Most Popular Posts Jan-Jun 2016

Most Popular Posts Jan-Jun 2016

King Bryan's fish

1 Restaurant Reviews

2 The Mews. A Kenmare Gem

3 The Sharp Knife Cooks Woodside Farm

4 Top Wines 2016. Reviews & Stockists

5 O’Briens 40 Years in Bunnyconnellan

6 The Old Imperial Hotel

7 At The Club Brasserie

8 King Bryan Reigns By The Waterfall

9 Ali’s Kitchen. Pleasures Of The Bakehouse

10 Wines Of California. Serious. Cheeky. And Over Here.

11 What To Drink With Sushi.

View from Bunnyconnellan

King Bryan Reigns By The Waterfall. A Right Royal Dinner For Greene’s Food And Wine Mag Event

King Bryan Reigns By The Waterfall

A Right Royal Dinner

For Greene’s Food And Wine Mag Event

Great buzz in Greene’s Restaurant on Tuesday evening as guests strolled in past the waterfall, wondering what ace chef Bryan McCarthy had in store for the May Food and Wine Magazine Gourmet Evening. Wondering yes, but no worries as Bryan is one of the very best and he underlined his reputation with a stunning multi-course meal, based almost entirely on local produce.

We were warmly welcomed and soon we had either a glass of fresh and crisp Prosecco (Coldigiano) or a Blackwater No. 5 Gin (with a new Irish tonic called Poacher's Well) and then the studying of the menu began.

Before the meal began, Clyde Sowman of Marlborough was on his feet introducing us to two of their Walnut Block Sauvignon Blancs. Theirs is a small family run vineyard and since 2005 Clyde and his brother have taken over a small parcel, a special parcel with old Walnut trees where they farm organically.

He had big thanks for “the amazing people of Tindal’s” before telling us how the warm days and cool nights of Marlborough are ideal for preserving the flavours and acidity of the fruit. “Organic was a bit of a struggle at first but every single year it gets better and better. It was a good move… working in harmony with nature.” He explained that the Collectables, with its fruit and acidity, was great with lighter foods, the Nutcracker, with its deeper flavours, for heavier dishes.

Two of the Seasonal Snacks

We then started - the place was full - with a selection of Greene’s Seasonal Snacks: Cheese & Onions crisps; Ballymakenny Farm Potatoes, Coolea Cheese Fondue and Leek Ash; Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Panko, Beetroot, Walnut; Crispy Fish Skin, Apple Cider Vinegar, Squid Ink. All delightful but that crispy fish skin was something else.

Starter one was a delicious ensemble: Mackerel and Crab, Preserved gooseberry, Wild Seaweeds, Nasturtium Leaf, Radish, Fennel, Orange, Cuckoo Flower. This was matched with the Walnut Block Collectables Sauvignon Blanc 2015.

The next plate was another gem, on the plate and on the palate: Tim Yorke’s West Cork Asparagus, Air Dried Cured Beef, Shandrum Cheese, Asparagus Salad Cream, pickles, Land Cress, and Smoked Almond. Wine here was Walnut Block Nutcracker Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

Time for a little break now and a palate cleanser, an espumante of Lychee, Lime and Matcha Green Tea. Clyde was on his feet again introducing us to a pair of their Pinot Noir. This grape “is a bit of a baby” he said. “Like all good Pinot, it has be hand-picked.” The temperament of the grape is not the only risk they take as these wines “are one hundred per cent Wild Ferment”. Great results but it is “riskier”.

Bryan McCarthy took a moment from the kitchen to speak and told us that it wouldn't be a dinner in Greene’s without a contribution from Kanturk’s Jack McCarthy and that was in our very next dish: Free range Pork Belly & Jack McCarthy Black Pudding, with green apple, cider and celeriac. The wine was the Walnut Bock Collectables Pinot Noir 2014. This has spent nine months in oak and proved an excellent pairing.

The next Pinot Noir was the Nutcracker Single Vineyard 2014, a favourite of winemaker Clyde. “It is complex, silky, fine tannins, as close as you can get to Mother Nature. … If enough work is done in the vineyard, the wine-making will be a cinch. Just two ingredients in these wines, the Pinot Noir grapes and a minimum amount of sulphur.” The wine is treated to 12 months “in top of the line French oak”.

