Craic, pronounced, crack, is an Irish word for good times, good food and conversation.

Three years ago, it was the mission of former Lewiston Police Chief Bill Welch to bring good craic to Lewiston.

Just one year out of retirement from the Lewiston Police Department, Welch partnered with Troy Kavanaugh, his long-time friend and a co-owner of Pedro O’Hara’s in Brunswick, to open a location in Lewiston.

“When I came on the police force in ’76,” Welsh says, “(Kavanaugh’s) dad went to the sheriff’s department.” Welch wound up with Kavanaugh senior’s badge number. Welch and Kavanaugh felt destined to work together.

When asked about shifting gears from police work to the restaurant business, Welch says, “There’s a whole lot more work than I thought.” That work includes dealing with budgets, personnel and the public — something he spent his whole former career perfecting.

According to Welch, the unlikely idea for an Irish-Mexican-themed restaurant sprang from the origional co-founders of Pedro O’Hara’s having some pints in Brunswick about 10 years ago. After a few rounds, the friends remarked how there were no Irish pubs in Brunswick. As the conversation progressed, they observed how there were no Mexican restaurants either.

According to Welch, after an undisclosed number of pints later, the pair decided, “Why not do both?” And, after yet more refreshment, “What do we call it?” The concept of Pedro O’Hara’s was born.

Entering the dining area of the Lewiston restaurant, it’s all Pedro, with bright flags and sombreros punctuating the decor.

Walking back toward the bar, O’Hara emerges quickly, with Irish hurls and other sports paraphernalia adorning the walls and pints of Guinness lining the bar top.

On the day of our visit, Welch is flanked by his twin, 6-year-old grandsons, Dylan and Ethan, who shadow him everywhere he goes, retrieving menus and helping their grandfather.

A step into the kitchen reveals that this place is far more than all Pedro up front and all O’Hara in the back.

The extensive menu boasts of not only Mexican fare but real, honest, traditional Irish and Irish-American food.

In a culinary world where Irish-themed pubs are springing up everywhere to serve up Irish nachos and call it a day, Welch delivers real food, including shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash, and the Irish-American favorite, corned beef and cabbage.

“We don’t skimp on portions,” says Welch, as cook Becky Holden presents a plate of corned beef and cabbage.

Indeed, skimp would be the last thing on a diner’s mind when presented with four slabs of corned beef, each roughly half the size of James Joyce’s novel “The Dubliners.”

Surround that with about a quarter-head of cabbage and a mixture of potato, turnip and carrots, and that overflowing plate could feed half the diaspora in Maine.

Holden returns to the stove, flames dancing above a saute pan full of authentic Irish banger sausages. Bangers are much like a mild Italian sausage, but sweeter, Welch explains.

In Ireland, bangers are often served with mashed potatoes or simply “mash,” as it is called. They are also part of a hearty Irish breakfast, representing what is called “white” pudding and often served with “black” pudding, or blood sausage.

Holden scores the bangers and lays them atop a plate of mash, covering it all with fresh gravy made in-house and then with green onions and a cherry pepper. The result is a delicate-tasting sausage combined with the warmth of quintessential comfort food: mashed potatoes and gravy with onions.

A fixture at Pedro O’Hara’s, Holden appears to have come with the keys to the place; she worked for the previous resident, Espo’s Trattoria, and helped with the renovation and relaunch of Pedro O’Hara’s.

Next, Holden prepares shepherd’s pie. In America, shepherd’s pie is made primarily of beef, an ingredient that would classify it as cottage pie back in Ireland. After all, how many shepherds tended flocks of cattle? For this reason, true shepherd’s pie must be made with lamb.

For this dish, the ground lamb is browned and cooked with celery, onions, carrots, peas and gravy. The mixture is then topped with mashed potatoes, a sprinkle of cheese and baked.

Welch says some customers who grew up with variations of the dish, such as cottage pie or Chinese pie, are startled by the heartier taste of lamb and presence of peas. Most, however, settle right in after the first bite and quickly warm up to this traditional Irish favorite.

Bangers and cottage pie not your style? Welch has many more Irish-American-inspired dishes to offer.

Try the charbroiled, marinated lamb tips, flame broiled and cooked to order. There’s also the Celtic cheese steak, made with lean corned beef instead of shaved steak. The Blarney sandwich is a take on the Reuben and comes on egg-dipped rye bread. Finally, what pub menu would be complete without fish and chips?

With St. Patrick’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, Welch says Pedro O’Hara’s will be celebrating all weekend long, with specials like corned beef and cabbage, lamb kabobs, a corned beef Reuben and Guinness beef stew.

The Kora bagpipers will be visiting as well on Sunday afternoon to regale diners with Irish and Scottish favorites.

Slan agus benacht (health and blessings)!

dmcintire@sunjournal.com

Guinness beef stew

Trim 2 pounds of beef. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Toss with 1/4 cup flour, seasoned to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.

Brown beef.

In a large pot, add the beef, 3 large chopped onions, 1 crushed garlic clove and 2 tablespoons tomato puree. Simmer for 5 minutes

Add 1 quart beef stock, 1 12-ounce bottle of Guinness, 2 pounds chopped carrots, 3 pounds chopped potatoes and a pinch of thyme.

Simmer until tender. Enjoy.

Lamb marinade

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion

1 clove crushed garlic

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 pinch rosemary

1 pinch thyme

1 pinch basil

1 pinch oregano

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend together and use to marinade trimmed, tenderized lamb.

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