Today was a Sunday Funday. I was able to combine two fun activities into one special outing. Greg and I drove to Oklahoma to pick up my sister Debbie and take her out to lunch. We ended up at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub, on Cherry Street in downtown Tulsa. I have been wanting to visit this authentic Irish pub. This afternoon the perfect opportunity presented itself.
Touted as a “Destination for travelers and a gathering place for friends”, Kilkenny’s offers a large menu of delectable food and a wide variety of drinks. We loved the dark wood interior, which created a delightful old world pub feel. Irish ballads played as we perused the menu.
After we placed our lunch orders, we raised our glasses to toast Debbie’s daughter and son-in-law. Ashley and Jon arrived in Scotland today. While they were enjoying Glasgow, we compensated by celebrating life in this warm and inviting space.
Kilkenny, I learned, comes from the Gaelic “Cill Chainnigh”, which means Church of Canice. In the 6th century, a monk named St. Canice founded a monastery near Aghaboe. In the 13th century a stone castle was built in the same area, that became known as Kilkenny Castle. By the 14th century, the castle was the main seat of the Butlers, the Earls and Dukes of Ormonde, who were influential in Irish history.
Our food arrived, and it was delicious. Debbie had a reuben sandwich, Greg a meatloaf sandwich and I sampled a traditional fish and chips lunch. Since we were in a celebratory mood, we capped off our meals with a couple of shared desserts.
We opted for something new. The Irish Balloons were fried pastry balls, dusted with powdered sugar and served with sweet Irish whiskey butter sauce. They were wonderful and reminded us all of funnel cakes. I was excited to see Sticky Toffee Pudding on the menu. This dessert consists of pound cake pan fried in sticky, buttery caramel toffee and topped with vanilla ice cream and more sticky toffee sauce and nuts. Oh my goodness, this was a scrumptious treat!
We had a great afternoon, laughing and chatting and enjoying a leisurely meal together. The service was exceptional, and the pub clean and attractive. I’ll be back to visit Kilkenny’s Irish Pub again, eager to try more authentic Irish fare.
According to their website, owner Brett Rehorn desired to bring his passion and talents together to create a unique and top rated Irish Pub, right there in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’d say he succeeded.
