40
GET OUT
THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JUNE 26, 2022
Chandler pub serves up authentic Irish fare BY MELODY BIRKETT GetOut Contributor
S
ince opening in March 2003, Fibber Magees in Chandler has been the East Valley’s destination place for anyone in search of an authentic Irish pub and fare. “One of the reasons we feel we can claim to be authentic is we got some Irish ownership,” bragged owner and General Manager Matt Brennan, one of four managing partners. “Two of the original founding partners were born and raised in Ireland and one of those is still the remaining partner of the four of us,” he added. “One of our partners is an Irish-born citizen and carries an Irish passport. It lends us a certain amount of authenticity.” “When making decisions about how the pub operates and the kind of offerings we
Fibber Magees owner/General Manager Matt Brennan has built an authentic Irish menu and atmosphere at his Chandler restaurant. (Special to the Arizonan)
have, what we’re trying to accomplish with the business, we’re doing it with the idea of would this be authentic to a pub in Ireland,” explained Brennan. “If we’re going to make a decision to show sports, is this something you could see in an Irish pub in the countryside for all of Ireland? We think those kinds of things lend to the authenticity.” The food certainly adds to the authenticity. “Corned beef and cabbage have become synonymous with Irish so it’s not something eaten in Ireland or wasn’t historically,” said Brennan. “It was something the Irish immigrants started cooking when they first settled in America and were living in major cities amongst some of the poorest populations. The brisket was a meat that was popular with those communities because it was inexpensive but not necessarily easy to cook.” Brennan added there’s not a lot of beef
consumption in Ireland with most of the bovine population being dairy-centric. He said, “They don’t commit a lot of resources to grow cattle for beef – much more with lamb, pork and even chicken than beef. “To that end, we have our shepherd’s pie which is very traditional to the Irish, a stew made of lamb we get imported traditionally from Australia, which has some of the highest quality of lamb in the world. Then it’s cooked into a savory stew with carrots, leeks, and peas and put into a shallow dish covered with mashed potatoes and baked. “That’s very traditionally Irish. We also have fish and chips which is traditional latenight drinking food all over Ireland and the UK, in general. No good night doesn’t end with a trip to the chipper as they call it.” The most authentic item, Brennan
see FIBBER page 41
McIntyre’s wrestling journey slams into Valley BY ZAKKARY BROG GetOut Staff Writer
D
rew McIntyre sat down during a family meeting when he was 6 and announced he was going to be the next WWE Superstar. “They shrugged it off,” recalled McIntyre, born Andrew McLean Galloway IV. “I stuck to the plan and never deviated from the plan. I just knew I was born to do it, even from a young age.” Since his 2003 debut, he has become one of the WWE’s biggest stars. He’s vanquished foes with his signature strike, the “Claymore Kick,” won multiple titles, and has become a fan favorite. He’ll come to town for “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” on Friday, July 1, at the Footprint Center. McIntyre was lauded early on by WWE
Drew McIntyre
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Vince McMahon, who called the Scot a “future world heavyweight champion.” However, he never reached those heights. In 2014, he was released from WWE. It wasn’t what McIntyre wanted, but it was what he needed. “I needed that time away, 100%, to define myself not just as a performer, but as a man and grow up,” McIntyre says. “I came straight from school, straight to WWE. I was living with my parents at school telling me what to do. I’d never had a chance to really mature and grow up. I was still very much in the student mindset and very immature in a lot of ways. I had to step outside the bubble to really get perspective.” He addressed his personal issues with the help of his wife, Kaitlyn Frohnapfel,
while performing with other companies. McIntyre’s look evolved and his microphone prowess and ring skills improved. He returned to the WWE in 2017 as part of NXT. McIntyre finally reached the upper echelon of WWE talent, by defeating Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36 at an empty WWE Performance Center in Orlando. Usually, the event is held in a stadium. “It felt incredible,’’ McIntyre said. “It wasn’t obviously how I had imagined when I was a kid. I had always imagined main-eventing WrestleMania, winning the WWE Championship, and tens of thousands of people screaming.” “We were living in the pandemic and there was literally nobody there. But at the same time, I was so proud to become
see MCINTYRE page 41
