Top Food & Drinks Posts for Past 12 Months
(to end of April ‘14)
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| The Wine Geese. Top of the Charts! |
Showing posts with label Cafe Paradiso. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cafe Paradiso. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Top Food & Drinks Posts for Past 12 Months
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Top restaurant posts 2013
Top restaurant posts 2013
For the second year running, Bandon's Chapel Steps tops the restaurant charts. This year's post didn't score quite as high as the 2012 review but still, thanks to the many fans of this lovely restaurant, came out ahead. Good performances too from newcomers like Brendan Cashman's Gallo & Galettii in Wilton, Finn's Table in Kinsale, and the Greenroom at Sage in Midleton. Electric is tops in city centre, Cafe Gusto is leading cafe while the Sultan is best ethnic.
Top Drinks Posts
Kinsale's Black Pig Wine Bar is the place to go for a glass of wine (and a meal), the newcomer quickly establishing itself at the head of affairs. This was the Year of the WineGeese and great to see the visit of Cullen Wines to Cafe Paradiso featuring as does the series' opening night at L'Atitude 51. The rise of craft beer is underlined by the popularity of the post on the Cotton Ball, Cork's newest micro-brewery; this post, just up a week or two, is gathering in the hits even as I write.
Most popular restaurant posts
1
Speciality Nights at Bandon's Chapel Steps
2
Brendan is back
3
Electric. Easy to Book. Hard to Leave.
4
Magic at Myrtleville
5
Al Fresco dining at the Titanic Bar and Grill in Cobh
6
Old Friend's at Finn's Table
7
The Sultan of Penrose Wharf
8
Tapas in the Greenroom
9
Grazie Cafe Gusto
Most popular drinks posts
1
The Black Pig Wine Bar in Kinsale
2
On the tapas trail with Campo Viejo
3
Cullen Wines at Cafe Paradiso
4
Wine Geese Heading Home
5
Happy New Beer at the Cotton Ball
6
My Curious Case
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| Aubergine & Roast Pepper Parcels at Chapel Steps |
For the second year running, Bandon's Chapel Steps tops the restaurant charts. This year's post didn't score quite as high as the 2012 review but still, thanks to the many fans of this lovely restaurant, came out ahead. Good performances too from newcomers like Brendan Cashman's Gallo & Galettii in Wilton, Finn's Table in Kinsale, and the Greenroom at Sage in Midleton. Electric is tops in city centre, Cafe Gusto is leading cafe while the Sultan is best ethnic.
Top Drinks Posts
Kinsale's Black Pig Wine Bar is the place to go for a glass of wine (and a meal), the newcomer quickly establishing itself at the head of affairs. This was the Year of the WineGeese and great to see the visit of Cullen Wines to Cafe Paradiso featuring as does the series' opening night at L'Atitude 51. The rise of craft beer is underlined by the popularity of the post on the Cotton Ball, Cork's newest micro-brewery; this post, just up a week or two, is gathering in the hits even as I write.
Most popular restaurant posts
1
Speciality Nights at Bandon's Chapel Steps
2
Brendan is back
3
Electric. Easy to Book. Hard to Leave.
4
Magic at Myrtleville
5
Al Fresco dining at the Titanic Bar and Grill in Cobh
6
Old Friend's at Finn's Table
7
The Sultan of Penrose Wharf
8
Tapas in the Greenroom
9
Grazie Cafe Gusto
Most popular drinks posts
1
The Black Pig Wine Bar in Kinsale
2
On the tapas trail with Campo Viejo
3
Cullen Wines at Cafe Paradiso
4
Wine Geese Heading Home
5
Happy New Beer at the Cotton Ball
6
My Curious Case
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Top Posts 2013
Most Visited Posts in 2013
1
Sharkey Meets Ike. Ex US Pres in Cobh 2,587 hits
2
3
4
5
6
Brendan is back with Gallo & Galetti
7
8
9
10
11
In Praise Of East Cork. Well Worth A Visit!
12
13
These are the most visited posts from all my sites for the year 2013. Quite a mixed bag and some surprises too!
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Cullen Wines at Cafe Paradiso
Cullen Wines at Cafe Paradiso
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| Ger (Paradiso) and Emma in great form. |
Tuesday’s coming together of Cullen’s biodynamic wines from Australia’s
Margaret River and the renowned quality cooking of Cafe Paradiso, looked, on
paper, like a match made in food heaven. You won’t be surprised to learn that
it lived up to that billing.
This multi-course meal, part of the Wine Geese series, was one highlight
after another. I really lapped up the Baby Carrots with the buttermilk yoghurt
and the roast kombu. And then another highlight: grilled asparagus with miso beurre
blanc and nori gomasio, matched with the 2010 “Mangan Vineyard” Margaret River
Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon.
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| Nettle-lemon sorbet. |
The last of the whites was the superb 2010 “Kevin John” Margaret River
Chardonnay and that went so well with the sublime Toonsbridge buffalo mozzarella
with beetroot, pickled fennel, roast grapes and dukkah.
Emma Cullen, from the Western Australian vineyard family, was with us and she was
proud to say that the Kevin John, named after her grandfather, had sold out in
the UK. It is a complex elegant wine which has spent nine months in new oak. If
you hurry, you might get some (along with more of the Cullen wines in Bradley’s,
North Main Street).
On then to the substantial and delicious Aubergine involtini with a
pistachio-lemon salsa, potato and broad beans, paired with the 2010 Margaret River
Red, “an incredibly popular wine”.
