CULTURE NIGHT AT ENGLISH MARKET

The English Market last night.. Click on image to enlarge.

CULTURE NIGHT

Got the pics up early but waited for the buzz to fade a bit before putting the text together, just in case I got carried away!

Still, 36 hours later, nothing but a good feeling about Culture Night in the English Market. Met Austin, Paul and Billy at the busy Bubble Brothers wine stand and, armed with a glass of red, headed into the aisles.

First stop was the Alternative Bread Company. The shelves had been cleared of bread and instead they had a tasty small plate menu laid on. Here, I picked the Welsh Rarebit, nice and warm and decorated with some thyme flowers. Loved it and it came a good price, two for €6.00. Besides, there was a big basket of windfall apples with an open invitation to help yourself. Nice touch.

Indeed, many stalls entered into the spirit of the night, everyone relaxed, smiles and goodies all around, even candles at one. Bought some olives at the Olive Stall. They also had a tasting plate as did Iago’s and many more, including a massive cheese platter at On the Pigs Back.

O’Connell’s Fish always back this type of event and Friday night was no exception with oysters going for a euro each, a “real” prawn cocktail for four and also fish and chips. Up then past the three piece band to the entrance hall and to O’Sullivan’s Poultry in particular.

As well as “grazing”, we were doing a bit of shopping and after a discussion on quail and venison with the helpful staff we bought some of the deer for Saturday night’s dinner. And also helped ourselves to a freebie here: a decent square of bread, loaded with Durcan’s Spiced Beef and Caramelised Onion.

Aside from Bubble Brothers the biggest early queue was upstairs at the Farmgate Cafe where Abraham Phelan from the Silk Road Cafe (at the Chester Beatty) was kept busy serving up Palestinian and Lebanese food with exotic names such as Spanah Fatayer, Fil Fil Mahshy, Musken, Dagaj Bil Lemon and Patingan Mahshy.

This was a really innovative touch by the Farmgate and may well be a pointer to the future direction of the festival. If we are to prevent the feeling of same old same old, which may well build up after a few years (after all we have a limited, if large, number of cultural venues in the city), something like this injection from a different culture will become necessary on all fronts.

Perhaps we could send some of our artists across the county bounds and get up a troupe from Siamsa or swap a local music group with one from Galway or Waterford. On the restaurant front, why not have Gregans Castle come to Augustine’s and vice versa?

Going by Friday night, Abraham Phelan and his dishes would get a big welcome at any restaurant here. Presumably there are other accomplished chefs from other cultures around the country who would welcome an opportunity to showcase their country’s food. So, why not?

Why not, for example, have a Thai evening in Fenns Quay. Tripe and drisheen to Waterford; baps to Cork. Go for it. Food is a huge part of the culture, about the only party for many of us out and about in the Market on a well-fed Friday night.