Market Lane. Something good for every one in the party!

Market Lane. Something delicious for every one in the party!

An expansive lunch menu and impressive service

Dark Angel. Never miss a
chance to try this gem
at source.

An expansive menu and impressive service kept the full eleven of us in good form as we gathered for an enjoyable birthday lunch in Market Lane at the weekend. Starters included everything from Dongpo braised pork belly in ginger and soy with cucumber & shaved fennel salad to the vegan Carrot and parmesan dumplings, cavolo nero kale fried in toasted hazelnut butter. 

From about a dozen choices in the mains list, you may pick from dishes such as Roast butternut and Cashel Blue salad, cranberries, barley, toasted pumpkin seeds, mustard dressed radicchio & rocket, and Crispy torn chicken salad in a yakiniku glaze with sugar snaps, scallions, coriander, sesame and rice noodles. All those spices, nuts and seeds enhance the flavours here and each of our eleven left well fed and happy.

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The Chicken liver pâté, fig & apple chutney, crunchy pickles and toasted sourdough was the most popular of the starters but my pick was the Beetroot and walnut koftas, tomato confit, whipped cashew cream and crispy basil (above)

The Fish and chips were flying out to tables around the upstairs room and four of our group made them their choice. The chips come in an Elbow beer batter with the traditional tartare sauce and pea purée. One happy diner gave them a big thumbs up, delighted in particular with the thin batter, "no need to poke around to try and find the fish!".

Our own CL is something of a fish aficionado and her pick was Pan roasted hake, tomato, pepper and aubergine ratatouille, fried baby potatoes, pistachio pistou (above).

Slow cooked Crowe’s bacon collar, mustard glaze, parsnip and scallion mash,
carrot purée, creamy leek sauce and braised hispi cabbage

I ordered this bacon collar on a recommendation from across the table, a very good tip as it turned out and one I can happily pass on to you. Market Lane buy much of their ingredients and produce from the English Market. They also support, and have done for years, local producers such as Crowe's (Tipperary), Skeaghanore (West Cork), Killahora (East Cork), Cashel Blue (Tipperary), Baldwin's Ice Cream (West Waterford)  and quite a few more.

There was no clear "winner" when it came to dessert though it was only a feeling of being more or less full that held a few back from ordering Market Lane's famous Marmalade and vanilla bread & butter pudding, custard and whipped cream.

The Blackberry and mint sorbet with cardamom and hazelnut granola (above) went down well to my right. Me? Well I picked the Layered chocolate and hazelnut delice, white chocolate mousse, mocha sauce and toasted hazelnuts (below). After all, I had to get something to hold the candles! Thanks to the team at Market Lane for helping us mark the occasion.

Nash 19 Champions Local Producers. The Customer Wins

Nash 19 Champions Local Producers.

The Customer Wins

Superb pork, crowned with crackling

Quite a few new restaurants, all types, sizes, styles, in Cork these days, some of them grabbing the attention. But a experienced and still enthusiastic troop of the old reliables can teach these new kids on the block a thing or two. Take Nash 19 for instance, established in 1992 and now a treasure of good food and good cooking right in the heart of the city: seasonal, local, consistent and so welcoming.

Good to keep these places in mind and I reaped the benefit last Tuesday when I accepted an offer to a birthday lunch (mine) and we decided on Nash 19. Some new faces in the crew but all come with big smiles and they soon had us seated, the menus in our hands, water at hand. It was a good start and gradually got better.

Warm Chicken Salad

Lots to pick from here, various salads, four fish dishes, traditional offerings such as Lamb’s Liver and Irish Stew. And if you couldn’t make up your mind you could do worse than choose the Local Producer Plate, their signature tasting plate.

The one that caught my eye was the Pork Loin, baked in Bombay Aloo (potato) & Fennel, with crackling (15.90). Crowe’s Farm are their regular supplier so I had no worries about the pork and in addition to the described elements there was also a helping of cracking kale (from Waterfall Farm), gratin potato and root vegetables. Overall, a superb mains, well thought out and equally well executed.

CL meanwhile was enjoying her Chicken Warm Salad, Mexican style, guacamole, tortillas and salsa (13.90), a bowl packed with colour, flavour and texture. 

