FENN'S QUAY

FENN’S QUAY

Fenn's Quay, for quite a while now, have been offering early birds and supper menus. What could they offer now for Dine-in-Cork Week? Got the superb answer last evening, supplied in some style by Head Chef Kate Lawlor and her crew who gave classy value for each of our twenty five hundred cents.

Six starters plus two specials posed the first choice. Had a warm chicken salad with crispy potato skins and a sweet chilli dressing. A day previously I had enjoyed a warm chicken salad at an out of town venue and it was fine. But this was a whole class ahead. Superb also was our other starter, a Smoked Mackerel (by Frank Hederman) Pate, with toasted breads and pickled vegetables.

The advisor ordered the grilled plaice with colcannon, butternut squash and celeriac  and it was another winner. I too hit the jackpot with my Escalope of Marinated Irish Chicken breast with herbed basmati rice, shredded vegetables and a cool raita dipping sauce, an international combination that felt just right in this old corner of Cork.

Kate’s cousin Kevin Crowley had been tweeting all and sundry all week that their Rhubarb and mascarpone tart with a chocolate biscuit base was a winner. We are using our own rhubarb at the moment. But we trusted him, we still do. It was absolutely superb, beautifully cooked and well presented.

Enjoyed the meal and the coffee that followed. Oh, by the way, Kevin is the wine expert of the trio that run Fenn’s Quay, cousin Kate and partner Pennapa are the other two, and we wanted sometime tangly and tingly and so choose the Cantosan Verjedo 2008 from Spain. Blurb says “delicious fresh flavours of zingy pineapples with touch of peach.” I got the latter while Kevin himself said pineapples. As I say, he is the expert. In any case, it was tangly and tingly.

So no argument there and no argument whatsoever that this was delightful meal, one of the best we’ve had during a busy Dine-in-Cork Week. It was very busy on this Friday at Fenn’s Quay but there was no sign of stress at all as the crew, including our smiling April, kept the show going with their usual efficiency and friendliness, not to mention the classy food.

No wonder Fenn’s Quay will be well up on our list when the Dine-in-Cork experience is repeated in the autumn.

NEW TEA TASTES

NEW TEA TEST

My tea drinking experience has been more or less confined to the traditional way, always with milk.

Threw off the old habit when two samples of Barry’s new products, Pu-erh and Rooibos, arrived. Enjoyed them both, without the milk.

Started with the Rooibos from South Africa. Naturally rich in antioxidants, caffeine free and low in tannin, said the blurb. This can be drunk with or without milk. I tried it without and thought I mightn’t like it after the first mouthful but I persevered and was glad I did. Really liked it and also like the fact that “antioxidant rich foods contribute to general health and well-being.”

The well-being theme continued to the Pu-erh tea from China, Not quite a sharp a taste as the Rooibos, more rounded and, for me, easier to drink from the first mouthful, without the milk of course. This is also rich in anti-oxidants and is “reported to aid digestion and reduce blood cholesterol”.

Watch out for these, sample them if you can. I know all of us don't have the same tastes but I’ll certainly be included these on my tea lists from now on. 

Island Gate in Cork

ISLAND GATE

In the Island Gate for a confirmation lunch today. Been quite a while since I’ve been here, much longer since I first saw the place, then owned by Mr Harris and known as the Dew Drop In, on whose apron the Little Island and Caherlag Coursing Club used to gather before a hunt in the then sparsely populated Little Island across the road.

Got off to a good start today with a basket of freshly baked brown bread and, despite the few confirmation parties, the meal itself was well up to scratch.

Started with a Warm Chicken Salad: chicken marinated in soya and crispy bacon, sautéed & tossed on a bed of leaves. Starters were generally large.

Unusually, I went for the Beef Curry as the main course. It was a well made bowlful, a generous portion. Indeed, all the main courses near me, including sirloin steak and the roast chicken and ham, were large.

Four desserts on the list and I thoroughly enjoyed my Warm Apple and Cinnamon Pie, a well made piece with real chunky apple. A few nearby went for the Baileys Cheesecake and all were pleased with it.

Occasions such as these can sometimes prove too much for restaurants but the Island Gate had no problem in catering for it: the food was quite good and so too was the friendly service.

Check out my review of Island Gate - I am cork - on Qype

Pandora Bell in Limerick

PANDORA BELL

Irresistible. Walked into Nash 19 last Tuesday morning and didn't get past the very first display in the shop: a stand of tempting colourful lollipops from Pandora Bell. Grabbed a bunch and went to work on the tasting.

I’m a big kid now but these lollipops – or suchettes as the French suckinctly call them – are big enough. You get quite a few licks for your €2.50. They come in various flavours: strawberry, lemon, orange and mint and all colours and flavours are natural. Beautiful.

But then I expected nothing less from the Limerick confectioner Nicole Dunphy. Already she had tempted us with her honey nougats and salted caramels not to mention her Easter special: gorgeous real shell chocolate eggs. Keep up the sweet work, Nicole.

