Nude Food Café Restaurant & Deli

Café Bakery & Deli

Louise Clark is some woman for one woman! She was one of the founder stallholders of the successful farmer’s market in Dungarvan, and conducted her business thus for six years, selling her now famous homemade beef and spicy lamb burgers, griddled and served with her accompanying hand made range of chutneys, on delicious bagels from a local producer. The name of her stall, Naked Lunch, was taken from the novel by William Burroughs, about an LSD junkie getting clean, and finally tasting his food for the first time – savouring flavours and textures as never before, and relishing every delicious mouthful. ‘That book title rang true with me, because it’s what I think enjoying good food should be all about – no need for embellishments!’ she says. Alongside the market stall, Louise also ran an outside catering business, and customers would place their orders via the market stall. But deep down, she always knew she’d have her own proper café some day. ‘I was just waiting for the right space. Then this came up and I knew this was it.’

The place she’s referring to is her fabulous café and deli Nude Food, in the heart of trendy Dungarvan. Its name is just a logical extension of the food ethos behind the stall. The menu here offers a larger range of more of the same sort of wonderful stuff she earned her living with on the market for years. Louise was born in London, of a mix of parentage and cultural heritage. There’s Asian, English and Caribbean thrown in, so it’s no wonder her food is eclectic. This ex-bookkeeper was taught to cook by her Indian granny – and ingredients like okra and exotic spices were the norm. When she moved twelve years ago to Dungarvan, that love of food and cooking came with her, and was indulged with a succession of jobs helping out in the kitchens of local eateries, and the outside catering business. Late last summer, she finally found the venue of her dreams – an ex pub just off the busy main square in town. ‘I knew when I walked in this was it. This place is so special.’Special it is – and all the quirky interior knick-knacks, paintings, wall shelves, standard lamps, mismatched tables and chairs make it so. Rather like a magpie, Louise had gathered all these lovely bits and pieces over years, keeping them in boxes in spare rooms and garages, knowing one day they would all work together in the kind of café she wanted to create. Her dream came true in September 2008, and there’s been no looking back since.

Nude Food is the kind of place you so desperately want to find in every town you visit. The heavy, specially made iron and glass front door, is the entrance to food paradise. When you step inside, you know a person who loves good food, good company and giving her customers the best possible eating experience, owns it.  Just inside the front door, the counter at the window has high stools to grab coffee and a quick snack from the deli counter just beside, packed with home made offerings like the smooth chicken liver pate, salads, cucumber pickle, red onion marmalade, and tapenades, with Irish farmhouse cheeses, artisan smoked salmon, and On The Pig’s Back pates. A bread rack is stacked with Louise’s own brown health breads and soda breads and Declan Ryan’s famous Arbutus baguettes and sour dough loaves. And the central table next to the deli, which groans with funky looking wire cake stands stacked home made muffins, iced Fairy Cakes and wonky butterfly buns, Porter cakes, Carrot Cakes, home made scones and much more, leads the way into the café at the rear with its open kitchen, so you can see exactly who’s cooking, and what’s coming out next.

The menu in the café features everything from light bites to more substantial lunches and lovely supper dishes.  Brunch to Lunch is served till 11:30am, with dishes like Cumberland Sausages (O'Flynn's Gourmet Sausages), Portobello Mushrooms and Vine Tomatoes, Fried Egg and Spicy Tomato Sauce, or Omelette with Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese, sun kissed tomatoes and spinach, or a simple bowl of Porridge with double cream and local honey or Poached Free Range eggs on sourdough toast providing fitting refreshment. From noon, the menu steps up a gear to include our choice of Slow Roasted Belly of Pork from the local butcher, with Rosemary Potatoes, Butternut Squash and roasted sprigs of cherry tomatoes, a Veggie Steak Sandwich of meaty field mushrooms, herb mayonnaise and fried onions, on griddled Sourdough and those famous burgers, spicy lamb, beef (from McGrath's of Lismore), veggie or chicken, all served with salad on bagels. There’s always a fresh soup of the day, and salad options like Smoked duck with dressed leaves, Artichoke, Roast Pepper and Parmesan.

The atmosphere during the day is very buzzy and lively, with a good mix of local business people, girls from the office having lunch, and mums with well-behaved kids in tow. The under eight’s menu is just as smart as the adults, with homemade meatballs in Louise’s rich tomato sauce with pasta, Fresh Chicken Strips on a Beans and Potato Cake, or Fresh Boiled Eggs on Toast making an appearance. 

At night, the candles come out and mood is stylish and sassy. The menu extends to include an Antipasta Plate, and Irish or Continental Cheese Board, home made Hummus or Olives with that gorgeous Sourdough, alongside the other choices. Wine from Cork’s Bubble Brothers is well chosen to accompany this relaxed kind of eating. Desserts we sampled included Bread and Butter Pudding, Bannoffi cream Mousse with little meringues and chocolate sauce in dinky glasses, and light as a feather Lemon Curd Meringue Roulade made with Louise’s co-chef Helena Connolly. The two girls are best buddies, though you’d never think it to hear the banter about who’s the best cook! 

Alongside the super wine choice, find here a list of beverages as long as your arm, including herb tea, Illy coffees, Itlaina Water, Fresh Irish Apple Juice and more.

Nude Food has a lovely covered terrace area out back, where luxurious garden tables and chairs provide a great outdoor eating space for all weathers. Through the gate in the stone wall at the rear lies the latest ‘Louise’ adventure – a new garden area which will grow veg and herbs for the café, and house an outdoor open kitchen for summer nights and festival celebrations, due to open very soon. The whole of Ireland needs a dose of Louise Clark’s enthusiasm, energy and sheer love of great local food cooked simply. We love Nude Food and we guarantee you will too!

You can also find Louise's wonderful savouries and homebaked goods at the Naked Lunch Wagon at the Dungarvan Farmers Market every Thursday 09:30-14:00

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

86 O'Connell Street
Dungarvan
Co Waterford
+353 (0) 58 24594
Email: nakedlunch@vodafone.ie
Web: www.nudefood.ie

 

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