Brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore. And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brunch at Lismore's Bakers Table. 

And a walk on the Vee. Long weekend sorted.

Brioche and Almond

A super forecast for the first Sunday in March - cold but sunny with clear blue skies - and good reports of a delicious brunch at the Bakers Table in Lismore once again tempted us across the county bounds into Waterford. That brunch in a very popular spot was every bit as good as anticipated and afterwards we head up to the Vee in the Knockmealdown mountains for a walk to Bay Lough, a Corrie lake that was formed in the Ice Age. Quite a day!

Chef John Mount opened up in Main Street, Lismore, just over a year ago. He does brunch Friday to Sunday and evening meals Friday to Saturday. Quite a takeout business there also with ramblers and families and couples calling in for coffee or his fabulous bread or both. Or even more from the deli that shares the space with the front dining room. A more impressive room just behind is where you’ll enjoy your supper or dinner.

Eggs Benny

French toast

Brunch has become very well established in Ireland over the past decade or so. And on first glance the menu in Lismore is along the usual lines. Like many others, it is based largely on eggs, but the experienced chef has a few of his own variables.

Croissants feature in a few of these and indeed are the base for at least three of the egg dishes. One of the few non-egg  and non-croissant offerings is the Garlic Mushrooms (mixed wild mushrooms pan-fried ion garlic & thyme oil, watercress on toasted sourdough. No eggs either on the Croque Monsieur; no Croque Madame on offer, though I’d bet they’d add an egg or two on request! Staff are excellent here, friendly and helpful.

One of our dishes was the Croissant French Toast which was a crispy croissant cooked in a vanilla batter (more eggs), toasted tin cinnamon sugar and served with a berry compôte and syrup. An excellent plateful for just seven euro.

We paid a bit more for the other dish, the Eggs Benedict (10.50). Eggs Royale and Eggs Florentine were also available. Billed as the Classic Eggs Benedict, ours came on toasted croissant with grilled streaky bacon and hollandaise sauce. Another superb dish.

Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell

Rows of tempting pastries had been spotted on the counter and we were determined to have a taste or two. We passed on the creamy ones in the chilled cabinet and picked the Brioche and Almond and the Raspberry Jam and Almond Bakewell (with cream). They went down really well with a big pot of Barry’s Tea (coffee is by Badger & Dodo, they support local here).

The Bakers Table is open three days a week- Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Friday and Saturday – serving Brunch from 11 am ’til 3 pm, and then open again at 5 pm for Supper Club!

Sunday – Open at 9 am for Brunch; no evening opening.

It had been a few years since we were on The Vee. It seems the name means different things to different people. If you are a budding cyclist or rally driver, you’ll be thinking of the devilish hairpin twist in the road up there while others will be talking about the gap in the Knockmealdown mountains.

Our “target” was Bay Lough, a Corrie lake formed by glaciers during the Ice Age. If you are coming from Lismore, as we were, and as you approach the vee (the gap in the mountains) you will see a fairly large car park on your left. 

Bay Lough

A firm stony path takes you down to the lake. I didn't time it but I'd say 15 minutes will see you by the water. The path goes on at the near side and up to a higher point diagonally opposite to where you first came in. It is up to yourself how far to walk - just remember you have to come back. It is well worth the stroll down, especially on a day like that Sunday, rather than just looking down on it from the road above.

More on that day’s visit to Bay Lough (including photos) here.

Bakestone Beef Hits The Spot After Wild Side Walk

 Bakestone Beef Hits The Spot

After Wild Side Walk

Nothing like a walk on the wild side to work up an appetite. And that old saying was proven once again last week when a walk on the very windy Harper’s Island was followed by lunch at the nearby Bakestone Café in the Fota Retail Park near Cobh Cross, just a few minutes away from the island wetlands.

