Taste of the Week with Jack and Janet.

Taste of the Week

Jack McCarthy's Pastrami and Janet's Country Fayre Ploughman's Chutney.

Another visit to the English Market and another Taste of the Week, the superb Jack McCarthy pastrami from On the Pig's Back. We also bought some of Jack's

Time to try The Barn. Spacious and comfortable with friendly service and huge choice of good food

Time to try The Barn. Spacious and comfortable 

with friendly service and huge choice of good food

Jack McCarthy Black Pudding Salad.

If you haven’t been to The Barn recently, you're in for a big surprise. It is big, much bigger than it was less than three years ago. Renovated and expanded, it now has covers for some 300 people - in comfort.

And, judging by our recent visit, it is taking it all in its stride, every day from 8.30pm until late. Its large car park is close to full all the time as patrons stream in for breakfast, brunch and (more recently) dinner.

We were there for lunch on a showery Tuesday afternoon and it was busy, not packed, just busy. Lots of couples, family groups (it was still school holiday time), birthday parties,  larger groups, and no shortage of smiling chatty efficient staff to deal with it all.

They spotted us quickly and soon we were seated. Had we been here before? We answered no and they quickly and concisely explained how it works. The carvery is up there on the left. Otherwise your order can be taken at the table. Or you can  scan a QR code at your table and send your own order and then pay for it, all over your phone. Oh and by the way, this is a cashless restaurant.

Some of the staff and much of the comfort of the old restaurant remains and there is a great buzz about the place. It is huge, really huge but you don’t really feel that you are in a large “barn” as the long building, all on a split level ground floor, is informally broken up into about six different dining zones. We were in #4 (these are not signposted or anything like that, it is all a bit casual but all very efficient) and our table was T410.

Apple Tart

You have a Breakfast menu (8.30-11.30 am), a Brunch menu (8.30am- 4.00pm), the Carvery (from noon until 7.00pm), an All Day menu (from noon until 7.00pm), and recently a Dinner Menu (from early evening until 9.00pm). Add in an impressive bar service and you’ll be well taken care of, no matter what time you come, as will the kids.

From the bar, you can may get wines (a short list, but all by the glass), lots of bottles of beer (including a couple of craft from the local brewery), mainstream beers on draught, spirits of all kinds plus quite a list of cocktails. And on some nights, they have music (that old piano has a prominent position!).

That carvery has been key to the Barn’s operations and popularity since it reopened last year and so we just had to try it out. CL was the volunteer and she got  terrific help from behind the counter (all the food is held under glass, the customer won't be breathing on it or touching it) and the server fills your plate for you. And than means “fills your plate”. 

Tiramisu

CL came back with half a chicken and all the bells and whistles. All their meat is Irish (Kanturk’s Jack McCarthy and Macroom’s Michael Twomey are named on the menu as suppliers) and you may have beef, pork and lamb with all kinds of trimmings and sauces. And her piled plate was of excellent quality and proved very satisfactory indeed.

I was picking from the Day Menu and had all kinds of choices: burgers, salads, fish ’n chips, sandwiches, pizzas, and pasta dishes (not to mention sides). My pick was the Jack McCarthy Black Pudding Salad with roasted walnuts, boiled egg, Baby Spinach and home-made bacon and apple jam. Delicious from start to finish, every element from the well known prize-winning pudding to the well dressed salad and that appetising bacon and apple jam.

The feel good factor was high at this point and there was no resistance when desert was mentioned, even though often enough in some restaurants, this final course can be the disappointing one. They have some list here, over a dozen I think. We ordered, rather cautiously, the Apple Pie and the Tiramisu. But again the Barn kitchen came upon trumps with two excellent sweets. Happy Days.

In another contrast with the “old days”, when they ignored all social media requests, the current team make full use of Facebook and Insta and so on and you’ll have no problem checking the menus and the opening times before you go. The website has all you need and you’ll find it here. The restaurant itself is between Mayfield and the New Inn school on the Glanmire Road and has been there for about 40 years.

