Showing posts with label Cork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cork. Show all posts

Monday, October 31, 2016

Franciscan Well 16th Annual October Beer Festival. Some of the very best!

Franciscan Well October Beer Festival 
Some of the very best!


Is was all that jazz and all that beer too in Cork last weekend. My first outing of the weekend was to the Franciscan Well on North Mall where they had installed a great line-up of top class world beers, quite a few of them “rated amongst the top beers in the world”.

But where to start at this 16th annual October Beer Festival? Hard decision to make when you see some twenty or more taps in front of you. And that was just outside. Many more inside, including their own excellent beers. And they also introduced their own Craftail Bar. This is upstairs and is called the Stave and Chime and the cocktails are based mainly on Jameson whiskey and Franciscan beers.

But back to the outdoor heated beer tent where a decision had been made for our opening duo: Moinette Bio and Nicotto. The Nicotto (6%) is a Japanese style beer made by the Barcelona Beer Company, made with Sorachi (a hop of Japanese origin) and also includes green tea, jasmine and tangerine peel. A really superb beer, clean and fresh.

The Moinette Bio (7.5%) is, as you’ve probably guessed, an organic beer, really well balanced between mellowness, fruitiness and bitterness. This well struck combination is a real thirst quencher, more mellow than the Nicotto, another clean beer that finishes with a hint of clove.

Two good ones to start and the next pair, Rodenbach Caractere Rouge and Biere de Miel, continued the very high standard. The Rodenbach (7%) was possibly the stand out beer. It is billed as a red/brown sour and it is sour but also packs amazing fruitiness. The beer is macerated with fresh cherries, raspberries ad cranberries and, after that, is matured in oak barrels. Rodenbach have had a great deal of practice as the brewery was established in 1836.

The Biere de Miel (8%) is a honey saison. Don't let the honey put you iff. You’ll catch a pleasant whiff of it in the aromas and a delicate presence on the palate but this is a well balanced refreshing dry beer, again some clove on the finish. All good so far!

There were beers there from the UK, Germany, Spain (our 1st one), and the US, but we were mainly on the Belgians and that was the case with the next two. One was the St Bernardus ABT 12 and the other the Houblon Chouffe.

The Barnardus (10%) is a quadrupel, full of complex flavours, great fruit and with a superb finish. It is regarded as one of the best beers in the world and would put many a wine to shame. In this context, quadrupel means it is stronger than a tripel which is stronger than a duppel!

As it happens our Houblon (9%) is a tripel IPA and another very good one. I must say, the beer descriptions on the Franciscan Well leaflet were pretty much spot-on and I agreed one hundred per cent with their take on this well balanced tripel: big malty body, distinct dryness, and expressive estery fruitiness.


And to finish? I had been thinking about two from the dark side until tempted by a cocktail from upstairs: the well named O’Sullivan’s Sour. O’Sullivan was the chieftain that gave the land to the Franciscan monks back in the day and, of course, the Chieftain Pale Ale is in the lovely mix. It is made with Beefeater London Dry Gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, grenadine syrup, and topped off with the IPA. Colourful and delightful, a lovely end to a very interesting and rewarding session indeed.



Sunday, January 24, 2016

At the Club Brasserie, Old Chum Be good. Be Bold. Be There!

At the Club Brasserie, Old Chum

Be good. Be Bold. Be There!
Relax at the Club Brasserie, one of Cork's most gorgeous dining venues. Many of us want to be “good” in January and Beth will help you there. Have you seen her inviting display of salads? 

But, if you want to be bold, with a glass of wine or two, well she’ll help you there too, all the way to a delicious dessert. And to be serious for a moment, there is a major welcome here for coeliacs as 95% of the new menu is gluten free!

In any event, you’ll get a warm welcome from Beth and her staff. Smiles and chat all the way to the bar if you enjoy a pre-meal drink or to your table if you want to get started there. Facilities, comfort and service are all excellent here and so too is the food.
Chicken
 We had lunch there at the weekend and it was superb. My main course came from the Specials Board: Organic Salmon Potato Cakes with a spinach butter sauce (€10.50). The cakes were so well cooked, beautifully crisp on the outside and a well judged mix of potato and flavoursome salmon inside, all with a lovely sauce and salad.

Roasted marinated chicken breast with Rosemary and garlic rustic potatoes, Romesco sauce, Saffron Aioli and mixed leaves (€12.00) as CL’s pick. Again, the chicken was perfectly cooked and the flavours were magic. Even the potatoes were a delight.

