| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The finalists for the Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards 2022 have been announced.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 Finalists Revealed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Showing posts sorted by date for query Barry's Tea. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Barry's Tea. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2022
2022 Virgin Media Business Gold Medal Awards Finalists Announced !!
Tuesday, November 15, 2022
Lunch at The Farmgate Cafe. Seal beag gairid. Sásamh mór.
Lunch at The Farmgate Cafe. Seal beag gairid. Sásamh mór.
Hadn’t been to the Farmgate Café inCork’s English Market with a while. After a warm welcome, I was studying the Menu and was struck straightaway by the fact that their commitment to supporting local has never wavered.
Back in January 2010, Kay Harte helped me entertain two Americans (one a blogger, the other a photographer, each then working for foodspotting.com) and one of the highlights of the conversation was when Kay described her potatoes as balls of flour! These potatoes were from Ladysbridge in East Cork and so too are the potatoes they use today.
You’ll see lots of local names on the menu such as Toonsbridge, Ardsallagh, Longueville, Shine’s Fish, Garryhinch Mushrooms, Barry’s Tea, Cockagee Cider, Stonewell Cider, Stag Bán beer and more. You’ll also see the English Market downstairs mentioned quite often because that vibrant pantry is where they source many of their ingredients.
At first glance, you may well think that the menu doesn’t change. Tripe and Drisheen is always on and I was thinking of the Lamb Stew (with those Ladysbridge potatoes) before I changed my mind and went for something else entirely.
And, as it turned out, my Risotto with those fabulous Garryhinch Mushrooms (organic), Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, and Toasted Hazelnuts was a very satisfactory plate indeed, beautifully balanced and nowhere near as heavy as some risottos, just perfect for lunch. Great flavour from the stock, the mushrooms and the cheese, along with a nice crunch via the nuts.
They usually have a couple of specials on the board and CL picked the Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Mashed Potato and Roast Vegetable, one of those ageless dishes that, once well cooked (as it was here), is the ultimate comfort food for these dreary November days (although this particular one was better than most!).
Dessert? Coffee? Yes please. Quite a list of sweet stuff including Tiramisu, Apple Tart, and smaller items such as Coffee Cake and Caramel Squares. Our pick was the Orange Cake with Yoghurt and Fruit Compote. This too was one of the best of its type, the cake beautifully moist with the yogurt and compote a delicious enhancement!
We skipped the starters but again you’ll have a good selection, small such as Smoked Almonds, warming such as Market Fish Chowder and a fine selection of sandwich like the Toastie with Loin of Bacon, Scamorza Cheese, and Onion Marmalade
Service is excellent here, you’ll enjoy the quite chat and the info (on the specials, for example) and the food is well presented. And you can wave your thanks to the chefs as you exit! And indeed, if you feel like taking home something for supper, they’ve got a lovely well-stocked stall downstairs where we usually stop for for their fresh baked soda bread (the white one sells out quickly!).
It was quite enough there last week. A November Tuesday is not a very busy day in restaurants. Still, with Christmas coming, you are advised to book the restaurant towards the weekends. The gallery side is walk-ins only. More info at https://www.farmgatecork.ie/
Farmgate Opening Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday and Monday - closed.
 |
| From the Farmgate Facebook page. |
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Barnabrow House: Splendid Sunday Lunch
Barnabrow House
Splendid Sunday Lunch
I was glad to hear that Sunday Lunch had resumed in Barnabrow and great too to find out recently (24.04.22) that the standard is as high as ever. It is all quite the occasion, the well coordinated confluence of excellent staff, top notch produce and a skilful kitchen, all combining to serve up a leisurely lunch of three courses plus tea or coffee (with petit fours).
Barnabrow means "Top of the Fairy Fort” and reigned over by the Fairy of Cloyne. Now, thanks to the magic, not to mention the hard work, of owner Geraldine Kidd who has been restoring and developing the ancient house and its surrounding acres over the past 26 years, Barnabrow stands strong and ready to serve again following the Covid 19 onslaught.
After working in London, Geraldine came to visit Ballymaloe (next door to Barnabrow), saw the melons growing in the greenhouse, "an epiphany moment", and signed up for a three months course.
