Four Star Break in Lahinch

Four Star Break in Lahinch

Liscannor

The Lahinch Golf and Leisure Hotel  was our comfortable base for a recent short trip to the northern corner of County Clare. Lahinch is famous for its golf facilities and the other sport that draws big numbers to the Atlantic town is surfing. Both sports are well catered for. But we weren’t there for the sport! Well nothing more strenuous than walking along the lovely beach, just a few yards from the hotel.

We had people to meet in places such as Inagh, Lisdoonvarna and Ballyvaughan and spent a good deal of the time touring. Liscannor is just up the coast road. We arrived there in a peaceful sunny morning, walked along the pier among the currachs and the lobster traps and enjoyed the views.

Doolin ferry

Cliffs of Moher (from Doolin)

 Next stop, after passing the entrance to the Cliffs of Moher, which we visited on a different day, was the pier at Doolin, where ferries leave for the cliffs and the islands. We walked along the flat rocks there and took in the scenery, looking north to the Aran Islands and south to the Cliffs of Moher.

And then there was a bonus for us city dwellers. We heard some people shouting “dolphins” and ran to the water’s edge where we could see four of them dashing through the water, right into the harbour. Indeed, one, maybe two, came right alongside a docked ferryboat, full of tourists. Quite an experience in the Autumn sunshine.

Liscannor

Lisdoonvarna

 We were heading for the Burren and a beautiful drive around the coast to Ballyvaughan via Black Head. As you can see, Lahinch is a really suitable base for the major attractions of the area, namely the cliffs and the Burren. And there is much more to do here and I intend going back and visiting attractions such as Doolin Cave, The Burren Centre (Kilfenore), Ailwee Cave and Birds of Prey, Burren Perfumery, Caherconnell Fort and Dysert O’Dea.

Dolphins at Doolin

Lahinch

 The hotel, which has a large parking area, was very comfortable. Service was top class, very friendly and helpful, exemplified by the two young men in the bar on the Friday night who kept the drinks and the food coming with efficiency and good humour. And reception came to the rescue by lending us, from a decent selection, a suitable charger for a mobile phone! Recommended.

Lahinch

 Also visited: Cliffs of Moher  The Burren Brewery Wild Honey Inn  St Tola Goat Cheese Ballyvaughan Tea and Garden Rooms The Burren

Chateau Bauduc at the Cornstore

Chateau Bauduc at the Cornstore

Thursday turned out to be quite a night at The Cornstore with Bordeaux’s Chateau Bauduc providing the wines for an excellent five course meal. Gavin Quinney (and family) took over this chateau in 1999 and led it from strength to strength. It is quite a story and may be read here.

From Gavin’s earliest vintages, the critics have been

New Season’s Olive Oil & Wines of Tuscany

New Season’s Olive Oil & Wines of Tuscany

 with iconic Italian producers

Thursday 8th November 2012, 7pm, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe

Enjoy a ‘Taste of Tuscany’ in County Cork, at The Grain Store, Ballymaloe, with the following producers, in association with Liberty Wines.

Beatrice Contini Bonacossi, from Capezzana, Carmignano, Tuscany

Federico Giuntini, Selvapiana, Chianti Rufina

Federico Manetti, Fontodi, Chianti Classico

and Italian expert, David Gleave, Master of Wine, Liberty Wines



Thursday 8th November, 7pm, €24. Advance booking advised.



Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork

Tel:             021 4652531         res@ballymaloe.ie

More details here http://www.ballymaloe.ie/things-to-do/wine-events





**** Also a reminder that the Sherry event that was postponed (the Sherry event is not taking place 25th October due to unforeseen circumstances) will be rescheduled for early 2013 – dates to follow****

Amuse Bouche

From: A thousand sisters by Lisa J. Shannon.
The author is at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre.

Inside, I walk past walls filled with snapshots of victims....a few details of his or her life are listed:

Francine Murengezi Ingabire
Age:12
Favourite sport: Swimming
Favourite food: Eggs and chips
Favourite drink: Milk and Fanta Tropical
Best Friend: Her elder sister Claudette
Cause of death: Hacked by machete.

Another German Winner

Another German Winner

Would you like a break from the usual Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio? There are some terrific examples of those grapes out there but I had been looking for some alternatives recently and hit the jackpot with the Lorenz at Karwig’s in Carrigaline. And I still have some Riesling and Gruner Veltliner to try from that visit.

Lorenz Bioweingut, Weisser Burgunder, Rheinhessen 2011, 13%, less then €14.85 approx., Karwig Wines

I had to think

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting
Golds for Gleeson

Gleeson incorporating Gilbey’s, Ireland’s largest wine distributor, scooped a total of eight accolades at the recent National Off-Licence Association (NOffLA) Awards for a variety of their wine brands. These awards include four gold medal awards, one silver medal award and three bronze medal awards.

