“It's been a blow for all the bars in Dogtown to miss the past two years, on top of the pandemic,” Jovanovich said. “St. Patrick’s Day business definitely goes a lon
It's difficult to think of Dogtown without the Pat Connolly Tavern coming to mind. Opened in 1942 by a recent immigrant from Galway County, Ireland, the pub is the canvas on which much of the neighborhood's green, white and orange history was painted. Over the decades, the venerable bar-and-grill has mastered the classic Irish pub formula: a down-to-earth atmosphere, friendly service and cold Guinness on tap. Under new owners Theresa Connolly Jovanovich and Joe Jovanovich, who are descendants of the eponymous Pat Connolly, the tavern also has a new-and-improved menu of classic pub food and a sleeker look that harkens back to its mid-century origins. The famous fried chicken, of course, hasn't changed and it's still some of the best in town.
Abbey Tampow thought she was finally about to catch a break.
For months, she and the rest of her skeleton crew at the Town & Country mainstay the Country Club Bar and Grill had been working nonstop, struggling to manage an increase in business while painfully short-staffed. She d been desperate to hire someone anyone to take the burden off her and her coworkers, who were working sixty hours per week, and she thought she d finally found that person. The applicant seemed enthusiastic about the opportunity and made it through three different interviews before accepting an offer to come on board. Tampow had training for the newcomer all set up, put her on the schedule and was ready to welcome her to the team one weekday lunch a few weeks back.
Originally published on March 16, 2021 5:58 pm
For the second year in a row, the coronavirus pandemic has put the kibosh on the St. Patrick s Day parade and Irish festival that typically bring crowds of revelers to St. Louis’ vibrant Dogtown neighborhood. But the community is still going green this week, finding creative and cautious ways to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint while also raising funds for what organizers anticipate will be a return to traditional festivities in 2022.
Instead of packed streets, sidewalks and bars, those visiting Dogtown this month will find impressively decorated houses, a series of selfie-friendly paintings by four local artists and a unique way to support the neighborhood’s businesses: a “Discover Dogtown” coupon booklet.