On The Pig's Back Menu Sings The Season’s Songs. A mellow melody for misty days ahead.

On The Pig's Back New Menu 

Sings The Season’s Songs.

A mellow melody for misty days ahead.

There is a new menu at On The Pigs Back in Douglas, gorgeous and extensive, plates over-brimming with something delicious for everyone, based on the best of local produce from the bounty of the current season, with a French influence, naturellement, and expertly curated by head chef Paul Siglar and his team and no shortage of expertise either in the cooking and presentation.

Just reading its two pages is a tonic for the appetite. But why walk when you can fly! Tempted by the long list of delightful dishes, I certainly “flew" down to the venue and may well have caught the new menu, with its marvellous melange of meats, breads, vegetables, fish, cheese, and eggs of course, on its debut day. It won’t be my last visit for this menu!

As they say themselves: "As the seasons change so does our menu, ensuring we use the best in season produce while staying exciting to our customers.” Variety is the spice of life and no shortage here.

Took us a while to make a decision! Just so many choices. On the meat side, you may well go for Jack McCarthy's Free-Range Ham Sandwich with Bandon Vale Cheddar Cheese, Green Leaves, Pickled Cucumber, Tomato & Onion with a Red Pepper Relish on Arbutus Sour Dough served

with house salads.

**********************************

Dining out in Ireland? Cork in particular? Check out our up to date reviews here. Restaurants, cafés, and trucks included.

**********************************

Cheese? How about the Irish and French Cheese & Charcuterie Board with Apple and Carrot Chutney, Crackers and Fresh Bread. Prefer fish? Then the Smoked Salmon and Prawn Salad with Mixed Leaves, Maryrose Sauce, Pickled Red Onions, Brown Bread Croutons may be the one for you.

Treat the Vegetable lover in you to the Hot Braised Lentil and Rainbow Beetroot over Mixed Leaves, Red Onions, Toasted Hazelnuts and Maple Vinaigrette. And you can hardly get more seasonal than the Pumpkin Spiced Butternut Squash, Poached Pears, Watercress and Spinach Salad with Mulled Wine Dressing. How about those eggs? The Welsh Rarebit on Arbutus Beer Bread with an Arugula and Boiled Egg Salad is just one example

There’s bread everywhere: sourdough, baguettes, brioche, and more. Most irresistible though is the Arbutus Brioche French Toast Whipped Chantilly Cream and Blackberry Compote. There’s tea and coffee and soft drinks, of course, all served with a chat and a smile

I had read the menu online and had narrowed my choices down to two by the time I sat down and then made my mind up to go for the Bourguignon Beef Baguette: Braised Beef Brisket, Mushrooms, Bacon and Pearl Onions on Toasted Arbutus Baguette with Red Wine Jus. Just five-star lunch-ing, spot-on for the cool day, quite a warming ensemble robed deliciously in the red wine jus.

I devoured the Croque Madame back in May and it is obviously so popular it continues now and for a long time to come, we hope! This time CL enjoyed it. It comes in Arbutus Toasted Brioche with Free-Range Glazed Ham, Emmental cheese & Mornay Sauce topped with a Fried Free-Range Egg. Again, every little bit on that beguiling plate pulling its weight, the quality of the ingredients shining through, nothing there just for decoration (though of course, presentation is neat and tidy).

So that was it. We had been thinking a pastry for dessert but decided to leave well enough alone and it was two very happy customers that headed off for the hills, promising ourselves we’d be back again, so much more to enjoy!

On the Pig's Back in Douglas have both a café and deli.
Situated in Douglas Woollen Mills with free parking for up to two hours.

More details here.

Taste of the Week. Jack McCarthy's Ham and Outregious Lettuce

Taste of the Week

Jack McCarthy's Ham and Outregious Lettuce 

We doubled up for this Taste of the Week. Well more than just two elements, but Jack McCarthy's cooked ham via On the Pig's Back in Neighbourfood and the well named Outregious Lettuce from Brown Envelope Seeds (via the Roof Top Farm Shop) were the stars on the plate.

