Jim Brady's Irish Pub
I must have walked past Jim Brady's a thousand times, but never went in. Until now.
Three different aspects of New York City coalesce in the restaurant. First and foremost it's an Irish a Pub. All the members of the waitstaff speak with a lovely lilt. You'll find many similar spots throughout the city. The Irish were just one of the many immigrant groups that came to NY, from the colonial period to the time of the Great Famine to the new wave of immigrants in the 1980's.
The restaurant was named for Diamond Jim Brady, who rose from poverty and became a very wealthy man. He was a character of the Gilded Age, a companion to actress Lillian Russell, a fan of Broadway and NYC nightlife. And who was known to have a voracious appetite and a love of food.
And then there is the bar. The restaurant's bar has quite a history. It was once the bar in the Stork Club, the famous midtown restaurant and club frequented by NYC's celebrity crowd. The Stork Club had no association with Brady -- he died many years before the club first opened. There is a painting hanging in the restaurant that blends Brady's loves with the celebrities who loved the Stork Club.
We had lunch on a Friday in the summertime. Service was a bit slow, I think because of the kitchen not the servers. Food was decent but not spectacular. I had fish and chips -- fish was batter dipped and deep fried (very flakey), the fries were hot and crisp. Portion was huge, no way could I finish. Burgers looked wonderful, chicken franchise with rice was very tempting.
We were too full for dessert and coffee.
A very enjoyable lunch.
Three different aspects of New York City coalesce in the restaurant. First and foremost it's an Irish a Pub. All the members of the waitstaff speak with a lovely lilt. You'll find many similar spots throughout the city. The Irish were just one of the many immigrant groups that came to NY, from the colonial period to the time of the Great Famine to the new wave of immigrants in the 1980's.
The restaurant was named for Diamond Jim Brady, who rose from poverty and became a very wealthy man. He was a character of the Gilded Age, a companion to actress Lillian Russell, a fan of Broadway and NYC nightlife. And who was known to have a voracious appetite and a love of food.
And then there is the bar. The restaurant's bar has quite a history. It was once the bar in the Stork Club, the famous midtown restaurant and club frequented by NYC's celebrity crowd. The Stork Club had no association with Brady -- he died many years before the club first opened. There is a painting hanging in the restaurant that blends Brady's loves with the celebrities who loved the Stork Club.
We had lunch on a Friday in the summertime. Service was a bit slow, I think because of the kitchen not the servers. Food was decent but not spectacular. I had fish and chips -- fish was batter dipped and deep fried (very flakey), the fries were hot and crisp. Portion was huge, no way could I finish. Burgers looked wonderful, chicken franchise with rice was very tempting.
We were too full for dessert and coffee.
A very enjoyable lunch.
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