Comfort Inn
106 Airport Rd.
Ph. 753-3500
Until I began reviewing St. John’s restaurants I had no idea
so many had taken the British pub or tavern as a theme. Clancy’s was yet
another. It was a large space, on two levels, subdivided into various dining
areas. The floor featured leaf print carpeting; upholstered booths on an upper
level were covered in multi-coloured striped fabric. Tables were topped with
gray laminate and edged with dark lacquered wood. In fact, dark wood accents
abounded, in moldings and coverings. Dividers featured it along with gleaming
brass railings. Walls were covered in leafy print and featured hangings of
various framed items in all shapes and sizes.
Nearby I saw a picture of an elaborately coiffed, armored,
sword-in-hand general astride a beautiful black rearing steed. A sixteenth
century lady in an oval looked longingly towards our table, as if craving one
of my French fries. Transportation history was represented in pictures as well,
from a black, nineteenth century steam engine, to a 1930’s Packard sedan with
no less than 8 windows. Old-fashioned light fixtures, in many different styles,
illuminated Clancy’s. I liked the globes that topped posts on dividers and
served on wall sconces.
For appetites that needed a little stimulation, Clancy’s
fresh bread might have been enough of an appetizer. Our table was served a
basket filled with fresh, soft, warm rolls studded with sun-dried tomato. The
aromas wafting around us - toasty tomato, baked wheat and melting butter - were
a stimulant on their own. Ultimately the rolls tasted every bit as good as they
smelled.
If you like smoked salmon don’t hesitate to try Clancy’s
smoked salmon plate. The thin slices of Atlantic salmon were of very good
quality and came topped with capers and bits of purple onion. The toasted
herbed crostini was dandy as well but I’d take a pass on the spiced honey mayo.
It’s fine by itself. However, I don’t think it does anything to enhance the
flavour of the salmon.
Clancy’s old-fashioned cod chowder was the kind John F.
Kennedy probably would have liked. From what I’ve learned he didn’t like his
chowder fancied up with herbs like thyme or special spices. He liked simple,
milk based New England fish chowder, which also happens to be pretty much the
classic Newfoundland chowder. Clancy’s contained “cod, potatoes, onions in a
milky broth.” I thought it quite flavourful with a nice balance of seasonings.
The flaked fish was joined - in addition to the advertised ingredients - by a few
bits of celery and green pepper.
Clancy’s Greek salad was predictable but fine. It featured
romaine lettuce - thankfully, I hate iceberg - tossed with feta, kalamata
olives, as well as tomato, cucumber and onion. All was dressed with competently
made vinaigrette.
Service at Clancy’s was, as they say, “Top drawer.” On the
two occasions I dined there my servers were pleasant, cheerful and
professional. They all seemed to have considerable experience in the trade and
knew when and how to properly interject themselves in the table’s proceedings.
If they could have benefited from training it might have been in foreign
languages. Being situated at an airport hotel Clancy’s gets a lot of
international customers. I witnessed a frustrating exchange between a group of
Russian speaking diners and one server. It had to do with currency exchange
rates and so forth. It was a mind-boggling subject as was but when grappled
with in broken English, a minefield. Within a few minutes my head was spinning
- and not from my vodka martini. I restrained myself from screaming, “For God’s
sake, get an interpreter!”
Clancy’s cedar planked salmon was an interesting
presentation. It came with the plank. A scorched cedar plank carrying a fillet
of salmon topped with a spring of fresh dill sat on a white dinner plate. It
was accompanied by white rice, a ramekin of sweet corn salsa, a colourful baked
tomato slice and sautéed green beans and sliced carrots. The entire plate was
delicious, save the salmon. Although I enjoyed its molasses glaze, the fish was
overcooked - as is too often the case in Newfoundland restaurants.
Clancy’s pork chops del sol sounded interesting, “6 oz
centre-cut chops marinated in coconut milk and rum, flame broiled with sliced
pineapple.” It evoked images of a Jamaican feast. Sadly, the chops spent a
little too much time in the broiler’s flame. They were dry and, despite the
juicy bits of pineapple I paired with each mouthful, practically tasteless. The
flavours of rum and coconut must have been thoroughly destroyed by the blast of
flame as well, because I detected not a hint of either.
We finished the meal with some of Clancy’s recommended
chocolate mousse cake. It had a crumby chocolate base, a high milk chocolate
mousse centre and cream topping. Chocolate sauce was drizzled overall. The
mousse was good but grainy, lacking the smooth finish a chocolate mousse should
have had. The cake would have benefited from using a higher grade of chocolate.
That said, there was not much wrong with the ingredients generally at Clancy’s.
It had all the makings for good food and dining. Some extra effort in the
preparation of those ingredients would not, however, go amiss.
This dinner for two - including 2 cocktails and tip - cost
$110.55.
Best Points:
Good service and atmosphere.
Areas for Improvement:
Do not overcook.
Ratings Category:
Clancy’s gets 7.5 out of 10 points.