Long life to the pizza maestros of Cent’Anni! Schull Harbour Hotel an ideal base for West Cork trip

Long life to the pizza maestros of Cent’Anni

Schull Harbour Hotel an ideal base for West Cork trip.

Pizza Pachino

Chris and Emma opened their pizzeria Cent’Anni in the West Cork village of Durrus less than three years ago and they’ve been packing them since. 

Lasagne

Where did Chris and Emma get the name? The phrase is a contraction of the Italian words cento (hundred) and anni (years). When toasting, Italians often raise their glasses and say "Cent'anni" to wish friends and family health, prosperity, and a long life.

The Durrus

Twenty pizza options here and of course, there is one called Durrus: Tomato Base, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Durrus Cheese, Fresh Rocket, Parma Ham, Parmesan Shavings & Real Olive Company aged Balsamic vinegar.

I’ve often enjoyed Cashel Blue cheese and pears together but never in a pizza. That changed at Cent’Anni when I ordered the Pachino (Tomato Base, Mozzarella, Cashel Blue Cheese, Pears, Walnuts, Mushrooms & Honey). Delicious and delightful.

Our pick of the non-pizza choices was the Lasagne, served with salad, coleslaw and garlic bread. It was another hugely satisfying plateful, so thumbs up across the table as we came to the end of the food and our refreshing non alcoholic drink, the Cent’Anni Passionfruit and Lemon Sparkling Mocktail.

Perfetto

But not finished yet! Still room for dessert and we choose the Kahlua Tiramisu. Perfetto, as they say in Italy.

Cent’Anni til we meet again in Durrus

Schull Harbour Hotel

I know I’m repeating myself here but, for the second year running, the Schull Harbour Hotel, superbly located right in the middle of the village, proved to be an ideal base for the recent trip to West Cork to visit some of the region’s "classic" highlights. Over two glorious days, we spent a very enjoyable time with visits to Bantry House (43 minutes), the gloriously sunny Mizen Head (34 minutes) and pizza at atmospheric Cent’Anni (40 minutes).

Evening drink al fresco

Overall, the spotless hotel was fine, the rooms (no armchairs though), dining areas and so on.  They also lack a lounge area but that may be coming! In the evening, we were able to relax on the shaded roadside benches and enjoy a glass or two of the Blacks Kinsale KPA. In the mornings, we enjoyed a stretch along the harbourside walk (pick it up at the pier).

The list of hot dishes for breakfast was fairly impressive, and the morning service in the plush Ariana Restaurant was good. Hot breakfast tip: go for the French Toast with local honey butter, seasonal fruit compote, fresh fruit, and cinnamon sugar. You order the hot dishes at your table other than the satisfactory Full Irish which is presented in buffet style, along with the continental breakfast choices.

They have no parking other than the public one metres across the road. We just about managed to get a spot each evening, but I wouldn't like to be trying for one at the weekends.

Also on this trip:

Looking for a mid day snack in West Cork. A shortlist including newcomer Harnen.

West Cork highlights: Mizen Head, Bantry House. Ballydehob.

Schull Harbour Hotel (from the harbourside walk).

Chef changes in Cork. New chef, new name for Midleton's Finin's

 Chef changes in Cork.

 New chef, new name for Midleton's Finin's

Prawn starter at The Black Barrel (formerly Finin's)

Quite a few chefs on the move this past month or so. A recent appointment is at Liss Ard Estate who announced that the experienced Sean Doyle is the estate’s new Head Chef. Sean has experience at L'Ecrivain, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud and the Merrion Hotel. The appointment of Doyle as is a significant coup for Liss Ard. He is a highly respected with a proven track record of success. His arrival is sure to boost the estate's culinary reputation and attract new visitors. 

He replaces Alex Petit who, earlier in the year, joined the Trigon Hotel Group (includes the Metropole and Cork International) as Group Executive Chef.