Jack's ham is free range. The Kanturk butcher then delivers to On the Pig's Back in Douglas and there it is "cooked in our kitchen with onions, peppers, cloves and bay and finished off with a honey and whole-grain Dijon mustard". It is a lovely ham and can be enjoyed on its own.

Jack's Ham!

But we made up a salad with various leaves from the garden, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs. One of the lettuces was the Outregious, described by Brown Envelope as "an upright salad variety which forms a loose head. An outrage of red in the salad bed". And very nice on the plate and palate as well. It certainly grew well for us.

Lots of variety in our Taste of the Week!

Rosti. Medjool. Boozey Tiramisu. Jack McCarthy Blackpudding All on the menu at Jacques where local gets an international twist.

Rosti. Medjool. Boozey Tiramisu. Jack McCarthy Blackpudding

All on the menu at Jacques where local gets an international twist.

Rosti featured on my lunch plate at the welcoming Jacques Restaurant in the centre of Cork City last week. I think the first time I came across the Swiss speciality was in Zurich in 2007, during a dinner at the Movenpic Airport Hotel. 

The hotel meal was Rosti and veal in a mushroom sauce and it was very enjoyable. That Rosti came flat from the pan and covered half the plate. But the Jacques version was in a high-sided wedge shape. And it was excellent as was everything else during our pleasant interlude.

It was lunchtime and in some ways, the Cork Rosti had aspects of a brunch dish based solidly, of course, on local produce. The Potato Rosti came with soft-boiled eggs, hollandaise, slaw and a choice of Jacques Ham, Portobello Mushroom or Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding (13.90). I never turn down a chance to eat McCarthy’s and that was my pick and the ensemble was a wondered mix of textures and flavours, everything perfect, including that finely chopped slaw.

It was well cooked, well presented and brought to the table at just the perfect temperature as was the case with our other mains, the eye-catching Smoked Mackerel Salad, roast beetroot, pickled egg, horseradish, watercress and crisp bread (14.90). Another combination to get the taste buds excited, with that pickled egg a tasty feature.

The Jacques Lunch menu allows the punter to construct his or her meal in a number of ways. For instance, you can pick from the selection of Nibbles: Marinated Olives, Salted Almonds, or a Selection of dips, crusty bread and sourdough crackers.

You could follow that up with your choice of small plate: Soup, Roast Beetroot and Beetroot Borani with Cashel Blue crumb etc; Arancini (West Cork Crab, Salsa verde) and a few more. 

Perhaps you’d like to share a board. They have a Meat and Cheese Board (includes Ham Hock Terrine and Drunken Figs) or go for the Cheese Board (Coolea, Durrus, Cashel and more Drunken Figs!).

Our two dishes came from the Big Plates. And there were quite a few others to pick from including a tempting Chicken, Leek and Mushroom pie; Steamed Mussels; Fresh Fish ’n Chips; and a Root Vegetable Makhani with rice Pilaf. A little list of sides also available from which we picked the Twice Cooked Chips to share.

Sometime last year, we missed out on the legendary Boozey Tiramisu here. It wasn’t going to happen on this occasion. And we shared one (7.50). I don’t know what booze they use but the moist dessert was made with generous hands and every bit as good as anticipated!

We’ve had some versions of the dates and blood orange dessert here too over the years and one of those was also ordered, also 7.50. The Blood Oranges, Medjool Dates stuffed with Mascarpone, with Pomegranate and flaked Almonds was another winner. The tangy citrus of the oranges goes so well with the soft flesh and mildly rich and pleasing flavours of the Medjool.

Also available were Chocolate and Salted Caramel Tart and Caramelised Apples, Vanilla Ice Cream and Hazelnut Praline. Next time!

