Last night, for my birthday celebration, my husband Ross and I went to the Publican for dinner. For days I was looking forward to eating their pork belly as I heard it was amazing. It did not disappoint! Here are my thoughts on the food we ate in the order we ate them:
Frites with George’s organic eggs were yummy. The frites were crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside. The server said the egg was over easy, it came out sunny side up which was perfectly runny. Great dish to start our adventure!
Sardines wrapped in grape leaves with artichoke, preserved lemon and yogurt I loved. I so seldom find fresh sardines on a menu this was a pleasant surprise especially when I thought the meal was going to be all about pig.
Skirt Steak with eggplant, spring onion and feta which also had arugula leaves layered on top was excellent. The green onion and red pepper flakes added some great flavor and a little bit of heat. I would definately go back for this.
Pork Belly with byrd mill grits, cauliflower, and pickled shallots is a dish I could make a meal out of…over and over and over again!
Braised Italian Greens with fried shallots were the only disapointment of the evening. They were way too salty. The shallots were crispy and tasty and the only part of the dish we finished. This was not the only vegetable we ordered so we were not concerned….but the other one never showed up at our table or on our bill so in the end we ate little veg.
Potee which was pork 3 ways…sausage, tenderloin, and shoulder was interesting. The sausage was nothing special, the tenderloin was about 5 degrees to uncooked and tasted that way, but the shoulder was excellent. The flavor of the shoulder made the dish good, the other 2 items could have been left off. I would order the shoulder again, if I could alone.
We were too full for dessert and had we ordered anything it would have been the Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta with raspberries, and fennel shortbread. I would like to go back and try it.
Service was about 80% spot on. Our server had a bit of an attitude or something we could not figure out. She told us food comes out one dish at a time and at times there was a very long pause between the dishes. Wine and beer took way too long to arrive from order time. In fact, Ross ordered a beer she recommended to pair with the Potee and we were 2/3 of the way through the dish when she came and asked if he still wanted it. Very strange.
Overall, we liked the experience and will go back. It is communal seating unless you ask to sit alone when making your booking. At first we were sitting next to a family of 5 (3 young ones) who we found a bit noisy and annoying. We had the corner seats which made it easy for us to talk to each other which made being communal much more enjoyable.
I would recommend the Publican for a group get together. Communal seating is much more fun with a group, than for a couple. The next time we go alone we will book a table outdoors or a 2 top in the restaurant. This is also a great spot for those a bit daring in what they will eat since many of the items are a bit off the beaten menu.
Try it. I think you’ll like it.
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