Nine Fine Irishmen
Beer n’ Cheese Dip – Smithwick’s Ale and Irish Cheddar with Bread
Irish Nachos – Fried Potato Slices, Beer Cheese Sauce, Chive Aioli, Green Onion
Fish & Chips – Beer Battered Fresh Alaskan Cod, Irish Chips, Tartar Sauce
Horseradish Crusted Mahi Mahi – Lemon Butter Sauce
Parmesan Crusted Rack of Lamb – Jameson Peppercorn Demi
Green Beans / Grilled Asparagus
Mac n’ Cheese
Guinness Chocolate Bomb – Warm Guinness Chocolate Cake with a Soft Chocolate Center, Vanilla Ice Cream, Bailey’s Whipped Cream, Guinness Chocolate Ganache
Bread and Butter Pudding – Buttery Baked Brioche with Golden Raisins topped with Whiskey Cream and Caramel Sauce
Not particularly a Casino for “destination” dining, America a serviceable 24-hour spot with good doughnuts and Gallagher’s certainly not without its fans, it was with two local writers that lunch was enjoyed at New York-New York’s touristy Nine Fine Irishmen on Saturday, the results mostly in line with what might be expected from a Las Vegas Boulevard “theme” eatery, though several signatures actually proved quite well made.
Located just off the gaming floor with a patio available to those simply looking for a place to smoke and grab a pint, Nine Fine Irishmen is presented as a True Irish Pub and featuring lavish decorations including everything from Lady Justice to gnarly looking taxidermy the two-story space additionally offers no lack of seating options, a hefty wood table found in one alcove while our table sported a throne.
Open from 11a-11p seven days a week, Irish Folk played overhead by day with Live music on stage by nine, the menu at Nine Fine Irishmen entails a highly varied experience clearly intended to suit the interests of any sort of guest, even Vegetarians and the Gluten sensitive likely to find something worthwhile amongst the extensive bill of fare.
Dining at the odd hour of 3pm, dinner options available to our group despite the technical start-time of five, it was on the heels appetizers that I arrived to meet the rest and although well sated from a prior dining engagement I could not help but sample the now-somewhat-congealed Beer Cheese signature, the depth of flavor actually quite impressive despite the tasteless white bread.
Treated to pleasant service that thankfully dresses the role without putting on a fake accent like other “Pubs” in town, it was a touch perplexing that neither tablemate had opted to order any of Nine Fine Irishmen’s green-box-highlighted menu classics and although the health-conscious Mahi-Mahi was well cooked with great flavor complimented by horseradish alongside fresh vegetables the hefty plate of lamb chops was severely compromised by a pungent crust that buried the lightly cooked meat’s intrinsic gaminess, the dark brown sauce adding a unique bit of flavor, but at the same time seeing natural flavors further lost.
Debating Shepherd’s Pie and Bangers before finally opting for Fish and Chips it was alongside the surprisingly crisp and well-executed “Irish Nachos” that two planks atop a pile of fries arrived, the tartar sauce cast aside in favor of malt vinegar plus ketchup with both parts of the plate quite good even when compared to some of the stuff in London, the Cod itself moist and meaty while the golden shell was virtually oilless and faintly accented by beer.
More impressed by the Macaroni and Cheese here than by others gussying it up with all sorts of junk it was onward to sweets that the meal progressed, and with only two items sampled thanks to the limited sweet-tooths of my companions the results were split right down the middle – my steamy Bread and Butter pudding turned from cup tableside with a pillowy texture not dissimilar to Monkey Bread with two excellent sauces while the “Bomb” selected by others lived up to its billing by failing completely, the center most certainly not ‘soft’ and the dried out exterior only saved by slowly melting ice cream.
THREE STARS: No worse than other upscale Irish Pubs speckled around the country, Nine Fine Irishmen is precisely what one might expect walking through the door and although a bit more expensive than some might consider acceptable the price is mostly right for its execution of the classics…not to mention the service, location and décor.
RECOMMENDED: Fish and Chips, Mahi-Mahi, Macaroni and Cheese, Bread and Butter Pudding.
AVOID: Rack of Lamb, Guinness Chocolate Bomb.
TIP: Downstairs seating trends exceptionally loud at peak times while the upstairs offers a far more laid-back vibe.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor.
https://www.newyorknewyork.com/en/restaurants/nine-fine-irishmen.html
