EAT, DRINK AND YOU'LL BE VERY MERRY AT MURPHY'S.

Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic

A MEAL FOR $10 that's typical pub grub, especially one with an Irish accent, along with a glass of foamy draft Guinness or Harp, can make for an enjoyable lunch or dinner at Murphy's in Simi Valley.

Murphy's, by the way, provides the perfect rendezvous for someone from Simi or Moorpark meeting someone from the West Valley, because it's right near the 118 Freeway at Kuehner Drive, the first Simi off-ramp on that freeway going west, a few minutes past Chatsworth.

Though it has a storefront appearance in an everyday shopping center, Murphy's is quite large, with a spacious bar-dining area and a step-down dining/dancing room complete with stage for its diverse schedule of live entertainment.

Incidentally, there's no admission or cover charge for its Wednesday- through-Sunday entertainment.

What I like about it is its whimsical approach to food, which is handled quite deftly by its chef, the competent Earl Martinson.

In addition to those $10 entree plates of bangers and mash, shrimp or fish and chips, and the always very necessary corned beef and cabbage, there are all the other ways to eat Martinson's corned beef and cabbage.

Would you believe corned beef and cabbage egg rolls ($4)?

Or corned beef and cabbage tacos ($4)?

And yes, in sandwich form there's a corned beef and cabbage melt ($8).

I bet the kitchen would make a corned beef and cabbage omelet if you asked for it.

As for how good they are, although the ``Belfast'' tacos are quite novel, it's the egg-roll creation that works best. And you get three of these crunchy tidbits per order.

Both of these appetizers arrive with a zingy horseradish dipping sauce.

Meanwhile, Chef Martinson gets quite serious with his soups ($4 each).

One day it was a rich, creamy mushroom soup, another time it was an intensely flavorful tomato potage.

He sears fair-size shrimps in a full-strength garlicky white wine butter sauce for his gratifying scampi appetizer ($8).

The same shrimp can be had as a main course with angel hair pasta tossed separately with tomatoes and garlic. You get a double dose of garlic with this dish, obviously to scare away both the vampires and the leprechauns.

Occasionally, the mashed potatoes will come up tepid or cold. This happened one time with an otherwise delicious dish of moist, tender chicken breast stuffed with feta cheese and spinach ($14).

Together with a mushroom sauce boosted with champagne, everything worked very well once the plate was returned with the potatoes reheated.

But this problem can be averted if that $10 plate of fish and chips is chosen. The fries (chips) here come forth fairly thick and warm enough to satisfy. But the best part is how amazingly fluffy the chef manages to get the batter on the good-tasting cod filets.

Yep, I would vote the fish and chips as Murphy's best dish.

Even better than those corned beef and cabbage egg rolls.

MURPHY'S

Food: Three stars. Wine: no stars. Service: Two and one half stars.

Where: 2315 Kuehner Drive, Simi Valley.

Hours: Open for lunch, dinner and snacks from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Recommended items:Soup, corned beef and cabbage, egg rolls, fish and chips, scampi, stuffed chicken breast.

How much: Starters from $3 to $8, sandwiches $7 and $8, entrees from $10 to $18, dessert $4. Full bar. All major credit cards.

Wine list: No written list. Very limited selection of wines at $3 and $4 per glass, $20 and $26 per bottle. Beer (Harp, Bass, Guinness and Angel City on tap) and liquor (Irish whiskeys) are the beverages of choice.

Reservations: Taken for parties of six or more. Call [phone].

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Photo:

Dishes that rise above typical pub grub at Murphy's in Simi Valley include shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta with tomatoes and garlic, known here as the Maiden of the Mournes.

John Lazar/Staff Photographer