Gleeson incorporating Gilbeys, who have a major base in Little Island,  had an outstanding night, winning  gold medal accolades in the following categories:

•         New World White under €8         Stony Cape Chenin Blanc, South Africa

•         New World Red under €10          Grant Burge ‘Benchmark’ Shiraz, Australia

•         Old World Red under €8            Canti Negroamaro/Zinfandel, Italy

•         Old World White under €10        B&G Original Sauvignon Blanc, France


They added one silver award and three bronze awards. All of the above listed wines are available in NOffLA’s 330+ independent off licences around the country

No wonder, Sally-Anne Cooney (right), General Manager of Gleeson incorporating Gilbeys, which distributes the above award-winning wines in Ireland, was happy: “This is a fantastic result and we are thrilled that a large variety of our wonderful wine brands have received such high honours at the National Off Licence Association Awards. All of the wines we represent are produced to exceptional quality and as you can see our gold medal winners are all €10 or less, meaning that in these economical times you can still splash out on a beautiful wine as one of life’s little pleasures.”

Hanleys and Jam Go Barmy for Charity this Halloween 
Hanleys of Cork (Garden Centre) and Jam Café are gearing up for another haunting Halloween with limited edition Halloween barmbracks in aid of the Children's Ward at Cork University Hospital.

The artisan barmbracks which will retail at €2.80 will see €1 from each sale going towards the children’s ward at CUH.Bracks will also contain in-baked exclusive prizes including a specially designed ring by Kenmare designer Paul Kelly worth over €500, vouchers to the value of more than €1,000 from Hanleys and a weekend break in the Brook Lane Hotel, Kenmare.

Speaking of the special Halloween barmbrack, James Mulchrone, Jam Café said, “The humble barmbrack is still one of the main Halloween treats that spring to mind around this time of year and is a uniquely Irish tradition. We are giving the old symbols found in the barmbrack a new twist so there will be no such thing as bad luck from a piece of cloth with our bracks. Instead, more than 200 will contain prizes and donate €1 from each brack to a great cause, making everyone a winner!"

Annual Wine Fair
We're really proud to announce that our forthcoming event "The 12th Cork Wine & Craft Beer Fair" will take place on Wednesday 21st November 2012 from 4-9pm in the Rochestown Park Hotel! It's going to be a great night of master classes, tastings and demonstrations and all in aid of Cork Simon Community! Tickets are available from all of our stores and are only €10! Stay tuned for more info...

Fresco Eaterie & Bistro
Brian and Kash (above) are rebels! So much so that they're organising a "Rebel fusion" taster menu in November in association with L'Atitude 51 Wine Bar. They're taking traditional Cork ingredients and turning them into dishes inspired by different countries. We'll let you know when tickets are on sale..we're only allowing 50 places! Should be a great night!

Shorts
Farrukh ‏@implausibleblog  2* Michelin Tasting Menu  video details

The Evolution of Tapas and Culture at El Tapeo by Chef Seamus Mullen and Chef Linton Hopkins on Spanish Ham without Borders. See it all here...

 YoughalOnline.com ‏@youghalonline Black Rabbit Market – Selling 100% Organic Products: The Black Rabbit Market is based outside the Links... http://dlvr.it/2JYzvN  #youghal

Risingtiderestaurant ‏@Risingtidebar “On Fri 2nd Nov, we'll be having our annual Halloween Fancy Dress Party. Champagne on arrival followed by 4-course dinner & live music €25pp We have just booked the band Souled Out for the party!! It'll be a fun night!!”

Chicken And Rabbit Paella

St Tola Goat Cheese

St Tola Goat Cheese

Clockwise, from top right: Crottin, Hard on shelve, Hard cut, original log
filling the logs, eating up, and the Ash log.

The goats, all three hundred of them, at St Tola Cheese  near Inagh in County Clare, are looking forward to a better summer next year. “They don’t like the rain,” said our host Grainne Casey, who looks after Sales and Marketing for the organic farm.

The goats didn’t get out as often as they’d like this year but still they were well looked after. The grass was cut and brought into them. But it’s not only the animals that will be looking for a better 2013. Keeping them indoors for extended periods has added hugely to the farm’s costs, as organic feed is not easy to get and costs three times more than your normal feed.

Grainne introduced us to cheese maker Carmen Gal, who is responsible for all aspects of the production operation. Then we enjoyed a very interesting tour of the facility during our recent visit. Grainne explained how the cheeses are made. There are two major types, the regular soft cheese that most people are familiar with and also a lovely hard cheese.

St Tola, under Siobhan Ní Ghairbhith, who took over the reins in 1999, never stands still and have within the last 12 months or so introduced the distinctive St Tola Ash Log, a beautiful creamy cheese that has an ash like covering (edible charcoal).

One of the little girls!

The hard cheese is weather dependent, made only in summer with surplus milk. In a good year, St Tola make it from May to July/August but this bad summer they were curtailed to making it from June to mid July.

Then it was time to meet the animals and, first of all, Grainne introduced us to the “little girls”, most of them born in April or May of this year. Beautiful friendly creatures and so too were most of their elder relations. We didn’t get too close to the Pucks. Apparently they stink! Not too many males “survive” here but those that do have quite a choice!

St Tola started off with three different breeds originally, the idea being to get a good balance of milk, including a good proportion of the cream that helps give the cheeses it gorgeous texture. When they are not indoors, the herd has some sixty five acres to roam around.

