Lucking Out With Irish Cuisine
Fairport Pub Dishes Out Comfort Food
By Christopher Malone
It wasn’t the fact The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon more than popped his head into Fairport, which got me to go to Mulconry’s Irish Pub & Restaurant; I put two and two together after the fact.
But it was March when this review took place, the latter part of the month wasn’t leaving like a lamb, and the “just OK” Catholic I claim to be had a craving for fish or comfort food during this Lenten season.
So, why not a darkened, wood-decorated Irish pub?
It wasn’t Friday and there were some interesting menu items to take precedence over the familiar fried food. The 15-year-old Mulconry’s doesn’t have a huge menu, but there are plenty of options for tough decisions to make.
To kick off the meal along with a Guinness ($7), the five-onion soup ($7) sounded enticing. Covered in a blanket of three cheeses and topped with green and fried onions, the crock of medium broth with shallots, red onions, white onions and croutons hit the spot.
The draught and the soup paired well together. The Irish beer seems to go well with a lot of things — including meat.
Keeping up with tradition, what’s unlike any other, is the boxty. The boxty is a rather large Irish potato pancake folded over so it cradles whatever ingredients you want to throw in there. The pancake isn’t as large as what John Candy’s titular character in Uncle Buck creates for a young Macaulay Culkin, but it’s big enough to have photographic proof of it.
Of the three enticing boxty options at Mulconry’s, the steak and mushroom ($20) made the cut over the chicken with asparagus or the shepherd’s pie. The steak, mushroom, peppers and onion — the four musketeers of food combos — should be relied on to always satisfy.
And satisfy it did, especially the tender steak. The meat was cooked perfectly to a bright medium rare and wasn’t fatty. The ingredients were also dressed in a Jameson demi-glace, which held onto its hint of the Irish whiskey.
The chicken curry ($17) may have some patrons questioning its tradition with Irish food but, from what I recall from a trip over a decade ago, it’s all over. The dish is made up with chicken, roasted red peppers, rice, chips (fries) and that saucy concoction of spices.
Unlike Indian curry, the Irish take isn’t as spicy. There is that notable curry kick, but it’s not overwhelming. The chicken was also very tender. It was difficult to put the fork down or even share.
The curry and boxty entrees came with a slice of brown bread, which was good in and of itself. Why spoil the flavor of the notable bread, which is frequently made with white and wheat flour, buttermilk and salt, by dipping it in the curry? The salt really does bring out the richness of the bread — even without butter.
Keeping with the theme of Irish fusion, Mulconry’s Cuban ($17), which comes with a choice of sides, which I went with a veggie medley, may not truly compare to a traditional Cubano but leaves an impression.
Sandwiched between two loaves of toasted bread are pulled pork, Irish bacon, pickles, Swiss cheese and slathering of Guinness horseradish mustard. There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot of flavor coming from the pork and the fattiness of the Irish bacon, which comes from the back end of the pig, similarly to Canadian bacon. The horseradish mustard is relatively mild, not over-competing with the rest of the flavors.
With another Guinness thrown into the meal, the bill came to $81 on the nose before tip.
Mulconry’s has a good thing going. As previously mentioned, by the time this article is published, the restaurant would have celebrated 15 years in April this year.
Its food hit the spot with its take on Irish fare and offered a friendly, clean and comfortable atmosphere. It was a popular for a weekend lunch, a place where everyone seemed to know each other — for the most part.
Sláinte!
Mulconry’s Irish Pub & Restaurant
17 Liftbridge Lane East, Fairport, 14450
585-678-4516
mulconrys.com
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – midnight
Monday – Tuesday: 4 p.m. – midnight
Wednesday – Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – midnight
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Top image: Of the three enticing boxty options at Mulconry’s, the steak and mushroom ($20) made the cut over the chicken with asparagus or the shepherd’s pie.