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DINING GUIDE
BOCA CHALLENGE
Shepherd’s Pie
F
or St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate the shepherd’s pie, a dish that sounds foolproof but in fact can land on your table in all sorts of guises. Our idea: a tasty, nourishing and drool-worthy version of this meal in a pan. A version of this dish appears in many cultures, because it originally called for whatever leftover roasted meat was in the house. Technically, a cottage pie is made with lamb, and shepherd’s with beef, although restaurants aren’t picky about that. And there are delicious vegetarian versions, called shepherdess pies. Whatever the moniker, this is a comfort dish and gives you meat, vegetables and potatoes in one spot. It’s akin to the county fair’s“pork parfait,”but this meal-in-a-pot original is the way to go. Pair it with a pint of Guinness, and this dish can achieve perfection. —LYNN KALBER
APPEARANCE
TOOJAY’S
5030 Champion Blvd. Boca Raton 561/241-5903 toojays.com
MEAT MIX
POTATOES TOTAL
TOOJAY’S
Corn—not usually included—was mixed with the peas, carrots and mushrooms in the casserole dish, with a lot of ground beef, a thin layer of mashed potatoes and two full slices of Muenster melted on top. A bit soupy, but filling. More like a stew, not heavily spiced. Comes with cup of soup or salad for dinner. $13.69.
TIM FINNEGANS
Peas, onions, carrots and slow-simmered beef in gravy made with Guinness—rich, aromatic, comforting and hearty—made for a very tasty pie. It wins for most attractive, with mashed, and then baked, potatoes attractively piped, then browned on top with garnish. $14.
THE IRISHMEN
The beef mix included onions, peas, carrots, no gravy, and topped with a sprinkled cheese mix that included cheddar and “maybe white American.” Lightly seasoned and uneventful. Tuesday special at $5; regular menu is $12.95.
TIM FINNEGANS
2885 S. Federal Highway Delray Beach 561/330-3153 timfinnegansirishpub. com
THE IRISHMEN
1745 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd. Boca Raton 561/368-1129 irishmenpub.com
DUBLINER IRISH PUB
435 Plaza Real Boca Raton 561/620-2540 sub-culture.org/dubliner
DUBLINER IRISH PUB
RATINGS: fair
bocamag.com
Diningguide MA19.indd 132
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Wins for best all-around. The labor-intensive demi-glace cooks for 16 hours with a beef/lamb combo, and it tastes rich, hearty and terrific. Includes peas, carrots, onions, shallots, mashed potatoes and an Irish cheese mixture. It has a thin layer of mashed potatoes, and that’s exactly what it needs. $16.50. good
very good
excellent
March/April 2019
1/30/19 4:30 PM