When I think about an Irish Pub, my thoughts fly to Galway Bay and dive into a bitter Guinness drunk amongst the voracious laughter of friends. I think of curious adventures in a fishermanâs wood paneled pub.
I truly believed that an Irish pub outside Irelandâs borders is as fake as a trip to a comfortable holiday camp in the middle of nowhere. But in town there are those who are trying to do their best to recreate a genuine Eireâs atmosphere, and the result is appreciable, especially from the culinary point of view.
Waxy OâConnorâs, which was built around a 255-year-old tree that died in Ireland and was replanted inside The Printworks half a decade ago, offers good pub food and some affordable priced Irish dishes.
My colleague and I visited at lunch time. The clever staircase which goes across four different levels and connects three bars and nine separate areas took us down safely to the dining room. Presented with the menus, we picked up Seafood chowder (£3.95) from the Small plates menu and Irish stew (£6.10) from the Mainsâ one. The orders took more than a while to arrive and our anxious feeling of expectation was shared by the few people sat at the restaurant area. Fortunately Jessica and I are also good friends and had the opportunity to engage in an entertaining girly chat.
Once served, we decided to divide the unexpected huge portions equally. The Seafood chowder -a creamed broth of Atlantic shellfish and fillets - was rich and the fresh baked Irish soda bread with which it was served made it a delicious dish, ideal when itâs chilly outside. The Irish stew â Irish lamb stewed with carrots, swede, potatoes and fresh herbs â was perhaps a bit too dry and bitter. The idea of serving it in a conic bowl made dunking the soda bread a bit difficult.
Slightly disappointed about that â I am a big fan of soda bread, however it is served - I had a curious look at the plates of my fellow diners. The Donegal salmon (£6.95, pictured) â grilled fillet of salmon served on a bed of Mediterranean vegetables with new potatoes and a balsamic sauce â looked charmingly appetizing and their faces pacific and satisfied. Good sign.
We heard that chef also recommends the mussels (a small plate for £4.50 or a main for £6.95) which are steamed in white wine, tossed in either basil and shallot cream or tarragon and garlic sauce and served with fresh stone baked Irish soda bread. âFresh mussels from the Irish west coast, predominantly Galway Bayâ?.
Next time Iâll try them. Iâm going to visit Waxy Oâ Connorâs again on a Thursday or a Sunday night, when the Irish band plays. They might sing âMolly Maloneâ? and I might feel closer to my memories.
Manchester should be proud of its Irish connection and of every attempt to make Irish traditions as close as possible.
Morena Trolese
Waxy OâConnorâs
The Printworks
Corporation Street
Manchester
M4 2BS
0161 835 1210
mailto:[email protected]
www.waxyoconnors.co.uk