Perfect!
As you can see, we skipped the salads but that was just because we wanted something cooked on the day. Another day, we’d be delighted to dip into a selection that includes: Rainbow Rice, Potato Salad, Superfood Salad, Peppery Chickpea Salad, Roasted Broccoli and Feta Salad, and Asian Salad. You can have a mix of two or three.

And if time, or cash, is scarce on the day, you can still have nice lunch here. Eight euro will get you half a sandwich and soup, and for ten you'll get the full sandwich and soup. The sandwiches themselves cost €7.50 and options are: Pastrami; Honey Glazed Ham; Organic Seared Salmon; and Bang Bang Chargrilled Chicken. We had started with the soup, a lovely warming bowl of Leek and Potato.
Some of the salads.
And were we bold? Well, a little! It takes two to tango and dessert was shared. It was a beauty: Honey Parfait with a delicious drizzle and a scattering of pomegranate and pistachio nuts.

On the way out I had a quick look at the new dinner menus. Lots of temptation there also. No shortage of starters, including: Spiced Potato Fritters; Spiced West Cork Crab Spring Rolls; Sizzling Prawns and more. My pick might be the Warm Salad of Roasted Pear, Crispy Pancetta and Cashel Blue cheese, with walnuts, honey and mustard dressing.

Lots of local ingredients are used here and the mains selection illustrates that aspect: East Cork Lamb; O’Connell’s Fillet Steak; and then there’s the Tempura of Cod with a Yuzu Mayonnaise. Think I'd be looking seriously at the other fish dish here, the Baked Hake with gremolata crust, piperade, tomatoes, black olives, cream and Parmesan cheese. Oh yes and a glass or two of wine! Even in January.
Club Brasserie
City Quarter, Lapps Quay, Cork.
(021) 427 3987
Email: beth.theclubbrasserie@hotmail.com
Facebook: The Club Brasserie
Twitter: @clubbrasserie

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Cafe Paradiso. Back to the Garden.


Cafe Paradiso. Back to the Garden

Eden may have been lost with a single bite of forbidden fruit but the garden can always be regained, at least in the Cork region, with a visit to Cafe Paradiso. No fruit, no vegetable forbidden here! Every meal in the city centre restaurant reinforces what one of my friends, who travels widely in the hospitality industry, told me a few years back: "It is not alone the best vegetarian restaurant in Ireland, it is probably the best restaurant in Ireland".

And what is perhaps not generally known, except to the regulars of course, is that Paradiso has a superb wine list. The lower end and the slow-moving higher end have been chopped from the list and what remains is packed with quality, great choices, between approximately thirty and forty five euro a bottle.

We were part of a seven person group the other night so the wines were shared, along with many a good laugh. Good advice on the wine list is also available and so we started with the Höpler Grüner Veltliner 2014, 12.5% Burgenland, Austria and finished with the Friedrich Becker Spatburgunder Pinot Noir 2011, 13.5%, Pfalz, Germany.
Aubergine parcels....
Others we could have had included the Susana Balbo ’Crios’ Malbec 2013, 14%, Mendoza, Argentina and the Alvaro Palacios La Montesa Rioja 2012 in the reds while among the whites that caught my eye were Wittmann Riesling Trocken 2012, 12% Rheinhessen, Germany and the Dos Victorias ‘Jose Pariente’ Verdejo 2013, 13%, Rueda. But it is easy to get a good one here as the list is really superb. If you’re not sure, just ask your server! By the way, all the wines are available by the glass, by 250ml and 500ml carafe and by the bottle.

Back to the food then and I'm not going to bore you with all the details. We picked the three course option here and you have lots of choice for forty euro. Two courses will set you back thirty three euro.

I had been toying with going for the truffled sunchoke soup with hazelnut gougere and buttered shiitake from a list of six starters (all tempting) but settled instead on the Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella with roasted carrots, pickled fennel, chermoula, preserved lemon and pistachio dukka. Amazing flavours and textures on this plate and the roast carrots came in for compliments all around the table.
Choc dessert...

CL meanwhile was delighted with her choice: roast beetroot, braised scorzonera and Knockalara sheep’s cheese with watercress, orange pickle and ras-el-hanout crumb. Colour, flavour, texture all combined, the dish showing that beetroot goes as well with sheep’s as goat’s. Great stuff indeed.