All was quiet in the shed, which has one side partly open to the outdoors, until Petru Gal, the Farm Manager, appeared on the scene. Then the goats created quite a din, perhaps expecting an extra treat. Petru, a skilled herdsman, has been here since 2003.

A prize winning selection

The milking is quite an operation and is done twice a day. The facility is mechanised, the ladies are led in to the parlour, their movement restrained, the reward is a little treat, and the whole operation takes about ninety minutes in the morning and the same in the late afternoon. Two hundred are milking and they’ll let you know if you are late!

After the tour, we sat down with Grainne and enjoyed a cuppa and a cheese tasting. The room was a reminder of how far St Tola has come as it is decorated with many awards, from Ireland, Britain and Europe. The products are widely available and you may see the full list of stockists here.

Two happy pucks

 Also visited: Cliffs of Moher  The Burren Brewery Wild Honey Inn   Lahinch area Ballyvaughan Tea and Garden Rooms The Burren

Cork’s Fab Food Trail

Triskel: Christchurch venue

Cork’s Fab Food Trail
A wee stroll.
A little history. 
Lots of Food!

Nash 19

Even for one who has done more than his fair share of walking (and eating) around the city of Cork, Saturday’s Fab Food Trail proved to be something of an eye opener. Alice, from Galway, was our excellent guide and the other walkers were, surprisingly enough, all from Munster.


The eye opener for me came in the shape of the owners of the food venues, all very professional and absolutely friendly, and all willing to explain how they operated and all rightly proud of their operations and the local input.

O'Conaill's

Met up at the English Market gate and headed first for the Gulpd Cafe at the Triskel whose policy is to buy local.

Enjoyed a macchiato here and that was made from a single estate bean, roasted locally by the Golden Bean in Ballymaloe.  Gulpd's butcher is Eoin O’Mahony in the English Market and he could well feature in the menu when they realise their plans to do Sunday lunch.

Alice took us on a little tour of the restored Christchurch, a Triskel venue for theatre and music. Must go back again soon for the full tour which they do on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  

More history now, Alice explaining briefly about location of the old city as we walked down to the end of South Main Street. The Co-op Cafe in Sullivan’s Quay is a regular stop for this tour but not on this occasion. Crossed back over the river again and headed to Nash 19, no better place! 

Head Chef Pam Kelly took time out to explain their philosophy of supporting local producers. And that philosophy was tastily illustrated when we each received a mini-taster that included Jack McCarthy’s famous Black Pudding and the soon to be famous Lordan's sausages that are regulars on the menus here.

At the Roundy!

Across the road then for some hot chocolate and some nice samples at O’Conaill’s. Great friendly staff there as well and they sent us off with a little gift pack that didn’t last too long!

Wouldn’t be a fab food trail in Cork without a visit to the English Market. The big stop here was at O’Connell’s Fish Stall where we were treated to oysters, mussels and quite  a few other samples.

Had a brief chat with Eoin O’Mahony at his butcher’s stall before we were taken up the Parade and across to the Roundy, where Alice pointed out the city’s development on maps inlaid on seven tables in the bar. Soon though our eyes were on the Irish Whiskeys that were laid before us by owner Frank Bradley and one of the party was delighted to have found a natural venue to watch Munster’s Heineken Cup game late in the afternoon.

Cornstore cheese plate

A few steps later, we landed in the Cornstore and another warm welcome. Mike Kelly then joined us and told us something of the history of the street, including the fact that the building once housed a potato market before becoming a corn market. Local food then and local food now! Mike told us they source locally, getting quite a lot of their meat from, you’ve guessed it, O’Mahony’s.

Fortified by a delicious cheese plate, we headed out into the sunshine and a short stroll down to the Saturday Coal Quay street market. And more food. Here, they had a table laid out with samples from virtually every stall holder.

Really enjoyed those and, then suddenly, that was it. The two and a half hours had flown by and it was time to say goodbye. Very enjoyable morning in Cork that confirmed for me that we have a good thing going on here and what better way to show it to visitors than via the Fab Food Trail. They also run one in Dublin. Check it out!

Rocket Man's salads in the Coal Quay Market

Loved the Food at Indigo. And the View

Great Food at Indigo. And Great View

Clockwise from top: Skate, Fish Cake, Tiramisu, Beet salad, Lemon Tart.

The view of the River Lee from the dining room at Indigo Brasserie is brilliant and so too is the food, as I found out on a recent visit. The Indigo restaurant, part of an aparthotel complex on a riverside site, is built to match the curve in the river just below St Finbarre’s Bridge and it would be hard to beat the location. 

But, of course, the food is the important thing in any eatery and, make no mistake about it, the Indigo came up trumps. There is also some extra info on the menu, including portion weight and calorie count. The Brassiere is comfortable and service is friendly and efficient.

Indigo Fish Cakes (129g), With Tossed Greens & a Citrus Salad €8.00 (230cal/100g) was my starter. No shortage of fish in the cake and the salad, with that citrus twist, was a delight.

And CL also came up trumps with her starter: Roasted Beet Salad (CF) (261g), With Ardsallagh Goats Cheese, Rocket & crushed Walnuts €8.50 / €14.00 (171cal/100g). Another top notch dish; the beets were done to perfection and the whole effort was so well balanced and tasty.

