CorkBilly Latest Food & Drink. Updated 27th August 2021

CorkBilly Latest Food & Drink

Week 210827. Update #1 27th August 2021

Plan to issue this mid-week with updates towards weekend. If you have any food or drink news, DM me a line or two, plus a link and a photo if available. Of course, if you have "big" news, let me know also and we can do a full standalone post.

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Sage

Well the weather looks top notch for the week - We will remain just with the outside area for the moment - Enjoy the last few weeks of the summer - few tables remaining over the week if you’d like to visit -

Few new dishes again this week -

All bookings via the Website Sagerestaurant.ie

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Here comes the Sun!

Oh Happy Days! Great to see the Sunshine back. Why not kick back give the chef a night off and order some Blairs Out! Here is Friday's Take Out Menu..... We are also open from 1pm for dining either in our garden or inside providing you have the relevant vaccine cert, menu available on our website https://www.blairsinn.ie/food When collecting your take out this weekend be sure to check out our new range of take home craft beers and fair trade minerals. For Take Out you can email in your order as per usual to blairsinn@gmail.com for all orders.  We are available for collection from 1pm to 8pm. The phone line will be open from 12 noon on 021-4381470 for anyone looking to order by phone. *********

Liberty Grill

HOME DINING - Friday & Saturday 27th and 28th August

3 courses just €30 PP including home delivery in the greater Cork City area

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L'Atitude 51

New arrivals from the Jura!! Savagnin Les Chassagnes, Le Vin de Ploussard Ouvre L'Esprit, Vivre d'Amour et de PlouPliou, Le Pinotctambule - from one of our favourite estates: Bormard

Exciting pours ahead!

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 Seasalt Cobh.

Back by popular demand…. The fish cake Bahn mi. Yis missed those pillows of flavour wrapped in a crisp baguette. And a new hash for you to try, Caherbeg slow roast ham hocks. We cook them in lager & spices for extra pizazz! Kitchen open from 9-3.30 all weekend. Defo picnic in the prom weather #hamhock #picnicdate #lastdaysofsummer #cobh

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On The Pig's Back

An absolutely perfect weekend for a garden Cheese & Charcuterie Board

Add your favourite wine or summer spritzer and you have the ideal summer get together!

Choose from our huge range of speciality Irish & French Farmhouse cheeses and exquisite Charcuterie, and all the extras such as Pate, Hummus, Breads, Quince and so much more!

All available from our stall at @theenglishmarketcork and Douglas Deli

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Kinsale Mead Co.

"..it's honey season, which means beekeepers are out collecting honey from their beehives. The best time to harvest honey is towards the end of summer, after the end of the honey flow when the nectar availability is at its peak. It's also the best time of year to visit Kinsale, which is great news since a certain meadery is open again for tours One of the top places to visit in Kinsale whether it's sunny or raining! More visit details and booking here. ********* Eoin O'Mahony, the English Market butcher, announces that their first delivery of @irishpigsociety pork is arriving this week. "Rare breed pigs reared by smallholders.The first pigs are Oxford Sandy & Black crossed with a Duroc." ********* Tom Durcan has something NUA for you! Something NUA is coming… Ingredient - Wood - Fire Local and Fresh ingredients played by @chefvictorfranca in partnership with @tom_durcan_meats. ********* Café Paradiso We're looking for a chef to join the Paradiso kitchen team, starting 7th September. Apply to paradisocorkwork@gmail.com ********* Perry Street Market have news! . Our opening hours for our Ringaskiddy location have changed! We will now be open until 6pm Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. . So from Monday - Sunday, you can enjoy hot food until 5pm daily with our delicious beverages, sandwiches and desserts available right up until 6pm 7days a week! ********* The Montenotte Hotel ********* New restaurant at Cobh Golf Club Thanks to Mags O'Connor for tip off! "Open to the public" ********* The Old Blarney Post Office Cafe  Dog wash opening soon. Will advise the date in September. €30 for a wash and dry, includes a free tea or coffee and pastry in the cafe while you wait. Small and medium sized dogs only! *********

Greene's. Impeccable Delectable Lunch By The Waterfall

Greene's. Impeccable Delectable Lunch By The Waterfall

Mackerel

Always a pleasure to dine at Greene’s. And last Saturday’s lunch was no exception. The sun shone on the sparkling waterfall alongside and the superbly cooked and presented dishes matched and even enhanced the mood of the long and lazy afternoon.

