MARCH-APRIL REVIEW

MARCH/APRIL FAVOURITES 

All tried and tested in last two months

Highly Recommended Restaurants: Augustine’s, The Silk Purse, Raymond’s (Midleton),  Fenn’s Quay, Over the Moon (Skibbereen),  Aherne’s (Youghal), Liberty Grill.

Recommended: The Bullman, Gilbert’s (Cobh), Vienna Woods, Hardwood, La Jolie Brise (Baltimore),  

Really Good Food Shops: Iago, The Good Food Shop, On the Pig’s Back, Hudson’s Wholefood (Ballydehob), Le Gourmet (Youghal), Nash 19, O’Keeffe’s,

Top Farmers Market: Skibbereen (Saturdays)

Top Cheeses: Ardrahan, St Gall (Fermoy), Hegarty’s Mature Cheddar, Sunview Goats .

Top Yoghurts: Glenilen Farm
Top Soups:  Just Food (Cobh)
Top Marmalades:  Joy’s Jams and Nash 19, both have peel with Joy's having the biggest pieces; also recommended: Follain’s, Joy's Jam (without peel) and Bramley Lodge

Favourites cereals:  Just Food’s Organic Muesli and Nash 19’s Granola

Pubs with a difference: Franciscan Well, The Bierhaus

Weekend break: West Cork Hotel

Looney's Butchers in Mayfield

LOONEY’S BUTCHERS

Looney’s, with their butcher business and the chipper, have been part and parcel of life in Mayfield for decades.

They are obviously providing a great service in the area. If there is one product they excel in then it has to be their mince meat which is the best around. Service is always friendly and chatty.

Check out my review of Patrick Looney - I am cork - on Qype

Swantons Plant Centre in Skibbereen

SWANTON’S PLANT CENTRE

My poor Rosemary was a victim of the hard winter and but it took me a while to write off her chances of a full recovery.

That decision out of the way, I headed to Swantons Plants at the Ballincollig Farmers Market to get a replacement. Told the man on duty my tale of woe and we concluded that the effects of the prolonged winter on plant-life were much the same as those of the banking collapse on business life.

The market is held in a lane between modern buildings, quite a few of them empty. “I’ve been trading here a year, “ said the man from Swantons. “And not one new shop has opened.” Swantons’ main business is in Skibbereen and they are also regulars at the market there.

I had bought some parsley and sage on an earlier visit and added just a pot of thyme to the rosemary. The herbs by the way cost a very reasonable two euro each. The stock though goes away beyond herbs and you can buy all kinds of flowers and small plants there and get a bit of home-spun philosophy as well.

Photo: River Ilen in Skibbereen
Check out my review of Swantons Plant Centre & Plant Scaping Services - I am cork - on Qype

O'Sullivan Poultry (English Market)

O’SULLIVAN POULTRY

O'Sullivan Poultry in the English Market have everything you might expect in such an establishment.

But now they have added some unusual meats as well: Ostrich, Kangaroo, Crocodile, Rabbit, Pigeon and so on. I was on the “hunt” for venison the other day and they had some from Tipperary in stock.

A neat packet, costing less than four euro, caught my eye. Was surprised that it held more than enough for two. Took it home and had ourselves a delightful venison casserole that evening. Easy and not at all costly.

Check out my review of O'Sullivan Poultry - I am cork - on Qype

Barry's Tea Ltd in Cork

BARRY’S TEA
(see competition in older post below)

Barry’s Tea, founded over one hundred years ago, is one of Cork’s iconic firms, well known nationally. It is served in many top class restaurants, currently advertised by Fenn’s Quay as part of the Dine in Cork week.

Their Original, Classic and Gold Blends are, well, classics of the Irish Tea scene. But the folks at Kinsale don't stand still. New packs, especially the Green Tea range and also the Decaf, are doing well as I can see around this house.

And now there are even newer products on the shelves of your local supermarket. One of these is known as Pu-erh. This is from China and is rich in anti-oxidants. And you also have, from South Africa, an herbal tea called Rooibos. It is naturally caffeine free and, like black tea, can be used with milk. So there you are, two new possibilities from our old friends in the Kinsale Road.

