There are some traditional Irish foods I expect to find at most Irish-based restaurants, but tradition goes unnoticed at Edwardsville’s new Irish pub, Mossy Stone.
Mossy Stone is located where Mike Shannon’s used to be, and at first glance, it doesn’t look much different. The most noticeable changes are the emerald-green walls, along with harps and Irish flags to decorate the walls.
Despite the interior changes, the dim lighting creates a cozy ambiance, and the staff is warm and welcoming, greeting everyone with smiles.
However, the music was a surprise. Instead of Celtic or Irish tunes, it was a strange blend of pop music that didn’t quite fit the theme.
Once seated, I received a menu decorated with gold and green lettering, accented by clovers that matched the pub’s Irish theme nicely.
As I read through the menu, I noticed the limited selection of Irish food. Aside from a few Irish staple dishes, there wasn’t much else. The menu was missing several Irish dishes like black pudding, Irish stew and colcannon.
For our meal, my table ordered the butter board, oysters, green goddess soup, a Reuben with mash, fish and chips and shepherd’s pie.
The butter board featured honey butter, mushroom butter and something called cowboy butter served with soda bread. The honey butter wasn’t overly sweet, which paired well with the soda bread. But the mushroom and cowboy butter had sour aftertastes that didn’t sit well with my tastebuds. The soda bread however was delicious, and I ordered more.
Oysters, which aren’t traditionally eaten in Ireland, were not overly fishy, and my table enjoyed them, so we ordered a second plate.
After the appetizers, our table was quickly cleared, and our meals arrived soon after. The service was fast throughout the night, making the experience more enjoyable as we could eat and talk without dirty plates on the table.
The green goddess soup wasn’t warm, maybe room temperature, and had a chunky, grainy texture. The flavor wasn’t bad, but it lacked the herbal taste found in traditional green goddess soup, which is typically creamy and herb-forward. On the plus side, the soup came with another slice of soda bread.
Next up was the Reuben with mash. While the Reuben itself isn’t a traditional Irish dish, corned beef is common in many Irish households.
The Reuben altogether was sour and had a weird aftertaste. But when I pulled the beef off, I thought it was well seasoned, and I mixed it in with my mash. The mash itself was fluffy and creamy, topped with clove seasoning that added a nice touch.
The dish I was most excited about was the shepherd’s pie, and it didn’t disappoint.
It was easily the best thing I ate that night. The mash on top was similar to the ones served with the Reuben, and they paired perfectly with the pie filling. The lamb was well-seasoned and complemented the vegetables, with no soupy mess at the bottom of the dish.
Fish and chips, though more traditionally an English dish, are commonly served in Irish pubs due to England’s control over Ireland until the late 1940s. While I’m not a fan of fish and chips, the rest of my table said they were fairly good.
Overall, I was excited to have a new place to enjoy Irish food outside my house, and I enjoyed most of the dishes I tried. However, I think the Mossy Stone could benefit from adding more traditional Irish foods to the menu, especially since it’s advertised as an Irish pub.
With time, I believe the restaurant can upgrade the menu options, improve some of the food and adjust the music to bring more of Ireland to Edwardsville.