Tasting at Mahony's

Mahony & Sons has been opened for a few months now, and I finally got to try them for dinner last week! It's an Irish pub with a huge variety of other cuisines. Would you believe they have Thai Chicken Curry and Italian Thin Crust Pizzas too? 

The day we visited was an insanely cold day, so we all started off with their French Onion Soup. It's a hot tasty concoction of Guinness (it IS an Irish pub after all!) & onion broth. There is also chunks of gammon bacon (made from the hindlegs/rump) in there, add extra depth and richness to the soup. And to top it all off, there is a crusty bread dunked into the soup and then smothered with cheese and broiled. This was really  good and perfect way to start the meal and warm the tummy!

Here is a shot of the Mahony Platter. It's loaded with tons of the usual bar favourites and also some things that are not your average Appy Platter. Sauces are Honey Mustard, Tzatziki and something that seemed more like sour cream than anything else. Feel free to mix and match! 

The Calamari is lightly breaded, and served with Tzataki and a sprinkle of red onion. The pieces are nice and small, a perfect bite-size portion. The calamari was cooked just enough, with a crispy breading and a nice chewy centre.

Next up were the ribs and wings. Now this is more like the appy platter you'd find at other sports bars. The wings were nice a spicy, with a cayenne rub. They were juicy and slightly wet with just a hint of stickiness. These were big meaty wings and drummettes, and really finger-licking good. The ribs were flavoured with a dry spice rub and cooked to a meaty crispness. A great meat-to-bone ratio here.

One unexpected favourite were the Fresh Cooked Potato Chips. I didn't really know what to expect, I think I was expecting potato wedges or chunky potatoes. But what came to the table was actually thinly sliced potatoes, deep fried to a crisp, but with a soft and tender inside. These were just lightly salted but that's all the flavouring it needed. I could definitely eat all of these, and more!  

Also on the platter is the Focaccia Parmesan Bread...sliced into triangles, and richly flavoured with the parmesan, this was chewy and yummy! The Chicken Tenders were breaded with Panko, making it very light. I really liked these with the Honey Mustard Sauce.

We also tried the Mahi Mahi Tacos...loaded with fish and greens, this actually seemed healthier than anything else we tried. This is a great way to eat light, and if you're looking to share something as an appy? One of these for two people would be great.

We also tried two items off their Fall Menu...the first to arrive was the Truffle Mushroom Poutine. Ladled with gravy and cheese curds, this was an extraordinary poutine. I'm used to the usual cheese curd and "brown" sauce, but I have to admit, the addition of Truffles and Mushroom really elevates the dish. But be warned, this is definitely a main course meal, and not a simple side dish.

The other Fall Menu item I tried is their Paddy's Turkey Dip. This is Thanksgiving Dinner in a bun! There's stuffing, cranberry sauce with actual chunks of cranberries, all topped with slices of turkey (dark and white meat!) Oh, and you need to have that side of gravy for dipping! The bread really makes the dish, a nice yeasty and chewy bread quite similar to a baguette. You need a substantial bread to hold all this goodness in, and this one is up for the job!

One dish we were given to try was their Seared Jumbo Prawns. There are two versions of this available, one is a Thai curry sauce, but the one we tried was topped with a Moroccan style seasoning. You really do taste the cumin and turmeric spices in this dish, and they are heavier than in Middle Eastern cuisine, but that's the way it should be. 

They have a Mahony Sundae Sampler...we started off with the Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae, made with vanilla gelato and topped with yummy strawberries! This was refreshing and very good

Another sundae we tried is the Chocolate Sundae, with the same vanilla gelato, but this time, topped with a Frangelico chocolate sauce, more strawberries , nuts and even some caramel for good measure.

The last sundae I tried was the Coconut Mango Gelato Sundae. I'm not a fan of coconut but I'm a huge fan of mango...and in gelato form? Oh yes, you bet I'm trying this. The sundae is topped with pineapple and some pecans. Nice and light, this ended up being my favourite dessert of the night! 

Here is a shot of all three sundaes together and yes, those are our leftovers behind them. We totally over ordered, as usual. Funny thing? We polished off the desserts though!  So next time you're in the Coal Harbour area and looking for a casual bite, give Mahony and Sons a try. They have a large menu and with a wide variety of items suitable for groups!