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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY GASTROGASTRO words Aoife McE
lwain photos Killian Broderick words Aoife McElwain photo Killian Broderick words Aoife McElwain photos Mark Duggan If you’re interested in food in Dublin, you’ve probably heard of the Bereen Brothers. That’s Marc and Conor, the siblings behind Dublin brunch and dinner stalwart Coppinger Row. Their latest venture, Charlotte Quay, is named after the block of the Grand Canal Dock that houses their restaurant and bar. The spot has previously been home to Mourne Seafood, and before that to Ocean Bar. This paratch of Grand Ch aal D k sits across th d NUTBUTTER CITY LIMITS Nutbutter e aod’ The M ker Har texts. ‘It’el, with a stunnin M hart a Schwa tz P’ it a trick Por ot t The buildin or ta ose o es Ch rlo p natural flog a f fund in the flat-l e ss o not dirty.” In a Vice article the following year, food writer Ruby Tandoh shared her personal story of how the “wellness” movement contributed to her eating disorder. Cases of orthorexia, an intense obsession with eating foods considered to be healthy, became connected to the movement, and critics pointed out the trend’s reliance on exotic and expensive ingredients, as opposed to fresh, local and seasonal. But even the harshest critic may be able to build it, thery) ch mee, rig t? Plenty of o ht havs ar emot ses, suc y sptobeo sllo ssuru avivin u n cg o ess. But if ytou (vey w ea ine o ering i in io speeaut uaif l fron I visit ChTrlotte Qua er, I’ve goconhr ugoeeh a number s sts b ci l that p t ro m ao e k thn em oui aen years laty on its sene td w kend of being open, and a combination of early positive coverage and the reputation of the Bereen brothers has clearly brought people to their door. It’s full and buzzing, but it also feels like they’ve been here for years, which is down to the experience of the team who’ve gotten Charlotte Quay up and running. This isn’t their first rodeo. Chef Killian Durkin is at the helm in the kitchen, and the theme is modern Irish with a healthy dose of multi-cultural influence. The menu is made up of around eight starter-sized plates and four main courses, with additional daily specials. There’s the option of a côte de boeuf, which is designed to serve two to three people. The table next to us order it and when I lean over to ask how it is, they’re delighted with their lives. “Perfect hangover cure,” they say, as they melt into a happy meat coma. I’m too excited by the menu to limit myself to begrudgingly acknowledge that since the trend took hold it is much easier to find genuinely healthier options in the fast food and food-onthe-go landscape, and that has its clear benefits. Nutbutter, which opened in Grand Canal Dock in late March, includes the hashtag #sexyhealthyfood on their Instagram bio. That particular hashtag makes me want to crush a ripe avocado with my bare hands in a hot rage, but they are an Irish-owned company and their interior looks delicious so my interest is piqued. The café is an offshoot of HQ Gastrobar right next door, and it was owner Paddy Hogan who hatched the plan to open this plant-based café. Hogan enlisted the skills of Executive Chef Dave Murray last year and the pair started 2018 with a research trip to Los Angeles in January, eating around the town and picking up inspiration. “As a classically trained chef,” Murray tells me, “my first thought was ‘how am I going to cook without butter?’ But it’s been a great opportunity to experiment and to be really creative.” The menu is writ large on the wall behind the service counter and it’s plant-based focussed but GASTRO of transformations, as has this restaurant. Back when I was outside looking in, its owners were Claire and Richard Douglas, and had been since the ’80s. Sébastien Masi and his partner Kirsten Batt took over in 2010 and rebranded as Locks Brasserie. In 2013, Head Chef Rory Carville helped steer the team towards receiving a Michelin Star. Carville left the restaurant in the summer of Conor Stevens Aoife McElwain photos Killian Broderick o s nice to be here g vking out rather than Fg thht housf you w o s enuaour 20s hangt in a b sin hickpea s ews and , looiew of the ah tte Qt yy lacks a an a f Rathmines and best foo l ud b sinesional p h as The Fumbally a dor me. It was r nff the be ten thrack, and their ill cop r d wh , Locks migur city’e a simiull for you as it does fn eople s e d be s op t.led. Forest Avenlace I lo a pue, a e oged to have t e money to go to; to sit ff Balance is an elusive beast. We seek out slices of it in our work, in our personal lives, and in our diets. Over the last decade, for some people the secret lay in a goji berry, kale and nut butter rich lifestyle evangelised by cookbook authors and social media stars, but it appears