The Grove is a well-regarded inner city restaurant with a very pleasant location on St. Patrick's Square. Its dinner menu gained 4.5 stars in Cuisine magazine’s latest awards so we thought it would be interesting to see how its businessman’s lunch rated. The cellar at The Grove is consistently highly rated (Owner and sommelier Michael Dearth) so we were happy to be guided by them in a selection of out-of-the-ordinary wines. Ben Bayly is the Head Chef and has a growing reputation so there were reasonably high expectations.
The entrée consisted of three tortellini stuffed with goat ricotta and set on a base of medjool dates pureed with Earl Grey tea and served with buttered, slivered almonds. The tortelleni were cooked to perfection and the whole dish had a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. The wine was Mas Candi Desig Xarel-lo Penedès 2009 fromSpain, a self-effacing offering, light, nicely balanced, that did nothing to divert or detract from the delicate food. Xarel-lo often produces powerful, stronger flavoured wines so this was a careful selection.
The fish main was a perfectly cooked hapuku (groper) accompanied by soft leeks, chick peas and octopus in gremolata, wonderful, unctuous mix that encouraged eye- rolling and murmurs of appreciation. It was served with Adrien Vacher La Sasson 2010. This was a Vin de Savoie, probably Jacquère, or possibly Chardonnay grapes but in any event a crisp, lighter bodied wine which let the food speak for itself. Both the white wines selected showed themselves to be excellent food wines, showcasing the dishes to perfection.
Those that selected the meat main received a dish that was an equal of the fish in every way. Wildred deerfillet was served with poached quince, celeriac tart and venison sausage. At first sight the meat appeared excessively rare but it melted in the mouth and the whole dish was a most satisfying amalgam of flavours. The wine was fromRoussillon, a Marie-Gabrielle Syrah/Grenache 2009, another excellent food wine that fitted perfectly with the venison and without the assertiveness of many local wines.
This restaurant doesn’t rest on its laurels when it comes to dessert. We were treated to a superb passionfruit soufflé served in the passionfruit shells with crème fraîche sorbet and Milkybar sauce. The sauce added little but the soufflé was a wicked flavour explosion that rounded off the meal beautifully.
“Lucky businessmen” was the thought as we walked out into the sunlit square.
Please view the menu here.