Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Good Food, and a Matching View, at Murph’s

Good Food, and a Matching View, at Murph’s
Enjoyed a lovely lunch and a matching view at Murph’s, the restaurant cum bar at East Ferry, about halfway on the estuary road signposted from the Midleton-Whitegate Road. I prefer to drive to Saleen, turn right through the village and then take the left at the fork. This takes you down to the water, to Saleen Creek in particular, and the restaurant is straight ahead. If you want to work up an appetite you can combine a walk and drive.

Staff are very friendly and efficient here and we got a warm welcome for our lunchtime call. Soon, we were at our table, studying the menu and a packed Specials Board. They don’t stock any local craft beers but I enjoyed my glass of Ackerman Merlot from France.
Jason's Chicken
 From the board, I picked Jason’s Chicken Parmagiana with a Provençal sauce, mozzarella cheese, sautéed potatoes and salad (14.95). Quite a plateful really but very well cooked indeed; the salad was well dressed and the sauce was terrific. Good food, good value.

CL’s choice was Pan Fried Hake with scallops on mashed potato with seasonal vegetables and cherry tomatoes (17.95). Again, this was well cooked and very very tasty indeed, though the cream based sauce (not particularly wanted) wasn't mentioned in the description.

There is a very comfortable eating area around the bar but these warm days you may also eat outside, across the road or on an adjacent patio with views out over the east passage of the harbour, across to the Great Island and the East Ferry Marina. More on the walk here.
Hake & Scallops


Friday, August 2, 2013

Amuse Bouche

Downstairs, I could hear the return of a long-lost sound: Amy making breakfast. Banging wooden cupboards (rump-thump!), rattling containers of tin and glass (ding-ring!), shuffling and sorting a collection of metal pots and iron pans (ruzz-shuzz!). A culinary orchestra tuning up, clattering vigorously toward the finale, a cake pan drumrolling along the floor, hitting the wall with a cymballic crash. Something impressive was being created, probably a crepe, because crepes are special, and today Amy would want to cook something special.
It was our five-year anniversary.

From Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Something Special at Fenn’s Quay

Something Special at Fenn’s Quay

Walked in out of the mid-week rain to a warm welcome in Fenn’s Quay. We were quickly seated and no delay either with the menus. But it was the Specials Board that caught the eye as we decided on what to eat for lunch at the long established city restaurant.

I spotted the O’Mahony’s Lamb and Rosscarbery Black Pudding Burger with toasted seaweed and brioche bun and rustic potatoes (14.95). My server was very enthusiastic about this one. And it was terrific, great meat as usual from O'Mahony’s in the English Market and, though I might have preferred a few more hints of the black pudding, it was a terrific dish. Also, I liked the use of the brioche here.
CL also picked from the Specials Board, going for the Baked Hake, with courgette, Ballyhoura Mushrooms with pea cream and rustic potatoes (14.95). This was a thoughtful blend, really well cooked and great to see another local product given a chance to shine.

I was delighted with my vibrant starter, the smaller size of the Fenn’s Salad with toasted seeds, chickpeas, and beetroot with honey mustard and dressing. It looked well and tasted just as well, almost juicy with lots of flavours. The soup of the day was Celeriac, a favourite of CL’s, and this was top notch also.
Service was excellent and, all in all, our lunchtime visit to Fenn’s Quay was a bright interlude in a rather miserable July day.

Fenn’s Quay
Hours: Mon - Sat: 8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Phone: (021) 427 9527




Thursday, August 1, 2013

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting
Taste of the Week is this superb thirst-quencher
made by the folks at Glenilen Farm.


All Ireland Putóg Throwing Competiton
Charismatic butcher Sean Kelly of Kelly's Butchers, Newport, Co. Mayo proudly launched the Kelly's All Ireland Putóg Throwing competition with the help of Mayo footballer Jason Doherty. The All Ireland Putóg Throwing Competition is the highlight of the Newport Festival this August Bank Holiday Sunday and begins at 5pm.

Shot putting rules apply and the longest lofter will take home €300 and the coveted title of course. Aspiring Putóg putters can enter on the day but must get meet a pre-qualifying putt before taking to the main competition area. The judge's decision is final.
Kelly's Putóg is the traditional form of the black pudding, originally made in every farmhouse countrywide.

Stewart Eddy is Cornish Champion for 2013 Celtic Cook Off
Award winning chef and owner of Victoria Inn to represent Cornwall against the other Celtic Nations.
Following in the footsteps of Arty Williams of the Cove Restaurant in Maenporth and Jack Stein of the Seafood Restaurant in Padstow, Stewart Eddy will be travelling to West Cork in Ireland in September to represent Cornwall in this year’s Celtic Cook Off.

The Celtic Cook Off in West Cork continues to build on the success of the inaugural event in September 2011 by attracting top chefs from the Celtic regions to take part in what is becoming one of the landmark culinary events of the year. The cookery competition has proved very popular with the paying public, the local food producers, Fáilte Ireland, the media and all of the Chefs who have been involved. 

One chef from each of the Celtic Nations, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales, the Isle of Man and Brittany is invited to cook one dish for the six expert judges with ingredients sourced from West Cork producers, plus one wild card ingredient from their own region. The chefs cook in two groups of three in front of a live audience of over 200 food enthusiasts, there can only be one winner!
read more here 


Best in season from Bord Bia
Do you know which vegetables are in season now? You should now able to go to your market or greengrocer these days (July/August) and buy Aubergines, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, virtually all the salads and herbs. Bord Bia has just published a terrific guide to what is in season each month of the year, a guide that will help you buy Irish. Check it out here 
News from the Barton & Gustier vineyards– July 2013
How the weather has hit... and more....
2012 was a rather difficult vintage to manage but, despite disparities in some regions, the quality is generally good.
The expectations for the 2013 harvest are higher, but still very uncertain. Let’s have a stroll through the French vineyards and see how things are going… Read more
Shorts

Getting geared up for the Kiltha river trad fest.Music starts on Fri with Niall and Caoimhín Vallely.Food music and craic.

Oktoberfest Beag shared a photo.
Just over 5 weeks to the opening night of Cork's best festival,Oktoberfest Beag !! Oompah!
Have ye got your tickets yet? Remind your friends by tagging them below because table reservations for this event will run out fast! Tickets Staring from €10. See
 www.oktoberfestbeag.ie  for more detail.

FAQ FRIDAY: Is ‘free range’ the same as organic? Free range does not mean organic. To find out why, click here: bit.ly/15PMrED

Complimentary Starter or Dessert with every dinner main course valid for dinner 1st-31st August 2013!! T&C apply

Tomorrow is Fiver Friday in the Restaurant at Griffins Garden Centre, Dripsey Cork. "There is no where Nicer for Lunch and at great Value of Just €5.00"
Amandine Confectionery
The best kept secret of south east!
August bank holiday -get a tasty dessert: Amandine's yummy tarlets & cheesecakes selection, 6 for €10.99 only!
(Amandine Patisseries, opened daily in Mahon Point, Cork & City Square, Waterford).
Also available in:
- DUNGARVAN (Twomeys Eurospar Abbeyside),
- HI CAFES WILTON & Merchant Quay SC, CORK
- DUNNES STORES BISHOPTOWN CORK
- and in MIDLETON (Hurleys' Supervalu).

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Goodfella's Competition

Competition now closed
Winner is Bob Kavanagh of County Carlow

Does your family like pizza? Thanks to Goodfella’s Extra Thin pizza, we can offer one of you a PizzaFest party for your friends and family. To win ten vouchers for delicious Goodfella’s Extra Thin Pizza, simply send email with Yes Please in subject line to corkbilly@ymail.com
Don't forget to enclose your name and address! Closing date: 30th July.
Republic of Ireland addresses only.




                                                                      Goodfella’s Pizza launches a trio of tasty, thin treats.
Pizza fans ready their ovens for a slice of extra thin from Goodfella’s.

Goodfella’s Pizza, Ireland’s No.1 pizza makers has done it again and launched another new delicious product, the brand new ‘Extra Thin’ pizza range. The new 10” pizza, with a feather light 4mm base, is infused with olive oil offering a lighter, crispy; eat with only 10-12 minutes cooking time, perfect for those special ‘me time’ moments.
The Extra Thin range comes in three mouth-watering variants of Vegetable & Goats Cheese, Mozzarella & Pesto and spicy Chorizo & Pepperoni.



The Goodfellas Team says, “Our Extra Thin pizza range is a delicious, premium addition that we are delighted to share with the Irish market. With three delicious topping combinations, it’s the quick and easy dinner treat to bring a little bit of Italy to your kitchen table.

Goodfella’s Pizza company has been rolling out dough in Ireland for over twenty years, bringing a slice of authentic Italian life to homes across the country with seven delicious ranges catering for all tastes.

For more on Ireland’s No.1 pizza range check out GoodfellasPizzas.ie 

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Tea Rooms at Camden Fort Meagher


Tea Rooms at Camden Fort Meagher
Room with a View

Adare's Old Creamery (Limerick)
Drumcliffe Tea House (Sligo)
Scrummylicious Bakery and Tearoom (Dungloe, Donegal)
Doneraile Court Tea Rooms (Doneraile, Cork)
Tea and Garden Rooms (Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare)
Pancake Cottage (Co. Kerry)
Duchess Tea Rooms in Bandon (Co. Cork)

Read more on Camden Fort Meagher,
A superb visit on Cork's doorstep!



Monday, July 29, 2013

Classy Pinot Noir double from Hawkes Bay

Pinot Noir on the double from Hawkes Bay

Bilancia, Pinot Noir 2006, Hawkes Bay (NZ), 13.5%, €22.45, Karwig Wines 

This medium red coloured wine is nice and bright considering it is 2006. On the nose, it is classic red fruits, cherry and raspberry. In the mouth, it is juicy and beautifully fruity and very well balanced (the balance,  a prime aim of the makers Leheny and Gibson). The flavours have been enhanced by 15 months in new and old French oak and it finishes long and well. Very highly recommended.

More about Bilancia, which translates as balance, here 


Tahuna, Pinot Noir 2010, Hawkes Bay (NZ), 13.5%, €15.40, Karwig Wines 

This is quite a light red, again with the classic nose. On the palate, the feel is light and the wine is fruity for sure with a smooth dry finish. It is made for "early enjoyment". A comparative juvenile that lacks the adult heft and sophistication of the Bilancia. Nonetheless a lovely wine and a very pleasant companion, they suggest, “for hearty pastas, duck and lamb”. Highly recommended.


More about Tahuna here 

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Enjoying the Cornstore’s Summer Of Aged Beef, Seafood and Cocktails

Enjoying the Cornstore’s Summer
Of Aged Beef, Seafood and Cocktails
Balsamicotini
Cork’s immensely popular Cornstore Restaurant, on Cornmarket Street, is flying high this year, powered by four “engines”: Aged Steaks, innovative Seafood dishes and a whole squadron of cocktails (led by the special infused mixes). The fourth engine is the service team, smiling, chatty, friendly and efficient.

Got a great chance to try it out when I won one of their recent photo competitions and the prize was a full dinner and cocktails. Got a terrific welcome from Sarah and her front of house team.

First, to the cocktails. My opener was the Cornstore Whiskey Old Fashioned: Plum infused whiskey, angostura bitters, orange peel, and plum jam. Loved it but wasn't quite ready for the concentrated shot of whiskey when I ate the plum at the end!

John Dory
Later on, I absolutely enjoyed the Cornstore Rum Old Fashioned: Apricot infused Rum, vintage port, angostura bitters, orange peel and apricot jam. The Port and Rum worked a treat in combo and, taking my time on this occasion, that apricot at the end proved very enjoyable indeed.

CL’s opening cocktail was one of their “Luxury Cocktails”, a Taiwantini: Hendricks gin, lychee liqueur, cucumber syrup, fresh lime juice, topped with Prosecco. A very cool cocktail indeed, refreshing and, like most of them, easy-drinking!

