The big breakfast scramble
The downturn in the economy has coincided with a significant rise in costs across the board, coupled with a growing perception that Irish restaurants are more expensive than their European counterparts. Henry O'Neill, chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Ireland, points out the factors contributing to the nervousness. He stresses that the cost of all of the following have increased significantly raw materials, labour, insurance, health and safety training and systems, waste disposal.
Customers are eating out less, spending significantly less and actively seeking value for money. The days of boozy, luxurious business lunches are over; customers who are spending €60 for dinner are becoming increasingly militant when they are asked to vacate their table to facilitate a second sitting. Yet the reality is that for many restaurants battling with soaring costs, it has become an economic imperative to turn the tables. There is no easy solution but flexibility and creativity would seem to be the key.
Restaurants in London and New York are also feeling the pinch. It's much easier to get a booking in the "red-hot" establishments nowadays and the receptionists are noticeably less cocky on the phone. From the customers' perspective, lunch has always been better value in the high-end restaurants same standard of cuisine at sometimes less than half the price of dinner. For the restaurateurs it keeps the tables full and helps to pay for something.
Some interesting ideas are emerging from New York. Many have gone to the wall but those who have survived the aftermath of September 11, the deepening recession and now the gloom of the war, have become even more creative. Chefs are using their skill and ingenuity with cheap cuts and less expensive ingredients to come up with delectable comforting dishes. One restaurant is doing a sandwich night on Thursday night it has become incredibly popular. But a new phenomenon which several restaurateurs mentioned to me is the emerging "new" breakfast business. Of course, New York city hotels and diners have always served breakfast and many capitalise on weekend brunches, but now all over the city breakfasts are becoming an increasingly important part of the business for many restaurants that were hitherto best known for lunch and dinner.
In the ritzy mid-town restaurant called Michael's, and other similar establishments, it's now essential to have a reservation for breakfast. The simplest explanation is economics: restaurants can fill tables that would otherwise be empty until later in the day. Scott Campbell, the chef owner of @SQC on the Upper West Side, was quite clear: "I'm paying rent around the clock, so why not take advantage of it?" For the corporate customer, economics is also an increasingly important factor a meeting over breakfast costs about one-third of the price of a business lunch and breakfast in restaurants tends to be less expensive and expansive than in posh hotels.
Breakfast at Balthazar in Soho is one of New York's best kept secrets gorgeous shirred eggs, soft boiled eggs with soldiers or plump omelettes. At Terrance Brennan's Seafood and Chop House, the waiters scramble the eggs "table-side", and offer an array of condiments including caviar. At Town, chef Zakarian tempts customers with breakfast panini and house-smoked salmon. One of my best breakfasts was at Otto, where the choice is sensibly limited and served at the counter. Freshly squeezed blood orange juice, little Italian bread rolls stuffed with mortadella and a perky mustard, or ciabatta served with a confit of pineapple or truffle, honey, mascarpone. The coffee was great and the olive oil gelato served with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, was one of the most exciting flavour combinations I've had in recent times.
But my absolute favourite new discovery was a little neighbourhood café in the Village called Ino. Owned by Jason Denton and his wife Jennifer and run by Jo Denton, Jason's brother it's tiny, with a counter and just a few chipped dark formica topped tables, and Jo's stunning photos on the wall. The simple sandwich menu runs all day and night; delicious panini and bruschetta, made from really good bread, comes from the Blue Ribbon Bakery around the corner. The juice is freshly squeezed, the coffee is great and the truffled eggs were truly sublime. I tried a variety of bruschetta with delicious toppings, including one with slices of pear with black pepper and rocket leaves and a scrummy Nutella panini.
A strata is just like a savoury bread and butter pudding, use Caherlag, Gubbeen or Ummera bacon for extra deliciousness.
4 slices day-old white bread, crusts removed
6 rashers of bacon, cut in lardons
6 large eggs, preferably free-range
12 fl oz (350ml) milk
¼ teasp salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ ½ teasp Tabasco sauce
4oz (110g) grated Coolea or Gruyere cheese
2 tablesp chopped parsley
1 tablesp chopped chives
Butter an 8 x 11 inch (20.5 x 30.5cm) lasagne dish. Arrange the slices of bread, slightly overlapping in the dish. Scatter the crispy bacon over the top. Whisk together the eggs and milk, season with salt and pepper and add Tabasco to taste. Fold in half of the grated cheese, parsley and chives.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread and bacon in the dish. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight if possible. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4. Bring strata to room temperature before baking. Bake uncovered, until set, 45-50 minutes.
Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Drop scones are quick and easy to make, the blueberries make a lovely addition.
10oz (275g) plain flour
1¾oz (45g) sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top
2 teasp baking powder
¼ teasp salt
3oz (75g) cold butter, cut into small pieces
2oz (50g) fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed if frozen
1 large egg
6 fl oz (175ml) milk
Preheat the oven to 425F (220C/gas mark 7).
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter until crumbs form.
Stir in the blueberries.
Whisk the egg and milk together in a small bowl. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork until the ingredients are moistened and bind together.
Drop the batter in heaped tablespoons, two inches apart on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and bake until golden brown for about 12 minutes.
Serve immediately.
1 egg, preferably free range
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 banana
2 slices white bread
A little clarified butter
Garnish:
1 banana
Best quality natural yoghurt, chilled
1 tablespoon roughly chopped walnuts
Maple syrup
Whisk the egg in a bowl with the milk. Add the sugar. Mash the banana well with a fork and add to the mixture. Alternatively whiz the whole lot together in a liquidiser or food processor. Pour onto a plate and dip both sides of the bread in it. Melt a little clarified butter in the pan, fry the bread on a medium heat, when golden on one side turn over onto the other. Put on a hot plate, top with sliced banana and a blob of chilled yoghurt, drizzle with maple syrup or honey and scatter with a few chopped walnuts.
Serve immediately.
450g (1lb) organic rolled oats (porridge oats)
110g (4oz) flaked almonds
50g (2oz) unsweetened coconut
50g (2oz) sunflower seeds
50g (2oz) bran
½ teaspoon cinnamon
110g (4oz) brown sugar
150ml (5 fl oz) honey
110g (4oz) dried apricots
110g (4oz) chopped raisins
2 large baking trays
Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C/gas mark 3 Mix grains, seeds and cinnamon in a large bowl. Put honey and brown sugar into a saucepan, stir and bring to boil. Add the honey mixture to the oat mixture. Mix thoroughly. Spread evenly onto the baking trays.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes so that all the pieces turn evenly golden. Allow to cool. Mix in chopped apricots and raisins. Store in an airtight jar. Serve with sliced bananas and milk.
