Greene’s Lunch. Three Great Courses. Two Tell-tale Candles!

Greene’s Lunch.

Three Great Courses. Two Tell-tale Candles!

Looking for a lunch that will please both the stomach and the wallet? Stop under the waterfall and call to Greene’s in McCurtain Street. 

That’s what I did last Sunday for a birthday treat. Well, it had been arranged well in advance as we had quite a group, mainly family. 

The amazing set lunch menu comes in at €21.50 for two courses, €24.50 for three. And you are guaranteed a terrific meal, cooked and served up by top chef Bryan McCarthy and his colleagues in the kitchen and front of house. I know quite a few guests from last Sunday will be going back again.

There was a little cake at the end for yours truly but I can't guarantee you’ll get one of those!

I was in a fishy mood on Sunday so my starter was the Goatsbridge Trout and Crab, with cucumber, seaweed, squid ink, nasturtium and radish. The Curtins raise delicious trout on their long established Kilkenny farm and in Greene's kitchen the fish was in good hands and they produced a dish to delight. Other choices included Goat’s Cheese, Pork Belly, and the Chef’s Soup with seasonal Garnish.

Trout

Bryan’s trademark Braised Feather Blade Beef, enhanced with Mushroom, Carrot purée, black cabbage, pickled wild garlic stems, was a popular choice as was the Free Range English Market Chicken. 

I continued with the fish theme, and enjoyed every tasty bit of the Hake Fillet with sea vegetables, seaweed, smoked sausage and dashi cream. Also on the mains menu and enjoyed by a few at my table was the Ballyhoura Mushroom Risotto with Coolea cheese, potato crisp, pepper dulse and kale.

Hake. Note the crispy skin!

Time then for the dessert, and another great choice. I didn't get to sample the Chocolate Pecan Cremeux Tart nor the Red Wine Organic Poached Pear. But I did steal a bit of CL’s lovely Rose Cottage Fruit Farm Blueberry Tart. Meanwhile, my own Woodruff Set Cream Pudding, with elderberry and pistachio, was sliding down smoothly.

Lots of chat then as the relaxing afternoon came to an end. But soon I was called back to my place as that cake, complete with candles, a modest two (but they added up correctly!), appeared. Just about managed to blow them out.

Woodruff Set Cream Pudding

Greene’s Restaurant 

48 MacCurtain Street, Cork, Ireland

 021 455 2279

 Open Sunday to Wednesday, 12:15-14:15 & 17:30-21:00

 & Thursday to Saturday, 12:15-14:15 & 17:30-21:30

Leisurely Lunch In Greene’s. Local, and High Class

Leisurely Lunch In Greene’s

Local and High Class

When I read that Greene’s Restaurant were offering lunch every day of the week (from 12.30pm), there was no stopping me. Off we headed to 48 MacCurtain Street and soon we were seated at a comfortable table with a great view of the waterfall just outside the window. Soon though we were concentrating on the menu rather then the view, €21.50 for two courses, €24.50 for three.

To begin, we could have had Goats Cheese, beetroot, walnut and raisin. Or Soup of the Day with a garnish. CL though went for a classic here: Pork Belly, black pudding, apple, celeriac, cider and crackling popcorn.  We met chef Bryan McCarthy on the street later and he said they’ll never be allowed to take this off the menu. We could see why.

Pork Belly

I enjoyed another dish that’s going well there: Mackerel, crab, seaweed, squid ink, nasturtium and radish. What a combination of textures, colours, and flavours. A delicious starter.

Speaking of classics, McCarthy’s well-known feather blade was also on the menu, along with a Risotto featuring Ballyhoura Mushrooms and Coolea.  They used the best of local produce here. And use it very well indeed.

Mackerel & Crab

My pick was the fish of the day: Hake, sea vegetables, chorizo. Fabulous fish! CL was equally delighted with her Market Chicken, carrot puree, pancetta, sugar pea, egg yolk emulsion and beetroot. And that puree was her delicious sauce.