A gorgeous wine and a terrific match with another highlight: Skeaghanore Duck, wing to beak (including heart), Kilbrack Farm Organic Vegetables, Wild Garlic, Pickled Ballyhoura Mushroom, Hedgerow jus. Fantastic produce from West Cork and so well handled by Bryan and the team at Greene’s who would soon get a round of applause for their efforts.

But not before dessert, of course. And this was another West Cork production, a lovely presentation of Bushby’s Strawberries, with elderflower, gorse ( a posh name for the furze bush, according to Bryan), Milk Sorbet and Raw Yogurt. And, just to make it even better, it was paired with the Alasia Moscato d'Asti, a low alcohol frizzante, aromatic, refreshing and easy-drinking.

And that brought us to the end of an very enjoyable evening of spectacular food and drink. Here’s to the next one!

Greene’s Enchanting Cuisine. Kitchen Alchemy Behind The Red Brick

Greene’s Enchanting Cuisine.

Kitchen Alchemy Behind The Red Brick

Dessert!

Greene’s has a lot going for it - we’ll get to that later - but the food is key. And key to the great dishes is innovative Head Chef Bryan McCarthy and his insistence on the best of local produce and then his skilful handling of that produce from kitchen to plate.   

Forget the impressive red brick frontage, the often mentioned archway entrance, even the more often mentioned waterfall just outside the big window to the west, and let's start with the dessert. Why? Well it illustrates perfectly how this chef can surprise, can ambush you.

We were in from the fifty euro five course Tasting Menu. You get a list at the table:

Pre Starter

***

Starter

***

Fish Mid-Course

***

Sorbet

***

Meat Main Course

***

Dessert

Pork belly

We did get a brief run-down on request, more details promised on serving (and they did indeed do just that). But at the start we’re told dessert is panna cotta. Not overly excited about that! But, knowing the form here, I should have known better. Still, the surprise was all the better.

We had quite a picture, a masterpiece,  on the plate. The Vanilla panna cotta, with a Pistachio topping, was the feature, surrounded by a Raspberry sorbet, Strawberry Espuma, Blueberry meringue (loved these bits), and more bits and pieces including Blackberry. Great to look at and delicious to dispatch. In some places you'd be lucky to get a single raspberry on top of your jar of panna cotta!

We had started too with an espuma, lychée and lime with raspberry powder, an amuse bouche, light and amusing (yes!) to the taste buds, which is the idea of course.

The starter was quite superb: Local Rare Breed Pork Belly, with Black Pudding & Black Pudding Dumpling, with Apple purée, Cider, Crackling Popcorn and Celeriac Slaw. An excellent combination of tastes and flavours though the popcorn didn't do anything for me. On the other hand, CL had a different opinion!

Salmon

Salmon is always good here and so it was with the Fish course: Cured Salmon & Smoked Salmon Rillettes, with Orange, Fennel, Pickled Sea veg, Squid Ink Aioli and Wasabi Mayo. The pickle was well judged and added to the other elements of the dish.

Time then for a little rest and our Mango and Lime Sorbet, Vodka infused on finely cut Lemon rind. Pleased and cleansed the palate all at once.

Slow braised beef is a long standing speciality here and that was next on the agenda. The shoulder was cooked for 16 hours and served with Ballyhoura mushrooms, samphire, beetroot purée and pickled, tender stemmed broccoli, lentils and a red wine jus. A superb main course indeed. And then came that gorgeous finalé!

Greene’s also have an excellent wine choice and, on the night, we enjoyed Domaine de Bousquet, an organic Malbec,  (Argentina, at €7.50 a glass) and Conviviale Montepulciano d’Abruzzo (Italy, at €6.95).

The restaurant has quite a few menus, including a great value Early Bird / Pre-Theatre (the Everyman is just across the street) for €32.50 for three courses. There are a number of tasting menus along with Table de Hote and A La Carte and you may check them all out here.

It is a very comfortable restaurant with a warm welcome and friendly and efficient service from start to finish. And a terrific chef, of course! Let him surprise you!

Waterfall

Greene’s Restaurant

48 MacCurtain Street

Cork.