that the socalled “clean eating” movement has had its day. Nigella Lawson wrote, in 2015, that “food is lr heady boeren seated a ger y The t. ‘ lookinrg in.artners’ red LED s lcu pture. inw oro ootfall, and som d y this makes BEHIND THAT CLOSED DOOR Locks 1 Windsor Terrace ticular p I’m late for luncant Looccks with my friene , who’s water fro am t e B d Gáis En t our tabaler Dnnt w ro ry,’ she 2013 and the Brasserie lost the star in 2014. That incarnation of the restaurant closed its doors in July 2015. Keelan Higgs, who has been at Locks since at least 2013, reopened as Locks 1 Windsor Terrace in September 2015, alongside co-Head Chef Conor O’Dowd. The new Locks is smart-casual; the charmnot exclusively so; there are options to add proteins including chicken, turkey, salmon, and beef, all sourced in Ireland. Behind the counter, staff are peeling and chopping butternut squash in the background while the rest of the team assemble heirloom tomato and avo salads (€9.95) and bowls of Rainbow Padthai (€12.95) to order. It’s the jackfruit tacos (€13.95) that win me h d atc s the traditional starter/main course approach, so my pal and I order five of the smaller plates to share. Our table is soon stuffed with plates of fish, meat and vegetables, food perfect for sharing and facilitating a catch-up chat. A plate of delicate tuna crudo (€12.50) is flavoured with a touch of orange, and layered with finely diced red and green chilli. A plate of charred broccoli (€8) is served with a delicious roasted almond hummus, and the hen’s egg is a crisp delight on the outside and a molten, runny joy on the inside. Both are front-runners for dinnertime favourites. The Toonsbridge Halloumi (€10) is nicely fried, flavoured with za’atar and circled by a sweet squash purée, but it is a little over-shadowed by our enthusiasm for the meat dishes. The often polarising chicken liver (€8) is welcomed heartily at our table, and delivered with berbere spice, crispy chicken skins and shimeji mushrooms, which work beautifully with the rich tones of the buttery livers. My favourite plate of the night features a Dexter beef tartare, served with harissa, bulgar wheat, and blobs of sumac yogurt, all served on lavash (€11), a crispy flatbread thought to have originated in Armenia, but with claims to Persian roots too. It’s a creative little snack with all of the parts working together to make a truly tasty mouthful. We also order a little bowl of ing maître d’/waiter is decked out in jeans and a subtly crisp shirt. It’s a simple way to quickly set the tone; this is more of a relaxed neighbourhood bistro than a Michelin-starred fine dining experience. There’s a lot of dude bros in this restaurant; I spot at least one man-bun in the kitchen. over. Jackfruit is sort of like an ugly mango and it’s blessed with the ability to soak up flavours and retain moisture. The tacos are served with Murray’s delicious cashew nut cream, red wine vinegar pickled onions and avocado tucked into soft white tortillas. Thanks to the vision of interior decorator Jill pig’s tro berutifuked do n t h of smesq s wuiett inith tarrah n (€3), with o an oh I’zy, tentder, pulled-apf tt meat encas d in a cr spefoae, t batter. tteas cool and, ewen t oug o ve ea en a variation oarhis dish a milelion times bi y brll ofhis one tastes y g up t go a e v A peanuWe caer par sfat the chateaubriand sharing fresh and perfectly of the season. t butt n’t resi it (€7.50) with s lted caramel, caramelised banana and a chocolate mousse is really well balanced. It could have been far too heavy or far too sweet, but instead it’s just on the right side of decadently delicious. A charred peach and fig dessert with amaretto and vanilla ice cream (€8.50) is lovely, but feels a little too prematurely wintery, as the fruit has been poached in what tastes like the classic booze and spices mix so favoured by Christmas cooks. There may be some bumps to iron out, as L’Estrange of L’Estrange Design, Nutbutter is poised and ready to be ‘grammed. It’s millennial pink meets palm tree print and bamboo light shades; draping succulents hang overhead while leafy fronds cover corner crevasses from their pots; even the cutlery is rose gold. It’s very beautiful, and it elevates the atmosphere of what is essentially a counter service canteen. Poké, proteins bowls and peanut cacao balls could all veer perilously close to being eyerollingly #sexyhealthyfood. For me, it is saved board special (€15 extra per person and it’s worth it). We get plates of slowly braised short rib and then a board of pink slices of the tenderloin fillet (aka the chateaubriand), topped with onion rings and golden, fluffy chips on the LOCATION IS QUAY Charlotte Quay The food is a beautiful mix of unfussy and intricate, delivered via a pleasin lg y precise menu. Three courses are €28, with