Lamb

The kitchen team here, under Bryan McCarthy, have long recognised the excellence of the local produce and utilise their skills to get the very best from what comes in. And this lunch menu, available Saturday and Sunday, is a prime example. Three amazing courses, with choices, for €32.50. They also do a 6-course Tasting Menu (€55p.p., plus matching wine €42.50), available to order by table only.

Hake

We two are checked in, as per current guidelines, and are soon seated in very comfortable chairs at our comfortable linen topped table and studying the menu. There are four starters on offer, five mains (with extra sides) and four desserts or an Irish cheese plate. 

Goats cheese

And a terrific selection of wine of course; with a long day and night ahead, we settle for a glass (7.50) of white and one of red.(7.50). Both are Spanish (by Hermanas), a Macabeo/Sauvignon Blanc and a Monastrell/Syrah, each blend perfect for the main course ahead.

Raspberry

West Cork Lamb Shoulder, artichoke, chicory, spiced coffee rub was one of our mains. That lamb was so tender, you could have had dined with a spoon and the combined flavours were impeccable, the ensemble perfectly executed.

Our other mains was Pan Fried Hake Fillet, sea vegetables, dillisk, dashi cream. The fish was white as could be, moist and delicately delicious, again enhanced by its accompaniments, even though CL is not a great fan of creamy sauces with fish! Both mains came with a bowl of shared potatoes and vegetables. The two plates and the bowl were returned empty.

Lemon Parfait

Indeed, everything went back empty (well maybe not the bread - always wary of eating too much bread early on!). 

I got a superb starter: Cured Mackerel, sorrel, gooseberry, sea vegetables. The three plump slices of mackerel came “swimming” in a green lagoon (gooseberry and mackerel are a traditional pairing) and it was a tartly delicious treat, so much so that I used an extra piece of bread to mop up the sauce!

You can often study a menu and you form a picture of the dish in your mind. But that picture is rarely accurate when Chef McCarthy is the “painter”. And so CL was ambushed, in the best possible way, by her gorgeous Goats Cheese, hazelnut, apple, summer berries.

We were asked to pick our desserts at the start (but also had the choice to leave it until later). I first put my eye on the Chocolate Cremeux Mousse but, with the fruit in season, selected the Raspberry, Mascarpone Mousse, sable biscuit instead. It turned out to be an excellent choice, very happy with it as it glided in and down.

The other dessert was Lemon Parfait, strawberry, basil and biscuit another perfect dessert, light and easily dispatched. In quite a few places, dessert can be too heavy, a "killer" at the end of the meal. Not the case in Greene’s where their colours and their fine flavours combined with a lack of density means they bring the excellent meal to a perfect finale.

Out then to the sun and a stroll around MacCurtain Street where they are eating outdoors from the  likes of Gallaghers at one end to Thompsons at the other. And in between, there's so much more, including the Harley’s Street Market (with its food trucks and rustic seating), abuzz in the August sun. Maybe not the best of times but not the worst either.

MacCurtain Street newcomer: REZz

A superb double from the Douro including a stunning White Half Dry Port .

A superb double from the Douro including a stunning White Half Dry Port. 

Casal Dos Jordōes Porto White Half Dry, 19%, 

€26.00 Limited availability. Manning's Emporium Ballylickey; Mary Pawle

Another treasure of the Douro!

This wine represents the Jordão family tradition of generous wines of quality. “All our vineyards are located in the river Torto valley with the rigorous selection of the best grape varieties of the Douro region to create excellent wines. The predominant varieties are the Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, Viosinho, Gouveio (Verdelho) and Côdega do Larinho.”

White port is made from white grapes, such as those above. You’ll find it in a variety of styles from dry to very sweet. You’ll see a lot of sweet white port with tonic water in glasses in the Port wine area. You can also find white port with a crisp dry finish and my favourite in this style, introduced in 1934 (the port, not me!), is Taylor’s Chip Dry.

And this is a new favourite! I had noted the recommendation to mix it with tonic but once I tasted it neat, I postponed that option, indefinitely! The pleasure on the palate is just so immense - you need nothing else at all. With its golden robe, its intense and complex aromas of dried fruit, all of which follow through to the palate, I knew I had found a magnificent and unusual wine that I would be so glad to hang around with. And that feeling was confirmed immediately by my coconspirator. Very Highly Recommended.

