RESTAURANTS AND FOOD

Monday, April 3, 2023

Treasure Trove Of Easter Treats At Eggs-cellent English Market

press release

The English Market’s ‘Eggs-cellent’ Offerings this Easter

At The Chocolate Shop

With Easter weekend fast approaching, the traders at the English Market have some last-minute, local food offerings and treats to help you prepare for the Easter weekend celebrations.

Below are a selection of traders offering a variety of options to suit all tastes and budgets.

The Chocolate Shop

The Chocolate shop has a wide range of Easter-themed treats to indulge in this Easter Sunday, including its hero chocolate-filled shell. The much-loved shell can be filled with a wide selection of beautiful milk and dark handmade chocolates - from caramels, toffees, truffles, pralines and more - all chosen by you! The Chocolate Shop also stocks a full range of smaller Easter delights, including a milk chocolate hedgehogs from Michel Cluizel Chocolatier and Lorge easter eggs filled with 5 or 12 chocolates, in addition to half-shell eggs also filled with an array of handmade treats.These Easter eggs are all they’re cracked up to be!

Visit chocolate.ie to order online for click and collect or home delivery nationwide.

O’Mahony’s Butchers

O’Mahony’s continues to provide some of the best local meat from The English Market, and this coming Easter weekend is no different. With the best of new season Spring Lamb, available at the stall, O’Mahonys also have alternative meat options available for your Easter Sunday feast, including full-of-flavour Dry Aged Prime Rib and Sirloin. A feast indeed!

Visit www.omahonysbutchers.com/ to order online for click and collect.

The Roughty Foodie

As always, The Roughty Foodie boasts a wide range of treats and delicacies for true foodies, all of which are locally or Irish produced. From Cork-owned Ó’Conaill chocolate, to both Kerry’s Benoit Lorge Chocolatier & Skelligs chocolates, there are lots to choose from - but if you can’t choose, order a custom hamper with all of your favourites! Just in time for an Easter bloom, the Roughty Foodie is selling beautiful Tumbelina Tulips from West Cork - chemical-free flowers specially grown in homemade compost made from small animal house bedding, fallen autumn leaves, coffee grounds and local beach seaweed - that would make for the perfect centrepiece for an Easter Sunday Dinner. A pure Cork flower and feast!

Visit theroughtyfoodie.com to order hampers online or visit the English Market stall.

Bubble Brothers

Top off the Easter weekend with a bottle of delicious sparkling wine or champagne from Bubble Brothes, the place to go for a choice of bubbly and wines from all around the world. Make the occasion a little more memorable with a bottle of ‘Un Jour de 1911’, Grand Cru champagne from Champagne André Clouet in the village of Bouzy. As a tribute to the style and dynamism of the Golden Age of the early 1900s, each bottle comes with its own numbered certificate, is hand-finished and protected by a straw wrapper. A ‘golden egg’ this Easter!

Available to purchase at their English Market stall or online at www.bubblebrothers.ie

As always, the English Market is the home of quality Irish food, and this is just a small selection of stalls in the market with many more there to cater for all of your Easter needs under one roof. From succulent Spring lamb and a variety of meats to fresh fish and seafood, cakes, treats, chocolates and more, all of the traders at the English Market are here to help create a memorable & celebratory meal this Easter Weekend.

The English Market is open 8am-6pm, Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays & Bank Holidays). For more information and to keep up to date with the latest news, visit The English Market social media pages on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook or visit www.corkcity.ie/en/english-market/

Roughty Fruity Selection

Sunday, April 2, 2023

Killarney's Victoria Hotel. A comfortable and convenient location on the Ring of Kerry.

Killarney's Victoria Hotel. A comfortable and convenient location on the Ring of Kerry

Victoria Hotel on a March morning

Killarney’s Victoria Hotel, on the Muckross Road, is a comfortable and well situated base for a short break in Kerry. It is on the Ring of Kerry and the National Park is just a short stroll away.

We were immediately struck by the warmth of the welcome at the reception, later in the dining room and also in the breakfast room. The fact that this 33-bed hotel, owned by the Courtneys, has separate dining rooms indicate their focus on space and comfort.

Cashel Blue included in breakfast platter of cheese and charcuterie

Breakfast is excellent here and you won’t have to leave your seat. No buffet. Everything, including juices and breads and cereals is brought to your table. You just indicate your preferences sit back and enjoy. Quite a menu as well. We can recommend the pancakes, the Full irish (or variants thereof), and the Charcuterie and Irish cheese plate.