Wines are supplied mainly by Liberty and Le Caveau and the birthday boy was invited to help himself by his driver for the day. Our server was confident about the wines and suggested I try the light unoaked and organic Mesta Tempranillo, a 2018 joven, from Ucles in Spain. She was spot on and I enjoyed the pairing!

We had each started with a “small” bowl of Rich Tomato and bean soup; they also had a chowder on offer. The soup took the cold out of the system and we settled back to enjoy our mains.

Nash believe in quality. Not alone do they source the best but they handle it well all the way from delivery to the plate. And it is not just quality. Quantity is never lacking here. So we were pretty full when the dessert question came up!

I studied the list, again no shortage of choice. The legendary Raspberry Mille Feuille caught my attention immediately but then I spotted something that might better suit the cool October day and so we decided to share the Pillow Meringue with spiced plums and hot chocolate sauce (6.60). Glad to report my hunch was right on the money. Indeed, those mildly spiced plums were worth the money on their own.

So there you are. What’s another year? Let’s see.

O'Callaghan's Mitchelstown. Local and Seasonal. Since 1988!

O'Callaghan's Mitchelstown

Local and Seasonal. Since 1988!

On the road again. Thinking about a light lunch. Mitchelstown comes up on the signs and immediately I think of O’Callaghan’s, a restaurant cum deli right in the middle of the town. 

On the way, we pass the sculpture of Fanahan, the local saint, who looks well fed himself. The O’Callaghan’s building is also looking very well in the weak December sunshine. And, inside, it’s very busy too.

One look at the menu tells me why. I know l’ve come for a light lunch - there is a big dinner ahead in Kilkenny that evening - but if I had come for a “proper” lunch I’d also have had hit the jackpot. And if I had wanted a salad bowl to take back to the nearby office, then I’d have been well catered for as well. And, by the way, there is also a children’s menu with lots of choice.

The menu changes daily (local and seasonal) and, on this Wednesday, lunch was being served from 12 noon until 4.30pm. There were no less than three soups on the specials and also a tempting starter based on Crowe’s crispy pancetta. Crowe’s are just one of their many local suppliers - see the full list here. 

Fanahan

Lots of main course specials, all priced around the 12 to 14 euro mark. There was a Red wine braised boeuf bourguignon, a pan-fried fillet of cod, Vegetarian baked flat mushrooms, and a vegetarian quiche,  just to give you an idea. All substantial dishes indeed.

There were salads and sandwiches of course. And here I found just what I wanted: a Caesar salad, with baby gem leaves, so fresh and crisp, Caesar dressing, Parmesan, a scattering of anchovies and croutons, for about seven euro if I remember rightly.

Meanwhile CL was tucking in, enthusiastically, to a Cajun Chicken Wrap with  tomato and onion (7 euro approx). I sampled that too and it was also excellent. Everything here is done to order. And service is top notch, friendly of course.

We enjoyed those and just regretted the fact that we couldn’t have tried the big plates! As we made our way out (checking the goodies on the shelves), punters were still piling in, some to eat, some to get a takeaway, others to order cakes and pastries (they also bake here, five different types of bread daily, four different types of scones). 

And they know what they are doing - their customers have been supporting them since they opened in 1988. And don’t worry if you see a queue as they can seat 130 people!

O’Callaghan’s Café serves food all day with extensive Breakfast and Lunch menus. As they say themselves, O’Callaghan’s is the perfect place to break a journey, whether you have time to eat in or prefer to eat on the go, O’Callaghan’s can offer everything you need!

O’Callaghan’s Deli,

19 Lower Cork St,

Mitchelstown

Co. Cork

Tel: 025-24657

Nash 19. The Real Thing.

Nash 19. The Real Thing.
Local on a Plate

It’s lunchtime Saturday and I'm sitting at a table in the Sternview Gallery at the back of Nash 19 (most of the tables in the front end were full) in Princes Street Cork and looking, admiringly, at a big tempting slice of bacon loin. And my mind goes back about a week when I got a shiny plastic-y slice of ham in a small cafe in Trim. Hard to believe that both came from the same planet, not to mind the same type of animal.

The one in Nash 19 comes from Crowe’s in Tipperary , is big and thick, moist and packed full of flavour, an itegral part of my Eggs Benedict (12.00). It is parked on a mega slice of sourdough that stretches right the diameter of the plate. On top are two perfectly poached eggs and all around there is Hollandaise sauce. A classic combination, top notch produce so well handled, as is consistently the case here, and beautifully presented as well.

