The Emerald Arches

Bostonians going to McDonalds

I was watching TV on my day off and I couldn't help but notice that every travel show had the host being sherpa'd around by a 'food blogger'. [Yes, I just turned 'sherpa' into a verb, and past tense no less.] This made me wonder, why am I slaving over a keyboard trying to make an original (I hope) and clever (ditto) humor blog when this whole time I could have been writing about food!? I did post once about food so maybe I should try it again. Here goes:

Working in downtown Boston, there is a plethora of dining establishments at my fingertips. Sometimes it is easy to overlook an ethnic cooking style even though I walk by one of its most famous eateries everyday. Today I say "never again!"

The establishment I speak of is "McDonalds", a very popular Irish establishment on the corner near Faneuil Hall. At first I thought it may have been a Scottish restaurant, but on entering I noticed that a large number of the customers were wearing green jerseys that said "Celtics", which I assume is some local football club. One popular jersey, unsurprisingly,  was "O'Neal". Yes, this was Eire, and there would be no haggis, neeps, or tatties in my immediate future.

The clientele was not primarily Irish, although there were brogues to be heard. It seems that all walks of life have come to appreciate the Celtic cuisine of this "McDonalds". I must say that I was a bit intimidated by the pronunciation of the name. Juanita the cashier assuaged my fears by assuring me that the proper pronunciation is "meek-DONE-als".

The heritage was obvious in the naming of the food. The "Filet O'Fish" sounds like it could have been lifted off the special board of a Galway pub. The prefix "Mc" was also commonly used on the menu. My research into Irish culture taught me that McDonald comes from Mac Domhnuill which, Anglicized, means descended from Donald. Therefore I assume that the McChicken was, at some point in history, descended from chicken. I am not sure about the origins of the McNuggets, but they were formed into the traditional Celtic "lucky charms" shapes; hearts, moons, stars, and clovers (as well as a 'boot' shape for some reason).

Most Americans think that corned beef is traditional Irish cuisine. This is a common misconception, but corned beef only became a staple after immigrant populations settled in proximity to Jewish neighborhoods and adapted brisket to their tastes. Therefore you will find no corned beef at McDonalds, but you will find the old world staples of Big Macs and Shamrock Shakes. The potatoes, rather than being boiled, were fried in a "French" style (I assume as a slight to the Brits). In the mornings they are apparently served in a patty, where they are eaten with the traditional Irish Breakfast, the Sausage McMuffin with Egg.

I was chagrined to find out I had missed the semi-annual "McRib" festival, which I take it is honor of some obscure Catholic saint of pork products.  Apparently during this time otherwise sensible people who hardly ever go to McDonalds gorge themselves on a sloppy pork patty 2-3 times per week! Live and learn, I surely will be in line the next time this porcine proselyte is given his due.

I hope that I have broadened some horizons with this post. Remember that there is a world of food in your neighborhood that may seem exotic, but may become something that stays with you for a long time. I can imagine that the food I ate today is going to stay with me for a long, long time.