Harry’s Craft Village, Derry

I’ve had somewhat of a hiatus from blog writing over the last few months. I’ve not however stopped eating food and enjoying trying new places. In fact it’s a visit to Harry’s in Derry that has cured my writers block.

I’ve always loved Harry’s Shack in Portstewart. It’s the first place we book for any visit back to the Causeway Coast (if you haven’t been, book a flight, hire a car, drive up the coast road, eat local fish and seafood at Harry’s Shack and you’ll never want to leave)

Anyway, a day trip to Derry on the train, the most magical train journey by the way, gave us opportunity to book lunch at Harry’s. Harry’s feels like the ‘grown up’ sibling of Harry’s Shack. There is a familiarity about the style of food but a delicate touch and refinement that sets it apart from Harry’s Shack. That is no disrespect to Harry’s Shack, their food is sensational and fits the surroundings, but at Harry’s in the Craft Village they are definitely showcasing their craft by focusing on seasonal ingredients grown in their kitchen garden alongside the bounty of local seafood the Causeway Coast is gifted with.

My starter of warm garden pea, broad bean, leek and summer truffle tart with soft duck egg and chervil was stunning. The vivid green when it arrives does not prepare you for the delights hidden within. Cutting through the most delicate of filo pastry uncovered a beautifully soft set duck egg adding richness to the dish, alongside what has to be one of the finest tastes of summer in fresh peas and broad beans; finishing with the luxury of summer truffle leads to the most satisfying of dishes and a great start to our meal.

Mr F had the breaded mackerel fish cakes, pickled garden beetroot, dulse and horseradish curd. The beetroot, lightly pickled and bursting with flavour was the perfect accompaniment for the rich mackerel. The background flavour of local dulse providing the perfect seasoning for the dish and a wonderful reminder of the sea. A few robust ingredients that had the risk of battling against each other given a deftness of touch allowed each component to shine.

For main I had Greencastle hake, ham hock, peas, gem lettuce, horseradish and mint curd, whey reduction and new potatoes. It sounds complicated but had an elegance that summed up summer for me. Perfectly cooked hake sat atop braised gem lettuce, peas and mint providing colour and freshness; saltiness from the ham hock and a horseradish and mint curd that packed a punch without overpowering the rest of the dish.

In a departure for Mr F he chose the roast chicken breast, pancetta, girolle, charred leeks, macaroni gratin, hazelnut and truffle pesto. A particular highlight of the dish were the charred leeks, suitably black but without a burnt flavour. There was a lovely depth and sweetness to the dish provided by the girolles and pancetta. The macaroni gratin, light and cheesy was a great accompaniment.

After a breather we decided to go the whole hog and get a dessert too. To be honest as soon as I saw there was woodruff on the menu I couldn’t refuse; Sweet woodruff pannacotta, strawberry, passion fruit and coconut is my kind of dish. The earthy flavour of woodruff complimented by a lovely passion fruit granita, coconut foam and strawberries gave just the right amount of sweetness. Plenty to grab your attention but light enough to enjoy at the end of a meal.

Mr F enjoyed the tarte tatin, raspberry, pumpkin seed and vanilla ice cream. Beautifully caramelised plum tatin sat on velvety creme anglaise and fresh raspberries. The unusual addition of pumpkin seed really worked, adding a crunch and nutty flavour.

At Harry’s there is a simple beauty to the dishes. What we experienced was expert cooking, everything we had was perfectly balanced allowing seasonal ingredients to shine. This is somewhere I would love to return to. There is a confidence and simplicity to the food here that should be celebrated and enjoyed.

Harry’s Shack (again)

I have to admit I was a bit nervous about going back to Harry’s Shack. The last time I ate here it was so good that I didn’t want to spoil it. Thankfully, it was good, really really good, and why would I expect anything less. These guys produce wonderful food, often under a tonne of pressure, as they are not only fully booked but have people walking off the beach asking for tables and they turn them round as quickly as they can to keep as many people as possible happy. Yet last night we didn’t feel rushed at all. We sat, we enjoyed the food, the hospitality and the view. THAT VIEW! Many times I’ve tried to capture it on camera but it fails to convey the beauty of Portstewart Strand. Even when a storm is brewing, as it was last night, it looks stunning.

Anyway, back to the food and drink. Harry’s Shack now have a drinks licence and serve a great range of local beers and they also have some local gins too. So my choice was the Belfast made Jawbox Gin and tonic and Mr Frivolitea went for a Hillstown Farm wheat beer.

The menu at Harry’s Shack changes regularly with fish and seafood dishes dependent on what the day boats bring in. That is what I love about this place. They adapt to what comes in and they cook it honestly and in my opinion to perfection.

For starter I had the prawns in garlic butter. Messy to eat and simply delicious, I could have eaten a giant bowl of them.

Mr Frivolitea had the Mackerel with piccalilli and horseradish. Another simple and really tasty dish.

The star of the show for me was my main course. Whole plaice on the bone, cooked with butter, caper and cockles and served with some roasted new potatoes. This dish was perfect. The fish was so beautifully cooked, the caper and cockle butter gave the right amount of flavour without being too salty and the new potatoes were delicious. I had to fight Mr Frivolitea off.

Mr Frivolitea was also very happy with his main choice. Pan fried hake with a chickpea and chorizo stew that came with a side of couscous to mop up the tasty juices.

Pudding choices were sticky toffee pudding

And lemon and bergamot posset with raspberry sorbet and salted shortbread. Oh how I wish they sold bags of the shortbread.

I can’t fault this place. Despite it being really busy and staff being under pressure, our waitress was wonderful, making us feel so welcome and chatting to us about the food. The fish was cooked with such care and attention and they let the fish be the star of the show. It’s why we keep coming back.

Bartali

Last year we visited Bartali on its opening night and we loved it. Sister restaurant of Coppi and Il Pirata, we knew what we were getting: beautiful Chichetti and Italian inspired dishes. We decided to book Bartali for the night we arrived back home this year but a few days before we headed home we discovered there would be a new chef and a new concept at Bartali. I have to admit I was sceptical. I loved it as it had been when we first went. Local food with an Australian twist didn’t appeal to me as much but there has been quite a build up to new chef Dean Coppard arriving and he’s award winning. The menu is very different to what it once was. A more traditional set up of starters, mains and desserts with a few daily specials. Much of the menu was a more Gastropub affair but with local seafood here and there.

I was relieved that they had included local seafood and chose the crab brûlée to start. This was really tasty but temperature of the dish confused me a little, neither hot nor cold, but I can’t deny the flavour was excellent. In particular in the tomatoey tapenade on the side.

Mr Frivolitea had the Thai chilli chicken starter. A tasty dish, nothing unusual about it but a flavoursome dressing. Mr Frivolitea did say he was surprised it was battered but I did have to remind him we were back in Northern Ireland!

For main course, Mr Frivolitea had the North Coast open fish pie. This was a beautiful looking dish, rich but generous in local fish. The mackerel fillets in particular were a great addition but I’m not sure it needed the puff pastry top alongside the whipped potatoes.

I chose the special, local half lobster thermidor with chips and I’m so glad I did. It was absolutely delicious and looked stunning on the plate.

I hope Bartali, as they develop the new menus, move away from having too much of the burger and steak style dishes and do more of the local seafood and other local produce such as Broughgammon goat for example. On our visit the signs were good, they can cook and present this food really well. I hope they can be brave enough to do more of the style of dishes we chose from the menu.

The Poacher’s Pocket

One important thing my dad and I share, well two things, is a love of food and particularly a love of seafood. Any visit home will include going out for lunch or dinner somewhere and trying something new. My dad is often telling me of somewhere he has tried on his weekly trips out for lunch with friends and so the list of places I want to try when I visit just gets longer and longer. Somewhere that has been on the list for a while is The Poacher’s Pocket at Lisbane. So on this flying visit (literally) mum and dad took me for lunch en route to the airport.

The main reason for wanting to come here is the pudding but more of that later…

The Poacher’s Pocket is one of a small group of restaurants that Danny Miller is involved in. The Parson’s Nose being one that I have written about already. Like the others in the group there is a real focus on local produce. Finnebrogue venison and local seafood make regular appearances. As you would expect from me (and my dad) we went for seafood. In fact dad and I chose exactly the same things! I am most definitely my father’s daughter.

For starter we had the crab cakes. These little cakes were so tasty. And the lightly pickled cucumber that accompanied it had a lovely sweetness.

For main course, we chose the special: Megrim and triple cooked chips. We both chose this as it is a fish neither of us had tried before. I particularly liked the very light ‘batter’ that coated the fish and the fresh tomato dressing that sat beautifully on the plate. This was a really impressive dish and I would certainly choose Megrim again.

And then came pudding… The main reason for coming here. We didn’t need the menu, we knew exactly what we wanted. Pannacotta. My dad calls it the best pannacotta in the world and I think he’s right. It is the most deliciously creamy pannacotta I have ever had. It came with lovely minted strawberries and crushed cookies but they could have just brought a simple plain pannacotta and we would have been happy….If I had not been so full and having to get on a plane I would have ordered another. In fact typing this I now have a pannacotta craving.

Next time I visit I will definitely be having pannacotta and I will also leave room in my suitcase for a visit to the Poacher’pantry adjacent to the restaurant and stock up on all the amazing local produce they sell!

