Flawless meal at CUSH Midleton

 Flawless meal at CUSH Midleton

You walk in from the street to the little courtyard and, just past the colourful vintage shop, you see the new sign, CUSH, where the much-loved Sage used to be. Not just CUSH but CUSH Midleton, as the Ballycotton restaurant has transferred its Michelin Bib operation from the fishing harbour to the capital of East Cork. 

And then you notice - not as prominent as the characters of the name -  the four minimalist line-drawn symbols. They stand for the four seasons, for Dan Guerin’s menus reflect the seasons, and also the best that East Cork has to offer, with bountiful produce sourced from neighbouring farms and fresh fish from the nearby ocean to tell the story of that time of year, a synergy that, with Guerin’s kitchen expertise, lifts dish after dish to well above the ordinary, making for memorable dining visits.

The symbols, from top:
Spring, Summer,
Autumn, Winter

Walk past the sign and the burgeoning greenery on both sides of the warmly toned tiled pathway. Go around the corner, and you see the new blue of the building and (hopefully) the blue of the sky. Your evening begins with a warm welcome, and soon, you are at your table with the short menu and those symbols again!

We were in early (5.00 pm) in midweek and were given the Early Bird menu; the A La Carte (Tasting) menu isn’t available until about 90 minutes later.  Front of house maestro James Walsh will guide you through your menu.

Hake supreme

On the Early Bird, you have two starters and two mains (four of each on the A La Carte). We had both starters: Warm Natural Smoked Haddock, Potato Velouté, Crispy Hen’s Egg, and the Ballinrostig cheese agnolotti and Cevenne onion soup, two superb dishes. Each was outstanding. I had the agnolotti (cheese-filled pasta squares), and that onion soup begged to be spooned up, as did CL’s velouté.

CL’s Mains, one that she heartily recommends, was the Roast breast of Irish chicken, chanterelle mushrooms (Maitake were listed but on-the-ball James had tipped us off about the change), cauliflower cheese croquette, and Madeira sauce.

Chicken

Picpoul

 

My pick was the Grilled fillet of hake, new season spring greens, gnocchi, and dulse seaweed butter. Possibly the best Hake I’ve ever tasted, enhanced by the asparagus and the seaweed butter. Even the humble gnocchi played a part. We had two sides included, a dish of perfectly cooked vegetables and a smooth as could be mashed potato.

Smoked Salted Caramel Tart 

The presentation was unfussy but elegant and tidy. That was the case with all the dishes, including the Smoked Salted Caramel Tart and Vanilla Ice Cream, our shared dessert, appetising to look at, the cut so precise, the balance of textures and flavours so flawless, and just perfect for the end of a perfect meal in a lovely room.    

Check the times and menus on their website here https://cush.ie/ 

A Gorgeous Valpolicella Ripasso. And a couple to note when dining out.

A Gorgeous Valpolicella Ripasso.

And a couple to note when dining out. 

Musella Valpolicella Ripasso (DOC) Superiore 2017, 14%, O’Briens Wine €24.45

Musella is an organic family-run winery and one of the "13 Amarone Families", a group regarded as the best producers in the Veneto region, in the Northeast of Italy. Musella value their local grapes (grown in the predominantly limestone soil), including those in this blend:  Corvina and Corvinone 85%, Rondinella 10% and Barbera 5%.

The colour of the blend is a bright ruby red. And the nose draws you in further with aromas of red fruits and spices. The palate is full of vibrant cherry flavours, smooth for sure, and with the most perfect balance. And it finishes well and long with more fruit (raspberry included now) and some herbal notes plus a gentle touch of tannin on the lips. A very engaging Valpolicella indeed, complex yet quaffable,  and Very Highly Recommended.

The concentration here is the result of the Ripasso method. Ripasso (re-passed) wines are made by fermenting young Valpolicella wine with the unpressed but drained skins and lees left over from making Amarone and this process can give the Ripasso a “super-charge”. Read more details about the method here.

Suggested pairings are cold meats/pâtés, Duck, Nutroast, Pheasant/Pigeon, Pizza/Pasta, Rib-Eye Steak, Sirloin/Striploin/Rump steak.

By the way, I was just reading there in Vino Italiano that Valpolicella means “valley of many cellars” (vallis polis cellae). The Modern History of Italian Wine though, says the POL refers to large mounds of sand and gravel left behind after flooding in the local river but goes on to confirm that “this great land of wines has always practiced the characteristic technique of over-ripening and drying the grapes”.

Wine Folly has proposed a hierarchy of Valpolicella blended wines with our Ripasso in the middle. Above it are Recioto Della Valpolicella and Amarone Della Valpolicella while below are plain Valpolicella Superior and Valpolicella Classico. So now you know!

