Surely, you recall Cafe Gusto and Liberty Grill – owned and operated by Denis and Marianne, whom Steffie and I conversed with via Twitter months prior to our trip, right? Of course you remember. Electric is the latest endeavor the restaurateur duo has tackled. An impressive space situated on the banks of the River Lee, right around the bend from Grand Parade, Electric can seem a bit, well, non-traditional. Not too surprising since it was built by the O’Shea brothers from Chicago, who used the Art Deco movement as their major influence for Electric’s 1933 design.
The downstairs bar offers great morning pick me ups from tea, coffee, scones, pastries, and other sweet treats. Perfect for my introduction to Electric, which I ventured to on a Tuesday mid-morning to join in on the Tuesday Tweet Meet. Spotting me straightaway, Denis briefly parted with his meeting for a hug and welcome, then made sure I had some fresh, hot herbal tea soon at my table to warm me up as I updated my travel journal and waited for fellow Tweeters to show up.
Peppermint Tea
Electric employs the use of teas by Java Republic, an Irish company whose fair trade coffee and Organic Trust certified teas have been recognized by numerous green committees and organizations.
Scone with cream and jam (€2)
Scone with cream and jam (€2)
Just look at that fluffy piece of perfection. I’m not one for raisins or sultanas, but when placed inside such an exemplary baked good such as this fresh scone, I can’t ever imagine my life without them. The cream, also made in-house, provided the ideal mate with its light-as-a-cloud texture and creamy, slight sweetness. The preserves are also a nice accompaniment, but I prefer the pureness of just scone and cream.
You don’t have to take my word for it, though, seeing as Electric’s scones made the short-list of Goodall’s Best Scone Search.
The following Tuesday Tweet Up (I really miss those, by the way) I decided to partake in lunch, which the downstairs bar area offers in the form of soup and sandwiches made daily. While the upstairs dining room is a bit more formal and reservations are encouraged, the ground floor bar/cafe is a very casual area perfect for a leisure mid-morning/early afternoon. Knowing my time in Cork was tight and I would not have another Tuesday to indulge in either soup or sandwich, I ordered the soup and 1/2 sandwich combo.
Soup and 1/2 Sandwich (€6.80)
Butternut Squash Soup (I think!)
I think the internet ate my notes on this lunch because for the life of me I cannot find them. Somewhere in the chasm of my memory, however, I seem to recall the soup being squash related. It certainly has the dark amber color of butternut squash soup, though I think it may have been a combination of squash and something else. It doesn’t matter, though, because it was delicious. Memories of a rich, well seasoned and multi-layered flavor are invoked when I think back on it.
Rare Beef Sandwich
I see “rare beef” as a sandwich option throughout Ireland, and after quickly realizing this is synonymous with roast beef sandwich here in the USA, made sure to order this sandwich at Electric as it was a step up from its peers with the addition of caramelized onions, arugula and red peppers. A solid bread with a nice crust keeps all of the goodly innards together.
While I was able to return to Electric for a Sunday brunch (more on that later) I will have to wait until my next visit to Cork to experience dinner. As it is, though, Electric and I started off on the right foot. Between the lovely new friends I met through Tweet Meet Tuesday, the welcoming familiarity of Denis and Marianne’s signature friendliness, the open atmosphere filled with natural light, and the tasty food, I don’t hesitate to recommend Electric to locals, expats and visitors alike.
ELECTRIC
41 SOUTH MALL
CORK | IRELAND
[T] +353 21 4222 990
http://www.electriccork.com/
Ground Bar opens: 10.00
Lunch: 12.00-5.00
Dinner: Sun-Wed 5.00pm – last orders 9.00pm | Thur-Sat 5.00pm – last orders 10.00pm
Sunday Brunch: 12.00pm-3.00pm
