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Experience Good Grub At This Restaurant/Pub The
Irish Cottage is a restaurant/pub in Massapequa Park located on Park Boulevard. Upon entering you’ll notice the bar area to your right and the dining room
to your left, for those interested in a more intimate setting. The bar area features
additional seating, a large bar and a number of flat screen TV’s throughout,
creating the ideal setting to watch your favorite sporting events. Outdoor dining is
also available on their enclosed patio. What
immediately caught our eye was the new wood flooring and ceilings that were recently
installed. As we perused the menu we noticed many standard bar food items as well as
traditional Irish favorites. John Gaulrap, owner, has been in the restaurant
business for years. He, along with friend and executive chef, Patrick Kennedy, have
been working together to keep business booming – and so far, so good. They’ve
introduced new renovations, dinner specials and even live music. Chef Patrick, who credits his sous chef,
Alexis, for making him look good in the kitchen, does a wonderful job at making The
Irish Cottage much more than your average pub. We began with a cup of Carrot Soup, which was the homemade soup of the day (below left). It was downright delicious - thick, creamy and full of flavor! This simple soup was the perfect start to our dining experience.
Next
we sampled the Shrimp Croquettes which feature chopped shrimp, fresh breadcrumbs and
seasoning (above right). We thoroughly enjoyed the chunks of fresh shrimp found
inside and the lightly fried exterior. They were served with a tartar sauce for
dipping and some lemon, which we recommended you add for some additional zesty
flavor. The homemade Crab Cakes, made with jumbo lump Maryland crab, are pan seared and served over a bed of mixed greens with a spicy chipotle mayo. They present a perfect breading to crab ratio and you’ll find crabmeat in each and every bite. The mayo had a nice, spicy kick and was a great complement to the crab cakes.
If
good home cooking is what you seek for dinner, be sure to order the Shepherd’s
Pie. Made with ground lamb, peas, carrots and onions in a natural gravy with mashed
potatoes then baked to a golden brown, it is wholesome and hearty meal you’ll want
to finish every last bite of. It is a traditional representation of a Shepherd’s
Pie, as it is made with ground lamb rather than beef. That is a rare find now a days. We continued with the Roast Loin Of Pork served with mashed potatoes and seasoned green beans (below left). The pork loin is boneless, garlic and herb encrusted and extremely flavorful. The creamy mashed potatoes and tasty green beans were both great sides and the rich sauce really enhanced the dish.
Rounding
out our entrees was the Corned Beef and Cabbage (above right). The corned beef was
exceptionally lean, the cabbage was boiled to perfection and the red potatoes were a
delight. We were impressed by this simple, yet flavorful, traditional Irish dish. For dessert we were treated to a slice of their Key Lime Pie (below left). It was pleasantly tart and a nice ending to our meal.
The Irish Cottage may look like a pub from the outside, but once you taste the food inside you’ll see it is much more than that. You can get the best of both worlds here – a cozy dining experience or a rocking time at the bar!
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