Casal dos Jordões has been in business since 1870, always in possession of the Jordões family. But for a long time, they sold their wine in bulk. Then, in 1994, they started bottling their own and went on to become leaders in organic port production. And our white is a terrific example of their craft.

Casal Dos Jordōes Grande Reserva Douro (DOC) 2011, 14%

€23.00 New to the portfolio; queries to Mary Pawle

This full-bodied dark-ruby wine comes from the hot and dry Douro region of Portugal and is made from much the same grapes as port. Intense ripe fruit aromas, including a touch of fig, some toasty touches too. No shortage of those fruit flavours in the slightly sweet spicy palate. It is voluminous, round, with a beautiful structure and a persistent finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca are the grapes featured, all organic and grown on shale soil (from the same family as schist). Interestingly, both hands and feet are used in the transition. Picking is manual and the grapes are then crushed by foot in the lagar (a large stone trough). They say the technique permits great extraction of colour and long tannins.

Pairings recommended are tapas, grilled meat (especially lamb), grilled veg, strong casseroles. By the way, there is a possibility of some natural sediment, so decant if you wish. I did, but didn’t notice any sediment at all.

CORK CITY IS TO COME ALIVE WITH DESIGN POP

CORK CITY IS TO COME ALIVE WITH DESIGN POP

7 PAVILIONS :: 15 TALKS + PANEL DISCUSSIONS :: 2 EXHIBITIONS

 

Happening across Cork city | 27th - 29th August 2021

www.designpop.ie

Jimmy Rennick (Design Partners)

 

Cork city’s architecture, design and food festival, Design POP, returns to the streets of Cork this August 27th - 29th. Enjoy architecture, food, and design through a series of outdoor architectural pavilions, events, talks, exhibitions, and conversations.

 

Making up for last year’s cancellation, this year’s bumper programme will see seven architect, designer and food collaborators working on seven outdoor pavilions, situated at different locations around Cork city: Mark Horgan and River Club Bar at The River Lee Hotel; Play Nice studio and Currabinny at Wandesford Quay; Cook Architects and Ballymaloe foods at Elizabeth Fort; Alan Macilwraith of JCA Architects and Good Day Deli at Nano Nagle Place; Maser and Crawford Gallery Café at Emmett Place; Wilson Architects and Naturally Nourished at Penrose Dock; CCAE and Blackrock Castle Observatory at Blackrock Castle.

(Full details on the pavilions and activation times can be found here: https://www.designpop.ie/pavilions )

 

Design POP will also host over 15 events at the outdoor festival HQ – The Courtyard at Cork Printmakers, The Lavit Gallery, and Backwater Artist Group on Wandesford Quay:

 

Kerri Cahill
Opening day speaker

Friday

The festival opens with three events: talks by Kari Cahill, The Project Twins, and Director of The Lewis Glucksman Gallery Fiona Kearney (supported by Cork Chamber of Commerce).

 

Saturday

-   Panel discussion “Plating Up with Local Produce - Telling A Story with Food Through Photography & Styling” with Brid O’ Donovan, OHK Cafe and Laura Edgerton (Culinary Cork).

-   THE BIG IDEA with Kim Mackenzie-Doyle, Jonathan Leahy Maharaj, Eugene Canavan and Amy McKeogh.

- Panel discussion "The Launch- Launching a new brand and the creative process behind it”, with Ernest Cantillon (Kinsale Gin and Red Earl Whiskey), Tony Speight (WCC Roastery) and Laura Edgerton

- A talk hosted by Studio Anois

- “In conversation with Toonsbridge Dairy and The Real Olive Company” with Jenny-Rose Clarke (Toonsbridge) and Kate Ryan (Flavour.ie)

- “In conversation with Ardú and MASER” (supported by Pat McDonnell paints.)

-   RIAI + DESIGN POP present Alastair Hall from Hall McKnight Architects, Sandra O’Connell (RIAI) and Tony Duggan (Cork City Council) in Cork Centre for Architectural Education

 

Sunday

-   Panel discussion “Interior design - Design and creativity how it impacts our everyday lives”, with Kate O’Neill (The Visual Loop), Sarah O’Neill, Niamh McCabe (Nimcake) and Cathy Angelini (Cathy Flamingo)

- Panel discussion “Diversifying - The Power and Importance of Diversifying your Brand” with Erica Drum (virtual Chef), Tim Stone (Popsicle) and Laura Edgerton (Culinary Cork).

