Ireland – Writing With My Mouth Full

After biking from Glencolumbkille to Maghera Beach, we drove to the small town of Ardara to take a break. Nancy’s is the ultimate Irish pub because it has been around for several generations. Its namesake is the great-grandmother of its current owner. There are hundreds of trinkets hanging around the pub, and each piece looked like it told a story of Ireland or one of the pub’s family members.

The place looked small from the outside, but as soon as I ventured out to look for the women’s bathroom, I discovered other small, more private rooms around the entire lot. Upstairs, the family’s bedrooms are open in order for a visitor to finally get to the bathroom. It felt like I trespassing, but at the same time, it also felt like home because of everyone’s hospitality at the bar.

Only in Ireland will I be asked if I fancy a pint with a plate of oysters at 1pm. Of course, I happily obliged.

Nancy’s House is in Ardara in County Donegal, Ireland.

Teach Barnai, or Barney’s House, is a family-run restaurant with an impressive menu. It feels like somebody’s home, especially when you sit by the fireplace downstairs for a pint while waiting to be seated. We were seated in the more intimate space on the second floor, and it felt like we were having our own party in our own apartment.

I was assigned to pick a bottle of wine before dinner. As soon as I selected the Gigondas, the owner and manager, Michael Carr, told me that he was going to open it right away to let it sit and air out. I knew I was going to have a good night then.

When he heard that I hailed from New York City, he showed me a photo of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Apparently, they have a vacation home a few streets down and occasionally have dinner here when they are in town. I didn’t really care about anything New York City related when I was in Ireland, so instead, I inquired about the monkfish offered on the menu.

They wrap the beautiful fish with bacon, sear it, and then finish it up in the oven for about 10 minutes. I politely made a request to take my order out of the oven after only 5 minutes. Everyone in our table had a taste and loved my monkfish’s perfect tenderness that I was told the chef, who is also Mr. Carr’s wife, might just start cooking all their monkfish that way. I ended up having the best meal in the entire restaurant, with the Gigondas like icing on the cake.

Update, 2007: Teach Barnai is on the Main Street of Kilcar in County Donegal, Ireland. When I was there in 2004, I was told that Mr. Carr’s wife was really sick and they were looking to sell the place. I haven’t heard of any other updates since then.

Category: Ireland

Where to eat in Ireland: Nancy’s House (2004 Archives)

Where to eat in Ireland: Teach Barnai (2004 Archives)