On manager Mike Ryan's recommendation, she stayed on the luxury loop for her second one, the Balsamicotini: Grey Goose, fresh strawberries, balsamico, fresh basil, fresh lime juice, cranberry juice and strawberry syrup. Another superb combination, so well mixed by Stephen at the bar as we watched in wonder!
Steak
The food was absolutely outstanding and it seems to me that the dishes produced by the Cornstore chefs are just getting better and better. Take mussels for instance. They have three takes here and the top one is the Full Irish: a very successful pairing indeed of the mussels and black pudding. Could hardly believe how tasty this proved, helped by the addition of craft cider and chive cream.

Jack McCarthy’s black pudding is also used with the Pan Seared Wexford Scallops but CL went for the delicately delicious Scallop ceviche with baby potato, caper and shaved fennel salad.

Jack’s black pudding is one of the many ways in which local produce is used by the Cornstore. Indeed, they buy local as much as they can and the scallops for instance come from the Amber Mist trawler in Wexford’s Kilmore Quay while the mussels that I so enjoyed are supplied by Kinsale’s Jamie Dwyer. Oh and by the way, it isn’t all cocktails here as you can also choose from a range of local beers by Eight Degrees and Dungarvan Brewing and Stonewell craft cider is also available.
Sorbet still life.
Back then to the main courses. CL spotted a fish dish on the specials: Pan fried John Dory with Queen scallops, sautéed potatoes, organic leaves and a saffron and garlic aioli. The fish was flawlessly cooked on the bone and was totally delicious.

Earlier in the summer, the Cornstore announced that they were aging their own beef and using Himalayan salt in the process (28-35 days is the period). Still plenty of beef left and I picked the simply grilled Fillet, served with mushrooms, onion fricassee, vine roast cherry tomatoes and a foie gras and truffle butter.

It is “the best tasting steak we can produce for our customers”. I think it is the best tasting steak I’ve ever had. Now, I’m told that their Tomahawk cut (for sharing) may be even better. Next time!




Friday, July 26, 2013

Amuse Bouche

At Christmas 2006 nine Supreme Christmas Feast Hampers were bought for €840 each, €8,300 altogether, also using the on-line retailer..... A further €20,000 was spent .... on the most exclusive bottles of Irish Whiskey in the world: six bottles of Midleton 20th Anniversary and six bottles of Midleton 1973, at more than €1,400 a bottle.
Christmas 2007 saw the society spend €12,000 with ...... for eleven hampers priced €840 each as well as €5,500 on forty-eight bottles of wine (or €114.58 each) from .... ... and ....
It was all very different from the harsh treatment doled out by Fingleton to his smaller borrowers when they fell into arrears.

From Fingers by Tom Lyons and Richard Curran.

Tapas in the Greenroom

The Greenroom at Sage

Called down to Midleton last Tuesday evening to sample the food at the Greenroom, the new all day late night cafe under the ample wing of the adjacent Sage Restaurant. Spotted the 12 Mile Tapas board and immediately saw familiar producers of quality including Woodside Farm, Ardsallagh and Tom Clancy. Five tapas on the board, so we ordered all five.

Next question was what to drink. Easily answered by looking at the next board. Lots of local beers here and also Stonewell cider. Could hardly drink all the beers so settled for the Barefoot Bohemian Pilsner from Eight Degrees and two new Cork beers, both pale ales, the Mountain Man Green Bullet and the Kinsale Pale Ale, each dangerously drinkable!

The tapas are top class, all the dishes perfectly executed and, at seven euro each, very good value. Take the humble Organic courgette and apple fritters with dehydrated goat yoghurt. Didn’t sound the most promising of the five but the tangy yoghurt made the fritters sing.

The Organic baby carrot and Ardsallagh goat cheese with organic leaves and pickled beetroot was another successful combination of taste, colour, flavour and texture. While the cooking here is creative, the food is allowed to speak for itself and this was perhaps best illustrated by the Woodside mini Pork Pie with peas and gravy. The pork flavour and texture were incredible.

The monkfish, coated in the most delicate batter and served with crispy bacon and organic roast garlic aioli, was lyrically light, crunchy and gorgeous and probably CL’s favourite.

For me, the outstanding bite was the first one into those Thomas Clancy free range chicken livers with sourdough and salsa. Honest food so well handled all the way to the table.

