“Harte's is a local gem”, says Caroline Byrne. Barry Liscombe's cooking reads deliciously, so it can be hard to decide what it is you want to eat, but Caroline plumped for prawn pil pil – perfectly cooked prawns in olive oil with chorizo, chilli, garlic and herbs, served with warm sourdough bread – and mushroom and Cooleeney farm Daru cheese spring roll with maple-y pecan jam to start. Perfect.
And then, for mains, the eight-hour braised beef blade with cream mash and roast carrots and parsnips, and the pork rack with rich O' Haras ale gravy, winter vegetables and celeriac and bacon boxty were note perfect. To finish, a hot chocolate sundae with bourbon vanilla ice cream and crushed shortbread - the kind where you get to pour your own thick hot melted chocolate over - and a moreish Eton mess were devoured.
This is lovely cooking from an ambitious young guy who is going places, and fast. So, get yourself to Market Square in Kildare, and get a taste of this proud local gem.
