Kavanagh & Morrissey's

Our first foray into the trial-dining experiment was just before the New Year. As I believe I mentioned previously, we were on our way to a chain restaurant for a predictable, cookie-cutter meal when we all simultaneously got the bit between our teeth and decided to try someplace new. It was a decision that took place as we drove past a restaurant that I had been curious about since it had opened perhaps two or so years previously. Before its reopening as Kavanagh & Morrissey, a restaurant known as Pebbles had occupied the same spot.
I liked the location, somewhat removed from the typical restaurant row, located instead in the midst of a prominent business area. It sat on the corner of two respectably trafficked roads, overlooking a pretty little pond.
So the outside looked good. Blindly guilty of judging a book by its cover, we rolled on up to take a gander at the menu posted beside the door. The restaurant proclaimed itself to be Irish inspired. That took me by surprise since the name sounded more like a law firm than a good old fashioned Irish pub. Also surprising for a place that was purportedly Irish was the presence of Pad-Thai and quesadillas on the menu.
Regardless, we were in the mood for a culinary adventure, so we ventured forth. The inside of the restaurant was attractive, with brass railings and decorative wood. The live band was talented but far too deafening to be part of an enjoyable dining experience. We were placed in a little alcove overlooking the pond and promptly forgotten for a good ten minutes. It was a good ten minutes, thankfully, because we had lots to chat about and had only just started becoming antsy when the waitress showed up, full of apologies, to take our drink orders. Sadly, it took another unrealistic amount of time for our drinks to show up and even longer for our waitress to return to take our orders.
Eventually, we were served our meals. Cap had ordered the tarragon chicken, Guida had gotten the fish and chips, Mex very daringly ordered a hamburger with American cheese and I, being of Irish descent, ordered the shepherd’s pie.
Cap was pleased with the chicken, as she informed the drunken lady who was sitting at the neighboring table, clamoring to know if the dish was any good, since she wanted to order it herself. Cap was also very pleased with the spinach that was served draped over the chicken. However, the chicken was served on a bed of mashed potatoes, which are a staple in Irish cooking. Obviously, having ordered the shepherd’s pie, I also had mashed potatoes on my plate, as a topping to the pie. We were both heartily disappointed with the potatoes. Mashed potatoes are simple to make and very hard to screw up. Sadly it seemed that the restaurant had either resorted to instant mashed potatoes or tried very, very hard and screwed up actual fresh potatoes. They lacked flavor, their texture was mealy and they were not as thick as proper mashed potatoes should be.
At least Cap had her chicken and spinach to fall back on. My shepherd’s pie was disappointing the whole way through. I make it at home myself, and while I do not in any way credit myself with being a restaurant grade chef, I can make a much better shepherd’s pie than that which was served to me. The texture of the ground meat was too course and it threw the whole dish off. That, paired with the substandard potatoes, made the dish unenjoyable. I left the bulk of it on my plate.
Both Guida and Mex were okay with their meals. Neither were enraptured by their dishes, but they both found them satisfying. I do want to add as well that the dessert we ordered, which was crème brulee, was delicious. I’m actually craving some right now.
The most disappointing aspect of the dinner, mashed potatoes aside, was the poor service we received from our server. The whole dinner went by with all of our glasses empty and we couldn’t ask for refills (not that we should have to) because we had been placed in a far corner which, while view-wise was very picturesque, was also in an area of the restaurant that our waitress was apparently studiously avoiding. We were given refills as we waited for our dessert, but after that came, we had to wait even longer for the check. The non-stop waiting during our visit there really killed the experience for us. If the food had been of a more superior quality, we could have forgiven the wait. Had the wait been a little less tedious, we could have forgiven the food…..Well, wait…I’m thinking of the travesty of mashed potatoes that I endured. No, a lesser wait wouldn’t have excused the potatoes. But if the wait was less and the band wasn’t so ear-shattering, we may have been persuaded to return in the future, simply taking care to order a selection that didn’t include potatoes as a side dish. However, the whole package was lacking. The pricing for our meals was somewhere around $15 each. Not haute cuisine prices by any means, but honestly we could have gone to Chili’s and gotten better service and food. (Except the crème brulee! Yum!)
To recap, the atmosphere was pleasant (other than the overloud, yet talented band), the food was kind of hit and miss, and the service was poor, though not rude. Our waitress was actually nice enough…those times that she actually visited us at our table. The bottom line is that we will not be returning to Kavanagh & Morrissey’s. Sorry, guys.