We could also have had sides, including Mashed potatoes, root vegetables, triple cooked fries and baby potatoes. But, having spotted a favourite dessert, we made a strategic decision to avoid the tempting sides!

Chicken

And that dish? Well no other than Bushy’s Strawberries fresh from the farm in Rosscarbery. The fruit is top notch but they are enhanced no end by the extras that the Greene's kitchen adds, including milk, elderflower, gorse and yogurt. And the presentation is eye-catching. So you appreciate the display, for a second or two, three at most, and then you tuck into the seasonal sensation!

Well that was the three great courses and then we finished off with a couple of well-made expressos. By the way, there was a lovely little amuse bouche at the start as well. Lunch is quite a big deal here. Very Highly Recommended.

Hake

Greene’s Restaurant

48 MacCurtain Street, Cork

Phone: 021 455 2279

Email: info@greenesrestaurant.com

Web (includes sample menus): http://greenesrestaurant.com

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King Bryan Reigns By The Waterfall. A Right Royal Dinner For Greene’s Food And Wine Mag Event

King Bryan Reigns By The Waterfall

A Right Royal Dinner

For Greene’s Food And Wine Mag Event

Great buzz in Greene’s Restaurant on Tuesday evening as guests strolled in past the waterfall, wondering what ace chef Bryan McCarthy had in store for the May Food and Wine Magazine Gourmet Evening. Wondering yes, but no worries as Bryan is one of the very best and he underlined his reputation with a stunning multi-course meal, based almost entirely on local produce.

We were warmly welcomed and soon we had either a glass of fresh and crisp Prosecco (Coldigiano) or a Blackwater No. 5 Gin (with a new Irish tonic called Poacher's Well) and then the studying of the menu began.

Before the meal began, Clyde Sowman of Marlborough was on his feet introducing us to two of their Walnut Block Sauvignon Blancs. Theirs is a small family run vineyard and since 2005 Clyde and his brother have taken over a small parcel, a special parcel with old Walnut trees where they farm organically.

He had big thanks for “the amazing people of Tindal’s” before telling us how the warm days and cool nights of Marlborough are ideal for preserving the flavours and acidity of the fruit. “Organic was a bit of a struggle at first but every single year it gets better and better. It was a good move… working in harmony with nature.” He explained that the Collectables, with its fruit and acidity, was great with lighter foods, the Nutcracker, with its deeper flavours, for heavier dishes.

Two of the Seasonal Snacks

We then started - the place was full - with a selection of Greene’s Seasonal Snacks: Cheese & Onions crisps; Ballymakenny Farm Potatoes, Coolea Cheese Fondue and Leek Ash; Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Panko, Beetroot, Walnut; Crispy Fish Skin, Apple Cider Vinegar, Squid Ink. All delightful but that crispy fish skin was something else.

Starter one was a delicious ensemble: Mackerel and Crab, Preserved gooseberry, Wild Seaweeds, Nasturtium Leaf, Radish, Fennel, Orange, Cuckoo Flower. This was matched with the Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc 2015.

The next plate was another gem, on the plate and on the palate: Tim Yorke’s West Cork Asparagus, Air Dried Cured Beef, Shandrum Cheese, Asparagus Salad Cream, pickles, Land Cress, and Smoked Almond. Wine here was Walnut Block Nutcracker Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

Time for a little break now and a palate cleanser, an espumante of Lychee, Lime and Matcha Green Tea. Clyde was on his feet again introducing us to a pair of their Pinot Noir. This grape “is a bit of a baby” he said. “Like all good Pinot, it has be hand-picked.” The temperament of the grape is not the only risk they take as these wines “are one hundred per cent Wild Ferment”. Great results but it is “riskier”.

