Sage: a restaurant with personality!

I left my city house on Thursday evening and 12 miles later I was in Sage.....

Sage: a restaurant with personality!

I’m sitting in a restaurant reading the back label on a beer bottle, telling me this beer's got personality. I'm reminded of our former football manager Giovanni Trapattoni and his frequent use of the word, sometimes in relation to a particular player, sometimes when talking about the group.

And then I think about this restaurant and its personality. And the players here? Who are they? Basically, they are the 12 mile producers, for this is Sage in Midleton, the home of the 12 mile menu.

The local producers are pictured on the walls and on the Sage website. Lovely relaxed photos: the butcher on his bike (not straying too far from the support of the wall), the Conroys with their Woodside farm pig and the broad smile of Olive from Castlemary Goats and more.

And if these are the players, then chief patron Kevin Aherne is surely the “manager”. He has brought them all together in a top class “group” that is now more than the sum of its parts. In a week when a small restaurant in a Basque village is named as the best steakhouse in the world, there is no reason to think that Sage is less than a contender in any championship, home or away. Indeed, this week too Kevin has been named as Best Chef in Cork in the RAI Awards.

It is early (6.15pm) on a Thursday night and Sage is almost full, local and international visitors among the customers, as we study the menu. Lunch is when you get the pure 12 mile menu but the local produce permeates all Sage menus and is also seen in their adjoining Greenroom (open all day).

No surprise then that we picked the shared “A taste of 12 mile sharing board for 2” (€22.00) as our starter. They had two of everything on the board, so no fighting! Enjoyed it all including the compressed Chicken, the Beef Fillet carpaccio, the pig's cheek, the Sage Black pudding, the goat’s cheese, pickled vegetables, chorizo, monkfish, and more.

The specials board was one of the first things I checked as I came in and decided, more or less immediately, to have the Woodside Farm Pork Shoulder as my mains. It turned out to be a super dish, superbly presented.

It came with honey glazed veg, cream mash, Sage gravy and the most delightful Spring broccoli. Our other mains, another excellent plateful, was Hake, landed in Ballycotton, and served with Mussels, spinach potato, celeriac and a delicious bacon cream.

Oh, by the way, that beer too has personality, and much more besides. Indeed, brewers Blacks are on a winner with their Kinsale Pale Ale. Almost missed that list of local craft beers though, as it is at the back of the wine list!

And speaking of winners, thanks to Kevin and his staff, back and front (service was informative, calm and friendly, spot on), for another brilliant meal. For an hour or two last night Sage was the centre of our world. Well worth a detour, even a special journey.

Taste of the Week. A Woodside Farm Special!

Taste of the Week. A Woodside Farm Special!

If you are heading down to the weekly Mahon Point Farmers Market this Thursday, make a beeline to the Woodside Farm stall and treat yourself to our Taste of the Week.

Martin Conroy’s blackboard gives all the details: Free Range Saddleback Hog Roast, with caramelised Onion, Apple sauce, Ballymaloe relish, Mustard and salad, all contained (almost) in a lovely bap by Pana. The slow cooked meat comes with a guarantee:  All our meat comes from pigs born on our farm.

Martin and wife Noreen (and increasingly the younger members of the family) operate not just in Mahon but also in Douglas, Cobh and Midleton markets. Their products are on sale in the shop at the Ballymaloe Cookery School and you’ll also see them next month in the Big Shed in Ballymaloe during the LitFest.

“We breed pedigree Saddleback and Pedigree Gloucester Old Spot pigs.They live outdoors all of their lives where they root and forage, they sleep in movable arks on straw bedding.We don't feed our pigs commercial ration instead they are fed mainly rolled wheat and we also grow Kale and Swede Turnip.They are rotated onto fresh pasture regularly.”

You may well be familiar with his tasty pork and bacon products but this recently introduced hot dish is something special. “That’ll set you up for the day,” Martin called to me as I queued up last Thursday (it does get very busy as lunch-time  approaches).  He wasn't kidding. This wasn't just a lunch snack. Think dinner here! Massive and massively tasty. Very Highly Recommended.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Old Millbank smoked salmon, served with a Cajun style potato salad.

Sometimes I make the mistake of thinking all good things are to be found on social media, that all local food producers use either Twitter and Facebook or both. Of course, that is not the case. And you could lose out if you confine yourself to those online. Take the Old Millbank Smokery in North Cork, for instance. You'll find Geraldine Bass's smoked salmon in some of the best local restaurants. And you can get to meet and chat with the award winning producer herself at her stall in the local markets. I bought the salmon in the picture above from her at Mahon Point where she also had other tasty products on sale, including a smashing salmon Pate.

The Conroy's of Woodside Farm in East Cork are also regulars at Mahon and other markets and are no strangers to social media. I have mentioned some of their products in recent weeks. But not this fantastic salami. All you need here really is a sharp knife. Be careful though, not just with the knife. I was eating this as fast as I could cut it. Addictive!

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

One of the most encouraging developments in Farmers Markets in the last 12 months or so is the cooperation between the various producers and market stallholders. And I don’t mean looking out for one another, which they do.

Dungarvan Brewing Company's use of Badger and Dodo's coffee in their absolutely gorgeous Coffee and Oatmeal Stout was an early example while, more recently Arbutus Bread started used Eight Degrees beer for their Beer Bread.

The most recent one I came across is, I think, a very tasty success indeed, and is my Taste of the Week. Here you have the free range produce of Martin Conroy’s Woodside Farm in East Cork becoming the base of a superb ready to use (well, you do have to heat it!) meal by Flynn's Kitchen of Riverstick.

Basically, the meat balls are made by Iain Flynn using Martin's pork mince, beef mince and lardons. The sauce is tomato based with basil, chive, garlic oil and veg added. And I can you tell us the result is divine! Enjoyed that the other day and now can’t wait to try Iain’s Chorizo and Bean Stew, their other combination, both available at the local Farmers Markets.