Went to lunch at O'Carroll's with PK. On the way in the door I am greeted by the former bartender/manager from John Shippey's. In a very friendly manner (gee, did I tip that well?); and the owners are both behind the bar, schlepping drinks. Now I like that. It means that you get the service the owners want you to, doesn't it?
Beer selection, on tap, is great. I mean really good - enough to keep it fresh, but with a good selection of styles. They have Pumphouse beers from Moncton, Propeller, Garrison, and some OK imports. Bruce (one of the owners) tells me if they don't move a keg in a couple of weeks, that's it. I'm there with that.
The wine by the glass selection looks interestng, and is not small (about 6 each of red and white). This merits a return, which may happen a week later (check for future posts).
My lamb burger is really good, moist all the way through, good fresh bun, good stuff on it, including tzatziki, and some miny sour cream, maybe? The fries are OK, but a bit droopy. From real potatoes.
PK's fish cakes arrive in a cloud of suspicion. They look too good to have been made there, and the breading looks too "perfect" to be anything but a frozen pre-made product. This does not look good. After tasting, he is convinced that they are not mass produced, and could be made there.
I don't know if Colin, who was the chef at O'Carroll's the last time I was in the restaurant, is still there, but I know he has the "chops" to turn out fish cakes that look that good. The verdict? Still some uncertainty, but if the things were outsourced, then the source is pretty good. PK certainly ate them all.
And I'd do the lamb burger again. Right now!
We'll see how the New Year works out, but I could be very comfy reacquainting myself with Heather (Bruce's partner in more ways than biz) and the staff in this place.
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