We had just been to a presentation on human
trafficking which was even closer to home and more distressing than
you might think, so a pour of Guinness seemed like a great idea.
Fadó is an Irish pub with about a dozen locations with ours in
Easton. The interior is a pretty modern interpretation of a pub with
loads of wood, inscriptions in Gaelic, scarves of football teams
hanging in the rafters and all sorts of knick-knacks meant to
transport you to the Emerald Isle. Our server was a little odd. She
couldn't come to our table without looking
at herself in the mirror for more than a couple seconds. It gave a
sense of disconnect.
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The most impressive portion of the program is the perfect pour. The Guinness folk are serious about how you pull a pint and offer training to those who offer the draft. These people take it seriously. Angle of the glass, letting the cascade settle, topping it off, a perfect nitrogen mix…it all happened, I watched. It was a darkly wonderful pour. We also tried a finger of Redbreast Irish whiskey, the single-pot, 12 year variety which was a chewy and complex sip.
So the fruit of the barley is passable, it’s
time to see if the food measures up. We ordered a couple of apps,
bites and fish and followed that up with a sandwich and a stew. The
bites were shepherds pie nuggets, light crispy pie shells with
layers of meaty stew and colcannon potato and cabbage mix. I was so
happy to find a way to get some of this classic and still be able to
try something else. They’re tasty. |
Not Made Here But They Draw It Well |
Along With A Breadth Of Irish Whiskeys |
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The shells barely held together until they were dealt to the teeth where they allowed the rich interior and topping loose. We also tried the mini fish and chips cup with nicely battered white fish served with thick potato wedges and the typical acidic sides. Not bad at all. Then things got really tasty.
We tried the Guinness beef stew, ladled over
colcannon potatoes and a superiorly rich demi glace. If this is the
Irish version of roast beef and mash, I’m in. Tender and thick with
earthy Guinness and opulent beefy goodness. I ordered the pulled
lamb French dip. Long braised tender lamb on a toasted hoagie roll
with cheddar and a monkey dish of adhesive lamb jus that just hugged
the sandwich with a torrential punch of lightly gamey but deep lambiness. |
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Fish & Chips Weren't AS Good But Better Than Most |
The Beef Stew Is Serious Comfort With Weight |
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Fadó makes me proud of the little bit of my heritage which is Irish, my family apparently consists of Heinz 57 varieties and the Celtic percentage is pleased. Food that says:
May you always have... And if not...There's always Guinness. |
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Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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B+ | C- | B+ | A | N/A | B+ | ||
Meat | No Single Standout |