There weren’t that many on the wetlands but it was a different story when we entered Bakestone for lunch. It was 2.00pm or so and the place was pretty full and this was a Tuesday. There is no booking though, walk-ins only. But they have a big open and bright space there and also quite a lot of tables in a well sheltered area between the glass wall of the main building and the garden centre around its south and east walls.

The first thing you see as you join the queue (a small one in our case) is a large breakfast menu and this is their signature offering. Many of my friends go there and enjoy it: all kinds of eggs, plain or  Benedict, Florentine, or Royale.  Then there’s Pancakes and French Toast and after that well you can try a pastry or cake from a large selection.

The lunch menu is not as extensive and, on a recommendation from our server, I picked a Beef Brisket Sandwich, the beef pulled, and served in a delicious bun packed with the meat, various greens and pickled cucumber. 

I picked from a large selection of salads and got myself a Beetroot one and also a Leaf one, each adding a euro to the basic price so that the sandwich cost a very reasonable €8.35 in total. They also do quiches here and they cost €6.25 each before add ons.

That beef sandwich was just the job after the walk and I was soon tucking in, really enjoying the flavour and the textures.  But is was quite substantial and it was finished at a slower pace! By the way, I noticed that quite a few people at nearby tables were enjoying breakfast dishes even at the hour!

After a pause, I decided on a cup of coffee and a pastry. Coffee is by Badger and Dodo so you are guaranteed a decent cup of Joe and I confirmed that for myself. The cake, a White Chocolate Tartlet with raspberries, was a really sweet one and half of it was packed into a serviette to be finished later on!. The main conclusion from the visit was that, next time, I would test that obviously very popular breakfast menu!

Harper’s Island Wetlands

The wetlands, open everyday 9.00am to 4.30pm, are a relatively new visit in the area. The entrance, with a small car park, is on the old Cork-Waterford Road, on the left roughly halfway between Glounthaune Village and Bakestone, just beyond the railway station but before the Elm Tree Pub.

Goodbye Geese!

Once parked, you make your way over an ugly concrete bridge and soon you are walking  onto the island. To your right, you can see Glounthaune village, straight ahead is the Cork-Waterford dual carriageway (the N25 or the East Cork parkway - its more fancier name), but mostly, including to your left, you see the wetlands and the various bits and pieces of this part of the backwaters of the massive Cork harbour.

Then you reach the first of the hides, a solid timber structure with plenty of openings for visitors to see the various birds. There are another two hides in the map and other points from where you may get close-up views. But nothing’s guaranteed as regards the wildlife and I was about to depart when I spotted the four large white geese in the distance.

What is guaranteed is a good long walk. When you come to the end of the first path (good solid surface, works vehicles have to get around here too, though there is no traffic as such), there is a looped walk that brings you back to this point again. 

Then you walk back to the car park with a view of houses on the slopes to the immediate north and you should be able to see too the house and farm where Killahora Orchards grow some of the earliest-ripening apples in Ireland and produce some very innovative products with their harvest. More on the wetlands here.

Other attractions close to Bakestone are Fota House and Arboretum, the Fota Wildlife Park, Barryscourt Castle (closed at present for OPW works), and Cobh (with its many attractions) is not too far away.

Priory Coffee. Now in six locations. Coffee, Toasties and Much More.

 Priory Coffee. Now in six locations.

Coffee, Toasties and Much More.  

Americano & Portuguese Tart for a fiver!

Having enjoyed the walk (c. 7km in total) on the new boardwalk, we head into the heart of Youghal for lunch at the Priory Café on Main Street. It is our first time calling there but we can’t miss it as there’s a lively crowd enjoying themselves at the outdoor tables. As it happens, having been out in the sun for much of the morning, we are quite happy with an indoor seat. (Read post on new boardwalk here.)

After a warm welcome, we were soon seated and studying the menu. It included quite a few breakfast items but most of those aren’t available after 12.00pm; yet that Full Irish looked tempting.

Busy spot!

Plenty of choice aside from that though, including Lebanese flatbreads (one with chicken, one vegetarian), pancakes (the one with Nutella seem popular with the kids), the all-day Breakfast Blaa (very popular also we’re told), and a selection of sourdough toasties and more.

