Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form. "Cooked with grá" A little flame also!

Glass Curtain Kitchen Team in Sparkling Form At The Weekend

 "Cooked with grá".  And a little flame!

Red mullet, cuttlefish, broth.

"Both the name and the large photo on the back wall pay homage to this building’s former life as the iconic Thompson’s Bakery; now a compact brasserie. Monochrome décor, exposed pipework and a charming team set the scene. Modern dishes have a personal touch and are cooked with grá (Gaelic for ‘love’)." 

That is the verdict delivered by the Michelin Guide when they awarded Cork's Glass Curtain with a Michelin Bib.

It is indeed, as you'd expect, an accurate description of the busy venue where Chef Brian Murray has been setting a very high standard since he opened here in MacCurtain Street in the autumn of 2020. Brian's travels around the world have given him a finely tuned international experience yet in this lively spot, it is the flavour of local ingredients that star on the menus, both A La Carte and Tasting.

Beef is one hundred per cent Irish and local producers supported include the likes of Cais na Tire and Hegarty's cheese, Skeaghanmore Duck, and Ballymakenny potatoes. 

Snacks

No shortage of drink choices. There's a tempting Cocktail List that includes three non-alcoholic options. Quite a wine offering here.  You can taste your way through different styles, countries and grape varieties through white, red and the increasingly popular orange (check out that Ageno from the lovely Elena Pantaleoni of Italy's La Stoppa). 

Local producers like the Cotton Ball and 9 White Deer Breweries get a chance to shine in the drinks section as does the Stonewell Cidery from Novohal. As you'd expect, there are many Irish spirits available or why not enjoy the very special ice wine from Killarhora Orchards in Glounthaune, one of my favourite ways to finish a meal.

Lamb

The tasting menu costs €75.00 per person and a wine option will add another €45 to that. With an early 5.00pm* start, we decided against the wine option and instead picked the Dirk Niepoort, Vinho Verde, Portugal 2021 Alvarinho. This aromatic and well-balanced Alvarinho (Albarino in Spain) by the famous port company worked out well for us even if it had to be parked when the lamb came around!

 * That 5.00pm start was all that was available when we booked two weeks in advance. It is a busy place so make your reservations early!

Dessert

Tasting Menu

Crudo, Cashew, Blood Orange, Puffed Barley, Shiso, with Prawn heads. 

“Jambon”, Dill pickle, Lardo

 Aged rump of beef tartare, pear and endive

A bit unusual to see Prawn Heads in one of the three snacks but we were assured they were edible and got stuck in and enjoyed the "careful" crunch. Actually, that particular snack was very flavoursome in any case. We enjoyed it and the other two as well.

***

Glazed beets, House ricotta hazelnut brown butter 

Focaccia, Roast Onion Butter

On to this pair then, served together. An unexpected highlight here was the Roast Onion Butter and the Focaccia. In fairness, the other "starter" was also excellent.

***

Grilled Red Mullet, Cuttlefish, Turbot roe taramasalata, fish broth, 

The fish course starred the Red Mullet and the broth. Not overly keen on the cuttlefish (who belong to a class that includes squid and octopus) and hadn't expected too much from it in any case. But that Mullet was something else and such a pity we don't see it on that many menus in Ireland.

***

Rack of Lamb, crushed artichoke, pistachio, glazed lamb belly and celeriac.

This was the piece de resistance. Lamb came two ways, the fat and flavoursome rack was a delight to dispatch while the belly (it came in a separate dish with celeriac) was also quite a treat.

***

Time then to cleanse the palate and the Rhubarb Sorbet, Almond, and Rose Jelly did it well.  The dessert of Orange Polenta Cake, Ricotta ice cream, sheep yoghurt, rhubarb wasn't at all bad but I had been expecting a bit more from it. Still time for another sweet bit as the petit fours arrived to send two happy customers off into the night.

Lamb, two ways.

Glass Curtain reveals its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu. Tried and tested last evening.

 Glass Curtain Reveals Its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu

The Glass Curtain was packed last evening as the popular Cork restaurant revealed its menu for the Cork on a Fork Fest that continues from today until Sunday with over 100 events scheduled. The good news is for the lucky punters who have booked as they will sample the Glass Curtain menu every evening with a booking between 5.00 and 6.00pm while the bad news for others is that the event has been booked out for every day.