The dessert, Red Velvet Cappuccino cake with Bailey’s Ice Cream, was so smooth and seemed designed to put us into a good mood. But, after those brilliant tapas, we were happily already in that zone!

All in all then,  honest food, flawlessly cooked, just perfect. And obviously widely appreciated as the Greenroom was more or less full.

Sage itself was also full. It has gained some extra seating and a different entrance (via the courtyard) after the recent building works that gave us the Greenroom. And the local producers are lauded here in Sage and not just on the tables. On one of the walls there is an excellent photo display of the producers going about their daily work. Well done to Kevin and Réidín for their dedication to their local suppliers!

While it is full steam ahead for Sage, the recently opened Greenroom too has been finding itself quite busy in these early days. It opens at nine and, during the morning, you can pop in for a freshly ground coffee and a freshly baked treat. At lunch time, you’ll have great choices of Salads and Sandwiches and, in the evening, the tapas come into their own.

The new Greenroom, they call it Sage’s little sister, is also proving useful for a pre-meal drink for those booked into Sage or maybe waiting for a table. And, when the sun shines, the courtyard outside is abuzz.

Greenroom details
Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm.
Address: 8 Main St, Midleton, Co. Cork.
Phone: (021) 463 9682
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/www.sagerestaurant.ie

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Food and Drink Spotting

Food and Drink Spotting


Taste of the Week

This Miner's Red, all the way from Donegal, is one of the best red ale's I've come across. Recommended. Available in Bradley's, North Main Street (€2.99).
Left to right: Tricia Kehoe, Sonia Birrer and Louise Devoy, with Calinka "The Tea Shop dog"
Banish Rainy Day Blues with Yerba Mate!
If you’re looking for something to kick start your day, or even something that will get you through the afternoon without keeping you up all night, The Tea Shop on MacCurtain Street has just the answer as it prepares to introduce Guayaki Organic and Fair Trade Yerba Mate to Cork City this summer.

A favourite for centuries with the indigenous tribes of South America and known as ‘nature’s most balanced stimulant’, Yerba Mate is high in anti-oxidants and has been consumed to enhance vitality, clarity, and general well-being. This herbal tea is a product of the Californian based company Guayaki, the world's first Fair Trade Yerba Mate supplier and renowned for its environmentally sustainable projects worldwide.

Now with growing interest from their customer base and a desire to promote this natural and tasty stimulant as the energy source of choice for Corkonians, The Tea Shop have just received their first order from Guayaki and are now serving a range of Yerba Mates, including Mate Lattes and Mate Mochas. Read more


Meath Food Safari
With words such as treaceability, sustainability and labelling hot on the lips of food consumers, Meath Producers have decided to open their doors in a novel way to demonstrate how supporting local is best. There will be two such Food Safari's taking place in Meath on August 4th and 5th.

The 'Bia Bus' will be loaded on August fourth with enthusiastic foodies around South Meath, starting in the gourmet village of Slane and visiting Producers such as Burkes Farm Ice Cream, Boyne Valley Blue Goats Cheese, The Whole Hogg Pork Producers, Keoghs Premium Vegetable Farm, there will be quirky stops along the way and it will accumulate in a Producers BBQ at the renowned Boyles Pub in Slane for some apres Safari fun.

The next day sees the Bia Bus follow the same format taking to the producers of North Meath including the Award Winning Kilbeg Dairies, Ryan Farm, Kerrigans Mushrooms and Hogans Turkey Farm. Again, there will be stops along the way and the day will accumulate in a producers BBQ in Jacks Porterhouse in Kells.

Tickets for the food safari are at an amazing rate of only €40.00 for the day which includes 'Bia Bus', tastings and Producers BBQ, so don't just visit the Boyne Valley this summer, taste it! Full details of how to book as well as all other events are to be found on http://www.meathfoodseries.ie/ or www.facebook/meathfoodseries.ie  
For further information; Contact Olivia Duff on 087.6167546 or livduff@yahoo.com or info@meathfoodseries.ie

Wine Tastings

Join us for our fourth series of wine tastings in August and September.
Each week a guest speaker will present a selection of wines from the given region and we'll serve up a supper dish to match. All wine tastings take place at ely bar & brasserie and start at 7pm sharp.

