Restaurant Review: The Green Barn, Athy, County Kildare

I love the hustle and bustle of the city coming up to Christmas but if I’m being honest I tend to avoid dining out during December. There are a number of reasons for this – firstly a lot of restaurants have festive themed menus geared towards groups and whilst this is understandable and I’m all for seasonal eating, there is a limit to the number of ‘innovative’ variations of turkey and ham that I can eat.

 

Secondly, I’m not a particularly patient person and I find it tedious having to battle through crowds and to queue for parking. It’s often easier to steer clear of the city centre or to wait until everything settles down in the New Year. With this in mind, I decided to broaden my horizons and visit somewhere new for lunch recently.

 

The Green Barn

The Green Barn Restaurant is located just inside the front gates of Burtown House off the M9 near Athy, County Kildare and is set in lush parkland overlooking the walled kitchen garden of the main house.

 

The restaurant is located in a large open barn-style structure which has a rustic New England feel to it. I found the space immediately appealing and loved the high ceilings and exposed beams. Tables have a rough wooden texture which some people might find disconcerting but I loved the artsy feeling that they evoked. They are decorated with individual vegetable plants growing in pots – a nice touch and a reminder of the restaurant’s farm-to-fork philosophy.

 

Smoked Mackerel Pate

The Green Barn aims to serve only the freshest seasonal produce and this means that much has come straight from the organic gardens each morning. Whilst these sentiments are laudable, they can become a little hackneyed and aspirational if the food fails to deliver but during our meal we found that the produce spoke for itself and delivered with a bang on the flavour front.

 

Our meal started with a little tasting plate of Smoked Mackerel Pâté and Hummus which was served with a couple of crunchy croutons. I love smoked mackerel so this little preamble to our meal hit all the right notes with me. I loved the way that the pâté had not been over processed and retained some texture which contrasted nicely with the mealy and deeply satisfying to eat hummus.

 



Breads & Dips

I always seek out bread and immediately fell in love with the Homemade Breads served with Kale & Feta Dip, Hummus, Garden Pesto (€6.50) which we ordered along with our starters. This was some of the best bread that I have eaten in the past twelve months with a lovely chewy crumb and crusty exterior. The accompanying dips were each thoroughly delicious. The garden pesto in particular was the stuff that dreams are made of and I licked the bowl clean.

 

In one respect we probably didn’t need to order the homemade breads as my companion’s starter of Cabbage & Coconut Soup (€6.50) came served with crusty bread and a flavoured butter. It was served in a brown paper bag which I found charming. The soup itself was an unusual combination of flavours and along with the cabbage and coconut contained a good hint of fresh ginger acting as the flavouring backbone of the soup. This was a lovely wholesome dish.

 

Cabbage & Coconut Soup

My Baked St. Tola wrapped in Toasted Sourdough with Mushrooms & Winter Squash (€7) was another great dish where a generous portion of creamy St. Tola goat’s cheese was served wrapped thin slices of toasted sourdough which provided textural crunch against the soft cheese. Sweet squash and meaty mushrooms balanced the richness of the cheese to create a dish that was a pleasure to eat. In many ways this dish was simple in its conception but effectively illustrated the versatility of vegetables.

 

I chose the Free Range Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Pie served with Burtown Salad (€16) for main course and was delighted with the puff-pastry topped pie which arrived served in its own dish. Generous chunks of chicken were enrobed in a flavoursome sauce which contained a lovely gentle anise flavour courtesy of the tarragon that had been used.

 

Unfortunately the sauce had slightly split but the wonderful flavour was undeniable and in an overall sense I enjoyed the dish but felt that the pie didn’t sit well against the accompanying smear of beetroot purée which although tasty served to mess the outside of the pie dish. A rainbow coloured salad containing fantastically fresh vegetables and seeds completed the dish.

 



Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Pie

My companion’s Homemade Beef Burger with Fresh Herbs, Sautéed Onion in our Sourdough Bap, topped with Caramelised Red Onions & Parmesan served with Herbed Potatoes, Garden leaves & Aioli (€16) was a hugely successful dish containing flavoursome and meat. The burger was served slightly pink (as I prefer) and was succulent to eat. It was packed with the herbs with Rosemary to the fore but not overpowering the flavour of the beef. It was served in a burnished bronze brioche roll sitting on sticky sweet caramelised onions. Wisps of grated parmesan added some umami saltiness which complemented the beef perfectly. This was a great burger and one that I would travel to sample again.

