Taking it easy
Relaxed dining that delivers good-quality, reasonably priced food in an unpretentious environment is now one of the most popular ways to eat out, says Lucinda O'Sullivan, who unveils two restaurants that tick all the boxes
Sunday May 24 2009
Easy dining is very much the name of the game now: no fuss, good-quality, reasonably priced food being the desired optimum. A couple of places I visited recently in Dublin and Cork come snugly within that ambit. They offer decent food in a relaxed atmosphere without the feeling of 'going out to dinner' -- instead, the experience is more like having a couple of friends around for a bite and bottle, but without the work.
The House restaurant is in a big Georgian house on the side of the street in Howth. Run by Karl Dillon and chef Ian Connolly, formerly of Gruel and The Mermaid Cafe respectively, it has captured the hip, urban, accessible theme very well.
There are two big sofas in front of the fire, with bentwood chairs and tables in the middle, while the walls are adorned with pretty china. Generally, there's a relaxed, cool feel to the place.
It's open from breakfast through lunch and dinner, seven days a week: we were there for a late lunch, which was modern in concept. Kicking off with homely carrot, coriander and ginger soup (€6.50 each) accompanied by delicious treacly bread, Carmen followed with the daily roast in a roll: roast lamb in flatbread with a salad at €8.95 -- and very nice. I had a really beautiful chunky fillet of lemon sole (€14.50) draped over delicious home-cut fries served with a chilli mayo and some salad. A slice of gorgeous orange polenta cake and a rice pudding with a dollop of sharp plum compote finished off an all-round good lunch. Both desserts were €5.95, and a belting bottle of Bodegas Castano Hecula Monastrell was €27.
The dinner menu is more robust with dishes such as wild venison stew; 10oz organic beef burger with Mount Callan cheddar; a chargrilled rib-eye steak with horseradish mash, and priced generally around the €16.50 to €21.95 mark.
Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6pm, they have 'Soup and Stew' nights: a bowl of homemade soup and a hearty stew for a tenner. You can't beat that in these times.
In Cork, we came upon Market Lane, a big restaurant and bar on two levels, also doing very decent fare at good prices. The restaurant sources its ingredients, where possible, from the English Market and local artisan producers. More bentwood chairs feature here, along with splashes of contemporary wallpaper in various areas, while paper menus double as placemats. Dinner mains are €12.75 to €18.50, apart from a 10oz sirloin steak at €22 and an 8oz fillet at €25.50.
Lunchtime mains run from €10.95 to €16.95. French onion soup (€5) was substantial, while noodle salad with pan-fried king prawns (€7.95) was well flavoured with sesame oil, lemongrass, chilli and lime. Main courses were great value, wholesome and delicious.
Brendan had a chargrilled, marinated chicken-breast (€13.95) set on a goodly dollop of fragrant thyme mash. The vegetables really impressed me: good batons of carrots, parsnips and two sections of fresh cabbage. Delicious.
I had driven from Dublin to Cashel to Limerick, and then on to Cork that day and would have eaten the leg of the table, so it was fillet steak (€25.50) for me, and it, too, was excellent. Perfectly cooked, it was tender and delicious, with chunky chips, mushrooms, a little bowl of chimmichurri and pepper sauce. To finish, we shared a coconut, lemongrass, and star anise creme brulee (€6.25), which was cold and stodgy. However, everything else had been excellent, so I wouldn't hold that against them.
We also had two glasses of Essencia Valdemar Tempranillo 2006 (€6.50 each) and definitely felt we would return again.
The House,
4 Main St,
Howth,
Tel: (01) 839-6388
Market Lane,
5/6 Oliver Plunkett St,
Cork.
Tel: (021) 427-4710
www.lucindaosullivan.com
- lucinda o sullivan