And Jacques is a great place to chat and hear what is going on around town. Culinary Chairs! Who is on the move from one restaurant/café to another? From Lancaster Quay to MacCurtain Street. From that street to Bridge Street. And from Bridge Street to MacCurtain Street.  And there’s someone on the move too from Oliver Plunkett Street to a happy retirement! Some of those moves are already made of course.

To stay up to date with Jacques  (menus, opening times and more), click their Facebook posts here.

Union Quay - ready for outside dining!

On The Pig's Back. 'Cork Fayre with French Flair'

On The Pig's Back.'Cork Fayre with French Flair' 

Founded in 1992 by Isabelle Sheridan, On The Pig’s Back has a major presence in the Cork and indeed wider food scene, coupling the best of local produce with an undoubted French Flair - Isabelle is French - as is their motto.

No better way to put it to the test than visit the restaurant in Douglas for brunch or lunch. The menu illustrates the motto very well indeed with local produce from Ardsallagh Goats and Jack McCarthy Butchers often highlighted. It is an expansive menu and I for one could happily eat there everyday for a few weeks without repeating a dish.

When I sat down the other day, having had my covid certificate scanned and telephone number recorded, I had quite a bit of reading to do on the long menu. Found it hard enough to make up my mind but, in the end, went for the Croque Madam (no “e” in the Madam, must be a Cork spelling!). You’ll know there is also a Croque Monsieur but without the egg.

So I had Croque Madam on Arbutus Toasted Brioche, with On The Pigs Back Free-Range Glazed Ham, Emmental Cheese and Mornay topped with a Fried Free-Range Egg. Cost, including a small bowl of a superbly-dressed salad, was €12.90, Monsieur (less well endowed) comes in at a euro less. Money well spent I thought; there are pubs in the area who charge much the same for a lack-lustre roast of the day.

It was l’amour at first bite, the delicious ham, the yielding brioche, that super velvety mornay plus the crowning egg and then that mixed salad on the side adding its own texture and the occasional tarty bite of a thin slice of olive. Mornay is an offshoot of the well known Béchamel (widely regarded as one of the five major French sauces, a mother sauce from which others spring) and is distinguished by its cheese element. You get a lot in this dish for your €12.90!

Madame CL also had a choice to make and her pick is a variation on what has become a local classic over the years, beetroot and goats cheese. Full menu title: Oven Roasted Beetroot Salad with Candied Walnuts, Rocket leaves and Crumbled Ardsallagh Goats Cheese.

The description is a bit understated as this was another well executed and lovely dish, again for €12.90. Two different coloured beetroots featured, there was also a beetroot purée an a few beetroot crisps (probably from Joe’s Farm). Never a problem with that excellent Ardsallagh and those walnuts provided the sweetest bite.

The café and deli in Douglas produces a range of delicious food, supporting local food producers, and is also a busy spot for Artisan food shopping, lunch, food tastings and special events, as diverse as art exhibitions, concerts, plays, food festivals & much, much more. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.

They are of course still going strong in the English Market, Isabelle’s original venture. There is no cafe here but you will find Farmhouse Cheeses, Charcuterie, Fresh Breads, Irish Artisan Food, and French Gourmet Food Specialities and more, including some of their own produce such as award-winning Pâté and Terrines.

Add in wines and their very large cheese business and you’ll see that this operation (retail and wholesale) has hugely expanded from that single stall back in the 90s. Check it out here at the website.

The Oliver Plunkett’s A Specials Kind Of Place

The Oliver Plunkett’s A Specials Kind Of Place

Be sure and keep an eye on the specials when you dine at the Oliver Plunkett, on the Cork street of the same name. And, yes, for this month, you will be dining on that street! There is quite a bit of shelter here and that came in handy as the evening we visited wasn't at all sunny. Yet we two for sure and most of the punters nearby seemed to thoroughly enjoying themselves and even a light mist later on did little to dampen spirits!