There were also six choices of mains but, amazingly, the majority of our group went for the roast aubergine parcels of cavolo nero and coolea cheese with miso gravy, beluga lentils,

pumpkin gnocchi and a green pepper and caramelised walnut salsa. Aubergine is one of my favourite vegetables in any restaurant but this was vegetable heaven, every little bit, the gravy, the lentils. Even CL polished off the gnocchi, usually left on the side! “These were good ones”, I was told.

And you must try the sides as they are superb as well. They do include sprouts but not like you've known them. Here they are served with tomato, chilli and ginger and well worth the fiver as are the Paradiso chips with truffled aioli.

Time then, and desire too, for dessert. Lots of temptation but I made up my mind early on the Orange and Date Bread and Butter Pudding and its Rum Custard. Oh la la! And other desserts enjoyed at the table included a Dark chocolate mousse with gingered pear and salted caramel popcorn and also Vanilla pod ice cream with brutti ma buoni, espresso and a shot of frangelico. A sweet end to a terrific meal and service was flawless throughout. Very Highly Recommended.


More desserts, including popular Orange and Date pudding
The menu here is based largely on local and seasonal produce.  Gortnanain Farm is the primary source of veg (and honey). All cheeses (which include Coolea and Macroom) are Irish except for Feta and Halloumi. Mushrooms are Ballyhoura or foraged. More details on the restaurant, founded 23 years ago, here.

Cafe Paradiso
16 Lancaster Quay
Cork
(021) 427 7939
Opening Hours: Dinner Monday – Saturday, 5.30 – 10.00pm



Sunday, December 20, 2015

Nash 19. Meet the Producers, on a Plate

Nash 19
Meet the Producers, on a Plate
I met some of the top local producers, all in the space of a few minutes, last Wednesday. Not personally, of course. But they were all represented on my plate.

Nash 19, a lovely buzzy daytime restaurant in the heart of Cork City, has a regular Producers Plate on its lunch-time menu. I didn't have it with a while and, as it changes from time to time, decided it was time to get re-acquainted. In fact, we both did and were both delighted with the amazing food, almost a dozen tapas style offerings.

Check the photo against the list below:
Cod (Kay O’Connell)
Smoked salmon (Hederman)
Smoked butter (Hederman)
Paté (Nash19)
Salami (Gubbeen)
Black pudding (Jack McCarthy)
Aged beef (Jack McCarthy)
Spiced beef (O’Connell’s)
Beef with celeriac and horseradish remoulade (O’Connell’s)
Mature Cashel Blue with Sheridan’s crackers
Warm Ardsallagh croquette and beetroot.

Really enjoyed going through all that, lots of highlights between the smoked fish umami and the soft and delicious Ardsallagh. And the good thing is that all these products are showcased throughout the menu.

The cod, in the gorgeous Longueville cider batter, is the heart of your fish and chips and the Ardsallagh features in a lovely salad. At the moment you may have the Aged sirloin of beef with a Christmas red cabbage - I had that this time last year and it is a classic.

The braised lamb shank in a Tuscan tomato stew seemed to very popular as was Donna’s Cottage Pie with its cheesy potato topping and Waterfall Farm greens. Great variety on the menu that changes daily.

Author Trish Deseine was a recent visitor.
Impressive starter choices too, including the Hederman Smoked Fish platter that recently featured on the Late, Late Show and you could also have their own Chicken Liver Paté with pickled plums and toast. We knew we were having those on the main plate, so decided on the Tomato, Roast Pepper and Orange Soup (available by cup or bowl). It is that little bit different and quite a delicious delight.


And we had a good wine as well, from their Winter List, much of it available by the glass. Our pick was the Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, Tollo "bio", Italy 2013 organic, fruity and fresh and seven euro a glass.  


It was a day that we agreed on most things so no surprise that we shared the Warm Aged Christmas Pudding, packed with fantastic fruit and nuts, an amazing combination and probably the best Christmas pudding I’ve tasted. Considering this is just a daytime restaurant, there was a choice of no less than 12 desserts, including the famous mince pies (that I got to enjoy with a coffee the following morning).

Always enjoy the welcome and the food here. Very Highly Recommended.


Nash 19
19 Princes Street Cork
(021) 427 0880

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Catch Your Fish at Fenn’s Quay

Catch Your Fish at Fenn’s Quay
Hake (left), salmon, croquettes. Mackerel is hidden behind the salad.
If in Cork, go catch your fish at Fenn’s Quay.


