Dining Out Republic of Ireland: O'Neill's, Cashel, Ireland

 

Today we traveled to Cashel to visit the castle there.  We decided to have our Sunday, New Year's Eve's late lunch at O'Neill's.  What a cozy and unique spot this is!  Very few tables in the dining area and everyone seemed to know everyone else.

There was even a small fire going in the grate!

Our server mentioned the menu board to us and we all ordered from there.

I chose the Roast Beef Dinner which was served with mashed potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and Brussels sprouts.

Today was cold and windy and this was an ideal comfort food meal.  Doesn't that look yummy?

Nathan had the lamb shank dinner which included a large portion of lamb (which he said is the best he's had in Ireland!) with the same veggies.

Sweet Harold had the bangers (sausages) and mash with the same veggies.  He cleaned his plate!  The bite I had of a sausage was delicious.  Yes, I realize now I should have turned his plate to showcase the sausages instead of the veggies.  Sorry about that.

Emily ordered the Beef Lasagna.  Of course, fries came with the lasagna!  We're in Ireland.  She enjoyed her meal as well.

This time, I got a picture of Grandson #2's cheeseburger and fries, but the picture of Grandson #1's lunch didn't take.  In my defense, I handed my phone to his dad to take the picture.

This was a large burger and he ate almost all of it so I take that as a ringing endorsement.

I just loved this restaurant.

I can certainly understand their busy lunch service today.

Dining Out Republic of Ireland: Hooked, Sligo, Ireland

Yesterday we made a brief stop in Sligo, Ireland on our way to Nenaugh.  We dined at Hooked for lunch.  Located in the heart of this beautiful city, we were certainly right in the middle of all the action.

Grandson #2 ordered Garlic Bread for his meal.  In all the happenings, I neglected to get a picture of his bread.  I'm very sorry for that because he declared it the best garlic bread he'd ever had and that it was "Superiorly Delicious."

Grandson #1 had mac and cheese and ate every bite.

Sweet Harold tried their version of Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas....I know y'all are shocked.  Menu description:  Crispy Lough Gill Brewery Beer battered haddock.  Although like Grandson #1, he ate every bite, I don't think this one is going to make it into his Top 5 List, but we shall wait and see.  It's a gorgeous plate of food though.

I had a bowl of sweet potato soup with a slice of brown bread and butter.  The soup was seasoned nicely and served HOT.  Always a plus, my friends, always a plus.

Nathan had the Chick Fil A Burger described as thus on the menu:  Crispy Southern fried Irish chicken breast burger, peri peri mayo, smoked applewood cheese, iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and carrot Asian slaw in a warm brioche bun, served with fries and house salad.  He gave it a thumbs up.

Emily had the 12 Hour slow cooked pork belly Vietnamese Bahn Mi tossed in a Asian style secret sauce served in a crusty roll with a red cabbage slaw, garlic and sesame aioli served with a salad and fries.

Another beautiful presentation!

Dining Out United Kingdom: Ownies, Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

 

We arrived in Carrickfergus with plans to visit the ancient castle there, but we decided with needed some strength before exploring.

We walked down the street in search of a place that struck our fancy.  We both knew we wanted local food at a neighborhood place that appeared to have a lunch crowd.  Ownies met all the criteria.  As you see from the picture above, they've been around since 1846.  I'd say that was perfect for our lunch date.

When we entered, we were greeted and taken to our table.  Once there, we were given menus and instructed when ready to order to go to the bar area to order and to pay.  

Here's the menu!

Yes, Sweet Harold had his Guinness and I chose a Harp Lager.

I have fallen in love with the different variations of Vegetable and Barley Soup that the restaurants serve.  Each is slightly different, but the same.  This was another delicious bowl and the bread and butter were both served warm.

Now here comes the plot twist!  For this meal, I was the one who enjoyed the Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas!

Another large piece of crunchy, lightly battered fish, plenty of chips, and the local delicacy of mushy peas.  I'm not a fan of green peas in the first place so mushy isn't something I look forward to....so Sweet Harold ate those.

Of course, I added malt vinegar to my fish!

I have decided that I am a fan of the "brown sauce."  The best description I can give you is a mix of A-1 with a little soy sauce or maybe Worcestershire added.  It's great for dipping my chips!

Sweet Harold selected the Full Ulster Fry with bacon, sausages, fried egg, soda bread, potato bread, pancake, and mushrooms.