The menu costs €38.00 for three courses (starter, main and dessert) but you can also treat yourself to a snack and also a special cocktail (both extra). And of course they have quite a wine list here also and I noted the Cotton Ball beers were going down well last evening. The restaurant supports local and that can also be seen in the menus.

Our starters last night were Skeaghanore duck terrine, house pickles, rhubarb relish (top) and Sticky beets, pistachio cream, Sobhriste cheese. The beets and cheese were probably my dish of the night. The cheese is a crumbly, younger, milled-curd style, like a Caerphilly/Lancashire. Sobhriste, meaning fragile or delicate, is aged for roughly 6 weeks. It has a subtle, slightly lactic flavour, with a crumbly texture and biscuity rind. Delicious. And the terrine was excellent also!

 

The Grilled mackerel, spicy padron broth, nasturtium was the third starter choice.

I was on a dry night, but that was no bother as I was able
 to enjoy a couple of bottles of Stonewell Non-Alcoholic
Cider. I reckon this is one of the best non-alcoholic drinks,
if not the best, in Ireland.

On to the mains now and CL was impressed with the BBQ cod, San Marzano tomato, courgette, and bouillabaisse sauce while I enjoyed my Lost Valley Dairy rare breed pork, grilled beans, rowan berry jus, cauliflower (especially the pork belly). Sides (optional) included Potato Terrine (pictured with pork), Summer Salad, and Greens.

The third choice in this section was the Grilled Peri Peri courgette, tempura courgette flower, pumpkin seeds, courgette.

Delighted to see the fabulous fruit of West Cork Bushbys featuring not once but twice in the desserts and that made the choosing easy. CL picked the Bushby's strawberry, ricotta ice cream, oat biscuit while my choice was the Milk chocolate crémeux, chocolate sablé, Bushby's raspberries, and yoghurt sorbet. No regrets there! Though I'm sure the Carraignamuc farmhouse cheese, honeycomb, and cheese biscuits would have been delicious as well.

A sweet end to a lovely buzzy evening of terrific food and service. 

  

Bibendum and La Rousse . Portfolio Tastings in Cork

 Bibendum and La Rousse 

Portfolio Tastings in Cork

Choices galore last Monday: Sauvignon Blanc from Le Rousse and Chardonnay from Bibendum

Very seldom indeed that you get two wine companies doing their portfolio tastings in Cork on the same day but that was the case last Monday when Bibendum and La Rousse came to town. 

For me, the more impressive wines came from Portugal and South Africa at the well-attended Bibendum event at Hotel Montenotte while a Telmo Rodriguez quartet and a couple of Slovenians alerted the tastebuds in the Glass Curtain where La Rousse displayed their excellent range.

Bibendum

The Glasshouse, an excellent venue

Bibendum were very happy indeed with the impressive Glasshouse in Montenotte, a very bright and colourful room, with views over the city and ideal for this and similar events.

I had been hoping to taste a share of Portuguese wines here and at The Glass Curtain. But, with a combined total of close to 200 wines for tasting, there were just two. Both of these were Bibendum’s and each was excellent.

One was the Conde Villar Alvarinho Vinho Verde (DOC). In an unusual tall bottle (right), it was engaging from first contact, floral aromas, fresh and elegant, rich and full bodied, memorable. It is 100% Alvarinho, the same grape that grows across the border in Spain’s Rias Baixas. Really excellent and worth looking out for.

The second was from the Alentejo, the red Tapada de Villar, and this too was excellent. It is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez and Trincadeira. Intense aromatics, ripe red fruit flavours in the mouth, soft and elegant. Another to note.

Tom Hanson-Smith of Journey's End

Next up was a rewarding stop at the Journey’s End table where Tom Hanson-Smith was showing three of the wines from their Stellenbosch vineyard (the second wine farm in SA to be solar powered).  The Haystack Chardonnay had a great balance of oak and fruit and gets a major thumbs up.

And I went on to complete the hat-trick with two super reds, the Huntsman (a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre and Grenache) and Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017. The Single Vineyard was premier class but I would be reluctant to leave the Huntsman behind.

There was one other wine that I wasn’t leaving without tasting. It was at the Fine Wine Table. Here, I rebuffed a whole lot of temptation, treating myself only to the Chateau Kirwan Margaux 3eme Cru Classé. No Irish connection there now but, for old times sake, I sipped sinfully before saying au revoir to Mark Redmond and the lovely and helpful Bibendum crew.

La Rousse

Thompson ladies. Le Rousse wine.

A refreshing stroll down the hill then to the Glass Curtain and a lovely warm welcome from Vera O’Grady of La Rousse. She gave me a few helpful tips before I made a start in this excellent Cork restaurant.

I enjoy white Mediterranean grapes and they came up trumps in whites such as Eric Texier’s Roussane, JL Chaves Hermitage Marsanne, Le Soula white blend and Gilles Troullier’s Macabeu. More excellent stuff from Italy, the Monte Tondo Soave Classico and the Mora e Memo Tino Vermentino (left).

And right at the end of that line came Telmo Rodriquez. I met him last in Ballymaloe about nine years ago. He could have had comfortably slotted into the family winery Remelluri but, after an intensive wine education in France, he eventually headed off on his own, to the most unlikely places. Barren hillsides where vineyards had been abandoned. Sometimes a few survived with practices dating back five hundred years, including “beautiful bush vines”. 

Telmo (left) and yours truly. Ballymaloe 2013

He still makes wines all over Spain and his smooth and excellent Basa (Verdejo, Viura) from Rueda is one to note as is the Branco de Santa Cruz (Bierzo), an gorgeous blend of Godello, Treixadura, Dona Alana.

Next for me was an orange wine from Slovenia. The Guerilla Retro Selection (Pinela, Zelen, Rebula and Malvazija) was just beautiful. And they also had an excellent 2020 Barbera. This, also marked by Vera, was different class, quite amazing.

Slovenia impressed

Last, but by no means least, was Telmo again, with two beauties. First top was the young 2021 LZ, a bright and delightfully easy-drinking un-oaked (aged in concrete) Rioja. It comes from the village of Lanciego and is organic, same blend as the Lanzaga below.

The Lanzaga (a field bland of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano) is oaked, organic, elegant, full of dark fruits and a smokey finalé.

Quite a finalé then for me at the Glass Curtain. Time to say goodbye to Vera and head for the hills.

What a double to finish on!

Umami Unanimously At The Glass Curtain: Making New Delicious Memories And Recalling Some Old Ones.

Umami Unanimously At The Glass Curtain.

Making New Delicious Memories And Recalling Some Old Ones. 

It was not just the taste buds that were triggered during last week’s fantastic Tasting Menu in The Glass Curtain in MacCurtain Street’s Thompson House. The old memory bank also had a few re-awakenings and it wasn’t just of the Thompson bread vans roaming the streets and roads of Cork. Beef Heart, Cabbage Stumps and a Frogs Attack all came vividly racing back.

The Tasting Menu here is usually detailed as of five courses but, within that, there are some courses with more than one part. That applies to the opening one where no less than three treats appear simultaneously: "Jambon" - Templegall & Lardo, pickled fennel. Beef heart toast; Langoustine tartar, spiced cauliflower velouté. 

Monkfish

Really enjoyed that little nibble of Beef Heart. I’m pretty sure I’d have heard it called Cows Heart and remember it as a treat, beefy for sure and tender and apparently good for you. But it and lambs heart (another favourite back in the day) seemed to have gone out of favour in Ireland just like most offal. 

In any case this trio was an outstanding way to get the meal off on the right foot. Our next dish was the Focaccia, salsa verde, n’duja butter. Quite a chunk of their own delicious bread and that butter, not at all overly spicy, fitted in very nicely indeed. Quite a pleasant match.

Opening trio, beef heart top right

Since the friendly and efficient staff had kindly left the long menu on the table, we knew that BBQ pointed cabbage, Pork belly, Whey caramel, Black garlic, was next on the agenda. What we didn’t know was that the cabbage would be as much a star as the Pork Belly on this intriguing and superb plate. Don’t get me wrong, that pork was high quality, full of flavour but so too was the cabbage and both were lifted higher by the black garlic.

The tasty cabbage had a little bit of the stump on it and for old times sake, I tried that and of course, even if it wasn’t quite as tender, it matched the rest for flavour. Back in the day, before I was a teenager, I’d stand with my mother as she prepared dinner. Cabbage was often on the menu and regularly she pared down the stump, about where it joined the head, and handed it out as a treat. And it was a treat! Now a memory.

Now it was time for fish at The Glass Curtain. Soon, we had a splendid bowl of Monkfish, saffron and mussel sauce and lobster curry foam in front of us. Lots of foam and hard to make out the shapes, though we could spot those plump little mussels. The monkfish itself was white and seductive beneath the teasing cover of the foam and soon I was enjoying that pearly white fish. All together, it was umami unanimously.

The main event was next. Rack of Lamb (from Murphy’s Butchers in Midleton) was accompanied by confit carrot, labneh, black olive tapenade and date purée. Possibilities of delicious duets on this plate and all good though I think the match with the sweet date was the prime pairing. The lamb of course,  flesh and fat, was perfect!

Something sweet? Of course, knowing there were two to come! Dessert was Chocolate and coffee cremeux, crème fraiche ice-cream, and blood orange. A well judged balance of light and heavy and just so at the end of this lovely multi-course meal. There was a little more to come, a generous petit fours called Hazelnut Ice-cream Sandwich, a fitting finalé.

We had been studying the impressive wine list, even before we came in and, after a bit of humming and hawing, decided to go with a bottle of a favourite wine: the Classique Morgan by Beaujolais organic pioneer Jean Foillard, a beautiful expression of the Gamay and also quite versatile at the table.

And that Morgan too brought back happy memories, though much more recent. In 2018, The Frogs Attack, being two pioneering natural winemakers (Jean Foillard and Thierry Puzelat), a guerrilla chef (Antony Cointre) and a comedian (Sebastien Barrier), cornered their willing victims in a packed Latitude 51. 

They came. They saw. They conquered. Cork’s leading wine bar was the ideal venue for the French influenced evening. Beverley and her staff caught the informal spirit of the occasion perfectly and we wined and dined, and laughed a lot too.

More details here.

Pic via Glass Curtain

Spice 'n Sweet and Sixties Beats. The Glass Curtain Rocks The Kitchen

Spice 'n Sweet and Sixties Beats

The Glass Curtain Rocks the Kitchen 

Three hotties: Corn Salsa(left), Pico de Gallo (bottom right), and Chipotle Aioli 

We had a little Latino-Irish Fiesta on the table at the weekend, thanks to the talented crew in The Glass Curtain. While the popular MacCurtain Street restaurant itself is out of action for a few weeks (you know the culprit), they are offering an At Home with different meals available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (Keep an eye on their social media for updates as things keep changing. Just heard, they'll be doing at home for the next two weeks. Updated menus will appear here).

Viva Mexico. (via Pixabay)

Our pick this time was the Friday offering of Panko breaded cod, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli. And a dessert of Chocolate custard, blood orange jelly, spiced churro pieces.

Instructions come with the box which you collect at a specified time. There is a little work but there is also The Glass Curtain playlist. Check it out on Spotify and your cooking will be lifted even higher with Jackie Wilson. The likes of me though may have to Knock on Wood (more than once).

Patatas Bravas

The music went down well, though I got a nasty look when I played You Keep Me Hanging On. And the dog’s begging routine was interrupted briefly when Rufus Thomas started belting out Walking the Dog. As you may have gathered, the songs and singers are mainly from the 60s though, remarkably, Bing Crosby had a hit with Try a Little Tenderness in 1933!

Getting messy!

Anyhow, music or no music, the At Home work takes about 15 minutes, the time it takes the Patatas Bravas to heat and crisp up in the oven. In the meantime, the Tortilla dough has been rolled out and cooked in a dry pan. And the cod goujons (or Sweet Potato and Halloumi if you’re on on the veggie option) take 4-5 minutes.

Dessert

The Official Blog Chef’s coordination is as impressive as ever and it all came good and soon we were south of the border, spooning the shredded cabbage (white), pico de gallo, and chipotle aioli to assemble the Taco. The spicy stuff wakes you up, something different on the table to enliven a dreary wet and cold evening. Also took the opportunity to try out a few of those Chilli & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips from Clonmel’s Blanco Niño.

Chilli & Lime White Corn Tortilla Chips

Portions are generous here and a “gap” was organised before dessert was tackled. The churros has to be heated (a couple of minutes) and coated in the chilli sugar before they met the delicious chocolate custard and the even more delicious Blood Orange Jelly. The remarkable sweetness added to the already feel good factor and I just got more and more comfortable in the soft chair. Time to switch up the recliner.

Menus Available Last Weekend

• Friday 45 for 2 sharing

Panko breaded cod, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli,

Chocolate custard, blood orange jelly, spiced churro pieces

• Saturday 40 for 2 sharing

BBQ brisket, house slaw, jalapeño cornbread, mac n’cheese

Chocolate chip cookies salted caramel sauce

• Sunday 50 for 2 sharing

18oz dry aged Angus striploin, home fries, whiskey pepper sauce, chargrilled baby leeks, roasted cauliflower

Classic tiramisu

• Veggie all weekend 35 for 2 sharing

Panko breaded halloumi and sweet potatoes, pico de gallo, sweetcorn salsa, shredded cabbage, flour tortillas, bravas potatoes with lime chipotle aioli

Served with desert of the evening

Dining NOW Guide. This Week's Choices In Cork. Update #2

 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, plan to update regularly) w/e 4/4/2021 Update #2

Click and Collect. At Home. Takeout. Takeaway.

The Metropole Hotel, Cork

has launched an Easter Afternoon Tea at home menu. 

 

The Afternoon Tea is available this Easter Weekend – from Friday 2nd April to Monday 5th April. 

 

On the menu is: 

Sweets: Mini chocolate mousse & berries, Easter cupcakes, Chocolate meringue nest with mini Cadburys cream eggs, Selection of macarons, Mini Chocolate brownie

Sandwich: Free range egg and cress, Chicken & cucumber with sun-dried tomato pesto,  Pastrami and rocket in a floury wrap, Open smoked salmon on soda bread with chive cream cheese & pickled red onion

Sweet scones: Freshly baked scones with whipped cream and a selection of fruit jam

The Afternoon Tea for two people is €50 and the hotel will require 24 hours’ notice to book. Delivery within 15km is also available for an additional €10. To order you can call (021) 4643700

*********

Check out Da Mirco's Easter Weekend Menu Here

That Homemade Cannelloni filled with slow cooked O'Mahonys lamb ragu, ricotta and pecorino cheese looks tempting!

*********

O'Mahony's Fly Stars & Stripes

*********

Check out Dockland menu here

********

Vienna Woods Special

*********

*********

Tom Durcan Will Bring It Home to You

Durcan’s Burger and wings artisan - Taste of #cork at home kit The finest local produce using Hasset’s bakery and Finders Inn dressing. Hand prepared on morning of collection by my son Harry. Order online and have it delivered to your door #nationwide #shoplocal @EnglishMarket More details at https://twitter.com/TomDurcanMeats

**********

Greenes Restaurant

Easter Menu's are now online, lots of seafood options, Macroom Lamb & our 6 course tasting menu. We have also added an Easter Picnic Box available Saturday & Sunday with everything you need included.

Visit www.greenesrestaurant.com/menus to order online.

*********

Metropole Hotel

DINE AT HOME

Our Dine At Home menus are available to order every evening from 5pm-9pm.

Enjoy a range of delectable dishes, cooked to perfection by our Head Chef, available for collection from The Metropole Hotel Cork.

See menus online here: https://www.themetropolehotel.ie/dining/menus/

*********

L'Atitude. On the road again

We’re heading south this week to the foothills of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It might come as a surprise to some that wine is produced in Morocco, but wine has been made in North Africa for at least 2,500 year...

..Our Volubia red is a perfect ally for food. To say we are excited about this week’s destination would be a slight understatement. There are so many colourful ingredients and flavours to choose from, we’ll find it hard to narrow it down. As usual we will choose a selection that we think will marry best with the wine. 

Email info@latitude51.ie by noon Thurs if you’d like to join our adventure. €50 box for 2 people. Collection Friday 2 April from 5 -6.30

Celtic Ross Hotel

A Happy Easter - at Home

Be it Easter Sunday lunch or dinner for two over the long weekend, allow Chef Shane and his team to take care of the meal prep this Easter. Our Easter meal kit adds a sense of occasion to the weekend, showcasing delicious seasonal produce and the finest ingredients that West Cork has to offer. Treat yourself to a three-course dining experience in the comfort of home with all of the hard work and preparation  completed by the Celtic Ross kitchen team.

Menus and other details here

********

LIBERTY GRILL

We have posted our Home Dining menu for delivery over the Easter weekend

We are also delivering a new “Slow Roast for 4”

Details from our website LibertyGrill.ie @libertygrillcork

*********

On the Pig's Back

Order online or by phone @ 021-4617832

Saturday Night Takeaway - Now Online!

3 Course Menu €30.00 pp

☆B.B.Q Prawns with Creamed Corn and Kale

☆Spiced Chicken Salad with Crisp Leaves, Cherry tomato, Red Onion, Ranch Dressing and Croutons

________

☆Herb Crusted Pan-fried Hake, Corn Succotash, Baked Sweet Potato Wedges and Caper Brown Butter

☆Broiled Marinated Pork Chop, Buttered Savoy Cabbage, Fondant Potatoes with Mild Mustard Sauce

________

☆Baked Raspberry Cheese Cake

☆Mississippi Mud Pie

*********

The Cork International Hotel Have An Afternoon Tea Off With A Twist!

The Cork International Hotel has launched a gourmet Seafood Afternoon Tea just in time for Easter.

The Afternoon Tea will be available for a limited period over the Easter Weekend – available from Thursday 1st April to to Monday 5th April. 

On the menu is: 

Sweets: Dark Chocolate mousse with raspberries, Carrot Cake topped in white chocolate, Coffee slice, Chocolate brownie.

Savoury: Crab and crayfish cocktail Chai Bao, Smoked Mackerel Pate on pressed puff pastry, Beetroot salmon gravlax and grape skewer.

Sandwich: Flaked salmon and pickled cucumber on white bread, open tiger prawn sandwich with garlic and lemon aioli, tuna, lettuce and chilli chutney pinwheels.

 

The Afternoon Tea for two people is €50 and the hotel will require 24 hours’ notice to book. To order you can call (021) 4549800

*********

Farmgate Ready to Feed the Family this Easter

We have spent the last few weeks thinking about the Easter break, so we can have it all organised for you with just one click of a button.

How about the perfect family roast? Delicious slow-cooked lamb (and more!) for a stress-free day and the opportunity to really enjoy quality time your loved ones. Let’s face it, who amongst us cannot claim to be sick of constantly cooking for hungry hounds?

Easter Sunday Feast - €70 for 2 / €120 for 4

Bottle or Red or White wine

Market Fish Plate, Farmgate Brown Soda Bread

Slow Braised Shoulder of Lamb, Ardrahan Cheese & Lamb Croquettes, Lyonnaise Potatoes, Buttered Spring Greens

Strawberry & Framboise Trifle

There's also an Easter Family Feast.  See all the menus and details here

***********

~~Easter menu is now live here~~

Phone lines are now open 0214277387. Get your orders in now for collection this Friday & Saturday

**********

Market Lane

There’s still time to order our heat at home set menu for Easter Weekend. Stock is limited and we've sold out in the past, so our top tip for today is do it now to avoid any disappointment.. Order from http://marketlane.ie by Thursday . #keepgoingcork

***********

The Glass Curtain

With Easter upon us, we have more yummy treats planned for the weekend. The following menu is available from Friday to Sunday:

You may order from 12pm tomorrow (Monday) via the following link: The Glass Curtain At Home

********

Ferrit and Lee



This weekend'smenu now live, get your orders in for Easter Sunday   https://ferrit-lee.clickandcollection.com

*********