Samuel was quite exhausted from the full day of touring (Blarney, Cork,
seaside and more) not to mention his Irish Stew for lunch, so he asked to stay
in and ordered a burger for dinner. When the burger arrived before we left, I
thought there was no way he could polish off the huge 1/2 pound Angus treat and
the large portion of fries; I was wrong.
we arrived at Greene's close to downtown in the Hotel Isaac, but this is a
separate venue from the mid-range hotel at the rear and as we walked down the
alley corridor we saw a huge four-story waterfall cascading from above into a
pond just outside the windows of the side of the restaurant. It was a cool, but
pleasant evening and one lucky elderly couple had nabbed the only outside table
opposite the fall. We later found out that this was not used and it was a
special occasion for the owner's parents.
Our table was just one away from the window and the waterfall was a super
touch. Local art covered the walls that ranged from Irish scenery to naked women
and pigs; something for everyone. Tipperary Sparkling was poured and the amuse
of Herb Yogurt with Tomato Espuma and Wild Garlic Powder arrived. It was tasty
and a good omen for what was to come. The wine list was simple with six reds, 6
whites and a rose all available by the glass, 1/2 litre or bottle. The
hostess/manager, Orsolya, from Hungary, was a dream and said we could taste any
of the wines by the glass. We decided that the Prado Rey Verdejo/Sauvignon Blanc
blend from Spain would be ideal with the oysters we chose to start with. We told
our server, Artur, that we wanted to split a dozen, and he quickly ran to the
tank to grab the 9 remaining mollusks; he declared the bar had been busy that
evening with many drinkers and oyster eaters! They arrived some time later in a
gorgeous presentation with Pickled Cucumbers, Pickled Carrots, Sea Asparagus
& Fennel on top of each bi-valve. Will did not like this at all, but I loved
the veggies on these very local West Cork Oysters.
Four breads arrived in the form of 2 browns, a wheat and a white; all the
locally cooked fresh bread was always an enticement, though we tried to refrain,
we could not.
Will started with the Cork Buffalo Mozzarella & Smoked Beef (Tartare
style) Salad with arrived decorated with those colorful fresh edible flowers and
sprouts (indeed, all the dishes here did as well) and Dattarino Toamtoes,
Piquillo Peppers, Smoked Almonds, Basil, Olives and Pickled Wild Garlic Stems; a
salad to remember and what amazing local fresh ingredients. My Duo of Orchard
Farm and Ardsallagh Goats Cheese was an array of goat cheese beignets, textures
of Beetroot (including espuma), Candied Walnut, Raisin Puree and Leek Ash (on
the goat cheese) that impressed me completely.
Orsolya offered us a taste of Hunky Dory Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand
which was overpowering and we settled on the Swallow's Tail (the wine names were
all quite odd) Sauvignon Blanc/Chenin Blanc blend from Robertson South Africa
that was not too complex and went perfectly with our main course (we both had
the same) of Seared Hake Fillet & Seared Scallops (both from nearby West
Cork) with Morteau Sausage, Sea Vegetables (including Sea Purslaine), a Roast
Chicken Veloute (superb with the hake), Spinach and Confit Lemon (to squeeze on
the fish). Lots of love, care and consideration went into this dish and it
showed.
Of course, we were full, but decided to split a dessert we had seen at the
next table: New Season Bushby's West Cork Strawberries which was an array of
amazing fresh berries (perhaps the best ever save for the wild ones we had years
ago in Scotland), Strawberry Meringue, Malted Milk Crumble, Strawberry Ice
Cream, Strawberry Jelly, Strawberry Sorbet and Elderflower Gel. Quite tasty and
again a paean to the local fruit.
We were grateful for the quiet night without Samuel, but he did miss the
amazing waterfall and yummy food. To our disdain, her was awake on our return,
but we all crashed quite quickly.
