Second visit in as many days: had the poutine yesterday and a couple Scottish Stouts and was smitten! Wonderful interior: welcoming, warm, quaint but not stodgy. The poutine was delightful with a rich onion brown gravy; not the greatest I've had, but homey, savory and just right at the time. The bartender was an attentive fellow who seemed right at home in the pub atmosphere. After such a delightful (if somewhat subdued) time,I thought "let's go again!" When the wife and I were thinking about a little nosh in the early afternoon. Sadly, lightning did not strike twice. The bartender was a young woman (Ashley, if my receipt speaks true; ladybug tattoo on the back of her neck that I only mention so as to not malign someone whose name showed up on my receipt) who had absolutely no business behind a bar: inattentive, impersonal, unaware of menu and bar selections. I wish I could say something positive about her, but I can't. Not to say there isn't hope, but this review isn't about instant redemption. Ashley was inconsistent in her pour of a Guinness; sometimes tilted glass, sometimes not. Out of curiosity, I looked up the proper way to pour a Guinness: room temperature glass, tilted pour, 2/3rds full, rest for 115 seconds, finish pour. I only mention this because, if you are going to present as an Irish pub, then you damn well better pour a proper fekkin' Guinness! Don't chill your glasses and teach the art of the pour! On to the food: we ordered the Kale Salad, Pretzel with mustard and Cheese Sauce, Bangers and Mash and the Dublin Coddle.
Kale salad: potentially good, but poor preparation. The dressing seemed to be on the bottom of the bowl with the greens on top and the raisins, walnuts and cheese on the top. Toss the salad. Get a rich coating of the ingredients on the leaves (the ridges are ideal for this) and give the dressing a moment to break down and liven up the greens.
Pretzel: nice and pedestrian. Rich mustard. Nice flavour on the cheese sauce, even if the sauce was mighty thin.
Bangers and Mash: great sausages from Long's Meat Market and delicious soda bread with cinnamon honey butter. That's the end of the positive notes for this dish; served over colcannon (mashed potatoes with green cabbage and kale), this was a bland pile of white. The kale and cabbage added little to the spooners. Salt and pepper in copious amounts couldn't salvage the starches on this dish. Season your food. Increase the amount of kale in your Colcannon to create a tapestry of texture and flavor.
Dublin Coddle: delicious sausage and thick, thick bacon (oh, sweet pork lord, such thick bacon) in the dish. Once again, bland potatoes smother this dish and a dearth of broth seals the coffin.
We considered the charcuterie plate, since we're both big fans of meat and cheese. Our server described it as "two kinds of salami, I think...". It was indeed, two kinds of salami; delicious, but too similar to provide a respectable variation in savories.
I will give The Pint Pot another chance, if only to try the corned beef and cabbage. I want to love it. I want to love it so badly that I could forgive the food issues for the comfy couches and the Guinness (so long as I can educate them on the pour) and the warm environment. Stay tuned, true believers... read more