ENGLISH MARKET

HOLIDAY BUZZ DOESN’T ALWAYS TRAVEL WELL

Once upon a time, in the last century, I read a novel in the garden of a gíte near the Breton town of Priziac. I was on holidays, relaxed. It was a terrific read.

Some months later, in the dreary deep of an Irish winter, I re-read the novel. And when I came to a particular scene, I must say I was disappointed. It wasn't quite what I had remembered. I reckon, that in my super relaxed holiday state, a glass or two sipped, I rewrote that particular scene myself.

But, of course, the book remained the same. By the way, I still have it. It is called Voss, written by the Australian Patrick White. And I can say that it is still a good read, even without my embellishments!

Books of course are not the only things changed by the holiday experience. Does the Tomme de Savoie you bought in the south of France taste the same as a similar cheese from the English market? How many times have you brought home a bottle of spirit or liquor, say Pineau de Charente or Pastis for example, and how many times have you been disappointed on opening it up and trying to enjoy it here, the two thirds full bottle often thrown out a year or two later. The experience is never quite the same.

And so it was with some trepidation that we decided some time back to try and repeat a simple but delightful dish that we had one evening in the sunny courtyard of a gite near the town of Bayeux in Normandy. This area is famous for its black pudding and we had been warned not to leave without trying the boudin noir.

The Marché in Bayeux was in full swing on a hot sunny day and we had no bother getting the pudding and we also got some free-range eggs. Amazingly you can get a massive range of fresh local produce at these markets but try the supermarkets for fresh milk and you’ll be lucky to find a few cartons, as the French seem to go for the vile tasting UHT.

We tried the dish it here, using the (supposedly) best of local black pudding but it wasn’t quite the same. The local product is usually quite salty, harder also than the imported variety.

The next best thing is to go into the Pig’s Back stall in the English Market and pick up some French Boudin Noir there (€3.00 for about a third of a ring). But you may have to try a few times as they don’t always have it. They had it recently and we tried it, again with the free range eggs, and it was splendid, though I must say we missed that sunny courtyard in Normandy.

If you are in the Market and want to make a full meal of it, you could do worse than pick up the Feta Cheese, Olive and Pepper salad they make up at the Olive stall. For dessert, I dare you to pass Heavens Cake, another nearby stall, without buying!

A BERTH FOR LUNCH

THE RISING TIDE

TIME & TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN

You got to get to the Rising Tide in Glounthaune early to find a berth for lunch. At least that was the case on a recent Friday afternoon. The place was very busy and latecomers had to wait for a table. Book before you go would seem to be the lesson.



Another lesson. The main courses, most between €10.50 and €12.50, are quite substantial. So, unless you know you have the room and good luck to you, don't take a starter. The Soup of the Day was mushroom and both it and a well made chowder were filling.



Lamb was the roast of the day but I went for Kenmare fish cakes, served with a salad, chips and a tomato sauce . Quite substantial as already indicated but also very tasty.

Nothing out of the ordinary. Mind you, the Advisor wasn't over impressed by the menu as she had seen better choices there previously. There was a little difference about the tomato sauce dip: I thought it was quite a decent one but it didn’t have enough kick for her.



Overall though the food was good, as was the service.



Prices: Soup €4.50, Chowder €6.95, Mains as above, Desserts €6.50.

WINNING AT THE BOOTHOUSE

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

THE BOOTHOUSE

If you ever find yourself on the North Eastern outskirts of Cork city and wondering whether to brave the traffic and venture to the centre for lunch, consider this instead: a visit to the Award winning Boothouse in Whitescross.

After a long absence, I called recently and found the menu hadn't changed much at all at the thatched pub, opposite the national school in Upper Glanmire. It never really did. But then why fix it if it ain’t broke, especially their specialty, the roast breast of stuffed farmyard chicken with gravy (€11.00). It is served with vegetables (carrots and cauliflower), Grattan potato and some boiled potatoes also.

Despite the low quality of the boiled spuds, the meal was as good as previously and every piece, except for a few bones (and most of the boiled spuds on the side dish), was eaten with relish and a mouthful of a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (€4.70 for a 1/4 bottle). Well worth the detour.

Don't take me literally when I say a mouthful with every piece. I got educated on a trip to Austria (the southern part) a few years back. The waiters there would come around to the table with a carafe of water and ask: "Vater with the vine"? So now I alternate the liquids!

We had started with a vegetable soup, another staple of the limited blackboard menu. It cost €4.00 and on a cold day it was tasty and warming. There is a choice of four starters, a few mains course (including plaice and herbs), some open sandwiches and some toasted.

The desert menu (this was a long lunch) doesn’t change much either. It must be like cooking by the number at this stage but they do get their sums right. The Rice and Jam pudding (€4.50), with a dash of cream, was delightful and the Advisor demolished (delicately, I hastily add) the Pavlova with fresh Fruit even though she reckoned that this wasn’t the true Pavlova, though it was a decent try.

Does anyone in Cork do the real thing when it comes to Pavlova? The search goes on!
Another thing about the Boothouse is the service. It is always friendly and efficient and that was even more the case on this occasion. It is a “nice” place to go and a pleasant change from the hustle and bustle of the busy city centre lunch venues.

CHEZ ALDI

Chicken, Apple and Cider...

CHEZ ALDI

THE ALTERNATIVE VENUE

When the Irish pubs started to push up their prices on a regular basis, more and more people started to drink in the house. Could the same thing happen with eating out? Of course, it could. The alternatives are many. I tried one recently.

Could have been one of those evenings where a booking wasn’t available or where I just didn’t feel like driving into town, parking and so on. Instead, I popped over to the local Aldi. And Aldi is becoming local everywhere.

Starter was Breaded Camembert with Cranberry sauce (€1.99). Add in some leaves from a mixed pack (€0.70) and a little dressing and the cost of a very tasty starter works out at a max of €3.00 for two.

Main course was Chicken with Apple and Cider, taken from the Readers Digest 30 Minute Cookbook. Can't reproduce it here for copyright reasons but maybe it is available on their website (http://www.readersdigest.co.uk/ )

The main ingredients, all from Aldi (except the Creme fraiche) are: Chicken (2.00), Apples (0.32), Crème fraîche (2.00), Cider (a can costs 1.36, with some left over for the chef!). Allow 0.30 for bits and pieces and that brings the total for one of our favourite dishes to an incredible €6.00 for the two.

You could have a bottle of white wine. Aldi has a range from 4.99 upwards. But a pint bottle of Old Moor’s Cider from Devon (at 1.99 each) is recommended.

Dessert is no problem. Aldi has an ice-cream yoghurt with a raspberry ripple. Four pots cost €2.00. I used two along with some raspberries. Estimated cost for the two is €2.00 max.

Leaving out the wine and/or bottles of cider, the cost of dinner came to just €11.00. Of course that doesn’t include the costs of preparation and the time but overall it was very enjoyable and could well become a trend!

BUCKNUTI

FISHING IN RIVERSTOWN

Once upon a time, in the streams and rivers in the general area of Riverstown, I was one of a group of boys who would while away the hours trying to catch darting brown trout.

Nowadays, I just visit the Bucknuti restaurant and pick from the selection there. Most recently, I enjoyed a Roasted Fillet of Sea Bream, on a bed of sautéed potato, with vegetable, dill and a Pinot Grigio Beurre Blanc. The veg was a bit on the shy side but the fish was well done and pretty reasonable value for €19.50.

Two of those with me went for the Pan Seared Salmon (€16.95), accompanied by a (very) few sautéed potato slices. Both agreed that the salmon was delicious but that the onion dominated sauce didn’t enhance the fish at all.

Chenin Blanc from South Africa is one of my regular choices and the Riverstown establishment has reasonably good one on their list: Virgin Earth (€19.95).

Dessert for me was quite a good Sticky Toffee Pudding. The Pavlova with fresh Fruit was also served at the table but again, as so often happens locally, it was really plain crispy meringue rather than your true Pavlova. It was overly crispy and didn't have the required soft marshmallow centre.

We did have very good service. Our waiter was top class, pleasant and quite knowledgeable about the menu.

See previous review on this restaurant below.

EATING IN THE (TURKISH) BATHS

JACOBS ON THE MALL
Pas Mal!

One is struck by the spaciousness of the place on entering Jacobs on the Mall. Glass, paintings and greenery are used to break up the huge walls and high arched ceiling – this was once the local Turkish baths. The floor space is well used. There is a generous amount of room between the various sets of tables and comfortable seating. First impressions are good. More importantly, they last!

We include some sample courses below but my main plate was pork with bacon, black-pudding, spinach, caramelised onions, and a potato parsnip galette. Absolutely gorgeous, the combination of flavours and smells a treat.

The Advisor went for the duck leg and breast with a beetroot compote and spinach. Again this went down a treat.

There were a couple of slight reservations. The baby spinach tasted as if it hadn’t even seen the steam not to mind the pot. We both love spinach in meals and have it regularly but this was needlessly stringy and chewy.

As a matter of taste, the beetroot was on the sweet side, perhaps too much brown sugar with the balsamic vinegar, something like the red cabbage that was once a frequent component of meals in the area. Thought I’d let you know. By the way, does any local restaurant serve sauerkraut?

We had skipped the starters but did have a few slices from their brilliant bread basket. Starters by the way are all around €9.50, mains in the high 20’s, desserts about €7.50. And then there is ten per cent service charge. It is quite expensive, but you do get what you pay for.

The desserts, as we say hereabouts, are to die for. Rarely have I had anything as exceptional as the date and butterscotch (with ice-cream) pudding. But I would have been just as happy with the Sicilian orange cake that the Advisor choose.

The wine list is huge. You can buy by the glass, the half bottle and full bottle. Penfolds 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz was our pick (about €26, I think) and it too was a delight

MAIN COURSES
Crispy salmon with couscous, marinated grilled vegetables & harissa
Sirloin steak with sauté potatoes, grilled flat mushrooms, herb & garlic butter, spinach, caramelised onions, red wine jus
Fried polenta with grilled flat mushrooms, walnut & parsley pesto (V)
Breast of free range duck with roast butternut squash, buttered leeks, basil-pea puree, ginger jus

PUDDINGS
Chocolate and hazelnut tart with baileys ice-cream
Date & butterscotch pudding with vanilla ice-cream
Ginger & white chocolate parfait with caramelised banana, fudge sauce
Farmhouse cheese with fruit and home made biscuits
Tel: 021 4251530 Fax: 021 4251531
E-mail: info@jacobsonthemall.com

Our picture by the way is of the Turkish Baths on the Titanic. See http://www.titanic-titanic.com/

ROSSINI'S

RISTORANTE ROSSINI



HUNTING IN PRINCES STREET






Rossini’s is one of the longest established Italian restaurants in Cork City. Proprietors Patricia and Salvatore Toscano have got to be doing something right to survive the intense centre city competition.

One thing the restaurant does right is its Chicken Cacciatore (hunter style). I’m not a regular there but picked that particular dish (€21.90) on a recent visit. It was magnificent. The chicken was served in a “massive” tomato sauce, olives and mushrooms also included. The big plate was quite packed – just as well I didn’t have a starter (most of which are close to €10.00). Vegetables galore, including onion, asparagus, celery and broccoli and a helping of sautéed potato.

We did order a carafe of house wine and got a surprise here. I have been ordering carafes regularly enough in local restaurants, less regularly in establishments in France and Switzerland and was under the impression that a carafe was 50cl. But the serving in Rossini’s was a surprise litre size! Still, it was quite good value for €24.00 and we managed to put it away without too much difficulty.

Another surprise came at the end when we got the bill. It was about double the expected amount – it was for a different table! We got that sorted no problem. I suppose it could happen anywhere –although it was a first for me.

A colleague who had been to the popular Princes Street venue recently didn’t enjoy the experience saying the service was pretty poor (it seemed as if the place was understaffed on the night) and the pizza arrived late, so late that the cheese has lost its “elasticity” and had dried up. But I have to say that our service was perfect and friendly. The place was packed and the atmosphere good, enhanced by some live music.

The live music is on the menu from Tuesday to Saturday. The restaurant itself, which is probably in the mid-price range in the city, is open 7 nights a week, with dinner served from 6.00pm. Telephone is 021-4275818.

ORIEL COURT

SECOND BITE...............
...........................COSTS MORE


How can the Oriel Court Hotel justify the massive price increase it has imposed on its lunchtime diners? Especially when it is accompanied by a drop in standards?

Just last August, I was loud in praise of the food there and the prices. Everything on the lunchtime menu was under a tenner.

Not anymore. The Cajun salmon salad that I enjoyed for less than €10.00 last August (August 2007, I must stress), now costs €11.50 and everything else has gone up has well, including prices at the carvery (where the beef plate now costs a whopping €14.00).