The Oliver Plunkett chef Fred Desormeaux is well-known for his fish dishes and when I saw tuna on the specials list, I knew I was on to a good thing. And so it proved. The Pan Fried Fresh Tuna & Prawns on warm baby potatoes and chorizo salad, with a Cherry sun blush tomato pesto was absolutely amazing, perhaps the best tuna I’ve ever tasted. Don’t think you’ll see this or its likes in many restaurant, not to mention bar, menus.

Tuna & Prawns

I ordered it medium, though Fred himself prefers it rare. It was flavoursome and juicy and so easy to slice. The salad was a highlight on its own, the prawns fresh and delicious. What a combination of flavour and texture. Go for it if you see it listed.

The Oliver Plunkett kitchen supports local and its fish comes from Pat O’Connell in the English Market who gets most of his from the boats that work out of Castletownbere. I had also started with the produce of the sea: Fresh Crab Roll (Fresh Crab, Lemon Mayonnaise, Pickled Cucumber, Salad Leaves, Roast Garlic Aioli). Another perfect combination, right down to the beautiful Brioche buns on which it was served!

Crab

CL was in the sea as well as we started, her choice the Panko Crumbed Atlantic Prawns with Mango & Sweet Chilli, Lime Coriander Mayo & Side Salad. Very happy with that though she had also eyed the special of Grilled Dublin Bay Prawns in Lemon and Garlic butter, with toasted Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia. 

And as we moved onto the mains, her final choice was between the recommended special of Roast Stuffed Chicken Supreme Black Pudding wrapped in streaky bacon, creamy mash served with Chicken jus and the regular Lamb Shawarma (Slow Cooked Spiced Shredded Lamb Shoulder in Buttermilk, on a Flat Bread with Hummus, Pickled Onion, Spicy Wedges, Mango & Sweet Chili Yoghurt). She picked the lamb and enjoyed the mix of flavours, again top quality and quite a substantial dish.

Prawns

Dessert? Always the question and always a hesitation! So why not share our Raspberry Creme Brûlée? Why not indeed? And again we hit the jackpot. Studded with juicy fruit, this was perhaps the very best dish of its kind we’ve ever tasted. So that (along with the Tuna) makes two of the best ever on one menu. Not bad going at all.

By the way, watch out too for the breakfast here. Chef Desormeaux bases his selection on the renowned produce supplied by McCarthy Butchers in Kanturk. There’s also the possibly of a Sunday brunch being offered in the near future. Watch this space!

Lamb

The Oliver Plunkett  

Oliver Plunkett Street

Cork

Taste of the Week. The Big Cork Salad with Jack McCarthy, ORSO, Olives West Cork, Purple Squirrel, On the Pig's Back, Neighbourfood.

Taste of the Week. 

The Big Cork Salad.

Salad with Jack McCarthy, ORSO, Olives West Cork, Purple Squirrel, On the Pig's Back, Neighbourfood.

How many hands does it take to make a lively tasty salad at the start of spring. Quite a few as it turned out last weekend. But it turned out very well indeed. Quite a Taste of the Week!

The leaves, a lovely mix, came from Purple Squirrel Farm. There was Sweet Pickled Onion from ORSO, adding a delicious kick. From Olives West Cork came Freshly Marinated Koroneiki Olives (big plump and superb) and Semi Sundried Tomatoes (big juicy Sicilians that had to be cut down to size with a scissors). 

The main star of the dish was Jack McCarthy's Pastrami (left), all the way from Kanturk, and supplied to Neighbourfood via On the Pig's Back. Indeed all the ingredients came via Neighbourfood, illustrating once again how this organisation is helping small producers and at the same time giving customers the chance to taste the very best around.

O'Mahony's Looked To The East And Netted Dim Sum Hat Trick. This Week, They Focus On Mexico

 O'Mahony's Look To The East And Net Dim Sum Hat Trick. This Week, They Focus On Mexico*!

Mexico Menu at bottom

Okay, we've got quite a few Dim Sum aficionados in Ireland. And, on the other hand, quite a few who know very little about this element of Chinese cuisine that has spread worldwide. Dim sum itself refers to a style of Chinese cuisine, served in small bite-sized portions, including but not limited to dumplings.

Cantonese dim sum culture developed rapidly during the latter half of the nineteenth century in Guangzhou. It sum was based originally on local foods. As dim sum continued to develop, chefs introduced influences and traditions from other regions of China and this was the start of a wide variety of dim sum. Dim sum restaurants typically have a wide variety of dishes, usually totaling several dozen.There are over one thousand dim sum dishes in existence today.

And that 1000 plus would not include this Watergrasshill version from O'Mahony's, solidly based on top class local produce, including Carrigcleena free range chicken and duck, Fitzgerald’s pork belly, Ballyhoura mushrooms, Jack McCarthy’s and Hanley’s Black Pudding and more. I got mine at the weekend. It was their third offering and all sold out. This week, I'm told the focus will be on Mexico. Check their Facebook page for details (from today Tuesday) as I'd expect something of a rush. 

I'm always amazed with how Asian cuisine in general makes the very best of vegetables. And the team 
at O'Mahony's didn't let me down, serving up a Cashew Matsu Slaw and a Cucumber & sesame salad. One of the highlights of the meal.

Chicken, pork and mushroom, all wrapped up in delicious little parcels!

Jack McCarthy Black Pudding on the right with
Carrigcleena duck on left. Both delicious.

According to Wikipedia, Okonomiyaki is a Japanese savory pancake containing a variety of ingredients in a wheat-flour-based batter; it is an example of konamon. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "how you like" or "what you like", and yaki meaning "cooked".

There were quite a few elements in the package, including Adam's Egg Fried Rice
and a terrific dipping sauce as well. Oh, I almost forgot the Miso Soup.

This week's menu - Rápida Rápido

Taste of the Week. Kanturk Pudding from McCarthy Butchers

Taste of the Week

Kanturk Pudding from McCarthy Butchers

The McCarthy family of Kanturk have been making blackpudding for generations. For the past decade or so, they’ve been picking up awards for it, including gold from the La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin in 2010 and 2013.

It’s a regular here and so I knew I was on a good thing when I picked up a pack in Bradley’s (North Main Street, Cork) just before Christmas. One of those “just in case” purchases I made at the time - just in case we got fed up of the turkey.

The turkey, truth to tell, went down well but still the pudding was a welcome alternative when it made its appearance. Full of flavour as always and our Taste of the Week. 

Ingredients for this rich and smooth pudding include Bacon trim, spices, seasoning, rusk, blood, oatmeal, water, onion and pearl barley. We used it with a couple of fried eggs as a snack but you’ll see lots of variation in the restaurants. 

If you’d like something more adventurous at home, then check out this recipe on McCarthy’s website for BLACK PUDDING WITH PEARS FLAMBÉ AND ROSEMARY CINNAMON CARROTS

McCarthys of Kanturk
Main Street
Kanturk
Co. Cork

O’Mahony's Winning Formula. Local and Seasonal. Small Plates. Big Flavours.

O’Mahony's Winning Formula. 

Local and Seasonal. Small Plates. Big Flavours

O’Mahony’s is making waves in Watergrasshill, even though it is in its early years of it reincarnation. The food offering started a couple of years back as local and seasonal, on small plates mostly, and that is still the formula, backed up by a very helpful, very well informed front of house, lots of chats, loads of smiles, a welcome on the mat and all the way through.

And there is also a huge welcome for local producers and suppliers. Their produce is carefully handled here, expertly cooked and delivered on those (not so) small plates!  It is the same with drinks. The craft beer selection includes Franciscan Well and 8 Degrees on draught, Blacks’ ales in bottle, also the Saor GF from 9 White Deer, and ciders by Stonewell and Longueville House. And don’t worry, mainstream beers are also available.

