This month’s Foodies stop was at the infamous O’Connor’s Restaurant. I have always given O’Connors a nod of respect. The service is great. The layout and ambience is unique and festive. The bar is one of those that you want to cozy up in during a snow storm for the day into the evening. But the food, it has never blown me away. “Average” is what comes to mind each time I eat there. Not bad, not great, just “average.” Unfortunately, this time was no different.
I will say, the French Onion Soup Cratinee was out of this world great. A spin off from your traditional French onion soup, the Cratinee was full of three different onions in a stout and brandy broth, smothered with provolone, swiss and parmesan cheeses. A must try.
For my entrée I chose the Portuguese Seafood Stew. Now, some of you may be wondering why I chose a Portuguese dish at an Irish restaurant, right? Well, O’Connors actually prides itself in offering fare from around the world. In fact, when the owner Brendan joined us to share the story of O’Connors, he emphasized his pride in offering not just Irish food, but foods you would find throughout Europe and the states. So, I decided to venture off the beaten trail and try something new. The dish was served with a bounty of seafoods including scallops, shrimp, salmon, haddock and mussels, mixed with potatoes and rice pilaf in a tomato and clam sauce. Unfortunately, I felt the dish never went anywhere. A lot of food with no direction in flavor. I do regret, but once again “average” is all I could come up with. I’m sure I’ll be back to O’Connors. There is something special about this place and maybe at some point I will find it in the food.