Please call 021 455 2279 (phone preferred for reservations

For bookings by email please send your enquiry to info@greenesrestaurant.com

Opening Times

Monday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:00pm
Tuesday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Wednesday	Lunch - Closed	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Thursday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:30pm
Friday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 10pm
Saturday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 10pm
Sunday	Lunch - 12.30-2.30pm	Dinner - 5.30pm - 9:00pm

Greene’s Superb Early Bird/Pre-Theatre astoundingly good and great value

Greene’s Superb Early Bird/Pre-Theatre

astoundingly good and great value

 Early last week, in an initial burst of praise, I tweeted: The Pre-theatre/Early Bird menu @Greenescork is astoundingly good and great value. It is now almost two weeks later and my opinion is reinforced. An early evening visit to the McCurtain Street venue is well worth while; the theatre bit is up to yourself!

Just to get the value bit upfront. Three courses here, each with a terrific choice of dishes, costs €29.00 and, wait for it, an amuse bouche and tea or coffee is included. Bryan McCarthy is the chef here and you are in excellent hands.

Hake

Let’s go back to our visit early last week. As we studied the menu, there are about six choices for each course, we were served the amuse bouche, a delicious beetroot mousse with yoghurt. Soon we made our choices.

Greene’s is well known for variations of pork belly and feather blade and they also do a terrific Ballyhoura Mushroom risotto but we went for the fish on this occasion. And each main dish was top notch. And the vegetables on the side were another almost unexpected highlight: just a bowl of peas, florets of cauliflower, potato and so on but so well cooked and such an enhancement of the fish.

CL had the Wild Cod, a special for the evening, with samphire, Morteau sausage, and Roast Chicken Veloute. And this is Early Bird! My Seared Fillet of Hake was served with oyster mushrooms, leeks, baby gem and fennel oil. Another magnificent fish dish. Indeed, the freshness of the fish on both plates was absolutely outstanding, so fresh and so well handled in the kitchen. Service and presentation is also top notch.

The starters had also been excellent. Mine was the Cured salmon and smoked salmon rillettes, with blood orange, fennel, seaweed and squid ink and wasabi mayo, a great mix of colours, textures, and flavours, all getting the taste buds up and eager for more.

Goats cheese

It was the same story at the other side of the table with the Duo of Orchard Farm and Ardsallagh Goats Cheese (verrine and beignets, textures of poached pear, candy walnut and raisin purée) earning bags of kudos. Must stress again that this is all part of the early bird, three courses and more for €29.00.

Sometimes, more often than not, with us, dessert is shared but there was a special on here and no sharing pact agreed. Just as well, as the Poached Pear and Almond Cake with ice-cream and more was such a delight that at least one per person was mandatory!

So there you are. An excellent meal and a couple of cups of outstanding coffee for twenty nine euro. It is a must-try and Very Highly Recommended. The good news is that it is available Sunday to Wednesday all night and between 5.30 and 7.00pm Thursday to Saturday.

Greene’s Restaurant http://greenesrestaurant.com

48 McCurtain Street (opposite Everyman Theatre)

Cork

T: 021 455 2279

Sweet end!

Chilling Out at Greene’s. Supper Club Is Launched

Chilling Out at Greene’s

Supper Club Is Launched

Some very surprised expressions on diners’ face in Greene’s Restaurant  last night as the McCurtain Street venue launched their Supper Club. The surprise came when customers put the Tomato and Parmesan Cheese straight into their mouths after it came out of Chef Bryan's McCarthy's liquid nitrogen container. But that pained surprise soon turned to pleasure as the coolness vanished and the flavours spread around the palate.

The supper club was up and running and manager Arthur Little said it would be run on a monthly basis. He hinted it won't always be a dinner and wine matching event. He suggested they might do a little mushroom foraging, maybe seaweed foraging, and then come back and eat the bounty. “It is your Supper Club too,” he told the packed restaurant. “We are open to suggestions, and looking for ideas from customers”.

The wines for the event came La Bascula and they were ably represented by ED Adams MW. La Bascula works with vineyards and producers around Spain and Ed takes an active part as winemaker.

But it was a wine that they didn't make that he praised most highly on the night and that was the Casta Diva Muscatel 2011. “This is very special,’ he said. “El Bulli had it on their own label and we are delighted to be able to sell it. It comes from near Benidorm. Aromas of orange and almonds and it is very fresh, a very lovely natural pure wine. Take it with any blue cheese and you have a match made in heaven.”

Chef Bryan and Manager Arthur keeping an eye on the Liquid Nitrogen.

