Kevin O’Mara is the red-headed Irishman whose name is on the popular O’Mara’s restaurant at 12 Mile Road and Coolidge.  He took over the long-running Chuck Joseph’s Restaurant about 7 ½ years ago.  In fact, some of the favorite dishes of former Joseph’s customers, such as the petite filet mignon, are still served along with O’Mara’s interesting menu of Irish dishes, seafood, poultry and pasta. 
 A chemist by trade and owner of Midwest Analytical in Ferndale, O’Mara leaves most of the operation to managers Lewis Sawyer and Jean Burns, who have been with him since O’Mara’s opened (Burns worked for Chuck Joseph’s before that).
 The restaurant, with its décor of green and cranberry and lights that are low but not dark, creates an atmosphere that can be elegant if you are dressed up for a special evening or casual if you are out with a group of friends after a game.
 My friend and I did our Nibbler sampler on a weeknight, and to our delight, we dined to soft jazz piano music.  The young man who brought our water and rolls gets the water boy of the year award, as he was efficient and friendly ---we were barely seated when he appeared with the pitcher and basket.
 The waiter also was very pleasant, coming to our table at once, but patient enough to let us look through the green leather-bound menu so we could make up our mind without feeling pressure.  He checked often after we were served to make sure we were doing well.  And we were.
 We started off with an appetizer of mushrooms with a generous stuffing ($7.95) four times the size of the mushroom that was a blend of crabmeat and shrimp topped with cheese.  The stuffing was smooth but textured, and the sweet flavor of the seafood touched with warm butter in the serving dish was delicious.
 Next, my friend tried a cup of cream of mushroom soup ($2.50) and let me have a taste.  It was thick and creamy, and the mushrooms were almost pureed instead of chunky.  The subtle flavoring in the base did not over power, but enhanced the mushroom flavor.

**** Outstanding
*** Recommended with enthusiasm
** Very good
* Good but routine

Among O'Mara's menu items are the reuben sandwich ( clockwise from the bottom), seafood pasta and sheperd's pie

I ordered a Caesar salad ($6.95), one of my favorites and something I’ve eaten in many restaurants.  It came with a generous amount of dressing, but the flavor was not as tangy as some I’ve had, and the Romaine was slightly limp.
 For the main course, my friend had a mixed grill dinner ($18.95), and it was a sight to behold --- a beautiful still-life model for an artist’s sitting.  Arranged on the large plate were two jumbo shrimp, a small slab of barbecue spare ribs, a grilled chicken breast, two mild Italian sausages and a tender beef brochette on a skewer with grilled vegetables, and a broiled tomato filled with Parmesan cheese.
 It was obviously too much for my friend to eat (it was large enough to provide another meal or two), but every bite was tender, juicy and savored.  The barbecue sauce was sweet and tangy, but a little bit too hot for my friend who rarely eats spicy food.  The Italian sausage was very spicy, but fresh and tender.
 I decided to go native and try an Irish dish, choosing the shepherd’s pie ($10.95), which Lewis later told me is a house favorite.  If I didn’t know better when it was placed in front of me, I would have thought the dish was a giant size slice of layered yellow cake with chocolate icing between the layers.
 The cake was real Irish mashed potatoes --- called colcannon --- mixed ever so slightly with braised cabbage and leaks.  In between the layers was a tasty blend of ground beef and lamb, with a touch of carrot here and there to give it color.  There was a pool of gravy on the plate with a scattering of green peas.  It was the best shepherd’s pie I’ve eaten, with the potatoes thick but not dry and the meat flavorful, coarsely ground and chewy but tender.  It’s great comfort food.
 I know it’s difficult to believe after those hearty meals that we would order a dessert, but it’s all in the name of Nibbler duty.  We tasted the chocolate-on-chocolate layer cake ($4.50), and there were no complaints about its melt-in-the-mouth goodness.
 My friend plans to be back with a “special” friend for a romantic dinner.  And I know I’ll return, too.  On some cold fall evening I’ll be back for another slice of that shepherd’s pie --- or a helping of O’Mara’s Irish stew with hunks of lamb and beef served in a bread bowl.

To prevent retaurants from giving special service, the Oakland Press dining reviewer is anonymous. Each review is customarily based on a single visit to the establishment.

O'mara's Irish Restaurant is proud to serve Berkley, Royal Oak, Madison Heights, Ferndale, Oak Park, Center Line, Eastpointe, Harper Woods, Grosse Pointe, Roseville, Highland Park, Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, Clawson, Southfield, st Clair Shores, Grosse Pointe Shores, Hamtramck, Redford, Livonia, Dearborn, Canton, Dearborn Heights, Westland and More!