No less than five toasties on offer including Chicken and cheese etc; Special with natural ham, cheddar cheese etc; Chorizo (Chorizo and cheddar cheese etc); and one with Galway Goat Farm Cheese and more. I had been tipped off about the Reuben and that was my pick, a generous and delicious combination of Beef Pastrami, Cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, scallions, mayo and the all-important Ballymaloe Relish.

Super salad

Meanwhile CL was “working” her way through their massive Signature Salad consisting of Gold River Salad Mix, Semi sun-dried tomato pesto and Fresh Herbs Bulgar Salad, pickled beets, hummus, red onion & cucumber pickle, Maple syrup gazed & roasted almonds and cashews, with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Lots of pickle there but very tasty overall. You also had the option of adding chicken or falafel.

The counter is stacked with tempting pastries making it difficult to pick two! But we were more than happy with our Caramel Square and Portuguese Custard Tart. Indeed, that tart was one of the best local versions that we’ve come across.

Reuben

By the way, they have some very good combo deals. We didn’t really spot this on the way but the servers and the system worked a treat and we got the benefit. For instance, my toastie (7.80 on its own) and superb Badger & Dodo American came to a deal total of €10.00. The coffee and pastry deal costs just a fiver. Good food, good value and good friendly service as well.

Prior have been in the news recently, as they have just opened their second city branch in MacCuratin Street. Youghal is their original café and they also have outlets in Fermoy, Mallow, Roverstick and North Main Street (in the city), an impressive six in all.

Locations:

56 Main Street, Youghal (they are also known here for their burgers and Fish ’N Chips)

 

2 Riverside Grove, Riverstick (next to the Centra/petrol station)

 

1 Brian Boru Square, Fermoy

 

106 Main Street, Mallow

 

1 North Main Street, Cork City (next to the Gate cinema)

MacCurtain Street, Cork City (opposite Gallagher’s Gastro Pub); check out their Priory Hatch for quick service!

Porter, IPA and Artisan Coffee in Eight Degrees Christmas Pack

A Quart of Ale± #25A

Moving on over to craft with Eight Degrees at Christmastime

Porter, IPA and Artisan Coffee in Eight Degrees Christmas Pack 

All six of the Munro series

Eight Degrees The Black Road Campfire Porter 6.5%

Not too long ago, I used to frequent a bar where there were three stouts on offer. It really had to be a Cork bar. And it was. The good old boys, and some not so old, had a certain skill. 

The barman was always ahead of the thirsty posse, filling pints and lining them up. Which was the Guinness? Murphy’s? Beamish? Some fellows could tell by the colour. Others by tapping the full pint with a fingernail. I was always impressed. But I think those good old boys would be lost today with the variety of the black stuff, both stout and porter, available, thanks to the rise of craft beer producers.

Just got one of the most recent in my hands, the Black Road Campfire Porter by Mitchelstown’s Eight Degrees. It, along with Fort of the Fianna Belgian IPA, both form part of the Mitchelstown’s brewery’s Irish Munro series and each features in their widely available Christmas special, the pack completed by a bag of superb coffee from Badger & Dodo, the local roaster.

Initial signs from the porter are good, the classic mahogany/black with a coffee coloured head. Aromas are smoky, coffee. The palate is smooth, complex, caramel and that smoke trace again; chocolate and coffee and sweet caramel take me home.

The Eight Degree folks are naturally adventurous. Who wouldn’t be if you live in the vicinity of their beloved Galtymore. Irish Munros are peaks over 3,000 ft. Many of these peaks belong to the MacGillycuddy Reeks in Kerry, one is in Wicklow, and then, towering over the Mitchelstown brewery, is Galtymore. 