Ale in Black Barrel

And Good Day Deli are glad to have Chef Mark Ahern on their team in Nano Nagle Place: "We've admired + enjoyed Mark's cooking for many years, we share the same values on food sustainability + we're buzzing to collaborate." Mark is well known and respected locally and most recently worked in Pigalle in Barrack Street, so he's not moving too far!

And there is a new duo leading at Elbow Lane. Brothers Ronan and Harrison Sharpe have been appointed to the two top roles at  Cork’s iconic Smokehouse and Brewery as it moves to celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. 

Ronan (age 28), who is now the new general manager, joins his older brother Harrison Sharpe (age 30), currently the head chef of Elbow Lane, to lead one of the city’s best-loved eateries into its next decade.

Liss Ard's Sean Doyle

Not just a new name at 75 Main Street, Midleton. For decades, it was known as Finin’s and now it has been renamed The Black Barrel. It is very close to the local distillery where one of its most popular tipples is Black Barrel. 

Their new chef is Timmy Warne who has over 20 years of experience in the culinary industry (including working at local places such as Sage and Two Mile Inn). His recent appointment was welcomed by the restaurant who said “he has a passion for farm-to-table cuisine” and  “brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our kitchen”.

The long-standing and popular Finin’s was taken over by Blue Haven of Kinsale and re-opened, after a period of renovation, under the same name in mid-2022. The downstairs room was full the other night.  The frontage, on the main street, is now painted black and the new The Black Barrel sign is hanging high. 

Black Barrel Chicken Liver Paté

You’ll still get your steaks and burgers here but there have been some menu changes since our earlier visits. We missed the Slow Cooked Oxtail Croquettes and the Pork Belly Chicharrones. No sign of the Toulouse Sausage or the French Onion Soup. Older customers will miss the artwork that Finin's had in abundance on the walls. It has been replaced by bright colourful paintings by Cork artist Alan Hurley (whose work also hangs in Greenwich in the city centre).

But quite a bit remains, not least the delicious fresh Kinsale ales from the tap. More importantly, the warm welcome was still very much in evidence. 

Plenty of info and help for customers. If you want your sauce on the side, just ask. A customer was given two samples of wines as she made up her mind and another customer, a young adult, was able to “specify” the ingredients for his own burger. It seems that their burgers along with Fish and Chips are very popular dishes here; the restaurant caters to family groups.

And, of course, whiskey features on the menu and if you’d like to indulge, they have quite a selection in the bar, along with wine, cocktails and beer.

Indeed, one of our starters was the Jameson Black Barrel Chicken Liver Paté. It was absolutely top drawer and very much enhanced with an outstanding plum and apple chutney. Our other starter was their Chilli & Garlic Prawns (quite a quantity) that come with a piece of warm sourdough bread to take up the sauce. That too went down well.

Will be interesting to see how the menus develop in the coming months, both here and in the other establishments as the new chefs settle in.

A Quart of Ale± #132. On the craft journey with Blacks, Wicklow Wolf, Boundary, Backyard.

A Quart of Ale± #132

On the craft journey with Blacks, Wicklow Wolf, Boundary, Backyard.

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Blacks Stratasbeer Intergalactic IPA, 5.00% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Kinsale brewery Black’s announcement of this IPA invites you to “Blast through the Stratosphere into a whole new hop Universe..” And says it is “hopped to the high heavens with fresh Galaxy and Strata hops!”

Now let us come to earth and try it out! Colour is a straw/light orange, closer to clear than hazy, and it has a lovely white top. Aromas are not at all over the top. And those hops certainly add a supple backbone to the palate, yet again the flavours, like the aromas, are not over the top either, thankfully as far as I’m concerned. 

Flavours include the expected peach, passion fruit and citrus from the Australian hop Galaxy while the USA’s Strata reinforces that experience while also adding some herbal and even dank notes. Galaxy, often used in hop forward beers, is a key factor in many IPAs.

Very happy with this one, I’m glad to say. But how do you class this particular Kinsale IPA. It is West Coast, East Coast? Or Intergalactic, as they say!