The Veneto (capital: Venice) is one of the 20 Italian regions and has a population of about five million.

Two O’Briens Spotted In The Wild

(Well, in restaurants really!)

Bodega Tandem Casual blanco 

I was surprised to find this one on the by-the-glass list (also by the bottle of course) in the Michelin Bib Gourmand Restaurant CUSH in beautiful Ballycotton. 

You rarely see Viura as a house white in Irish restaurants. Tandem's gorgeous Casual, with its elegant nose (floral and fennel) and its vibrant, fresh and mineral palate, could change all that. The wine, from Navarra, was superb with the halibut.

They like their Latin in this Spanish winery, even the Tandem is Latin. The wine name here is from the word casualis, accidentally, luckily. It is the only thing accidental about this wine though,  a beautifully made Viura from a gorgeous plot. Viura is perhaps best known as the main white grape in Rioja but has obviously crossed into neighbouring Navarra. In the rest of Spain it is known as Macabeu.

It has been fermented in stainless steel with its wild yeasts at 15-16ºC for 32 days and aged on its lees for 4 months at 16ºC. Recommended serving temperature is 12 degrees.

Lagar de Costa Geal Albariño

Geal Albariño is made on an artisanal scale by O’Briens Wine Director Lynne Coyle MW and the family owned Lagar de Costa winery in Rías Baixas, Spain. Most of these vineyards are very small and Lynne told us at a recent Albariño tasting that the Lagar de Costa winery has 11 hectares and is regarded as quite large.

The wine was aged on lees in a single concrete egg for eight months bringing complexity and depth. Geal Albariño is dry, refreshing, and lightly textured with green fruit notes, a hint of white peach and a lingering salinity making it an ideal wine for seafood. 

Geal by the way is the Irish and Scottish (Lynne is Scottish) for bright. Most of you will have come across it in school; if you don’t remember, check out the pronunciation here. 

In Nell’s, the new wine bar in MacCurtain Street, Cork, we took Aine’s advice and ordered a glass of the Geal and it went well with their lovely Fennel infused Nocellara olives.

It is also perfect with shellfish and seafood. The vineyard is right alongside the Atlantic and the vines grow on granitic soil. So that, and the fact the some of the roots are more or less in the water, may account for the traces of salinity in the Geal.

Cush Ballycotton Plates Up To Its Michelin Bib Gourmand Rating

Cush Ballycotton Plates Up To Its Michelin Bib Gourmand Rating

Halibut “Grenobloise”

Michelin say their Bib Gourmand stands for “good quality, good value cooking”. And you’ll certainly find that in Ballycotton’s Cush under chef Dan Guerin.

The restaurant space is comfortable and uncluttered with views to the harbour below and the lighthouse. Just like the family owned and run traditional pub and comfy bedrooms, also under the Cush name (taken from a local pathway), the welcome is warm and uncomplicated, the service friendly and efficient.

Monkfish

Tandem's "Casual" Viura

And speaking of local, local produce features throughout the menu whether it is the greens and veg from Greenfield Farm, the meat from O’Farrell Butchers, or the free-range poultry from East Ferry Farm. But I find that, not unexpectedly, fish is the star of the menu and, of course, that is local, mostly ultra-local from the pier below and from Richard Guerin in particular.

And it was the fish that provided the highlights for us during last week’s dinner. Halibut is one of my favourites and the dish here was superbly cooked and presented. It was billed as Grilled Wild Irish Halibut “Grenobloise”, new season Green Asparagus, Vadouvan Spiced Langoustine Sauce. The fish was perfect, soft and seductive, the asparagus plump and yielding, and that slightly spicy exotic sauce brought it all together so well.

Quail

Satisfactory sounds too from the other side of the table where CL enjoyed her Roast Loin of Monkfish, broccoli purée, Green Field Farm leeks, Clementine and Caviar butter sauce. There was the usual swapping, of course, and neither of us could find fault (not that we were particularly looking for one - we come to enjoy, not to nitpick!).  Just another faultless gem from Guerin’s kitchen, the veg and sauce expertly chosen to make the most of the fresh fish and there was a particularly delicious duet between the Monk and purée. 

We shared a superb little pot of mashed potato that came with the fish. No doubt plenty of butter but again Bib Gourmand quality, just like both our mains here. They offer a short list of sides including Charred Hispi Cabbage Nduja Breadcrumb and also Home cut fries.

Scallops

In between courses we sipped from our wines and watched the newly arrived swallows on a wall just outside the window who seemed to be watching us or was it the stellar food. You rarely see Viura* as a house white in Irish restaurants. Tandem's gorgeous Casual, with its elegant nose and vibrant mouth, could change all that. The wine, from Navarra, was superb with the halibut. We also enjoyed the Quinta do Crasto Branco from Portugal, a blend of local grapes, aromatic, crisp and fresh and ideal for the scallops and monkfish. 