substantial supplements for the specials. The starter s ep cial of plump m kac erel (an additional €6) is grilled until bli ts ered and blackened, with charred cucumber, crab meat and blobs of avocado sauce. It’s delicrubeen croauce pr cate without being up its own arse. From the regular menu, baby beetroots are served salt-baked with their lovely long roots attac e , sprinkled with m h ticks of apple and blobs of soft goat cheese. There are micro-greens and circular discs e pl t . It looks really Competition is good for restaurants and it’s good for the people who patronise them too. A good part of this, obviously, is price competition but another is the natural rivalry that occurs when you have an increasing number of places closely situated and competing for covers. If you can’t be the best then you certainly want to be better than the other guy. The crews in restaurant kitchens are not referred to as brigades for nothing. They want to win. To look at Del-Fino in this context, open now for a couple of months, you need to consider a couple of near neighbours on a strip featuring increasingly sophisticated dining options. Right next door you’ve got Hang Dai, a fuck-off fiesta of eclectic Chinese food that is absolutely firing on all cylinders (they worked to get there). Just down the street is Delahunt, the much loved Las Tapas de Lola and a solid weeknight option in the form of the Whitefriar Grill. You would expect anyone opening in these environs to be swinging for the fences from the get-go. Head chef Alan O’Reilly is well respected in the industry, having helmed several successful suburban places like Alexis in Dún Laoghaire and Wildside Café in Cabinteely. I have never been to Cabinteely. This venture came heavily hyped in certain corners of the internet and I approached with hope in my heart. I was joined by my two (much older) sisters A REFINEMENT RECKONING Del-Fino would be expected in the early days of a new business, but I don’t experience any on my visit. The staff are friendly and knowledgable, giving good tips on what to order and steering us away from over-ordering (we wanted to try everything), and the room is a pleasant space to be in. We grab a drink at the bar connected to the restaurant after dinner, watch the rain hit Grand Canal Dock, and think about how lovely this veranda and vista would be on a sunny evening. Even in poor weather, it’s still a beautiful, urban view. Our bill, which includes a glass of Montepulciano (€8.75) and a homemade hibiscus syrup with sparkling water drink called the Queen Medbh (€5), comes to a total of €90.75. Charlotte Quay has everything it needs to Del-Fino succeed: a great view, a talented chef, experienced staff leading the charge and an already loyal fanbase. All they need is for Dubliners to get over the psychological barrier of eating off the beaten track. This spot is worth seeking out. 21 Camden St Dublin 8 del-fino.ie and while sorrows were not quite being drowned, there may have been some waterboarding on the night. Mildly concerned that my palate had perhaps been momentarily eroded by the relentless waves of Nero d’Avola that had crashed upon it, I decided to make a return visit. I invited a couple of old friends and seasoned gourmands to keep me honest. Del-Fino sounds like an Italian restaurant although there does seem to be a little confusion about how the joint wishes to describe itself - “1930’s New York Italian” is gamely offered by one staff member. When I point out that Romesco has nothing to do with NY, Italy or indeed the 1930s, another staff member stares at the wall behind my head as if looking for an unseen clue before proffering ‘Mediterranean’. He intones the word with a heavily implied question mark. Thanks for playing. From the snacks, kimchi deviled (sic) eggs Nutbutter Forbes Street Grand Canal Dock Dublin 2 www.nutbutter.ie nuts and a Japanese vinaigrette. Another curious Eastern peregrination. Italian restaurants of this nature live or die on the quality of their pasta dishes. On the evidence of two visits the pastas here currently inhabit a purgatorial limbo. Gnocchi are gummy, the tomato sauce (what little there is) insipid. Also – let me know that the dumplings are pan fried before I order. braised rabbit pappardelle features tough nuggets of meat and chronically over-cooked noodles. Fazzoletti with porcini is much better. The glossy, rich sauce surrounding the (dry) Locks 1 Windsor Terrace launch their Christmas lunch menu on Wednesday 2nd December. Locks 1 Windsor Terrace 1 Windsor Terrace, Portobello, Dublin 8 01-4163655 locksrestaurant.ie short rib from the mains could almost pass for salted caramel, it is over-reduced and overly sweet, the advertised cavolo nero also manifests as spinach on the plate. Perhaps this particular spinach identifies as black