The food wasn't quite as good either. The hot salmon was slightly overdone and the garlic bread (one piece now as against two in August) that accompanied the salad wasn't up to the standard of the previous visit (see August review below).

At least, the multi-national service was efficient and friendly. But the totally unjustified price increase left a sour taste, leading perhaps to a detour next time I'm in the area.

SING OUT LOUD

GO TO THE CABARET
BUT NOT WITH GEORGE!


Food and music can be a good mix. Not always. I was a guest at a recent club dinner where the former You’re A Star contender George Murphy was the main attraction of the post meal entertainment.

The meal over, we were looking forward to George. He made his entrance and started off with a string of ballads. All were delivered with a shouting style. The words flew at you, just loud words, no emotion, no feeling. Where’s the soul man? James Brown might have had asked. Where’s the duende, might have come from the Spanish poet Garcia Lorca.

But George kept on roaring it out, even Blowing in the Wind came in for the sand-blasting treatment, in between refreshing gargles of course. Then he took a bar break and left the two guitarists on stage and they changed the atmosphere and entertained with some rock numbers such as Roll it on the River.

George was soon back again and we got more of his almost deafening delivery, no attempt at a rapport with the audience. The crowd were willing and tried a few choruses but I have never seen such relief, even from us greybirds, when the trembling tones of the Bee Gees announced the start of the disco.

Pity really, as the five course meal was top class at the Convention Centre in Silversprings. Manager Eoin Daly was on hand to supervise the clockwork operation as the food was distributed with precision and no little attention to the 250 diners. The main course was beef and it was spot on and everyone was absolutely satisfied on this count. So well done once again to the Moran Silversprings.

If you’d still like to try food and cabaret, there is one venue that you should seriously consider. It has been highly recommended. At the Quality Hotel in Shandon, there is a cabaret featuring Neasa de Baroid every Thursday night. It was regularly sold out last year and the trend continues this year. But, if you book the dinner, you are guaranteed a seat at the entertainment. Sounds like a good deal!

CURRAN'S

CURRAN’S CHEF SCORES
CUSTOMER WINS

I have never been let down in Curran’s in Adelaide Street. I have been in there with parties big and small and never a complaint.

The latest visit produced the same result. Good friendly service and top class food, well prepared and at a decent price.

Guidebooks regularly recommend that you check out the Plat du Jour when you are on holiday. I wasn't on holiday but I did take the Chef's Special on my most recent visit to Curran’s. I’m glad I did.

It was pan-fired monkfish, accompanied by vegetables (spinach, carrot, onion – cooked to a perfect point, not too hard and, the spinach excepted, not at all soft), and laid on a bed of potatoes with mozzarella and served with a rich lemon sauce. It was a tasty and substantial treat for €24.95, a bit more that I would like to pay for a main course but well worth it on this occasion.

The wine, which cost €17.95 for the bottle, was a Pinot Grigio Chardonnay from Italy (Pasqua). It was dry and crisp, a hint of green apples in the taste, and went extremely well with the monkfish and the rich sauce.

Dessert was a Pavlova with fresh fruit. They do a good Pavlova here, the real thing, but the fruit, while nice, could have been a bit more exotic. There was just too much apple in it.

All in all, another enjoyable visit to Curran’s. The restaurant has an upstairs room for large parties. I had one there last year and I was glad to see it fully engaged the other night with sounds of joy and laughter coming down the stairs.

Verdict? 9.75 out of 10. Now if there had been more variety in the fruit that accompanied the Pavlova….

AMICUS

AMICUS IS HOT
But avoid the draught!

The lively Amicus restaurant, in its relatively new location in Paul Street, is about as central as you can get in the city. It has an extensive reasonably priced menu and produces good food. It doesn’t do reservations and sometimes you have to wait for a table.

Our latest visit started for me with a bowl of Moules Mariniere (dear enough at €10.00), with the traditional white wine, garlic and onion sauce. The cooking time was obviously spot-on and they were very tasty, though I could have done with a piece of bread. The Advisor began with a small bowl of Olives (€3.00). These too can be recommended.

On to the main course, where I took a chance and went for the Roasted Vegetable Salad. It consisted of Courgettes, Aubergines, Peppers and Onions, laid on a bed of couscous and baby spinach and served with a few splashes of organic yogurt and pesto. There was quite a plateful. The spinach and couscous bed worked very well and I enjoyed the peppers and the onions but I must admit I found the Aubergine and Courgette fairly soggy and therefore heavy going.