Our meal had begun with Scallops and Quail, both eye-catching dishes. CL had the Seared West Cork Scallops, Boudin Noir, Vadouvan Spiced Sauce. Eye-catching and taste-bud tempting and altogether irresistible. And much the same could be said of my Roast Quail, pear and blackberry chutney, green asparagus, pickled walnut and Madeira sauce.

Baba

And we also finished well. One dessert was Salted Caramel Tart, Grue De Cacao Tuile, blackberry, vanilla ice cream; the other Baba, soaked in Valentia Island Vermouth, whipped vanilla mascarpone, new season blood orange. Another two empty plates remained, ready to go back following a full set of empties, and it was time to return home as we sang the praises of Chef Guerin and Cush in general.

• By the way, they offer a three course set menu for €38.00. Very good value at this level as it includes quite a few of the regular dishes and is a terrific introduction to the food here.
• Read more on the restaurant website here.

• 

  View from our table

  Also on this mini-trip: A short walk in the Ballycotton sun

* Viura in Rioja and Navarra but known as Macabeu in other parts of Spain.

A Short Walk In Sunny Ballycotton

 A Short Walk In Sunny Ballycotton

We were in Ballycotton for dinner at the Cush last week and had a little time on our hands so we took a short stroll from the pier to the start of the cliff walk.

As you can see it was a beautiful evening with the temperature reaching 18 degrees, swallows ducking and diving and seagulls soaring. That short but enjoyable stroll was followed by a superb meal in Cush.

Cush above and below with a couple of very early birds! We had a lovely dinner

here after the walk. Details on the blog here!

View from our table

The Mary Stanford lifeboat 1930-1959.
Now retired!

This little swallow looks on the hungry side.
It had landed on a wall just outside Cush window

East Cork Food Now. A One Day Snapshot

East Cork Food Now. A One Day Snapshot

With the 5km limit banished, we headed east on a little ramble that took us through Midleton to Killeagh and then back to the coast around Ballycotton. The weather was sunny and quite warm, all in our favour, as we had a quick, though far from exhaustive, look at what was going on food-wise in the area.

First stop was the relatively new Grumpy Bakers in Midleton. There was a little queue (partly for coffee) outside. Inside our first choice sourdough has been sold out (at about 10.00am). But they did have what turned out to be an excellent wholemeal sourdough and a delicious rhubarb and custard Danish.

Superb local cheddar available at Joe's Farm

Next stop was in the lovely countryside north of Killeagh where Joe’s Farm operates. You’ll know Joe and Sandra through Joe’s Farm Crisps (which have a wide distribution). But did you know, that once the pandemic struck, they turned part of the yard into a farmers market. Of course they have lots of their own vegetables and potatoes for sale but much more besides, including produce from Waterford (Tom Baldwin’s ice-cream) and Achill Island (Sea Salt and Sea Salted Fudge) and Laois (The Merry Mill). No shortage of more local produce either including home baking and the most delicious Raspberry Jam (produced by the adults and children of the Cooking Club in Youghal). In no time at all, we had our bags full and ready for road. Oh, by the way, they don’t do credit cards so be sure and bring cash (including perhaps a few small denomination notes).

The sun was well and truly in charge as we pulled into the car park opposite the Sea Church Restaurant and Concert venue. By the way, the newly installed Sea Church van opens for business on Wednesday April 28th. It will be open 7 days a week 10AM - 4PM for all your coffee and cake needs.

We strolled in toward the village proper where CUSH restaurant is offering an At Home service. We didn't get that far though. Spotted an ice-cream cone outside the Trawl Door and, in a separate room called Coney Island, got a couple of delicious cooling beauties, Strawberry along with a Rum & Raisin both made by Glenown Farm of Fermoy. We could also have had a lot more including an East Cork Mess or a Ballycotton Banoffee! Had a quick look at the Trawl Door itself which was busy. Lots of good stuff here, including a selection of wine and a very tempting deli counter. Must call there again when it’s less busy and when I don’t have an ice-cream in my hand.

Strawberry ice!

The Blackbird and The Schooner Bar here are not able to open of course under the current regulations but each offers takeaway at weekends. The popular Skinny's Diner also has weekend hours posted up on the window but you may need to check in advance.

Back then to pick up the car and our next destination was the beach at Ardnahinch. Here, the car park was close to full. On the beach itself as we walked along, we could see about 15 colourful "kites” in the sky at the next beach up, Ballinamona, quite a spectacle provided by the kite surfers as they enjoyed the brisk wind!

