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Bistro Beauty
Shopping over, and Lucinda O'Sullivan felt in need of some sustenance. At Jacques French Bistro in Wexford, she indulged in one of the best culinary experiences she's had this year to date
 We had one of the best dining experiences of the year so far in a French bistro in Wexford Town. Having done the shops, we headed initially for lunch to La Dolce Vita, Roberto Pons' popular Italian cafe, where you can also sit outside. Brendan had a delicious insalata di pollo piccante (€10.90), a big cloud of dressed, mixed leaves, with onions, sun-dried tomatoes, spiced chicken and fresh tomato. I indulged in penne alla puttanesca (€9.95) -- a sauce of tomatoes, capers, black olives, anchovies and chilli -- attributed to the prostitutes of Naples who could toss it up before the next client arrived. "Don't hold back on the chilli," I had said -- being a hot thing myself once -- and he didn't. I should have added anchovies and capers to that instruction, as they were scarce, but it was delicious. With a half bottle of La Dolce Vita own-label cabernet (€11.90), it made a tasty lunch with service at €36.
Our next port of call, for dinner, was Jacques Bistro, part of Greenacres wine shop, deli and art gallery. Boy, has this place expanded. I wrote about James O'Connor's Greenacres, originally a fruit and vegetable shop, years ago in its old location, when they were just dipping their toes into the art world with a few paintings in an upstairs room. Now, there is 7,000sq ft of ultra-modern art gallery along with a deli, a wine shop, and an enoteca on the ground floor. The atmosphere is confident-casual, and the walls are lined with some of the 2,500 wine bottles in stock. Jacques Carrera is the chef, and he has previously worked in Bruno's and Pearl Brasserie, and his menu offers a helluva lot more than your bog-standard bistro.
Starters (€6.95-€10.50) really appealed. Warm green asparagus and artichoke salad came with smoked duck and Hollandaise sauce, while baked Dublin Bay prawn was paired with Bayonne ham, tomato coulis and garlic butter. Sea bass with herb risotto had an orange and saffron sauce, while foie gras terrine with Armagnac was served with roasted plum and port jelly. I opted for a tartiflette Savoyarde (€8.95), a really scrumptious, comforting, carbohydrate-laden dish of potato with reblochon cheese and saucisson -- a favourite with skiers after a day on the piste, but shure I'd had a hard day shopping. Brendan loved his six superbly presented Ballyhack rock oysters (€9).
Again, the main course selection (€18.50-€24.95) was cracking. Braised suckling pig was served with apple and Calvados, while a grilled veal cutlet was served a la Provencal with ratatouille and rosemary jus. Magret de canard had a red berry sauce, while fillet of Hereford beef came with aligot --mashed potato with cheese -- and a shallot sauce; and supreme of guinea fowl had a lemon and tarragon sauce. You can see our dilemma. I opted for a blackboard special of sole on the bone (€26), which was perfectly cooked with a little bite, bathed in a lemon butter and chives, with a piping of really heavenly silky mash, a bundle of bacon-wrapped beans and cherry tomatoes. Brendan had scallops and Dublin Bay prawns (€26), again rich and delicious, in an intense prawn sauce on more of that sinful butter-laden mash. This is pure, classic, old-school French cooking: lots of sauces, and just indulgent.
The wine list is extensive, but you can also choose a bottle from the retail section and pay a corkage charge, which we did, with a cracking bottle of Cape Mentelle Margaret River Shiraz 2004, which was €26.99, plus an additional €5 for corkage.
To finish, we shared a lemon tart (€6.95), suitably tart, topped with creme Anglaise and little red berries, and we finished off the day with a glass each of Pineau de Charente (€8) bringing our bill with optional service to €136.89.
My trip to Wexford may not have done my waistline or pocket any good, but it sure as hell did my heart good!
L
Jacques Bistro,
Greenacres,
Selskar Street,
Wexford,
County Wexford.
Tel: (053) 912-2975 or (053) 912-3004
www.lucindaosullivan.com
- Lucinda O'Sullivan
Sunday Independent
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Jacques French Bistro
Greenacres started off, predictably enough, as a greengrocers – but that was many moons ago and this lovely bistro is now part of a Greenacres complex that includes a wine shop, deli and an impressive modern art gallery.
It’s heaven for any wine buff, with nearly 2,500 thousand bottles in the wine shop, a private tasting room and a fine wine vault. You can select from their wine list or browse through the shelves, select your choice and only pay a nominal €5 corkage for a bottle to go with your meal.
All of which hints at a wonderful dining experience courtesy of chef Jacques Carrera, who will be known to fans of Dublin’s lovely Pearl Brasserie among several distinguished kitchens he has worked in.
Set in a pedestrian area (next to another great Wexford eating place, Roberto Pons’s La Dolce Vita), you arrive through an impressive outdoor seating area, or through the wine shop; either way the entrance is very welcoming, with courteous staff ready to greet arriving guests and show you around the deli/wine area where you can admire the wonderful cheese, hams and desserts while you browse the wines and pick your bottle if you wish.