The Ivy Restaurant at Killarney’s Victoria Hotel is a splendid place to dine. Again, here’s a high degree of comfort and space, a friendly and courteous team, and the food (not to mention the drink) doesn’t disappoint either. We had dinner there and can give it a big thumbs up! More details here.

On another night, we had dinner at the relatively new Harrow Restaurant on the town’s High Street, another splendid and comfortable establishment with a very high standard of service and cooking. Read all about it here.

Slea Head

We spent a brilliant day on the road with the main focus on Dingle and the surrounding coast, including the spectacular Slea Head. It was mid-March and the weather was mixed but our hours on the coast and in the town were enhanced by the sunshine even the winds blew hard.

Torc Waterfall, mins from hotel

A few months back, we came across a magnificent sea salt made by a small enterprise called West of Dingle. It is usually stocked by the well-known Little Cheese Shop in Green Street but they had run out. We were directed to the Health Food Shop on Main Street and here we were able to stock up.

Local brew in hotel

We were looking for a mini-snack ourselves (enough after that big breakfast in the Victoria) and called into Seed & Soul and my highlight here was their Gingerbread Latte. Not a great Latte man normally but I certainly enjoyed this one.

Great to see well-known places such as Dick Mac’s (lively lunchtime buzz there) as we strolled around. It may have been cool but that didn’t stop the punters piling into Murphy’s Ice Cream. Passing Ireland’s smallest shop, McCarthy’s Crepes, and a sign outside Bob Griffin’s Bar telling us that Soup of the Day was Guinness, raised a smile.

Since I was in Kerry I was keen to get my hands on some local craft beer, especially those that wouldn’t be readily available in Cork. And I found quite a treasure trove of craft a few minutes from the hotel. The Carry Out at the town end of the road down to Ross Castle had a huge selection including some from my own local the Cotton Ball. They also bottles from four Kerry brewers: Tom Crean, Torc, West Kerry and Killarney Brewery. Filled a big box there!

Just across the road from the off licence, a couple from Argentina run Tango, a café and bakery, with an interesting South American and European menu. Didn't have time to call on this trip but noted it. Another to check, nearby, out is Luna, a wine bar stocking some excellent natural wines.

The hotel and Harrow both serve local beers but if you want a large selection on draught then the best place to visit would the Celtic Whiskey Bar and Larder in the town centre. They do some very tasty food there as well.

I didn’t get to visit the new facility of the Killarney Brewing and Distillery Company out in Fossa on this visit but that was remedied on w/ending March 31st - I'll have a post up soon. Cheers!

On this trip:

Dinner at The Ivy in Killarney

Dining at The Harrow Killarney

Coming Soon

Sneem Hotel DBB

Brehon Lunch

Lunch at Killarney Distillery and Brewery in Fossa.

Friday, March 31, 2023

HISTORICAL MENU INSPIRES NEW CHAPTER AT CAHERNANE

press release

HISTORICAL MENU INSPIRES

NEW CHAPTER AT CAHERNANE

Darren Looney of Cahernane and the menu

The luxurious, four-star Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry is fast becoming known as a food lover’s heaven and with new chef, Cormac Vesey at the helm the cooking is as skilful as it is tantalising, offering patrons an elegant yet uncomplicated dining experience. With Cormac leading the charge the main hotel restaurant is taking a new direction, now called ‘Herbert’s’ the menu retains all of the best of the sea and the land and offers gourmet cuisine but without any fussy embellishments.

Cormac’s focus on food provenance and seasonal ingredients lies at the heart of everything he does and is the cornerstone of his cooking. Speaking to guests at a recent eight-course tasting menu evening he said, “Great dishes start with great flavours, it’s my job to make the ingredients sing, it’s not my job to over complicate the best that mother nature has already provided.”

“I don’t subscribe into the idea that there has to be all of these extra flourishes such as gels and foams to make a dish impressive, great dishes don’t need that. I like to start from the beginning, and to look and see what’s in season. What’s growing now is going to be the very, very best thing on your plate. It’s incredible how something as simple as a spring cabbage or a carrot can become something extraordinary with careful and thoughtful cooking. Ingredients don’t need to be pimped up and made into something they aren’t they just need to be complemented and matched carefully and thoughtfully”

Emer Corridan, the General Manager of Cahernane House Hotel hosted the eight- course tasting menu in Herbert’s Restaurant (Friday, March 24th). The fabulous dining experience, called ‘A Taste of Cahernane’ saw guests enjoying a spectacular menu which was inspired by an old 1960’s menu which chef Cormac Vesey found in the old store kitchen at Cahernane and which inspired the team to look to the past for future culinary inspiration.