 (supported by Local Enterprise Office Cork City)

-   Panel Discussion "The Impact Creativity Has On Our Lives- What Creativity Means to You and Everyone Else”, with Simon Roche (HMH/ Bureau), artist Shane O’Driscoll and Jimmy Rennick (Design Partners)

- Claudia Kinmonth in conversation with the milking stool designers, Adrian Duyn and Tricia Harris,  in Nano Nagle Place’s courtyard.

- A talk hosted by Rae Moore of Atelier Rae, architecture practice.

-Closing Event: Behind the Pavilions with all the architects, designers, and food producers for a conversation about creating their pavilion.

 

Shane O'Driscoll

 

EXHIBITIONS:

 

Design Pop’s annual ‘Milking Stool’ exhibition returns, sponsored by Abbey Woods. This exhibition, happening at Nano Nagle Place, is a celebration and showcase of the diverse talent of furniture designers throughout Ireland. By challenging each designer to embody their unique design style through the medium of the humble milking stool. This is a unique opportunity to create a modern reinterpretation of this traditional form.

The furniture pieces will be auctioned through the Design POP website, allowing members of the public and visitors to the exhibition to purchase a stool over the duration of the festival. ( https://www.designpop.ie/exhibitions-shop )

 

RIAI along with Cork City Council will present an exhibition of some of the architecture competition entries for the Bishop Lucey Park redesign. There will be a panel discussion between Cork City Architect Tony Duggan, Sandra O’Connell Director of Architecture and Communications at the RIAI, and the winners of the competition Hall McKnight Architects.

 

Tickets are now on sale for all events, early booking is advised due to limited capacity allowing for social distancing. For full details visit www.designpop.ie

 

Design POP is supported by Backwater Artists Group, Cork Printmakers and the Lavit Gallery through the Arts Council of Ireland's in The Open – Faoin Spéir award: A curated programme of multi-disciplinary, inclusive arts activities in community outdoor spaces running from July 2021-April 2022. #InTheOpenFaoinSpeir

Design POP is also made possible with generous support from Cork City Council and LEO Cork City.

www.designpop.ie

Facebook

Twitter / @designpopcork

Youtube

CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL FOR MYTHS LEGENDS, GHOSTS AND GHOULS

press release 

Seanchaí Eddie Lenihan

IRISH MYTHS LEGENDS, GHOSTS AND GHOULS AT THE MANOR

-4- STAR CAHERNANE HOUSE 

HOTEL, KILLARNEY, CO. KERRY LAUNCHES ITS HALLOWEEN 2021 PACKAGE-

 

As part of its residential Halloween package, the historic Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry will host a night of storytelling this Halloween with Eddie Lenihan, one of the few traditional seanchaí’s still working in Ireland.  Eddie will tell the residents ancient stories about the myths and legends of Irish folklore as well as some of the Irish fairy stories which he has collected from old people over the years. 

Irish fairy stories form a prominent part of his huge repertoire, but there are historical tales too, stories of notable figures such as the banshee, devil stories, accounts of saints, of monsters, ogres, giants and ghosts. Some of the stories are not for the faint hearted and were collected from his years of research and by walking the tracks and trails of forgotten Ireland where solitary hawthorn bushes mark the sacred meeting places of the fairies.

Historic Cahernane House Hotel

An interesting character, and an enthralling storyteller, Eddie has captured the imagination of audiences from Dublin to Dubai.  The story telling evening is for residents only and is part of a two-night Halloween Break which includes other ‘not so scary’ activities for children!

 

Located just outside the centre of the thriving town of Killarney, the 48-bedroom Cahernane House Hotel is still far enough away from the hustle and bustle of Kerry’s major urban centre to offer a secluded and tranquil getaway. It is located on 6.4 acres of verdant grounds and is adjacent to the Killarney Lakes and Killarney National Park.  Cahernane House Hotel was originally built in 1877 as a family residence for Henry Herbert at a cost of £5,992. The original plans were to build a mansion three times the size of what it is presently, but the next generation of the Herbert family fell on hard times and let the property out as a hotel. As a result, the property feels and looks more like a grand, country, private residence rather than a hotel.

 

Reminiscent of times gone by, the house never lost its Victorian charm despite the changeover of owner’s numerous times throughout its history.  It too has great history and many people have reported seeing the ghost of Gwendolyn Herbert, the daughter of the original owner of the house as she makes her way eerily up the grand hand carved oak staircase.