The Indigo are pretty strong on fish and my mains was the Oven Baked Skate (CF) (235g),

With an Orange Brown Nut Butter, Black Olives & Chive €16.50 (120cal/100g). Don’t think I ever had skate before but no bother. Found my way around it with a few tips from Maurice, the Maître d' and a keen Munster rugby fan. The flesh has good texture, not unlike chicken, and a lovely mild taste. Really pleasant and the sauce was light and perfect.

No heavy sauce either with CL’s fish dish: Roasted Cod Rarebit (CF) (335g), With Roasted Tomatoes €19.00 (151cal/100g). The tomatoes provided the necessary moisture and the topping (cheese, mustard seed and lager) was thin and tasty. Another winning dish where the main ingredient was given room to shine.

We weren't taking that much notice of the calories and they certainly didn’t stop us from moving on to Dessert. Tangy Lemon Tart €5.50 (160g), With a Lemon Curd Sauce & Candied Lemon (260cal/100g), was my choice. After the previous courses, I was expecting something good and, boy, did I get it. Loved every bit of it, especially that candied lemon.

Tiramisu €6.00 (155g), Made by our resident Italian Chef, served with a Caramel Sauce (395cal/100g) was the second dessert and that too was just fabulous, moist, sweet and entirely devour-able.

Their Italian chef is Giovanni. He works from a very small kitchen but sure comes up with some mega tastes. So grazie mille to Maurice and Giovanni for a wonderful meal. Highly recommended!

We've got the menu! Cornstore Wine Dinner Update

And it looks fabulous!
The Cornstore chefs and Chateau Bauduc combine...
should be some night.. Thursday next (18th)
booking details here 

Lamb and corriander kebab, mint couscous and harrissa dressing
serve with Château Bauduc Bordeaux Rosé

Pan fired queen scallop, spaghetti of vegetable and piquante sauce
serve with Chateau bauduc blanc sec sauvignon blanc

Deconstructed atlantic bouillabaisse
serve with Chateau Bauduc "les trois hectares" semillon blanc

Slow roast rump of beef, gratin dauphinois, pan fried baby spinach and creamy wild mushroom sauce
serve with Château Bauduc Clos des Quinze (Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon)

Chocolat fondant with cherry heart and  cherry coulis
serve with Château Bauduc Les Trois Hectares (Merlot)

Jacob’s on the Mall

Jacob’s on the Mall

Clockwise from top left: Salmon, Watermelon, Cointreau,
Ta Moko, Pork, Sorbet and wantons 

Sometimes a quick reading of the menu can lead you astray and you think there is little that is exciting here. Pork Fillet, Pan Fried Salmon, Roast Cod, Thai Green Curry. You’ve seen them all before. Right?

But have you seen them in Jacob’s on the Mall? Here, under Head Chef Trisha Lewis, they do it differently, as I found out this week. Quite a few delightful surprises over the evening and it was two happy customers that walked out into the South Mall gloom.

Let’s start at the start, with the Water Melon Salad. But let us read this menu a little more closely: Black pepper, ginger, watermelon salad with pineapple, feta and red onion. A bit of pep here, you might think. And you’d be right. This is a very thoughtful blend, a really lively one on the palate and shows just what you can do with such a salad. Loved it, especially the inclusion of the red onion.

And CL’s Crispy chicken wantons with fennel, red onion and peppers, Szechuan dressing and spicy dipping sauce was another starter that brought the appetite to attention. Tasty, lively, spicy. Another class starter.

In between courses, we were offered and gladly accepted a sorbet. The chilled Strawberry Sorbet was just the job, with real body and real flavour. Could almost have passed for a dessert.

If you ever travelled on a bus tour in Austria, staying and eating in budget hotels, you’d be fed up of pork for ever after. But the dish I enjoyed as my mains in Jacobs might just convert you back. The Moroccan Spice Pork Fillet with turmeric rice, roast peppers and soy dressed leeks was brilliant, so well put together and so well cooked. Great colour here, with the rice and the pepper, the meat was top class, the leeks nice and crunchy, and the balance overall was brilliant. A terrific dish for under twenty euro!

And CL’s was another top drawer winner. She enjoyed Pan-fried Salmon with warm coriander and spring onion crushed potatoes, vine tomatoes and root vegetable sauce. Every element played its part here, the fish, the potato mix, and believe it or not the root vegetable sauce proved a highlight.

Had enjoyed a few glasses of Ta Moko Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) with the meal and, skipping dessert, finished the enjoyable evening - place is comfortable and service is friendly and courteous - with a warming glass of Cointreau.

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting
Drinks

Chateau Bauduc at the Cornstore

Cork’s Cornstore is the place to be on Thursday 18th October when ace wine-maker Gavin Quinney of Chateau Bauduc presents some of his top wines. And it won’t be just the wine. The Cornstore have an accomplished team and they be keeping their end up with five fabulous courses. Five courses, five wines, all for €45.00.