Stonewell zero

Back to the menu though. You may nibble away on marinated olives for a start. If you prefer something a bit bigger why not consider their boards: Antipasto, Cheese, or Charcuterie. We decided to share the Antipasto, a selection of dips (hummus, tapenade, goats cheese, etc, olives) with bread.

We had the car, so what would we drink? A quick answer was provided in the shape of their non-alcoholic board. It included a red wine, a white wine, even a sparkling one. The Seed-lip gin was available as were the apple based drinks (very nice too) from the local Future Orchards. Also some beers: Baltika, Heineken zero and Erdinger and a zero cider by Stonewell. The latter was my pick - it was my first time trying it. Stonewell always hit a high standard and this did the job very well indeed. CL meanwhile choose the Erdinger, probably the best of the three beers on offer. 

The increasing number of local and seasonal supporters will be delighted to see the small plates list - these are basically your main courses without all the sometimes superfluous extras. You’ll note names like Jack McCarthy, Kilbrack Farm, Gubbeen, Ballyhoura Mushrooms, Carrigcleena Duck, Leamlara Honey, Hegarty’s Cheese and Fitzgerald Butchers. By the way, O’Mahony’s is also the area base for NeighbourFood through which you may also get your hands on some of these lovely products.

Smoked lamb

The menu changes regularly. There were seven choices for us and it took us a while to make up our minds. I think we could have employed the Grand National formula: close the eyes and stick a pin in the list. But we did pick a couple and shared. That is one thing about these “small plates”; they are ideal for groups who order a bunch of them and then share.

I was tempted by the Rockpool: Kilbrack blue potato, gnocchi, foraged sea herbs and poached white soul, and that seemed to be a favourite of Victor (who owns and runs the pub along with Máire). In the end though, I went for the Carrigcleena duck pastilles, Leamlara Honeycomb, coriander yogurt. The duck came in three parcels, packed with flavoursome meat and that was enhanced by the yoghurt and a small square of the honeycomb.

CL also hit the jackpot with the Hot Smoked Fitzgerald’s lamb, braised red cabbage parsnip purée and game chips. The tender meat is served pink and is the main player in a hearty ensemble, every item in the mix playing a part. And we both thoroughly enjoyed the side of excellent hand-cut chips with a punchy pepper sauce.

Now we were looking at the short list of desserts. I was seriously considering the Treacle Tart with Yum Gelato vanilla before taking Victor’s tip - he freely admits to being biased! - which was the Cardamon, Lemon Curd Pannacotta, ginger Manuka honey, jelly and tuile.  Went down every well indeed.

Dessert

By the way, as I didn’t mention it earlier, they have a House drinks list here, all from neighbours. House Gin is Bertha’s Revenge (from Castlelyons) with Poachers Tonic and orange. The local juice, from Glanmire, is supplied by Future Orchards while the local cider comes from Mallow’s Longueville House. And 8 Degrees, up the road in Mitchelstown, are the producers of the House beer.

All the regular wines are available by the glass and you also have a rosé and Prosecco. On the night, the list was supplemented by a specials board that had no less than seven new wines which will soon have a place on the list. So, no shortage. And no shortage either of spirits where again, particularly in gins and whiskeys, they are strong on supporting Irish.

O'Mahony's of Watergrasshill is a family-run country pub and food venue just off the Cork-Dublin motorway (M8);  is only 10 minutes from the Dunkettle Interchange, near Cork City. The pub has been Máire's family for 200 years. Experienced Chef Jim Coleman recently joined the team.

House drinks, from a previous visit. Bertha's Revenge and Eight Degrees

O’Mahony’s 

Main Street

Watergrasshill

Co. Cork

OPENING HOURS

Café bar
11am – 5pm, Wed, Thur & Fri
1pm – 5pm, Sat

Bar kitchen
6pm – 9pm, Fri & Sat
12pm – 4pm-ish &  6pm–8pm, Sun

Bar

6pm – close, Fri – Sun

ENQUIRIES

+353 (0)86 831 6879 omahonysofwgh@gmail.com