The Cornstore Wine Bar and Grill in Cork

CORNSTORE

Walked into the Cornstore last evening for another €25.00 Dine-in-Cork meal and was surprised to see the Cornmarket Street venue two thirds full at 6.45pm. Surprising because it was in the middle of a recession, early in the week, early in the evening, and also considering that the famous old street is under re-construction at present and you have to find your way through the various safety barriers.

One of the staff said the Dine in Cork Week was proving successful but there must be more than that to it. We had passed another participating restaurant and it looked close to empty. The Cornstore has been gradually making its reputation and has come up regularly on the grapevine in recent times. In addition, it has won a couple of regional awards and is going for national honours in the current Restaurant Association of Ireland contest.

We were about to find out what the fuss was all about. We got a warm welcome and were soon seated. My Gravlax starter (home cured organic Donegal salmon with capers and a red onion salad) was excellent. The Duck Liver Pate (with an apple and grape chutney and toasted sourdough bread) was of a high standard.
For the mains, I chose the Pork belly (with creamy mash, roast root vegetables with an apple purée and cider jus) and this was another five star plateful. There was a change to one or two items on the menu, including the cod. This was now served in a white bean (with tasty bacon bits and spring onion) cassoulet, quite a creamy one. Not quite on the same standard as the Pork belly but good nonetheless.

Sticky Toffee pudding wasn't on the advertised menu but it was one of the best I’ve come across and the other dessert, much lighter, was a delightful lemon posset with a rhubarb compote, served in its own hinged jar. Nice touch, nice dessert.

Two happy customers finished off with the coffee and a little bar of Milka chocolate, adding the Cornstore to an ever expanding list of quality Cork restaurants. No shortage of staff and the service was excellent all through and we had a laugh or two with our friendly waitress.

The Cornstore probably has the longest list of wine available by the glass in Cork. I counted eleven in the red section. Tasted a few. The house white was the Chilean Los Tilos Sauvignon Blanc (€4.95). The first citrusy mouthful really got your attention: sharp tangy and dry. The house red was Los Tilos Cabernet Sauvignon, a lively easy drinking wine also at €4.95.

If you are going to pay a bit more attention to the wine, maybe less to the conversation, then it would be worthwhile to pay a little extra. I enjoyed a glass of Spanish Bodega Muriel Tempranillo Rioja (€5.95) which was a better drink on all counts: deep red, fruity, great body and lingered well.

Check out my review of The Cornstore Wine Bar and Grill - I am cork - on Qype

GREENE'S (by the waterfall)

GREENE’S   

What did we ever do before butternut squash?

That question was popped in Greene’s Restaurant (by the waterfall) last evening as Dine in Cork Week continued with yet another smashing meal for €25.00.

The butternut squash came in one of the starters where it was combined with Ardsallagh Goats Cheese in a Spring roll, quite a large one, served with mixed baby leaves and a beetroot dressing. We both enjoyed one.

Then on to the main courses. The West Cork confit of duck leg was on  parmesan mash, braised red cabbage and a rosemary jus. An excellent deep plateful though the strongish aroma of the Rosemary jus permeated everything.

We also had the 8 oz ribeye steak, with a brandy pepper sauce. It was cooked to perfection and the presentation was impressive as the dauphnoise potato stack had a neat layer of onion added before being crowned with a Portobello mushroom. Enjoyed that one!

I went for the Irish Liqueur Crème Caramel. It was a lovely dessert but I must say the Crème Brule across the table was really one of the best we’ve ever come across and to top it off it was served with a few delicious homemade shortbread biscuits and ice-cream, a real five star treat.

Very happy too with our bottle of the house red (c €23.00),  a Sicilian Ca'di Ponti Nero D'Avola 2008. It was a juicy, easy-drinking treat with “ripe black cherry and plum fruit” and a hint of spice. Coffee was also included in the price and needless to say we got a friendly welcome and excellent service. Highly recommended. Got out and try that Dine in Cork menu. Most restaurants, including Greene’s have four choices per course and you won't go wrong!

www.greenesrestaurant.com/

Tel +353 21 4552279

BARRY'S TEA QUIZ

BARRY’S TEA COMPETITION

I’m afraid our Barry’s Team quiz turned out to be something of a trick question which was not at all the intention. Many of your parents will have known and been familiar with the company’s shop in Princes Street and that figured in the vast majority of the answers. But the correct answer and you may see it on their website http://www.barrystea.ie/ was Bridge Street.

The Bridge Street shop opened in 1901 and closed in the 1920s with the Prince’s Street shop opening in 1911. Despite the many “wrong” answers, there was a tie and the name drawn from the hat was: Derek Schaper.

JACQUES KICK OFF MY DINE IN CORK WEEK

JACQUES

Kicked off my Dine in Cork Week at Jacques last evening and thoroughly enjoyed my four course meal for €25.00. Great to see the local restaurants getting together on this one and giving the customer “a cut”. Eithne Barry though reminded me that Jacques have been doing this value menu for ages.

And it is good value, good food. Our starters were typical. One a tasty Chicken Satay (on a skewer) with couscous, the other organic green leaves with chorizo, warm potato and parmesan shavings in a spot-on warm salad.

