Canal Cafe by Clodagh - Restaurant Review
Monday 30 August 2010
It seems you are nobody nowadays unless you reach the status of single monicker fame – Elizabeth, Charles, Posh, Becks, Armani, Delia, Nigella, Darina, Rachel, …and now ‘Clodagh’…… Some might say its a tad cocky and pretentious until you have achieved global domination! But who knows….
For those of you who don’t know ‘Clodagh’, or merely recall the longstanding New York based Irish Designer ‘Clodagh’, Clodagh McKenna is a cook who, having trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School, started producing a very simple 70’s Cordon Bleu style smooth pate, which she sold at Midleton Farmers’ Market. Clodagh McKenna was a girl who was definitely going places ab initio, using the internet to best advantage by emailing her pate recipes and other info to the media and foodie world with dedicated regularity. She also quickly harnessed herself to best advantage to the burgeoning Farmers’ Markets and published a book called “The Irish Farmers’ Market Cookbook”. Recently she has been on our TV screens with “Fresh From the Sea”. Having returned after four years in Italy, she will give the best of them a run for their money! More power to her.
‘Clodagh’ has now created her own ‘mini Ballymaloe’ at the Village of Lyons in Co. Kildare, on the splendid estate created by the late ‘Tony’ – Dr. Tony Ryan to thee and me - by opening the new ‘Canal Café by Clodagh’, ‘The Village at Lyons Cookery School with Clodagh McKenna’, ‘The General Store by Clodagh’, and a range of retro 1950’s Minnie Mouse style ‘Clodagh Love Aprons’ for day and night! However, with feet now in a lofty Country Estate maybe that’s how things go.
The Village at Lyons is an outrageously pretty Disneyland style French ‘village’ – a mini fairyland bubble. It is Tony Ryan’s equivalent of ‘Hameau de la Reine” - a rustic ‘play village’ built by Marie Antoinette – a gorgeous folly – and maybe it has found its new Queen! Apart from the glorious Mill Restaurant, where Richard Corrigan entered the Irish restaurant scene, used now mainly for weddings and special events, there is also the magnificent Turner conservatory La Serre Restaurant, where the food on my visit was excellent, but their telephone answering ability appalling!
The Canal Café is in a small 30’s style bungalow in the courtyard, with banging doors that would drive one insane. Initially looking at the “Canal Café Menu by Clodagh”, the Travel Writer and I were disappointed. There wasn’t a lot to it, nothing to display Miss McKenna’s cookery skills as such, a risotto dish was off, but the very simple fare we did get was good, and prices were reasonable. Charcuterie or cheese platters are €9/€15. Quiche Lorraine €7, and daily varieties of an open sandwich or pizza €6/€9, are on a very missible little board. Vegetable soup (€4) proved a large bowl and very nice, as was the ‘signature’ chicken liver pate (€7). A medium charcuterie board (€9) had pate, coppa, chorizo, salami, rustic bread – what can I add – you just slice them! With a tranch of too dry chocolate cake and elderflower cordial €3) our bill was €30. They also do breakfast €4/€9 with Eggs Florentine, porridge, boiled eggs and soldiers. Afternoon Tea is €15, cakes and tarts €4, an old fashioned icecream wafer €2. The ‘General Store by Clodagh’ – in case you haven't gottit(!) -has a range of olives oils, chutneys, pestos, foodie bits and nick nacks, picnic baskets, and plenty of the above mentioned Love Aprons – by Clodagh - naturally.
The Cookery School facilities are fabulous and, on departure, as we watched a Moroccan chicken dish, ratatouille, and gratin potatoes, being taken outside for guzzling by the ‘students’ the thought struck us that they could do with some of that in the Canal Café by Clodagh!
It’s an enjoyable sugar coated slightly unreal experience – should we expect Clodagh dolls? By the way, there is a Farmer’s Market there every Friday from 10 am to 3 pm – by Clodagh I suppose!
The Canal Café,
The Village at Lyons,
Celbridge,
Co. Kildare.
Tel: (01) 627-9510
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON AUGUST 29, 2010.