Eating Out:It's almost as bad to seek solace in food as it is in drink. But there's no doubt about it - a good meal can do much to boost flagging spirits, and the proximity of Cavistons to Sandycove served to cheer my spirits the other day, writes Tom Doorley.
I had repaired, as I regularly do, to Mackey's on Castle Park Road, only to find that this great friend of the Irish gardener was to close after more than 200 years in business and over 40 years since they opened Ireland's first garden centre. And so the shrub roses and the fruit trees will give way to yet more houses and apartments. It will be gone by the time you read this.
This may seem a peculiar thing to mention in a column devoted to food, but I'm still looking forward to the first crop from the seakale plants that I bought from Mackey's earlier this year. Try buying seakale from your average garden centre. Yes, I'm going to miss Mackey's and its lovely, zealous staff.
And so, I headed off to Cavistons, where I was pleased to find that some things don't change. Such as Peter Caviston's infectious enthusiasm, his bountiful energy, and effortless ability to know everybody. As I arrived, he was encouraging a group of Korean diplomats to bring their chef around and have a shindig. The Koreans' inscrutability gave way to unalloyed joy and they beamed as they tucked in to the finest Irish seafood, served up with aplomb and damn all cheffing-about.
That's the cheering thing about Cavistons. They take the best fish you could hope for and do as little as possible to it, bar showing it a pan or a grill.
My solitary lunch started with six oysters. The natives had failed to show, so I made do with the cultivated sort, but this was no hardship. Admittedly, I didn't realise a red liquid that accompanied was not some sort of refined shallot vinegar but, rather, a generous helping of Tabasco. So I didn't really taste the first one as steam issued from my ears and nose. The rest I swallowed with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon and a twist of pepper. Perfect. (I once attempted to anoint a Colchester native with shallot vinegar but the look of pain on the face of Richard Corrigan was enough to stop me. Lemon juice and black pepper was, he explained, the ne plus ultra when it comes to these rare delicacies.)
There's something about oysters that make them more of an amuse bouche than a starter so, being down in the dumps, I had a proper starter, too. This comprised tender squid rings dipped in rice flour and deep-fried. The outer crispness yielding to interior sweetness and tenderness was bloody good.
And then, a proper Irish lobster, grilled and served with a little melted butter and a little very fresh salad. Impeccable. There's some mighty strange lobster out there (I once encountered a variety entitled "Galway Bay" which, on inquiry, turned out to be from a little further west. Canada to be precise).
I declined the wholesome and simple desserts and fortified myself against the Dart journey that was to follow with a good double espresso. With a half bottle of Chablis, the bill for this utterly self-indulgent and very comforting lunch left little change out of €70 but was worth every cent.
Cavo's, as it is affectionately called by the less formal of its regulars, is still a joy. Not only do you get brilliant, simple food, but also Peter's incandescent enthusiasm for the good things in life, waitresses who could double as counsellors, and a bunch of customers who seem to spend a lot of their lives in the cocoon of this remarkable but seriously understated outpost of excellence. I just hope it equals Mackey's longevity. With a bit of luck, Cavo's should see out the next two centuries. tdoorley@irish-times.ie
Cavistons Seafood Restaurant, 59 Glasthule Road, Sandycove, Co Dublin, 01-2809245.
WINE CHOICE
A short but perfectly adequate list reflecting, perhaps, the fairly conservative tastes of its regulars but with some left-field examples also. Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc, a good crisp Chilean, is a mere €20.50, and if you want something similar from France, the Colombard in Domaine de Pellehaut from Gascony weighs in at the same price. Mud House Sauvignon Blanc, a zesty Kiwi version, is a very reasonable €28.50, while Chablis Bois d'Yver is ripe but steely at €30 (or €15.95 for a half bottle), and Andre Dezat's lovely Sancerre is a keen €34. Chateau Lynch-Bages 2002 is €150 but I'm not sure what I'd drink it with even if someone else was paying, while Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages (€23.95) would be a better red bet with seafood. Champagne Mountaudon NV is a very decent buy at €50 but Lustau's impeccable fino at €5.50 a glass is one of the very best things you could drink with seafood like this.