Where's the Beef? Ten of the best in Cork City

Where's the Beef?

Ten of the best in Cork City

(beef round-up for 2022/23)

Brown's Brasserie at BT Jan 2023 €15.50
French Dip: Rotisserie North Cork Sirloin, Emmental Cheese,
Caramelized Onion Emulsion, Red Wine Jus, ODB Sourdough

Impressive steak salad at Liberty Grill Aug 22

Cork City has had a long, and continuing, history in beef. Such was the scale of the trade here in the 18th century that it was known as the slaughterhouse of Ireland. 

And it wasn’t just Ireland. In 1756, France and Britain were at each other’s throats in the Seven Years War and “the Great Ox-slaying city of Cork” emerged as the Royal Navy’s preferred supplier for beef, pork and butter.

So where’s the beef now? Let me take you on a lunch-time tour of the city and check out what is on offer. Some terrific beef-based dishes in Liberty Grill, Market Lane, Nua Asador, Oliver Plunkett, On The Pig's Back, Sketch at The Imperial and Woodside Farm, Bella Napoli and L'Atitude 51and all were enjoyed over the past few months.

We’re starting with a beauty at Liberty Grill on Washington Street: a seared beef salad (vodka and chilli marinated fillet strips, chargrilled on leaves with balsamic onions, rustic potatoes, red peppers and toasted pecans) was outstanding, a highlight being the palate pleasing combination of the meat and balsamic onions. A terrific dish for €15.50.

Market Lane: Korean bulgogi steak sandwich
Dec 2022

Now (a different day, of course!), it is the turn of Market Lane and their superb Korean bulgogi steak sandwich on sourdough baguette, chilli, sesame and soy marinade, carrots, spring onions, lime mayo and with a helping of excellent house chips (€16.90). The marinade is key here and the kitchen certainly did it well and the meat was top quality; the sourdough was moistened as well and they all worked so well together, enhanced by the crunch of carrot strips and the onions, the salad leaves and those very tasty fries. A terrific dish and well priced.

Picanha Steak by Nua Asador May 2022

We make a visit to the Marina Market and the Nua Asador stall where Chef Victor Franca, in partnership with Tom Durcan Meats, serves up, without gas or electricity, just fire, the best of Irish beef in a Brazilian style. You’ll really enjoy the Picanha Steak with sourdough bread, grilled baby potatoes, chargrilled onions, Farofa, and Chimichurri Sauce (13.00).

Oliver Plunkett's Seared Steak Sandwich July 2022

It was a visit to the Oliver Plunkett that started me on this beef trail. Here’s why: Seared Steak Sandwich was worth every cent of the €18.95. Four generous slices of beef wrapped in Garlic Ciabatta, with a red onion and Smoky Bacon Jam, Pepper Jack Chips, Brandy Pepper Sauce and a Little Salad.

I wasn’t letting go of this, clinging on until the last bite. It was sensual, an enthralling mix of textures and flavours. The steak was ace,  cooked to perfection and so easy to slice. And then the enhancement, that garlic ciabatta, the onion and the bacon jam. The Brandy Pepper Sauce was another major player on the palate, deeply enticingly enhancing everything else. The salad too was perfect and then those Pepper Jack Chips, cheesy, tasty, delicious.

On the pig's back with Bourguignon Beef Baguette Oct 2022

Next stop is Douglas to visit On the Pig’s Back and enjoy their Bourguignon Beef Baguette: Braised Beef Brisket, Mushrooms, Bacon and Pearl Onions on Toasted Arbutus Baguette with Red Wine Jus. Just five-star lunch-ing, spot-on for the cool day, quite a warming ensemble, robed deliciously in the red wine jus. Love the French touch!

Delicious steak at Sketch Oct 2022

Here we are in Sketch, the bright and airy dining room in the lovely Imperial Hotel, a room where new executive chef Ali Honour is making her mark. There was a group of us and the Steak Sandwich (6oz Sirloin, Onions, Garlic Butter, Focaccia, Lettuce, Tomato, Fries) for  €19.00 proved very popular, ordered by three of the seven adults. The meat and the Focaccia were absolute top notch and all three were well satisfied.

Beautiful! Beef Burger by Woodside Farm Oct 2022

Alphabetically, Woodside Farm is our final destination and they are found every Thursday in Mahon Point Farmers Market (and at other markets on other days). They are perhaps best known for their magnificent free range pork but they also do a highly rated Beef Burger and serve it with relish and salad in a lovely bun, for 8 euro  (if I remember rightly). Superb meat and great value.