She added to her cooking experience with a stint in the Arbutus and also worked with Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso and also in Midleton’s Farmgate. She bought Barnabrow in the mid 90s. It has proved very popular as a wedding venue.
Sunday lunch is not the only sign that the big house is finding its place in the East Cork food diary again. Back in September, Geraldine welcomed a group to the opening of her Tea Rooms in the main house. Here, customers now enjoy Afternoon Tea and there’s also the option of a light lunch. Check out the details here.
The Sunday Lunch venue is in the main restaurant. This church-like building stands alone and is also used for the wedding receptions for which the house is quite well-known.
After a warm welcome, we started to study the menu as we nibbled on some of their lovely breads. I got off to a terrific start with my Oak Smoked Salmon with roast beetroot, wasabi cream and a poppy seed Dorito. A really superb opener, the salmon excellent, even the beetroot, from their own garden, was magnificent.
CL meanwhile was happily engaged with her Clonakilty Black Pudding Salad with green apple, Feta, crispy potatoes and spiced tomato dressing. Quite a lot going on there but all in delicious harmony. Also available were Ardsallagh Goats Cheese (with confit red onion and Kalamata Olive tapenade, hazelnuts) and a Tomato and Roast Red Pepper Soup with Toasted Almonds.
As you see, local producers are well supported and that continued into the mains. Mine was magnificent: Roast Striploin of O’Connell’s Beef, truffle potato, ragout of Ballyhoura Mushrooms and shallots, and a red wine jus. The beef was perfect, tender and so well cooked, and enhanced no end by a notable jus. A compelling combination.
Pan roast supreme of chicken was CL’s choice and that came with Chive mash, Cannellini Beans, Chorizo cassoulet and Port reduction. Quite a chicken dish, well executed and, like mine, accompanied by a packed dish of roasties and root vegetables (all nicely cooked, not too soft, not too hard). There was also a fish option and a veggie option of a Wild Mushroom Ragout.
The finalé wasn’t half bad. We enjoyed a Lemon Tart with Raspberry Coulis and also Chocolate Marquise, spiced oranges and crystallised nuts before finishing off with Bewley's coffee (Barry’s tea was also an option) and Petit Fours.
Kids are often at Sunday lunches and here they may have half portions of the adult dishes plus a few other options. For the big boys and girls, there is a short list of red and white wines.
Geraldine likes nothing better than to see her guests stroll around the grounds and meet the other inhabitants. The donkeys have long been popular here but it seems the friendly pygmy goats (relatively recently introduced) are now getting a lot of attention. Enjoy your food and the visit.
Barnabrow is on the Shanagarry Road out of Cloyne, about ten minutes from the Lakeview roundabout on the N25 at Midleton. More here.
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Koto Lunch Fills You With That Come Back Again Feeling
Koto Lunch Fills You With
That Come Back Again Feeling
 |
| Yaki Soba, with chicken |
Was in town last Friday for lunch. Looking for something different, I remembered previous meals in Koto and that was where we ended up.Very happily, as it turned out.
I also remember previous occasions in the building, particularly when it was known as Gambieni’s. We were regulars here for their Italian cuisine, counting Pollo alla Piccata (light tangy lemon sauce) and Pollo alla Romano (a tomato based sauce) among our favourites.
Plenty of chicken there now also but under a different cuisine. Jeffrey Safar Hamidi, son of the Gambieni owner, opened Koto as an Asian restaurant in 2017 and has now a solid 5 years behind him.
Gambieni’s itself had been replaced by the popular Aroi, also Asian cuisine, but an unfortunate fire was one factor in halting Aroi’s Cork march. Aroi continues strongly in Limerick and there is also an outlet in Kilkenny.
Anyhow, back to Carey’s Lane. They have a terrific helpful staff in Koto, on the ball, checking every now and then without being at your shoulder all meal long. Good at front of house and pretty good in that kitchen as well as was soon confirmed after a warm welcome.
 |
| Teriyaki Chicken stir fry |
There is a huge choice here, so much so that they have a short list, a handy list, of Koto favourites. The main dishes are divided under various headings: Curry, Noodles, Stir Fry, Soups, Salads, and there is also a section of sides.
There are eight starters, including a couple of vegetarian. We guessed from previous experience that the mains would be sufficiently large enough for us this lunchtime.