With one hop from the US and the other from down under, it could well be of the Pacific style, that is beers brewed mostly with Australian and New Zealand hops (according to Mark Dredge’s just published book Beer: A Tasting Course). Colour and clarity certainly match the Pacific description and the ABV falls right in the middle of the style’s 3.5%-7%. Close but maybe not close enough.

Anyhow, let us not worry too much about the style. It is a well made and highly refreshing beer with a nicely judged hop kick all the way up to the finish. Blacks are back with a Stratospheric boom!

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Wicklow Wolf Locavore Winter 2022 Dry Irish Stout, 5.6%, 440 ml can Bradleys

“The latest edition in Wicklow Wolf's Locavore series is made from hops hand-picked by the Wicklow Wolf team. As always, this series is a beautiful expression of all Co. Wicklow has to offer. This release is a fresh-hopped dry Irish Stout. Promises to be wonderfully fresh and crisp!”

It is not the best of stouts but damn well close. The soft head has a tan  colour.  The aromatics are moderate but very pleasant indeed with a light toastiness and a slight hoppy bitterness leading the way. The smooth soft palate then reveals big flavours of roasted malt, a bigger presence than the hops, and there’s a streak of acidity in there too that helps keep it all in delicious harmony, smooth dry and clean into the finalé.

They have used the finest Irish ingredients:  Wicklow Harvest Mountain Water, Hops from the 2021 Harvest on their hop farm and hop garden at the brewery and their own malted barley and wheat which was grown in the field behind the brewery.

They say: “Locavore is a beer series that champions local ingredients, terroir and sustainability. Growing our own ingredients here in Wicklow is something that we are extremely proud of and you get to taste the fruits of the Wicklow landscape. You can follow the journey and story of this year’s Locavore Winter Dry Irish Stout by simply scanning the QR Code on the can.”

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Boundary Next Episode Helles Lager, 4.8% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Belfast’s Boundary Brewery are happy with their Helles: “We only started making lagers in the last year or so, but we absolutely love them - this is our first re-release of this German style Helles, NEXT EPISODE - it's clean, smooth, crisp, proper summer beer.” Art work is by John Robinson.

So there you are. Summer. Well I’m late again. But let us have a try - the heating’s on! It is amber coloured with a fairly short-lived white head. Aromas are mild, with malt upfront. And it’s also malty on the palate and clean and crisp as they say.

The German Helles , easily found in Munich, has a crisp finish similar to Pils. Cool and refreshing, this everyday beer goes well with salads, shrimp, or fish, an excellent session beer. That’s what Boundary were aiming for.

How To Pour A German Lager From A Can or Bottle*

1. Tilt the glass or stein at a 45 degree angle.

2. Place the tip of the bottle in the glass, and pour the beer quickly down the side.

3. Start to straighten the glass as the beer reaches the top to create a nice head of foam.

• from kegworks.com 

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Backyard Toasted Oat Export Stout, 7.0% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

This is the second beer from Backyard, their first a normal strength stout. This is, they say,  “A classic export stout with added toasted oats. An extra smooth body with the dark malty flavours that you expect from an export stout.”

Colour is the expected black with a tighter than normal tan head. 

Aromas give the expected toasty malty sensation. And there’s more malty roast on the palate with citrus and floral notes from the Citrus hops, with little hint of the high alcohol. Smooth enough (the oat bonus) though, with a decent finish. 

A Quart of Ale± #125. On the craft journey with Dot Brew, Bradleys, Lough Gill, Blacks, Stone Barrel, Yards & Crafts

A Quart of Ale± #125

On the craft journey with Dot Brew, Bradleys, Lough Gill, Blacks, Stone Barrel, Yards & Crafts

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Bradleys with Dot Nice One IPA, 6.00% ABV, 440ml Can 

Colour is a nice light gold, topped by a white bubbly top, one with a bit of stamina. Aromas of grapefruit and granadilla sweetness plus a hint of pine resin. Much the same on the palate, the fruit and pine still there plus a touch of peach and apricot right the way to the satisfying finish. 

Quite a combination, nothing out of synch here, good mouthfeel too. Excellent on all counts. Just might restore my faith in collaborations!

Geek Bits: Barley, Oats (flaked and malted), and Wheat are all included in the ingredients. And you have a healthy helping of US hops Simcoe and Amarillo.

Michael at Bradleys tells me they are now working with a new Irish delivery courier who use zero emission vehicles: “So whether it's the latest craft beer, fine wine or luxury whiskey, you can shop our online store and have it delivered anywhere in Ireland for just €5.” 

Lough Gill Sligo Bay American Pale Ale, 4.6%, 440ml can Bradleys

Colour is a light gold, hazy, with a soft white head. Aromas are moderate, led by citrus. Well balanced, as the makers indicate, between hops and malt, refreshing with a dry finish.

Lough Gill are happy with this one: “This American Pale Ale has a stunning bright golden colour. We've brewed it with a mix of cereals & American hops for a hop-forward yet malt-supported flavour. A bit special!”

The independent family run brewery is nestled close to the shores of Lough Gill, Co. Sligo and was established in 2016 by James Ward. Since opening their doors, the team have continued to produce high quality, exciting beers, ranging from bold stouts to brave sours.

The water, along with the name, come from nearby Lough Gill and that was also the name of the old brewery. It is not the first brewery for James and wife Valerie. Their initial venture, the White Hag, was the first brewery in Sligo for the best part of a century. After a couple of years, he sold it to its investor group and launched Lough Gill, with Anderson’s Ale, in November 2016.

Stone Barrel Boom Session IPA 4.5%, 440ml can Yards & Crafts

Colour is a mid-gold with a big soft white head.  Aromas are citrusy, with more exotic notes as well, such as Mango. The exotic flavours from the American hops are immediately apparent in the mouth all the way to a satisfactory smooth dry finish. Haven’t seen the hops detailed anywhere though they do mention on the web shop that they’ve used a “blend of American hops balanced by the delicate yet complex malt bill”. 

Stone Barrel beers are brewed by Third Barrel in Dublin. So, who are Stone Barrel?

“Well, what can we say, we’re two home-brewers who brew bigger.

Niall Fitzgerald and Kevin McKinney are the founders, brewers and driving force behind Stone Barrel Brewing. We both have a huge passion and appetite for all things in craft beer, from making to drinking and everything in between.

We launched Stone Barrel in November 2013 with one simple aim, to brew the kind of craft beers we love drinking. The good thing is that we love them all!

Like most home-brewers, we dreamed of one day opening a brewery. So, after a lot of planning, stress, blood, sweat, tears and hugs, we’re here. We’re living the dream and dreaming of beer!

It’s all good!”

Blacks Mango & Mosaic IPA, 5.0% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

Summer drink with a summer colour, shiny gold, and a white crown. Fruit aromas, with mango (which is included as an ingredient) heading the exotic posse. And so it goes onto the palate, those mango flavours surfing across with the Mosaic catching up towards the finish to give you something of a refreshing crisp and bitter finalé. Not a bad outcome at all! If you like Mango a lot. 

Midleton’s Finín’s Up And Running Under New Owners

 Midleton’s Finín’s Up And Running Under New Owners

A lesson on the double from my first visit to Midleton’s Finín’s after its recent takeover, and make-over, by Kinsale’s Blue Haven. In the same way as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, you shouldn’t judge a dish by how it looks. Even if the dish does look laid as the French say or moche as their teenagers would put it or just plain berk as the more outspoken might emit.

Hardly the most enticing Tiramisu to look at

but it is one of the best!

Toulouse Sausage

Let me start at the end, with the dessert, a Tiramisu. It came in a little bowl and looked like an emoji that had been badly designed. Yet it was superb, one of the best we’ve come across in recent times. Just seemed to have all the correct ingredients and it was sensational on the palate. Perhaps a presentation in a glass would have improved the initial impression but I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

And the other less-than-good-looking dish also provided a very happy outcome. This was the French onion soup (below), looked rather muddy in the bowl, but turned out fantastically well, sweetly delicious, another that was one of the best of its kind tasted on a long long while. A very big thumbs up here or, as the French might say: C’est vraiment très bon or perhaps just Miam! (Yum!).

Not the prettiest to look at but a joy to eat.

Black's KPA

Both dishes came from the specials board on the night and indeed the vast majority of our meal came from that board, though they do have quite a choice on the regular menu. We got a warm welcome and were soon seated downstairs - upstairs will not be ready for a few weeks yet. The bar, with its full length mirror behind, looks inviting and that was even more the case when I saw a tap for Black’s Kinsale Pale Ale, an excellent local beer and a favourite of mine. 

In face they have quite a choice of other craft beers in bottle including Porterhouse, Kinnegar and Galway Bay and also cider by Stonewell from Nohoval. Local producers are also supported when it comes to food and their suppliers include Horizon Farms in Kinsale, Harty's Cheddar, West Cork Olives, Ummera Irish Smokehouse, Cliona Dairy, Gubbeen Smokehouse, Jim Crowley's Butchers & Ballycotton Seafood (just across the street in Midleton).

It was a busy evening but the friendly staff did well, gave us a few tips when we were choosing and all worked out fine. Our other starter was from the regular menu: a deliciously crunchy Tempura of Broccoli, served with basil mayo and crispy Parma Ham and parmesan.

Mains include Wild Mushroom Tagliatelle, Smoked Chicken Caesar salad, and Catch of the Day. We could see from the dishes coming out from the kitchen that their Burger and Fish and Chips are very very popular indeed.

Seafood

On the Specials, we picked the Seafood Salad, Samphire and burnt lemon but our server explained it was more like a seafood medley and immediately the board was changed to a Seafood Selection. That came with a helping of fries and went down well indeed, especially the mussels and also the min-portion of Fish (cod) and Chips.

My choice was the Toulouse Sausage dish, with Thyme mash, roasted parsnip, black pudding and red wine jus. Flavours were excellent though. I had been expecting a heart rustic dish and that was exactly what I got. Fairly priced too at €16.50 as was the Seafood Selection at €18.90.

They were just into their second week after the opening under the new owners but, with many of the staff retained, they were going well, off to a good start. Finín’s will be worth keeping an eye on in the months ahead, especially with an experienced and respected chef as Pat Kiely (ex Les Gourmandises) at the helm.

A Quart of Ale± #64 On the craft journey with a session of Hope, Black's, Tom Crean and Rye River's Grafters

A Quart of Ale± #64

On the craft journey with a session with Rye River, Tom Crean, Hope and Blacks 

Rye River Grafters Working Day IPA, 6.5%, 440 can Dunnes Stores

This 2020 Blas na hEireann Gold Medal winner comes in a gold colour with hints of amber. A bit on the cloudy side but you can’t miss all those bubbles rising. Citrus in the aromas and also in the mouth. More fruity and bitter than malty and sweet and also making an impression that is more alcoholic than the 6.50%.

They say: Big, bold and tasty, this American style IPA is full-on flavour, delivering a big hit of juicy, citrus fruits. Perfect to accompany a spicy Indian or Mexican dish. Great with salads too.

Rye River are the brewers here and they make exclusive beers for some of Ireland’s biggest retailers including Lidl (the Crafty range), Tesco and Dunnes… “We’ve no plans to stop growing.” Grafters is one of their brands.

Geeks Bits

Malts: Wheat, Pale Wheat, Torrified Oats.

Hops: Columbus, Ekuanot and Mosaic.

Just wonder who is the guy on the label. He looks familiar.

Rye River Grafters Clocking Off Kölsch Style, 5.0%, 440 can Dunnes Store

Zillions of bubbles race through the slightly hazy gold to the top where a soft foamy head slowly shrinks.   Citrus notes, plus a hint of honey, in the aromas and that continues on the palate where an orange bitterness comes into play as well; no shortage of flavour yet nicely balanced, this World Beer Award winner is crisp and clean with the malt sweetness a factor. Excellent mouthfeel as well. The finish is moderately bitter. But drinkability is high - you want to repeat the experience. Very high quality indeed - a beer that’s top notch and definitely one for the short list.

