First stop for many an Irish immigrant over the last 11 years has been a little Westchester diner on a main strip in Yonkers: Eileen’s Country Kitchen. “Yeah, they take the taxi right from the airport here,” said Eileen Collum, the chef and an owner, with her husband, Eugene Collum. “They just want to keep a little bit of home with them.”
Succor often comes in the form of a traditional breakfast of eggs and Irish bacon or black and white pudding ($6.25). “Don’t tell me what’s in it,” one longtime waitress said, closing her hands over her ears. “I’ve eaten it my whole life, and I don’t want to have to stop now.” (For those who care to know, it is pig’s blood seasoned with pieces of pork, breadcrumbs and herbs.)
Other choices are less exotic. There are housemade scones, Irish soda bread, oatmeal or porridge ($2.95); at lunch and dinner, shepherd’s pie ($9.50), fish and chips ($9.50), and sausage, mashed potatoes and beans ($7.95).
The atmosphere is as welcoming as the food. Prints from the Book of Kells decorate the walls, and the soft lilts of Irish accents float through the space, which is often full but gets most crowded after church on Sunday.
As Ireland has shown economic strength and green cards have become more difficult to obtain, Ms. Collum said, the number of Irish customers has dropped about 15 percent. So she has expanded her menu to attract a wider clientele.
“We’re known as an Irish diner but what we really are is a diner with an Irish heart, which means everyone is welcome,” she said.
Eileen’s Country Kitchen, 964 McLean Avenue, Yonkers; open daily, 24 hours a day; (914) 776-2001.