Chocolate and Cherries followed, enjoyed with the 2010 “Mangan Vineyard”
Margaret River Merlot-Petit Verdot-Malbec. “This is a very interesting blend,”
said Emma. “and has a bit of a cult following. Try it with roast duck, it is incredible!
It has not seen oak. It was a terrific vintage and the fruit was so great, it didn’t
need the oak!”
And we finished with that superb Crozier blue cheese (with celery and
dates) and matched with the big red, the 2010 “Dian Madeline” Margaret Rover.
Diana was Emma’s grandmother. This last wine also benefitted from the
incredible vintage of that year. “It is very much a Bordelaise style, the cream
of the crop.”
Cullen Wines, now in its
42nd year is, since 2004, certified A Grade Biodynamic by the BFA of
Australia. “Put simply, biodynamic viticulture is a philosophy combining the
maintenance of sustainable soil fertility and the recognition of the link
between plant growth and the rhythms of the cosmos. It is a method of farming
that treats the vineyard as a living system, which interacts with the
environment to build a healthy living soil that helps to nourish the vines and
general environment.”
Emma is a big fan. “The results have been incredible. All bug related problems
are gone. We have better water retention. The quality of the fruit is
absolutely flawless...and there is an extra life and vibrancy in the wine”.
If you’d like to read more of the fascinating details, including the famous
cow horns filled with cow manure and planted in the fields, then go direct to
the Cullen website here
Cullen Wines are distributed in Ireland by Liberty Wines.
So a big big thanks to Emma, to Gerry Gunnigan of Liberty,
to Ger and to all the staff (especially to chef Mark) at Paradiso for a
stunning mix of excellent food and top class wine.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Paradiso: Paradise Found
Paradiso: Paradise Found
Looks like a work of art, too good to eat! A majestic main course and, if you want the recipe, check it out here
Spring is here and so are the new
greens from Gort na Nain farm including the "new kid on the block, cime di rapa, aka broccoli raab
amongst other aliases". That green, see picture below, was new to me
at least and not the only "surprise" during a superb weekend dinner at Cafe
Paradiso.
In this elegant, intimate and comfortable space,
the food is top notch, as is the service. Asked one of our servers about part
of the amuse bouche and got all the details, from the ingredients to the recipe
to the various possible finishes. More than just training, I think, at play
here. This lady likes her job!
And it looks as if that goes all the way from the front of house (great to meet Geraldine on her home turf) to the kitchen where Denis Cotter
has brought this cafe, founded in 1993, to a multi-award winning top
class restaurant. One of my friends, who travels widely in the hospitality
industry, tells me that it's "not alone the best vegetarian restaurant in
Ireland, it is probably the best restaurant in Ireland".
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| Tartlet of caramelized beetroot & Bluebell Falls fresh goat’s cheese, salsa verde and olive-crushed potato. |
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| Marinated Toonsbridge buffalo mozzarella with Gort na Nain leaves, roasted grapes, crushed fennel , crispbread and pomegranate syrup and pistachio dukkah |
These
were our starters. The tartlet was in a class of its own. These can be fairly
skimpy in some places but not here! Never had mozzarella served like this before!
Fantastic combination. By the way, Gort na Nain farm supplies the bulk of vegetables used by Paradiso.
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Spring cabbage dolma of spiced carrot & chickpeas with
smoked pepper-almond sauce, orange mint yoghurt, crushed saffron potato cake and broad beans
|
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| Leek & roast squash gratin with hazelnut & Hegarty’s cheddar crust, citrus rosemary cime di rape, braised borlotti beans. |
This is where I met the cime di rape for the first time! Tasted well, like broccoli
to be honest, as it played a supporting role here to the magnificent roast gratin.
Like many of the dishes served here, this is (well, was) beyond my imagination
but certainly not beyond that of Denis Cotter. Superbly executed.
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| Crozier Blue cheese, apple, Gortnanain honey, glazed pecans |
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| Cardamom set custard with poached rhubarb and pistachio shortbread |
With a visit to Cashel Blue
coming up this week, I was delighted to get the opportunity to taste their Crozier,
served in such a simple yet brilliant way. And more of the same with our other
dessert. Hasn’t the humble rhubarb come a long way from the neglected corner of
the back garden!
If the food is the main story
here, the wine list has recently claimed a mention. Better let Denis explain it
himself: "As promised, we've torn up the wine
list and put it back together in a new way. There are two major changes that
we're very excited about. Firstly, every wine is now available in four
measures. And we've radically changed the way we price wine to drag the top end
of the list down into the middle. Get the scoop here, then come in and play
with it...http://www.cafeparadiso.ie/blog/a-new-approach-to-pouring-and-pricing-wine"
The result for the customer is brilliant:
a new list, new measures, and new prices. There are about forty wines available,
all by the glass (150ml), the quartino (250), the mezzo (250) and by the
bottle. You also have a choice of aperitifs and digestifs.
We started with a quartino
of Dos Victorias ‘Jose
Pariente’ Verdejo 2011. With the mains, we each enjoyed a glass of
the Cullen Margaret River White 2011. Picked the Cullen in anticipation of
a WineGeese event in Paradiso. On Tuesday May 28th the restaurant will, in association with Liberty Wines, host a Presentation & Tasting with
winemaker Emma Cullen of Cullen Wines from Australia's Margaret River. Book direct with Paradiso.
Oh,
nearly forgot the gorgeous desert wines. One was a brilliant port, the Quinta
do Infantado Senior Tawny Port, and the other was Californian Essencia Orange
Muscat 2010. Sweet ending to a lovely evening,
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