Restaurant Review - Pizza e Porchetta
Tuesday 04 February 2014
It was rather nice to see restaurateur Ronan Ryan striding on familiar turf by way of the new Pizza e Porchetta in the Malting Tower on Grand Canal Quay.
It really was a case of deja vu as Ryan had originally developed this space as the Bridge Bar & Grill – the second string to what was then his Town Bar & Grill, which he had started with chef Temple Garner.
Much water has flowed under the proverbial bridge since those days, but suffice to say the premises has had a very cool revamp. There's a counter, high communal tables and a wood-fired pizza oven, while the famous 'tunnel' restaurant section is stark, clear and bright – and yes, you still hear the Dart rattle reassuringly above as if nothing has happened since 2008.
Ryan's forte is modern Italian food. He was originally a chef in Il Primo, and it was New York-style Italian food that he made so spectacularly successful at Town Bar & Grill way back then. This, too, is what Temple Garner serves in his popular San Lorenzo restaurant.
So, pizza and porchetta are the things here but, let me tell you, the pasta is pretty damn good too. Porchetta is a traditional Italian favourite of succulent, lean, moist pork, boned and stuffed with garlic and herbs and spit-roasted over wood. Great either hot or cold, served with vegetables, salads or pasta or packed into a panino, it is very often a festive dish.
Many Italian families and butchers have their own secret recipes for spicing and stuffing the pork, but one way or another it is always lean, tasty, moist, smoky and delicious. At Pizza e Porchetta that evening, it was served with apple sauce and roast potatoes.
Antipasti (€5-€8) included minestrone with mozzarella crostini; gnudi of deep-fried ricotta; chargrilled chilli squid with lemon oil; and broccolini with a balsamic glaze. An antipasto plate (€7 for one, €14 for two) is served from a board brought by the waiter to the table so you can select what you want. I had San Daniele Parma ham; mortadella; Irish buffalo mozzarella; Kalamata olives, and wood-fired artichoke hearts, which was delicious with lovely fresh breads, and, at €7, was very good value.
My dining companion opted for Irish Angus carpaccio (€8), which too was excellent, and served with pickled horseradish.
Pizzas €11-€15 included margherita; marinara; gambero; capua; and quattro formaggio, with add-ons at €1.50/€2. Pizza di Parma (€14) was ace. It had a thin, crispy base, lavishly embellished with Parma ham, rocket, Parmesan and tomato, plus an extra topping of Italian sausage (€2) adding a kick to it.
Pastas (€14/€17) included Irish Angus cannelloni; tagliolini with mussels and clams; and spaghetti aglio olio. I had a really knockout bowl of Italian deliciousness in the form of tagliatelle (€17), tossed in first-press olive oil, then topped with a whoosh of black truffle, which left me with a longing for a week.
We followed up with a luscious cushion of soft, creamy tiramisu (€6) which was totally sinful in an unobtrusive way and slipped down far too easily – as did a silky pannacotta, topped with berries (€6).
The lunchtime menu offers great value with 7"/11" pizzas at €7/€11, or hot porchetta sandwiches with tomato and fries at €7.
Pasta and risotto dishes at €10/€11 include wild mushroom risotto and fettuccine alle polpette.
Apart from wines by the bottle, they also have a dispensing system that keeps the wine in tip-top condition, so we had a carafe of Vini Stocco Friulano 2012 (€15.50) which, with two espressos (€2 each), bottled water (€5) and optional service brought our bill to €89. Oh, yes – and they do great cocktails too (€7.50/€8.50).
What more do you want?
Pizza e Porchetta,
The Malting Tower,
Clanwilliam Terrace,
Grand Canal Quay,
Dublin 2.
Tel: (01) 662-4199
www.pizzaeporchetta.com
FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT