Tapas in the Greenroom

The Greenroom at Sage

Called down to Midleton last Tuesday evening to sample the food at the Greenroom, the new all day late night cafe under the ample wing of the adjacent Sage Restaurant. Spotted the 12 Mile Tapas board and immediately saw familiar producers of quality including Woodside Farm, Ardsallagh and Tom Clancy. Five tapas on the board, so we ordered all five.

Next question was what to drink. Easily answered by looking at the next board. Lots of local beers here and also Stonewell cider. Could hardly drink all the beers so settled for the Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner from Eight Degrees and two new Cork beers, both pale ales, the Mountain Man Green Bullet and the Kinsale Pale Ale, each dangerously drinkable!

The tapas are top class, all the dishes perfectly executed and, at seven euro each, very good value. Take the humble Organic courgette and apple fritters with dehydrated goat yoghurt. Didn’t sound the most promising of the five but the tangy yoghurt made the fritters sing.

The Organic baby carrot and Ardsallagh goat cheese with organic leaves and pickled beetroot was another successful combination of taste, colour, flavour and texture. While the cooking here is creative, the food is allowed to speak for itself and this was perhaps best illustrated by the Woodside mini Pork Pie with peas and gravy. The pork flavour and texture were incredible.

The monkfish, coated in the most delicate batter and served with crispy bacon and organic roast garlic aioli, was lyrically light, crunchy and gorgeous and probably CL’s favourite.

For me, the outstanding bite was the first one into those Thomas Clancy free range chicken livers with sourdough and salsa. Honest food so well handled all the way to the table.

The dessert, Red Velvet Cappuccino cake with Bailey’s Ice Cream, was so smooth and seemed designed to put us into a good mood. But, after those brilliant tapas, we were happily already in that zone!

All in all then,  honest food, flawlessly cooked, just perfect. And obviously widely appreciated as the Greenroom was more or less full.

Sage itself was also full. It has gained some extra seating and a different entrance (via the courtyard) after the recent building works that gave us the Greenroom. And the local producers are lauded here in Sage and not just on the tables. On one of the walls there is an excellent photo display of the producers going about their daily work. Well done to Kevin and Réidín for their dedication to their local suppliers!

While it is full steam ahead for Sage, the recently opened Greenroom too has been finding itself quite busy in these early days. It opens at nine and, during the morning, you can pop in for a freshly ground coffee and a freshly baked treat. At lunch time, you’ll have great choices of Salads and Sandwiches and, in the evening, the tapas come into their own.

The new Greenroom, they call it Sage’s little sister, is also proving useful for a pre-meal drink for those booked into Sage or maybe waiting for a table. And, when the sun shines, the courtyard outside is abuzz.

Greenroom details

Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm.

Address: 8 Main St, Midleton, Co. Cork.

Phone: (021) 463 9682

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.sagerestaurant.ie

Lovely Meal at Raymond’s

Lovely Meal at Raymond’s

 Enjoyed a smashing meal at Raymond’s Restaurant in Midleton last week. The restaurant is easily found as it is on the way in to the Jameson Experience. It is a day and night bistro where you may enjoy lunch (including Sundays) and evening meals (including an Early Bird option).

 Highlight for me was my main course: Roast Half Free Range Duck with Walnut Stuffing, Apricot and Apple Compote and Jus. The duck was cooked to perfection and the Apricot and Apple was a brilliant foil. Besides, the side plate of seasonal vegetables were also spot-on.

 The same side plate also accompanied the other main dish on the table: Roast Cod with Green Beans and a Citrus Butter Sauce. The fish was fresh, after all it came from neighbouring Ballycotton, and again the sauce was spot-on.

Don’t usually go for breaded mussels but was glad that I did so on this occasion as we both thoroughly enjoyed the Baked Mussels Stuffed with a Garlic, Almond and Herb Crust. The excellent salad and also a small helping of tomato salsa helped no end towards the enjoyment.

 Raymond’s has quite an extensive wine list but I settled for a glass of the wine of the month, a lively citrusy blend of Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc called Le Petit Balthazar (€6.00)

That was well polished off  by the time the desserts came. I had my eye on the Date and Butterscotch Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream from the start and it certainly didn’t let me down. A gorgeous sweet swallow! The other dessert, Mixed Berry Roulade with Fruit Coulis and Ice Cream, was really well made and also very nice indeed.

I finished off with a cup of coffee but if you like green tea or decaffeinated coffee, just ask. They don’t appear on the menu but they do serve them. The atmosphere in the nicely lit and spacious restaurant was excellent, a good buzz as they say, and the service was friendly and efficient. Certainly worth a call either for lunch or dinner.

Raymond’s Restaurant
Distillery Walk, Midleton
 +353 (0)21 4635235      
info@raymonds.ie
Check out the menus here http://www.raymonds.ie

Jim Crowley Butchers. Multi-award winners.

Jim Crowley Butchers, Midleton

Criostoir (2nd left) with his team at the festival

 The outstanding treat that I enjoyed at the recent Midleton Food Festival came from the Jim Crowley Butcher stall on the main street. I had met joint owner Criostoir O’Crualoai a few days previously and he had told me to watch out for their Steak Sandwich, also a hit at the previous year’s festival.

So I did keep an eye out and soon found the stall, along with Criostoir and his friendly crew. Just have to say that the steak sandwich was terrific, even at a comparative early hour of the day. So tender, we were able to gently tear it in two, the better to share. Tender, and tasty.

The shop on Mill Road

 While a well placed source in the food industry later told me that Crowley’s have a loyal following in the area, I had never heard of their shop (on the Mill Road) before meeting Criostoir. After the festival, I called up there and met another friendly bunch behind the counter. The shop was neat and sparkling with a great selection of meats on sale.

But I were after the shop’s pride and joy: their pork, chorizo and mozzarella burgers. Took them home and cooked them up and enjoyed them - just the right amount of chorizo to spice up the pork without overdoing it. Quite a chunky burger too and good value. And they are gorgeous. Don't take my word for it. It won second prize in May in the ACBI national barbeque competition!

And that is not the only award that Crowley’s, owned jointly by Criostoir and Jim Crowley, have won in recent years. You can see the list here and it includes five Bridgestone’s in a row, the most recent for 2012.

Prize-winning pork burger!

Criostoir: “Attention to detail is what makes us leaders in our field. Our product is thoroughly traceable. Crowley’s is a family business spanning two generations and has a very good reputation locally. The fact that many restaurants in the area use us as their supplier is testimony to the quality assurance that we bring to the marketplace.”

The Midleton Food Festival may come around just once a year but you can visit that sparkling welcoming shop on the town’s Mill Road all year round. Worth a detour!

Sun Shines on Midleton Food Festival

Midleton Food Festival

Top centre: Birthday boy Barrie Tyner at the Farmers Market

and, right, Mella and her award winning Fudge at the Festival

Enjoyed my ramble through the busy Midleton Food Festival yesterday morning. We had a couple of bags with us but were soon presented with another by the Festival folks as we walked down the main street.

Lots of activity. There was a small craft fair in one side street, a photo exhibition in another. Perhaps the best off-street atmosphere was at Sage Restaurant where their courtyard saw salads being served nonstop, punters relaxing in the sun on giant bean-bags and a live band in action. “Like a mini Electric picnic,” quipped Head Chef Kevin Aherne.

Back then to the big picnic on the street. Lots of hot food available, including kangaroo steaks. On the Pig's Back were busy as was Ballymaloe Relish and they were lining up to sample Mella’s gorgeous fudge. Seymours gorgeous biscuits were also in demand and I helped myself to a few packets of the Cheese Biscuits.

Day’s of Whitegate had a big stand and a big crowd. Ballycotton Seafood were also busy; picked up some fresh John Dory there and also a bunch of mackerel. Big rings of Clonakilty black pudding were being cooked in huge batches and sold on the spot. Close by, BBQ Joe’s were ready for action.

Some of the local restaurants, including Pizzeria San Marco, joined in the spirit of the day and the pizza slices were in demand. There is only so much food you can eat on a walk-through like this and I was more than happy with a tender steak sandwich from local butcher Jim Crowley, unbelievably tender!

Lots of hot food about but not too many producers in the Festival itself. To find them in numbers, you had to go to the usual Saturday morning market, and an excellent one it is, at the Cork side of the town. I’ve often thought that these producers, in Midleton every Saturday of the year, should be given pride of place on the main street on Festival day. I think it would add a solid backbone to the whole experience.

This band of musicians get attention!

Beer and cheese. And the blues!

Organiser Barrie Tyner (with the large bottle) at the Beer/Cheese event at the
Midleton Farmers Market today Saturday

NEW DISHES FROM BALLYCOTTON SEAFOOD

BALLYCOTTON SEAFOOD

Salmon & Sweet Chili

Mediterranean Cod Gratin

Always like calling to see the folks at the Ballycotton Seafood in the English Market and also make the odd call to their shop in Midleton.

Now the good news for

MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Midleton Food Festival 10.09.11. Click on image to enlarge. Post to follow...

MIDLETON FOOD FESTIVAL

Had really been looking forward to this year’s Midleton Food Festival and neither the food on offer nor the people offering it let me down in any way. A stroll down (and up, and down and up again) the main street this Saturday morning was a foodie pleasure.

Enjoyed my chat with Claire of Amandine who make sweet temptations from the most gorgeous French style pastries to personalised birthday cakes. Two of her pastries, Pear & Almond and Lemon Meringue Tarts, have been shortlisted for the 2011 Irish Food Awards in Dingle and they were the two we bought.

One of the pleasures of these festivals, especially if you go early, is the opportunity to chat with the stallholders and we compared notes with Claire on Provence (where she is from and where we, and she, holidayed this year). Bonne chance in Dingle, Claire.

Also had a chat with Jon Ward and Kevin Aherne from the inventive Sage Restaurant  who played a big part in the festival with a few stands out on the street as well as one in the courtyard.

Also called to the regular Farmers Market which was also running and delighted here to meet up with Noreen and son Henry from Woodside Farm  and also the busy and ever inventive Deirdre Hilliard of Cobh’s Just Food .