Matt Kane, of Curious Wines who are also associated with the event, tells me Gavin’s wines need little introduction: “House white at the three Michelin-star Restaurant Gordon Ramsay for eleven consecutive years, special selection at Rick Stein's and regulars in our own top 10 sellers, Château Bauduc are the essence of modern Bordeaux. The best known are perhaps are the Bauduc Sauvignon Blanc and the red Clos des Quinze.”

Château Bauduc is just 25 kilometres south east of Bordeaux and has been run by the Quinneys since 1999. They have been wowing the critics since soon after.

Take this quote from Oz Clarke as an example: "Since the first vintage in 2000 the Quinneys have made Bauduc into a very smart operation, selling direct to consumers through mail order and the internet, and gaining regular listings with such star chefs as Gordon Ramsay and Rick Stein. The wine deserves it. Red, pink and white, they are utterly drinkable, each possessing a classic, mouth-watering Bordeaux texture and easy going fruit."

Haven’t got the menu to hand yet but, knowing the Cornstore form in previous wine dinners, you can be sure it will be top class. A fantastic evening is on the cards.

Where: The Cornstore, 40A Cornmarket Street, Cork. Bookings: 021-4274777.
When: Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.
Tickets from Curious Wines: €45, bookable online here  or by calling free on 1800 99 18 44. Includes five course dinner and matching wines.

Santa Rita Competition
Santa Rita, the leading Chilean wine range in Ireland, is offering wine connoisseurs the ultimate ‘money can’t buy’ prize, an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the world’s most renowned wine makers. If you’ve ever wanted to get up close and personal and ask all those need to know questions then here is your chance!
To enter just create your personalised wine label and you could be in with a chance to win one of the fantastic prizes.

Prize 1: An exclusive evening with Santa Rita wine makers at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin on January 18th, 2013. Enjoy a unique wine tasting experience accompanied by gourmet food in the company of people who grew, nurtured and produced our outstanding wines.

“We've a pair of tickets to this event to win every week. A personalised case of delicious Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc wine that comes complete with your name on the label. We've got a case to give away every month."

To enter click here

Cheese and Wine Pairing
Recently L’Atitude 51 had a Cheese Wine Pairing evening.
First up was St. Tola Irish organic goat cheese log paired with Domaine de Chatelard Fleurie (Beaujolais Cru)
Smooth creamy textured cheese. Full flavoured, sweet with honey undertones that develop further as the cheese matures.
The low supple tannins of the Beaujolais complement the texture of the cheese. Its fruitiness works really well with the cheese’s naturally high acidity
A crisp dry white such as a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling would work really well with this cheese also.
Read all about the other pairings here

Food
‎The annual Savour Kilkenny Food Festival has another action packed schedule this year, starting on October 25th running through to Monday October 29th.
There are lots of new events, suitable for all the family, including 'The Mad Hatters Tea Party' & 'Savour Taste Buds' both in the Castle Yard as well as the Kids Agri tour at Cillin Hill.
In addition to the food market and celebrity chefs' cookery demonstrations on the Parade Plaza, there are foraging walks, food talks and many very appealing  dining events in restaurants and eateries throughout the city and county.
Full details on all events on Savour Kilkenny.

Shorts

Amicus Restaurant
“Our new restaurant, La Lavanda, is opening on today, Thur 11th October, where the old Amicus in Douglas used to be...the next few days will be crazy but we love it! “

Rising Tide "On Fri 2nd Nov our Fancy Dress Halloween Party will take place. 4-course meal with champagne on arrival for €25p.p."

West Cork Garlic ‏Seed garlic now available.

A great resource: Bord Bia Recipes 

Wild Honey Inn. A special place.

Wild Honey Inn

 Any county that can hold a banquet with all the food and drink coming from within its own border, as Clare did in Ennis on October 5th, must have some good restaurants. And there are some brilliant ones in the Banner – they regularly turn up on the awards list - but the one we choose on a recent overnight stay was the Wild Honey Inn  in Lisdoonvarna. In a relaxed roadside pub just outside the town, Aidan McGrath turns out delightful dishes.

We called pretty early, just after six and, having been on the go all day, had a good appetite. First though, a drink. Spotted some craft beer on the counter and picked a bottle of the Copper Coast Red Ale made by the Dungarvan Brewing Company. Settled into our comfortable seat and, with help from the friendly waitress, we ordered.

As it turned out, our dishes were all off the Specials menu, with the exception of the exceptional dessert. My starter was the Ham Hock Terrine, celeriac remoulade, salsa verde (€8.90). Quality ingredients in a well presented dish and the same could be said about CL’s starter of Dill Cured Salmon, pickled fennel and cucumber, sauce gravadlax (8.90). Two super tasty starters and we had confirmation that all good things we had heard about the Inn were true.

 We were tempted by the Halibut Troncon with Saffron ratte potato but both went for the other special: Veal Feather Blade, pearl barley, carrot and cumin puree, young leeks (€19.90). Aidan said this was a rare cut and he sure made the best of it.

The whole dish looked well and tasted well. You could have cut the meat with your spoon and the use of the pearl barley was also a rare delight. Even the potatoes that came as a side were top notch. Quality all the way from the farm to the kitchen to the table.

