By ELIZABETH SCHAFFER
I had been craving meat. Juicy. Delicious. Not so good for me.
Red meat.
And, I had been doing so for about a week before we went to the place I am going to highlight.
I know to listen to my body, and generally with the way I workout, if I am craving something, it’s my body telling me I need it. So, the boyfriend and I went back and forth on where we were to go, and an idea popped into my head. A restaurant that I had been to many years ago, and it suddenly sounded perfect. So off we headed to The Cock ‘N Bull in Galway. We made reservations as we almost always do — I am a little neurotic about that.
From Niskayuna, it was only about a 25-minute drive on easy back roads. When we arrived, we could smell the delicious flavors pouring out of the building. My already starving stomach went nuts!
As soon as we were seated, we placed an order for bruschetta, and then dove into the menu.
The Cock ‘N Bull is very well known for its Prime Rib, so the choice was very easy. I momentarily debated between the Prime Rib and the Delmonico, but our server said, absolutely without a doubt, Prime Rib. Next was to decide on which size, they offer “princess”, “queen” and “king”. The server pointed out a fellow diner who had just been served the princess, and that was huge. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the other two sizes, so I ordered the Princess Prime Rib, Rare-Medium Rare (I like a lot of red in my meat). The boyfriend went with Princess as well, but he likes his cooked more thoroughly and ordered it Medium. I chose the smashed potatoes, and also added on mushrooms and onions. He chose steak fries. Both dinners came with salads as well, which we didn’t realize, prior to ordering the bruschetta.
The bruschetta came out quickly, and it was perfect. It was served in a large piece, with a knife for us to cut it. The tomatoes were fresh, and seasonings were just enough to give it that nice garlic bite, but not overkill.
Our salads were timed out well between the bruschetta, we had enough time to digest a bit and talk, before they were served. As you may know, if you read this column often, I love blue cheese, and this dressing did not disappoint. It was clearly homemade, and fresh. However, I didn’t finish my salad on purpose because I was already starting to fill up, and I really wanted to enjoy my main course.
Again, the timing was good, a small wait in between, not rushed, yet not too long. When our dinners were served, it was just beauty on a plate. A massive slice of Prime Rib, red and juicy, and piping hot. A very generous serving of smashed potatoes as well as seasonal vegetables and horseradish sauce were on the same plate. The onions and mushrooms came in a generous portion on the side.
My first bite was bliss. The meat was tender, the flavors were all just right and it was cooked exactly how I asked. As I kept eating, I added some mushrooms and onions, then later some horseradish sauce, and each bite was just as good as the first. I must admit that as I write this, I am starting to get hungry again thinking about it. The vegetables and potatoes were very good, but I didn’t eat much of them, because I was too involved in devouring the massive portion.
The boyfriend’s reaction to his meal was the same as mine. We barely spoke to each other as we ate, because, well, it was just that good. As I started to get full, I kept pushing myself a little more, because I really didn’t want to stop! Eventually I had to, and shockingly I still had a pretty good size amount to bring home, as did he. And if you recall, we had chosen the smallest cut!
We passed on dessert, but did have coffee in order to give ourselves sometime to settle before we drove home.
I should mention, they have a number of other weekly specials, and their menu offers some other great options if you or your dining partner want something other than the Prime Rib. Their website and Facebook pages list all of that information.
So, just do yourself a favor and drive up to Galway. It really isn’t that far, and it is more than worth it. I won’t be letting as much time go by as I did previously before I return the next time around. My next visit will be very soon for sure.
Elizabeth Schaffer is a regular contributor to our Restaurant Review section. You can often find her reviews within the pages of TheSpot518 and online at TheSpot518.com.
