Irish pub grub tastes like home on the Emerald Isle

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Braheam Shteiwi is the manager at 3 Tree's Irish Pub inside the Holiday Inn off Main St. in Oxford, Ohio.

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By Sue O’Reilly, Contributing Writer Updated 3:59 PM Wednesday, May 27, 2009

It’s dark because the lights are low, but three trees are clearly visible in the middle of this place. The atmosphere is relaxed; the room is inviting and cozy. The 3 Tree’s Irish Pub is located on the second floor of the Holiday Inn, neatly tucked in beside DiPaolo’s (fine dining) Restaurant in downtown Oxford.

Food and beverage manager Braheam Shteiwi calls it “Oxford’s best-kept secret.” But not anymore.

The 3 Tree’s Irish Pub seats around sixty, including the bar, booths and tables. It’s casual, but the pub serves gourmet food.

For starters (appetizers), most customers go for the Parmesan Crab Dip, which contains artichokes, spinach and crab with crostini (French batarde bread) and baked lawash (a flatbread).

Next on the menu is soup and salad.

Although the Classic Caesar Salad has the BEST inhouse made dressing, according to Shteiwi, it’s the Guinness and Cheese Chowder that continues to draw in the crowd. This chowder is served with apple chips and bagel bread, but customers often use it as a dip, served with French fries.

Another customer favorite is Chicken Salad, which is homemade chicken salad atop fresh greens with julienne apple and balsamic vinaigrette, served with cinnamon flatbread.

On the Sandwich Board, all sandwiches include a heap of chips and dill pickle spear.

The 3 Tree’s Pub Burger, which is 8 ounces of a Black Angus patty, grilled to your liking, is almost as popular as the Grilled Chicken Dijonese sandwich.

On the menu, two must-try “Mains,” or entrees, are Shepherd’s Pie and Scotch Whisky Glazed Salmon. The “Mains” are available only after 5 p.m., but they are worth the wait.

Shepherd’s Pie, the pub’s signature dish, is filled with tender, braised chunks of lamb with fresh vegetables and a homemade, seasoned veal stock that sets this apart from any Americanized Shepherd’s pie. It’s topped with piped, seasoned mashed potatoes and garnished with a sprig of rosemary.

According to a friendly Irishman called “Naill,” who’s the new bar manager at 3 Tree’s Irish Pub, the Shepherd’s Pie tastes exactly like it does back home in his native Ireland.

However, if a customer is a fish-lover, try the Scotch Whisky Glazed Salmon. The tender, char-grilled filet has a Scotch Whisky glaze that actually glistens in the light. This delicious large filet is served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day, which is usually asparagus, cooked al dente.

Shteiwi added that the full service bar has a great martini list, knowledgeable bartenders, and a great selection of Scotches -- probably the best in town.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.

How to go

WHAT: 3 Tree’s Irish Pub
WHERE: 77 S. Main Street, Oxford
WHEN: Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; Dinner is served 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Not open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday.
COST: Starters (Appetizers) $6.95-$9.95; Soup $3.95-$5.95; Salads $5.95-$8.95; Sandwich Board $7.95-$8.95; Mains (Entrees) $13.95-$19.95; Sides $3.95.
MORE INFO: (513) 523-8733
CRITIC’S CHOICE: Shepherd’s Pie; Scotch Whisky Glazed Salmon; Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes; Steak hoagie, Guinness and Cheese Chowder

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