A taste of the big apple

EATING OUT:When the chef's away... the food might not live up to expectations. An off-night at Dillinger's disappoints

‘THEY SAY LIFE’S what happens when you’re busy making other plans. But sometimes in New York, life is what happens when you’re waiting for a table.” It’s a quote I’ve appropriated, from that famous (if fictional) New York journalist, Carrie Bradshaw.

Temple Garner’s Dillinger’s, in Dublin 6, also takes a lot of its cues from a famous New Yorker, the much-loved and widely lauded Schiller’s Liquor Bar on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Many of the features on the menu, including its graphic design – and the feel of the place itself – have been borrowed from Schiller’s. That’s no bad thing in itself – filching ideas from successful restaurants around the world has been done before, often with great success. No, the bad thing happens when the illegitimate child doesn’t quite pull off the trick. Dillinger’s certainly looks the part and, to a large extent, the menu reads a lot like that of its big New York daddy, but does it walk the walk?

We visited early in the week, and early in the month, and found a surprisingly full room. The interior is NYC industrial, and gently buzzes with the chaste chattering of D6 guys and dolls, chewing edible Americana. This is as far a cry as possible from its previous incarnation: Dylan McGrath’s gastro tabernacle, Mint.

We began with devilled eggs with Parma ham, grilled asparagus, and Hollandaise (€8); and a calamari with spicy tomato salsa, and lemon wedges (€9.50). The devilled eggs were rather good, even though points must be deducted for using out-of-season asparagus. The Parma ham was overly generous – enough to wrap a dolphin in, should you ever wish to catch one. I was reluctant to finish it all. The calamari was also good, a little salty but cooked just right, and the salsa struck out confidently, flavour-wise. To drink, a glass of the home-made lemonade (€4), which was exorbitant for what is essentially water, lemon juice and sugar; and a well-made, kitschy Harvey Wallbanger (€10).

For mains we ordered chicken Kiev (the Cold War is well and truly over) with creamed corn, roasted red onions, French beans and new potatoes; and chargrilled 12oz Irish Hereford rib-eye with blackeye beans and duck fat roasties (€24).

The chicken Kiev was one of the least inspiring dishes I’ve had in a while, enough for me to reckon there must have been a mistake made in the kitchen. Who on earth puts these flavours – sweet caramelised onions, roasted garlic, creamed sweetcorn – and overpowering gravy together? This was a taste sensation I don’t want to repeat. (For a better version, see Domini Kemp’s chicken Kiev on page 18.)

The steak was tough, not a great piece of meat. The accompanying duck fat roasties were pale, almost translucent, charred top and bottom. The blackeye beans were very good, lightly smoked and comforting.

The wine list is decent, with a gimmick lifted wholesale from Schiller’s. There are three “value” wines listed above the normal list, and three categories: Cheap, Decent, and Good. We had a glass of the Good white (€7.50) and the Decent red (€6.50), both as good and decent as the other. The Cheap one cost €5.50, which ain’t exactly cut-price. The rest of the list is short and sweet, yet well curated – nothing pricier than €42.

For desserts we ordered a baked New York cheesecake with honeycomb and hazelnut (€6), and a tiramisu (€6). The sliver of cheesecake felt a little stingy and could have been baked longer too: mid-Atlantic rather than full-fledged New Yorker. The tiramisu was nothing to write home about, but filled the sweet gap well enough.

Each man reads his own meaning into New York. Temple Garner’s wasn’t quite doing it for me on that particular night. Further investigation revealed that he was taking a short break from the restaurant – a shame really, as I’m sure, had he been there, this would have been a more enjoyable experience. But he wasn’t, and on this occasion, Dillinger’s was more sour apple than sweet.

MASTER McGRATH

Having left our radar for some time, the charmingly crotchety Dylan McGrath has been seen around Louis Murray’s Balzac on Dawson Street of late. Word is, the controversial cook is to take up tenure there, aiming to garner a Michelin star within the year for Dublin’s most handsome dining room. As neither McGrath nor Murray have yet confirmed or denied reports of the relationship, rumours – from talk of squabbles over a proposed chef’s station in the dining room, to a €10,000 cutlery bill – have been flitting from table to table around Dublin dining spots like excited sparrows. Murray and McGrath have a lot to live up to, if this marriage ever takes place. No pressure, lads. Balzac, 35 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, 01-6774444

Dinner for two, with aperitifs and three glasses of wine, came to €125, including tip.

Dillinger’s, 47 Ranelagh village, Dublin 6, 01-4978010; dillingers.ie