Eating Dublin

[Bob]

Originally Posted by James

Temple Garner, the guy who owns Town Bar and Grill.
.

I think you may find that to be "used to own" as far as I am aware Ronan Ryan brought in a new partner at the start of the year and Temple sold out

I was in Expresso Bar Cafe again the other day, i love it for brunch

[bigjoe]

Took lunch in Roly Saul yesterday up at Dundrum. Place was well busy. Good to see then not to proud to take communion / baptism family bookings. Nice thought and effort put into the kids menu.

Prices for the adult mains were very reasonable. (Only quip was a €7 sur-charge for an Angus sirloin. not needed imo)

all in all very enjoyable. Will be going back.

[hutspot]

Was back in Dublin for the May Bank holiday and could not get over the flat atmosphere around town,myself and girlfriend bought thought it a strange feeling. Then we visited No.3 Fade St. on Sunday and it was a case of recession what recession,the place was alive. Must say that a good friend works there and I have worked in Guelliton so I have a slight bias in this place but I really think they have done a great job and a quick visit quickly turned into a boozy sunday afternoon. Unfortunetly we were to late to eat but the Brunch menu and cooking is by the chefs at L'Guelliton so it did look quite appetising,and Billy the host said that they had done over a hundred that afternoon. So all is not darkness.
Bank holiday monday called into Fallon and Byrne downstairs and had a good cheese salami plate with 2 generous glasses of wine and there was also quite full.Called into Guelliton for lunch next day and had a solid lunch, must say the menu has not evolved at all,but the if aint broke dont fix it approach does fit in with the bistro idea.
Came back to Holland with some mixed feelings,it is quite bad in terms of the economy, I think we are in Holland 6 months behind Ireland in terms of the downturn,but as mentioned above the good places will come good and the chancers will be found out,and so long as the banking system does not implode I think(and hope) it will be a better Dublin come 2010.

[James]

Originally Posted by Bob

I think you may find that to be "used to own" as far as I am aware Ronan Ryan brought in a new partner at the start of the year and Temple sold out

No - he's still an owner, no deal has been done yet!


I used to love the Expresso Bar for brunch, but I find it very hit and miss nowadays. Standards have definitly dropped in there.

[Bob]

Thanks for filling me in James, I wasn't aware of that. The reason I got this idea was that Ronan Ryan said to me in January that they got a new investor in, part of the deal was to restructure the business i.e. close down South and that Temple had been bought out. He said it was a done deal but maybe I misunderstood the part about Temple's share holding. It seems a little odd though if he is cooking in Juniors as you say

[bigjoe]

just back from lunch in Juniors. had the juniors hero. fan bloody tastic. will be back. place was mobbed. nearly beating them away with a stick so there were. counted 5 people working there which for a place its size is mad. cannot wait to go back to try the evening menu.

[unclepat]

Popped into Juniors last night and had " veal surf and turf". A thick piece of veal sirloin cooked perfectly pink, with three fat prawns, home fries, grilled artichokes and salsa verde.It was every bit as good as it sounds. All for 18 quid. I've probably mentioned it before, but for food alone, Juniors is one of my absolute favourite places to eat in Dublin. The cramped space doesn't make for the most comfortable of experiences but the food is worth the effort.
* as a small caveat, I'll add that I've been a couple of times for brunch and wasn't mad about it..dinner is where it at for me.

[Zed66]

Ok, that does it for me! That sounds really good Unclepat, I'm definitely going to make it my business to get to Juniors. I'll have to cross the liffey but I reckon if I only stay a few hours nothing will rub off on me!

[meatmonger]

me too,

i read that and thought... great; i want to taste that! long drive again!

Apparently sept/oct is best month for Irish Veal?? (if someone could confirm?), but only one abbatoir i could find where i could buy on the bone, that was based in offaly/laoise?

[Melendez]

I was in La Maison at the weekend and really enjoyed it. Lots of tasty bistro style stuff beatifully presented on wooden boards and little pots and pie dishes. The tables are quite close together but the actual table size is quite adequate. They have a T-Bone steak to share between two. It didn't look like a T-Bone to me, maybe just cut differently than I'm used to, and I'm not really qualified to muse about the quality of the beef, but what I can say that it was absolutely perfectly cooked, as requested, and presented (on a big slice of bread to catch all the juices) and I really enjoyed it. As nice a steak dinner as I've had. If you fancy trying it though, go hungry and bring a hungry friend. 4 Starters (Oysters, Crab, 2 Scallop), 4 mains (Half Cow, Lobster, Cod) 1 Dessert, Wine, 3 coffees and non-billed Service Charge all came in at €200 which seems very reasonable value to me. Refreshingly, when ordering, we were asked would we like tap, still or sparkling water (in that order).

While there were queues for La Maison (up to L'Gueuleton's trick of not taking reservations), The Bistro accross the road seemed to have only one customer at the time we were leaving, which is a bit sad. I used to eat there quite regularly and was always well treated. That said, they aren't in the same league La Maison.

[meatmonger]

Originally Posted by Melendez

It didn't look like a T-Bone to me, maybe just cut differently than I'm used to

Maybe a bone-in rib steak? but if the menu said t-bone it would be poor show to swap?
sounds good all round though.

[Melendez]

I think the menu headline said "Cote de Boeuf" and the description said T-bone. I would usually expect a cote de boeuf to be rib but I'm no expert when it comes to these things.

[meatmonger]

You would be right, so t-bone shouldn't be mentioned on their menu. a proper aged rib-steak is nicer in my book anyway.

just as a matter of interest, this was served as a whole steak on bread, or was it sliced before you got it? (i've worked on trying to perfect this dish!)

[Melendez]

It was quite "rustically" sliced pre service, varying maybe between 1cm and 3 cm thickness.

[meatmonger]

it does make it easy to work with, esp when sharing.

nice

[hutspot]

Been back from Dublin a few days now and had two good dining experiences that really show how you can do things well no matter the circumstances.
First up was Alexis on a Sunday, being from the Northside it is a bit of a trek but it can be a really good day out if you combine a few things, and the Sunday lunch at Alexis is definetly worth the trip. Drove out with the folks and sister and arrived around 215 to a very full busy buzzy restaurant,while the room is noisy its a good chatty noise that almost welcomes you to join in.
We were welcomed and seated and handed our menus, I asked for a caraff of tap water and it was promptly served. Quickly looking through the menu was suprised with the selection, this was the €18 lunch special so to have a choice of 5 starters,5 mains and 5 desserts was a pleasure and a challenge. happily there were 4 of us so we all went for different starters, Blue cheese and caramalised onion tart, Hamhock terrine, Ceasar style salad and a salad of duck livers for myself.
The wine list was good and had a decent selection and we went for the gruner ventliner as the folks had not tried it before and were very happy with it. I think this was around €29, so I do think that getting value for the food gives you the feeling to spend up a bit on the wine, I think the house wines were around €19.
The starters arrived quickly and looked great, the tart and the terrine especially catching the eye, everyone was very happy with there choices and was hard to get a taste of each dish as they were being quickly demolished, I had the duck liver and found them perfectly cooked if a little underseasoned,also thought the dressing could have been a bit punchier,but these were quibbles and the plate was cleared,thought the hamhook was good served with a sauce gribache, and the tart was a really nice combination of good flavours, was too slow to get some of the salad but my sister assured me it was good.
At this stage we were all quite relaxed and enjoying the day, the place was still hopping and was a mix of ages and people with a good no. of large groups of 6+. The table was cleared and we were enjoying our wine as well as noticing the chicken pie which looked great being served to the table beside us. Having gone for the Roast pork I was wondering if I had chosen well but when the plate arrived I was more than happy, Lovely piece of meat,fondant potato,green cabbage apple sauce and some jus, coming from Amsterdam were they dont seem to get the beauty of pork this was a treat, the beef and mushroom and smoked haddock with champ were the other choices and all were set upon with relish. Again everyone was happy with there choices abd no one had the slightest complaint, appart from the beef being a bit big for my mother, but this was quikly shared out between my dad and I.
Again the table was promptly cleared and our very pleasant waitress handed us the menu to chose from the desserts, again it was a nice choice,I went for the crumble with plum and apple, with the other choiices being the pavlova,cheescake and trifle with the chocolate pot being the loser. Again the plates all looked really well with generous portions and realy good flavours, a content silence was on the table with tastings being given reluctantly. Every plate was empty when cleared and the waitress came with our coffees which I found a little dassapointing but the folks thought them great so cant argue with them.
Asked for the bill and could nt believe the price,I think it came in at €112 ex. service,happily left an extra €18, I know it has been said before but well done to Pat and his team they are doing a great job and must be one of the best value/quality places in Dublin, just a pity its a bit of a trek, but we made a day of it by visiting the market and walking the pier and even got a bit of sunshine at the end of a good day

[hutspot]

Sorry for the lack of spacebar action.

[unclepat]

Great to hear everyone enjoyed the day Hutspot, cheers for the feedback. I totally agree about the coffee by the way, it wasn't good for a couple of weeks so we got someone out to look at the machine last week and now it's much better.
Where else did you eat when you were home?

I had a great dinner last week in La Maison. Crab canneloni to start, followed by roasted lamb leg with coco beans. Simple bistro food where the ingredients are the star of the show. The cooking was top notch and the service was some of the best I've experienced in a while. Great value too.

[Bob]

Had lunch in a new spot on Vernon Avenue in Clontarf the other day, it is called Moloughney's and is absolutely fantastic. I had pan fried whiting that was to die for with rosemary potatoes on the side. They make everything in house and although I didn't go for dessert they looked lovely, as did tarts/quiches etc all in a display cabinet at the back of the ground floor. It is open daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner (contrary to what it says on their temporary website http://www.moloughneys.ie/)

Will definitely be back for dinner where by looking at the menu it looks like it steps up a notch. Believe me when I say you will hear a lot about this place in the future.

[hutspot]

Funnily enough La Maison was on my list but was with friends who have lust had a baby boy, so not the most practical place to go,went to Guelliton instead which while as good as ever seems a bit stuck, it may be a bit much to ask a bistro to change but considering the number of places following its lead it does need to freshen up a bit for fear of being left behind.
I went to one of these on Monday and Pichet does have the potential to be very good,was different circumstances to my visit to Alexis, and maybe the fact that I was alone and slightly worse for wear after a big Sunday may have given me a grumpier perspective. But I felt that the overall experience did not live up to expectations, the food while good did not make me feel like wanting to return the next time I came over, where as if Alexis was not so far away Id be going every time I came over.
On arrival the welcome was warm and was seated in the very comfortable chair ,they have done a good job with an awkward space and I had a great view of the pass and of all the goings on. was handed the menu and ordered some sparkling water, the lunch special of 3 courses for €22 grabbed my attention, while the a la carte looked good I thought it would be a nice way to compare the offerings of two good restaurants.
With a choice of 2 dishes per course I choose Ham Hock(a definet recession staple) over risotto of mushroom and Cod over Roast chicken and the fruit crumble over the white chocolate cheese cake. The wine list was well presented and I really like the idea of the pichet,i know its not a new concept but there are not many places doing it in dublin I think so its nice to have the option, in the end went for a glass of riesling and sat back and enjoyed the busy atmosphere.
Interesting to note the different dynamic in a Monday lunch in Dublin city center and a sunday lunch in Dun Laoghaiore, also got the feeling that they are still finding there feet in Pichet and considering that they havent had a chance to stop since opening service did seemed a bit frayed at times.
The ham hock arrived and looked great,served with a celeriac remoulade and pickled apple reduction, the ballontine had foie through it and came with some toasted brioche and was gone in 60 seconds, very good. Plate was cleared quickly and was not long waiting for the Cod with orzo, which to be honest was a bit boring, seemed like it was given enough heat in the pan so lacked roasting effect that cod needs. The orzo was unmemorable and felt a bit dissapointed after the good start with the hamhock. Nonetheless cleared the plate and watched the pass with interest.
The crumble came and went very quickly, was served with a very good vanilla ice cream and liked the addition of roasted nuts in the crumble mix which gave a good crunch contrast. Had a very good double espresso to finish and left feeling a lot better then when I arrived.
Both restaurants are a great addition to Dublin, I know Alexis has been open awhile and I feel they have the kitchen and front of house running very well together, I am not sure but they easily done over 100 covers and of the 12 plates of food all were very well received and consumed. Maybe my expectations of Pichet were different and I do feel it it will be a great success and look forward to trying the evening menu to get a good feel of talent thats there. Look forward to my next visit with relish.