It was served with the chocolate course but we kept a sip for the cheese board, all top notch Irish cheese, and it did indeed go very well with the Cashel BLue. The wines are distributed in Ireland by Tindal's who had Damien Archer-Good on hand.

Another highlight for me was the Heights of the Charge Rueda with two of my favorites grapes, Verdejo (70%) and Viura, in the gorgeous blend. Indeed, all the matches were spot on right down to the lovely drop of Dow’s Nirvana Port that we finished on.

The multi-course meal was, as you’d have expected, packed with good things from Bryan McCarthy and his great team. Many of you will know of his Pork Belly, of his Feather Blade, and his chocolate desserts. Wasn't that Miso Glazed Rump Cap, on the same plate as the beef, delicious?

Hard to say but I think the highlight was the Marinated Tuna, a magnificent treatment of that big fish. And the good news is that you’ll be seeing it on the menu in the immediate future. So do watch out for it and for future Supper Club Events. You may join the Supper Club, for free.

The Bascula team tasting Viura and Verdejo.
On the right, Pork Belly and, bottom, the very cold Tomato & Cheese.

Wine Tasting Dinner

Cava on arrival.

Tomato, Parmesan cheese.

Local Rare Breed Pork Belly, Black Pudding.
Apple, cider, crackling popcorn.
with Turret Fields Monastrell (75%), Syrah, 2012

---
Dashi custards, Marinated Tuna.
Picked seaweed, Soya Jelly.
with Heights of the Charge Rueda, 2012.

---
Passion Fruit Sorbet, Lychee Foam.

---
Duo of Miso Glazed Rump Cap and Feather Blade.
Carrot, onion, Leek ash, Black Cabbage, Kale.
with the Charge Tempranillo 975%) and Garnacha, 2011.

---
Star Anise, White Chocolate, Mandarin confit.
Epsom of Creme Catalan.

---
Chocolate Praline Creme Tart.
Salt caramel, Vanilla ice-cream
(made with Alto El Sol & Ivorian Single Estate Barrie chocolate)
with Casta Diva Muscatel 2011.

---
Cheese Board
with Dow's Nirvana Port.

Greene’s Supper Club Launch. No Stone Unturned!

Greene’s Supper Club Launch

No Stone Unturned!

Chef Bryan and one of his recent dishes

Bryan McCarthy, Head Chef at Greene’s, is eagerly looking forward to the launch of the McCurtain Street restaurant’s Supper Club series next Thursday evening. And his menu (below) has me and and others anticipating the event where the wines will be supplied by Tindal’s.

Arthur Little, General Manager of Greene's and Hotel Isaac: “The concept behind Greene’s Supper Club is to introduce our members to some of the new trends in food today, be it foraging or using ocean vegetables; different cuts of meat or even going back to the ‘Ark of Food’ and introducing traditional favourites.   We will bring experts in a variety of food related areas to meet, discuss and enjoy what Greene’s has to offer”.

The guest of honour on Thursday will be the master winemaker Ed Adams from La Båscula wines in Rioja, an Englishman who is working closely with the winemaker. They have vineyards in both the north and south of Spain so you can expect a variety of exciting wines and indeed some exciting names such as Catalan Eagle, Heights of the Charge Rueda, Turret Fields Monastrell/ Syrah and No Stone Unturned with the beef. And the something sweet with the pud will be Casta Diva muscatel.

To book, please call 021 455 2279

For bookings by email please send your enquiry to greenes@isaacs.ie

Concentration from  master winemaker Ed Adams

Wine Tasting Dinner

€59.00

Prosecco or Cava on arrival

Amuse Bouche

Liquid Nitrogen Tomato, Black Olive, Parmesan Cheese

❧❧❧

Local Rare Breed Pork, Black Pudding & Seared Scallop

Apple, Cider, Crackling Popcorn, Celeriac Slaw

❧❧❧

Champagne Sorbet, Lychee Foam, Lemon Gin, Meringue

❧❧❧

Duo of Beef Short Rib & Fillet Steak (C)  

Paris Brown Mushroom, Waterfall farm Spinach, Celeriac Puree, Fondant Potato, 60/60 Hens Egg

❧❧❧

Chocolate Praline Crème Tart  

Hazelnut, Praline Ice Cream, Chocolate Textures

(Made with Alto El Sol & Ivorian Inaya Single Estate Cocoa Barrie Chocolate)

❧❧❧

Tea or Coffee

Cheese Plate & Port