Check out my review of Barry's Tea Ltd - I am cork - on Qype

Cork Butter Museum

BUTTER MUSEUM

At first glance, Cork’s Butter Museum mightn’t seem like much of an attraction. But, considering, that most of us (or at least most of our parents) came from the countryside and that virtually all of us use butter, it makes it worth the effort.

You’ll be glad you went when you’ve seen the story unfold, the butter making its way over country “roads” from all over Munster to the Butter Exchange in Shandon which became the world’s largest butter market and exported to many countries including the USA, West Indies, Brazil, Europe, India and Australia. No wonder the Financial Times said: “Do not miss.”

For over one hundred years, Cork was a major player in the international butter market and the story is told by way of artefacts, audio-visual aids plus maps and other documents. There is even a container of bog butter, over a thousand years old!

You will also see old style butter making equipment and other types of containers such as the famous firkin. The firkin was a measure of weight and that weight was checked on a crane, hence the nearby round building called the Firkin Crane (now a dance academy).

Those of you of a certain age will remember getting loose butter in the English Market, the stall holder cutting the pound from a slab and tapping it into shape with a pair of small wood paddles (also on display).

There are a few video points around the two story display (the visit costs just four euro for an adult) and the one I liked best showed the butter being made in a demonstration for the RTE programme The Butter Road. The butter road doesn't sound all that exciting but remember it took a week or so to complete the round trip from Killarney to Shandon and then you had the highwaymen ready to relieve you of your earnings on the way back.

Cork, which had introduced a before-its-time system of quality control, eventually ran out of steam and began to lose out to other countries and butter making technologies.

Irish butter ended up being sold unbranded and very cheaply in the UK until the 1960s when a national marketing effort put the product right back where it belonged and at a proper price. Joining the EEC also helped and you can see that story, the Kerrygold story, on video here.

Butter is part of what we are and you’ll understand it all a little better after an hour or so at this pleasant place in Shandon. Actually, before I finish, I must mention the gentleman that we met there yesterday. He sold us our tickets but didn’t leave it at that. He came in a few times to see how we were doing and added his own considerable knowledge to make it a very enjoyable visit indeed.

Well done to all involved and I hope that many visitors take the short trip up from the city centre to the Butter Museum this summer and that many locals, city and county folk alike, do likewise.

Photos, from the top: A firkin, churns, butter-maker and spade, an informative poster.

Check out my review of Cork Butter Museum Ltd - I am cork - on Qype

Franciscan Well Brew Pub in Cork

THE FRANCISCAN WELL
Called into the Franciscan Well Brew Pub over the weekend. You know this is a different sort of pub when you see the three big vats behind the counter and a group of fifteen fellows coming in to start the tour.

But, micro-brewery or no, it is still a pub, a fine spacious one at that, with a very friendly and helpful service. If you are wondering which of the many beers you should taste on draught then you’ll get a little sample to help you make up your mind.

Leaving the Friar Weisse, the Rebel Red and the Shandon Stout aside, at least for this visit, I went for the Blarney Blond. This lager is an excellent drink and a pint and half cost about €6.45 which is more or less the normal lager price. Well worth a try if you are a lager drinker.

As the bar is a magnet for tourists, there is also a large selection of international beers available (though no Heineken or Carlsberg or Guinness or Murphy’s, nothing form the big name brewers). But you won't miss them.

I’m beginning to liking for Czech lagers. They didn’t have Staropramen and, from the selection offered by the very helpful Polish bar-person, I choose the 1795 Budejovicky Pivo. A 50cl bottle cost me €4.80. This is a terrific drink, even better then the Staro, and I’ll certainly be looking out for it in the future, especially if I’m passing Bradleys in North Main Street.

The Franciscan Well is nicely laid out and has a covered Beer Garden. They also do various Beer fests, seasonal barbeques, live music, tours and tastings and also supply Party Kegs. See their website www.franciscanwellbrewery.com or ring 021 4210130.

Check out my review of Franciscan Well Brew Pub - I am cork - on Qype

Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese in Kanturk

ARDRAHAN FARMHOUSE CHEESE

Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese is one of the best around and has got the awards to prove it.

I have come across it regularly enough. Bought some recently from the Pig’s Back in the English Market and enjoyed it. It is a semi-soft cheese with a complex delicate flavour which most people like.
It is hand-made in Kanturk – North Cork seems to be quite a place for making farmhouse cheeses – by Mary Burns of Ardrahan House and comes in two sizes.