The original 1960’s menu inspired such new dishes as organic salmon with nori and pickled cucumber, asparagus cream soup with a delicate and perfectly formed quail’s egg, lobster au gratin with Kells Bay Dilisk Cheddar and charred leak. The meat dish was just a joy to behold, noisettes of lamb were served with a tarragon jus and delicious Pommes Dauphine. The tropical fruit parfait with roast pineapple and coconut sorbet provided a refreshing taste revival before diners enjoyed a chocolate marquise with burnt apple gel and calvados ice cream. This was reminiscent of old fashioned, ‘fizzy apples’ and was the focus of lots of chat around the restaurant.

The evening provided the kitchen team with the opportunity to showcase the new culinary offering at Cahernane and gave diners the chance to experience the dishes in an elegant and relaxed setting. Each of the courses were beautifully presented and executed and ultimately each dish was a celebration of the best locally produced seasonal produce.

Chef Cormac Vesey

The complete culinary experience finished with homemade Petit Fours, served with teas and coffee. Cormac Vesey then went out to the dining room to chat to the guests about the meal and the produce which was used.

A native of Dunshaughlin Co. Meath, Cormac is a graduate of the Waterford Institute of Technology where he studied Culinary Arts. Over the years he has honed his skills in kitchens in New Zealand, England, Canada and the South of France where he worked as a private chef for a high-profile client in the glamourous location of St. Tropez. He also worked at several well-known restaurants and hotels in Ireland including the Cliff House Hotel which has 4 AA Rosettes and 1 Michelin Star, the Five Star Killarney Park Hotel in Killarney and Waterford Castle Hotel among others.

Herbert’s Restaurant, The Cellar Bar and the Drawing Room at Cahernane House Hotel all offer various dining options for guests and visitors. Herbert’s is a fine dining restaurant while the Cellar Bar serves casual fare, cocktails and artisan gins and beers. The Drawing Room, overlooking the mature garden is an elegant space to relax in front of the fire and read while enjoying a glass of something lovely. All of the dining outlets are open to both hotel residents and non-residents alike.

Cahernane House was originally built in 1877 and was restored to its former glory by owners, the PREM Group. The stunning 48- bedroom hotel is set on 6.4 acres on the edge of the Killarney National Park and lakes yet is just a short stroll into Killarney Town Centre. The house is filled with original antiques, artwork and the beautiful original features of the property have been sympathetically restored such as the feature staircase and original stucco ceilings. For more information on Cahernane House Hotel or to make a booking see www.cahernane.com or call (064) 663 1895.

Tuesday, March 28, 2023

CorkBillyBeers #17. Craft Session with Brehon, Kinnegar, Third Barrel, Ballykilcavan.

CorkBillyBeers #17

Craft Session with Brehon, Kinnegar, Third Barrel, Ballykilcavan.

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Brehon Seisún Pale Ale, 3.5% ABV, 500 bottle

The name of this brew, Seisiún, is inspired by the Irish for rousing songs, great drinks, good company and craic. “We are delighted to bring you this light ale loaded with citrus flavours.”

Colour is a gorgeous mid to dark amber colour with red tints and a soft white head. Grapefruit seeps out of the aromas and leaps out on the palate, a dry and refreshing palate with a clean and dry citrusy finish. Even at 3.5%, this one packs quite a flavoursome punch.

Brehon tells us (and the evidence is here) that pale ales “tend to be lighter than standard beers. They tend to be malty, medium-bodied and are easy to drink. Some say they bridge the gap between dark stouts and lighter”.

Very Highly Recommended.

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Kinnegar Brewers at Play #29 Session IPA, 4.0% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

This is the first new beer of 2023 from Kinnegar and extends their Brewers at Play series to number 29!

It is a hazy pale gold with a soft white head that sinks slowly. Aromas are of the citrus variety, of moderate intensity. And so it continues on the palate where it is light and refreshingly dry. Very well made indeed, maybe not as innovative as some in the Brewers at Play Series but one that could well outlast some of the others.

They are pushing it as a good one to take us through dry January. But I see it as good company for a much longer period. Be glad to enjoy a few on an easy going summer evening, sun or no sun.

