Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurants. Show all posts

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Les Gourmandises. 1er classe!

Risotto

Les Gourmandises - 1er classe



It wasn’t a full house but the chef played a blinder at Les Gourmandises on Friday night. In terms of execution, presentation, taste, creativity and innovation, this was a masterclass, a feast for the eye as much as for the mouth. Exquisite.




CL is not really a Risotto person but her starter (Tomato and Basil Risotto, goat cheese beignet, olive oil and parmesan) captured and captivated her: “one of the best starters ever”. Tomato and Basil are a terrific combination and that came through here. Looked well and tasted really well.




I picked one of the specials: Prawns (shelled) in Filo Pastry with Mango Crème Fraiche and Mango jus. I’ve often had prawns in pastry before but this was in a class of its own. Five or six juicy prawns, all perfectly cooked, stood in the “pond” of gorgeous mango, one of my favourite exotic fruits. Used my hands all through the delicious demolition.




Monkfish Beignets with aubergine puree, tomato chutney and parsnip crisp was the main course that we both ordered. Served on a slate, it looked great. And rather substantial too as you can see from the picture, with three small bowls of beignets and puree and a dish of sautéed potatoes (each not much bigger than a marble) on the side.

Substantial or not, the slate was cleaned. Again, the fish was cooked to perfection and matched so well by the aubergine. By the way, those parsnip crisps weren't just for decoration! A lovely dish.



Now on to the dessert, where we took the sharing plate (sharing slate, really): Coconut panna cotta, Mango posset, chocolate gateau and chocolate crème brûlée. Perhaps a little too much chocolate for us at the end of a gorgeous meal but all perfectly done and very enjoyable indeed.

We picked from the €45.00 menu: three courses and also tea or coffee. We could have had two courses (without tea or coffee) for €38.50. There is an excellent wine list here, dominated by French producers. Just had one glass (7.00) of an un-oaked Beaujolais Chardonnay, Domaine des Nugues. Don’t think I’ve come across it before and it went very well indeed with my monkish.

Though I wouldn’t particularly like to be seated in the middle row, Les Gourmandises is generally quite a comfortable restaurant, with decent seating and well set tables. Service is pleasant, with a smile, and also with information freely volunteered to help you make a decision with your order.

Local suppliers include: Meat - John O'Flynn's & Sons, Marlboro Street
Fish - O’Connell’s, English Market
Shellfish de la Mer - Castletownbere, West Cork
Love Fish - Ballycotton, Co Cork
Springfield Organic Vegetables - Tipperary
Cheesemongers - Iago, English Market

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

RAI: Connaught award winners announced


The county winners of the Connaught area were announced at the Restaurants Association of Ireland function in the House Hotel last night. The winners qualify for another big date on May 14th in Dublin when the regional and national awards will be announced. 


Details here






Tuesday, December 27, 2011

MY TOP LOCAL RESTAURANTS


MY THIRTY ONE

Sticking to a list of 31 favourite restaurants again this year. Early on, thought I might well reach the next prime number up but there were a couple of disappointments and then a few favourites, including Nautilus and the Silk Purse, who shut their doors.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom: the 2010 baby Electric has gone from strength to strength and La Dolce Vita has taken up the vacancy in Proby’s Quay. And in addition, L’Atitude has just given us our first wine café.

I have been to all 31 (and others) over the past 12 months and have been happy enough with the results. Huge differences, of course, in styles and comfort over the range but I'd have no problem in going back to any of them. The list below, while roughly alphabetical, is in no particular order. Just be aware also that there are some really good ones that I haven't been to in 2011. You may see reviews for all of the 31 in this blog.

Made a bit of a resolution to get out into the county more often for 2011 and included Kinsale, Midleton and Clonakilty as targets. Got to Midleton a bit (enjoyed Sage) and Clonakilty too, not forgetting Timoleague (and Dillon’s). Still haven’t explored Kinsale to any great degree and, for 2012, now must include it and must also look north, to Mallow and Fermoy for example.

MY 31
(In no particular order)

1 Augustine’s
2 Annie’s
3 Blair’s Inn
4 Ballymaloe
5 Bramley Lodge
6 Cornstore
7 Costello’s Malthouse
8 Dillon’s
9 Electric
10 Fenn’s Quay
11 Fota Island Resort
12 Greene’s
13 Hayfield Manor
14 Isaac’s
15 Jacque’s
16 Jacobs on the Mall
17 La Dolce Vita
18 Les Gourmandises
19 Liberty Grill
20 Market Lane
21 Mabel Crawford’s
22 Nash 19
23 Richy’s Bistro
24 Rising Tide
25 Sage
26 Star Anise
27 The Farmgate
28 The Spinning Wheel
29 The Bosun
30 The Castle
31 The Pantry

Saturday, November 5, 2011

CORK RESTAURANT GROUP GO GOURMET


CORK RESTAURANT GROUP GO GOURMET
The Cork Restaurant Marketing Group has announced a Gourmet Weekend for next weekend, something of an upgrade on the previous promotion Dine in Cork Week.
But the hard–working group are not stopping at that and last Thursday, in the Rising Tide, they announced the launch of Dine Out In Cork, an annual magazine to highlight the more than twenty restaurants that have banded together in the project..
It is designed to promote Cork as not only the Food Capital of Ireland but also as a food destination from abroad and will have a wide circulation, including hotels and tourist offices.
Spokesperson Sylvia Meulmeester told me there are plans for a Cork International Gourmet Week next year, following the success of the Cork Gourmet Trail. The proposed week-long event would incorporate the promotion of Cork city as a dining experience.
The magazine is being finalised at present and is due to be published on December 1st. Before that Sylvia will be working on the imminent Gourmet Weekend. Details and recipes (and competitions for tickets) will be published here
The Rising Tide’s Sandra Murphy (right) proved a gracious host. The apprentice star was in tip top form and so too was the kitchen that supplied us with tray after tray of really classy canapés.
Sandra will be hosting a Hired or Fired Dinner Party (7.00pm) this coming Monday (7th) and that should be fun, and good value too: three courses, a glass of wine and the Apprentice on the telly ( from 9.00pm), and a hostess with the inside track, all for €20.00.

Monday, August 15, 2011

CORNSTORE CRACKER


THE CORNSTORE


The Cornstore is one well tuned outfit, slick and efficient. The excellent service comes with a chat and smile. And the food isn’t half bad either.

What a choice. Early Bird, July/August Fish Specials and an A La Carte selection about as big as a page of the Evening Echo with main dishes ranging from €14.35 to €32.95.

This is what I picked this weekend:
Cornstore Chicken Wings with Crozier blue cheese (€8.50);
Charred and carved duck breast with beetroot confit, sautéed spinach, mash potatoes and red wine jus (€21.65);
Wine: Bodegas Muriel Tempranillo Rioja Spain (5.95 gl, 16.95 50cl and 23.95 75cl).

Those chicken wings are hot babies (there is a whole flock of them in the dish) and you need and appreciate the dip to cool things down. A glass of water also helps. If there are two of you and you both like wings, then you can get a dish to share for €13.50.

With the wings out of the way and the hands cleaned, there was just a short wait for the main course, again a substantial dish. Really liked it, especially the combination of the medium cooked duck (they tell you in advance that that’s the way they do it!) and the spinach. The beetroot was a little on the sweet side (I found it fine) and provided another interesting taste combination with the meat.

There are huge choices of wine, up to 18 available by the glass, quite a few by carafe (50cl). The Tempranillo was spicy and fruity.

It was an excellent meal, Very enjoyable. And the Cornstore seem to be getting it right as the place was very very busy.