Jul 1, 2008
I love Irish pubs. They tend to exude a no-nonsense obsession with inebriation and greasy food that men find irresistable. I believe that there are large bodies of men (who may also possess...err..large bodies) who devote their lives to excessive consumption in order to drop dead in an Irish pub. Maybe they believe that such demise may entitle their offsprings to beer and grease discounts. Who knows?
Anyway, as much as I adore beer and fried foods, I don't actually consume much of them, because I like to live a long and healthy life, discounts notwithstanding. So it was a special occasion that drew me to Durty Nelly; that occasion being a 1-for-1 lunch deal. Cheapskate? Call it fatal attraction.
The lunch crowd at the pub was surprisingly teetotaling. Everyone seem to be having iced water. What a wet blanket crowd! The taps are surely screaming for attention - 'pull me, pull me!'.
The service was polite and curt and I ordered a beef and guinness pie (i called it a steak and guinness pie and was promptly corrected by the waitress - talk about moderating my expectations...), while my wife got an All-Day Irish Breakfast. I also added a pint of Old Speckled Hen ($10+++) to the order with a smug grin. When the pint arrived, I savoured it with an air of pride. Ahhh... alas OSH is British, not Irish; I wasn't in a dark beer mood.
The Guinness Pie ($15+++) was presentable, a large stew pot covered with glossy and hot puff pastry, decorated with fries and baked beans (shame that it was the Heinz variety). The actual amount of stew within was a little less than I expected, giving me an impression that the puff pastry also functioned as camoflage. The stew itself was rich but the meat (all 8 50-cent pieces) was a little stringy, definitely needs to be cooked a little longer.
The Irish Breakfast ($16+++) was also a little underwhelming, but everything on the plate was relatively well executed. Sausages were crispy and moist, eggs with perfect yolks, fried bread was nicely crunchy. Perhaps too little mushroom and variety. Black pudding would have been great to have.
The meal cost just under $30, which is very reasonable. However, I probably wouldn't pay normal price for it. Atmosphere was great though.
I also recommend this place for: