Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Follow the Chicken Pot Pie to Sunnyside


Last night my friends and I had an early St. Patrick’s Day dinner at PJ Horgan’s. 


Celebrating holidays not on the actual day of is right in sync with the way we do things. Back in January, I had a Christmas themed birthday party. We celebrated Christmas post Christmas and had a Yankee Swap. It was a ton of fun and there were presents for everyone!  

Our St. Paddy’s Day meal started off with Irish Soda bread. Soda bread is a “quick bread”. No yeast is involved and baking soda is used as an agent instead. PJ Horgan’s bread had raisins in it. The bread tasted a little sweet which was good because without the raisins, it would have been a little lackluster. Pleased with the taste and texture (soda bread is known to be really dry), I didn’t think the bread needed any butter.




We then ordered a few traditional Irish pub staples. When I think of Irish food, I immediately think of corned beef with cabbage and potatoes. Irish food is known for the potato being a staple. I wouldn’t mind eating like the Irish every day. I love potatoes in any shape or form.




The fish (two hunks of white fish battered and deep fried) and chips were served with tartare sauce. They weren’t too oily. The batter provided a nice crispy outer coating; a protective layer to the flaky fish.

The Shepherd’s Pie was minced beef with brown gravy and peas. The potatoes on top were whipped and looked as if they had been torched. The dish was comforting and reminded me of some home cooked food my old roommate’s mother made for us once.




The Bangers and Mash were sausages in mushroom gravy which sat on top of mashed potatoes. Although not meant for breakfast, I wouldn’t mind eating this in the morning. The sausages reminded me of breakfast sausage links.




Last but not least, I end with the Chicken Pot Pie. I have been searching for a chicken pot pie far and wide in New York. PJ Horgan’s was my first try and I was not disappointed. I felt like the Chicken Pot Pie was our lucky find. It arrived with a golden crust, piping hot and in the shape of a shell. As I cut open the pot pie, steam was released and gave way to succulent cubes of chicken with peas, carrots, and potatoes. This chicken stew was the perfect meal for the evening. The crust was buttery and thin. It brought back memories of the chicken pot pie at The Grill on The Alley in San Jose, California, which I highly recommend. There was plenty of pot pie to go around and I gladly shared.


Happy St. Patrick’s Day! *clinks glasses*

Photography Credits: Stella Dacuma Schour Photography, Rox

PJ Horgan’s
42-17 Queens Blvd.
Sunnyside, NY 11104

1 comment:

  1. Huh? I didnt notice the wonderful kid's menu section. LOL

    ReplyDelete