kale. This is not a problem, availability varies, just let me know when I order, or when it hits the table. The same sweetness and dryness issues occur with a dish of pork shank ‘osso buco’. A special of hake with cannellini beans and n’duja eats well on one night, less so on another. All desserts are €6.50 – even with the omission of the word ‘each’ I would decline the generosity. Our ‘chocolate dome’ is a Tunnock’s tea cake in drag. Glasses of (comped) Marsala go some way to easing its unwelcome transit. The kitchen, while clearly competent, has by exhibiting style and substance. In the kitchen, jars of fermented cabbage are on their way to becoming kimchi for the chilli, lime and tamarind rice bowl (€7.50). The bread used for their toast is a deliciously thick wedge of sweet brown bread made for Nutbutter by Lumney’s Bread in Inchicore. Their Nutella-style cacao and hazelnut spread (€3.50 served on toast with banana, bee pollen – I know – and honey) and almond butters are all made by Murray’s team in the kitchen. Similarly to Sprout & Co, the plant-based busiside. It’s truly divine. The meat is so exquisitely seasoned and delicious, that it demands all of my attention and focus. All of the week’s stresses melt away, much like the short rib. And isn’t the goal of all nurturing cooks to make food so absorbingly delicious and comforting that the eater forgets their worries, even temporarily? An apple tart on a crispy circle of puff pastry ness owned by the Kirwan brothers, the food offering at Nutbutter is best enjoyed when taken outside of the context of “clean eating.” It’s healthy food that tastes good and happens to be mostly plant-based, sometimes raw, and occasionally sprinkled in goji berries. I like Murray’s approach when he explains that he doesn’t think of plantbased food as a lifestyle choice or a restrictive diet. “We want our menu to be accessible to everyone and to add to the choice of what’s on offer elsewhere,” he says. “One night you might eat Italian at home, the next you might have a Thaiinspired meal. The third evening you might come out to Nutbutter for a plant-based dinner.” That sounds like a balance that I can get behind. with chicken skin display scant evidence of those things, apart from the eggs. Also, kimchi? Pork croquettes are not quite apologetic enough to merit my forgiveness. Potato beignets are an interesting thing to eat with a drink and they carry the the tang of fermentation promised by the menu description. They are crisp, light and moreish. I don’t understand why the accompanying romesco would be served fridge-cold though. ‘Wafu’ beef is better, some thick slices of rare fillet with pickled pine 62 60 Charlotte Quay Charlotte Quay Dock, Dublin 4 charlottequay.ie 01 9089490 some way to go to reach the level of Terre Madre or the frequently sublime heights of (the unrelated) Rosa Madre. There is dire need for some focus and that needs to begin with clarity of concept. I want this restaurant to do well and I need it to do better. Service is extremely amiable, eager to please and just well-drilled enough for the informality of the operation. Prices are relatively moderate, I’ll leave it to you to consider value. When you are left with the feeling that you could have knocked out better iterations of certain dishes in your own kitchen it’s difficult not to grouse as you produce the credit card. I was about to write that this place might pass muster as a suburban joint for the time-poor (or cooking averse) or for rugrat addled parents but that shouldn’t be the case either. We need to expect more to get more from places where we pay to sit down to eat. If you think that I sound uncharacteristically sanguine then perhaps my appetite for writing about places that display such curious lack of purpose is waning, (this is why I spared you the Crow Street whinge). My bile reserves may be running low. Nobody can be expected to enjoy many more of these missives from the hype/deflation continuum. It is my fervent hope that January will bring somewhere good enough to sustain my interest over a thousand words, or awful enough to sustain yours. Merry Christmas nevertheless. Eat well and drink deep. CS with salt caramel and praline ice cream stays true to its origins while delivering a flair of finesse. The elements in the chocolate tart with stout ice cream and a condensed plum sauce (adding another €4 to the menu) are too intense on their own but work really well as a mouthful. Our bill, which includes two bottles of still water and two macchiatos, comes to €104, excluding tip. This restaurant may have gone through a lot but it’s still a beautiful room over-looking the canal, with really lovely food and service. It doesn’t appear that this team is chasing a Michelin star. Nonetheless, it’s certainly still a treat to eat there.