The Galtees are not just decorative. “These mountains are also key to us producing world class beers, producing wonderfully soft water via its red sandstone ridges. The Black Road is the hillwalker route up Galtybeg and onto the higher Galtymore for magical views across the countryside. Inspired by the mountains, we’ve brewed a porter using Belgian and German malts that impart beech- and oak-smoked flavours along with coffee notes.”

Details:

Malt: Irish pale ale malt, beech smoked malt, oak smoked wheat, café malt, CaraAroma, chocolate malt.
Hops: A light bittering of Nugget.
ABV: 6.5%
IBUs: 12

I just love Eight Degrees. They tell good yarns, make great beers and are always game for a laugh. And always come up with Food Pairings. In this case: This smooth sipper is eminently suited to campfire foods: bonfire bangers, or sausages, cooked on sticks over a woodfire, potatoes slow roasted in the embers and bubbling pots of homemade baked beans with lots of smoked paprika. 

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Eight Degrees “Fort of the Fianna” Belgian IPA 5.4%

Clear and gold in the glass, this September issue in the Eight Degrees Irish Munro series takes you to the summit. Whether mountain high or just atop a bar stool, this Belgian IPA is one to enjoy.

The short-lived head doesn't last as a long as a foggy cap on the head of Kerry’s Caher, which just about qualifies as an Irish Munro. The flavour though, strong and hoppy, is long-lived, a bit like the legendary Fianna who, with leader Fionn MacCumhaill, enjoyed their adventures across the Irish mountains long before the invention of those para-glider things. Sorry, Mr Kiwi!

But big congrats to all at Eight Degrees for yet another superb beer in this series. Excellent citrus and floral notes here, smooth and soft and a dry and bitter finish. A very satisfying taste adventure whether mountain high or just atop a bar stool.

They say: We added our current favourite hop Loral into the whirlpool for this Belgian IPA, followed by dry hopping with the elite new experimental HBC 522, which has strong citrus and floral notes. Singing above all this is our Belgian yeast strain of choice: BE256 is a quick attenuator producing a clean beer with hints of spice, clove and banana. Raise a glass to the Fianna.

Details:

Style: Belgian IPA
Malt: Irish pilsner malt, wheat.
Hops: Loral, dry hopped with HBC 522.
Yeast: BE256
ABV: 5.4%
IBUs: 44

Food advice: The delicious bitter flavour of this beer will play happily with a big serving of the best Belgian-style frites and mayo. Add a side of Glenbeigh moules for extra glory, but hold the lemon. You’ve all the bitterness you need in the glass. Try with a Moroccan butternut squash casserole to cut through the sweet veg and play happily with those spices. For the ultimate pairing, get a slice of pumpkin pie; the fruit and floral flavours of the beer will enhance the savoury-sweetness of this quintessential autumn desert.

Get social: #FiannaBelgianIPA

And more news from Eight Degrees: We've also released the final beer in our IRISH MUNRO Series; Devil's Ladder Belgian Tripel aged in sherry casks. This is the pinnacle of our 2020 series, a beautiful beast of a beer which can straddle both sides of the Christmas meal. Chill and serve in small sherry glasses to start, with a selection of tapas-style nibbles: good olives, smoky roasted almonds, salty anchovies. For a sweet ending, serve it at room temperature in a brandy snifter to offer a delicious counterpoint to Christmas pudding, chocolate Bûche de Noël, or even a creamy stilton.  

Think I'll keep that one until the big day itself!

Eight Degrees Brewing Up A Black Christmas With Badger & Dodo

press release

Christmas 2019 with Eight Degrees Brewing

• Beer and coffee gift pack: Eight Degrees Brewing with Badger & Dodo
•  RACK 'EM UP Series: #8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels
  

GIFT PACK
For Christmas 2019, Eight Degrees Brewing have teamed up with local coffee roasters Badger & Dodo to release a limited edition beer and coffee pack. People who love great beer also love great coffee so we’re bringing two of our favourite things together for you in one gorgeous gift box.