Bryan McCarthy took a moment from the kitchen to speak and told us that it wouldn't be a dinner in Greene’s without a contribution from Kanturk’s Jack McCarthy and that was in our very next dish: Free range Pork Belly & Jack McCarthy Black Pudding, with green apple, cider and celeriac. The wine was the Walnut Bock Collectables Pinot Noir 2014. This has spent nine months in oak and proved an excellent pairing.

The next Pinot Noir was the Nutcracker Single Vineyard 2014, a favourite of winemaker Clyde. “It is complex, silky, fine tannins, as close as you can get to Mother Nature. … If enough work is done in the vineyard, the wine-making will be a cinch. Just two ingredients in these wines, the Pinot Noir grapes and a minimum amount of sulphur.” The wine is treated to 12 months “in top of the line French oak”.

A gorgeous wine and a terrific match with another highlight: Skeaghanore Duck, wing to beak (including heart), Kilbrack Farm Organic Vegetables, Wild Garlic, Pickled Ballyhoura Mushroom, Hedgerow jus. Fantastic produce from West Cork and so well handled by Bryan and the team at Greene’s who would soon get a round of applause for their efforts.

But not before dessert, of course. And this was another West Cork production, a lovely presentation of Bushby’s Strawberries, with elderflower, gorse ( a posh name for the furze bush, according to Bryan), Milk Sorbet and Raw Yogurt. And, just to make it even better, it was paired with the Alasia Moscato d'Asti, a low alcohol frizzante, aromatic, refreshing and easy-drinking.

And that brought us to the end of an very enjoyable evening of spectacular food and drink. Here’s to the next one!

Greene’s Enchanting Cuisine. Kitchen Alchemy Behind The Red Brick

Greene’s Enchanting Cuisine.

Kitchen Alchemy Behind The Red Brick

Dessert!

Greene’s has a lot going for it - we’ll get to that later - but the food is key. And key to the great dishes is innovative Head Chef Bryan McCarthy and his insistence on the best of local produce and then his skilful handling of that produce from kitchen to plate.   

Forget the impressive red brick frontage, the often mentioned archway entrance, even the more often mentioned waterfall just outside the big window to the west, and let's start with the dessert. Why? Well it illustrates perfectly how this chef can surprise, can ambush you.

We were in from the fifty euro five course Tasting Menu. You get a list at the table:

Pre Starter

***

Starter

***

Fish Mid-Course

***

Sorbet

***

Meat Main Course

***

Dessert

Pork belly

We did get a brief run-down on request, more details promised on serving (and they did indeed do just that). But at the start we’re told dessert is panna cotta. Not overly excited about that! But, knowing the form here, I should have known better. Still, the surprise was all the better.

We had quite a picture, a masterpiece,  on the plate. The Vanilla panna cotta, with a Pistachio topping, was the feature, surrounded by a Raspberry sorbet, Strawberry Espuma, Blueberry meringue (loved these bits), and more bits and pieces including Blackberry. Great to look at and delicious to dispatch. In some places you'd be lucky to get a single raspberry on top of your jar of panna cotta!

We had started too with an espuma, lychée and lime with raspberry powder, an amuse bouche, light and amusing (yes!) to the taste buds, which is the idea of course.

The starter was quite superb: Local Rare Breed Pork Belly, with Black Pudding & Black Pudding Dumpling, with Apple purée, Cider, Crackling Popcorn and Celeriac Slaw. An excellent combination of tastes and flavours though the popcorn didn't do anything for me. On the other hand, CL had a different opinion!

Salmon

Salmon is always good here and so it was with the Fish course: Cured Salmon & Smoked Salmon Rillettes, with Orange, Fennel, Pickled Sea veg, Squid Ink Aioli and Wasabi Mayo. The pickle was well judged and added to the other elements of the dish.

Time then for a little rest and our Mango and Lime Sorbet, Vodka infused on finely cut Lemon rind. Pleased and cleansed the palate all at once.