The lovely bright restaurant is almost wrapped on three sides with wines lining the walls and, together with low French music, polished wooden tables with white linen runners, fresh flowers and candles, an atmospheric scene is set.
Breads, olives and water are served smartly by very informative but relaxed staff, while you consider the tempting dishes offered on both the menu and blackboard specials – inspired by bistro cooking, perhaps, but offering creativity and finesse not normally associated with the term.
A typical meal begins with a decidedly unbistro-like amuse-bouche (cream cheese and smoked salmon with pesto, perhaps), and then starters might include beautifully cooked baked quail en croûte (about €9.50), served with a deeply flavoured black grape coulis and thyme jus and garnished with half quail eggs; or excellent baked Dublin Bay prawns in Bayonne ham with tomato coulis and garlic butter (three large prawns served on the coulis, about. €9.90).
Equally fine main courses (around €21.50) could include less usual dishes – such as a perfectly cooked grilled veal cutlet à la provençale with ratatouille and rosemary, perhaps, or an excellent rabbit dish like civet of lapin in red wine, both coming with very good side vegetables - tasty sautéed leeks, peas and carrots, perhaps, and lovely creamy mash.
Perfectly excecuted classic desserts - chocolate fondant and a traditional tarte tatin (€6.95 each) are nboth typoical - should end the meal on a high, perhaps with well made espressos (and well priced too, at €1.50 each).
Wexford is blessed with a choice of good restaurants and, with its lovely atmosphere, excellent creative cooking, outstanding wine offering, informed service and extra little treats, Jacques French Bistro is hitting a new high.
Coffee Mon-Sat, 9.30-5.30pm; L Mon-Sat 12-3pm & D Mon-Sat 6.30-10pm. Closed Sun D. Georgina Campbell
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Irish Times Review 3rd July 2010Wexford delightWexford strawberries and a classic Normandy apple pie. Yum, writes EOIN HIGGINS
‘IT CERTAINLY LOOKS like broken glass.” This is not the best thing to hear from your dining companion as you hold your glass of wine up to the light. There were foreign bodies in my Chablis Pinson 2005 (€6). Unable to determine what exactly we were looking at, I asked for an empty glass from our waiter, poured the remaining wine into it and dipped a finger in the foreign matter. It was hard, very fine, and sparkled in the light. I was still thinking, while praying to the contrary, that it could be ground glass when the manager arrived and said “Tartrates”, with a knowing smile. The more experienced oenologists among you have probably been shouting “Tartrates” too, since you began reading this. And of course you are right. These small, innocuous crystals can appear in wine unless removed through cold stabilisation in the clarifying stages. Tartrates aren’t harmful and only impact the wine visually; often they are referred to as wine diamonds by producers, and are in fact an indication that a wine may have gone through a very natural process. Once the wine situation had been cleared up, we were at our leisure to peruse the menu. Jacques French Bistro is part of Greenacres, a food hall, gallery and bistro in Wexford town. The bistro is classically French, in menu and execution. There is a pleasant terrace that was quite packed the day we were there and the restaurant is clearly child-friendly, if the amount of red-faced, happy small people milling around was any indication. Home-made chicken liver pâté a l’orange (€7.95) was good, although it was accompanied unnecessarily by pesto, sweet chutney, fresh leaves, black and green olives, sundried tomatoes, and roasted red and yellow peppers. All it really needed was a bit of toast. My companion’s Serrano ham and lentil soup (€4.95) was a wintery choice, but vibrant and flavourful. In addition to the now mystery-free Pinson Chablis, which was very good indeed, my companion’s Bordeaux Greenacres Supérieure 2005 (€5) was also good for the money. The wine list is great – a huge selection and some very interesting appellations. It is an especially nice list for fans of red Bordeaux. Braised lamb shank with garlic and thyme jus (€14.95) was the winner of the main event – a sensitively cooked piece of lamb, subtly enhanced by a light jus. My moules marinière (€12.95) was marginally less good, let down a little by late-delivered, pale chips. The mussels were very good though, as one would hope in Wexford sur mer. We took our desserts and coffees on the terrace. A good deal – any dessert with coffee for €5 – put a smile on our weary faces, as did the Wexford strawberries and cream for me, and a classic Normandy apple pie for my pal. Bravo on both counts. It took quite a while to get the bill, which is always a pain in the neck. Jacques French Bistro is great for a casual Saturday afternoon bite, with or without kids. It’s a nice alternative if the Italian stallion next door, Roberto Pons’s Dolce Vita, is jam-packed, as it usually is. A solid lunch for two with two glasses of wine came to €65.30. ehiggins@irishtimes.com
Wexford Echo: Autumn treats at Greenacres “We think Wexford is a great place in which to shop and we think that as ... and its newest addition Jacques's French Bistro under chef Jacques Carrera. ...
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