Wednesday, June 7, 2023

THE MET LAUNCHES MENU CELEBRATING LOCAL PRODUCE. NEW CHEF LENDS A CONTINENTAL TOUCH.

THE MET LAUNCHES MENU CELEBRATING LOCAL PRODUCE.

NEW CHEF LENDS A CONTINENTAL TOUCH.




It's great to see Cork’s Metropole, one of Ireland’s most historic hotels, highlighting and supporting local businesses in its new menu.  Suppliers from around Cork City and county and neighbouring areas are named on a map at the back of the new MET menu and include the likes of the Chicken Inn of the English Market, 9 White Deer Brewery (Ballyvourney), Caherbeg Meats of West Cork and Jack McCarthy of Kanturk, to mention just a few.

New Head Chef Vasil Baci


The menu at the Met Bar and Restaurant has been designed by Head Chef Vasil Baci and his team who have been inspired by the wealth of fresh ingredients available locally.  They have created a varied menu combining global dishes with the best Cork flavours including fresh meat, fish and cheese.


Vasil: “Locally sourced food is really important to me when I’m considering any menu and I think the customers like to see where the ingredients of their meal come from which is why we decided to include the map on the menu.  Food and cooking are my passions and supporting small local suppliers and respecting the food is part of that.  Our dinner and lunch menus have been designed to offer diners at the Met Bar and Restaurant a variety of tastes and flavours to suit every palate and we are fortunate in Cork to have such a wide range of suppliers on our doorstep.”

Mushroom starter


Vasil’s family originate from Greece and he lived in a number of countries before moving to Cork in 2005 where he became an executive chef in various restaurants in Cork City after studying culinary arts at Munster Technological University.  He is passionate about using fresh local ingredients that are in season.

General Manager of The Metropole Hotel, Roger Russell said; “The summer menu at The Met Bar and Restaurant represents all that Cork food is renowned for - fresh and unique flavours which have been cooked with flair and passion by a team of dedicated chefs lead by Vasil Baci who brings over 20 years of experience to the kitchen.  The Metropole Hotel has been feeding customers for more than 125 years and we are confident that people will continue to enjoy the experience with this new menu.”


Fish Cake Starter

And that confidence is well placed, we decided after giving the new menu a try in the beautiful dining room, one of the most pleasant around, last week.


At first glance, you see Chicken Kiev, Baked Alaska, Fish and Chips, Burgers and so on. You could be thinking: what's so new here? But give Vasil a chance and see how his experience adds that little something extra and enjoyable to enhance your night out. And it is not just the kitchen. The team out front are both friendly and efficient, knows the menu and will answer any question you may have.

Chicken mains


We were happy to go along with the flow and had a close look at the starters - they also have a selection of nibbles if you want a "small” start. 


My pick, from a choice of eight, was the Local Crab Fish Cake Dressed baby leaves, mango & papaya salsa, lemon gel. The salsa and gel played key roles here and I enjoyed the quality and generous size of the fish cake itself. Thumbs up from the other side of the table also as CL loved her Wild Mushroom Croquettes with Irish cauliflower purée, vegetable crisps, pomegranate salsa. Again, the salsa and the crisps (parsnip) went superbly with the terrific flavour of the mushrooms.

Baked yogurt dessert


Next up, CL had picked the staff-recommended Wild Atlantic John Dory that came with Lemon, caper & dill butter, greens, and new season baby potatoes. A beautiful fish, cooked with precision and again the little things, including the caper and dill butter, lift it to a different level. Superb.


But how could Vasil manage with Chicken Kiev? No problem at all, it turned out to be flavoursome and delicious with Café de Paris butter, smoked squash, wild garlic oil, broccoli and asparagus, toasted almonds. The chicken, the Chicken Inn are the suppliers, was gorgeous and the smoked squash also stood out. Quite a dish and well priced at 18 euro.


When it came to dessert, the decision was to share one and so Baked Alaska lost out in favour of the Baked West Cork Yoghurt with Poached rhubarb, honeycomb, West Cork whiskey syrup, and cinnamon sablé. A perfect finalé as it turned out, easy to dispatch and unexpectedly enjoyable. But by then, we had come to expect that from Vasil and his team.

Ceiling and light fitting.


From a short but excellent choice of wines, we very much enjoyed the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand’s Nelson and the Farnio blend of Montepulciano (70%) and Sangiovese from Italy’s Marche.


The Met menu can be found here

Suppliers map



CorkBillyBeers #28. Craft IPAs from Lineman, Heaney, and Killarney

CorkBillyBeers #28

Craft IPAs from Lineman, Heaney, and Killarney


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Heaney New England IPA 5.7%, 440ml can Bradleys


The label intro to this beer is short, and accurate: Haze, hops, and juice.