All their offerings are cooked and filled in front of you, and there's a chat as well, as the salads and relishes are added. And, if necessary, they even provide a tailor-made insulated envelope to take your purchases back to the office or home.

Bella Napoli Dec 2022

Bella Napoli came up Rigatoni with Ragu Napoletano with six-hour braised beef in an onion and tomato sauce served with rigatoni pasta and bruschetta (17 euro). I hit the jackpot here. This was beautifully cooked, the quality of the beef was top class and plenty of it as was also the case with the ragu. Very happy with this one.

L'Atitude pic Dec 2022

Slow-Braised Beef Cheeks, Celeriac Mash, Spiced Pickled Cranberries (a cool inclusion) was one of the highlights of a recent visit to L'Atitude, a superb dish in an impressively expanded menu and well worthy of inclusion here. More details at https://www.corkbilly.com/2022/12/wine-and-dine-at-latitude-huge-choice.html

* All these dishes enjoyed relatively recently but remember that menus and chefs change.

Liberty Grill kitchen offers US and Euro food styles. Excellent menu in the well-loved Washington Street venue

Liberty Grill kitchen offers US and Euro food styles.

Upside down Apple cake with Maple Butter

 Excellent menu in the well-loved Washington Street venue.

In 2011, I met a couple of US food bloggers at The Farm Gate. One of them, Chris from San Francisco, asked if there was any American food influence in the city restaurant. The only one I could think of was the Liberty Grill on Washington Street. Chris was relieved that there was at least one!

Peach JohnnyCakes

Back then at Liberty, you could enjoy dishes such as Marinated Yellow Fin Tuna (Louisiana Style) or a Tennessee Flambé. Generally though the influences came, still come, from America’s East Coast. It is their USP.

In 2010, we asked co-owner Denis O’Mullane how did the concept come about. His answer: “After seeing the room with its large windows and dark furniture, we knew we were going to do an American East Coast Neighbourhood restaurant, where grilled foods make a rather large part of the menu.”

Chicken Salad

And the name? “It is actually a shortened version of our first shot which was ‘Liberty Belle Cafe and Grill’. And the Liberty Grill is as popular as ever as we experienced at lunch there last week where Denis himself was serving as faultlessly as ever! The New England influence is still vital but you’ll see quite a few Irish and European dishes as well, all based on the freshest ingredients, locally-sourced, with seasonal highlights.

The American influences in our lunch came mainly in our desserts, eat h of which was delicious and somewhat different. Mine was the Peach JohnnyCakes, with warm peaches and ice-cream. While CL’s equally delicious pudding was their Upside Down Apple Cake with Maple Butter and cream. Each cost a very reasonable €6.50. Indeed, reasonable and very reasonable would cover all the prices here.

The Johnny Cakes are cornmeal pancakes and also appear on the Brunch menu (runs all day) where the New Eng­land clas­sic made using non gluten and plant based ingre­di­ents can be served with your choice of maple syrup  or warm maple but­ter; also possible to add maple fried banana,  wild blue­ber­ries com­pote, or Caher­beg smoked bacon. Very versatile indeed!

Steak Salad

The mains were also very satisfying here. A seared beef salad (vodka and chilli marinated fillet strips, chargrilled on leaves with balsamic onions, rustic potatoes, red peppers and toasted pecans) was outstanding, a highlight being the palate pleasing combination of the meat and balsamic onions. A terrific dish for €15.50. Last week, I mentioned a head to head between Steak sandwiches from Market Lane and the Oliver Plunkett; this Liberty Grill dish would make another worthy contestant.

CL also hit the jackpot with her Open Chicken Sandwich (grilled chicken with tomato salsa, mango chutney plus lime and coriander mayo on the side and fries also (11.90)). No bother polishing that one off.

No alcohol on the day. I had meant tortry the Posh Belvoir cordial, soda water, mint & lime. It has a couple of different flavours but I forgot! Next time.

Liberty Grill are open to serve Break­fast, Brunch & Lunch, Mon­day to Sat­ur­day, 9am to 3.30pm.

Updates on Facebook here.  Book­ings are pri­mar­ily made by ring­ing 0214271049 and they have online options here.

Dining "Now" Guide. This Week's Choices In Cork

 Dining Now Guide. This Week's Choices In Cork

(Contact me before 1.00pm Wed with a sentence or two, a pic and a link to menu)

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An amazing wine-maker in the shadow of the Dolomites!

 Contact:  info@latitude51.ie

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Glass Curtain menu below
contact: 
http://Theglasscurtain.ie/

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Tapas for Two

Menu here

Greene's marvellous Click and Collect continues as usual.

Get all the details here

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O'Mahony's Watergrasshill are travelling to India for this Weekend's 'Saturday night takeout' - menu goes live tomorrow. Also our farmshop O'Mahony's stores reopens Thursday morning. We can't wait to serve great coffee, soup n sambo combo's and yummy sweet things to you.

Order at 086 831 6879

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Liberty Grill

Liberty Grill are holding the final trials of our Brunch to Go over the next 3 day up to 2pm

Join the virtual queue for our Brunch menu of the freshest ingredients, locally-sourced with seasonal highlights

Our New England influenced all-day brunch menu features classics like Eggs Benedict and French Toast and from 12 midday we will add a selection of our fine burgers.

How to join the queue

- Via the @WalkUpLdn APP

- Phone us on 0214271049

- Call inside the restaurant

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Cornstore Mother's Day

MOTHERS DAY

ROAST BOX with DESSERTS

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(Includes 3 Meats & feeds 4)

• Rib of Beef

• Pork Porchetta

• Rolled breast of Turkey.

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Al meats are roasted to finish off at home, simply carve and serve with our “finish off at home” trimmings - Cornstore creamy mash, duck fat roast potatoes, bread stuffing filled yorkshire puddings, seasonal roast veg, buttered cabbage & pan jus roast gravy.

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DESSERTS: 3 Desserts to choose from...

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All this for €55 and You will be able to PREORDER these boxes and choose your collection time on Friday 12th, Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th but don’t delay because when they’re gone, they’re gone!!.

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CORK www.cornstorecork.ie for CLICK & COLLECT

or

CALL & COLLECT 021-4274777 opening times Thursday 4-8pm, Friday 2-8pm, Saturday 11-8pm and Sunday 1-7pm.

Or

ORDER at the DOOR

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CELEBRATE
MOTHER’S DAY &
ST. PATRICK’S WEEK
with HEAT AT HOME from MARKET LANE

Comes with FREE ‘Always Cork’ tote bag (while stocks last).

Children's Menu also. Contact here

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This is a trial run!! (For future inclusions, please contact me before 1.00pm Wed with a sentence or two, a pic and a link to menu)

Deliciousness Delivered to Your Door. Liberty Grill’s Superb "Home Dining" Dinner.

🌃Deliciousness Delivered to Your Door.

🌃Liberty Grill’s Superb Thanksgiving Dinner.

Hake

Quite appropriate that Liberty Grill, Cork’s long-established and well-loved New England influenced diner, chose Thanksgiving to launch their Home Dining offering. "At Home" or "Click & Collect" or "Takeaway" or whatever the term has been a shining light as this isolating year turns over into grim winter (maybe not so grim after Friday's lifting of Level 5) and Liberty's offering is as bright as any. Weekend evenings have been made happier. And more good news as Liberty intend to continue with their Home Dining offering!

I could had enjoyed the pumpkin soup, the Maple Glazed Turkey and the Key Lime Pie but, when ordering from a multi-choice menu, picked a different three courses. I’m quite sure the American style dishes would have been very good but our picks, which did include some American touches (the dessert for one), were all excellent. 

And, no matter what you choose, delivery is included in the price (€30.00 pp for three courses). Amazing food, comforting and exciting, super value and so dexterously organised with very detailed instructions and, with the timings given, so easy to coordinate the courses.

We each picked the same dishes but no reason to stick to that formula as you’ll find it facile to start eating each course, even if different, together. A lot of thought has gone into this whole package and you could well see the Washington Street restaurant stick with this (not necessarily this exact menu) into the uncertain future. 

So thanks to Denis and all the team at Liberty and now let us make a start on the food. Three starters on offer. And ours was the Baked Cooleeney Brie (crumb covered). The County Tipperary cheese came with a small salad and a cranberry coulis. The warm cheese is delicious but that cranberry gave it all a crucial lift and we were on our way!

