It’s St. Patrick’s Day and we’ve been discussing classic restaurants, so here are two places to mention.
Tam O’Shanter was founded in 1922 and is on 2980 Los Feliz Blvd. in Los Angeles. It’s technically a Scottish restaurant but let’s not get picky and it celebrates St. Patrick’s Day.
Tom Bergin’s opened in 1936 and has been at 840 S. Fairfax Ave. in Los Angeles since 1945. It closed in 2018 but is open again Wednesday-Sunday.
Not sure if they still have the USC pennant. For years, an owner was former USC football player Mike Mandekic, who I’m told is a fan of this blog.
InsideUSC with Scott Wolf 
‘A fan of this blog,’ writes Wolfie. Well, who isn’t?–
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Hi LJ. I see you walked on in 1966. Give us more details. Did your see any playing time ?? What was your position ? Tell us everything bro
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You got 15-seconds, George?– That would be the extent of my memories. Oh, John McKay walked up to me one day after I had dropped a rifled pass and said calmly,”You drop another pass, and you may as well get off this field.”– A full loaf of bread as a coach, but a crumb as to how he coldly dealt with student-athletes.
Oh, and Ronnie Drake, all 160 pounds of him (but who was All-City) hit me so hard in blocking drills that my helmet came flying off.
Never saw the field, GT, but I am glad I walked on and got the experience of knowing that I could not play at the SC level. I was a star quarterback and wideout in my fraternity with intramural football, but tackle football is of course a completely different animal.
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LJ…You’re absolutely right about giving it a shot rather than having regrets wondering IF like many do.
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Hey LJ. Anyway you gave it a shot. Had some fun too. Way to go pal. It beats wondering what might have been
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Scooter,
Don’t forget Monohan’s on Lake St., in Pasadena. That was a great place on St. Patty’s Day. They sold it and turned it into Smitty’s. Bummer about that. Another place is in downtown LA and you had to go down steps to get in. I haven’t been there for years.
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The place downstairs in DT LA was Casey’s. Went there almost every Thursday night after work.
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Sparky,
Thank you. I oculdn’t remember. Great place.
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Loch Ness Monster on Fair Oaks and Union St., north east corner, in Pasadena. Great dive bar and they celbrated St. Patty’s there as well.
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The Loch Ness!
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Scooter,
They got that Big Irish bar in Santa Fe Springs, near you. I think it is on Imperial Highway.’
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Well, if no food is required, I’ll take O’Hara’s Pub at the Orange Circle.
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this is slightly off topic,but does anyone remember Georges Round Up restaurant?
It was all you could eat buffet, incl Prime Rib …went there in late 40’s and early 50’s, my Dad loved the place…don’t even remember where it was , but somewhere around LongBeach.
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Obviously Tom Bergin’s is a great drinking establishment but I remember the place being somewhere where we would sometimes stop for Irish coffees. We’d be bouncing around town drinking at this place or that and we often used Tom Bergin’s as a place to kind of slow down before heading out to another place. Instead of pints we’d have an Irish coffee and then head out again.
Didn’t always happen that way, but you get the idea.
#ILovedHowTheyNeverOpenedOtherLocations;ThisPlaceWasAnOriginal
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The Harp in Costa Mesa, The Shamrock Newport, Killarney’s Huntington. Several other Irish bars around Newport.
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Regrettably I haven’t a Black and Tan in years.
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Brennan’s Irish Pub- Marina del Rey, CA. Use to have turtles races there on Thursday nights.
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Reminds me of a joke:
A guy challenges a dog owner that his turtle can cross the room faster than his dog. The dog owner says “You’re on.”
A referee counts 1–2—3, and the turtle is tossed across the room, beating the dog.
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That’s even worse than my jokes LJ !!
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This has nothing to do with dogs, nor turtles, but it is a joke.
What is a ghosts favorite fruit? Booberries.
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LOLOLO
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HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY, ALL!!
Someone have a glass of Bushmill’s for me!! On the rocks.
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So Cal,
I had Guiness and Jaemeson’s. I had to drink Catholic wiskey.
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Both excellent choices!
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