Across the table, CL has quite a dish in front of her, again very well presented. It is the Chicken Korma Curry, Basmati rice, Mango chutney and Papadum (13.00). Nothing overly complicated here but the big chunks of locally supplied chicken chicken are key, full of flavour and so tender, great stuff. Had one or two myself from this oh so enjoyable moderately spiced curry.

And speaking of moderate spice, we had each started with a cup, quite a generous size, of one of the soups, the Squash and Ginger (3.50). There was also a bowl option for €5.50. Seafood chowder and a goat's cheese salad were also available as starters and, if you were in the mood, a dozen of Jamie Dwyer’s market fresh Pacific Oysters.

Speaking of markets, the mains list featured a Taste of the English Market (just across the street). For sixteen euro, you could treat yourself to a plateful of meat, fish and cheese, served tapas style. Recommended! Their own recommendations on the day were the Kerry Crab Sandwich and the Nash 19 Cod Fish and Chips. Indeed there is a great selection on a menu that sees some change daily!

And if you feel like more, then you can treat yourself to some of the great local produce at the little shop on the way out. And if you are too busy to dine here, if you need to have lunch in the office, then check out Nash to Go.

As we dined, owner Claire Nash herself was busy handing out samples to and then chatting with a group of visitors led by Alice Coyle of Fab Food Trails but not too busy to check around the restaurant and see how the various customers are doing. And if Claire doesn't get to you at least one member of her superb staff, friendly and efficient, will.

What’s the difference between bacon and ham? I sometimes ask myself. Here are two good guides, the first from James Whelan Butchers, the second from the UK’s Delicious magazine.

Nash 19

19 Princes Street

Cork

+353 21 427 0880

Web: http://www.nash19.com

Twitter: @Nash19Cork

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nash19Cork/home

Hours

Mon-Fri: 7.30-4.00

Sat: 8.30-4.00

Never a dull dish at Nash19

 NASH19

As its 19th birthday approaches, Nash19 would be forgiven for slipping into a routine. And, yet, there is a routine here: top class food and excellent and friendly service.

The ingredients are familiar, local gems such as Jack McCarthy’s beef, Crowe’s bacon and Durcan’s beef. Quality is assured by this policy and variety is ensured by the imagination of the chefs. You won't be bored with what comes out on your plate.

The policy works. Just look at the customers coming through. We were in early for lunch today (Friday) and, sure enough, the place was more or less full shortly after one and they were still coming in at two.

Started off with a couple of cups of soup (you may also get bowls). Sweet potato has really shot up the popularity charts in recent years and the Roast Sweet Potato and Cumin soup was tasty, spicy and excellent. I went for the Tomato, Bean and Bacon blend and this too hit all the right boxes, plenty of tasty bits, eating and drinking in it!

Main course for me were the Tuscan Style Meatballs (Durcan’s Beef) in a rich tomato sauce on organic spaghetti. An excellent combination of the three main ingredients, well balanced, light yet substantial.

No shortage of substance either on our other main course: Crowe’s farm reared Bacon Loin with Apricot chutney. This was a tempting combination of excellent tender meat matched by the sweet fruit though the accompanying sauce was a bit on the piquant side.

Christine was looking after our table (it isn’t every day you get served by a Master Chef contestant) and was quite proud of their new wine list. CL had a glass of the Amador Parreno Organic Tempranillo, a nice bit of spice and fruit quite typical of the grape and an attractive price of €4.50 a glass.

With my main course having an Italian slant, I picked the Masseria Pietrosa Malvasia Nera. This comes from the south of Italy and has lovely black fruits with hints of spice.

At this point, we could manage just the one dessert between us and the Strawberry Victoria Sponge with a rich vein of cream was well up to the task. Two cups of classic Bewleys coffee brought the total to a little over €57.00.

NASH 19

NASH 19

Always a pleasure to visit Nash 19 and yesterday’s lunch time date with two colleagues was no exception as a warm welcome was followed by some top notch food and service, including a drop or two of mulled wine.

Quite a few of you will have seen Tipperary’s Crowe's Farm  featured in RTE’s Ear to the Ground earlier in the week. And their bacon was the main feature of my lunch. It was served with, among other things, an apricot chutney, and the combination was first class.

Will be watching out for