Beginning with "Alternative Australia" on August 8th (Thursday) at ely bar & brasserie, IFSC.

We are all familiar with the Aussie Icons – Powerful, spicy Shiraz and ripe, tropical Chardonnays. But what’s really going on in Australia? Looking closer reveals a fascinating wine scene, bursting with ideas and experimentation. We will take a look what is making waves over there – up and coming regions, wine makers and exciting new varieties. Price: €45.00

Followed by:
"The Secrets of Spain" on August 22nd. Price: €45.00
"South America Treasures" on September 12th. Price: €45.00
"South Africa –Between two worlds" September 26th. Price: €45.00

Shorts

Glenisk Pop-Up Store Celebrates An Extra 10 Weeks With A Selection Of New Creative Combinations…
Due to to popular demand, Glenisk is delighted to announce its Dublin based UPFRONT AND PERSONAL pop-up store is set to remain open until the end of August at the corner of Dawson  Street and Duke Street. Read more here.

TheOrange Sour, with Hennessy Cognac




Real Olive Company now selling West Cork Garlic on their stall at most West Cork markets.


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Top Ten Most Popular Cork Restaurant Reviews Jan-Jun 2013

Top Ten Most Popular Cork Restaurant Reviews Jan-Jun 2013

1 - Chapel Steps
2 - The Black Pig Wine Bar
3 - Bunnyconnellan's
4 - Gallo & Galetti
5 - Finns' Table
6 - Titanic Bar & Grill
7 - Walter Raleigh Hotel
8 - Cafe Paradiso
9 - Charlie Mac's
10 - Cafe Serendity

Drinking the World Beer Champions!

Drinking the World Beer Champions!
I was short a few beers for a barbecue last week, so called down to my local O’Donovan’s Off Licence. Was picking out a few of my usual until manager Steve guided me in the direction of his Weihenstephaner display. I knew the name of course, knew that it was a good one, so I said I’ll have one of each please.

A very good decision as it turned out. Didn’t know it at the time but it just so happened that I had a bunch of World and European Beer Award winners in my bag. Talking about the 2012 awards here as the 2013 beers are still being judged with the results expected in September.

The Weihenstephan brewery, the oldest in the world by the way, was officially founded in 1040. Practice, it seems, make perfect!

The Weihenstephaner Vitus was the strongest of my selection and that has a couple of titles to its credit. It is the World’s Best Wheat Beer and also the World’s Best Strong Wheat Beer.

Citation: Gentle spicy aroma with sweet fruits and vineous notes. Full, rich and tasty. Smooth citrus flavour. Subtle hop and honeyed notes, bubblegum and coriander. Cloves, spiced apple and sweet grain. Good warming alcohol, surprising balance for its strength (7.7%), smooth yet potent. Good, lingering finish.

The Weihenstephaner Kristal Weissbier was voted the World’s Best Bavarian Kristal 2012. Quite a thirst quencher, it has a 5.4% abv. If you haven’t tried wheat beer, this is a good one to start with.

Citation: Clean, clove aroma. Very bubblegummy. Warming alcohol, round fruity notes and citrus. Spiced apple and clove on the palate, good full mouthfeel. Complex long finish.

The cloudy  Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier is one of my favourite types of beer. This has an abv of 5.4% and was voted Europe's Best Bavarian Hefeweiss.

Citation: Phenols and cloves on a lavish aroma. Big palate, firm and well balanced. Sweet banana, spice, caramel and bubblegum. Crisp and clean, good clove and spiced notes. Refreshing and spicy finish.

Interestingly, the World’s World's Best Bavarian Hefeweiss came from Japan, the Fujikanko Heights Beer Fujizakura Weizen.

Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier Dunkel also brought home world gold, coming out on top in the World's Best Dark Wheat Beer category. You are heading in the direction of stout with this one!

Citation: Woody aroma, with toffee and dark brown sugar. Sweet and slightly sour, good balance. Gentle smooth body, good bready notes. Chocolatey, nutty and creamy. Light toffee on a fruity dry finish.