St Patrick's Day
Reporter: Jon Sivewright
Eating Out Competition
May the luck of the Irish be with you for this week’s Eating Out Competition. Sydney Weekender is giving away a meal for two at the Royal Oak Restaurant AND PJ Gallagher’s at Parramatta. So get your four leaf clover out and call 1902 55 77 08 for your chance to win. M.NET 55 cents max call cost. Mobile phones extra.
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It’s that time of the year when people don themselves in green and drink a lot of Guinness – yes, it’s St Patrick’s Day and we’re headed to a couple of Sydney’s best Irish pubs...out of the city – The Mean Fiddler in Rouse Hill and PJ Gallagher’s at Parramatta.
Mean Fiddler
This is a bit of an icon of the North Western suburbs of Sydney.
It’s a bit of a Mecca all weekend for those coming in from the rural areas of the surrounding Hills District as well as those from the suburban Castle Hill, Blacktown and beyond. The Mean Fiddler has been entertaining these locals since 1826 and it’s had a major makeover – it’s much more than just a pub now.
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The Irish pub is still there but the cook-your-own-steaks are gone. Instead, they’ve got 3 dining options – shearers bar menu, bistro menu & fine dining in the fancy restaurant that looks like it belongs amongst the elite of Hunter Valley restaurants.
Sundays are one of their biggest days of the week and people flood in for lunch where they serve up to 1500 people…now, that’s a lot of steak!
This place has families covered on Sundays because while Dad is chowing down on a perfectly cooked steak, the kids can feed the farm animals in the animal farm that is now a Sunday regular. As well, on Sundays, there’s the Cobb & Co coach that takes families around for a ride.
Then there’s the cute little Irish pub lined with all the Irish memorabilia. Attached to the original Cobb & Co. refreshment station house and dating back to the early 1900’s, this pub must be seen to be believed! Parisian 1880’s chandelier, a village church pulpit and sunken Irish fiddle displays are just a few of the artefacts to be found whilst exploring this bar.
Finally there’s The Royal Oak Restaurant. This is their fine dining restaurant. It’s been architecturally designed and spills out on to some nice outdoor pergola areas dripping with vines – very pretty!
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Some of the dishes you may find on the menu:
Irish Pub
- Beef & Guinness Pie
Lunch
Entrées
- Baked tomato tart with Milawa goats cheese and caramel balsamic, basil oil
- Warm salad of Gaulston quail, crispy lardons, and figs with walnut dressing
Mains
- Pan fried Barramundi with Hawkesbury squid and lemon and avo dressing
- Beef from the ageing room & rotisserie with a side of roasted chat potatoes with garlic and thyme
- Succulent pig on the rotisserie
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More Information
The Mean Fiddler
Cnr Commercial & Windsor Road, Rouse Hill Telephone: (02) 9629 4811
The Royal Oak Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Sunday and mains start at $27. You can also drop in for high tea all day on Sunday and Monday. |
Prices correct as at 15/03/08
PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub Parramatta
PJ Gallagher’s is about as genuine as Irish pubs get outside of Ireland with everything from the walls to the bric-a-brac imported from Ireland. It has been designed to give Sydney-siders a unique Irish pub experience. Bar snacks include traditional dishes like Steak & Guinness pie, Irish Stew and Kilkenny battered fish and chips.
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The pub features five themed areas – an old Irish shop, Celtic style, traditional brewing, old Irish Cottage, and Irish Victorian period.
PJ Gallagher’s executive chef Ronny Ghantous has created a modern Australian menu that distinguishes itself as sophisticated pub dining. Tasty dishes such as the Salt & Pepper Squid served with roast peanut dipping sauce, King Prawn Risotto, gourmet wood-fire pizzas ranging from the interesting Dublin Bay to Classic Margherita and prime Char-Grilled Steak accompanied by Shoe String Fries never cease to impress the local community and diners from afar.
First opened in 1999, PJ Gallagher’s offers a modern twist on the traditional pub, combining state-of-the-art facilities with a warm and homely feel. Recent renovations present a new bar, restaurant, outdoor and function areas that can cater to large groups or for intimate dinners. Reflecting its motto of “Bia Maith, Fion Maith, Ceol Maith” (“Good Food, Good Wine, Good Music”), PJ Gallagher’s is a high-spirited venue filled with constant merriment and cheer that exudes fun Irish charm.
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Some of the dishes you may find on the menu:
Mains
- Burgundy Braised Lamb Shanks PJ’s signature dish; tender lamb shanks braised for 6 hours! Served with chat potato & vine ripened tomatoes and crusty bread
- King Island Sirloin 250g Pasture fed, Kind Island beef (situated in Bass Straight, where the air is the cleanest in the world!) Served with colcannon potatoes and finished with a Jameson Irish Whisky jus (ONLY featured on the special St Paddy’s Day menu)
- Bangers & Mash Pork Sausages, creamy mash potato & a smoked tomato chutney
- Steak & Guinness Pie Garden fresh peas & creamy potato mash
Desserts
- Chocolate, orange and Guinness cake served with a Baileys Irish Cream Anglaise (ONLY featured on the special St Paddy’s Day menu)
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More Information
PJ Gallagher’s Irish Pub Parramatta
74 Church St, Parramatta Telephone: (02) 9635 8811
Mains are from $15. Open 7 days |
Prices correct as at 15/03/08