Who doesn't like Mick's? - Balto's finest Irish pub features rockin' music, plenty o' stout

Few would dispute Mick O'Shea's status as Baltimore's premier Irish bar. Outside, harps and shamrocks adorn the facade, while inside, a large mural of Ireland lurks behind the bar, and various items of Irish memorabilia (including a copy of the 1916 proclamation of the Irish Republic on the occasion of the Easter Rising) are displayed on the walls. If you ever wanted to "Know Your Hurling" (not the activity of times indulged in after visiting a few bars, but rather the Irish sport, similar to field hockey but involving balancing the ball on the end of one's stick and a certain amount of violence), this is the place to be.

More or less as soon as you walk in, it's pretty apparent what the libation of choice is around here. As with most Irish bars, it's Guinness, that most Irish of beers, and the most recognizable of stouts. The famous almost-black brew with a head of creamy foam in its vaguely bell-shaped glass is practically trademarked, and the pouring of the "perfect pint" is an art unto itself. Many profound thoughts can come of staring mesmerized into the side of one's pint, watching the foam cascade upwards in strata at once blended and distinct, like a watercolor in barley and hops. When it's settled, drink deep, making sure you get past the foam. Then lick off the mustache you've given yourself and savor the rich flavor (or possibly go screaming about how this is the worst beer you've ever had. Guinness is something of an acquired taste). A few pints of this stuff, and you'll be thinking you actually understand Finnegan's Wake.

All this and music, too: O'Shea's has a hopping live music scene, featuring Irish bands from Baltimore and all over the coutnry. The Mayor's personal music machine, O'Malley's March, plays here once in a while, and local Irish rock powerhouse Donegal X-Press is a perennial favorite (they even have a song about the place, which they pulled out for last Saturday's CD release party to celebrate their new album, Translations), and every once in a while, a nationally-known band shows up, as Balck 47 did a few years ago. For those whose musical tastes run to Celtic rocking, O'Shea's is a dream come true.

They have an extensive menu of bar food, sandwiches and entres, ranging from potato skins to the "Ultimate Grilled Cheese" (featuring cheddar, swiss, provolone, tomato and bacon on one of four kinds of bread), to Bangers and Mash (sausages and mashed potatoes) to the classic Irish Lamb Stew.

So settle back with a pint, tune your ears to the soudns of the Emerald Isle, and enjoy the craic at Mick O'Shea's.