Having explored the inconsistencies of eating on the train when heading from Dublin to Cork, a car journey between the cities afforded a chance to see if the road route is more consistent than the rail route.
So, we pulled off the road at north Cork, into Corbett's Court, a large Victorian building which has appeared in various guises over the years. But, ever since it was renovated last year, the main feature of Corbett's Court has been the fact that the car park always seems jammed with cars. All those N8 punters couldn't be wrong, surely?
Sadly, it seems they are. The chicken and mushroom vol-auvent ordered for lunch, along with a mineral water, came with a couple of scoops of mash, some green beans, and some carrots. There was no sign whatsoever of the vol-auvent itself, as it had been buried underneath an avalanche of chicken, mushrooms and sauce in a separate serving dish on the plate and was therefore just a soggy mess. There were no real flavours except for the carrots which were decent. I suppose one has to ask: well, what do you expect for £4.50? Well, I don't expect much for that sort of money, but I would hope that more care would be shown than had been visited on this dish. The staff, needless to say, were charming.
And returning to Cork gave a chance to try out one of the great stalwarts of the main road, the Spearman restaurant, at the top of Cashel town. Elaine Spearman and her family have done things simply and pleasingly ever since the day they opened the doors of this unassuming restaurant some years back, and the passage of time has not dimmed their ability to attend to the important details.
Bread, for example, is sweet, crumbly, home-made soda, and the butter is cut into a fine dice to make it easier to use. The menu is hand-written, and features many of their lunchtime stalwart dishes: Spearman's steakburger with fries and salad; club-style BLT with fries; open sandwiches on brown bread; penne with a tomato and fresh herb sauce with Parmesan. I ordered the creamy broccoli crepe with fries, and it was a dish to gladden the traveller's heart; the crepes light and fresh, the broccoli filling toothsome and just-so, the pair of crepes folded and then gratinated with slivers of Parmesan. The fries were state-of-the-art, and it was a perfect on-the-road lunch. The crepe cost £5.25, and was cooked and served with ultimate care.
So, Elaine Spearman and her team show just what you can expect for £5.25: care, distinctiveness, precision, attention to detail. It was so good, I scarcely even heard the couple of Christy Moore songs played while I ate.
This restaurant is a little treasure, and anyone hacking the road during the evening should note that they are open for dinner also, when the value for money and I'm sure the care and attention, is equally impressive.
The Spearman Restaurant, 97 Main Street, Cashel, Co Tipperary, tel: 062-61143.