Tag: Seamus Loftus

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

Get on the soccer bandwagon at the Brass Door.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

If you’re one of the millions of people who forgot soccer existed the moment your buzz wore off after the U.S. Women’s National Team laid waste to everyone in the 2015 Women’s World Cup, then chances are you’ve rediscovered it these past couple weeks as the 2018 World Cup unfolds. If you’re just a casual fan, then you’re definitely back on the soccer bandwagon because baseball bores you and your life is so pathetic that you need a reason to drink beer at 6 a.m. Memphis is fortunate enough to have two great Irish pubs in Celtic Crossing and The Brass Door, the latter of which I visited last week to get back on the soccer bandwagon myself.

The Brass Door is a great place to kick it and watch soccer without actually having to kick anything, which is fantastic for someone like me who would prefer to watch sports without having to participate in them. That being said, I’m the only one who’s often actually sitting down at the bar, as everyone else is standing up and pounding fists and hugging people they don’t know whenever that one guy with the hair makes a goal, or as announcers spell it, a goooooooooooal. The Brass Door is comprised of two parts: On one side, a stately old bar is the centerpiece of a beautiful room with original checkered floors and tall windows; the other side has more of a sports pub feel, with the main attraction being the multiple TVs. To no one’s surprise, my friends and I can most often be found on the grittier side where spilling beer on others isn’t as frowned upon.

Seamus Loftus opened The Brass Door just a few years ago, and it has already undergone a bitchin’ menu change, courtesy of Patrick and Deni Reilly of Majestic Grille. While I celebrate all of the food there, I’m particularly into the brunch menu because it features a grilled ham and cheese sandwich topped with beer cheese dip and a sunny-side up egg. If you’re watching soccer and drinking beer, there is exactly a zero percent chance you’re turning down a grilled cheese with cheese dip and an egg on top of it unless you’re vegan or a soulless weirdo.

The whole food menu is as colorful as Seamus’ language, which is why I can’t repeat most of the conversations I’ve had with him. I can tell you that he is the type of host to offer your friend who is inexplicably wearing Elton John sunglasses indoors a fine Scotch, served neat, that aforementioned friend drinks as a shot. He is the type of pub owner who is a part of the local soccer community, sponsoring both a recreation league team and a soccer-themed podcast, Round Table of Hooligans, that is recorded at the bar. He’s the guy whose soccer analysis you listened to on the Chris Vernon Show during the last World Cup, and he’s going to be your new favorite person to talk shop with if you find yourself at his bar.

The World Cup is a sports phenomenon in that it brings everyone together to actively hate on Portugal’s national team, which is why you will meet no enemies at The Brass Door, regardless of which side of the establishment you park yourself. The fancier side is bright and inviting; it purrs, “Come, sit at my large wooden bar and order a Smithwick’s,” which is fantastic if you’re popping in for lunch with a friend for a midday beverage. The pub side is darker and more forgiving of those who slept in last night’s makeup; it screams, “Hello, yes, hi! Order Jameson and yell about something that happened back in 2009!” Either way, the bartender who most often puts up with my friends and me, Joey, will be there to accommodate you without judgment.

Soccer is rapidly gaining popularity in the U.S. and The Brass Door has contributed to the local rise in interest, often hosting both the Memphis Gooners and American Outlaws Memphis. The World Cup comes to a close this weekend, so I’d suggest joining me in visiting so you can witness the fandom yourself. Next year, for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, plan on patronizing an Irish pub. I promise you that no one will be angry when you spray a whole beer on the floor from excitement, Seamus least of all. 152 Madison. 572-1813, thebrassdoor.com

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The news from the Brass Door and Pontotoc

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

The Gate Clock Bar in the Dublin airport is the place for those leaving Ireland to get their last real pint of Guinness. It was there, at around 6 a.m. some 15 years ago, that Patrick Reilly met Seamus Loftus. They were introduced by Patrick’s wife Deni.

A couple weeks ago, Loftus and the Reillys were at the bar at the Brass Door talking over, yes, a pint of Guinness. The Reillys, who own the Majestic Grille and run the Front Porch, were brought in as consultants to bring order at the Brass Door, which is owned by Loftus and Meg and Scott Crosby.

“It’s a selfish project for us,” says Deni. The Reillys felt a connection to the Brass Door. They loved the building, saw the potential. Downtown should have an Irish pub, they thought. A place where soccer fans can gather and watch the games. What the Brass Door needed, they believed, was just a little guidance.

“The team needed a new captain,” says Loftus. “We found a new captain.”

The Brass Door, which had closed in July, reopened in early November. The pub was given a good cleaning, and equipment was updated. A new staff was hired. The Reillys sought to bring consistency to the pub’s hours, the service, and the food.

Some of the Brass Door’s tried-and-true favorites remain on the menu. The fried goat cheese is there, as are the hand-cut fries, Shepherd’s Pie, and the BELT sandwich.

One new dish is the Vegetable and Chickpea Balti. Balti is a Pakistani curry. This is Patrick’s nod to Birmingham, England’s soccer culture and its large Pakistani population.

They’ve also upped the Irish on their drinks menu. There’s Mangers Irish Cider and Murphy Goode wines. They’re also aiming to have the most extensive collection of Irish whiskeys in the city, including the Dubliner, Sexton, and Power’s John’s Lane. Among their speciality cocktails is the Caskmates Stout Pairing with Jameson Caskmates Stout mixed with Guinness and the Black Barrel Old Fashioned made with Jameson Black Barrel. There is, of course, Irish coffee.

One more thing: The Brass Door is now completely smoke-free, even the smaller side bar.

Deni says once word got out that they were reopening the place, she was flooded with texts and emails. “People have real feelings about this Irish pub.”