But we weren't there to see them! We were looking for the Trawler Boyz from Ballycotton who set up shop every weekend in the Ardnahinch Car Park. But we were too early as they weren’t due to start for another hour or two. There are some good reviews coming from that three person operation and they later reported selling some 500 meals during their few hours there. Check their Facebook page for opening times. Hours currently shown are: Fri & Sat 4.30-8.30; Sun 1.000-7.00. Tel: 086 4073057.

After Ardnahinch, we headed to a very important date, to collect our “At Home” dinner from Ballymaloe House. These meals come in all types of boxes and bags but none presented as classily as this one, it even had a bunch of tulips attached! We got a great welcome and a lovely chat as well. And the meal, featuring the first of their asparagus, East Cork Beef Cheek, a gorgeous panna cotta plus a super Irish cheese plate, was also high class. Details and next menu here.  

Ballymaloe Pop Up Wine Shop. Saturday afternoons only.

As we arrived, Colm McCan was opening up a Pop-up wine shop at the front of the Grainstore. He had a well-judged selection of organic and natural wines, also the Ballymaloe Gin. And also there was their very own cider, made with apples grown on the farm, including Dabinett, Crimson Bromley, Santana, Topas, Delles Bell and Dellinquo. You can get it only in Ballymaloe or though the At Home menu. Delicious and refreshing as we found out when we got home and relaxed in the garden before getting that marvellous dinner onto the table later on. Quite a day in the east.

PS: A day or two later, we were in Knockadoon. You’ll find the Lobster Pot food truck in place at the pier here, again opening at the weekends.

Cush Restaurant opens in Ballycotton, Co. Cork

Cush Restaurant opens in Ballycotton, Co. Cork

Cush Restaurant, a contemporary Irish food restaurant offering refined dining, has opened in the picturesque village of Ballycotton.  The 40-seater restaurant has opened in what was previously known as restaurant Pier 26, overlooking Ballycotton Pier and the Ballycotton lighthouse. The restaurant has had a total refurbishment as is now headed up by an Irish culinary rising star, chef Dan Guerin.  Diners can expect a dining experience in a truly unique scenic setting.  

The menu draws on inspiration from both the coastline, the terroir of region and the seasonality of produce.Transforming local produce seamlessly from nature to the plate is the foundation of Dan Guerin’s food philosophy.  The menus at Cush Restaurant will change and evolve on a regular basis, but always a showcase for ingredients from trusted local suppliers. 

Dan spent his foundation culinary years mastering his craft in high profile establishments such as Sage in Midleton, and Michelin-star restaurant Campagne in Kilkenny. His cooking is largely influenced by where he lives and he creates dishes that are layered with flavours from local suppliers and the Irish countryside. 

Dan says, “At Cush we are so lucky to be surrounded by exceptional producers,  and located right on the coastline gives us instant access to a wide variety of ingredients. I like to be as creative with our menus. By using our imagination and keeping our cooking style simple, we bring out the best of our hero ingredients to produce dishes that reflect our respect for our locality. ” 

The weekend lunchtime menu will feature dishes such as Slip Sole on the Bone with Seaweed Butter Sauce; Roast King Oyster Mushroom, Slow Cooked Egg and Crispy Onions; and Velvet Cloud Panna Cotta with Poached Rhubarb and Gingerbread. 

On the evening menu, diners can expect Warm Natural Smoked Haddock, Potato Veloute and Crispy Egg to start; mains such as Roast Rump of Lamb, Harissa Spiced Shoulder Pastilla, New Season Vegetables and Mint; and Crème Caramel, Raisin and Vanilla Tuille for dessert.

As part of the wider offering Cush Maritime Bar and Cush Guesthouse are also open and newly refurbished. Cush Maritime Bar is a cosy, welcoming, traditional Irish pub. The pub features salvage from local wrecks and nautical memorabilia and serves a wide range of gins, aperitifs and cocktails. The cocktails are classic simple recipes with a special Cush twist and include; Basil Gimlet, Bourbon old fashioned, Classic negroni, French 75, Espresso martini, Hot port & apple brandy cup.

Cush Guesthouse offers cosy, tastefully decorated bedrooms with spectacular sea views. The perfect base for those attending a concert in Sea Church, taking part in activities at Ballycotton Sea Adventures or simply looking for a relaxing weekend away. Rooms start at €95 per night. 

Cush Restaurant is open Thursday through Sunday for the winter season. Early bird menu available each evening between  5pm - 7pm and á la carte dinner service from 7pm - 10pm. Lunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 12pm - 2pm. Cush Restaurant is located by the pier at Ballycotton, Co. Cork.  To book call (021) 464 6768 or visit www.cush.ie.

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Cush Restaurant @cushballycotton.

press release