He is well-known as a huge breakfast lover, so this was right up his alley.  He did mention that he wished he had some potatoes to go alongside, so I shared my chips (fries).

A painting of those cranes I admire was hanging beside our table.

When I went upstairs to use the facilities, I was surprised at how neat the landing was!

Here's my choice of Guinness !

I immediately felt like Alice in Wonderland when I spied this chair on the landing!

and look at the women's lavatories!

I believe this may be our favorite place to dine so far on our trip!

Dining Out United Kingdom: Brøn, Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland

 

We took another train ride yesterday and visited the historical city of Derry.  Unfortunately, it was a cold and rainy day and that limited our time to roam around and truly explore the way the city deserved.

We were a party of seven yesterday and Brøn was very busy during our meal. As a result, our group was divided between two separate tables, but Emily thankfully got pictures of the food from their table.

Here's the menu!

At our table I selected the Penne Arrabbiata with garlic bread. This was a large bowl of penne pasta with a rich house tomato sauce, fresh chili, garlic, cherry tomatoes, shallots, parsley and chili flakes. Everything about this dish was spot on and packed with flavor. The pasta was a perfect al dente, the sauce had a nice level of heat from the chilis, and it was loaded with fresh garlic. The bread was delicious as well. I chose wisely.

There was no fish and chips on the menu this time, so Sweet Harold had to select a different entree!  He opted for the steak sandwich which had gouda, arugula, caramelized onions, and garlic aioli.  The chips were crisp and well seasoned.  He loved everything about this sandwich.  All the condiments and toppings were great with the house-rubbed steak.

Emily ordered this as well and she agreed she'd certainly order it again.

Two of the other diners chose Chicken and Waffles:  Southern fried chicken, Belgium waffles, hot honey, garlic aioli, and slaw.

This dish won rave reviews as well.  Presentation is lovely.

The grandsons ordered a burger with chips and pancakes with Nutella and strawberries.  They inhaled both so I'd say that is a ringing endorsement.

From the time we entered until we finished our meal, there was a constant flow of diners.  

Dining Out United Kingdom: The Felons Restaurant, Belfast, Northern Ireland

 

This morning we visited the famous Crumlin Road Goal and learned much of the storied history of the former jail.  

As we left, the rain had started (again) and we decided it was time for lunch.  We had heard great things of the local Felons Restaurant and wanted to make sure we had a meal there.  

There is much history here as well.  If you Google the story of the restaurant you can learn all about the men who started it and how in 1973 it moved to the present location.

There is a bust of Bobby Sands right inside the front door.

In the dining room, there's a beautiful stained glass portrayal of Bobby Sands and others who died during The Troubles.

We had to wait about 5 minutes for a table.  Our hostess informed us that "everyone came at once to eat!"  Once seated, Sweet Harold ordered and received his Guinness!

A browse of the menu showed a great variety of delicious sounding food!

We were both chilly from our walk, so we ordered a serving of the daily soup which was Vegetable Barley.  Oh my goodness, this was the ideal soup for this cold and rainy afternoon.

I originally ordered the lasagna, but was told they were already sold out of that.  So, I went to my Plan B and chose the Roast of the Day.  My thought was roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a vegetable.  Instead, I received this!

A base of mashed potatoes (with gravy), a layer of stuffing, two pieces of ham, two pieces of turkey (with more gravy), carrots and parsnips.....and then I turned the plate around and saw the remaining portion of my meal.

Roasted potatoes and sausages!

You must agree, there is enough food for several people on this plate!  I gave it a good try, but couldn't finish but about half.  

The sausages were delicious, I loved the roasted potato halves, and the carrots and parsnips were nicely cooked.

The turkey was moist and the ham was tender.  The potatoes and gravy were nice, but I did try to limit my intake of the potatoes even though my DNA was urging me to eat every bite. 

The stuffing (dressing) was my least favorite.  The texture was a little off for me as was the seasoning.  But, as always, I was comparing it to what I'm used to cooking and eating and not what is the custom here.  Locals here, I'm sure, would love this.

Now on to Sweet Harold's lunch.  Y'all know what he ordered without looking at this menu, right?

This time the fish was beer battered haddock.  Look at that serving!

He determined that everything was perfection with this meal and hinted that this location's Fish and Chips offering had quite possibly moved up to the #1 position on his Top 10 list for this trip!

As noted above, this place was hopping with locals this afternoon!  Service was quick and efficient, the atmosphere was truly a "local experience," and the food was comforting.

Win/Win/Win.