The Galleria at Tyler in Riverside is the beneficiary of the relocation of The Auld Dubliner, an authentic Irish pub and restaurant from Dublin, Ireland. Importing the entire bar, furniture and facade from Ireland, The Auld Dubliner’s interior was hand-crafted in Dublin using only the finest materials from all of Ireland. Designed to recapture a “cottage pub,” The Auld Dubliner has the warmth and feel of a small village pub in rural Ireland. No two pubs are exactly alike. They specially design each pub to tailor to their local clientele. They have incorporated lowered wooden beams and a dark wooden floor so that guests can enjoy an excellent dining experience in a relaxed and engaging atmosphere. Live Irish entertainment is also provided each week highlighting local and touring Irish bands.

Past History of Irish Pubs
During an Irish dining adventure at The Auld Dubliner, my guests and I were informed of some interesting facts on Irish pubs:
In small Irish rural communities the grocer, draper, or even the local blacksmith would often double as the local pub with both businesses side by side under the same roof. Customers stopping by for supplies would quickly revive their flagging spirits by engaging in conversation with other shoppers over a pint of Guinness. One corner of the shop would be set aside for this purpose, furnished with simple wooden tables or benches arranged around a black potbellied stove that burns non-stop through the winter.

The Auld Dubliner Family
The Auld Dubliner (www.aulddubliner.com) is owned by David Copley, Eric Johnson, Tony Simons and Steve Hamile. The head chef is Jeremy Smith and the general manager is Danny Mathis.
Quenching the Thirst
A pub, of course, would not be a pub without offering “the perfect pint.” The Auld Dubliner features Guinness Draught as one of their premium beers on tap. Other beers include Harp, Newcastle, Bass Ale, Sierra Nevada, Pilsner Urquell and Magners Cider. The Auld Dubliner has a full liquor selection including Jameson, Jameson 1780, Bushmill’s Back Bush and Middleton Irish Wiskies just to name a few.

What About the Food????
Having never been to Ireland, I felt that I needed a true Irish assistant to help in this review. Not having to look too far, my associate Eileen Tillery offered to join the team in tasting and sampling the offerings of The Auld Dubliner. No one could be greener than Eileen, and her opinions were held in high regard.
On that note, I will not bore you with a long menu listing, but will share with you what we really liked, hoping to return soon to re-enjoy other tastings in the near future.

To Start - The Appetizers
• Dubliner Sausage Rolls (Ground Irish style sausage sauteed with onions and Irish seasoning, wrapped in puff pastry and baked to perfection)...................................$7.95
• Potato and Goat Cheese Crostini (Boiled potatoes and goat cheese over garlic crostini with basil pesto, olive tapenade and spinach).............................$7.95
• Yorkshire Pudding (Mini Yorkshire puddings with rare, tender strips of beef and horseradish cream).....................$8.95

Soups and Salads
• Potato Leek Soup (The house recipe made thick and creamy and loaded with chunks of potato and fresh leeks)..........Bowl $6.50 - Cup $5.00
• Lamb Salad (Grilled seasoned lamb medallions over a bed of mixed greens in an herbed balsamic dressing)..................................$12.00

Boxty Dishes and Traditional Irish Fayre
(Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake stuffed with an assortment of tasty fillings.)
• Shepherd’s Pie Boxty (Savory ground beef and lamb cooked with carrots, peas and leeks in a brown beef stock)...............................$12.95
• Rasher and Cheese Boxty (Irish bacon with melted Cheddar cheese)..............$13.95
• Irish Beef Stew (Tender chunks of beef slow-cooked with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, herbs and Guinness in a rich brown gravy)............$12.95
• Shepherd’s Pie (Mixture of ground beef and lamb cooked with carrots, peas in a rich brown beef stock, topped with mashed potatoes and then baked).............................$12.95

Entrees
The only entree we had room for (after tasting all of the above) was the lamb chops, which were delicious (Double-cut lamb chops oven roasted and topped with rosemary scented balsamic glaze)...............$25.95

The whole team truly enjoyed the experience, the food and the warmth and friendliness of The Auld Dubliner---it was unique just like the furnishings.

Bill Anthony, www.busjournal.com

The Auld Dubliner is located at 3775 Tyler Avenue, Ste. 3B, at The Galleria at Tyler. Visit their Web site at www.aulddubliner.com or call (951) 354-6325.