The branded box contains  2 x 440ml cans of Eight Degrees beer from the RACK EM’ UP Series - #7 Maroon Ball Kveik IPA + #8 Black Ball Metric Stout - along with 1 x 250g bag of Badger & Dodo speciality coffee.
More information: https://www.eightdegrees.ie/eight-degrees-brewing-with-badger-dodo/

BLACK BALL METRIC STOUT

#8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels, is the culmination of our 2019 RACK ‘EM UP Series. This is a big bold stout. There’s a touch of sweet vanilla in there from the oak and lots of cocoa and dark chocolate to combine with smooth, spicy whiskey notes. Pair it with some funky goat cheese, Christmas pudding, or a box of your favourite chocolates. Deep, dark, rich and rewarding, celebrate sinking a Black Ball this winter. 

More information: https://www.eightdegrees.ie/black-ball-metric-stout/

From the gift pack box:

If you are holding this box we can say with confidence that you are one of two things: either keenly aware of the decadence that you are about to consume, or just about to find out.  

Chances are you will have tasted one, or both, of these iconic Irish brands in a café, a pub, or even at home. Badger & Dodo and Eight Degrees have had similar journeys over the past decade, blazing trails in two parallel movements in Ireland: speciality coffee and craft beer. By concentrating on quality and innovation, we have found ways to take small, everyday moments - an everyday cup of coffee, a simple glass of beer - and turn them into something exciting and memorable. 

We are all based in North Cork and are familiar with each other's products. So, when the opportunity came for us to collaborate, we jumped at the chance. The first release of this partnership was in early 2019. Beer #2 in Eight Degrees’ RACK 'EM UP series, which celebrates eight years in business, was a collaboration with Badger & Dodo, who had just celebrated 10 years of roasting coffee beans in Ireland. We couldn't resist taking it a step further.

Enough words. It’s time for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of our labour.
Brew. Sip. Repeat. 

About the beer:
Eight Degrees Brewing celebrated eight years of brewing with a series of exciting and innovative beers for the RACK EM’ UP Series. This pack features two of those beers: #7 Maroon Ball Kveik Double IPA and #8 Black Ball Metric Stout. 

RACK ‘EM UP Series: #7 Maroon Ball Kveik Double IPA with WHC Lab
There's nothing bigger or more modern than a double IPA with Kveik and Philip Woodnut from WHC Lab in Wicklow has been developing a new strain of Kveik called Valkyrie from an isolate that comes from Norway’s Ebbegarden region. This tropical fruit-forward ale has lots of tutti frutti flavours, which we've further accentuated by dry hopping with the dynamic Enigma. Kveik it out.

RACK 'EM UP Series: #8 Black Ball Metric Stout aged in Jameson whiskey barrels
The culmination of our RACK 'EM UP Series, this is a big bold stout. There's a touch of sweet vanilla in there from the oak and lots of cocoa and dark chocolate to combine with smooth, spicy whiskey notes. Deep, dark, rich and rewarding, celebrate sinking a Black Ball this winter.

About the coffee: Available in ground or wholebean.
Blackwater Blend: This is Badger & Dodo’s most popular national blend of Arabica coffees from Colombia, Brazil & Guatemala presenting Chocolate, Praline & Orange in the cup.
Jam Jar: Badger & Dodo’s premium sweet blend of Colombia, Brazil & Ethiopia. Dark Chocolate, Cherry & Butterscotch in the cup.
Guatemala Buena Suerte: Caturra, Catuai & Bourbon farm blend Arabica. Washed Process. Notes of Almond, Orange & Chocolate in the cup.
Peru El Palto: Caturra & Typica farm blend Arabicas. Washed Process. Notes of Apple, Honey, Lemon in the cup.
Brazil Yamava: Yellow Catuai single variety Arabica. Naturally processed. Cocoa Nibs, Red Apple & Hazelnut in the cup. 