CL picked hers from the Favourites. It was the Yaki Soba Organic buckwheat noodles, Koto spices, mixed veg, egg, sesame, pickled ginger, crispy onions; her choice of meat was Chicken (17.5); other options were Tiger Prawns (18) or Tofu (17.5). I got plenty of "samples" from this plate and it was really excellent, enhanced by all the bits and pieces including the ginger and the mild house spices. No wonder it is on the Favourites.
My order was for a stir fry: Teriyaki Chicken stir fry, onions, scallions, peppers, carrots, sesame - jasmine rice (17.50). I could have had Tofu instead of the chicken. Amazing aromas and flavours here, thought I was in foodie heaven. Very Highly Recommended if you get the chances. And I scored on the double as non-Favourite dishes attract a weekday discount and my dish was reduced to €13.90. How about that?
 |
| Sticky Toffee |
We weren’t all that keen on dessert but decided to splash the savings on a shared Sticky Toffee Pudding, one of the better ones of the type as it turned out!
Back to the menus. They offer a Vegan Menu, a Gluten Free Menu and a Children’s Menu (some special kiddies dishes but they will also do half portions of most of their adult dishes).
A bit too early for us to go on the alcohol but they have no shortage of drinks here including wines (almost all available by the glass), cocktails, spirits, beer and soft drinks. No Irish craft beer though but Irish tea (Barry’s) and coffee (Maher’s) are on the list.
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore. And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.
Brunch at Lismore's Bakers Table.
And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.
 |
| Brioche and Almond |
A super forecast for the first Sunday in March - cold but sunny with clear blue skies - and good reports of a delicious brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore once again tempted us across the county bounds into Waterford. That brunch in a very popular spot was every bit as good as anticipated and afterwards we head up to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mountains for a walk to Bay Lough, a Corrie lake that was formed in the Ice Age. Quite a day!
Chef John Mount opened up in Main Street, Lismore, just over a year ago. He does brunch Friday to Sunday and evening meals Friday to Saturday. Quite a takeout business there also with ramblers and families and couples calling in for coffee or his fabulous bread or both. Or even more from the deli that shares the space with the front dining room. A more impressive room just behind is where you’ll enjoy your supper or dinner.
 |
| Eggs Benny |
 |
| French toast |
Croissants feature in a few of these and indeed are the base for at least three of the egg dishes. One of the few non-egg and non-croissant offerings is the Garlic Mushrooms (mixed wild mushrooms pan-fried ion garlic & thyme oil, watercress on toasted sourdough. No eggs either on the Croque Monsieur; no Croque Madame on offer, though I’d bet they’d add an egg or two on request! Staff are excellent here, friendly and helpful.
One of our dishes was the Croissant French Toast which was a crispy croissant cooked in a vanilla batter (more eggs), toasted tin cinnamon sugar and served with a berry compôte and syrup. An excellent plateful for just seven euro.
We paid a bit more for the other dish, the Eggs Benedict (10.50). Eggs Royale and Eggs Florentine were also available. Billed as the Classic Eggs Benedict, ours came on toasted croissant with grilled streaky bacon and hollandaise sauce. Another superb dish.
 |
| Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell |
Rows of tempting pastries had been spotted on the counter and we were determined to have a taste or two. We passed on the creamy ones in the chilled cabinet and picked the Brioche and Almond and the Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell (with cream). They went down really well with a big pot of Barry’s Tea (coffee is by Badger & Dodo, they support local here).
The Bakers Table is open three days a week- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Friday and Saturday – serving Brunch from 11 am ’til 3 pm, and then open again at 5 pm for Supper Club!
Sunday – Open at 9 am for Brunch; no evening opening.
It had been a few years since we were on The Vee. It seems the name means different things to different people. If you are a budding cyclist or rally driver, you’ll be thinking of the devilish hairpin twist in the road up there while others will be talking about the gap in the Knockmealdown mountains.
Our “target” was Bay Lough, a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were, and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left.
 |
| Bay Lough |
A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. It is well worth the stroll down, especially on a day like that Sunday, rather than just looking down on it from the road above.
More on that day’s visit to Bay Lough (including photos) here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)