Significantly, it is less hoppy than the Third Barrel and that will suit quite a few punters.

Highly Recommended

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Third Barrel Boom Session IPA, 4.5%, 440ml can Bradleys

Clean, crisp and proper refreshing, this Session IPA bursts with aromas of grapefruit and lime from a heavy does of Mosaic and centennial hops. That’s the intro to this Session IPA from Third Barrel

Colour is a mid gold, hazy, with a white head that stays a bit. Nose is full of hoppy aromas and you meet the characteristics of Mosaic and Centennial again on the palate. Crisp and clean and happily refreshing, this is one for the short list.

This was the flagship beer “of our founding company @stonebarrelbrewing has now been taken under our wing and given a full Third Barrel makeover”.

Very Highly Recommended.

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Ballykilcavan Millhouse Session IPA, 3.5% ABV, 440ml can CraftCentral

A light refreshing Session Ale, double dry hopped, for maximum taste. That’s Ballykilcavan’s intro to their Millhouse Session IPA.

Colour is a hazy gold, with a fairly short-lived white head. Aromas speak of hop bitterness -it has been double dry-hopped. And that double kick is also to the fore in the flavour and also in the finish. Yet the hops (IBU48) are not allowed to upset the balance too much, the more exotic flavours are tamer than you’d expect, and this flavoursome Pale Ale is a welcome addition to session choices.

Ingredients are Water, Malted Barley, Wheat, Oats, Hops, Yeast. The Barley and Water is sourced from their own farm where the family has been since 1639. The hops used, all from the USA, are Citra, Amarillo and Mosaic.

The brewery say the organic oats from the neighbouring farm, The Merry Mill, are also credited with the “lovely balance”. Oats are usually credited with helping give a fuller body and a silky mouthfeel, traditionally in stouts, but now in other styles as well. Hard to generalise though as there are variations. Unmalted oats - and it seems this is unmalted - are more known as a body-builder component and as potential contributor of some hazy compounds for styles.

Lots of breweries are now watching their environmental responsibilities and Ballykilcavan are no exception. Here are a couple of their alternatives to glass containers when out and about at festivals.

1- Cut out the plastic with this stainless steel, reusable, festival pint cup. Keeps your beer colder for longer and helps the environment at the same time.

2- Our replacement for single use plastic pint glasses for all the events and festivals we attend from now on. Reusable, dishwasher safe and easy on the eye, it's perfect for festivals or camping.

Highly Recommended

Best local produce finds a fine home at Harrow in Killarney’s High Street.

Best local produce finds a fine home at Harrow

in Killarney’s High Street

Chicken

Killarney's Harrow has just reached the 12-month milestone on the town’s High Street and is making quite an impression. It is an impressive building, both inside and out, very comfortable and spacious, with a very friendly staff and, very importantly, local produce is supported and well handled here.

Harrow (where Gabys was)

The culinary team of John, Christian & Zvonimir are bringing all their experience to bear and local producers supported and listed on the menu include Poppadom’s Farm Killarney - Star Seafood Killarney - Spillane’s Seafood Killarney - Tim Jones Killarney - Fenit Veg Tralee - Wild Kerry Game - Terra Foods Tralee - Irish Hereford Prime - Our Chef’s Garden. Local brewers and distillers also feature in Harrow.

Mussels

Interior

The main restaurant, well decorated and lit, is a split-level ground floor room and off to the right and upstairs is a separate party room for around 30 guests. Service is friendly and efficient from welcome to goodbye.

We were soon seated and checking the menus. Some very tantalising dishes here. The produce may be local and Irish but there are some different touches from the continent and beyond. They offer A La Carte and a 3-course set menu (for forty euro where you choose from starred items on the A La Carte).

There is a long wine list here, quite a few by the glass. They have a full bar of course so no scarcity of spirits, cocktails, and beer. Some non alcoholic options too. I often look out for the local beer and we enjoyed bottles from Killarney Brewing (Devil’s Helles) and 9 White Deer (Stag Bán Pale Ale).

Celeriac

After tasting and enjoying their smoked butter on their crispy bread, I started with Hay Baked Celeriac (Salt and Hay Baked Celeriac with Truffle Dressing, Pickled Cranberries & Toasted Pistachios). You don’t see this too often. I enjoyed it very much, light, flavourful and colourful. Happy sounds too from the other side of the table where the Mussels served with Garlic Bread Curried Lemongrass and Ginger went down well. They also had a Garlic and Parsley Cream sauce available for the more cautious.

