Showing posts with label Crawford Art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crawford Art. Show all posts

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Culture Night. Paintings and Plates

Culture Night

Paintings and Plates
Silvia of La Cocina
The Crawford Gallery was the first stop on Culture Night (18.09.15) with particular attention paid to two paintings. The first encountered featured Hugh Lawton, a direct ancestor of current Bordeaux negociant Pierre Lawton, who was Mayor of Cork City in 1776, and his enormous portrait hangs above the main staircase in the Crawford. Hugh would have quite a few more visitors later on as the L’Atitude 51 Wine Walk had the painting marked as one of their stopping points.

My second painting of interest was another large one, the Men of the South by Sean Keating. This features a group of rather good looking IRA men who, but for the rifles and pistols, could be on their way to a match or a dance even. But you can see the tension as they patiently wait to carry out an ambush. Perhaps I gave this painting more attention than usual because of the state funeral, earlier that day, for executed 1916 rebel Thomas Kent.
Hugh Lawton

For me, there is always a food call or two during Culture Night, usually to the English Market. But the Crawford Gallery Cafe were offering an intriguing menu, with a touch of Swiss and Spanish, and here we stayed for a pleasant while.

My fondue was based on a humble cheddar from East Cork but, enhanced by the kitchen, it proved a gem. Meanwhile CL tucked into a plate of Tapas that featured Rosscarbery Black Pudding and Gubbeen chorizo among other interesting flavours.

And La Cocina proved a very sweet ending indeed, “not too much sugar” though. From quite a selection we picked and shared a wedge of No Flour Almond and Lemon and a luscious custard cake (almost like a profiterole). Believe it or not, each went well with the last of the Biohof Pratsch Riesling.


Tapas
More art and food next at Nash 19. Indeed, both are always on the menu since Claire Nash opened the Sternview Gallery about a year ago. Rebecca Bradley’s Provisional View is the current show (until October 15th). The Irish Times critic Aidan Dunne summed it up as “Outstanding textural paintings based on landscape”. It is just that the landscape - suburbs, coastlines, fields and bogs - is never quite the same, “our sense of place not certain” as the handout says.

Time then for more food and with a goodly group of her producers on hand, there was no shortage. Got some lovely tastes of Hederman’s pate and Ardsallagh cheese from Claire. More cheese from Tipperary with Cashel Blue and Crozier Blue (my slight favourite) on hand.

Restaurant manager Mairead was handing out samples of the outstanding Longueville House cider and nearby the O'Connell’s were generous with their spiced beef, now in demand all year round.

All smiles: Champion pudding and spiced beef

 Kanturk’s Timmy McCarthy, not for the first time, had mixed booze and blood to great effect.This time the Premium drop was Teeling Single Malt and the result was top class. We also tasted the Jack McCarthy Smoked Air Dried Beef that last week won the Supreme Champion Award (and a lovely trophy) in the Speciality Foods Competition and the McCarthy’s were similarly awarded for the White Pudding in these Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland awards.

Timmy is rarely puzzled but he did have a quizzical look on his face as he spoke to three Danish visitors. They didn't know what black pudding was, saying they don't have blood puddings on Denmark, once the leading producer of bacon. Different cultures on culture night!


  • If truth be told, our first stop of the evening was at a No. 208 bus stop. It turned out to be a long wait. Two scheduled bus times came and went, without a bus in sight, before we finally set out some forty minutes later, very poor service for around four o'clock on a Friday. It was no much better coming home, with two arriving together after another forty minute wait.


Friday, November 25, 2011

IMPRESSIVE WINE SHOW IN CRAWFORD


FROM VINEYARDS DIRECT


From Vineyards Direct brought a very impressive collection, curated by Stuart Smith, to the Crawford Art Gallery last evening, some minor and major masterpieces among the 30 or so wines up for tasting.

Missed some familiar faces in the crowd: there were two other wine events on in the city, one even in the Crawford Café up the hallway. But nice to see ex garda and author Jim Ryan (on escort duty), Ollie from Glanmire's Cream Café and Miriam from the Cork and Bottle Wine Club.

Some punters were very happy with the Torrebrava Manzanilla but I went for the Brut 1415 Moingeon Blanc de Blanc (€12.95) as my aperitif. This south of France sparkler was top notch and a great way to start a Christmas party.

There were at least two gems among the whites including Domaine de la Motte, Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy 2007 (17.95), a beautiful fresh minerally example of Chardonnay.

Perhaps the best of the New World offerings, of both colours, was the Stanley Estate Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2011 (€15.95), confirming to me once again that this area and neighboring Nelson are the places to go for reliable SB.

Those two whites would fit into the Christmas schedule without any problem as would two good value reds. For quality and value it would be hard to beat the Chateau Bauduc Bordeaux Rouge 2008 (€11.95) and, for two euro extra, the rich and spicy Mas Belle Eaux, les Coteaux, Languedoc 2008.

And for the special occasion, which Christmas is, you might consider splashing out on a top Bordeaux, the luscious and intense Chateau La Commanderie de Mazeyres, Pomerol 2001 (€31.95).

While in you are in the mood, why not try a sweet ending. Maybe not Yquem but Haut Charmes, Sauternes 2009, a good example of the famous dessert wine. A full bottle will cost you €35.95 while a half will set you back €18.95.

Maybe you don’t like them as sweet as that. There was a good alternative there last night, well balanced and warming: Churchills Reserve Port (€17.95).

A very satisfactory tour among the sculptures and drink for thought. For more info on the wines and to order contact From Vineyards Direct here