Saturday, March 17, promises to be the biggest day for Rooney’s Irish Pub since the establishment opened its doors in Old Town Orcutt nearly two years ago.
About 2,500 spirited partygoers patronized the pub last St. Patrick’s Day, when the holiday fell on a Thursday.
“It’s a big party—lots of green funky hats, goofy shirts, and a lot of green,” Rooney’s chef Anthony Endy recalled. “People get into it. They have a good time.”
With the holiday falling on a Saturday this year, Rooney’s hopes to double that number, so they’re planning a party to beat all parties.
Owner Timothy Patrick Rooney has dreamed of this day for decades: “St. Patrick’s Day is the biggest day of the year for any Irish pub, so we’re really looking forward to it.”
This is the reason Rooney built the handsome establishment, after years of “research.”
“We’ve been looking at Irish pubs for 30 years,” he said. “Just recently, before we opened, we went to Ireland—the whole family went to Ireland. We probably went to over 50 pubs in the 13 days we were there.”
They took in the Irish experience and took notes, compiling a list of features they would incorporate in their pub, such as small, tucked-away conversation areas.
“A lot of the pubs in Ireland were converted homes, and a lot of them have fireplaces in there, so that was the reason we did our little fireplace area,” Rooney explained.
Rooney hired a firm in Ireland that constructs pubs worldwide to design his pub full of dark hardwood and leather, Gaelic calligraphy, stained-glass shamrocks, and high-end fixtures, located at Orcutt Union Plaza on South Broadway Street. Most of the paintings and artwork are from the Emerald Isle, too.
There’s also a little leprechaun door next to the human entrance.
“It’s a whimsical idea we had,” Rooney said. “Leprechauns are so entwined with the Irish lore that having a separate leprechaun entrance we thought was a cute idea.”
To make room for everyone and anyone this St. Pat’s Day, Rooney’s is moving much of the inside furniture out.
There will be five bars for serving drinks: some inside and others out, under tents in the beer garden.
“We’re gonna have a beer truck in there with kegs of beer—eight beer taps in there,” Rooney explained.
Rooney’s has an extensive list of fine craft brews and is also a brewpub, brewing its own Shanty Irish Brewing Company beers on site, with names such as Bonny Blond Ale, St. Patrick’s Porter, and Angry Irish Amber Ale.
The most popular beer on St. Patrick’s Day is the unmistakable deep-dark velvety Guinness stout, brewed in Dublin.
“Guinness is, of course, going to be the most talked about and desired, but do people drink Guinness all day long?” Endy asked. “Probably not, ’cause it’s pretty filling. … It’s pretty much a meal in a glass.”
Rooney’s will have another bar serving just Jameson Irish whiskey, another Irish favorite.
Rooney’s Irish Pub opens at 6 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, serving up the very popular breakfast shot: Jameson whiskey, butterscotch schnapps, a piece of bacon, and a shot of orange juice on the side.
“When you put it all together, it tastes like a pancake breakfast,” Endy said. “It’s pretty wild.”
Early rising partiers may pair the breakfast shot with Rooney’s Irish breakfast burritos: “It’s corned beef hash with fresh potatoes, onions, peppers, eggs, and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. I’m a big fan of hash, good, corned beef hash,” Endy said.
Saturday at 11 a.m., Rooney’s beer garden and beer tent open. That’s where Chef Endy’s Irish cuisine will be found: corned beef and cabbage, bratwurst sandwiches, and shepherd’s pie (Angus beef braised in Guinness beer, fresh vegetables, and a potato crust, served in a traditional pie). The chef expects to cook more than 200 pounds of corned beef for the hungry masses this St. Patrick’s Day.
A very popular pub snack also available on Saturday is the Scotch egg.
“A Scotch egg is a boiled egg, wrapped in a breakfast sausage, fried crispy, and finished in the oven,” Endy explained. “You cut it in half, and you see the whole egg in the middle with the sausage wrapped around the outside. That’s a great, classic pub appetizer. We do a lot of them for parties here. People love them.”
For dessert, Chef Endy’s mom is whipping up sweets inspired by the holiday, including Guinness cupcakes topped with Bailey’s whipped cream and chocolate stout cupcakes.
Rooney’s is offering Irish dinners-to-go for people who pre-order to take home for the family: corned beef, cabbage, roasted carrots, potatoes, and Irish soda bread.
Those who stay at the pub will enjoy Irish music all day. Three, possibly four bands will play, including an Irish folk band, and Irish musicians will entertain in the beer garden/food tent outside. They’ll shamrock the night away with a rock band entertaining the crowd from 9:30 p.m. on.
Rooney’s isn’t taking reservations for St. Patrick’s Day; they’ll be serving all food “beer garden-style” outside.
Chef Endy summed up the party: “Lots of fun, lots of beer, lots of drinks, and lots of food.”
“Everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day,” Rooney added. “We encourage them all to come out and enjoy the day of the Irish at a true Irish pub.”
Sun wine and food writer Wendy Thies Sell has no will power that can prevent her from eating Guinness cupcakes with Bailey’s whipped cream. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Mar 15-22, 2012.