Pub Grub

So, still recovering from my hangover (from Blogtoberfest) and the frightful sight I witnessed at Abe & Louie’s later that evening (see previous blog), I meandered over to Matt Murphy’s pub in Brookline Village to grab a bite with some old friends yesterday. I hadn’t been there in years and had never really been there to eat, but rather to enjoy the traditional Celtic and Irish music and have a few pints of Guinness.

The menu is definitely focused on Irish-themed comfort food (which is always desirable after a late night of drinking with the girls) and is divided into five sections: Farmhouse Plates, Starters, Sandwiches, Main Courses and Sweets. The Farmhouse Plates include: Country Style Pate & Grain Mustard (including several meats and picked vegetables), Potted White Fish (accompanied by other cured fish dishes) and the Farm House Cheese (which I shared with a friend) — all for $10 each.

For a cheese plate, this one was quite large and a pretty good bargain for $10. In retrospect, this probably would have been enough for lunch… even sharing it with my friend. There were several nice-sized chunks of brie, blue cheese, farmhouse cheddar, some type of mustard-grain cheese and a few others… plus pickles, pickled onions and cabbage, greens and hard-boiled eggs… all served with 2 different types of mustard and some kind of creamy relish thing. It was quite good, especially when eaten with the variety of breads served in the large bread basket.

For lunch, I had the Mixed Greens Salad, served with goat cheese and toasted walnuts in a mustard vinaigrette ($8). Very good, though a bit mustard-y. In fact… if you don’t like mustard, this may not be the place for you… as it seems to be a central flavor in many of the dishes. My friends got the Salad of Endive with walnuts, mustard and caramelized pears (also $8) and the Grilled Chicken Sandwich — served panini-style, with hand-cut french fries — with crispy bacon, roasted tomatoes and aged cheddar ($9). They both seemed to enjoy their meals, though my friend needed to scrape the abundance of mustard off her sandwich. In other words… if you are not a mustard fan (as mentioned before), be sure to ask for it on the side.

We opted out of dessert, as we were pretty stuffed, but they looked pretty yummy and quite “comforting”. Next time, I would like to try one of the Main Courses. My guess is that the portions are quite large (the prices range from $14 to $20).

All-on-all, a pretty good dining experience. Definitely no frills and the service was a tiny bit slow considering it’s a small place with just a handful of tables. My only complaint (and this is pushing it) is that the don’t serve any soda; just water or beer I believe. When I’m dragging, I enjoy a diet coke with my lunch and had to settle for agua. All things considered, since this place is really more of a music venue and drinking place and the food was surprisingly good… no hard feelings on the small selection of drinks.