 

After quite a substantial meal we decided to share a dessert between us. Desserts are laid out on a large table on attractive cake stands and together create an attractive gastronomic tableau. In the main baked goods including pies, cakes cheesecakes are offered.

 



Homemade Beef Burger

Torn between the rather nice looking moist Carrot Cake €5.00 I eventually plumped for the Coconut & Lime Cake (€5.50) which was served with crème fraiche on the side. This gluten-free offering was moist, full of tropical flavours and in its simplicity looked extremely pretty.

 

I really enjoyed my lunch in the Green Barn Restaurant. The setting is beautiful and the service is friendly and delivered with a cheeriness that is infectious and puts you in a good humour. The food is unpretentious and un-fussy but most importantly it is packed with flavour and leaves you with a sense of wellbeing. This is one to visit. The Green Barn is open for lunch during the week and for dinner on Saturday evenings.

 

The Green Barn Shop & Restaurant

Burtown Little

County Kildare
 

Telephone: 0598623865

Website: www.burtownhouse.ie

 

Coconut & Lime Cake

 

Restaurant Review: Greenes Restaurant, MacCurtain Street, Cork

Dining out can be expensive but it is something that I enjoy tremendously and a passion that I have been lucky enough to continue to indulge. During the height of the recession many restaurants changed their pricing structures and also started using cheaper ingredients in new and inventive ways in an effort to reduce costs and provide competitively priced menus. Lunch can often be a good option for those seeking a fine-dining experience at a reasonable price and a way to sample the food on offer in some of Ireland’s top restaurants at a fraction of the cost, as I found out recently.

During my recent visit to Cork I decided to have lunch at Greenes Restaurant in the heart of the city. The restaurant is located down a small laneway just off MacCurtain Street at the end of which is a wonderful waterfall. The sound of trickling water had an almost hypnotic appeal and was a thoroughly unexpected feature to find in the middle of the bustling city.

 

Viognier

Once inside I was greeted warmly and shown to my table in the elegantly designed dining room. Dining alone, I was delighted to be seated beside a window looking out onto the waterfall and an outside dining area –which I imagine is a popular al fresco dining spot when the weather allows.

 

The room has a formal feel with white linen tablecloths but a sensitive touch on the interior decoration front has resulted in a room that is sophisticated and comfortable without feeling austere. Colourful artworks hang on the walls and add a welcome burst of colour to the muted tones that predominate.

Head Chef Bryan McCarthy has created an interesting Set Lunch Menu which is served from 12.30pm to 2.30pm each day and offers phenomenal value for money at 2 courses for €21.50 or 3 courses for €24.50. I grazed on a flavoursome and wonderfully moist brown soda bread as I examined the menu in greater detail. All the dishes sounded tempting and after dithering over which starter to go for I asked my waitress whether it would be possible to order two and pay for the extra order in addition to the set price. This did not present a problem.

 

Goat's Cheese, Beetroot

The first of my starters to arrive was the beautiful looking Goat’s Cheese, Beetroot, Walnut, Raisin which comprised breadcrumbed goat’s cheese bonbons with a lovely crunchy coating and beetroot in a number of guises, including a light-as-air espuma, a purée and lightly pickled cubes of beetroot. The accompanying golden raisins upped the ante and added a wonderful fruitiness to the dish that contrasted nicely against the lactic tang of the goat’s cheese. The dish was finished with an artfully placed thinly slice sourdough crouton.

 

My next starter – Pork Belly, Black Pudding, Apple, Celeriac, Cider – was another excellent dish and a real crowd-pleaser. A generous cube of meltingly tender pork belly was served on a delicate looking remoulade made from impossibly fine strings of celeriac mixed in piquant dressing that I found totally irresistible. Thin batons of apple added freshness to the plate whilst puffed pork crackling which resembled little pearls were scattered on top adding textural contrast. A slightly sharp apple purée was a perfect counterfoil to the rich meatiness of the pork and the accompanying balls of breadcrumbed black pudding.

