Jack Crotty got vertical liftoff when he opened Rocketman in Princes Street. Now, he’s applied the rocket boosters and opened EAST, in Winthrop Arcade, bringing his riff on felafels to the southern capital. Connie McKenna dons her space suit and grabs a fork.
Princes Street has been blessed to have Jack Crotty’s funky little spot where he creates and demonstrate a smart vegetarian ethos. Outsmarting any clichés regarding vegetarianism or even veganism, Rocketman belongs in a league of smart, plant-based culinary delights. The Rocketman exhibits a real personality with their bounteous array of salads, so vivid that they resemble a Jean Baptiste Chardin painting. With their richness in colour and fastidious placement, it really poses a challenge as to which one to devour: whilst too many choices in life may not be healthy for the mind and morals, this shall not apply on a visit to the Rocketman.
Along with all the goodies, there are kefirs made by My Goodness Food, which are a small Cork based business who pride themselves on making the most wonderful fermented drinks. What’s more, happy customers can enjoy this meticulous nosh on a deck situated outdoors, allowing the bustling and colourful streets of Cork to be enjoyed. Today, a vegetarian stew is the hot choice du jour, and I recall the wonderful experience of trying a beetroot and lentil stew many months back during my early days of living in the city, and on another occasion my soul and belly was hugged by a Brazilian bean and potato stew. Lavished with a yogurt and almond dressing, it was profoundly unbeatable.
Rocketman runs like clockwork, which has allowed Mr Crotty to fashion the felafel menu at EAST, in the Winthrop Arcade. There are five choices of wrap, augmented with a seasonal special, chosen by ethnicity, from The Greek to The Canadian, and the felafels, fried before your eyes, are as fresh as all get out. There are smashing coffees from Golden Bean and Badger & Dodo, drinks from Synerchi, and sweet things from Free Birds Bakery. Mr Crotty is a player, and we have a feeling he’s just starting.
