By Bernie Whitmore

1160 West Boylston Street, Worcester
(508) 853-0789
www.oconnorsrestaurant.com

Some people see March as the time of year when days lengthen and spring beckons.  Others load up their iPods with their favorite Irish music in anticipation of Saint Patrick’s Day.  In Worcester, attention turns to O’Connor’s Restaurant and Bar, a bit of Ireland in Central Massachusetts.  Brendan and Claire O’Connor stand ready for the onslaught of green with unflagging hospitality that makes their place a year-round favorite.

An evening at O’Connor’s is always a special occasion.  It starts with the sensory experience of just walking in ~ yeah, there’s a whole lot of green plus an endless assortment of Irish and beer-themed bric-a-brac.  This is a place where it’s fun to wait for a table because the bar area is crowded with friendly people ~ conversations start easily, friends are made (the amazing beer selection ~ just take a look at the hundreds of taps on display ~ and the list of smooooth single malt scotches might have something to do with this camaraderie). But on a recent weeknight when I joined a friend for dinner, we were led immediately to a table near the bar.

If you’ve ever traveled to the old sod, you know that salmon is king (after Guinness, of course).  So it only seemed natural that we should start off with Irish Oak Smoked Salmon as an appetizer.  The large helping of chilled smoked salmon slices came garnished with wedges of lemon, capers and sliced Bermuda onions.  We each put slices of the salmon on a crusty warm wheat roll that we had smeared with a creamy horseradish and sour cream spread that accompanied the fish.  The smoked salmon was silky smooth and topped with all the accoutrements was a pleasant start to our meal.

The meals at O’Connor’s all are accompanied by either a soup or a salad (and always delightful Irish music playing in the background).  While I opted for the salad, my guest chose the evening’s soup, a butternut squash bisque, which he described as eating a bowl of hot squash pie, it was so silky smooth with hints of brown sugar and cinnamon.  My salad was fresh and topped with a wonderful home made dressing.

While my guest selected one of the evening’s specials, the Baked Haddock Au Gratin, described on the menu as, “A full 1/2-lb. of Haddock filets, baked in a white wine cream sauce with chopped tomatoes, seasoned with Irish Pub mustard and cheddar cheese.  Deliciously cheesy…seductively flavorful! Garnished with piped potatoes, baked to a golden brown and served with a side of fresh vegetable.”  The menu neither lied nor exaggerated in its description of the dish.  My friend ate it with gusto.

O’Connor’s, as you can imagine, has a section headed with Hearty Irish Fare.  And it was from this section that I selected “Paul Clancy’s” Shepherd’s Pie Irish Style. The “pie’ was packed with ground beef & vegetables in seasoned Irish herb-tomato gravy and then topped with mashed potatoes that had been baked into a crust.  This is a filling meal full of earthy flavors.

After the large portions of food, we could not find room for one of O’Connor’s made-on-the-premises desserts, which number about ten selections (but I do remember well from past visits that the Bread Pudding, complete with decadent caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream, is a spectacular way to top off an O’Connor’s meal…if you’ve been smart enough to leave a little room for it!).

O’Connor’s is owned by Brendan and Claire O’Connor, fondly referred to as Himself and Herself, who are transplants from Ireland ~ and it’s hard to believe O’Connor’s is in just its twentieth year.

Over that time we’ve watched it grow, all the while maintaining charm and spirit of fun. What I don’t understand is how Worcester got along without O’Connor’s.  It is so tightly woven through the fabric of Worcester that it’s inconceivable to me that there might be anyone unfamiliar with this legendary dining experience.

But you can rest assured that if the food and hospitality stay at the current level, they will be around for another 20 or more years.