Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Portuguese Wine Dinner at Donnybrook Fair


Portuguese Wine dinner at Donnybrook Fair

The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair concludes its popular series of wine dinners for 2011 by welcoming Portuguese winemaker Nuno Mira do Ó from Companhia das Quintas to host a wine dinner on Wednesday 30th November at 7.45pm.  Nuno will introduce wines from estates located in the Douro, Beira, Lisboa, Bucelas, Palmela and Alentejo regions.  The wines featured on the night will be paired with a delicious four course menu, specially designed for the occasion.  The evening is priced at €60 per person / €100 for two. 

Nuno´s wines are frequently awarded with medals in international competitions, and high scores in the international press.  Companhia das Quintas is one of Portugal´s largest wine and spirits companies with seven different wineries spread across the country.  The group has a passion for creating estate-grown top quality wines, based on the best Portuguese grape varieties and showcasing characteristics of each terroir.

Join us in The Restaurant @ DF on 30th November for what promises to be a fantastic night of delicious food and fine wines!

Booking Details (Limited places available):
DATE: Wednesday 30th November                      TIME: 19.45        
COST: €60 per person / €100 for 2 people   
LOCATION: The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair, 1st Floor, 89 Morehampton Road, D4
T: 01 614 4849

Monday, October 17, 2011

ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE


ELECTRIC EXCELLENCE


From sauerkraut to PX: the alpha and the omega of my meal at Electric last night. And there was quite a lot of good stuff in between as well.

The cathedral’s shadow in the near distance by the river, the lights twinkling in the trees outside and reflections galore as the Friday traffic rolled up and down the Mall were all part of the view from this comfortable upstairs room, a busy buzzy spot, where the welcome (we were met downstairs) and the service are friendly and efficient.

Nobody hanging around your table but they do keep an eye on things and, for instance, pop over with more water when they see you running down and put out a bowl of warm water if you are eating anything sticky.

And I was. My starter was Bodice & Cabbage: roast pork ribs with sauerkraut & chilli (€7.00). I’ve had this before so knew what to expect. It is just terrific: tasty meat with well made sauerkraut livened up by the chilli. If you haven’t tried this, I’d recommend it. HN enjoyed her Pan-fried brie with basil, Serrano ham, tomato and mint chutney (€ 8).

My main course was the Veal Bolognese with penne pasta & parmesan (€14). I rarely go Italian so was doing this for research! It was a very pleasant surprise indeed, the tiny minced pieces of the Bolognese (no shortage of them) perfectly complemented by the pasta. Very happy with this perfect combination.

HN and CL both went for the Ballea lamb shoulder & fillet with butternut squash, rosemary & gravy (19.50). Must admit I was a bit jealous when I saw the dishes but I was thrown a few samples of lamb and in any case the ladies were absolutely pleased with it, particularly the slow cooked shoulder. A tasty and substantial dish, the veg and sauce in perfect harmony with the meat.

Met Marambro Creek winemaker Brad Rey a weeks back when he visited Karwig Wines and so was delighted to see his Jip Jip Rocks Patdthaway 2009 Shiraz (€ 25) on the list. This lively Shiraz went down well with the lamb.

After the lamb and the pasta, we were all pretty full, so rounded off the evening in Electric, celebrating its first birthday this coming Thursday, with three glasses (between us!) of their Lustau PX (€4.50).