The Advisor went for the Sicilian curry, the chicken version. That was served in its own bowl and accompanied, on the main plate, by rice, relish, etc. All nicely presented and a treat to eat.

We felt we had room for dessert but none of the seven on the list was very tempting so we gave it a skip and finished off the wine. The total bill came to €59.00, plus tip.

That wine was probably the highlight of the night. For €19.00, we got an organic Montgras Soleus Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. This is a top class wine that belies its price tag. It is refreshing with a strong herby flavour that lingers. It also comes with a 14% kick.

Maybe our Irish waitress was new to the job. She certainly didn't have any great knowledge of the menu. For instance, she was asked what vegetables accompanied a certain dish and her reply: “Peppers and things”. Could do better!

While Amicus is certainly a place to go to, there is one section within the place that you should try and avoid. That is around the entrance area. We have been there once or twice and felt the draughts. The entrance is screened off by big glass panels and there are tables right alongside. The trouble is that there is a small gap, running the full height of the panels, and the draughts get through there and make life uncomfortable (the big glass window onto Paul Street doesn’t help either). So if your waitress is taking you to a seat in that area, ask for a different table.

Ironically, having said all that, right outside is the smoking area and there, in a chilly September evening, the dedicated puffers, some in lightweight sleeveless tops, are enjoying themselves with no worries about draughts. It takes all kinds!
Amicus now have a Tapas bar in full operation upstairs and I look forward to paying a visit there and see how it compares with Boqueria in Bridge Street.

BUCKNUTI

GO EAST YOUNG MAN
BUT NOT TOO FAR
















Just east of the city, in Riverstown, you will find the Bucknuti Restaurant, adjoining the BK2 Bar in the Hazelwood Shopping Centre. The name is Thai and many of the dishes, but by no means all, are Thai influenced.

From the extensive menu, I choose the pan roasted Cod fillet with Provencal vegetables, mushy green peas and home cut chips (€17.95). It was a smashing combination, the roasted veg (mainly pepper and aubergine) and peas mixing well with the fish to provide a light delight and the chips too were a cut above the normal.

Most of the desserts are €7.00 and I was very happy with mine: Peach and Orange crumble, with sauce anglaise and ice cream. It wasn't quite the crumble I was expecting but rather a tart with a crumble topping. The filling was mainly peach with possibly rind of orange. The custard was used sparingly and all together the result was a tasty light sweet that satisfied without leaving you with that filled up feeling.

The house wine was a Grenache Sauvignon blend. It was light and refreshing but maybe not great value for the €19.00.

Other family members were out eating as well on this particular night and good reports came back from The Barn (reliable, if expensive, set menu) and Amicus (cheerful and cheaper). Chicken dishes were recommended at each location: chicken breast (stuffed with a cream cheese and wrapped in bacon at The Barn) and a chargrilled chicken breast (her “usual” at Amicus).

WONDERFALL

EARLY BIRD SCORES AGAIN

(but sting in the tail...)

Greene’s, the restaurant by the waterfall in McCurtain Street, is a little bit pricier. But it is also a little bit better. I sampled their early bird (€28.00) recently and felt I had struck a culinary jackpot.

Starter was the Prawns Scampi (see menu illustration). They and the wedges looked scarce enough on the plate but were quite sufficient as a starter. Not just sufficient. They were excellent.

Main course was the Salmon. Oh, so tasty. And the vegetable accompaniment was also brilliant. The Advisor opted for the Toulouse Sausage. She doesn’t go far wrong. Indeed, she wasn't wrong at all. It was absolutely splendid and the Red Wind jus was one of the best sauces of its kind that we’ve ever come across.

After all that, we said we’d settle for a simple dessert and the Crème Caramel seemed to fit the bill. Again there was surprise. The citron just made this plate. Again so tasty. Demolishable!!! But at a leisurely pace.

Service was the usual league of nations that we’ve come to expect in Ireland. But that is only half the story. The young people smiled. They were friendly and above all they were efficient.

By the way, my wine was yet another Pinot Grigio. Again this one (€22.5) was from the Venice region but was tarty and bright and came quite close to matching the bottle from the Trentino region that I found so appealing in Switzerland (see Swissroll07.blogspot.com).

Oh Oh! After that so positive review, sad to report that during that night and into the following day, each of us suffered from an upset stomach! Arret