Once upon a time, Fenn’s Quay was actually that, a quay. As was nearby Cornmarket Street, as was Patrick Street (check the bend of the river!). Indeed, once upon a time, maybe in the 1970s, there was a proposal by a local businessman to concrete over the south channel of the River Lee and make a road of it. Glad to say that outrageous proposal - it got a lot of newspaper space - never off the ground.


Cork city centre still remains an island. And fish is everywhere, white, slippery, in the markets and stunningly fresh and tasty in many of the local restaurants. Kate Lawlor’s Fenn’s Quay restaurant is where we found some excellent dishes during a midweek lunch.

The fish platter, a regular feature, was an enticing option (€15.00). It was a perfect assemblage, a well judged mix of textures, flavours and colours, quality and quantity giving an elegant sufficiency on the black slate. In plain words: Fish croquettes, cured salmon, beer-battered hake, and smoked mackerel paté. Add in a perfect salad and you have a happy customer, singing a shanty on the way out the door.
Fenn's Quay hadn't been too busy when I arrived - on the early side - but when I looked up after finishing that mega-platter - I noticed it was getting close to full. It is a popular spot, just off Patrick Street and conveniently close to the Courthouse area. No doubt briefs are studied (and discussed) here, after the menu is perused of course!


CL too had made an excellent catch: Baked Hake with roast cauliflower, leek, carrot and mash (choice of salad also), all for 16 euro. Hake has become an established favourite in local restaurants - just a decade ago it was seriously under-utilised here but a successful Bord Bia campaign, improved the siutuation. The piece in Fenn’s Quay was white, moist, impeccably cooked and deliciously delicate. Vegetables could have been a touch softer.

Now, before I go any further, I'd better make clear that Fenn’s Quay is not a fish restaurant. One of the highlights on the Specials Board was a Featherblade of Beef dish, another speciality here. Lots of choice, both at lunch and in the evening.
Soup
We had started with their French Onion Soup with Gubbeen Crouton (€4.50), a magical little bowl of the stuff. The soup and the Gubbeen were a match made in heaven but there was also a little dark magic added back in the kitchen, much more back-bone to this than you get in your regular French Onion soup. Highly recommended, especially on a winter’s day.


Indeed, day or night, winter or summer, fish or otherwise, Fenn’s Quay is very highly recommended indeed. But do watch out for those fish specials!


By the way, they will be open on the 13th and 20th of December (both Sundays), serving both brunch and early dinner.


No 5 Fenn’s Quay
Sheares Street, Cork
Opening hours: 8.00am to 10.00pm, MOn-Sat
Tel: +353 21 427 9527

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Aroi. Happy Birthday Boy! Plus Tips on Cooking Asian.

Aroi. Happy Birthday Boy!
Plus Tips on Cooking Asian.
Duck rolls
Aroi are celebrating twelve successful months serving Asian Street Food in Carey’s Lane. They have quite an extensive menu there. If you are not familiar with some of the Asian words, the staff will help you out and will also point out the spicy dishes (even these are marked with an “S” on the card). All mains cost a tenner and the sides a fiver or less.

I have eaten there a few times, enjoying mostly the duck dishes. This time I picked something different, the Pad Se-lew which consists of  Pork strips, Thai green vegetables, egg, keoteow, Thai soya sauce and is from the Wok Noodles section. I very much enjoyed the pork, cut into slivers the size of a small finger, and the amazing crispness of the green vegetables.
Chicken skewers
The other main dish we picked was Khao Pad, tomatoes, broccoli, Thai pepper, onion, egg, and chicken (or beef) and this came under the Rice heading. This too, with the chicken, was a winner, full of flavours. By the way, they have two sauces on the table for you, one a hot chilli sauce, the other a soya.

The main dishes are quite substantial and quite a few people settle for that, great value at a tenner. But we usually get a side or two, a fiver each, as well. On one occasion we ordered three but that was too much!
Pad Se-lew
The two we shared the other night were Porpia Bpet tod: duck rolls, sweet chilli, pickled chilli and cucumber and Satay Gai: -  chicken skewers with peanut sauce. Those duck rolls - I’ve had them here before - are simply outstanding, quite spicy with the chilli. The chicken skewers are a much calmer dish but delicious.

Aroi has a short wine list but we ordered a couple of Asian beers: a Bottle of Chang and one of Tiger. Lots of soft drinks on the menu too including refreshing palate cleansers like ‘white tea with lemon and ginger’.

