The Mixed Grill Experience

Due to the power of modern technology I am posting today from Starbucks in Piccadilly Square in Manchester. I have been working here for the entire day and have literally been through the entire menu with caramel hot chocolate being the latest. The good thing is that if I miss my aeroplane back to Ireland later the amount of caffeine I have consumed will enable me to swim across the Irish Sea instead.

The blog has been quiet for a couple of days and I would love to say it was down to hard work but it was actually due to the fact that I was playing golf on the beautiful Mount Juliet Course near Kilkenny in Ireland. The game of golf included a free meal which after a 7 mile trek I was looking forward to immensely. To my surprise an old classic that has totally gone out of fashion appeared on the menu, The Mixed Grill. Now just the name brings back memories of an age gone by with old smelly hotels from the 80s springing to mind. The Mixed grill was as much a mainstay on menus of the past as risotto, eggs Benedict and sundried tomatoes are abundant in our restaurants and bistros these days. Despite other exciting choices on the menu I thought I would dip my feet back into the water and see if it had somehow evolved into the new and improved Mixed Grill of 2008.

The good news is that it has! I'm not sure if it was the novelty or the plush surroundings or the fact that I had walked half way across Ireland but I needed a real mans dinner and that is what I got! Stick your sundried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and slow roasted peppers up your arse; I want lamb chop, slow roast shoulder of pork, bacon, sausage, fried egg, and lots of bread all on the one plate from now on! It was a plate full of meat, it was hot, it arrived promptly and it did exactly what it said on the tin! I must commend such a prestigious hotel and their chef for having the balls to put something so outdated on their menu and making it a huge success. Even though I wouldn't eat a mixed grill everyday of the week I just wish more chefs would cook classics like that instead of hiding behind their bottle of walnut and coriander oil. Am off to get some sort of coffee flavoured lunch now!