DIRTY DINING

Tease your taste buds 

& challenge your senses with a 

Dark Dining Feast in the Club House Hotel Kilkenny

Ian Brennan, General Manager of Kilkenny's Club House Hotel, gives us the lowdown on dining in the dark.

Sensory Dining was first introduced to Kilkenny last year by The Club House Hotel, on Patrick Street in the city, in conjunction with the 5th annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival. The event was such a success and feedback so good that the management and chefs at the Club House have set about designing another tantalising menu for this year’s event, which will take place on Saturday 29th October 2011 kicking off with a drinks reception from 7.30pm.

Throughout the evening guests will be blind folded and will have no prior knowledge of the beverages or dishes on the menu. This is a dining experience of a lifetime designed to heighten the diner’s awareness of the meals flavours, texture and smells by removing your sight- the sense we rely on most.
 
A journey of the senses will begin with a drinks reception outside of the dining room where the host for the evening will talk through the evening’s events, explaining the restaurant’s layout, set up and guidelines for the evening. After this the guests will be brought to their tables where a blind fold will await! And from this moment onwards the blindfolds will be worn for the entire meal.

“This is a truly unique dining experience like no other. When you eat without the use of your sight you rely on your other senses to smell and taste of the food. Even the simplest of dishes can take on a new culinary flair and you will be amazed the things you may not be able to recognise. The night is great fun and people need not be apprehensive of how and what they are going to eat, the dishes are all designed to be easy to eat and there is nothing too unusual on the menu.”

From the first taste the non-visual senses will take over, as you try to distinguish and identify the flavours that make up each carefully crafted course – a feat much more difficult than it sounds. Each course will be accompanied by a selection of drinks that have been selected to match the sensory dining menu.

The Sensory Dining event takes place on Saturday night the 29th of October in the unique setting of the Georgian Dining Room of the Club House Hotel. An evening of fun relaxation, excitement, and discovery will be enjoyed by all in the company of the Club House staff who are renowned for their fun relaxed style of service with a touch of professionalism. This is the perfect night out for a romantic dinner, a feast of fun with family and friends, or a perfect gift for a foodie.

HISTORIC KILKENNY

The Tholsel, with Fleva (and Bridgestones) close by.
For more on Kilkenny go to: http://swissroll07.blogspot.com/


IN KILKENNY

Historic Kilkenny is a short enough trip from Cork.

Highlight is the gallery in Kilkenny Castle, a must visit, but you can take or leave the tower (don't think you’d get planning permission for it nowadays).

Countryside is pleasant with some fine ruins (Jerpoint Abbey for example, a much better visit than the remaining bits and pieces of Duiske). Some lovely villages too within a short distance of the city, particularly Inistioge (Don't forget a visit to nearby Woodstock) and Graiguenamanagh (on the Barrow).

Arriving in the town, had lunch at the hotel, the Kilkenny Inn (a mid range decent enough three star, quite close to the small town centre). Lunch was a Cajun chicken in a tortilla, with chips and salad, all for less than a tenner. Nicely done and good value.

Kilkenny seems to be a favourite trip to for the Dublin food critics (also hen and stag nights - check that out when booking your hotel). You could fall over the many awards around the place. The door at Fleva (High Street) is loaded with Bridgestones. It is well worth a visit. I had a three course early bird there for €26.00. Mains was Pork with cheese and a mustard jus and the desert, bread and butter pudding with whisky soaked raisins, looked and tasted amazing, should have taken a photo.

For a couple of Euro less, you get a three course at Lautrec Bistro (St Kieran’s Street). Portions are probably bigger here (not that they are small in Flevas) but quality is high. I enjoyed my braised lamb and the unusual dessert of orange tasting semolina with blueberries. They also do a Plat du jour for €21.00.

Wines at each establishment started around €5.75 per glass but the best glass of wine I had was at the big Left Bank Bar, down by the Castle. Most of the bars here are small but this highly decorated bright place has soft sofas and a roaring fire and bamboo plants growing to the high ceiling. I took my six euro glass of Merlot over to one of the sofas and didn't leave for an hour, a very enjoyable hour indeed.

It was a quick and enjoyable visit to the place that bills itself as Ireland’s Medieval City – not quite true. Officially it may well be a city but many towns are as big and you do have to work to find the medieval bits. The population is about 22,000, not much more than that of Douglas. It is about the same as the non city of Tralee and much less than non city Dundalk (35,000)! But obviously the Cats won the argument some time ago! Same as they’ve won so many hurling titles – now you can’t take that away from them!

For more on Kilkenny go to: http://swissroll07.blogspot.com