14 North
14 North Quay, Douglas
The Island has been waiting a long time for a place like 14 North. Despite initial misgiving about the recycled ‘elephants dung’ menus, this venue is really stepping up to the international mark. Log onto their snazzy website
www.14north.im and you’ll find quite a lot of blurb about recycled materials and locally sourced produce. This is great, providing that it’s not your main selling point. Ethical dining shouldn’t have to come at the expense of standards, and 14 North proves this point.
The venue sits well along the key, keeping good company with the Deli at 35 and the Velvet Lobster. 14 North describes itself as ‘charmingly rustic’ with ‘contemporary touches.’ So far, so generic; except that in reality these rather mundane adjectives don’t do the place justice. Without resorting to minimalist austerity, 14 North has an assuredly understated aesthetic.
The interplay of materials such as wood and glass shows a deft touch at work, creating an interesting contrast of finishes. One possible exception might be the zinc tables; while they provide a bit of industrial edge, it’s hard to avoid the association of burgers and ice-cream sundaes.
We decided to forego starters on this occasion, but I’ve previously sampled a selection of the small plates which proved a mixed bag. Scallops served on the half-shell and grilled with garlic pesto were sweet little nuggets of flesh with a real savoury punch. Less successful was a salad of hot-smoked salmon with cheese and sunflower-seeds, which produced an oily mouthful of uncomplimentary flavours. The menu makes point of sourcing locally, and I wonder if limited ingredients can occasionally lead to the improvisation of odd combinations?
Service was very good, and it was great to hear the waitress talking confidently about the food and ingredients. The menu reads well and is reassuringly concise, with perhaps half a dozen starters, mains and sweets to choose from. Let us also be grateful that it bears no trace of its elephant dung origins, which although admirably eco, does little to whet the palate.
My main of duck with crispy parsnips and a rosemary jus was first class. Cooking duck isn’t easy, and I’ve often found myself chewing on dry, rubbery meat at restaurants that should know better. This duck was soft, rich and cooked exactly as I requested with a touch of pink. My parsnip crisps were great, adding a touch of sweetness to the meaty jus. One small quibble would be that the savoy cabbage had wilted under the generous pile of duck, and had subsequently lost its texture. My two companions ordered the roast cod with brown butter and capers, which came on a type of deconstructed ratatouille. Like my duck, the main ingredient had been treated with real care. The skin was crisp, the flesh soft and moist, with the accompaniments lending real ballast and flavour to the dish.
This is cooking that shows a real understanding and appreciation of food. Flavours are robust while also showing a judicious restraint, so that the ingredients can speak for themselves. We finished with crème brulee, the taste and texture of which rivalled any that I’ve eaten in France. 14 North are really thinking about the integrity of good ingredients and good food, rather than how to increase the mark-up. It would be a real shame if people didn’t recognise a good thing when they see it and support one of the Island’s most enterprising new venues.
Coco
Dec 2010
The Bill for 3 people:
Carafe of red wine £9.50
Duck breast with a rosemary jus £15.00Roast cod with brown butter and capers £15.00 (x2)
Crème Brulee £4.50 (x2)
Coke £2.50
Cappuccino £2.50 (x2)
Total: £71.00