Italian dream
After 13 years as manager of the fabulous Farmgate Cafe in the English Market, Mirco Fondrini has now planted his own flag, says Lucinda O’Sullivan, who visited his contemporary Italian osteria, Da Mirco, in Cork city
Cork may be all puffed up and delighted with its new Michelin star at Takashi Miyazaki’s tiny ichigo ichie restaurant on Fenns Quay, but the fact of the matter is that very few new restaurants have been opening in the city. It seems rather odd, seeing as we’re back in boom times, as it were, and it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the new restaurants opening in Dublin every week.
All of the Cork foodie activity has been in west Cork and, with Michelin giving its imprimatur to The Mews in Baltimore, and Rob Krawczyk at Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob; and Eddie Attwell being a hot name to watch at the Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff, this is really only the beginning for this burgeoning culinary triangle. Success breeds success, as other chefs now rush to seek out opportunities and events in the area.
A modern classic
Meanwhile, on my way to west Cork to check out happenings, I paid a visit to Da Mirco, an Italian osteria, now in the former Star Anise premises on Bridge Street. It may be a new Italian restaurant in the city, but the eponymous Mirco Fondrini, who hails from northern Italy, is a familiar face to many, as he was the manager of the renowned Farmgate Cafe in the English Market for 13 years.
A traditional Italian osteria serves simple food and good wine. Da Mirco does all of that in a contemporary space. We had a long drive down, checked into the fabulous Hayfield Manor Hotel, and taken a taxi to Bridge Street, so I was definitely in the market for a ‘reviver’. They had a lovely list of aperitivi (€8/€9) — Campari, Vermouths, Aperol, et al. A Negroni Sbagliato — Campari, Martino Rosso, Prosecco (€9), proved to be the drink of my dreams. I savoured it for ages, with a bowl of mixed olives (€3), as the poor waiter went back and forth looking for our order.
Premium pastas
The menu is concise, and the prices are great. Antipasti included medium and large plates of charcuterie and cheeses at €15/€25. Bruschetta, plain, with garlic extra-virgin olive oil was €4; or with fresh tomatoes, basil and green olive pate was €7. My friend kicked off with a tortino di
baccala (€9), a robust, tasty and filling square of baked potato cake, incorporating a cod mousse. I had
ravioloni (€8.50), pictured below left, which are larger pasta parcels than the usual ravioli squares. Featherlight and silky, this trio of pillows were enhanced with Gorgonzola and walnuts, and served on a light tomato sauce — they were absolutely delicious.
Pasta is king here — it’s not a pizza world — with a couple of daily specials including fish, meat or chicken. Three pasta dishes could be had for one or two people; the portion for one is €13/€13.50, and double portions are €24/€25, making it a couple of euro cheaper if two opt for it. Tagliatelle with vodka and organic smoked salmon lost out to tagliatelle
al ragu bianco for my friend, while I chose casarecce alla puttanesca. Tagliatelle with a mixed-meat white ragu (€13.50), had a rich and edgy taste, enhanced by the addition of Italian sausage and pancetta to minced beef (white ragu is a sauce made without tomatoes). Puttanesca sauce is basically tomato sauce with garlic, capers, olives and anchovies; there’s not much cooking involved, and it’s traditionally attributed to the ladies of the night, who would rustle up a quick
spaghetti alla puttanesca before getting back to business! Da Mirco’s version had capers and olives (€13.50), with anchovies for €1 extra. It was a whopping bowl with tons of everything, plus chilli on the side.
Class by the glass
Desserts and cakes were €5-€7, and included tiramisu and affogato —a scoop of gelato with a shot of espresso — or, if you prefer, in Marsala. It’s rather nice to be able to have a little shot, as it were, of Vin Santo or Marsala at €2.50 (a large one is €5.50), which my friend did with her salame di cioccolato with Chantilly cream (€5.50) — which was also the perfect chocolate fix. My medium cheeseboard (€8.50) from Lombardy — available in a large size at €13 — was just fabulous, with Taleggio, Capra Val Bregaglia, Casera and Bitto cheeses, as well as a slice of salami, chutney, walnuts and little circular hooped
taralli biscuits. Da Mirco does wine by the 70ml taster glass; 150ml glass; 250ml carafes; and, of course, the bottle — it’s all just so civilised. With a bottle of organic Sicilian Masseria del Feudo Inzolia DOC 2017 (€35), two coffees (€5.50) and service, our bill came to €125.
“My aperitif proved the drink of my dreams. I savoured it for ages with a bowl of mixed olives while the waiter went looking for our order”