The Apple and Blueberry crumble that we shared for dessert was another winner. The humble apple was the main ingredient, a beautiful example of the fruit, cut into plentiful mini chunks, so juicy. And the fruit wasn't buried under a mound of crumble, just a thin tasty sheet. A gorgeous combination to end a gorgeous meal.

With the friendliness of Aidan and his crew and the top drawer food, the Wild Honey was one of the highlights of our trip to the delightful county of Clare, a place where there is so much to see and do, not to mention so much to eat and drink!

 Also visited: Cliffs of Moher  The Burren Brewery  St Tola Goat Cheese Lahinch area Ballyvaughan Tea and Garden Rooms The Burren

The Burren Brewery

The Burren Brewery

Ireland's Smallest Micro-Brewery!

When you walk into the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna, you see the normal beer dispensers on the high counter. But then, in the middle, you see something totally different: three unusual taps labelled Gold, Red and Black.

Owner Peter Curtin has his own brewery here, “the smallest micro-brewery in Ireland”, and the taps, designed by a local artist, dispense his lager (Burren Gold), ale (Burren Red) and stout (Burren Black). And very tasty they are too, as we discovered after a tasting of the three.

The brewery, just over 12 months old, is upstairs and Peter showed us up his stairway to heaven! It is all neat and compact. He has got some very good gear here and a great love for the task as we found out. And the pub is the only place that you can get these beers.

The pub itself, just a few miles from the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, has a very long history, in family hands since 1893. But the Curtins were also bakers and that history goes back even further, hundreds of years. Nowadays the pub is also noted for its food and, this year, was voted “Best Gastro-pub in Munster” by the Restaurants Association of Ireland.

 Timing wasn’t quite right for us to eat there but the menu is filled with delicious dishes such as traditional Irish bacon, Cabbage and Parsley sauce and a slightly less traditional rendition of Irish stew (featuring local Burren beef in place of the more typical lamb).

Pride of place is given to several dishes featuring Smoked Fish and Eel from the family's award-winning Burren Smokehouse, run by Peter and Birgitta Curtin. Try the Burren smoked fish platter which is served with organic leaves from nearby New Quay. The Burren Smokehouse  is literally a few yards down the road and well worth a visit. And they have a great shop there too with local products from other producers. You may also buy online.

And don’t skip dessert in the Tavern. Peter says they are fabulous, homemade by Fabiola's Patisserie in Doolin. Fabiola has worked in Michelin starred restaurants and you may also sample her pastry delights at the Cafe in the Doolin Crafts Centre.


Food and good beer. What more do you want? Well, you get much more in this bar as there is a fantastic music programme throughout the season. That series is drawing to a close now but not before paying a massive tribute to Micilín Conlon (who played in the pub for all of 57 years) over three nights (26th,27th,28th of October). And, on the Saturday and Sunday (4.00 to 6.00pm), there will be a tasting combining the local beers, breads and cheese. Sounds great.

If you like a laugh, you’ll never be short of one with Peter and his crew in the Roadside. His sense of humour was seen at its sharpest recently when he more or less hi-jacked the Thursday set aside for Arthur and instead designated it Peter’s Day with pints of Burren Beer selling at three euro.

The beers are very popular with tourists. They are good, really good. So why not call in if you are in the area. Worth a detour, as they say in the best guides.

 Also visited: Cliffs of Moher   Wild Honey Inn  St Tola Goat Cheese Lahinch area Ballyvaughan Tea and Garden Rooms The Burren

Blair's Inn Wine Dinner

Blair's Inn Host Chateau-Lascaux Wine Dinner

Just heard from Conor O'Brien of James Nicholson Wines: "Blair's Inn are hosting a Wine Dinner with Meredith Hyslop from Chateau-Lascaux  on the 31st of October." Some of the most exciting wine-making in France these days is happening in the Languedoc and it is there that Chateau-Lascaux is situated, between Montpellier and Nîmes. The Dinner Menu below includes the wines that will be tasted on the night. Quality  food and quality wines, all for €55.00.

Two Jean Smullen Events - Prime Cuts & Premium Wine

In South Africa most young men learn the art of cooking over a Braai. They learn at an early age that to master the basic art of cooking meat is an important life skill. The wine culture too is strong in South Africa, everyone there knows that great glass of red wine goes hand in hand with a perfectly seasoned steak. Want to know more?

Come along to the special Prime Cuts & Premium Winenights. Learn about what to look for, how to assess quality and then how to skilfully cut and cook meat. Do you know your flank from your rump? Where do the prime cuts come from? This innovative and educational evening will reveal lots of interesting information about the art of choosing, buying and cooking meat.

Dublin:- Ely Wine Bar & Brasserie, on Wednesday 31st October, 2012. Ryan Stringer Executive Chef will be on hand to share his expertise and knowledge about meat and the art butchery.

Cork:- Barry’s of Douglas, on Wednesday 14th November, 2012. Alan Murphy, Chef at Barry’s in Douglas has many years experience as a specialist meat chef. His years of working in country houses means he has a great knowledge of meat and game. But there’s more.....