Khao Pad, with Chicken
We spoke with Vincent Richard, Manager of Aroi Cork: “Our healthy cuisine avoids the obscure chemicals and additives so common in our food today. We do not use M.S.G. in any of our preparation, and our focus is on market fresh local produce, that is naturally low in fat.   You can single-handedly battle the winter sniffles with our spicy beef noodle soup - it heals you from the inside out.  Our fresh and healthy approach, along with the phenomenal value of dining at Aroi, is what sets us apart from others.”

But it is not just the food Aroi had to get right, after all they had being doing that in Limerick for several months before opening in Cork. He emphasised that getting the right staff and giving them the right training is also key. And Aroi have passed on some tips if you’d like to try Asian at home.
~ Tips on cooking Asian food ~
·         Always cut, wash and prepare ingredients in advance of cooking.
·         Use a wok when steaming vegetables for a stir fry – the curved edge allows for varied cooking temperatures which is beneficial when cooking meat and vegetables together.
·         Ensure you have other necessary utensils for Asian cooking like a steamer, sharp knifes (for cutting ingredients), tongs and a pestle and mortar (for grinding spices).
·         Use chop sticks only with rice bowls as they don’t work well when eating from a plate.
·         Rice cookers are the quickest way to cook rice and can be used in microwaves.
·         Use natural flavour enhancers like mushrooms, herbs and spices which do not contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).
·         Always use fresh vegetables.
·         Choose dark soy sauce over a lighter colour as it is low in salt.
·         Use fresh ingredients like ginger or garlic for delicious taste and strong smells. Garlic has many health benefits too as it is rich in vitamins and low in calories.
·         Use different mixes of meat and vegetables to create optimum flavours. Asians like to use the ying and yang method in their cooking – They balance flavours by using both hot (ying) ingredients and cooler (yang) ingredients. An example of this would be having a hot sauce over plain chicken pieces.


  • We were guests of the restaurant, as part of its birthday celebrations

Thursday, September 10, 2015

L’Atitude 51 for Wine. Ratatouille. Movies & Music

L’Atitude 51 for Wine
Ratatouille. Movies & Music
Called into L’Atitude 51 on Union Quay for lunch midweek. Looked at the blackboard and went for the headline dish: Ratatouille with Chicken Skewers (€9.50). It was a good choice, the bowl packed with that high class Ratatouille, full of colour, flavour and texture. Indeed it was so good, that one customer specified Ratatouille on its own.

It is a small enough menu but you may have anything from a half sandwich to the top hot dish. Some recent examples of the latter are Tuscan Sausage & Bean Stew; Baked Longueville Apple Cider Chicken with Mustard Mash;  Tagliatelle with Lemon Pork Ragù;
and Couscous: Moroccan Stew with Chicken and Merguez Sausage.

If I hadn't wanted the Ratatouille, I could have had picked from Salad: Insalata Caprese with Mixed Leaves, West Cork Tomatoes, Toonsbridge Buffalo Mozzarella & Basil (€9.50);
Soup: Cumin, Carrot, Potato €4.50.
Sandwiches:
- Ummera Smoked Chicken and Creme Fraiche
- Local Tomato, Tuna and House Mayo
- Roasted Potato with Oregano, Feta and SunDried Tomato
Full Sandwich: €6.50

L’Atitude, run by Emma Lagrande and Beverly Mathews, is best known as a wine bar and indeed won the Georgina Campbell Wine Award for 2015. It is set in a historic building, formerly home to the famous Lobby Bar.
Wine tasting via Skype at L'Atitude

They have an extensive selection of wines from every corner of the globe, all carefully sourced, with over 50 available by the glass. They also serve great craft beer and cider, superb locally roasted Badger & Dodo coffee, homemade pastries freshly baked each morning, and more. Importantly, they use the best artisan ingredients, sourced locally where possible.  

The  Wine Workshop hosts a variety of exciting events focusing on the fun side of wine, from tastings and masterclasses on wine, beer, whiskey and sherry to movie nights, and much more.

By the way their Cine Cafe series for this season starts up next Wednesday evening
with "A Year in Burgundy". Part journalistic documentary and part contemplative art film, it follows seven winemaking families in Burgundy throughout the course of a year. Burgundy Wine Specialists Le Caveau, Kilkenny, will provide the "tastes" for the movie.
Wednesday 16th September 8pm. Tickets €12. Booking Essential.

Being in the old Lobby Bar, it was inevitable that music would play a part in L’Atitude. There is no shortage in the famous room upstairs where you’ll see some of Cork's finest musicians. Keep an eye on the website and on their Facebook page.

L’Atitude is a bit like their blackboard menu - lots of good things packed into a relatively small place!