About Badger & Dodo
badgeranddodo.ie
Australian Brock Lewin is the Badger in Badger & Dodo, Broc being Irish for badger. Brock first pulled a shot of coffee in 1993 while at Uni in Sydney but really came to terms with speciality coffee while living in Melbourne from 2005-08. He relocated to Fermoy, Co Cork, with his wife Claire and they established their roastery Badger & Dodo on Claire’s parents’ farm in July 2008. Dodo is the father-in-law! 

About Eight Degrees Brewing
eightdegrees.ie
Eight Degrees is an award-winning Irish microbrewery renowned for its innovation and experimentation. It was established in 2010 at the foot of the majestic Galtee mountains by Kiwi Scott and Aussie Cam, who were lured to Ireland by two Irish cailíns. The crew at Eight Degrees Brewing are passionate about producing exciting and adventurous beers using only natural ingredients. Sláinte! 

More information: www.eightdegrees.ie

Get social: Twitter: 8degreesbrewing  ¦ Facebook: eightdegreesbrewing  ¦ Instagram: eightdegreesbrewing 

Seasalt’s Good Start in Cobh

Seasalt’s Good Start in Cobh

Tart with two salads

If a good start is half the battle, then Cobh’s new café Seasalt is already winning. Jacqui O’Dea’s Casement Square daytime restaurant (9.00 to 5.00) has hit the ground running. And you’d better get a move on too as they are popular and busy. We were there on a bitterly cold and showery midweek day and it was packed at lunchtime, with some potential customers turned away.

So what’s it all about? It’s about good fresh food, sourced locally and cooked well by the Ballymaloe trained chef Jacqui. Amazingly, for the first time ever, a Cobh chef is offering the smoked salmon of Frank Hederman even though he is just out the road and has been supplying some of the world’s best outlets for 38 years! You may have the salmon in the morning and at midday, as Seasalt offer tempting Brunch and Lunch menus.

Hederman

And while Seasalt have lots of salads and veg on the menus, they have the Full Irish too, well at least the Rosscarbery Irish: two sausages, rashers, black pudding, sautéed spuds, roast tomato, two organic fried eggs and sourdough toast! Impressive.

And Frank Hederman’s salmon features on their Eggs Royale with two poached organic eggs and Hollandaise sauce on toasted Pana sourdough.

Window view

Having just escaped a heavy shower, we settled in for lunch and thought we’d warm up with their Mushroom Soup. It came in a colourful pot but I didn’t bother with a photo as the soup was so dark, not at all photogenic! But don’t judge a book by its cover! This was a splendid thick soup, a power-packed shot across the bows of the cold weather and probably the very best mushroom soup that we’ve ever tasted.

Orange Polenta

The menu changes weekly here, partly so regulars won’t get bored! I had been looking at the Cork Reuben as my main course. This consists of McCarthy’s Pastrami, house sauerkraut, pickles, with Edam cheese on Pana sourdough. 

In the end though I picked the Hederman Smoked Salmon that came with a salad, plus a helping of apple and fennel, all on a base of their own very tasty brown bread. Very happy with that, the crunch of the bread, the apple and the smoothness and precision of the smoked fish, just perfect.

CL meanwhile was enjoying her Tart of the Day with two salads, a puff pastry base loaded with roasted vegetables (aubergine and courgette) and much the same salads that I had. Another good mix of textures and flavours, not to mention the attractive colours. These were both specials. Aside from the Pastrami, they also had Croque Madame, a Cauliflower Dahl, and a Macroom Halloumi Salad to choose from.

Would we have dessert? Hummed and hawed a bit but once we took a closer look at the counter, all resistance faded. And, along with a couple of cups of the Badger and Dodo coffee, we enjoyed an Orange and Polenta Cake and also a Lemon Slice. 

The sun has been shining while we ate and for a few minutes after we left. But soon we had to pick up “speed” as another shower coming from the city threatened. Just made it back to the Five Foot Walk car park.

Seasalt

17 Casement Square

Cobh.

Email: seasaltcobh@gmail.com

Call: 086 085 1650