To accompany the ethereal fish cake, chips just wouldn't do.
"Mash & veg" are the standards at this Irish cafe — simple side dishes, freshly prepared and judiciously seasoned. Above, they accompany a fish cake (Wednesday only), for which cooked cod is flaked into bits, blended with mashed potato, breaded, and gently fried. Below, sturdier breading encases the filleted cod of Donegal Catch, one of many beloved Irish brands that also line the shelves at the entrance to Shelly's. In the case of the latter, the housemade sides — cabbage littered with bacon, and those ever-present mashed potatoes — were the best things on the plate.
Shelly's Cafe
56-34 66th St. (at Hamilton Pl.), Maspeth, Queens
718-424-0429
www.Facebook.com/ShellysCafe66