 

Pork Belly

For my main course I decided to go for the Hake Fillet, Sea Vegetables, Seaweed, Smoked Sausage, Dashi Cream which I felt would be a lighter option after my two starters. When the sizeable piece of expertly cooked fish arrived I was seriously worried that I would struggle to finish the dish. The marvellously fresh fish was a delight to eat being cooked just to the point of being done which was no mean feat considering the thickness of the piece I was served. It tasted wonderful with the umami rich dashi cream which contrasted nicely with the smokiness of the little cubes of Morteau sausage and the saline freshness of the sea vegetables that had also been used.

 

I decided to treat myself to a glass of Le Petit Balthazar Viognier (€7) which I chose from the restaurant’s well stocked wine list. The Viognier was perfect with my hake and had a lovely pale yellow colour and was a balanced, slightly fruity wine.

 

Woodruff Set Cream Pudding

I didn’t think things could get any better but the Woodruff Set Cream Pudding is right up there for my dessert of the year. The set cream was in reality a panna cotta by another name and was one of the best versions of this ubiquitous dessert that I have ever tasted. The panna cotta was gently flavoured with woodruff, a wild herb which isn’t grown commercially and is usually foraged. It was served with a refreshing yoghurt sorbet and tangy blackcurrant gel. This was pudding heaven for me.

 

I was pleased to finally have the chance to dine in Greenes Restaurant. Bryan McCarthy’s cooking is rooted in the French classics but brought bang-up-to-date with the use of foraged ingredients. He employs modern cooking techniques but this is never just for show or at the expense of the food on offer. I couldn’t believe how little the meal cost for the quality of food that I ate. I plan on visiting again soon because food like this should be experienced whenever you get the chance.

 

Greenes Restaurant

48 MacCurtain Street

Cork City

 

Telephone: 0214500011

Website: www.greenesrestaurant.com
 

Greenes Restaurant

 

Restaurant Review: Wine & Brine, Moira, County Armagh

Wine & Brine located on the Main Street in Moira, County Armagh celebrates its first birthday on 5 December but despite its infancy it was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the title of Best Local Restaurant in the UK according to the Waitrose Good Food Guide for 2017.

 

The restaurant was opened by Head Chef Chris McGowan and his wife Davina at the tail end of 2015 quickly establishing itself as one of Northern Ireland’s ‘must-visit’ restaurants. I have been looking forward to trying out the food for myself and finally had the opportunity to do so recently.

 

Cod Cheeks

McGowan is a chef with a serious culinary pedigree. Before returning to Northern Ireland and opening Wine & Brine, he worked for twenty years in London with top chefs such as the legendary Pierre Koffmann at La Tante Claire, Bruno Loubet, Gary Rhodes and for over a decade with County Meath born chef Richard Corrigan in his Mayfair restaurant. In fact, Corrigan’s nose-to-tail philosophy has had a huge influence on McGowan and is something that is evident throughout the menu in Wine & Brine.

 

The Georgian building which houses the restaurant has been lovingly refurbished but still retains many of its period features. The building looks compact from the outside but opens up Tardis-like into a surprisingly large space.  At the front is a well-stocked bar which leads into the spacious dining room and to the side is an open kitchen where McGowan works his magic producing food that you will just want to get stuck in and eat.

 

Black Pudding Sausage Roll

The room has a contemporary but relaxed feel to it and once settled at our dark wooden table beside the blue leather banquette seating we ordered a gin and tonic each. We both decided to go for gins from Northern Irish craft distilleries; Boatyard for me and Shortcross for my companion and we happily sipped away and examined the menu.

 

The menu is divided into four sections and includes Snacks, Starters, Main Courses and Desserts. We quickly decided to order some of the Snacks which we asked to be served together. Within a short time our table was laden with three of the dishes on offer. Bread, Curd, Brown Butter (£3.50) which included superior wheaten bread with a rather curious, but tasty, sweetness to it and a small round ‘bloomer’ loaf which was served sliced in two. These were served along with wonderful goat’s curd and a large pat of almost nutty tasting brown butter.

