By Michael Patrick O’Brien–
When trying to create an appealing cookbook, I suspect a writer typically would not include the words “hairy” and “lemon” in the title. Simon Cooper’s 2016 Hairy Lemon Cookbook, however, is an exception to that rule, and evokes mouthwatering memories of our family’s brief 2011 visit to the unique pub in Dublin, Ireland.
The Hairy Lemon sits in a 19th century building on the corner of Drury Street and Stephen Street Lower, near the verdant Victorian park named St. Stephen’s Green, and just moments away from the popular Grafton Street in the Irish capital. We stumbled upon the pub one day about noon, while walking back to our hotel after a Dublin sightseeing adventure.
We were in Ireland to celebrate my 50th birthday, following an itinerary set by the experts at Brendan Vacations. Our morning Dublin bus tour featured a ride down O’Connell Street, a lovely view of the River Liffey, a guided tour of St. Patrick’s Cathedral (see: My Statuesque Children), and a drive by the Irish Parliament (Oireachtas Éireann) Building. We also stopped at Trinity College, saw the Book of Kells, and strolled through the historic college library housing the Brian Boru harp, a national symbol of Ireland.
Afterwards, we decided to head back to our hotel by foot before a planned afternoon visit to the Guinness Brewery and Storehouse at St. James Gate. It was lunch time and we were famished. My family generally displays a kind and upbeat demeanor, but O’Brien “hanger” is known more for its Hyde-like countenance than its Jekyll look. So we detoured down a side street, quickly scouting out possible places to eat. It was a lucky turn, for the bright yellow and green facade of the Hairy Lemon drew us right in.
The eclectic pub is named after a local 1950s Dubliner—a dog catcher who liked to drink poteen, a potent Irish vodka made from potatoes. Eventually, excess drink made the man’s face appear jaundiced. Because he also had beard stubble, he was said to resemble a hairy lemon.
Author Simon Cooper worked at the pub—owed by his mother and operated by his family—for a decade. He published the Hairy Lemon Cookbook after local critics consistently praised the restaurant for its traditional Irish food, inspired by the cooking of Cooper’s grandmother Kathleen. Cooper once explained the family business model in an interview, “We’ve had a lifetime in the industry, and with our dedication to providing a great Irish dining experience with great food, drink, and an emphasis on having fun times with our customers–or ‘having the craic,’ as we in Ireland call it–we have thrived consistently.”
We had the craic that Cooper described. Sitting at a sun-splashed window-side wooden table, we tried a number of the pub’s dishes, including traditional Irish stew, beef pie, and bangers & mash, all with plenty of potatoes. We also shared a delicious slice of cake for dessert. Our bartender/server told us his mother had just made it. Perhaps Simon Cooper himself took care of us? If so, his service was excellent.
I ordered a Guinness stout to wash all the good food down. Our bartender served it up, but stopped me from drinking it right away. He explained that a Guinness pint is filled two-thirds of the way full and left to settle on the bar. After a few minutes, the bartender fills the rest of the pint and brings it to you, but the beer still must settle some more. After there is a clear division between the white foamy head and the black beer, it’s time to drink up. And I did.
Maybe it was craic-induced, but time flew by that day, and before we knew it, we reluctantly had to extract ourselves from the friendly environs of the Hairy Lemon in order to enjoy the rest of our limited time in Dublin. We never made it back, but we never forgot the place either.
Ten years later, the COVID-19 global outbreak has postponed our tentative plans for a return trip to Ireland for my 60th birthday in 2021. In the middle of the pandemic, I wistfully googled “Hairy Lemon” and found Cooper’s delightful book. Each member of the O’Brien family got one for Christmas.
It’s all virtual right now, of course, but thanks to the book and some delicious memories of a Dublin pub we saw but once, we’re still having the craic.
*Mike O’Brien is a writer and attorney living in Salt Lake City, Utah. His book Monastery Mornings, about growing up with the monks at the old Trappist monastery in Huntsville, Utah, will be published by Paraclete Press in August 2021.
