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Top 5 spots for St. Patrick's Day dining
No, an Irish meal does not consist of a pint of Guinness followed by another one. Not even on St. Paddy’s Day. Always warm and hearty, Irish cuisine, including breakfast, will leave you full and probably thirsty.
This Santa Monica favorite opens at 6 a.m. St. Patrick's Day to get the people their poached eggs, Irish toast and Irish bacon. Later, as the place turns into an all-out drunken mad house, you may be able to get some bangers and mash, but odds are against you on elbowroom.
A true hole in the wall, this place is almost built into the 10 Freeway overpass, but it doesn’t stop a loyal West L.A. crowd. “It’s gonna be madness,” says bartender James O’Leary. Cooks will start simmering beef stew from the night before and send out plenty of corned beef and fish ‘n’ chips.
The corned beef and cabbage is king at Muldoon’s, but the shepherd’s pie has been gaining, says general manager Mary Murphy. For St. Patrick's Day the menu is pared down to just the Irish, including Blackbush stew: beef stew with two lamb chops and a shot of Blackbush whiskey. Shoot it, or pour it in the stew for luck.
If you’re looking for a taste of Ireland sans frat boy, this 72-year-old stalwart takes St. Patrick’s Day seriously, starting on the Sunday before with traditional Irish breakfast, including a concoction called potatoes O’Brien. For dinner, apart from the favorites, try the Irish Spring Rolls: lean corned beef and cabbage wrapped in an egg roll and deep-fried.
