ELECTRIC EXTENDS DINE IN CORK

ELECTRIC

Dine-in-Cork may be at an end in most places but both Electric and Liberty Grill are keeping it going for another week to give regular customers a chance at the extra value menu: four courses (including tea or coffee) for €25.00.

Got to say thanks to Electric for putting up a Twitter competition where I was one of a dozen or so lucky winners. Prize was a table for four and a meal from the Dine-in-Cork menu and I took advantage yesterday evening. Glad to report that my guests were all happy with the meal, the venue, the window with a view and the friendly and efficient service.

There are some excellent starters in the line-up and I was tempted by the Bodice and Cabbage. The sticky roast pork ribs came on a bed of sauerkraut and chilli jam. Had the sauerkraut here a few weeks back and it went very well indeed with the ribs.

Thought this might be a sticky dish, especially when the finger-bowl of water arrived. But the pork was so well cooked it more or less fell away from the bone and there was little need to resort to the fingers!

Picked the sirloin for my main course. It was a 6 ounce Angus sirloin served with sauté mushrooms, mash, triple cooked chips (in a paper cone) and mine, by choice, was served with garlic butter. It was cooked as requested and very enjoyable indeed.

They had a good choice of desserts from the regular menu but Baked Alaska was the popular choice and it was, as their heading suggests, “something sweet”. Finished off with coffee as I know they do a good one here. Very enjoyable all round. Now, are there any more twitter competitions at the moment?

ELECTRIC

ELECTRIC

Just a few years back, I had my first encounter with Sauerkraut*, in an Austrian monastery on the banks of the Danube. Not a very pleasant meeting, very sharp stuff indeed and the English ex-pat alongside was having a laugh: I told you so!

Got back on the boat and headed for Vienna. A few days later at a Heurigen (wine tavern that serves food, and the only place I ever got wine in a half-litre tankard ) near the city, the Sauerkraut was on the menu again. Never afraid to research in depth, I tried it again and found it much milder and every enjoyable.

And, thankfully, it was the latter type (this from Alsace) that accompanied my Pheasant (€20) on a dinner visit to Electric.  Bacon and Morteau sausage were also in the pleasing mix, along with some mashed potato. A really well balanced dish and one happy customer.

The other side of the table was delighted with her Roast free range chicken with carrots, parsnips, goose fat roasties and onion gravy (€17). The chicken was exceptionally flavoursome, the whole combination so well done and a pleasure to eat.

We had skipped the tempting starters and so had room for desserts. Again these were top notch. The Cocktail Alexander (brandy panacotta with espresso chocolate mousse) looked classy and inviting and it sure was a treat.

Unusually, I went for the tri-partite Chocolate Explosion (€8.00): a dark mousse, a light mousse and a chocolate cake, each separate in the well presented dish. Quite a substantial dessert but there was nothing left!

Drinks included Brown Brothers late harvested orange muscat (€4.5 a glass), Les Jamelles 2008 Vine De Pays d'Oc Merlot (€4.9) and NZ Old Coach Road 2009 Nelson Riesling (€5). Decent wines at decent prices.

The new restaurant is on the second floor with views, depending on where you are seated, over South Mall, end of Grand Parade and the adjacent river. It is a very pleasant place to visit with good food and good people at all levels of the interaction.

*Choucroute in France

ELECTRIC

ELECTRIC

Electric, the new kid on the block, had a full scale trial last Saturday night and, from this diner’s point of view, came through with flying colours.

You can't miss this blue streaked building – the first on your right as you enter the Mall from the Grand Parade. And the name? Well it sounds cool but tradition has been honoured here as the building once housed the O’Shea’s electrical and garage business.

The restaurant is on the second floor and has views on three sides, of the river, the boardwalk and the Mall itself. Seating is comfortable and first impressions all round are very favourable.

Started off with the Home Smoked Duck, served with rainbow beetroots and leaves. By the way, the duck was much leaner that your normal smoked. Don't miss it!

And the continental feel continued

MAN CAN'T LIVE ON JAZZ ALONE

NASH 19 

Lunchtime class

Made the first of two visits downtown today around lunchtime - the second will be to the Opera House and one, maybe two, jazz venues later on.

No jazz this time but Nash 19 was buzzing. Service was fantastic, as usual, and I thoroughly enjoyed my Jack McCarthy  aged beef. Plaice was the other choice at the table and that too was top notch. Dessert was a light and easy but delightful Strawberry Cheesecake. Terrific food, terrific restaurant.

Also made an initial call to Electric and there is still a fair old buzz there as the final touches are being put to the restaurant upstairs and to the exterior. The bar though looks smashing; loads of comfy seating and no shortage of staff either.

Great to meet entrepreneurs Denis O’Mullane and Ernest Cantillon and also Aidan Cotter from Heineken, making sure that Guinness weren't having it all their own way this Jazz weekend. Also met the lads from the Roaring Forties, including saxophonist Ken Marshall , who had an exciting morning, including photoshoots at Electric and a fire alarm while in 96FM for the Prendeville show.