In Raleigh Lyn is eager to try new flavors, back home in Maryland I think she is more of a meat-and-potato gal. Irregardless has evolved since its founding in 1975; Arthur Gordon, the owner-chef, was vegetarian and so was his restaurant. Now, however, his menu is far more varied, among the entrées eleven dishes were strictly vegetarian, six featured fish, and eight focused on lamb, chicken, duck, or beef. All three of us took the vegetarian route, partly because the items were so intriguing, and partly because they were also less expensive, though I found it hard to pass up lamb lollipops, or duck. Meat dishes average $23 each, fish $25, while herbivorous specialties are only $17 each. . Irregardless runs its own Well Fed Community Garden, but even when not using its own produce, it strives to serve locally sourced meat, fish and vegetables.
Like my favorite pair of shoes, the décor is a bit scuffed around the edges but oh so comfortable. Nothing Arthur couldn’t fix with a good shinning. I’m so glad we called ahead, by 5:30, the restaurant was filled. Couples predominated though there were a few larger groups, all from across the generational spectrum. Musicians played in the background, it was truly a sweet atmosphere.
As a former English teacher, I still get miffed by the name. Though “irregardless” is dictionary listed as a recent dialectical addition, the preferred word is “regardless.” And so, regardless of my syntactic bias, I do love this restaurant, partly because of the food, and even more so because of the people and their stories. Raleigh can be a bit homogeneously bland; Irregardless is eclectic.
Arthur the owner in his beret regularly visits tables; on our first visit he sat with us for over 20 minutes telling story after story, Anya. his wife, came over and listened as Rhonda poured out her current situation, Dodge, the general manager has his own special history(1) and one of my all-time favorites, Aaron Squires, our waiter and bar tender, regaled us with his knowledge of liquors.
Aaron's martinis are a work of art. This night he and I experimented with glazing (2). When I asked him for suggestions, he bubbled with enthusiasm and suggested I try Domaine de Canton, a ginger liqueur, he even brought out a sample for us to try. Wow. Vivian and Lyn liked it straight up. Its addition to my martini provided two major changes, first was the very sophisticated hint of ginger, and second was how easily it took the edge off the gin, without sacrificing the wonderful juniper fragrances.
Lyn tried the Irregardless version of a “Dark and Stormy” made with Canton. I’d first heard of this drink in the novels of Nelson de Mille, sited on the Gold Coast of Long Island, not the new-rich Gatsby peninsula, but the old rich of Locust Valley and Centre Island. I could picture coming from my large sailing yacht and relaxing on the porch of the great Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club, sipping my Dark and Stormy, while staring out at Long Island Sound alongside the Doubledays, duPonts, Roosevelts, and Vanderbilts. Though a thirst quenching summer highball, however, it was not so great with dinner.
For my second martini, Aaron recommended a glazing with Cointreau – also fine, and also smooth, but not quite as exotic as the Canton.
Having had two martinis, I was happy with the arrival of bread: homemade herb bread and muffins, made with finely ground white corn. Both real treats.
On our previous visit, we had ordered seafood cakes for the table, tasty but with an all-in-the-blender texture; the accompanying cilantro coleslaw however was delightful. My Shepherd’s Pie, yes vegetarian, was a casserole layered with spinach, sliced carrots, caramelized onions, fennel, braised cabbage, mashed potatoes, and bulgur wheat in a medium of steamed pomegranate, topped by short crust pastry and served with miso gravy. It’s as good as it sounds. Our other two entrées included Vegan Sex and Lentil Cakes, the latter actually being the high light of the evening. We shared dessert, an excellent apple crisp.
Eager to try more on the menu, Lyn ordered acorn squash stuffed with wild rice, lentils, pumpkin seeds set astride a bed of black beans and roasted beets and an adjacent bed of white beans and roasted pineapple. The squash was fine, but the double beds were engagingly terrific. Vivian selected vegan and gluten free lasagna made with soft polenta cakes, béchamel, and a variety of root vegetables. Vivian enjoyed it; I would have preferred the polenta cakes to have a bit more texture. I enjoyed my “scallops,” actually grilled oyster mushrooms served over a mushroom risotto. The oyster mushrooms were fun because they looked much like real scallops, but the real pleasure was the mushroom risotto.
For all food adventurers, and particularly for those who delight in vegetables, Irregardless is worth the visit. While there, be sure to meet Arthur, Anya, Dodge, Maggie, and/or Aaron. Enjoy!
Irregardless Café is located at 901 West Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC. 919 833 8898. www.irregardless.com
2- More on this in a future blog.
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