“It’s the old Door and the new Door,” Loftus says. “It’s the future and the past.”

Brass Door is open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Special early-morning Saturday and Sunday hours for international soccer matches.

Daniel Masters has a lot on his plate these days. The owner of Silly Goose recently opened the jazz bar Pontotoc in the old Cafe Pontotoc space and is now making the finishing touches on Civil Pour, a bar inside the food hall South Main Market, which will have its grand opening on December 2nd.

Masters says that when the Cafe Pontotoc space opened up for rent, there was a lot of interest. He, for one, wanted a spot that was still downtown but a bit away from all the foot traffic where Silly Goose is located. He wanted to spread his culinary wings a bit.

Masters is partnered with Jeremy Thacker-Rhodes and Matthew Thacker-Rhodes. They stuck with the name because they simply liked it. It means “land of hanging grapes” in Chickasaw.

Pontotoc opened in mid-October. Chef Chris Yuer is in charge of the kitchen. The menu can be described as Mississippi Southern: PBR Boiled Peanuts, Alligator Filet Fritters, Sister Schubert Beignet with sour cream gelato … There’s also duck confit, pot roast, and pork belly.

Pontotoc’s cocktail menu features the classics — Side Car, Manhattan, and Moscow Mule. And there are seasonal Old Fashioneds and Daiquiris. The winter Old Fashioned includes pecan bitters.

For the space, the owners carved a cute, sorta enclosed patio out front and brought in a large chandelier as a focal point for the interior. They took out a divider to make a larger dining space and covered up a window looking into the kitchen with a back mirror.

They added a piano, too, all the better for this jazz bar specializing in classic jazz from all eras. They’ll have live music Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Friday through Saturday 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

As for Civil Pour, Masters says he’s still working on the identity of the place. He says he’s leaving the Jell-o shots at Silly Goose and is envisioning top-notch charcuterie plates and old school cocktails like a Sazerac made with French cognac.

Pontotoc is open Monday through Friday 4-11 p.m., and Saturday 2 p.m.-midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Majestic Folks Taking Over Brass Door

CREDIT: Brass Door, Facebook

Brass Door, Facebook

Deni Reilly, owner of the Majestic Grille along with her husband Patrick, confirmed today that the pair’s Majestic Hospitality consulting firm will take over the operations of the Brass Door. They are working with the Irish pub’s owners Meg and Scott Crosby and Seamus Loftus.

The Brass Door has been closed since July.

“There’s not too much to tell at this point,” says Reilly, noting that the parties just solidified the plans. She says that the site will stay the Brass Door, and that Patrick, who is Irish, is designing a pub menu.

The plan, says Reilly, is to open the side bar first for the sports fans to watch games as soon as a couple weeks, and to have the Brass Door open before the end of the year.

“It’s beautiful,” says Reilly of the Brass Door. “It’s a great concept with a great rep and a great following. We’re going in there to tighten some things up.”

The Reillys most recently transformed the underperforming Riverfront Bar and Grill into the Front Porch.

 The Brass Door opened in 2011.

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Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Brass Door expands.

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

It’s 9 a.m., and the Guinness stout is pouring. The Brass Door’s newly opened room rings with shouts, laughter, and loud conversations in Irish accents, lilting and growled.

“It’s 3-o’clock in Dublin,” an early celebrant announces, turning up a freshly drawn pint of mother’s milk while someone else turns up the volume on a big screen TV. The bar’s co-founder Seamus Loftus, born in the town of Killala in County Mayo, describes the casual new room as being like a country pub. “Like where I’m from,” he says, contrasting it with his slicker “city pub” next door.

Normally the bar would be closed and quiet at this hour, and all these rowdy fellows would be at home behaving themselves. But it’s the day of the All-Irish soccer final, and Loftus has pitched a special little get-together for old country friends and football fans. Very soon — possibly within the next week — the all-purpose pub will open early for everybody, with weekday breakfasts starting at 7 a.m. and brunch on weekends.

Justin Fox Burks

“We’re actively looking for a chef to lead our kitchen,” Loftus says. “We’re going to start doing evening meals as well.” This is all just the beginning of an ambitious expansion capped by the transformation of the abandoned Burger King across Madison into a green space with a stage rigged to accommodate five-piece bands, and a 40-foot projection screen.

“For me and [partner] Scott Crosby, this entire thing started out as a romantic vision,” Loftus says. “Then we labored through the reality of owning a pub and restaurant in downtown Memphis.” Soon after the Brass Door opened, a building on Madison collapsed, resulting in a prolonged street closure and hard times. But with traffic flowing again and a new pair of boutique hotels opening in the neighborhood, things are looking brighter than ever.

“We’re doubling down,” says Loftus, who now aims to throw the biggest St. Patrick’s Day party Memphis has ever seen. “And we can,” he says, “Because we’ll have a park across the street.”

To prepare for the big day, Loftus is organizing a series of events he’s calling “St. Practice Day,” held on the 17th of every month between now and March. He sees the smaller parties as an opportunity to try out new bands and new food and drink specials. “It’s a chance to build excitement and a chance to get it right,” he says, adding that the next three St. Patrick’s Days fall on weekend nights, which means they’ll be exponentially larger than normal anyway. “And we’ve only got five practice runs before the big game.”

Since opening doors in 2011, the Brass Door has been a home away from home for soccer fans. It’s also been a music venue, a downstairs comedy club, and a popular lunch spot. “We wanted this room to do everything,” Loftus says, explaining at least part of the rationale behind expansion.

“The best Irish pubs were designed to have places you can talk treason,” he says. “There are terrible versions of Irish pubs in America. We call them plastic Paddy pubs where everything’s a leprechaun. Irish pubs are designed to be integral to their community. I want to bring drama in here. To have a place where people can talk passionately.”