Hartsyard. I had been wanting to experience this American haven of artery-clogging goodness for a while, and it was finally time. I had prepped myself by not eating all day. My stomach was a cavernous pit, ready to be filled. Daryl, my hot date, was running late due to the mayhem of catching a bus in peak hour, so I decided to order a cocktail whilst I waited. I knew it would be an evening packed with meat, so why not start with a bacon infused Manhattan, garnished with a strip of crunchy, sweet, bacon? When Daryl arrived, he found this hysterical as he has known me as a vegetarian for so long, the fact I’m now drinking meat was completely absurd.
After consulting with the fellas opposite us on the community table who had eaten their way through nearly the entire menu, we ordered the Salmon Cooked in the Jar, the Pulled Pork and the Lamb Ribs. Be still my beating heart… but not too still… danger!
The Salmon Cooked in the Jar comes with creme fraiche, sorrel and cornichon, and you pile up flakes of this divinely soft, orange flesh onto slices of rye bread. The serving size is generous and this would be a completely satisfying portion for one person as a main.
The Pulled Pork arrives as a meaty brick surrounded by greens, turnip and pot likker (the broth which vegetables or meat have been cooked in). The pork is fantastic; hearty and rustic and so tasty. Daryl is loving it, and finished off the monumental serve with gusto. Bravo!
The Lamb Ribs are done in a sweet and sticky bbq mustard glaze and come with cornbread and pickled peppers… I wonder if they’re from the peck Peter Piper picked? These ribs are astoundingly good: succulent and oh so fatty. Almost too fatty. We wear our beards of grease like a medal and the party next to us notice our delight. The serve is of Flintstones proportion, you know where the bronto ribs topple the car in the credits? There is no way we can plough through these babies. With an entree and two mains, we had ordered enough food for about four people. We offer the remainder of the ribs to the people next to us and they devour them. I love the community at this restaurant!
Of course, we have to do dessert, but we opt to share, and thank goodness we did, as the sundae that is placed before us is the size of a head. It’s a Peanut Butter + Banana Sundae with pretzel ice cream, banana doughnut and salted fudge. It is quite simply, the mother of all sundaes and completes this gut-bustingly good feed perfectly.
The wait staff were very friendly and the restaurant has a great buzz to it. They take reservations but save a few spots for walk-ins. I’d recommend booking though as we were very lucky to get straight in. For $50 a head, we had so much food, that next time, you could get a way with spending $30 a head and still being utterly gorged. Halfway through the meal, I’d removed my waist-cinching belt, and I struggle out the door in my shapeless muumuu, so full I can barely breathe.
