Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1342831
97 price points are good." Ronnie Brogan worked in construction before opening O'Neill's in Salem. "I was always interested in opening a bar, having worked at my uncle's bar back in Ireland," he says. "But back in the day, most Irish pubs didn't serve food, or it wasn't that good. So I decided to offer pub grub but made fresh every day." About 20 percent of O'Neill's menu features authentic Irish fare, like bangers and mash, which Brogan and his nine siblings ate at least twice a week growing up in County Monaghan. "It's a dish that goes back to the 1920s or '30s when Ireland was a very poor country," says Brogan. "Most people grew potatoes and had two or three pigs, so it's a very cheap dish and served in most Irish pubs and restaurants." At O'Neill's, the pork sausages come to the table seared and juicy over mashed Yukon Gold potatoes under a blanket of gravy. "Our soups, salads, and mains are not gourmet, but they're made fresh," says Brogan. For Bob Murray, whose maternal grandmother and grandfather hailed from County Tipperary and County Galway, respectively, opening e Emerald Rose in Billerica was a dream come true. "I loved the warm, friendly, family feeling of the Irish pubs in New York, where I used to bartend and like to think I've recreated that in Billerica," he says. While many customers cherish the restaurant's savory Irish fare, the desserts prove just as popular, including the Irish bread pudding. Made with the restaurant's homemade raisin Irish soda bread, the warm, creamy pudding arrives crowned with a Bailey's Irish Cream–butter sauce, whipped cream, and candied orange rind. Another fan favorite is the Irish brownie sundae, composed of a chewy nut-free fudge brownie topped with chocolate whiskey ice cream, hot fudge sauce, and whipped cream. "It's so big it's usually shared," says Murray, "but if one person orders it and eats the whole thing, they'll have to go to church and ask for forgiveness!" To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, all the restaurants plan to offer plenty of Irish specialties. And while pandemic protocols may limit festivities like live music, rest assured the Irish spirit will be out in full force. bunrattytavern.com; oneillsofsalem.com; theemeraldrose.com; theirishcottagepub.com; thepeddlersdaughter.com Opposite far left, bangers and mash from O'Neill's in Salem. Left and above, Fudge brownie topped with chocolate and whiskey ice cream; Irish corned beef and cabbage eggroll, and bread pudding from The Emerald Rose.