Slow braised beef is a long standing speciality here and that was next on the agenda. The shoulder was cooked for 16 hours and served with Ballyhoura mushrooms, samphire, beetroot purée and pickled, tender stemmed broccoli, lentils and a red wine jus. A superb main course indeed. And then came that gorgeous finalé!

Greene’s also have an excellent wine choice and, on the night, we enjoyed Domaine de Bousquet, an organic Malbec,  (Argentina, at €7.50 a glass) and Conviviale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy, at €6.95).

The restaurant has quite a few menus, including a great value Early Bird / Pre-Theatre (the Everyman is just across the street) for €32.50 for three courses. There are a number of tasting menus along with Table de Hote and A La Carte and you may check them all out here.

It is a very comfortable restaurant with a warm welcome and friendly and efficient service from start to finish. And a terrific chef, of course! Let him surprise you!

Waterfall

Greene’s Restaurant

48 MacCurtain Street

Cork.

Please call 021 455 2279 (phone preferred for reservations

For bookings by email please send your enquiry to info@greenesrestaurant.com

Opening Times

Monday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:00pm
Tuesday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Wednesday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Thursday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Friday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 10pm
Saturday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 10pm
Sunday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:00pm

Greene’s Superb Early Bird/Pre-Theatre astoundingly good and great value

Greene’s Superb Early Bird/Pre-Theatre

astoundingly good and great value

 Early last week, in an initial burst of praise, I tweeted: The Pre-theatre/Early Bird menu @Greenescork is astoundingly good and great value. It is now almost two weeks later and my opinion is reinforced. An early evening visit to the McCurtain Street venue is well worth while; the theatre bit is up to yourself!

Just to get the value bit upfront. Three courses here, each with a terrific choice of dishes, costs €29.00 and, wait for it, an amuse bouche and tea or coffee is included. Bryan McCarthy is the chef here and you are in excellent hands.

Hake

Let’s go back to our visit early last week. As we studied the menu, there are about six choices for each course, we were served the amuse bouche, a delicious beetroot mousse with yoghurt. Soon we made our choices.

Greene’s is well known for variations of pork belly and feather blade and they also do a terrific Ballyhoura Mushroom risotto but we went for the fish on this occasion. And each main dish was top notch. And the vegetables on the side were another almost unexpected highlight: just a bowl of peas, florets of cauliflower, potato and so on but so well cooked and such an enhancement of the fish.

CL had the Wild Cod, a special for the evening, with samphire, Morteau sausage, and Roast Chicken Veloute. And this is Early Bird! My Seared Fillet of Hake was served with oyster mushrooms, leeks, baby gem and fennel oil. Another magnificent fish dish. Indeed, the freshness of the fish on both plates was absolutely outstanding, so fresh and so well handled in the kitchen. Service and presentation is also top notch.

The starters had also been excellent. Mine was the Cured salmon and smoked salmon rillettes, with blood orange, fennel, seaweed and squid ink and wasabi mayo, a great mix of colours, textures, and flavours, all getting the taste buds up and eager for more.

Goats cheese

It was the same story at the other side of the table with the Duo of Orchard Farm and Ardsallagh Goats Cheese (verrine and beignets, textures of poached pear, candy walnut and raisin purée) earning bags of kudos. Must stress again that this is all part of the early bird, three courses and more for €29.00.

Sometimes, more often than not, with us, dessert is shared but there was a special on here and no sharing pact agreed. Just as well, as the Poached Pear and Almond Cake with ice-cream and more was such a delight that at least one per person was mandatory!

So there you are. An excellent meal and a couple of cups of outstanding coffee for twenty nine euro. It is a must-try and Very Highly Recommended. The good news is that it is available Sunday to Wednesday all night and between 5.30 and 7.00pm Thursday to Saturday.

Greene’s Restaurant http://greenesrestaurant.com

48 McCurtain Street (opposite Everyman Theatre)

Cork

T: 021 455 2279

Sweet end!