A Taste of the Irish

By Mark Woolsey

While nobody’s going to mistake Atlanta’s Irish Pub scene with the Emerald Isle’s watering holes or fabled spots like McSorley’s in New York, the ATL makes a pretty fair showing. Local offerings range from upscale showplaces to compact, darkish cubbies where you could easily imagine hulking Irish farmhands pairing a Guinness and shepherd’s pie.

St. Patrick’s Day beckons, and while Atlanta area Irish spots will pull out all the stops to celebrate, where do you go the rest of the month—and year—for some truenatured immersion in the auld sod?

Here are some suggestions.

Limerick Junction— Virginia-Highland limerickjunction.com

They’re served with tingly Coca-Cola Gravy. Also, a dining companion pronounced the fish and chips among the best she’d ever tried.

Limerick Junction is a tiny spot, but the folks behind the bar have some of the biggest hearts.

The Marlay House—Decatur themarlayhouse.com

In contrast to the somewhat nook-and-cranny layout of Fado (and the Olde Blind Dog, more on them in a minute), The Marlay’s seating area is grouped around a central bar—an arrangement meant to encourage conversation, said part-owner Colin Comer, one of three Irish sibs who preside over the neighborhood-vibey spot.

“We strove to create a place we’d want to go in Dublin,” is how he put it. “We wanted to be authentic and not have shillelaghs everywhere.” You’ll find the usual Guinness signs and football banners but overall less Irish kitsch and more original art.

And the food is very much a part of the conversation. The signature item is the brisket, braised in Guinness, spiced just right and slow-cooked overnight. It’s fork-tender and bursting with flavor. The accompanying gravy is a nice bonus, but you don’t need it—this dish stands on its own.

Tomato basil soup didn’t score quite as well; it was less creamy and more astringent tasting than many. Marlay House has all the pub standard beers, ales, stouts and spirits, but are more localcraft-beer-dominated than many pubs.

very tender lamb at that, which is ensconced in a rich gravy with peas, carrots and onions and topped with cheesy mashed potatoes. The combination virtually melts in the mouth. Paired with a perfectly poured Irish lager, it’s a joyful brunch item. No wonder this place was voted International Irish Pub of the year in 2015.

Try the cheddar and ale dip; it’ll make you want to lick the spoon once the accompanying chips are exhausted. And should you be undecided about spirits, they have flights of Irish whiskey—a nice touch.

Fado—Buckhead and Midtown

fadoirishpubl.com they open eye-achingly early on weekends for the soccer games across the pond.

Any Irish-inAtlanta discussion has to include Fado, which Irish investors debuted right before the 1996 Olympics. Whereas Limerick feels a bit frayed, Fado is much more what one wag dubbed “Disneyland.” There’s plenty of stained glass and metal handiwork, with an obvious love of detail.

And if you go there, don’t get too attached to the surroundings. A full-on remodeling to be done by summer will include a covered patio and a substantial reshaping of the interior, with brighter colors and fewer knickknacks.

Keegan’s—Kennesaw, Woodstock and Vinings

keegansirishpub.net

There’s nothing super-special about the décor, nor is the menu particularly heavy with Irish food. What will keep you coming

It’s the oldest Irish pub in metro Atlanta, dating back to the late 80s. Named after an Irish railway intersection, it brings the theme off beautifully from a mural showing country folk boarding a train to railway signal lights. It’s really more of a drinker’s haven than a foodie emporium, with manager Joshua Jacob accommodatingly explaining the ins and outs of everything from Irish whiskey to craft gin.

But the food isn’t a forlorn afterthought. Bangers and mash feature savory sausages— seemingly with a bit of filler but nicely herbed—nestled on a bed of horseradish-flavored potatoes.

The Olde Blind Dog— Milton and Brookhaven oldeblinddog.com

Points for name, even more points for its own brand of authenticity. You’ll find it much lighter and airier, with highceilings and abundant lighting creating a spacious feel. It may lack the warm, murky and huddle-up feel of some traditional Emerald-themed gathering spots, but the shepherd’s pie brings you right back to the heart of the matter.

It’s cooked up with the traditional lamb, not beef, and

Alas, the menu didn’t show the same love. The Irish breakfast scored many points with over-easy eggs, tasty soda bread, blackand-white pudding that was meaty and satisfying and sausage that virtually caressed the tongue.