Wine & Meat .... When the fat and protein found in the beef meets the tannin found in a red wine, a chemical reaction takes place . Cooking the prefect steak is relatively easy, but the high heat creates complex, assertive flavours, ranging from sweet to savoury. These bold flavours need a wine with enough body and boldness to stand up to them, so what to choose?

South African wine sits well at any table and wine expert Jean Smullen will take you through a range of top quality wines that are a perfect match with meat. We will look at some of the best South African wines including Nederburg; Durbanville Hills; Fleur du Cap; Two Oceans; and Drostdy Hof and we’ll match them with a selection of meat dishes. The evening will start with bubbles, enjoy a glass of the very elegant Cap Classique from Pongrancz.

Tickets Priced: €25.00 per person.

TO BOOK Contact: Jean Smullen WSET Dip Tel:             (086) 816 8468       email: jean@jeansmullen.com

Cornstore Wine Dinner

On Thursday 18th October, in association with Curious Wines, The Cornstore in Cork will hold a Chateau Bauduc Wine Dinner, with each course of the five specially created to match each of the five wines from the Château, which will be presented by Gavin Quinney of the chateau.You can get your tickets (€45.00) to this unique event at The Cornstore Cork or in the Curious Wines Warehouse.

Where: The Cornstore, 40A Cornmarket Street, Cork.

When: Thursday, 18th October, 2012, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.

Click here for a fuller list of Autumn Wine Events including Kitchen Cafe (Galway) Oct 10, Hayfield Manor Oct 11, ely Bar & Brasserie Oct 11, Fallon and Byrne Oct 25, and Ballymaloe Nov 8.

Amuse Bouche

 “We had the tastiest baked goods at Barbara’s Bake Shoppe, the meatiest, most face-smearing ribs and crispiest fried chicken at a restaurant called the Country Gentleman, the best junk food at a drive-in called George the Chilli King. (And the vast farts afterwards. A George’s Chilli Burger was gone in minutes, but the farts, it was said, went on for ever.).
- From Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson.

Oysters. The Clarion's New Dining Gem!

Oysters. New Dining Gem in the Clarion!

 Oysters  is a welcome addition to the Cork dining scene and not just because it specialises in fish. It has taken the place of Augustine’s in the Clarion Hotel. Service is friendly and efficient and most importantly the food, fish and otherwise, is top notch.

Made my “debut” there the other day and must I was well pleased with the €35.00 menu (see bottom) which is served from 5.30pm to 7.00pm. Started off with a Tomato and Herbs shot, an Amuse Bouche that brought the appetite to attention.

My second course was also something of a tease. The sea-bass tartare was lively and tasty and left me looking forward to more.  While CL was delighted with her Crab, we agreed that the Sea-bass was a better choice.

Crab

Then it was on to the soups. Well, they came in gorgeous soup bowls but were much more than soup. CL had the Chowder and thought it brilliant. And my Velouté struck the spot with the first sip. Both five star dishes!

Cheese

Now down to the serious stuff, the main course. We both went for the Fish of the Day, in this case cod, a beautiful well cooked wedge, quite substantial too. The Boulangere Potatoes was a tasty stack, lighter and healthier than Dauphinoise and just as impressive, while the Baby Gem stew and the delicious broad beans really demonstrated what a chef can do with a sauce without resorting to cream and butter. The whole dish was a thoughtful blend and a delight to dispatch, not that we rushed it one little bit.

Strawberries

No rush either with the dessert, just a decent pause. CL picked the Strawberries and, oh boy,  was she happy. Presentation was delightful and that fact that the berries were served at room temperature enhanced the experience.

I choose the Cheeseboard, despite the rather stiff fiver supplement. It was good, very good, a well judged mix: Hibernian (from Fermoy), Wicklow Brie and Cashel Blue and some really nice bits and pieces on the board as well.

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting

Buy Irish Biscuits
Christmas shopping will be starting soon and you’ll be tempted by large displays of imported shortbread biscuits. I saw some yesterday while waiting in line at TKMaxx! But think before you buy. Why not buy Irish this year and pick up a few packs of Seymour’s. They are top notch, a cut above most of the tinned imports, and made in Bandon!

One of the highlights of visiting local food festivals is meeting up with the producers and that certainly proved the case at last month’s Midleton Food Festival.

One of the “new" people I met was Philip O’Connor of Seymour Fine Foods  who are based in West Cork and are quite well known for their fabulous biscuits. I had sampled the biscuits previously at Irish Foodie in Blackpool.

But they are widely available around the country and you may see the full list of stockists here. And, it is not just Ireland, as Seymours are available in 42 stores in France! Check out their online shop as well.

More and more cheese, most of it local and Irish, is appearing on the Irish table and Seymours have a range of biscuits to match. They have quite a range overall and there are still a few that I am looking forward to trying, including Cranberry and Almond and also their Raspberry bites.

‎Midleton Farmers Market‎
“October Bank Holiday Weekend is fast approaching. Very excited to announce micro brewers and local cheese producers to attend Midleton Farmers Market again this year for free beer and cheese tasting event. It was a huge success last year. So put 27th October @ Midleton Farmers Market in your diary to kick off the Jazz weekend. See you there.”

