Irish Flavor Returns, With New Flair

If you've been craving a pint and some shepherd's pie since Mitch O'Neill's closed after the Memorial Day weekend, your wait is over. Noreen's has just opened in the same spot, and while the new Syosset tavern has an Irish specialty menu, the place has a whole different feel.

"We've just completely renovated the inside to make it a warm home feeling, brightened it up a lot, lightened it up," explained owner Noreen Reilly-Abbatiello.

Her establishment is divided into two areas, with a white fabric divider running most of the way down the center. The bar is on one side, and tables for dining are on the other. The divider does not go all the way to the ceiling, and the fabric is almost see-through, so neither side feels closed-in. There are flat-screen TVs on the back wall and at the bar.

On Sunday afternoon during Noreen's official grand opening weekend, a couple of the TVs were tuned to the Jets game, and several people were on each side of the tavern.

Reilly-Abbatiello was busy, and joked that while this may be her first venture like this, "Raising four teenage daughters is the same as being a waitress anyway, so it all worked out well."

Reilly-Abbatiello said her decision to open Noreen's came after learning that the owner of Mitch O'Neill's, at 151 Jackson Ave., planned to close. "I've been a stay-at-home, PTA mom for 20 years, and I decided this was going to be my next career," she said. "It's something I had planned for many, many years."

"I was a friend of the previous owner, and I used to come in quite often," she added. "I love to cook at home…I thought it would be great to bring this to the community."

While the official grand opening was this past weekend, Noreen's actually opened in mid-September, in what Reilly-Abbatiello described as a "soft opening."  She says so far it's been "amazing," and praised her staff, which includes two chefs and a manager from Ireland.  

Reilly-Abbatiello said the former owner of Mitch O'Neill's, Mary Kennedy, has visited Noreen's.

"She's a lovely woman, and she did a terrific job all the years she was here," Reilly-Abbatiello said.

On Sunday, there were several people who had been to Noreen's before, including some old friends of Reilly-Abbatiello's–and new ones. Syosset's Kevin Berry said he liked the new look of Noreen's, adding, "The corned beef is amazing."

Reilly-Abbatiello looks forward to seeing everyone in town.

"I like for people to feel when they come in here like they're coming into my own home," she said.