The Grange Public House in Decatur Georgia; Contemporary Dublin Restaurant and Pub
Note From Jan 2010: The Grange changed it's name to The Marlay House after this article was written
Tim and I were in Decatur last Friday evening for a high school football game at Decatur High School. We had planned to grab a bite to eat before the game and after missing the turn in to Watershed restaurant did a turn around in the parking lot of The Grange Public House. As fate would have it a parking spot magically appeared and we pulled in to grab a bit of parking karma.
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The Grange Public House looked familiar and we later learned it was originally known as The Angel Pub. The new owners opened it back up as The Grange and stamped their Dublin heritage all over the menu and drink selection.
As we walked in the pub we were quite surprised by the large number of families dining. Lots of kids and lots of family gatherings. The bar had the usual collection of adults lined up but the tables were filled with babies, toddlers, teenagers and parents.
After being seated we asked for a taste of Hobgoblin on tap (an English Ale) and then studied the menu. It was a difficult decision. We focused on fish and chips as we have great memories of pub dining in Wales, Scotland and England. Our friend Scotty Candler says we should have held out for the lamb stew. Ha, he does not realize what joy traditional fish and chips brings to the soul! We also saw lots of good looking salads, sandwiches and pub grub being served. Guinness braised briskett is on Tim's wish list for the next visit.
While we were waiting on our food to come out, we met co owner Darren Comer and his lovely daughter Saoirse (Darren says it means Freedom in Gaelic) who had stopped by to see Dad at the restaurant. Darren owns The Grange with his sister and brother (see brother - the one in the hat- in photo below). All three Comers grew up in Rathfarnhamnear the Dublin mountains of Ireland.
RENAME THE GRANGE PUBLIC HOUSE
We saw in the menu that the restaurant has to be renamed because of a name conflict with another organization that has a similar moniker. Here is an excerpt from The Grange Website
"The Grange has enjoyed a brilliant first year thanks to the Decatur community. We have recently been approached by a long-standing agricultural advocacy organization to change our name. While "The Grange Public House" name has symbolic meaning for us as a link to our heritage, it is not however our name, but rather our place in the community that defines us. Staying true to our promise to be a community oriented pub, we are asking you, our patrons and friends, to help us "Rename the Grange."
Originally naming our pub The Grange connected our Irish heritage with our lives in Atlanta, where the Grange in Ireland often became the hub of social activity in the community. We feel we have succeeded in bringing about such a place - a bit of Dublin in Decatur. It has become a comfortable gathering place that offers food, beverage and a place to chat, which will remain the same regardless of the name.
This name change is timely as we now have a new chef and we continue to expand our menus. Community involvement remains our primary commitment, as we enjoy supporting various charitable and local events and will continue to do so. We are family owned and operated originally from Rathfarnham near the Dublin mountains.";
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