Art and Food
Many of you spend time in Museums and Galleries nowadays, whether on holidays or here at home. You usually need some sustenance and we have a great example close to us in Cork where Fresco Bistro can fill that gap when you call to the Glucksman. Not just fill that gap, mind you. Fresco, run by Brian and Chef Kash, serves up interesting food of a very high standard.

 But it didn’t make a World Top Ten list recently published in the London Evening Standard (online version, at least).

A tiny garden café attached to the little known Garden Museum in London did make it. Just room for one in the kitchen apparently, two if you count the person doing the washing up. It is the only London museum restaurant on the list which also includes at number two, Nerua, the one star Michelin restaurant at the Guggenheim in Bilbao that I visited this year. Don’t know who drew up the list but, if anyone does, let them know about Fresco!

The Dingle Food Festival is this weekend’s big event and you may see the full  programme here.

Wine
Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines has been in touch: “We are delighted to announce that we are finally holding our first wine course. It will be a 5 week course commencing Thursday October 11th and will cost €75 person. It will run from 7.30pm to 9pm every Thursday for 5 weeks and take place in the warehouse unless numbers demand a bigger venue. More details here.

More Autumn Wine Events

Shorts

Lots of autumnal beef recipes via Bord Bia 

The making of Toons Bridge Mozzarella, a Dan Linehan video on You tube

Market Lane Christmas menu

Recipe for Kinvara Smoked Salmon and Crab Parcel

Two of the old Reserves

Two of the old Reserves

Marques de Riscal, Rioja Reserva 2006, 14%, €12.80, Venta Gora (Navarra).
Ninety per cent Tempranillo in this Cherry red Rioja. Dark fruits and spice, balsamic hints on the nose. On the palate, it is full and fruity, rich and rounded, super tasty with a persistent finish. A classic Rioja and highly recommended.

Remelluri, Rioja Reserva 2006, 13.5%, €13.32, Venta Mugica (Irabar).

The nose is your normal Rioja, fruity with a bit of spice. Some spice also on the palate and rounded fruit flavours, maybe too rounded I thought at first! Seemed to lack any distinctive characters but I had started it off too cool and, on warming up, we re-introduced ourselves, the characters came through and we got on well together. Subtle rather than in your face, it is tasty and smooth with a warm and persistent finish.

The grapes used are Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano. It has spent 17 months in oak, 70% French and 30% US. Unusually for Rioja, all Remelluri wines are made from estate grown grapes and this dark red is a good one. Highly recommended.

I bought these at Ventas on the Spanish side of the French border. Ventas are rather ugly concentrations of purpose built large shops selling everything from shoes to wines to petrol at prices cheaper than just across the road in France. Rioja wines are fairly widely available in Ireland. Try places like O’Brien’s, Superquin, Bradley’s Off Licence, Mitchel & Son. On the net, check via http://www.wine-searcher.com

A hilltop Venta

Massive Pinot Noir Event in New Zealand

Sam Neill

Massive Pinot Noir Event
 in New Zealand


Actor and now wine-maker Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Reilly Ace of Spies, The Piano, The Dish, Dead Calm, Hunt for Red October) will be among the speakers when Pinot Noir 2013 NZ gets underway on 28 January 2013. Emmanuel L.T. Bourguignon, Tim Atkin MW and Ned Goodwin MW are listed among the other speakers.

New Zealand wine-maker Larry McKenna, during his recent visit to Cork, told me enthusiastically about the huge wine event on the Wellington Water Front. No surprise to see Larry pushing it. After all he is better known as Larry McPinot and makes some fantastic examples himself as he showed recently in Ballymaloe.

Pinot Noir 2013 NZ  is going to be massive. The website tells me there are over 120 days to go and there will be almost as many New Zealand wineries there showing their examples of this grape. Some competition here for Burgundy!

All the country’s famous wine regions will be represented: Auckland, Hawkes Bay, Nelson, Wairarapa/Martinborough, Marlborough, North Canterbury/Waipara Valley, Waitaki and Central Otago. Many of the wine-makers will be unfamiliar to us but some that I know are Tim and Judy Finn’s Neudorf, Villa Maria, Cloudy Bay and McPinot's own Escarpment.

"Initiated in 2001, and now dubbed as the "fresh thinking" event, Pinot Noir NZ digs deeper into New Zealand's five Pinot producing regions, bringing the latest developments from the grass roots level. Learn of new innovations direct from the winemakers as they make available over 300 wines to be tasted and reviewed. Freestyle forums allow for uncensored opinions to be heard on the fastest growing wine story of the 21st Century.

Guest speakers offer fresh opinions on the latest international thinking about Pinot. At previous events speakers have included Jancis Robinson MW, Oz Clarke, Tim Atkin MW, Allen Meadows, Claude Bourguignon, Andrew Caillard MW and more.

Pinot Noir NZ pushes Pinot to the limit, testing whether Pinot really is one of the most versatile red grape varieties to match with food. Both the wild and the raw are explored as guests are offered the freshest cuisine from the welcome party to the final gala dinner.

The Pinot story in New Zealand is continuing to develop at pace. Pinot Noir NZ is the place to be to keep ahead of the game.”

Delegate registrations are open now and you can find all the contact information here! Bon voyage and Bon Pinot!