Good for the soul (and the stomach)

There’s more to local cuisine than just pizza, burgers and kebabs. ‘Bacon ribs,’ anyone?

Waterford is in the early stages of the great Irish food awakening that has already swept much of the island.

It’s a rare menu here that doesn’t feature burgers, kebabs and pizzas. Potatoes are omnipresent. They once appeared in place of rice on a Thai restaurant order.

That’s not to say there isn’t good food in Waterford. You just have to search for it.

On the plus side, little of it has been “re-interpreted.” This is Irish soul food — meat and fish pies, seafood chowders and fish and chips.

Perhaps most glorious is something called “bacon ribs.” These are the very short ribs from under the pork belly that have been salted like corned beef, then braised until the meat is falling off the bone and served over colcannon — potatoes mashed with kale or cabbage. Spoon over parsley sauce as they do at the Munster Bar (Bailey’s New Street, 51-874-656, themun sterbar.com, sandwiches from $8, restaurant entrees from $12.30), and it’s hard to imagine anything better on a damp Irish evening (Redundant, perhaps? Most Irish evenings are damp.)

If you’re looking for a more contemporary approach, check out the Granary Cafe (Hanover Street, 011-353-51-854-428, granary cafe.ie), a hip lunch counter attached to a school of architecture, or Grow HQ (Farronshoneen, Dunmore Road; 011-353-584-422, giy.ie /grow-hq, main dishes from $14), a garden-to-table restaurant that grows much of its own vegetables. For something a little posher, the locals love Momo (47 Patrick St., 011-353-051 581509, momorestaurant.ie, with mains from $20 to $30).

If you just want a friendly pub, you won’t have far to go. I have a soft spot for Phil Grimes Pub (60 Johnstown, 011-353-51875-759, lat.ms/phil grimespub). It has a terrific selection of local craft beers and ciders, a lively crowd, a great jukebox and a friendly publican.