ALL FINE AT THE IMPERIAL

TOP FISH DISH AT THE PEMBROKE

Had a very enjoyable main course of Sea Bass on a very recent visit to the Imperial Hotel (Pembroke Grill). The fish was the main ingredient and was allowed to shine, not suffocated by the accompaniment as happened in Ballincollig (see previous post). It was served on a bed (appropriately small) of colcannon, a little Mediterranean style vegetable mix, small potatoes and a shared dish of sautéed potato rings. It was cooked to perfection and a lovely meal for €19.50.

The wine too was superb. It was a Macon Lugny “Les Genievres” Louis Latour. Apparently, Lugny is one of the best areas in Burgundy and is certainly well represented by this particular product.

Finished off with a perfectly done Crème brûlée. The friendly and efficient service at the comfortable venue was with a foreign smile but a smile is always welcome, no matter where it comes from.

· Earlier in the day, we had called to the Griffin Garden Centre (pictured) between Dripsey and Coachford. We were there at lunchtime so couldn't resist the temptation to call to the Spinning Wheel Restaurant in the centre. Quite a selection on offer here. Cod (at €9.90) was one of the main courses of the day but we went for the Lamb at €11.90. Again, the meat was superb and so too was the vegetable accompaniment. If you are in the area, remember you don't have to have greenfingers to enjoy the fine fare at the Spinning Wheel!

A TOUCH TOO MUCH

TREACY’S of Ballincollig

First impressions on a recent visit to Treacy's Bar/Restaurant in Ballincollig were good: busy and lively and it definitely has a buzz. It is well laid out and spacious, though you would want to watch out that you don't end up sitting on a stool at your table (they will get you a chair, but if you are sitting down for a reserved meal you would expect to have a chair there in the first place).

They do a decent range of dishes with a matching range of prices. As regards prices, the only quibble I would have is with their main courses, particularly the fish courses which cost in the mid twenties and could be a lot less – tell you why later.

The starter I chose was a Tapas selection. Cost was about €9.90 and was well worth it. The platter contained fish pieces, chicken pieces, bread with tomato and mozzarella, along with little bowls of piquant olives, sundried tomatoes etc. Quite tasty and enough for two on the one platter.

The main course I chose was the fish of the day, Red Snapper, which weighed in about the €22.00 mark. The fish was good quality but it was overwhelmed by what came with it. It was served on a massive mound of rice which looked like Ayers Rock on the plate. The side dishes were a bowl of roasted Mediterranean vegetables (slight smell of burn here) and a version of potato grattan which didn't add anything other than bulk to what was already an overcrowded plate.

It was just too much in quantity, too little in quality, and a suggestion for Treacy’s would be to take a look at what Market Lane in Oliver Plunkett Street can achieve with such a fish dish. Less can often be more! Quite a lot, certainly of the rice, went back. Now, I reckon, if less was served in the first place, that would bring down the costs and lead to a keener price for your main dish.

The Advisor took Chicken Snitzel at a very reasonable €14.40. Again there was nothing wrong with the meat (in fact, it was of a very good standard) which was served on a bed of fried mashed potato. The tasty enough sauce came in its own bowl but then came the overkill: a plate full of salad and a dish of undercooked chips. Another case of where quantity rather than quality won out.

Finished off with two mugs of coffee, good quality and reasonably priced at €1.90 each. The wine was also excellent. It was a Ca’vive Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie, cost €19.90, four euro less than the same bottle cost in Treyvaud’s of Killarney a few weeks back.

TASTE OF THE KINGDOM

KERRY TIPS

For your evening meal try Treyvaud's on the High Street, Killarney (064 33062), a popular if slightly expensive restaurant run by two Swiss brothers.

The efficient service and attention to detail starts the moment you walk in the door. The service is not at all intrusive, just sufficient. Obviously the attention to detail includes the food selection and preparation.

Most of our party had fish – I had the Hake special at €24.95, which I thought was a little over priced. The fish was perfect and had been cooked to perfection and the same applied to the seasonal vegetables that accompanied it. Everything was perfect. No complaints.

But for that price, one might have had expected some little innovation or variation, that the chef, with such perfect ingredients, would challenge himself. By comparison with the sea bass dish in the Market Lane (see separate post), the hake, while not at all a letdown, far from it, suffered.

Desserts, all reasonably priced at €6.50, were very good value and I enjoyed my Passionfruit Cheesecake. Other desserts that came to our table included Bread and Butter puddings and Panna Cotta.

A bottle of well balanced Pinot Grigio cost €23.95, at the lower end of the wine list, though the house wine, red and white, cost less than €20.00, if I remember rightly.

If you are in Killarney at lunchtime, Mac’s, near the Tourist Office is good bet, with a huge menu and service with a smile.

If you find yourself on the Ring of Kerry at lunchtime, particularly in Caherciveen, try the Times Square cafe in the Eurospar complex at the southern end of the town. There they do a great soup in the house; it is gluten free and served in a generous bowl, though they term it a cup, and they also sell it in combination with Paninis (6.95) and toasted sandwiches (5.95). They also have tempting pastries and free-trade coffee. Again service is with a smile and there is a relaxed atmosphere in the cafe.

(picture: Carroll's Cove , near Derrynane, 12.03.08)

SMALL IS BEST

CASTELLI’S IN PRINCE’S STREET

First impression was that this place was so small but as they say the best is to be found in small parcels and certainly the first visit to Castelli's Italian Restaurant in Prince’s Street was well worthwhile. The room is cosy, comfortable and seats about 30. Service is friendly and efficient.

From the nine or starts on offer, we both choose the Mussels (With tomato, onion & basil). The soup-like accompaniment certainly lifts the mussels to another tasty level. Top marks for this one.

My main course was a medium size pizza: Primavera (Aubergine, olives, tomato, pesto, peppers & red onions). It was done to a T, well endowed with the vegetables and a pleasure to polish off. The Advisor plumped for their version of Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken, onions, tomatoes chilli in tomato sauce, with fries or potatoes). The difference is made by the chilli and, while this dish too went down well, the extra spice may not be to everyone’s taste, so watch out for that.

A 50 cl carafe of house wine (Soave), medium dry with quite a robust flavour cost just €11.00.

The full bill came to a few cent under €55.00. Great value and it seems their early bird is even better value. So now you know!

Castelli’s own words:
Offering an excellent selection of Italian and Mediterranean dishes, Castelli's is the perfect place to enjoy casual lunches and sophisticated evening meals. The "early-bird" specials are particularly popular: a three-course lunch. The restaurant has daily specials as well as offering a regular selection of pasta, salad, and pizza dishes. Its small, warm surroundings allow for good and fast service. Perfect espressos and cappuccinos are available to round off a good inexpensive meal.
Contact Details: Princes Street, Cork - 021 427 3888

BARN STORMER

EXCELLENT RESPONSE

MEAL GOOD ALSO!!!

The Adviser recently made a booking at the Barn and there was an error, on the Barn side. But the response was brilliant. Their hands went up straight away and there was a generous gesture on the next visit.

The Barn, on the Mayfield-Glanmire Road, in case you didn't know, is a reliable fixture at the top end of the Cork restaurant scene. The welcome is friendly, service is good and the seating arrangements are generous in regard to space and comfort. The fixed evening menu costs €50 a head and the wine begins in the mid twenties.

Had a drink at the bar before going in, made our choices from the menu and chose a tarty long tasting Pinot Grigio (which turned out to be a lovely lively wine) for the meal.

Started off with a tasty duck salad, and that was followed by a top drawer bisque. Main course was red snapper with a smoked haddock spring roll, an excellent plate. Desserts comes from a three tray trolley. You are certain to find something sinful to suit you (I took the Mille Feuille) and tea or coffee is available to finish off, unless you want to go to the bar, where you can enjoy a glass of port for €6.00.

The Adviser was well pleased with the evening and we promised to go again, a promise that will be kept.

ROYAL RECEPTION

AT THE YING PALACE

What a welcome we got at the comfortable Ying Palace Restaurant in Mayfield the other night and, more to the point, what a meal! And what value!

We took Selection C on a huge menu. By the way, in addition to the main a la carte menu, there was an even better value introductory menu where you could get four courses for about €15.00. Our selection cost €19.00 per person.

Starter was Shredded Aromatic Duck, served with a fresh green salad and a hoi-shin sauce and thin pancakes to wrap it in. It was beautiful, a very promising start to the evening.

Next course was the soup; this had a most delicate taste but was so beautiful. It was a crab and sweet corn soup, a little gem.

The main course was a combination of turf and surf. On one hot plate, we helped ourselves to very tender, beautifully cooked fillet beef with a black bean sauce; from the other plate, we picked our tasty king prawns, served with a Szechuan sauce. Fried rice and chips were also served.

And we finished off with a cup of coffee each.

Finished off? No way. Our hostess for the evening had been pleasant, talkative and attentive and as we finished our wine (a Chenin Blanc at €18.30), we were offered a little vase of Saki. So we filled our little bowls (twice) with the warmed liquid which she said was about the same strength as the wine.

But she mentioned she had something stronger and soon she produced that. It was a Chinese Rice Wine. It was about four times stronger than the wine and packed quite a punch! Again, there were two little bowlfuls for each of us in the warmed container and it certainly was strong. What a finish to a delightful evening!

Total cost? About €56.00, plus tip of course.

BACK TO SOURCE

SILVER SPRINGS ENCORE

An almost accidental return (my first booked restaurant, nearby, was closed unexpectedly) to Silversprings gave me the chance to try out the Watermarq restaurant again. Aside from some over-cooked vegetables, there was nothing to complain about and we paid about €93.00 for two starters, two mains, two desserts and a bottle of wine.

My starter was a Tomato and Mozzarella cheese salad. Nothing spectacular but certainly up to scratch. The other choice, probably the better one, was smoked (lightly) duck breast with salad.

For mains, I chose the rack of lamb. The quality was good and at €22.50 it was reasonably good value. Medallions of venison were also on the table and again it was tender and tasty. The aforementioned veg, though close to soggy, did taste surprisingly well.

Still room for dessert and both choose the Passionfruit mousse. Nether was disappointed with this light tangy ending to a very decent meal indeed.

By the way, the wine list includes six house wines (three white, three red), all in the low twenties.

TAKE A WALK DOWN THE LANE

MARKET LANE

The Market Lane restaurant, on the lower end, close to Parnell Place, of Oliver Plunkett Street is a welcome addition to the scene in the city.

We called in last night (Friday). The place was very busy but we were soon seated and each of us started with a bowl of delightful marinated olives.

Main course was Grilled Sea Bass (bream normally) with a Mediterranean vegetables and bean cassoulet. It was a happy combination. The fish was the star of the show but the accompaniment was delightful also. This dish needed nothing else, well aside from a 50cl carafe of the house white (11.50). In this case, there was no need for chips or mash or any other bulky stuff to disguise the poverty of the main ingredient. Brilliant.

And the superlatives didn't stop there. There was room for dessert and I chose the Banoffee, a real banoffee this time as the three main ingredients were all present, the banana, toffee and biscuit base all combining to make a very sinful whole. The Advisor had an equally tempting Warm Berry Crumble and spoonfuls were swapped across the table.

The total cost, two portions of olives, two bass, two desserts and wine came to about €65.00. Service was efficient and friendly. So we paid up with a smile and a promise to return.

The Restaurant’s own info:
Market Lane is a new restaurant and bar over two floors that offers great food and amazing value. We use ingredients from The English Market and local artisan producers to make up our menu which has a wide range of fish, salads, meat, game and sandwiches, in addition to coeliac and vegetarian dishes and a healthy kids menu.

We take bookings for parties of six and over. For parties of fewer than six we operate a walk-in policy. Should there be no table available immediately, our large bar is fully licensed. Our upstairs section can accommodate up to 65 people. Reservation queries can be made by telephone to 021 427 4710 or by email info@marketlane.ie . The website is http://www.marketlane.ie/

HOT LUNCH IN THE WOODS

VIENNA WOODS

Quite a while since I was last in the Vienna Woods (where I once slaved in the kitchens).

Lunch was the object of the exercise today and I didn't leave disappointed.

Started with a decent Chowder. For just under 6 euro, I got nothing extraordinary but plenty of fish, plenty of veg. No complaints at all.

Then to the Cajun Chicken Panini with sun dried tomatoes and a nice salad. It was very tasty indeed. The Panini was done to a tee and the Cajun was reasonably spicy. Quite a substantial dish for just under a tenner.

So if you find yourself on the eastern side of the city, you may safely add the Vienna Woods to your list of places for lunch. The menu is packed with choice. Nice staff there too!