Light gold, deeply hazy, and a fluffy white head that’s in no big hurry to depart, mark the appearance of this IPA from the Heaney brewery. I like this hazy gold coloured beer, full of exotic notes, soft and easy drinking.



Aromas are somewhat reticent but you may note Pineapple leading the exotic charge. And more fruit on the palate, Mango and Pineapple to the fore, with just a touch of bitterness in the background. Lovely soft mouthfeel and perfectly balanced. Another well-made beer from the Derry brewery, one for the short-list for sure.


Heaney has continued to improve the NEIPA. “It’s slightly more refined on the body, a little smoother with the carbonation dialled in exactly right. I’m not sure what you get on your tasting notes but I feel there is a lot of squidgy apricot in there and some juicy red apple, it’s all about the jooooose. Very little bitterness if any, and a nice smooth lush body. We used Mosaic and Amarillo in equal quantities in the dry hop and Chinook in the whirlpool, no hops in the boil at all.”


Food pairing suggested by the makers: Jamaican Jerk Chicken with a stone fruit sauce.


Very Highly Recommended.

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Heaney West Coast India Pale Ale, 5.5% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys



This “classic West Coast IPA” from Heaney comes in a gorgeous golden colour with a soft white head.  Hints of citrus and pine from the aromas. Zesty Citrus also on the palate and a lip-smacking finish satisfies. Happy to let my thirst meet this one anytime.


Very Highly Recommended.


They say: For generations our family farm has been a place of harvest and inspiration. Our beers are for after the graft. Rural thirst quenchers, brewed and canned here at the wood in Bellaghy, Co. Derry.


And they suggest pairing it with “Dirty fries and sloppy burgers. Pairs well with mild blue cheeses.”  Serve at 5 degrees.


Heaney’s now have quite a few of their regular and well-loved beers in cans including this one, their New England IPA (above), the Double Pale Ale, the White Ale and their Irish Pale Ale.

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Killarney Scarlet Pimpernel IPA 6%, 500ml bottle CarryOut Killarney



There is a statue of a priest, dressed in an older fashion, at an entrance to Killarney National Park. He is striding out, a man in a hurry. They seek him here, they seek him there - he is O’Flaherty, the Scarlet Pimpernel. And this IPA is named in his honour.



It has a deep red colour. “Best served with a thick frothy head so pour with vigour.” I took that bit of advice so my head, poured a bit like the O’Flaherty walk,, and was rewarded with a long-lasting head.


Built “on a smooth malty base”, aromas are moderate, citrus and pine, but good and malty also. There’s a light caramel sweetness on the palate. Overall, a good balance is found, hop bitterness is moderate, and they boldly recommend it as “a perfect partner for full-flavoured dishes”.


Highly Recommended

During WW2, Rome-based Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty saved over 6,500 people by hiding them in monasteries, farms, and other locations. After the war, he was awarded the US Medal of Freedom and Commander of the British Empire.


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Lineman Loose Ends IPA, 5.7% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys



Life’s full of loose ends. This IPA is full of Simcoe, Citra and Chinook.

That’s how the label sums up this Loose Ends IPA by Lineman, their first limited edition of 2023.

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Colour is a murky yellow with a soft white head. From the haze, aromas of the tropical kind, some citrus too and a little pine, arise. And they also populate the palate with the tropical stuff getting on top in a refreshing finish.


Highly Recommended.

Friday, June 2, 2023

FREE OPEN AIR OPERA RECITALS IN FERMOY AND YOUGHAL. Tickets still available. *** Check out the The Foodie Lovers events also

press release

 FREE OPEN AIR OPERA RECITALS IN FERMOY AND YOUGHAL

Tickets still available.


***

 Check out the The Foodie Lovers events also, below


With less than a week to go until this year’s Blackwater Valley Opera Festival (BVOF), organisers are encouraging local community groups and music lovers from around Cork to book their FREE tickets for open air lunchtime recitals taking place in Fermoy and Youghal. This is a unique opportunity to experience highlights of the festival’s classical and operatic repertoire in a less formal way, enhanced by an outdoor scenic setting.


This year’s BVOF Open Air Lunchtime Recitals in County Cork will be in Youghal Green Park on Saturday 3rd June at 12 noon, and Fermoy Town Park on Sunday 4th June at 12 noon. Ireland's Summer Opera Festival which runs from 29th of May to the 5th of June 2023, features world-class opera, award-winning musicians, international performers, and acclaimed dance troupes who will perform in unique venues across the Blackwater Valley. While work by Fermoy artist Gerard Harris, a member of the Cork arts collective, Blackwater Valley Makers, is being spotlighted by the festival as his digital artwork was featured as the opera cover art on this year’s programme and promotional material.

