4 minute read
Irish Cultural Center
When I had last seen the Irish Cultural Center, it was a big hole in the ground across the street from the So Sweet Candy Café. Which goes to show how often I get to Utica. However, I have seen the error of my ways and hope to return more often.
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My husband Steven, our friend Kim Darling, and I recently took the short drive from Herkimer with the specific purpose of checking out the new center. We stopped first at So Sweet, to say hello to Margaret Rienzo, the owner, who is pretty sweet herself. Who, me? Buy candy? Say it ain’t so! We told her our plan to go to the Cultural Center, and she assured us that it was a lovely place.
“Be sure to ask about its history,” she said. We actually went to the Five Points Public House and Event Center, which is part of the Irish Cultural Center. We walked in and were immediately charmed by the old-world atmosphere. They were serving lunch, but we decided to sit at the bar and order drinks, not ruling out the possibility of also getting food.
At long last, the doors of the new Irish Cultural Center in Utica are open and welcome in guests.
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I suppose in an Irish pub, one should order ale or stout or perhaps whiskey, but I also took a glance at the wine list. They had 19 Crimes Cabernet Sauvignon! 19 Crimes is one of my favorites! Steven opted for Freakshow Chardonnay, about which I made the expected smart remark. The bartender nicely gave Kim a sample of the Riesling (I foolishly did not make a note of the winery), because Rieslings run the gamut from dry to sweet. Kim likes sweet; she liked this one.
We admired the polished wood of the bar and the surrounding beams. There was a fireplace and plenty of tables, both tall and regular. Kim and I noticed a deck outside and made plans to come again in warm weather.
We looked over the menu. I was interested in the Irish Onion Soup topped with rye croutons and Dubliner Cheddar. Also intriguing to me were the Irish Greens: braised escarole, cabbage, potatoes, and tender, slow-cooked corned beef. I learned that “Colcannon” is mashed potatoes with cabbage.
Walking around, taking a few pictures, I asked a couple of gentlemen sitting at the bar if I could take their picture. I explained it would be for my blog or possibly for an article for Mohawk Valley Living magazine. They said that was fine, so I asked their names. “Phil Arcuri.” “It is not,” I said. “That’s the musician!” It turned out, though not Phil the musician, he did know the father of the other Phil. He went on to say he plays classical guitar and one day got a phone call. The lady asked to speak with Phil Arcuri.
“I said, ‘Speaking.’ ‘Do you play guitar?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Well, can you play at my wedding?’ I said, ‘I can clear out a room!’ “
We all laughed. I said it would be funny if the magazine used the picture because the previous month my article had included a picture of the other Phil Arcuri.
My new friend Phil said I would not believe his friend’s name either. It was Dave Smith. Yes, that sounded a little like a made-up name. Dave grew up in Utica but now lives in Connecticut. He was visiting the area, so Phil brought him to the Irish Center. It is a great place to bring friends so I plan to do so. After all, I have onion soup, greens, and Colcannon to try! Additionally, I did not ask about the history, as my friend Margaret had sug gested. That could make an excellent blog post. •
Bartender, Mike O’Connor, takes drink orders over the polished wood bar.
Our new friends Phil Arcuri and Dave Smith
The Irish Cultural Center Five Points Public House and Events Center 623 Columbia St., Utica, NY • (315) 733-4228 Open: Monday-Wednesday: 11am-11pm, Thursday-Saturday: 11am-Midnight
