Sunday 23 August 2015

Restaurant: Teach uí Bhriain

With my flight leaving quite late today, we had time for lunch out - and, for variety, we went to Teach uí Bhriain. We nearly got a space on the street outside, but were beaten to it - so carried on through to the rear car park, where we were lucky to get a space! Inside, we didn't quite get our regular table, but managed to get a seat at the one next to it.. when the owner came to take our order, she explained that yes, Sundays have been busy for the past month, but unusually the rush comes between 2 and 3, rather than later. We have been warned..

They had a special Sunday lunch menu, which included neither of the dishes we wanted. Mind you, she was happy to oblige with salmon for my mother when she asked. Now, I really should have done the same, and asked for curry - instead, I stuck to what was on offer, and ordered the pan-fried chicken, which came with a choice of sauces; when I asked, these turned out to be gravy, peppercorn sauce, and mushroom sauce. I know all their sauces are good - I chose peppercorn. And decided on soup to start. And when my mother complained about the flickering light over her head, those lights were soon turned off.

O my though, this was a very mixed meal. The soup was good, the wine was good, the bread was fine. The salmon was lovely, apparently, and the sauce on my chicken was as good as I had expected. And I got a lovely, large roast potato with it. It's just the chicken itself.. which was a bit dry, a bit chewy. And they still haven't learned to make mash, which tasted of cardboard. Note to self - avoid pan-fried chicken here, and order chips instead of mash in future. Asking for ice cream for dessert, I got an unimaginative three scoops of vanilla - but I was ok with it, as long as there was chocolate sauce. My mother had the mixed-berry cheesecake, which looked, and apparently tasted, delicious. We were fed - just a bit disappointingly. But our dog appreciated the left-over chicken.

Tomorrow, I'm finally going to see Memphis: the Musical, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And the next two days, I'm headed to the Guildford office - first for a meeting, then the Sports Day. Coincides nicely with the next Tube strikes, assuming the current talks don't help.. we're to find out for sure on Monday. On Thursday, I've booked a ticket to see the comedian Iliza Schlesinger at the Soho Theatre - she was sold out for Monday, so I said maybe I'd better. And on Friday, I'm headed to the Boat Show. Those should both be interesting to get to and from, if the strikes go ahead!

On Saturday, I'm back with the London Dramatic Arts group, for Oresteia at Trafalgar Studios - its West End transfer. (I see it's at the Globe as well - bummer, that'd have been good.) Next Sunday, I'm headed to the Scoop, for their double bill of classical plays. Technically, I'm accompanying the Free London Events and Talks group, but with 100 of us going, I doubt I'll be much bothered with actually meeting anyone. Unless I see someone I know.

I'm finishing off the month by going to the Proms, and on the 1st September I'm going to What's It All About? Bacharach, at the Menier Chocolate Factory. And I did even more booking today..

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