 

Highlights include the headline opera Verdi’s Macbeth, conducted by Killian Farrell, directed by Sarah Baxter and in artistic collaboration with the Irish Chamber Orchestra, which is set in the grounds of Lismore Castle.  The concerts at Dromore Yard, a romantic, semi-restored 19th century farmyard on the banks of the River Blackwater, are also in high demand, featuring Ian Bostridge with Saskia Giorgini, Nadège Rochat and Judith Jáuregui, and Paula Murrihy with the Irish Baroque Orchestra and Peter Whelan.

 


The current spell of warm weather gives the perfect setting for some exquisite fine dining options for the opera at Lismore Castle and our concerts in Dromore Yard. Chef Eunice Power is offering The MacBeth Menu - a pre-Opera Formal Dining Menu at Lismore Castle while Eamo & Ró will be offering a choice of Three Gourmet Table Picnics  at Lismore Castle, and Dromore Yard. People are also welcome to pre-order to bring their own picnic to Dromore Yard, to enjoy before the concerts, and book a spot in one of the romantic, semi-restored outhouses so they can picnic in comfort.

 

More than 4,500 visitors are expected to attend the world-renowned classical music week, which is now in its 13th year.  The festival will welcome 103 international and Irish artists, present 65+ hours of music, and deliver education outreach to an estimated 2,500 local students.  And it all happens thanks to the support of 98 volunteers, 100 Friends of BVOF, and 25 sponsors, funders, and partners.   

 

Luxury shopping destination Kildare Village is the Fashion Retail sponsor of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival for 2023, and the award-winning Waterford Whisky distillery is the new Hospitality Partner of the festival.  Blackwater Valley Opera Festival is supported by grants from the Arts Council, Waterford City & County Council, and Fáilte Ireland. The festival’s lead sponsors are Kildare Village, Marsh, AIB and the John Pollard Foundation.

For more see blackwatervalleyopera.ie 

 

The Big Tickets (Opera)

Macbeth- 31 May, 2, 3, 4 June (31 May and 4 June SOLD OUT)

Tickets €75-220. Lismore Castle Waterford

 

The Dromore Yard Concerts

Ian Bostridge and Saskia Giorgini – Thurs 1 June

Nadège Rochat and Judith Jáuregui – Sun 4 June

Paula Murrihy with the Irish Baroque Orchestra &  Peter Whelan – Mon 5 June

Tickets €25-60. Dromore Yard, Aglish, Co. Waterford

 

Recitals for The Classical Music Lovers 

From 29 May – 5 June 2023

Artists include Amy Gillen, Kelli-Ann Masterson, Niall Kinsella, Mairead Hurley, Abigail LaDuke, Ella Nagy, Frasier Hickland, Megan O’Neill, Amy Ní Fhearraigh,  BVOF Chorus.

Venues in Youghal, Fermoy, Lismore, Dungarvan, Cappoquin, Villierstown.

Tickets €25 / €10 Concessions / Limited Free Tickets 

 

The 2023 Free Shows

BVOF Free Open-Air Lunchtime Recitals – Fermoy, Youghal, Lismore, Dungarvan

30 May, 2, 3, 4 June Tickets FREE. Booking essential to secure seating.  

Lismore Castle Waterford

 

For The Foodie Lovers

The Macbeth Menu by Eunice Power - 31 May, 2, 3, 4 June

Tickets €55- €75 Lismore Castle Waterford

 

Gourmet Table Picnics by Eamo & Ró - 31 May, 2, 3, 4 June

Tickets €55 Lismore Castle Waterford

 

Gourmet Table Picnics by Eamo & Ró - 1, 4, 5 June

Tickets €55 Dromore Yard, Aglish, Co. Waterford

 

Lunchtime Recital Packages (2 Course Menu & Recital Ticket)

1 June – The Saucy Hen, Villierstown Tickets €30 

2 June – Barron’s Coffeehouse Cappoquin Tickets €30 

3 June – Fuller’s Bistro Lismore Tickets €30  

4 June – Foley’s on the Mall Lismore Tickets €45

BLOOMING AMAZING PRIZES TO BE WON WITH INTO KILDARE! From luxury hotel stays to visitor experiences and lots more Kildare has it all!

BLOOMING AMAZING PRIZES TO BE WON WITH INTO KILDARE!

-From luxury hotel stays to visitor experiences and lots more Kildare has it all!-

Áine Mangan, CEO of Into Kildare


Visit the Into Kildare, exhibition stand at the lifestyle and gardening show of the year, Bord Bia Bloom this weekend and you could win some ‘Blooming Great’ prizes!  The much-loved Bord Bia Bloom Festival takes place at the Phoenix Park in Dublin this June bank holiday weekend and attracts upwards of 100,000 visitors, all keen to learn more about gardening and get some cooking, lifestyle and travel inspirations.   


