Restaurant Review - Pepper
Tuesday 19 November 2013
Twitter is a mighty marketing tool if used properly but, unfortunately, it does allow what were known in the old days as ‘poison pen’ writer’s free rein. However, it also facilitates people who have a common interest to find one another and I have met some very nice people mainly through their interests in the foodie arena.
Peter Clifford is a young chef with the Twitter handle of @pistolpete1991who has used this medium to raise his profile very successfully. Whilst ‘Pistol Pete’ might be new to the Dublin dining arena, he comes from a foodie background, as his late father was Michelin starred chef Michael Clifford, who worked in the Roux brothers restaurants and White’s on the Green before opening his own restaurant in Cork. Peter, began cooking with his father at a young age, winning the Tesco Young Chef of the Year, before going on to work in Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, 15 by Jamie Oliver, Tom Aikens and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud.
He has now taken up the reins at the new Pepper Brasserie & Grill, at the Bram Stoker Hotel in Clontarf, which changed hands last year. The entrance to the restaurant is somewhat unprepossessing being accessed at the side of the hotel’s main bar along a corridor which leads you upstairs. However, do not falter, take a sharp left on new carpeting up to a further floor and you get a drift of where this place perhaps is going as you are suddenly in a cool big contemporary room with nautical accents.
A delightful young man brought us an extensive cocktail list which sported Bourbons infused with all sorts from cherry and chocolate bitters to rhubarb and orange plus all the other fashionable spirits and cocktails du jour. I wasn’t much good to him as I was on bottled water having to drive back to the other side of Dublin Bay.
Brasserie and grill may be the theme here but it hasn’t stopped Clifford from displaying his skills by adding some top notch twists. Prosecco was offered and a beautiful avocado based amuse bouche arrived in a tall glass emitting wafts of smoke from the top.
Starters €8.50-€9.50 had flame grilled mackerel with pickled cucumber, avocado mousse and Ponzu dressing; whilst mussels were with chorizo, crab, and an orange and vermouth sauce. Brendan’s tranch of pressed ham hock terrine (€8.50), with a perfect ‘muffin top’ slice of chargrilled brioche, was exquisitely presented with translucent leaves of burnt onion, and elements of beetroot scattered around the plate. Mushrooms (€8.50) on toast for me were not as you or I would dish up the handy stalwart. Sitting on brioche these beautiful little wild mushrooms were rich and sublime in a buttery combination of tarragon and horseradish. I would drive around the Bay again just for those.
New York Strip, Rib Eye and Fillet steaks (€23 - €28.50) come with a choice of Café de Paris Butter, Béarnaise et al, as well as onion strings, confit mushroom and mash, chunky chips or skinny fries. Burgers are there too at €16.95 as is boned, rolled and stuffed, rotisserie chicken or Moroccan style pan fried cod, as well as other interesting dishes. Brendan was sold on the rib-eye steak, which was incredibly tender and delicious, perfectly presented with a brace of upstanding mushrooms, skinny fries and string onions. My lobster burger (€26.50) had a whole half Annagassan lobster, packed into a home baked brioche bun with avocado and lobster mayo – a treat in anyone’s terms – as was a side of macaroni and cheese (€4) - just sinfully indulgent!
Puds (€6.50-€8.50) sounded great but we were hard aground! Think coconut and clove cheesecake with maple syrup and mascarpone icecream, or a real apple tart Tatin. I have shown the individual prices but although a little after time they offered us the early bird rate of 2-courses at €21.95/3-courses €24.95 with €6 supplement each for the rib-eye and the lobster burger.
With two glasses of Wild Coast Shiraz (€7 ea) and two bottled waters (€2.90 ea) our bill with optional service was €87.70.
Beat a path to @pistolpete1991.
Pepper Brasserie & Grill,
Bram Stoker Hotel,
225 Clontarf Road,
Dublin. 3.
Tel: (01) 853-2000
www.lucindaosullivan.com
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT