Restaurant: Jake O’Connor’s Public House, Excelsior, Minnesota
Remember how I said I love Irish pubs? Well…if not…let me remind you…
I LOVE IRISH PUBS!
Take to heart that as a gluten-free vegetarian, this often means no more than a salad and a ‘safe’ side of mashed potatoes (or champ), but I am okay with that…as long as it is good. And I have reviewed so many salads at restaurants that they really need to wow me in order for me to really rave about them anymore. Once you’ve had one salad, you’ve had them all, yes?
WRONG!
And Jake O’Connor’s Public House in Excelsior, Minnesota proved that to me once and for all.
My friend Heather, formerly of Chicago, now back in Minnesota, came out to my half-marathon. Following which we all went out to celebrate my first ever sub-2 hour half with some good food and atmosphere. She had sent me a link for this pub weeks prior and we decided it would be the ideal place to go after my race. After all, they even had items on the menu marked that could be made gluten-free. My heart was so happy that day! So, after a shower and some chat time, we headed out to get some food for our hungry bellies.
First of all, this pub is beautiful. It really is. Stained glass. A wooden bar. Dimly lit. Perfect pub atmosphere. We were seated in a little corner booth and brought our drink orders. For me…water. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! We were given ample time to look over the menu, and after discussing the fact that the fish and chips showed up beneath the sandwich category (leading to confusion of whether it was traditional fish and chips or a fish sandwich), and it was confirmed that both Heather and Cathy (the roomie) would be getting the traditional fish and chips, we were ready to place our order. I went last because I was the confusing one…
My order was simple. I got the Berry and Chicken Salad (without the chicken!!) done up gluten-free ($8.75). With a side of fries ($5.95), made gluten-free. Easy peasy, yes? And we all decided to celebrate with a pint of Magners from the tap ($3.50). It was necessary. The three of us LOVE our Magners.
Orders in, we sat and talked and just had a blast waiting on our food. And when it arrived…let me tell you…portions are HUGE!!
My salad was bigger than my head, I swear. But it was delicious looking. At first I didn’t receive my fries with the order, but they arrived soon after, lacking the malt they are usually cooked in and done in a separate frier. So much love for that.
I gave my salad a small dash of the poppyseed vinaigrette and took my first bite. Here is what I loved about this salad and why I would totally order it again. It had a myriad of flavors. Every bite was different. Textures were different. This salad was fully loaded with spinach and romaine as the greens. Then was topped with fresh strawberries and blackberries. It doesn’t stop there. Cubes of soft Cambozola cheese (a combination of a French soft-ripened triple cream cheese and Italian Gorgonzola) were at each “corner” of the salad. Also included were caramelized figs and candied walnuts.
Sounds like an epic salad, yes?
Well…it was. And quite filling. I have actually never been full from eating a salad…but I was this time. In fact, I hardly touched my plate of fries. I was intrigued by the layers in my salad…how the flavors all worked together. How there were sweet parts and salty parts. And how it just worked over the greens. There wasn’t too much of anything. An equal balance was found and that was what made this salad work. Being a vegetarian meant I ordered mine sans-chicken, but I didn’t miss it in the slightest. I was filled with green, fruity goodness.
What fries I did munch on were really well done. They had that crisp outside and were soft inside. Fried to perfection. And, thankfully, not over-seasoned. Nothing kills good fries like too much salt. These hardly tasted of salt. And perhaps the seasoning was left off. I loved it that way and enjoyed what I managed to eat before calling myself at capacity and setting my fork down.
Pub grub can swing either way…good or bad. The same is said for the atmosphere. Jake O’Connor’s got it right. The food is fantastic. The Magners pours were delicious. And the atmosphere was what I expect from a good pub. No touristy Irish music playing here. Just the buzz of happy customers and some regular tunes over the sound system. That, my friends, is how it is done in Ireland. And that is how Jake O’Connor’s Public House does it in Excelsior, Minnesota. A taste of Ireland…right in the heart of Lake Country.
Yeah…I fell in love with the place. Head over heels.
Oh…and my friends really enjoyed their plates of fish and chips. They found the fish cooked to perfection and not overly greasy or overly breaded. And the salt ‘n malt chips were to their liking as well. For those of you who have a thing for fish and chips…well…there you go. Two very happy customers.
But this gluten-free vegetarian is going to be raving about that salad for life. Who would have thought something as basic and simple as that could fill me up after running 13.1 miles…and leave such an impression. Jake O’Connor’s Public House…you are doing Ireland justice. And I salute you for that…and your gluten-free menu options.
As if I needed another reason to go back to Minnesota…
The Celiathlete 