On Monday, February 17, I found myself nestled in a cozy wooden booth, surrounded by guests in green, air filled with the music coming from local band Celtic Cross. I was wearing a trio of shiny beaded shamrock necklaces and a Guinness crewneck I brought home from the Motherland two years ago — ready to experience my first St. Practice Day. No, that isn’t a typo, but a regular occurrence on the 17th of the month at Shamrock Jack’s, 4554 Culver Road. A day where “people can look forward to fresh Irish specials (and festivities) every month,” said Mike Petzing, son of Shamrock Jack’s owner Cathy Petzing.
Cathy Petzing has owned and operated Shamrock Jack’s for 20 years, and the pub originally had more than 18 family members on staff. A mother of four and, now, grandmother of 12, Petzing’s maternal nature is embedded within every server, patron and pint. In just a four-minute span, three parties stopped to bid Petzing farewell on their way out, and a nine-year-old boy (her grandson) came over to show her his newly engraved Guinness pint glass, engraved with his name and birth year.
The building was originally two neighboring
structures — a house and dance studio — creating an opportunity Petzing was not looking for, but one she couldn’t pass up. Throughout the main pub area and spilling into three separate dining areas are Irish mementos, sports memorabilia and family photos along the walls and shelves. It’s a theme that continues behind the bar at the newly opened Mary Wee Pub in Webster, which was opened in 2024 by Matt Petzing, Cathy’s son, after Barry’s Irish Pub vacated the space.
St. Practice Day at Shamrock Jack’s — especially in February, when the St. Patrick’s Day countdown really begins — is all about the food, music and, of course, pints of Guinness. Essential dishes like corned beef and cabbage are served fresh (and somewhat sparked the inception of this monthly celebration, since corned beef is labor intensive and has a short shelf life). Other popular Irish menu items include the reuben (try the sweet potato fries) and cottage pie (the pub’s take on shepherd’s pie, made with beef tips instead of lamb). It’s all washed down with a pint (or two) of Smithwick’s, Harp or Guinness — the holy trinity.
Set up proudly at the front of the pub is a live band — tonight, it’s just two members of Celtic Cross, Tom Keefer and Michael Miskuly — playing Irish classics. The pub folk sing along at the first stroke of a familiar tune, especially as the performance is brought to a nearby booth or a volunteer is asked to stand-in as the fair maid of “The Black Velvet Band.” Dancing Todd — a kind of local legend in the neighborhood — shows up to dance a few jigs while balancing his beverage. At the other end of the pub, Guinness reps engrave complementary glasses and hand out the aforementioned green beaded necklaces.
As the name suggests, this is all practice after all — and for good reason. As one might expect, the last St. Practice Day before the “real deal” in March is the largest turnout. And the extra reps might be much-needed as Shamrock Jack’s prepares for their biggest St. Patrick’s Day since they started hosting more than a decade ago. The holiday spans the entire weekend, from Friday to Monday, and historically, Parade Day (Saturday) is the busiest day of the four-day stretch. This year, Shamrock’s is working with the town of Irondequoit to shut down the adjacent side street and close off the back parking lot, doubling the size of previous years. A large tent will feature food and drink specials, VIP packages and seating areas and multiple live bands in rotation. shamrockjacks.com
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