The Parson’s Nose, Hillsborough

On a short visit home recently, mum, dad and I took the opportunity to visit the Parson’s nose for Sunday lunch. The Parson’s Nose do a great Sunday lunch offer with a set price menu of two or three courses. It offers really great value and has a lot of local produce at the heart of the menu.
For starter I chose the beetroot cured Glenarm salmon, chives creme fraiche and crispy fish cake. This was a great dish. The smoked salmon was really good and the little fish cake added a great bit of texture to the plate. My dad had the smoked haddock, bacon and scallion chowder. (Scallions are spring onions for my English readers!) The chowder came with wheaten bread and Abernethy butter which is the most delicious local butter. I highly recommend you try some. I mean Heston uses it….

For main course mum and dad had the roast beef. The beef just melted in the mouth! I had the roast fillet of hake with lobster cream sauce and charred lemon. Simple and delicious.

For pudding dad and I had the buttermilk pannacotta, spiced gingerbread madeline, and orange syrup. I really loved the creaminess of the pannacotta (dad always compares any pannacotta to the Poacher’s Pocket where I haven’t yet been. He said this was nearly as good) I also loved the spice of the gingerbread. It added a lovely warmth to the dish.

I’d certainly a visit to The Parson’s Nose. The food was influenced by local produce, was high quality and it was fantastic value for three courses.

Harry’s Shack

If I were to say to you we were going to have dinner at a Shack on the beach you probably would be expecting reasonable food and a bit of a camping chairs and blankets sort of evening. Well not here. Harry’s shack, is in effect, a shack. A wooden building on the beach. But not any old beach. No, this shack is on one of the most wonderful beaches I have ever been to. I mean, I am a bit biased as it is a beach back home but look…… Look at the view…..

And this is not any old shack. The food here is stunning. Fantastically fresh and local food, particularly the seafood. Nothing is messed about with. It’s served simply but to the highest quality and the menu changes regularly as they serve what comes in off the boat.

We shared a starter of spiced whitebait and Marie Rose sauce. This was just perfect. The fishyness of whitebait given a lift by the delicate spice rub on the batter.

I then had then best ‘fish and chips’ I have ever had. Really. Which is saying a lot because the fish and chips at the Magpie Cafe in Whitby are really hard to beat. This was a salt water cured haddock in buttermilk batter with mushy peas and chips. It was simply amazing. I have never tasted battered fish like it!

Mr Frivolitea opted for Greencastle hake, fennel potatoes, spiced ketchup and capers. Mr Frivolitea enjoyed this so much I was only allowed the smallest of tastes!

For pudding I had one of my favourite desserts. Creme Caramel. But this was no ordinary creme caramel. This was Vanilla creme caramel with raspberries, pistachios and raspberry sorbet. The creme caramel was stunning; rich and creamy with a deep cararamel topping.

Mr Frivolitea had, what he described as, chocolate heaven in a pot. Chocolate pot, salted caramel ice cream and coconut foam.

This really is one of my favourite places to be and place as to eat. You can’t fault it.

Lost and Found

When we spoke to Johnny at Haptik about places to try on the Causeway Coast, one of the places he said we must visit is Lost and Found. It’s in Coleraine, in the main shopping area. I have to confess, I don’t go to Coleraine much, there’s not much there. However this place makes Coleraine worth a visit.

We went with our friends Dave and Becky who until recently lived back home in Coleraine. Mr Frivolitea sampled the brew bar and I did my usual taste test and had a cappuccino. It’s a great place. I love the decor and feel of the room (you can always tell it’s a place that serves great coffee by the hipster lighting it seems). The highlight for me however was the Swedish almond cake, modelled here exquisitely by Dave.

We also bumped in to George from Babushka whilst enjoying our coffee. When the owner of another local coffee bar (an amazing one at that) chooses to visit on his day off for coffee you know it’s the place to be. Oh and they use Ursa Minor Bakehouse bread. What’s not to like.

Haptik

Newtownards has a proper coffee bar. I repeat Newtownards has a proper coffee bar. Many of you will think I’ve gone mad, but if you have ever lived in Newtownards you would realise this is significant.

Haptik, opened by Johnny and Rachel last year, was influenced by their travels in Melbourne. There’s a fantastic buzz and their focus on encouraging contemporary art gives a vibrancy to the place. It’s very nicely designed: copper, exposed brick work, wood, but it is definitely not style over substance.

Coffee is the main event and it is coffee worth writing about! Square mile coffee, a small but exciting menu and a coffee bar that opens to late. What’s not to like? When visiting home, Mr Frivolitea and I now plan evening walks around a trip to Haptik.

The coffee scene (is there such a thing?) in Northern Ireland is getting really exciting. Johnny gave us a list of coffee bars to visit and I plan to work my way through them all.

Haptik are opening an upstairs art space and they host supper clubs once a month. Here’s hoping my next visit home coincides with one.