MERCIER PRESS SEEKS GRANNY'S RECIPES

Early this week, at 5.00pm today to be precise, Mercier Press will launch www.ourgranniesrecipes.com , a site that aims to collect 101 of Ireland’s favourite traditional recipes.

These recipes will be collected into a book for publication in October 2008 and the royalties from the book will be donated to Age Action Ireland. The book will be called Our Grannies’ Recipes, will be priced @ €14.99. It will be a hardback and will have 192 pages.

Although the site is not replete with amazing design features or fancy software, it is hoped to provide some exciting additions as the project advances:

Polling to uncover Ireland’s ultimate favourite sweet and savoury dishes
Voting on the final cover design
Direct submission of recipes from day one from here:
http://ourgranniesrecipes.com/?page_id=6

A Couple of Notes
Just a few things you might want to know:

Our first post goes live on Monday 4th February @ 5pm so if you do link to the site please be sure that it happens after that.

IMPERIAL DUCK

Downtown on Friday night

DUCK DELIGHT

THE PEMBROKE AT THE IMPERIAL

The waiter at the Pembroke in the Imperial suggested that we get the Roast Farmyard Duckling well done; otherwise we would miss out on the “smell”. He may not have had the words spot on but he knew what he was talking about. We took his advice and enjoyed the aroma of the well done duckling, not to mind the crispy fat.

It was simply gorgeous, very enjoyable, as were the accompanying vegetables and sautéed potatoes. Cost €23.50.

Dessert was a sinfully sweet Sticky Toffee Pudding while the Advisor has the Pear which had been poached in white wine. Happy campers both.

We had a quarter bottle of wine each, a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc which was excellent and a warm and generous tasting Rioja with good body, good flavour. Each cost €5.95. With one coffee ordinaire, the total came to €76.40. And of course, the smiling waiter got his tip!

SUPER SIZED STARTER

The Killumney Utd football team, pride and joy of mine host Michael Sheahan

SUPER STARTER, SUPER MEAL

at the KILLUMNEY INN

You won't be hungry leaving the Killumney Inn. Trouble is you could be full before the finish.

Take the potato wedge starter for instance. It is a huge dish. Better shared. It is quite nice too, the potato served with bacon and topped with cheese.

Main course was baked rack of lamb in a red wine sauce, served with a selection of vegetables, mashed potato and chips. All very nice, all very filling.

Still, there was room for dessert. I had a very enjoyable, very sinkable crepe with a butterscotch sauce and ice cream while the Advisor had the top class lemon meringue pie.

I finished off with a large cup of pretty ordinary coffee.

I must mention the wine which was a velvety Chilean Merlot (de Gras). Absolutely smashing and great value at €17.50 a bottle. It is one of the house wines, three red and three white, all at this good price.

CASANOVA COOLING

NOT SO HOT SECOND TIME AROUND

BUT THERE WERE HIGH POINTS!

A second visit to North Main Street’s Casanova wasn’t quite up to the enjoyable first occasion a few months back.

Firstly, the little on the house teaser that we got on visit one didn't materialise on visit two. And then, the wine, a Gavi D.O.C.G. S'Orsola €23.70, was much too cold on arrival at the table and we had to wait quite a while to get the full flavour and other qualities of what turned out to be a very pleasant dry white wine indeed. It is produced with cortese grapes in the Gavi.

I went for the Calamari Fritti € 8.70 as starter. Not bad though I felt they were a touch on the heavy tasting side and the spicy tomato sauce on the side wasn’t spicy at all. I’ll be taking a different starter next time but must emphasise that this is a question of taste, not necessarily of quality.

The main reason I’d go back was because the Secondi Piatti was absolute brilliant. It was Pollo alla Cacciatora €18.70: Chicken breast, cooked with peppers, onions, olives and tomato sauce. The meat was spot-on and the sauce was full of taste, yet so light. This was a five star course and probably quite a healthy one.

I enjoyed my Tiramisu (apparently it means pick me up) and the Advisor was welcome to her Panna Cotta. Both cost €6.50. Finished off with an Expresso @ €2.50.
By the way, this is the second Italian establishment in a row that spelt the coffee with an X; Gambieni’s also use the X. I tend to go for espresso and I have regularly seen esspresso. Can anyone enlighten?