The Blarney Stone is a long standing institution. A spacious Irish bar that I have frequented for years; not necessary for food, but for their large list of drinks and fun events. But that may change with their menu overhaul! And today, I was here to taste this update for myself.
My last visit was on St. Patrick’s day, and I can contest to the fact that the food was pretty mediocre. Nothing stood out and you ate it willingly because you were already here and had set your expectations to accommodate the bar standard. Not to mention, enough drinks makes everything go down.
So believe me today, when I report that the food is now miles better. Chef Carl, better known as the owner and operator of Rosie’s, the red food truck serving homestyle BBQ has taken helm of the project and is dedicated to going back to basics.
They are not looking to introduce a brand new menu per se, but for the immediate future are looking to raise the standards, starting with where they source their food. They have since stepped away from GFS frozen goods, and have set about sourcing meat, produce, and poultry locally. They are also dedicated to making as much as possible in house from sauces to drinks. Nothing pre-made or pre-mixed. A great undertaking as it requires the retraining of staff, but a measure that they believe is well worth it, and will only yield dividends in the long run.
Examples of this include dishes slow cooked in butter and hand ground burger patties. This is a huge step forward in the right direction and they believe it a year’s time they can showcase a new elevated menu, and rebrand themselves as a Gastropub.
We were a group of three and ordered many of their side plates to share, plus two hand held burgers that came highly recommended as must tries of their new additions.
The Irish Hand pies are like Jamaican patties stuffed with locally sourced 63 acres beef, peas, mashed potato, and potted beef onion gravy. Warm and buttery crust that flakes apart upon first bite, revealing a generous amount of meaty filling. Best served warm. Tasty as is, but I wish I had a side of gravy to dip into for longevity in eating. Three is a lot for one person, but great to share amongst three.
I liked the idea of the Signature Jameson glazed wings, but wished I got more of the promised spirit in his. One pound of deep fried wings coated in house made Jameson whiskey glaze. It was similar to a honey garlic with a dry and crunchy texture.
Another great dish to share between three is the Crispy Fishwich Sliders. Hand battered haddock, tartar sauce, and american cheese between a slider bun. I liked the fish as is, and probably would have enjoyed it more without the bun, to focus on the crispy fish and the excellent tang of the creamy tartar sauce.
The Mac N Cheese bites were a quick and easy way to enjoy cheesy pasta noodles on the go. Similar to the wings, I read too much into the liquor being added into the mix, and was left hanging, waiting for more of it in the mix. Guinness cheese sauce, sriracha mayo, and crisp fried pasta. There was an amount of crunch from the breading, but there wasn’t enough tender cheesy noodle at the centre to balance the ball and have it reading more like Mac and cheese.
When at an Irish pub, you have to do the Bangers & Mash. Spolombo banger sausages, seasonal roasted root vegetables, mashed potato, guinness, and onion gravy. A fragrant and salty sausage in contrast to a smooth whipped potato, and harder cubes of roots vegetable. Very rich and satisfying, ideally paired with a beer.
For those looking to visit the morning after, and treat their hair of the dog, the Blarney Breakfast Sando is for you. Farm fresh scrambled egg, green onions, sriracha bacon, cheddar cheese, potato bun, burger sauce, and new potato hash browns. A satisfying handheld on the greasier side to satisfy.
And moving from a breakfast handheld to lunch, try their Stone Burger with cheddar cheese, house bacon, iceberg lettuce, pickles, mayo, bbq sauce, and onion rings. This was a great way to taste the quality in their new hand ground chunk patty. Thick and meaty, this was a great base for all the standard burger fixings mentioned above.
Another Irish classic I can recommend is the Cottage Pie. 63-acre ground beef, mixed vegetables, buttered mash potato, and house made tomato gravy. Like a sheppard’s pie and just as comforting. i would order this again.
In closing, your favourite Irish Gastown bar has a new menu that is worth exploring the next time you stop in for a drink. And if they keep going in this trajectory, I cannot wait to see what the future holds for them.
The Blarney Stone
216 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC V6B 2J1
604-687-4322
blarneystone.ca
