Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1342831
95 guacamole arrives with kettle chips, not corn chips. "We're very strong on comfort food," says Havey, "and have a very loyal clientele." Hankering for a traditional boiled dinner? The one at The Irish Cottage in Methuen won't disappoint—unless you're expecting the version served in Ireland. "Believe it or not, a typical Irish boiled dinner is made with cured bacon, not corned beef, and it's always roasted, not boiled," says Jimmy Kearney, who co-owns the restaurant with his cousin. The switch to corned beef came when the Irish arrived in America and found corned beef a cheaper alternative to fresh meat. Kearney, who grew up in County Galway, boils his corned beef in pickling spices for several hours before cooling and slicing it. Every order arrives hot in its own juices with steamed cabbage, carrots, and red bliss potatoes. Another top seller is the country–style Guinness beef stew. "We braise chuck meat in Guinness Stout and then add boiled carrots, celery, and onions and a stock made from PHOTOGRAPH, RIGHT BY ANTHONY TIEULI A favorite any time of year— Fish and chips from Bunratty's in Reading. the bones," says Kearney, who serves the stew over boiled red bliss potatoes with two slices of Irish brown bread. "We're a scratch kitchen and don't buy a lot of frozen items." In Haverhill, e Peddler's Daughter serves both contemporary and Irish fare, including the ever-popular Cottage Pie, similar to Shepard's Pie, only made with ground beef, not lamb. "It's our number two seller (after fish and chips)," says owner Michael Conneely, who grew up in County Galway and developed all the restaurant's recipes. "We simmer the ground beef in veal stock and that's the secret. It melds all the flavors together and makes it more robust." Carrots, corn, and peas round out the base served in individual crocks topped with champ, a velvety blend of mashed potatoes, butter, cream, and scallions. For each order, the kitchen bakes the pie until the champ turns golden. "Irish food is comfort food," says Conneely. "People know what they're getting and the