For lunch today we hopped the T to Brookline Village. The Daily Candy Weekend Planner said the new location for Orinoco on Harvard Avenue was open.
I checked the Orinoco's website ( www.orinocokitchen.com ) and found hours for lunch. It fit with our schedule so we headed out, only to find that they were having a "soft opening" and were not serving lunch.
Fortunately for our starving selves, Matt Murphy's Pub, right next door, was open and serving. We joined a few other couples having a late lunch and savored a rare, quiet time in this tiny and usually bustling place.
It was cool enough today for me to enjoy a pleasant helping of Shepherd's Pie. My favorite Irish Uncle Mike would have said it was a proper one - made with braised lamb, carrots, turnips, and lots of good gravy and topped with mashed potatoes. Both hearty brown soda bread and a crusty white bread were available for soaking up that gravy.
Ed had what he declared to be the "very best pulled-pork sandwich ever!" This is listed as a combo of pulled pork, balsamic mustard, and sharp cheese. He also approved of his fries and pickled cabbage sides. (Some of those fries found their way into my gravy for a nice twist on an old favorite from my Rhode Island diner days.)
We would rate the service as friendly and the Murphy's Irish Stout as well-pulled.
One reminder - this is a cash only restaurant so hit the ATM on the way. They also have a lot of entertainment so check the schedule to see what music is on offer to help you decide when to visit.
Here's Matt Murphy's Website and where you can open a larger copy of this menu.
