A special of queen-cut roast prime rib ($18) was grilled like a steak, but tasted and cut like fine roast beef, and the mashed potatoes and peas on the side would please the old Dorchester crowd, should they amble in. Likewise, the fish and chips ($13) are made with a nice filet of cod or haddock, crisp and lightly battered, with a full plate of fantastic French fries, and a fresh, creamy cole slaw.
The Blarney Stone has a short but quality wine list, all less than $30 a bottle. There are also high-quality draught beers — this claims to be the original US site of draught Guinness — including such untraditional selections as Maine’s Sea Dog Bluepaw ($5), a wild-blueberry wheat ale. This is a light summer brew with a hint of berry flavor, here served with floating fresh blueberries.
Three desserts were offered on each of our visits, of which chocolate cake ($7) is the molten kind, with unimpressive vanilla ice cream. Coconut panna cotta ($6) is served in an ice-cream dish, which doesn’t show off the shimmy of the panna cotta, but the flavor and the light, gelatinous texture are quite good, and a topping of toasted coconut and berries seals the deal.
Service at the Blarney Stone is decent, especially considering that it’s quite loud and hard to hear what customers order. The dining room is sort of an L shape, to the right of the bar and pool tables, but there’s no barrier to noise, and we were seated once in a back booth (loud) and once at a high table near the front (quite loud). There are good views of the TVs, which are tuned to sports, so you can check the game as you eat. Atmosphere on my two visits ran to a young crowd, dressed pretty well. Word has spread that this neighborhood bar is now a neighborhood restaurant as well.
Robert Nadeau can be reached at RobtNadeau@aol.com.
