In an era of faceless coffee shop chains, high rents and general uncertainty for smaller businesses, its important more than ever to shop and support local. Olive Cafe and Deli in Skerries was on my agenda on a hungover Saturday morning. After way too many pints the night before in another local spot The Snug, I decided I’d drag myself out of bed in search of a local breakfast. I’ve been to Olive many times and in general its quite busy. This Saturday was no different. We did however manage to bag a table outside on the terrace.
The menu is a mix of bagels, sourdough toast, granola, porridge, smoothies and croissants. Hangovers for me mean bacon. I opted for the bagel with cream cheese (€3.95) and added bacon from Mc Carthys (€2.50). Henry opted for the breakfast burrito (€7.95).
One of the touches on the menu which I particularly like is that they list exactly where all of their food items come from. Not only that, it’s not tiny little writing as an after thought, it’s displayed loud and proud, just as it should be. Where possible Olive is also supporting local business in Skerries for their baked goods and meat for example.
To wash down the breakfast we opted for a pot of tea for two (€4). When it comes to ordering tea there are two things I hate. One is a miserable size teapot that literally just gives you two cups and no more. The second is when the tea arrives about twenty minutes before the breakfast and I’ve drunk it already. No doubt a clever ploy to make you buy more. In this case a proper pot of tea was served. A large ceramic teapot which gave us nearly two full cups each.
The breakfast burrito to be honest, didn’t look much when it arrived. The presentation could do with a little finesse I thought. It was however a decent size. The filling was ample with a mix of scrambled egg, spinach, Gubbeen, chorizo and avocado. Salsa was due to make an appearance but alas someone forgot it. When it was pointed out, it was met with immediate apology and a ramekin full was promptly delivered. You can’t fault a place for resolving an issue on the spot.
Taste wise it was a little bland to be honest. I find that sometimes if you over do the avocado with little to no seasoning the end result is not great. There was a lot of avocado in it. It was still enjoyable to an extent and a good portion size. There is no denying however the crippling disappointment that comes when a hungover breakfast item doesn’t live up to its description. I chalked it down to an unfortunate choice. Besides I had the winning breakfast order on my side of the table.
Sometimes simple is best. There is nothing fussy about a bagel with cream cheese and bacon. Nothing fussy at all. The bagel was toasted nicely. The bacon cooked just as I like it and no skimping on the cream cheese portion either. These three food items are the Charlies Angels of breakfast combos. They just work together and all play their part perfectly. My breakfast was a total win and hit the spot just right.
The bill for the breakfast burrito, bagel with cream cheese and bacon and a pot of tea came to €18.40. Far better value than the breakfast for €22 (for one) I spotted on the menu in Brown Thomas. If you are around Skerries then certainly give Olive a shot. They also have a lovely garden spot out the back and a deli next door with all manner of treats for you to take home.
Photo from Olive Cafe Website