 

Crispy Hen's Egg

Cod Cheeks, Oyster Mayo (£4.50) was also delicious. They were cooked simply - lightly breadcrumbed before being deep-fried and served in a bowl alongside a wonderful oyster mayonnaise. I first tasted oyster mayonnaise in a Galway restaurant at the beginning of the year and with its underlying minerality and fresh taste of the sea it is something that I have become addicted to. It was the perfect accompaniment to the plump and juicy cod cheeks.

 

As soon as we saw the Homemade Black Pudding Sausage Rolls, House Ketchup (£5) listed on the menu we knew that we had to order them!  Three bite-sized sausage rolls were served with a flavoursome homemade tomato ketchup which mercifully, unlike commercially produced versions, was not over-sweetened but retained a certain acidity that cut through the richness of the deeply meaty sausage rolls. The snacks are designed to share and between the two of us we polished off the lot and sat in happy anticipation waiting for our starters to arrive.

 

Pumpkin Risotto

My starter - Crispy Hen’s Egg, Salt Cod, Pulled Ham Knuckle (£7) was another full-flavoured dish comprising a soft-boiled egg that had been breadcrumbed and deep-fried, sitting on a purée of salt cod underneath which was hidden some meaty strands of pulled ham knuckle. This was a beautifully presented dish which was all about contrasts; the softness of the salt cod against the crunchy breadcrumb coating of the egg and the rich creamy yolk. I loved it.

 

My companion’s Pumpkin Risotto, Beef Short Rib (£5.50) was comfort food heaven in a bowl; full of punchy flavours and soothing textures. I particular loved the combination of the melt-in-the-mouth beef with the nutty sweetness of the pumpkin. This is the sort of food that I find impossible to resist and I kept leaning across the table to steal the odd forkful much, I imagine, to the irritation of my dining companion.

 

Halibut

Main courses kept up the comfort food theme. My Pan-Roasted Wild Halibut, Cockles, Cured Bacon (£20) was a striking looking dish which included two large pieces of perfectly cooked halibut served with tender-stem broccoli which was served steamed as a garnish on top of the fish and as a vibrant looking sauce. I also detected a gentle taste of garlic in the sauce and initially thought that it had been made using wild garlic but either way it married beautifully with the salty bacon lardons and the sweetness of the cockles to create a dish which was profoundly satisfying.

 

Across the table Pheasant, Sprout Tops, Chestnut, Bacon (£16) was going down a treat. Pheasant has a tendency to dry out during cooking but here it had been sensitively handled and was still succulent. A velvety smooth chestnut purée and an almost sticky jus accentuated rather than swamped the flavour of the pheasant and both were fabulous eaten with the wilted sprout tops. This was a hearty dish but one that felt sophisticated.

 

Pheasant

Although well sated at this stage, we decided to sample a couple of the desserts. As a huge lover of anything containing lemon, I quickly decided on the Lemon Curd, Basil, Meringue (£6) which had been artfully plated and looked sensational.  Essentially this was Wine & Brine’s take on a classic lemon meringue pie with added interest provided by a drizzle of basil sauce and an intensely flavoured lemon gel.

 

The Rhubarb Soufflé, Vanilla (£7) was one of the best desserts I have had this year. The soufflé is made to order and arrived to our table standing proud. With appropriate pomp and ceremony, our waitress made a hole in the top of the soufflé and popped in a quenelle of vanilla ice-cream. Crème Anglaise was also served on the side and this also made its way into the soufflé. We spent the next few minutes savouring every last bite of this heavenly dessert which managed to evoke all the tastes of the very best rhubarb crumble. This was a wonderful finish to our meal.

 

Rhubarb Soufflé

We had decided to forgo wine with our meal, happy to sip on the gins that we had ordered but glancing through the list I was impressed by the well-chosen and somewhat eclectic wines on offer and noted that many of them were very reasonably priced.

 

The food in Wine & Brine strikes a perfect balance between the heartiness of home cooking and the elegance of the best fining dining restaurant. The slick but friendly service immediately puts the diner at ease and creates a homely ambience. Portion sizes are generous and considering the quality of the food that we ate, represented astonishing value for money. Moira is about 35 minutes from Belfast and a two hour drive from Dublin and is easy to reach. I urge you to book a table.

 

Wine & Brine

59 Main Street

Moira

Craigavon

BT67 0LQ

 

Telephone: 00442892610500

Website: www.wineandbrine.co.uk

Lemon, Basin, Meringue