 

The Halloween package at Cahernane is available for any 2 nights from the 23^rd – 25^th of October and is priced from €349 per adult sharing for bed and breakfast for two nights for two adults and two children.  It also includes dinner for the family on one evening, a kid’s movie and popcorn and storytelling with Eddie Lenihan for adults in the Drawing Room.  The property is renowned for its food and with chef Eric Kavanagh at the helm in the kitchen, foodies have some real treats in store (The Herbert Restaurant has 2 AA Rosettes and offers the best in season dishes expertly prepared by Eric Kavanagh and his team).

 

On arrival to Cahernane guests will find treats and sweets in their rooms for the children and that night children can enjoy a family Halloween movie with popcorn.  There are great places to explore in the area including Muckross House and Ross Castle on the shore of Lough Leane. The castle was built by O’Donoghue Mór in the 15th century and is believed to be one of Ireland’s most haunted castles. It is said that every seven years O’Donoghue himself rises from the lake and circles the shore on a splendid white horse. The legend goes that those lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the spectre will have good fortune for the rest of their lives!

To book The Halloween package at Cahernane House Hotel or for more information please see www.cahernane.com or call +353 64 663 1895

 

A White and a Rosé to savour this season

A White and a Rosé to savour this season

Terras Gauda, Abadia de San Campio Albarino, Rías Baixas (DO) 2019, 12.5% abv

€20.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

My first introduction to this particular wine came with the 2011 vintage which arrived on the doorstep just as I was heading off to Hendaye on the French/Spanish border. I brought a few bottles with me - talk about bringing coals to Newcastle. I was very impressed and rated it Very Highly Recommended. Lots of Albarino since then, including one in Nerua (in Bilbao) during that holiday!

And, glad to say, this 2019 is up there with the best of them, Very Highly Recommended again! Aromas are intense, tropical fruit (mostly mango and pineapple). And there’s amazing power and balance on the palate, “the intensity of taste of a harvest of well-ripened grapes”, as they say themselves, is balanced by a vibrant acidity. And the finish is persistent and pleasant all the way.

 

Le Caveau are obviously enthusiastic about it: Abadia de San Campio Albarino is such a lovely white..No sign of oak, the wine is therefore as pure and bright as a whistle.. Served with tuna steaks, it works brilliantly. Ideal with seafood, shellfish (Percebes!), fish... or almost anything coming out of the Atlantic.

 

Vintage 2019 all came right in the end as there was an “excellent ripening of the grapes, offering us a broad, concentrated and very lively Albarino”.

Back in 2012, as is the case now, ageing was not recommended. Quite a few experts, such as Hugh Johnson, were giving Albarino the DYA designation, meaning drink youngest available! You’ve been warned!

The producers recommend serving between 10 and 12 degrees with shellfish, oysters, clams, crabs and enjoy with spicy Asian cuisine.

Located in the O Rosal valley, in Galicia, Terras Gauda is notable for owning around 85% of its own vineyards; the remainder of the grapes are provided under strict quality control agreements with local growers.

Antica Enotria Contessa Staffa Rosato Puglia (IGP) 2019, 13% 

€18.25 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

The colour, more a red rose (close to pomegranate) than a pink rose, is what catches the eye with this Italian rosé from Puglia. It is a blend, Nero di Troia (85%) with Montepulciano. Aromas are rather intense - strawberry and cherry. It is light and lively on the palate, with a crisp and refreshing acidity, yet full of flavour with a good balance and a reasonably long finish. It is one of the drier rosés around, also that bit different to the French rosés, and Highly Recommended.

Contessa Staffa Rosato is the Mediterranean wine par excellence, with a strong restorative power on hot summer days. Yet it is liked for its versatility in the kitchen. It should be served cool, usually around 10 ° -12 ° C, so that it can express all its aromas and give soft and round sensations in the mouth.

With what to combine it? Almost with everything! It is an excellent aperitif, an obvious combination with cold cuts; with sushi it is a must; but try it with a soup or fried fish; with any first course, it is the king of summer cold dishes. Perfect for chicken and veal tuna salads; the roundness and softness make it the ideal companion for many spices.

Raffaele di Tuccio bought this run-down farmhouse (dating back to the 1700’s) in 1985 and over the past 30 years has worked tirelessly with his wife, Antonia, and son, Luigi, to bring the property back to life. Sadly Raffaele passed away in late 2020. the care of the farm and vineyards are now in the hands of Antonia and Luigi.