Geek Bits

Malts: Carapils, Pilsner, Vienna.

Hops: Mandarin Bavaria, Tradition

Tom Crean St Bridget’s Irish Lager, 4.5%, 440 can Brewery Sale

During our brewery tour at Tom Crean’s in Kenmare, one of the first beers that Bill Sheppard mentioned was this lager named in honour of St Bridget who was a brewer. In fact he said quite a lot of the early brewers were women and the church wasn’t very happy with that situation. The brewers wore a special hat for the trade and kept a cat (to protect the grain from mice) and that eventually led to some of them being called witches with dire consequences.

Bill also told us that the Celts would go to war for a good brewer and I was wondering to myself if perhaps Bridget and St Patrick’s right hand man and brewer Mescan knew one another! My Mayo mother was called after the saint. Cheers Bridgie!

Lager of course ties up your brewing kit for longer than ale and maybe that was why there was a shortage of lager from the current wave of craft breweries in the early stages. No shortage now though.

A lovely golden colour on this one, bubbles galore and the bubbly head is not retained for very long. Good balance of hops (Slovenia) and malt (German) on the palate with the malt getting an edge on the finale. Not quite the “cut” that you’d expect from your normal modern lager. Bill has his own methods - take that tour! - and this is a very satisfying lager indeed that reminds me of the traditional Central European style.

They say:  We allow six weeks to bring this classic to perfection. St. Bridget, known in Ireland for her saintly status, her feast day (1st Feb) and her cross made from reeds, is less well known for being a fine Irish brewer.

Hope Pass If You Can Pale Ale, 4.6%, 440 can Dunnes Stores

A bubbly gold ale invites you to “try me”. While its head doesn’t hang about, its pleasure does. It is billed as a classic American style Pale Ale, a pretty wide definition. You‘ll note the citrusy aromas. The hop element of pale ale can vary a lot and this comes in that bit down the scale, certainly much less of a hoppy kick than an IPA. 

The producers describe it as an easy drinking malty and slightly fruity pale ale with a subtle hip kick. I’d go along with that. If you’ve been drinking craft lagers, then this could well be your next step! Worth a try for sure.

It is well balanced; the expressive malt and hop flavours complement one another. It is also an all rounder at the table (indoors or out) and chicken, prawns, BBQs and pizzas are among those pairings recommended.

Pass If You Can was the dare of Michael Collier, a notorious 19th century highwayman, who was North County Dublin’s answer to Robin Hood. He was so successful that his townland was dubbed Passifyoucan. Finally arrested in 1807, in his favourite haunt The Cock, he was transported and returned home only to die of cholera! Still, the name remains.

Geek Bits

Hops: Magnum, Mosaic, Citra,

Yeast: US-05

Malts: Pale Ale, CaraHell, Munich, Acidulated.

Blacks Golden Ticket Pineapple DIPA 8.2%, 440 can

The intensity of this IPA introduces itself the second you pull the tab. Take it easy is the message as the aromas surge upwards.  Colour is a hazy orange, not easy to see the bubbles though there are herds of them. The head, starts at about the 3-finger mark, but soon it thins to skin thickness (or thinness).

So back to those strong aromas, featuring pineapple of course. A lot going on here, even a hint or two of pine (the evergreen). And flavour?  Pineapple for sure, “super prevalent” as they say themselves, apricot too and citrus-y elements as well. 

Quite a punch, yet the alcoholic power is well reined in here, no all-enveloping black hole where everything is so concentrated that you don’t recognise anything. Iron fist in a velvet glove comes to mind. Just keep it in mind, respect the power, proceed with caution and a great deal of pleasure. Less caution = less pleasure.

They say: Amazingly fruity scrumdiddlyumptious Pineapple Double IPA. Packed with honey malt, Citra, Mosiac, Azaccea and El Dorardo hops! IBU = 90.