By AMANDA FARINOS

A friend of mine recently took a trip to Ireland. Enamored with the food, upon her return she began trying out Irish recipes and ended up making beef and Guinness stew for a dinner party in June.

We shared a laugh over this, but when I planned to visit the Town Crier Pub, I had a feeling I, too, was about to eat some unseasonably hearty food. Not so. Most old pub standards like shepherd’s pie weren’t even on the menu.

Town Crier can be classified as a gastropub, a term more recently used to describe not just a pub that includes a restaurant — but one that serves up dishes a foodie really can get excited about. Even the waitstaff was enthusiastic about the menu and beers on tap.

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Pub chips are complimentary, while the dipping sauces are $6. (Libby Volgyes / Palm Beach Post)

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With its brisk foot traffic, outdoor events and energetic dining scene, West Palm Beach’s Clematis district seems a welcome shore for the nation’s "gastro pub" wave. The gastro pub concept, popular in England for more than a decade, showcases good, brasserie-style dishes in a casual tavern setting. At its best, it’s epicurean fare with a bluejeans aesthetic.

Of course, achieving this is no laid-back feat – it requires juggling seemingly contradictory elements of style and substance. Imagine a comfy booze joint with menu references to truffle oil and micro greens and fleur de sel.

This is what managing partner Gene Playter and chef Scott Helm have done in opening Gratify American gastro pub in the old Spoto’s location on Datura Street. They’ve hit the right balance between relaxed (the atmosphere) and resplendent (the food).

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