Next door to The White Gables Restaurant in Moycullen is the newly opened Enjoy, where you can buy all sorts of goodies for young, old, and everybody in between. It is the brainchild of Ann and Kevin Dunne, who have been at the helm of The White Gables restaurant for more than 20 years. The popularity of the restaurant has obviously spilled over to the new delicatessen as on opening day there were queues to get in, and that was before any advertising. On my recent visit there was a constant stream of customers in the middle of a midweek day.
First impressions with any establishment are important and there is a lovely feel to the shop when you walk in — a superb display of patisserie items, lots of home-made breads, scones and muffins. Annie Dunne’s table is the centre of the shop. This table is an old table belonging to Kevin’s mother which is getting a new lease of life in the shop as it displays all the home-made breads. The shop has the feel of one that has been open quite a while and I’m sure a lot of the credit must go to Ann who has a reputation for “doing it right or not doing it at all”.
There is a great range of food to go such as beef bourguignon and rice, €7.95 per dish, coulibiac of salmon with a choice of two side dishes, €7.50, and chicken curry with rice for €7.50. The dishes change each day and are cooked to the same recipe and with the same ingredients as if you were ordering the dishes in the restaurant. They are not pre-measured so you can nudge your server for an extra spoonful if you feel extra hungry. The price will stay the same. They will soon have the legendary White Gables half roast duck to take away complete with orange sauce, savoury stuffing, and two side dishes for €14.50.
If you like really, really good organic salad, you can buy Stephen Gould’s large bag of freshly picked oriental salad and edible flowers for €4.50. There was also a delicious celeriac salad and a carrot and raisin salad that I tasted and can recommend. You do not need a large portion as the flavours are quite concentrated.
Two of the many pastries are worth particular mention. One is a miniature bread and butter pudding wrapped in parchment and sold with a separate serving of butterscotch sauce, €2.95. The other is a chocolate mousse served in a most unusual multi-coloured chocolate cup, €3.95.
There are loads of unusual items like Michelle’s gluten free chocolate, and preserves and chutneys made by Helen Keown. I tasted the spiced tomato chutney which was gorgeous although Ann recommends the elderflower and gooseberry that should be in stock by the time you read this (the gooseberries are being picked on the day I am writing this article ). There is a cabinet full of marshmallow confections for kids, shaped into clowns and faces, plus a mini chocolate fondue that just needs to be popped into the microwave.
If you need a present for someone, just call in or ring ahead, agree a price, and Ann will have it all wrapped up in a lovely presentation pack and ready for you to pick up on your way home from work. The telephone number is (091 ) 868200.
As usual please e-mail me on [email protected] if you have any comments or suggestions.
