Mitchel House Restaurant, Mitchel Street, Thurles, is the first Tipperary restaurant to introduce a Tapas Menu .
Tapas Menu At Mitchel House.
The word “Tapas” is derived from the Spanish verb tapar meaning “to cover”. Indeed the word “Tapa” in Spanish means “lid” or “cover”.
There are possibly several explanations for why it has come to denote a type of food:-
• A commonly cited explanation is that an item, be it bread or a flat card, etc., would often be placed on top of a drink to protect it from fruit flies; at some point it became a habit to top this “cover” with a snack.
• It is also commonly said that since one would be standing while eating a tapa in traditional Spanish bars, they would need to place their plates on top of their drinks in order to eat, making it a top.
• Another popular explanation says that the King Alfonso XII stopped by a famous venta (inn) in Cádiz (Andalusian city) where he ordered a cup of sherry. The waiter covered the glass with a slice of cured ham before offering it to the king, to protect the wine from the blowing beach sand, as Cádiz is a windy place. The king, after drinking the wine and eating the tapa, ordered another sherry “with the cover.”
How Best To Partake Of The Tapas Menu At Mitchel House
First piece of advice I will offer is to use a simple approach and order what you want when you want it.
If you are a party of four persons, the most popular way is to order four different dishes to have placed on your table for all to taste and share. Consumers of tapas food are usually people who enjoy good food and wine combined with good conversation in a relaxed unhurried atmosphere and like to try out new dishes. You may then follow with individual dishes for a 2nd or indeed 3rd course and also remember you can always order your dessert from their vast à la carte dessert menu.
Included on the Traditional Tapas Menu at Mitchel House are:-
Patatas Bravas. (Deep fried Potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and garlic mayonnaise.)
Mejillones a la Marinera. (Steamed Mussels with garlic white wine sauce topped with cream.)
Albondigas. (Spanish style meatballs (100% Irish Beef) in a tomato sauce. My personal favourite.)
Pollo al Ajillo. (Roasted Chicken wings in Caramelized garlic, olive oil and herbs.)
Chorizo Castellana. (Hot spicy Spanish sausages with crab apple jelly.)
Ensalada. (Mixed salad with toasted pine nuts, tomatoes, apricots and Cashel blue cheese.)
Mitchel House also offer their own style Tapas food which includes:-
Crab Meat, Sweetcorn and Rice Cakes served with tomato mayonnaise.
Grilled Marinated Beef served with rocket salad and Parmesan cheese.
Fresh Cod in a beer batter with tartare sauce.
Chicken and Wild Mushroom Terrine with marinated red onions.
Portobello Mushrooms with garlic, onion and smoked cheese.
All of the above dishes come keenly priced at just between €6.00 and €7.50 per portion.
Tapas food without wine is like an egg without salt and Mitchel House boasts the finest stocked wine cellar in Tipperary. Try their Moscato Passito (Denominazione Di Origine Controllata.) So its Italian and not Spanish, who cares, it’s just so perfect with mature cheese dishes or any dessert.
Give it a try and remember reservations for the Mitchel House Restaurant can be booked by:-
Phone: 0504-90776
E-Mail Here: mitchelhouse@eircom.net
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