The large wheel weights about 1.5 kilo, the smaller one about 300g. As the product is handmade, the weights will vary slightly form piece to piece.

The cheese is generally available in Ireland and also in England and Scotland. See website for details.

Check out my review and contact details of Ardrahan Farmhouse Cheese - I am cork - on Qype

The Silk Purse in Cork

THE SILK PURSE

At the Silk Purse last night. Ate some great food and met some nice people.

The people bit started with the phone call to make the reservation. Roughly like this..

Me: “Table for two, seven this evening, please.”

Purse: “No problem. Will you be staying with us, having a few drinks?”

Me: “No, not to-night. We’ll be going as soon as we’re fed!”

Purse: “We’d love to have you but if we thought the table would be free, we could take a booking for nine or nine fifteen.”

Me: “No problem. Work away.”

Isn’t that a much more pleasant way of putting it than the fairly usual sharp demand: “You’ll have to vacate the table by 8.30pm”. My usual response to that is: “No thanks. We’ll try another night.”

The Silk Purse website, http://themeatcentre.com/wordpress/?p=361 , gives a good indication of the place. Have a look at some of the vids, especially their St Patricks’ Day trip to their “twin” restaurant in Barcelona.

The cool laid back atmosphere was evident as we moved up the stairs to the first floor room. It takes about fifty and is very well lit by the string of large windows to the east and north. From my seat, I could see the City Hall, the Clarion Hotel block, the river in between and the “heights” of Montenotte in the distance. We were first in but it soon filled up to the limit.

After a friendly welcome, we were given the photo-copied menu. It was originally handwritten, squashed into the page with some quirky bits of shorthand e.g. cous² for couscous and humour e.g. “You wanna tortilla y salsa with your guacamole mister” include in the description of the peppered port beagle shark.

Had been expecting to see a big dash of Spanish or Catalan in it but there wasn't much and, in any case, the friendly men on duty were very helpful indeed. One or other would come to the table, maybe pull over a chair, and give you all the explanations you needed.

All the starters are €9.50 – it is quite expensive. My Lamb’s Liver Sautee with red lentils and porto was absolutely superb while my advisor was delighted with her Goat’s Cheese and Chard Tartlet with a beetroot sauce. These were fairly substantial, more or less equal to what you might get on a lunch plate in a cafe.

The waiter, with some pleasure, noted the empty plates and, swelled by the vote of confidence, marched off for the mains. There was no stopping us now.

I went for the Hanger Steak (€21.50), exceedingly flavoursome, the menu promised, with a puttanesca (Ladies of the night, I’m told) sauce and frites. Lots of meat, they said. And there was. And it was flavoursome. Great stuff.  And a very popular order at other tables.

The other mains was Silver Gurnard (€23.15), with organic greenery, ovened potato and a ramson (wild garlic) and sorrel crème. The gurnard is apparently plentiful around the Irish coast but the Silk Purse say you have to get to the markets early to get your hands on it. It is certainly worth it, a marvellous dish. Again the compliments flew: “The best fish dish I have ever had.” Amazingly, I have never seen gurnard on any other menu in Cork. Is the guy from the Purse buying it all up?

Other starters included: Red Mullet chilli-chilli, Fried haloumi, Revuelto de chorizo y pimentos, Kafkas, stir fried squid while mains included Peppered shark, spring lamb and potato gnocchi.

Desserts were rather limited though the chocolate cake we shared, which included elements of orange and rhubarb and truffle, and served with a little cream, was fine. The only other dessert was a cheese selection.

But the mains and starters are the stars here. You don't get a wine list as such but there are six or seven of both red and white on the blackboard. Some are cheaper but most are €7.50 a glass or €30.00 per bottle.  I had the New Zealand Paper Road Pinot Noir with my starter and the Diva Shiraz with the steak. Both were good but I did prefer the Pinot and it is a grape that I intend to follow. The advisor was very happy with the Pinot Grigio.

So happy all round then. May have been expensive but we had a lovely couple of hours and felt we got value for money. Oh yes, we were gone by nine, just! The Silk Purse is open three nights weekly (Thurs-Sat); otherwise their food is available in the Crúibín Bar downstairs where you may also enjoy some local beers, aside from the usual big brewery brands.

