The Brown Bear is Brilliant
Monday 26 July 2010
It was a warm busy Friday evening setting off for The Brown Bear at Two Mile House south of Naas, and so, avoiding the M7, we travelled the ‘old road’ passing the lakes of Blessington, through Dunlavin village, and affluent looking stud farms. As to finding Two Mile House itself, it was like Brigadoon with no signposts, and if we hadn’t the Sat Nav we would be driving still!
The Brown Bear is a modern build “country pub” imbued with a traditional decor, lots of dark wood, and lovely artwork of mountainy sheep by Eleanor Swan. “Irish ingredients given a wallop of French cooking style…at gastropub prices” is their catchphrase, and it certainly is no bog standard ‘sausage and mash’ Gastro Pub, but serious food from a serious French chef. Fred Cordonnier, ex Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud and the Tea Rooms, has come together with pub proprietor, Eugene Brennan, in creating the restaurant.
Whilst a 3 course Seasonal Menu at €28 offered a brace each of starters and mains including asparagus soup and ‘Fish & Chips and Blanquette de veau, we felt it better to test more complex dishes on the Carte. The little touches were good as we kicked off with splendid warm breads, black olive, walnut and raisin, and ‘fanned ribbons’ of elegant semolina bread, whilst two cubes of butter sat on an old fashion butter pat. Starters were €7.50/€12.50. Brendan had a fulsome brace of ravioli (€9.50) enfolding rich braised beef shank and foie gras, topped with sweet tasting sheafs of wild asparagus, intense oven dried tomatoes, and fresh green nasturtium leaves. A rich and luxurious combination, it was lightened by the asparagus, and a cracking well flavoured tomato consomme sprinkled with parsley. There was a joyous vivacity to my tranch of ham and parsley jelly (€7.50) - a staple galantine in France as Jambon Persillee the Burgundian speciality – for this Kildare galantine was made from their own hand reared Free Range Saddle Back Pigs. The presentation encompassed a riotous summer garden of green peas and pods, pea shoots and pea sorbet, and sunny coloured halved quail’s eggs.
Mains €17/€27 included panfried Salt Marsh duck breast with beetroot puree, fresh almonds, sweet and sour cherries, and creamed barley. A 10 oz rib-eye had a croquette of oxtail and foie gras, girolle mushrooms, and red wine jus. It was these lush varying elements within each dish that made the food really interesting. Perfectly pink sweet tasting rump of lamb (€22) was a picture, sliced and lying on a feuillete of goats cheese, itself atop a ragout of peas, chopped crispy sweetbreads, tongue, and black olives. New potatoes (€3), sprinkled with sea salt, butter and parsley, were everything new potatoes are supposed to be about. Sir had panfried ray wing (€22) on a fennel and black olive salad with confit lemon, fennel and lemongrass gazpacho. He also had a side order of superb fries (€3), feeling quite at home having seen Prince Charles chomp through them on BBC’s Great British Menu! Suddenly the old fries are top drawer and Sir quite happily tugged his cuff links P.O.W. style!
Chocolate fondant, crème brulee, and peach melba tempted, but we shared a scrumptious summery sable based concoction of strawberry ice cream, fresh strawberries, and strips of confit lemon (€6.50).
The Wine List too is in a format that I would like to see more widely utilised. 250ml and 500ml carafes are available in a number of wines, as well as lots by the glass. We had a 500 ml carafe, two-thirds of a bottle, of Crianza Tinto Bodegas La Emperatriz Rioja Alta 2004 at €21.40 or €32 per bottle. Our bill with optional service and two Cokes (€5.20) was €111.40
There was a real joie de vivre about the food and it is no wonder that since my visit The Brown Bear has won the Best Newcomer Award in the RAI/Life Magazine Restaurant Awards 2010.
A great gastropub for those who want a cut above……!
The Brown Bear,
Two Mile House,
Naas,
Co. Kildare.
Tel: (045) 883561
THIS ARTICLE WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY JULY 25, 2010.