May the Luck of the Irish be with ye.
No, I’m not Irish, but Irish enough to celebrate my second-favorite green-related holiday. And Micky’s Irish Pub & Grill, 11 S. Dubuque St., is definitely the venue to celebrate at if you are in Iowa City this weekend.
I’ll be turning red from the Bahamian Sun over spring break, so I thought I’d embrace the red in my hair a little early.
Micky’s is a small restaurant/bar located in the heart of Iowa City’s downtown and proudly serves many Irish specialties. Emphasizing the color green.
The walls are completely green, covered with shamrocks and reminders that this weekend is St. Patrick’s Day, so you should be at an Irish-decorated location.
Besides the typical drinks found at the establishment, such as the Irish Car Bomb, Jameson, and a wide variety of beers and stouts, Micky’s has a few local specialties that would make “Beer of the Week” jealous.
Black and Gold is a must try for all Hawkeyes, mixing Guinness and cider. Normally, I would’ve shied away from a strange brew such as this, but upon recommendation from some of my brothers, I thought I’d give it a try. Absolutely worth it — the head on the drink was foamy but sweet and delicious. The dark draught and light cider get along great. Like yin and yang, but cold and in a tall glass.
Black and Blue is another excellent drink choice (bearing a name that hopefully won’t describe you after the weekend, but who knows). Guinness and Blue Moon gift us with a distinct separation of the Blue Moon on bottom and Guinness on top. Personally, I’m not much of a Guinness drinker, but the more I drank it, the better it was. Maybe it was the Blue Moon or maybe it was just growing on me. Either way, it was a strong and delicious brew, very reasonably priced for the generous serving size.
Although Micky’s is a pub, the focus is not all about the beer. I went looking for something filling, so the Reuben really stuck out for me. All about that corned beef, baby.
The marble rye bread is grilled to perfection, with the crunchy exterior balancing the soft interior, the staple of the sandwich. The sauerkraut lover falls in love with the hearty portion offered, right below the layer of melted Swiss cheese that reminds you to chew slowly and just enjoy. I forgot I was in a pub for a moment, before the thick layer of corned beef brought me back. The beef itself was very solid, not greasy or salty, but the flavor took a back seat to the homemade Thousand Island dressing. Served with crinkle-cut fries on the side, maybe not super authentic but super delicious.
Most importantly, for anyone going out this weekend, there is only one requirement, and they meet it: serving green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.