Four different mains to choose from and our pick was Hake en Papillote:  baked Ballycotton hake in a paper parcel with orange, fennel, samphire and a caper butter. The description was brief enough but this was a mega mains. The fish parcel was bursting with flavour, enhanced by a tempting jus.

Quality was incredible and the quantity too. No less than with three sides, again all brilliant.

Gratin Potatoes - roosters, garlic, Parmesan.

Green Bean casserole - fresh green beans, panko crumbs, herbs, onions, mushroom, sherry, nutmeg, Parmesan, more…

Brown Buttered Carrots - Carrots, Butter brown sugar.

There was quite a delay, induced by the generous portions of the earlier courses, before dessert was “tackled”. The Apple and Maple Upside Down Cake kept the standard high, a delightful finalé, sweet as can be flavours and the moisture soaked texture enhanced by the little tub of whipped cream! 

I hope all my American friends had a great Thanksgiving. And here’s to more superb offerings from the Liberty Grill even if the weekends immediately ahead are not festivals. Check out their social media for updates.

Details:

3 Courses - €30 per person -  FREE delivery in the great Cork city area

Order online LibertyGrill.ie - Vouchers accepted – Enquiries:  HomeDining@LibertyGrill.ie or  Phone 021-4271049

Liberty Grill

That was the year that was! Rewind 2019

That was the year that was!

Rewind 2019

When you go over the hill, you go faster. And certainly this year, 2019, went faster!

Cask "toasting". Wine, Whiskey and Beer evening  at the Franciscan Well

It was a good one though, some terrific visits to producers of all kinds, delicious meals, excellent stays at everything from B&Bs to five star hotels and friendly festivals as well.

And great to be able to confirm that friendliness is still a huge and engaging factor in the Irish hospitality sector. There were warm welcomes, above and beyond, in many places and our front of house laurels go to:

Luca in Ali’s Kitchen, Cork; 

Julie in Finns’ Table, Kinsale;

and to the entire team at Wicklow Heather in Laragh. 

With Mary T (right) at Castle Grove

On the Gastro Pub scene, you’ll find it hard to beat the Victor led front of house at O’Mahony’s of Watergrasshill. And in accommodation, the nod goes to Mary T and the Sweeney family at Castle Grove House in Donegal. Always a terrific welcome too at both the Trident in Kinsale and the Celtic Ross in Rosscarbery. Top guesthouses: Perryville (Kinsale) and Sheedy’s (Doolin).

Breakfast is a key part of accommodation of course and we came across some gems this year. Aldridge Lodge  in Wexford is absolutely outstanding while Sheedy’s of Doolin is another excellent place. I don't do breakfasts in restaurants often but ORSO in Cork gets an honourable mention! The most impressive breakfast room we came across is the beautiful conservatory in the Quay House  in Clifden and the breakfast is good too as it is in Kinsale’s Perryville.

Fish breakfast at Aldridge Lodge

O’Mahony’s of Watergrasshill is an outstanding venue for pub grub while Gallagher’s in MacCurtain Street Cork impressed on a pre-theatre visit.

Goldie

The fish offering is also improving all the time and we came across two quite innovative places this year: Fisk in Downings in Donegal and Goldie in Cork City. Kudos too to the Wild Strands Café (Malin, Donegal) for their use of seaweed and fish. Superb fish dinner as always in the Bayview Ballycotton, the village is also well served in that regard by Pier 26, and there was an excellent fish lunch at the Mountain House in Ardfield, West Cork. In Cork City and in a few Kerry towns, you'll find, as we did, the ever-reliable Quinlan's.

Great variety in the restaurant scene nowadays, including the famed vegetarian (and wine!) offering at Cafe Paradiso, also on Leeside. Crab claws were superb at Pier 26 (Ballycotton) and Naughton's (Kilkee) while the best steak was served at Liberty Grill (Cork). Hard to beat Nash 19 Cork for pork and the Market Lane group for lamb (especially when the Blasket Lamb is available). When it comes to variety on the menu, Cork’s Dockland is the place to be.

Liberty Grill steak

Enjoyed the Palestinian fare at Izz in Cork though the ethnic highlight was the Pickle Pop-up with Sunil Ghai  in Sage Midleton. Another good one was Richy's Curry Series with his excellent Indian chef Meeran Gani.