In contrast, the American breakfast suffered from stone-cold eggs and soggy hash browns. In all fairness, a manager was quick to address food and service issues. The place almost feels more like a sports bar than anything else— back again and again are the Irish Spring Rolls, wontons stuffed with lean corned beef and cabbage and Swiss cheese.

Served with a side of Thousand Island Dressing, they whet the appetite for a pint quite nicely. They’re perfect as a small plate, but should they arrive as an appetizer for the crew, grab them quickly or you’ll be left out.

PERSONAL SAFETY

Well, as if we didn’t have enough buzz words to contend with, you can add “smishing” to the collection.

As most of us evolve as humans, so evolves the technology that both helps make our lives more convenient, and, it seems, then seeks to destroy all human existence. OK, that’s a stretch… but just when we got our heads around phishing, skimmers and a host of other scams, a new one pops up—smishing, or SMS phishing—disguised as a FedEx package-delivery text.

STAY SAFE

Steve Rose is a retired Sandy Springs Police Captain, veteran Fulton County police officer and freelance writer. He is the author the book “Why Do My Mystic Journeys Always Lead to the Waffle House?” and the column

“View from a Cop.”

I’m one who loves the convenience of ordering a product on Amazon and receiving it 10 minutes later. What could be better?

Well, after you look at your credit card statement, you might not be so giddy about it, but convenience includes knowing when that package will arrive and where it is right now. It’s like a relative sending postcards from Mount Rushmore. “Here I am; be home soon.”

Let’s say you’re at home watching the NFL Pro-Bowl Touch Football game and saying to yourself, “Why worry?”

According to an article on the website How-to Geek, the intended victim receives a text from FedEx asking them to set up their delivery preferences, along with a tracking code. In reality, the code takes them to a phony Amazon listing.

The listing requests the intended victim to complete a customer satisfaction survey. Those doing so will receive a reward—but the fine print states the person is required to pay a small shipping cost. That’s not the payday for the scammers.

When the person agrees to pay the shipping cost, they unknowingly agree to a 14-day trial period with the company selling the scam’s product. After the 14-day trial, the victim’s credit card is billed $98 monthly and they continue to receive the cheap reward chosen in the survey.

“Fine print” information is usually information required by legal standards. The seller is saying “I have to tell you this, but I don’t want you to particularly dwell of this part of it.” For instance, “Zero down, zero percent for 12 months!”

But in the fine print, “After 12 months, put your seatbelt on!”

The television version of fine print is when the announcer dives into a ten-second rant of legal information that absolutely no one can comprehend since it’s delivered at light speed. They’re required to deliver that information, but no one said they had to do it at normal speed. If they did, the commercial would last another 30 seconds and, after all, time is money…money that’s ultimately passed on to the buyer’s cost. Loopholes.

If you do receive a text from FedEx, stop and put some thought-time into what you have out there that’s supposed to be delivered. Ask everyone else in your family if they’re expecting a delivery. If no one is expecting a package, either

Listen to podcasts on personal safety with steve rose atlantaseniorlife.com ignore the text or contact FedEx to confirm the information.

The FedEx website says the following: “FedEx does not request, via unsolicited mail, e-mail or SMS messages, payment or personal information in return for goods in transit or in FedEx custody. If you have received a fraudulent email or SMS message that claims to be from FedEx, you can report it by forwarding it to abuse@fedex.com.

The best form of prevention for this, as well as all attempts to fraudulently obtain money from you, is to be skeptical until it’s proven true. Put the brakes on and examine it for flaws.

For instance, is the web address slightly different? As an example, Fed.Ex.com is not FedEx’s URL. Also look for grammatical errors in the pitch. Be skeptical of any unsolicited texts or emails that require you to provide credit or debit card information, personal information or any form of money. Big companies just don’t do that. for her

So what do you do if you read this and realize you’ve fallen into this scam? If you used a credit card, do a charge back on the payment and then remove the card from that particular account.

If a debit card was used, contact your bank and have that card number discontinued and a new card account number issued. Let the bank know what has happened so they’ll be aware and monitor your account to ensure no other transactions targeted it. Remember, don’t click on links within unsolicited emails and don’t provide personal or financial information without investigating—with a skeptical attitude.