CL went for a more traditional main course: Chicken Supreme. It was stuffed with Black Wild Garlic, Mushroom & Spinach Arancini, Grilled Butternut Squash, Pickled Chanterelles, Roasting Jus. A splendid dish indeed, packed with flavour and accompanied by Crispy Potato dressed with Confit Garlic.

I haven’t had Pork Schnitzel in a long long time and the Harrow version was excellent in both quality and quantity and served with a very tasty German Potato Salad. The full description is Pork Schnitzel, Celeriac Purée, Herb and Parmesan Dressing, Celeriac Slaw with Jus. A hearty flavoursome dish to watch out for if you visit.

Schnitzel

The dessert list is short, shorter than the list of sweet wines (including ports). Our pick, for sharing, was the Vanilla Crème Brûlée lightly flavoured with Pedro Jiménez, served with Boozy Armagnac Prunes & Cinnamon Biscuit. Yum.

You may be wondering where the restaurant name comes from. Not from the London borough of that name nor from any grand palace or family. It is from the humble farm implement used to break up the soil after ploughing. Apparently, the people behind Harrow have an agricultural background and that shows also in the names on their sophisticated cocktail list. Here, among the classics, you’ll find The Plough, The Hoe, The Oxen, and The Iron Harrow. A haggart full of cocktails then but no sign of the Scuffler! Cheers.

Monday, March 27, 2023

New Stars & Awards in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023

New Stars & Awards in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023

Discover all of the new Michelin Stars, Green Stars, Bib Gourmands and Special Awards in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023

Dessert at Dede

Editor's Pick Great Britain & Ireland 2023 Launch Event Michelin Guide Ceremony Michelin Stars

Having already released many new restaurants in our monthly Live Additions, and then taken a sneak peak at the 20 newly awarded Bib Gourmands (which were announced on Wednesday 22nd March), we are now delighted to announce all of the new Michelin Star, Green Star and Special Award winners in the MICHELIN Guide Great Britain & Ireland 2023. These were unveiled on Monday 27th March at the MICHELIN Guide Ceremony which, this year, was held at the iconic Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire.

20 restaurants were newly awarded One Michelin Star, 3 restaurants were awarded Two Michelin Stars and 4 restaurants were awarded a Michelin Green Star. Five Special Awards were also announced.

Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal - New Two Star

New Two Star Restaurants
Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, London
dede, Baltimore
The Ledbury, London

New One Star Restaurants
Àclèaf, Plymouth
Ben Wilkinson at The Pass, Horsham
Cycene, London
Gidleigh Park, Chagford
Grace & Savour, Hampton in Arden
heft, Newton in Cartmel
Heron, Leith
Luca, London
Lumiére, Cheltenham
Pentonbridge Inn, Penton
Restaurant Twenty-Two, Cambridge
sō–lō, Aughton
SOLSTICE BY KENNY ATKINSON, Newcastle upon Tyne
St. Barts, London
Store, Stoke Holy Cross
Taku, London
Terre, Castlemartyr
The Samling, Ambleside
The Tudor Pass, Egham
Timberyard, Edinburgh

SOLSTICE BY KENNY ATKINSON - New One Star
New Green Star Restaurants
Apricity, London
Crocadon, St Mellion
CULTURE, Falmouth
Osip, Bruton

Crocadon - New Green Star

New Bib Gourmand Restaurants
Blaise Inn, Bristol
COR, Bristol
EDŌ, Belfast
Emilia, Ashburton
Evernight, London
Flint House, Brighton
Hām, London
Kushi-Ya, Nottingham
Marmo, Bristol
Plaza Khao Gaeng, London
Queen of Cups, Glastonbury
Root Wells, Wells
Saint Francis Provisions, Kinsale
Six Bells, Witham on the Hill
The Chequers, Bath
The Galley, Topsham
The Pelican, London
The Spärrows, Manchester
Waterman, Belfast
Yr Hen Printworks, Cardigan

Root Wells - New Bib Gourmand

Special Awards 2023

Chef Mentor, sponsored by Blancpain – Michael Deane from Eipic in Belfast
Young Chef – Sarah Hayward from The Coach in Marlow
Welcome and Service – Declan Maxwell and the team from Spitalfields restaurant in Dublin
Sommelier – Tara Ozols from SO|LA in London
Exceptional Cocktail, sponsored by The Craft Irish Whiskey Co. – Makis Kazakis and the bar team from Park Chinois in London