Back to the food now. Let’s start with the bread, a lovely sourdough (already tested) from the Granary who have a pleasant permanent position just off the main street. Three lots of cheese came back to the city: two from the Old Irish Creamery  and one from Ardsallagh .

Isabelle Sheridan was manning the On the Pig’s Back stand and here we helped ourselves to some Chicken liver pate and to a slab of Venison Terrine. Also a box of Victoria plums from the Rose Cottage Fruit farm .

At the Farmers Market, we bought the veg from Ballycurraginny Farm (regulars at Mahon Point), got some Pork and Apple Burgers from Woodside and a Muesli and pot of Ratatouille from Just Food.

Madeline from Pure Sushi told me she was delighted with her award at the Mitchelstown Festival and we treated ourselves to a six pack for this evening. Some sweet stuff too. In addition to the cakes from Amandine (who have a permanent stand in the Mahon Shopping complex), we spoiled ourselves with a bag of gorgeous mixed chocolates from Benoit Lorge .

As you know, I regularly buy Irish, buy local. But it is not always easy. Lorge has quite a reputation in the chocolate field and many of you may have seen Eve Chocolates  from Dennehys Cross highlighted in the Evening Echo during the week.

Yet last week, at the English Market, two US travel agents told me they were disappointed to find only two Irish chocolate products on sale in an otherwise well stocked chocolate shop there.

The 12 Mile Menu at Sage

SAGE’S LOCAL MENU

Midleton’s Sage Restaurant is one of the first in the country to come up with a local menu. It is known as the 12 Mile Menu and is available at lunchtime everyday (closed Mon) from 12-3pm in conjunction with their regular lunch menu.

You may see their August suppliers on the board at the restaurant and also on their newly revamped website.  The nature of this menu means that it changes daily and Kevin Aherne is always on the lookout for new suppliers in the vicinity.

Here are a few examples o f what you might find:

Slow-braised beef with bacon lardons & peas;

Roast shoulder of pork with apples & white turnip;

Buttered cabbage leaves stuffed with ham hock;

Local leaf salad with grilled courgette, roast beetroot & goats cheese.

I had recently tried their evening menu and was delighted with it as you can see from the review.  So I was quite confident as I headed down to East Cork today to try the 12 Mile menu. I wasn't at all disappointed.

I had missed Kevin’s tweeted recommendations but, by pure coincidence, picked them: the Onion and Leek Soup and the Braised Pork Shoulder with apples, white turnip and red cabbage. The creamy soup still retained a delicious onion tang and we each thoroughly enjoyed a substantial bowlful.

I was fully confident that I was on a winner with the pork as it is supplied to Sage by Martin Conroy of  @Woodside_Farm  a regular at Farmers markets, such as Midleton and Mahon (where I often call to see him).

There have been some standout meat dishes coming my way in recent months such as Springfort’s Braised Feather Blade of Beef and more recently Market Lane’s Blasket Lamb. Now I can add Sage’s Braised Pork Shoulder to the list.

It was so well cooked, a pleasure to eat. And that pleasure was enhanced by the tastiest white turnips ever. Not to mention the baked potato, well made apple sauce and perfect gravy. I also enjoyed the different twist to the taste given by the red cabbage though there was a slight disagreement from the other side of the table (a bit too sweet!).

Never thought I’d get so enthusiastic about white turnip but this just underlines the value of local produce. Mainly, it is fresh and then the Sage chefs know what they are doing.  There is that little bit extra to savour in each bite and that is what made the turnip, and everything else on the plate, stand out and give the taste buds a very pleasurable workout indeed.

SUPERB SAGE

SUPERB SAGE

Ham and cabbage. Irish. Old Irish even. But cooked with a modern touch by the chefs at Midleton’s Sage  it is turned into something special. And I enjoyed it there last week, enjoyed every bit of the meal.


 A Ham Hock and Green Cabbage terrine with pickle was my very tasty starter. Something different and the terrine was enhanced by the pickle (courgette and gherkin). A very different dish but on a par with the brilliant Corn Beef and Cabbage starter I enjoyed recently at Blairs Inn. Goes to show what can be done with the most humble of ingredients in the hands of chefs who know and care.


The main course was also brilliant: Roast Chicken supreme with Asparagus, Courgette and Chorizo fritters, buttered mash and a white wine cream. The chicken was top class, tender and juicy and the Asparagus was cooked to a T. The buttered mash was one of the best I’ve come across. The fritters were different and tasty and the cream topped it off.


I could have stopped there and this menu would have cost me €20! Dessert, Warm Double Chocolate Orange Tart, brought it up to €25.00. It is an Early Bird but there is a fairly liberal interpretation of early.
Wine was a lively refreshing white from Bordeaux: Chateau Haut Rian 2010, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc blend, at €12.00 for a half bottle.


Sage is just a few yards off the Main Street in Midleton and is a lovely room. The chairs are comfortable and you have space enough on the tables. Service is friendly and attentive. Food is good and so too is the value.


They have recently introduced a 12 mile menu where all the food is local but that menu is only available at lunch-time. Could be well worth a call!