Check out my review of The Silk Purse - I am cork - on Qype

DINE IN CORK

Mark your calendar ‘Evening Echo Dine In Cork-Restaurant Week’ running from Friday the 30th of April to Sat the 8th of May

What’s On Offer In Restaurants?
Devised by the Restaurants Association of Ireland ‘Dine In Cork-Restaurant Week’ will see over 40 of the city’s top restaurants offering a special promotional rate of €25 per person for traditional three course dinner menus with tea and coffee – representing a 20% saving on traditional prices! From 7.00pm each evening customers will be presented with a three course special ‘Dine in Cork’ menu.

Get list of participating restuarants at http://www.dineincork.ie/ 

Iago Food Company in Cork

IAGO

Quick trip through the English Market this morning. Called to Iago and bought some Hegarty’s Cheddar and then on to the ABC, a regular stop, to get a seeded brown baguette. Lunch sorted!

Been a while since I called to Iago but entry from Oliver Plunkett Street made up my mind for me. The helpful assistant sliced the mature cheddar as ordered and then wrapped it nicely in the waxed paper.

If you get cheese there, don't throw that waxed paper, unless you know everything about cheese. They have loads of helpful info printed around the paper and it is certainly worth a read!
Iago:+353 21 4277047
Check out my review of Iago Food Company - I am cork - on Qype

Joys Jams (Inniscarra)

JOY’S JAMS

Met Joy from Joy’s Jams at the Ballincollig Farmers Market recently. She makes quite a range of jams but it was the marmalade that I was interested in.

I was looking for what we used to call thick-cut and Joy told me that I was one “of the ten per cent”. She didn’t have any but offered me a nice looking Seville orange marmalade where the peel had been pulped along with the fruit.

I’m trying it out at the moment and it is very enjoyable indeed but the ten per cent are stubborn and I do prefer the product from Nash 19 that has much the same darkish colour but has loads of tasty peel all through.

So Nash 19 takes the honours with Joy’s Jam in second. Other recommended marmalades are Bramley Lodge and Follains.

Check out my review of Joys Jams - I am cork - on Qype

BARRY'S TEA

BARRY'S TEA COMPETITION

Barry’s Tea was founded over a hundred years ago. Now, in 2010, they crank up the health credentials with two new additions to its tea family, Pu-erh and South African Rooibos.  With Pu-erh rich in anitoxidants and South African Rooibos naturally caffeine-free these high quality teas are an exotic, healthy alternative to traditional blends.

To celebrate these new additions to the traditional family, we have a really nice Barry’s Tea Speciality gift box as a prize for our email quiz.

Pu-erh Tea

Made using the finest ingredients, Barry’s Pu-erh Tea, which has a very pronounced earthy aroma and taste, is blended from a variety of the tea plant Camellia Sinensis and takes its name from Pu'er county near Simao, Yunnan, China.  Rich in antioxidants, there has been a growing demand for Pu-erh in the Irish Market as it is widely recognised for its varied health benefits and is claimed to aid digestion and reduce blood cholesterol. Answering Ireland’s call with this new blend, Barry’s Tea has crafted it’s Pu-erh Tea to appeal specifically to Irish pallets.

South African Rooibos

Made from 100% Rooibos, a herb sourced in the Cederberg mountain region of South Africa,Rooibos literally translates to Red Bush, which it is also known as.  Being a herb Rooibos is naturally caffeine free howeverunlike most herbal teas Rooibos can be enjoyed with milk, similar to traditional black tea.  Naturally low in tannin, Barry’s Rooibos is a deliciously aromatic tea, the ideal alternative to Black Tea. 

Barry’s complete tea range includes:

Main Range: Gold Blend; Classic Blend; Original Blend and Decaf.

Fruit Infusions: Very Berry; Cranberry and Orange and Lemon Ginger

Herbal Infusions: Organic Peppermint; Organic Camomile;

Green Tea: Organic Green Tea; Lemongrass infused Green Tea and Jasmine infused Green Tea.

To find out more about Barry's Tea check out www.barrystea.ie or become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/barrystea

The Quiz

Barry’s Tea was founded in 1901.
Where was their first retail shop? (A) Patrick Street (B) Prince's Street (C) Bridge Street?

In the event of a tie, all correct entries will go into the hat and the winner will be drawn. Email your answer please to cork.billy@gmail.com before May 1^st.