No less than18 member organisations of Into Kildare, the County Kildare Tourism Board, will exhibit at stand number D18 which is located in the Indoor Shopping Pavilion over the five days of the show and will have the chance to meet with the public and to tell visitors to the show about the many hotels, restaurants and visitor attractions in the county. 


The public will also have a chance to win fantastic prizes from hospitality providers and visitor attractions in the Kildare, which is famous for horse racing, great shopping, championship golf, luxury hotels and fabulous restaurants. Prizes include luxury hotel escapes, several relaxing culinary experiences, tickets to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, family paintballing in Redhills, an exhilarating Ferrari Driving Experience in Mondello, a luxury food hamper from Firecastle, and a canteen of silver cutlery from Newbridge Silverware among many others.


Áine Mangan, CEO of Into Kildare said, “We are delighted to have so many of our members on hand this weekend to speak to the public about their wonderful businesses and to tell visitors about all the great things to see and do in Co. Kildare.  A huge thanks to the members for providing such fantastic prizes for the public to win and the range of experiences and prizes to be won is reflective of the great variety of things to do and see in Co. Kildare”.


Bord Bia Bloom features uplifting and innovative horticulture, food, and drink experiences with nature and sustainable living at its heart. Originally created to promote plants, garden design, horticulture and gardening, the show has grown into something which not only makes for a great day out, but also offers a huge range of practical information on everything from gardening, to growing fruit and vegetables, cooking, and culture.


Bord Bia Bloom takes place over five days on the June Bank Holiday weekend (June 1st – 5th), running from 9am to 6pm daily.  For more information see www.bordbiabloom.com and to find out more about some great places to visit in County Kildare see www.intokildare.ie or email info@intokildare.ie


 

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing

Picpoul de Pinet, "Muscadet of the South", is the perfect seafood pairing




Petit Roubie Picpoul De Pinet (AOP) 2021, 12.5% ABV

RRP €16.00-16.50 Stockists: Wunderkaffee, Farran/ Organico, Bantry / Ardkeen

Grocery Store, Waterford / Sonas, Newcastlewest / Field's Supervalu,
Skibbereen / Taste, Castletownbere / Mortons, Galway /
Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny / Connemara Hamper, Clifden / Scally's

Supervalu. Clonakilty / Quay Co-Op, Cork etc. etc. Mary Pawle online.


This organic French wine has a lovely mid-gold colour. Quite aromatic, a mix of floral, citrus,  and apple. Crisp on the palate, no shortage of acidity but, with white and citrus fruit on the palate and its excellent mouthfeel, it is harmonious. Dry for sure, especially towards the finish, and obviously an excellent match for oysters and shellfish (which are abundant in the growing area).  Serve at about 8 degrees for best results; I find a degree or two lower doesn’t do any harm!


Very Highly Recommended.



Picpoul is the grape name and it is found in the Languedoc and the best of it seems to be from the village of Pinet, on the edge of the Med and about 90 minutes east of Carcassonne. It is a very old grape variety and the name means lip—stinger (after its high acidity). Wine-Searcher says this Picpoul de Pinet is its most famous incarnation. “The variety's ability to keep its acidity even in a hot, Mediterranean climate makes it the perfect choice for the region, making taut, full-bodied white wines with herbal and citrus aromas.”



Importer Mary Pawle introduces this 2021 as a dry white, with a green-gold hue. Crisp and appley. “Often referred to as the Muscadet of the South, it is excellent with oysters and most shellfish.”


"Petit Roubie Picpoul is very popular. I've been importing it for about

15 years now and at that time it wasn't so widely known here but now
it's everywhere. The Petit Roubie is excellent...".


Château Petit Roubié has been practising organic farming since 1985. Floriane and Olivier Azan have owned the estate since 1981 and have developed, thanks to a judicious choice of winemaking, a very attractive range indeed. 


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Check out our Top 2023 Wines here.

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Check out the Good Value Wine List here

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Their lands are in a historic area; if you visit, you can still see vestiges of the Via Domitia (the Roman road) in their scrubland. And those Roman engineers were building on top of an even older “road”. The wine, I’ve read, is presented in a Neptune bottle though that, as far as I know, has nothing to do with the Roman god of the sea.


Wine & Food Pairing : Seafood (shellfish, oysters, shrimps, mussels), Aperitif, Mediterranean Specialties: Squid stuffed with Sétoise, Mussels stuffed with Sétoise, Tielle, Soft cheese, Quiche with zucchinis and goat cheese