Pearse Lyons Distillery

Lunch is an important time if you're on the road. The Woollen Mills Café in Foxford , St Francis Provisions (Kinsale), TIA in Louisburgh are all worth noting - great salads and more. In Cork city, put the Farmgate (celebrating 25 years) and Crawford Gallery Cafe on your list, not forgetting Vikki's in Sunday's Well, O'Callaghan's (Mitchelstown) and Seasalt in Cobh. Something more substantial? Then put Tramore’s Copper Hen in your diary. And go for the lunch tasting menu at Greene’s Cork if you are looking for something really special. Off for an afternoon? Why not the extra special Afternoon Tea in the River Lee Hotel?

Ichigo Ichie. "Every moment we change"

We enjoyed a few special dinners. The Sake dinner at Ichigo Ichie was outstanding. Great company, wine and food at the Rizzardi Wine dinner in Courtmacsherry’s Lifeboat Inn. And fantastic wine and fish at a FEAST event in the Bayview. And another excellent night was the Barnabrow Gourmet Evening with ENO Wines.

Paradiso Cork

Indeed, FEAST was our top festival this year. It has made huge strides in recent years. The Pickle Pop-up here was a good one and another very enjoyable meal was the Picado Mexican Pop-up during the West Waterford Festival. 

Quay House, Clifden

Oh, I nearly forgot dessert. Indeed, I’ve been known to skip it sometimes. But two that I remember with pleasure are the Mocha Choca Yumma at the Ballymaloe Cookery School Garden Café Truck and the Apple and Berry Crumble at the Copper Hen (Tramore).

Dessert at Ballymaloe CS truck

Both Eight Degrees and Kinnegar breweries, two of the best around, took time out to show us their breweries. Another very enjoyable event was the Wine, Whiskey and Beer evening  at the Franciscan Well. Other producers visited included Clonakilty Black Pudding, Seymour Biscuits (Bandon), St Tola Cheese (Clare), Hegarty's Cheese (Whitechurch).

On the wine side, there was a very impressive Spit 2019 day in the River Lee. Best wine bar we visited was the Gallery in Westport. More and more non-alcoholic drinks, good ones, are coming on the market and our favourite this year is the Highbank Orchards Organic Drivers Cider.

A couple of excellent distillery visits too including to Clonakilty and Powerscourt (both new). Perhaps the most memorable was the lovely Pearse Lyons distillery  in Dublin’s Liberties, big thanks there to our guides Bernard and James.

Speaking of guides, we had the lovely Karen Coakley include us on her excellent Kenmare Food Tour, lots of good food and variety in this small Kerry town. Kenmare is excellent but our top town of 2019 for good drink, excellent food and off-the-scale craic is Clonakilty. My highlight in Clon is the annual Street Carnival. In the city, we enjoyed the Long Table Walk in June and the Gourmet Trail (part of the Oyster Fest) in September. And in mid-summer, we thoroughly enjoyed a West Cork Farm Tour where another three top class guides - the O'Donovan family - showed us around..

Downings

Can’t go without mentioning pizza. I know there are many good ones around nowadays but my nod goes to newcomer Curley Stu  (check his Facebook here for venues) and the well established Pompeii (regulars at the Franciscan Well and in Waterville for the summer).

Lunch at Greene's

Great to see so many places now putting the emphasis on local and Blarney’s Square Table, champions of local, have been doing exactly that since they started. The Europe has, we think, the best five star hotel lounge/bar while Powerscourt has the best pub. 

For comfort and ticking all the other restaurant boxes as well, it has to be the Cornstore in Cork. Always a good atmosphere here. This year though the best buzz we came across was at Tapas de Lola (Dublin) and The Bullman (Kinsale).

Always get around to the farmers markets and it usually pays off! And it paid off on the double when we called to Killavullen before Christmas as it was here that we found the best ever Mince Pies (Noirin) and the best ever Sausage Rolls (Ciaran).

Bray Head walk

Some Random Bits

Top walks for auld fellas: Knockadoon, Ballycotton Cliff Walk, Nire Valley Gap, Bray Head (Valentia)  and Carrigfadda (West Cork).

Film: Satan and Adam (Netflix)

Books: Beautiful Affair (Mike Hanrahan), Suzy Suzy (William Wall), Rewind (Catherine Ryan Howard), all different but each with a strong East Cork connection.

Museum: Little Museum of Dublin.

So that was 2019, or at least a summary. If you have any suggestions for 2020, you know where to find me!