Passion. And vengeance. That's what you get when you send a team of amateur food lovers, in collaboration with a team of celebrity food lovers, to inspect and report on the culinary ambitions of Dublin's Temple Bar, for the annual Dublin Dry Gin Awards.
The vengeance is mighty. "There are restaurants who treat you as a tourist and who don't care if you ever come back," said Heather Sweetnam, from Carrigaline, Co Cork, angrily. And, then, reporting on a perfect dinner in Les Freres Jacques, on Dame Street, which Heather said simply: "We loved it! This was the best!". The passion after the vengeance. Roisin Pryce, from the Curragh, in Co Kildare, had all too many bad experiences in visiting no fewer than nine restaurants, and her criticisms can stand as an accurate reflection of many of the culinary and service shortcomings of Temple Bar's restaurants. One restaurant offered "tomato sauce in a thousand different roles". In another, "the food was frightening: melon was like chilled turnip". Another evening in a restaurant offered "a lesson in mediocrity", in another "the food on the plate was not what was on the menu". When she did come across exemplary service, "I could only recommend the service". Mercifully for Roisin, Da Pino, on the corner of Dame Street and Parliament Street, did manage to offer the best food of her critical survey, including squid which was "the best ever".
Importantly, her restaurants ranged from the most expensive to the most inexpensive in Temple Bar, proof that the errors many restaurants exhibit apply across the board, irrespective of what they charge the customer. And one of those recurring errors was sharply pointed out by John Cantillon: "Too many places are using the same small pool of ingredients", but Mr Cantillon's sojourn did produce some enjoyable experiences. He praised Jasko's, on Dame Street, shrewdly pointing out that it was very expert at being "a man's restaurant, a real carnivore's restaurant. And, when they asked `Is everything okay?', they meant it." John also had a great time in Trastevere, on Temple Bar Square, despite some slow service, but he liked the wide choice of house wines it offers, the delicious food and the cheerful service.
Giana Bowles, from Dartry, found that the restaurants she visited were characterised by very friendly service - especially La Gondola, where the welcome was positively flirtatious! In The Ele- phant & Castle the staff were relaxed, and Giana raved about the spicy chicken wings. In Sin- ners she loved the mezzes and their true ethnic flavours, enjoyed the pub food in Danger Doyle's, even though its arrangement of doors makes the place draughty, and had some nifty fish cookery in Eliza Blues, alongside some slapdash service.
But it was the newest outpost of the Fitzer's empire, Fitzer's Cafe on Temple Bar Sqaure, that really set the bells ringing. "This is my kind of food," said Giana, praising in particular the marmalade dressing on the goat's cheese salad, a recipe which the waitress, Aisling, purloined for her from the chef. Value for money was exceptional: "You get what you pay for and more," added Giana.
Fashion designer Marc O'Neill was "very impressed" by G.F. Handel, enjoying the atmosphere, the music, the service and the fine fish and chips. He also liked the "good cooking, especially very impressive monkfish" in Le Vigneron, on Crow Street, but felt the interior design let down a restaurant where service and wine service were very expert.
Marc also fell into that category of people who like the food and the design of Eden, on Meeting House Square, but who find ultimately that the whole experience doesn't add up to a memorable evening. Whether Eden has almost become a victim of its thunderous early success, or whether it is simply a restaurant which sharply divides public opinion, is a moot point, but Marc liked the relaxed style of the staff and the excellent flavours of the food.
But where he really fell under the spell of a restaurant was with an evening at The Old Mill, perched upstairs in Crown Alley. "We had a really, really good night," he reported. "The staff are real professionals, and it's cosy and comfortable".
Wine writer Jacinta Delahaye relished the "most entertaining and dynamic space, and the perfect wine service" of Cafe Auriga, looking out on Temple Bar Square, though the cooking needs to be a little more efficient. Broadcaster Clare McKeon greatly appreciated the fresh orange juice squeezed for her in Cafe Gertrude.
But it was an evening in The Mermaid Cafe, on Dame Street, which really attracted the superlatives. "It was stunning," said Clare. "The pumpkin soup just blew me away. A mushroom risotto was fabulous. Chicken with mashed potato and sage was incredible." And humorous. A recent story about The Mermaid concerns a waiter showing a couple to a table: "Active or passive smoking?" he asked drolly, and the whole restaurant collapsed with laughter, before erupting into applause. But where Clare felt the Mermaid was memorable was because "they innovate, yet they are reliable, and they take risks". A terrific encomium.
Our deliberations on who should win the awards were lengthy - no less than four and-ahalf hours - and agonising. But consensus emerged among us all regarding the favourites.
Da Pino won the award for Best Ethnic Restaurant - narrowly edging out the popular Sinners, just across the road - its friendly Italian food having been enjoyed by a number of the judges, some of whom felt it has become a valuable neighbourhood place.
Les Freres Jacques won the award for Best Service, a tribute to a restaurant where the passing of time has not dulled its professionalism a jot, and where having a good time is almost guaranteed, because it looks after your needs so well.
Fitzer's Cafe might have won a number of awards, for the service and the food were both widely praised. But we elected it winner of the award for Best Wine List, not simply because the wine list is superb - wise description and discriminating choice - but because the care shown in the list is typical of an establishment where everything has been carefully thought through.
The Jury Prize went to The Old Mill because it offers a great experience and is a place which deserves to be much better known.
If one had asked our judges what they were looking for in a restaurant which might win the Taste of Temple Bar Award, then I think Clare McKeon's summation of The Mermaid Cafe might have been a perfect precis: innovation, reliability and culinary risk-taking. Ben Gorman and Mark Harrell's much-loved restaurant does all of these things, and demonstrates a passion for its work which is inspirational. The Mermaid Cafe, therefore, is a most worthy winner of the top award.