playing on St. Patrick’s Day beginning precisely at eight or nine-ish in the evening. Chef Scott and the kitchen crew are serving all the quintessential dishes of Ireland; fish and chips, Guinness stew, and corned beef & cabbage. Dinners start around $13 bucks. Treat yourself to one of Trish’s delightful pints for $5 bucks. The Old Dublin has no cover. What they do have is spirited trad music in an authentic atmosphere and capable, friendly hands behind the bar. And don’t forget the good craic. There’s a deck where you can step out for a breath of fresh air (or a puff). Laura Pender, the other owner, and a few of the staff hung out with us and we all enjoyed a good chat there too. By the way, The Old Dublin cleaned up in the ratings; five out of five pint points, but who’s counting? And me? I went to The Old Dublin with a good friend and found exactly the memories I wasn’t looking for at all. Slainte!
The Old Dublin
171 Quinnipiac Street
Wallingford, Ct
(203) 949-8022
www.theolddublin.com
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