The confit of Skeaghanore Duck was popular in the packed Phoenix Street room, packed at 7.00pm by the way, but we both went for the Fresh Hake with a Hollandaise sauce and sprouting broccoli. Served with some mashed potato, this was just delicious, a great balance of ingredients.

Just a general point on sauces. I would prefer to see the sauce served in its own container so that the customer can choose the exact amount he or she wants. By the way, the amount served at Jacques was well judged, unlike some establishments where your meat or fish can come “swimming” in the sauce.

There were a few changes from the advertised Dine in Cork Menu e.g. Hollandaise instead of Prawn Butter sauce. But, the kitchen in a busy place is a fluid situation and variations are to be expected here and in the market. One, though, wasn't. The menu on the night promised an Orange and Raspberry Roulade and, in its place, a Blackcurrant Roulade was served.

To tell the truth, it was gorgeous, but not everyone would like the tarty taste of the blackcurrant. The other dessert, an Apple and Olive Oil cake with a Maple icing, was much richer than expected and quite a treat.

We each had a glass (€6.50) of the house wine which was from the Languedoc, an excellent Moulin de Gassac Sauvignon. Finished with a decent cup of decent coffee to round off a fine meal. Service overall was excellent, friendly and quite efficient and the comfortable place was buzzing. Jacques has been a leading player on the local scene for decades and shows every signing of maintaining its high ranking.

Mary and Sheila Fresh Fish

FISH AT BALLINCOLLIG MARKET

Made a quick visit to the Ballincollig Farmer’s Market last Wednesday and met the fish selling ladies from West Cork, Mary and Sheila. I had forgotten I called them lively in an earlier post, maybe my spell checker changed it from lovely.

We had a chat about fish and how the fashions are changing. You hardly ever see whiting nowadays while the now popular monkfish were once thrown back overboard. Like me, they enjoy their meals out and we all agreed that Over the Moon in Skibbereen is top class and they also had a good word to say for Le Voyage at the Wine Vaults restaurant in the town. They were surprised that the gurnard dish, that we enjoyed recently at the Silk Purse, was so expensive (€23.15).

While we were chatting, they were filleting some fresh hake for me and the charge was a very reasonable €11.50 for five big fillets that were all thoroughly enjoyed at home that very evening.

The girls, by the way, do a lively (that word again) business in the Skibbereen Market very Saturday morning and that was where I first saw them in action. And Swanton Plants, where I bought some herbs on Wednesday in Ballincollig, are also regulars in the West Cork town.

On a previous visit to Ballincollig, I had a chat with Joy of Joy’s Jams saying I preferred marmalade with peel. She didn’t have any at the time but didn't she go away and make a batch for me and the minority that enjoy the peel. Thanks Joy, I’m enjoying that pot now!

Check out my review of Mary & Sheila Fresh Fish - I am cork - on Qype

MARCH-APRIL REVIEW

MARCH/APRIL FAVOURITES 

All tried and tested in last two months

Highly Recommended Restaurants: Augustine’s, The Silk Purse, Raymond’s (Midleton),  Fenn’s Quay, Over the Moon (Skibbereen),  Aherne’s (Youghal), Liberty Grill.

Recommended: The Bullman, Gilbert’s (Cobh), Vienna Woods, Hardwood, La Jolie Brise (Baltimore),  

Really Good Food Shops: Iago, The Good Food Shop, On the Pig’s Back, Hudson’s Wholefood (Ballydehob), Le Gourmet (Youghal), Nash 19, O’Keeffe’s,

Top Farmers Market: Skibbereen (Saturdays)

Top Cheeses: Ardrahan, St Gall (Fermoy), Hegarty’s Mature Cheddar, Sunview Goats .

Top Yoghurts: Glenilen Farm
Top Soups:  Just Food (Cobh)
Top Marmalades:  Joy’s Jams and Nash 19, both have peel with Joy's having the biggest pieces; also recommended: Follain’s, Joy's Jam (without peel) and Bramley Lodge

Favourites cereals:  Just Food’s Organic Muesli and Nash 19’s Granola

Pubs with a difference: Franciscan Well, The Bierhaus

Weekend break: West Cork Hotel

Looney's Butchers in Mayfield

LOONEY’S BUTCHERS

Looney’s, with their butcher business and the chipper, have been part and parcel of life in Mayfield for decades.

They are obviously providing a great service in the area. If there is one product they excel in then it has to be their mince meat which is the best around. Service is always friendly and chatty.

Check out my review of Patrick Looney - I am cork - on Qype

Swantons Plant Centre in Skibbereen

SWANTON’S PLANT CENTRE

My poor Rosemary was a victim of the hard winter and but it took me a while to write off her chances of a full recovery.

That decision out of the way, I headed to Swantons Plants at the Ballincollig Farmers Market to get a replacement. Told the man on duty my tale of woe and we concluded that the effects of the prolonged winter on plant-life were much the same as those of the banking collapse on business life.

The market is held in a lane between modern buildings, quite a few of them empty. “I’ve been trading here a year, “ said the man from Swantons. “And not one new shop has opened.” Swantons’ main business is in Skibbereen and they are also regulars at the market there.

I had bought some parsley and sage on an earlier visit and added just a pot of thyme to the rosemary. The herbs by the way cost a very reasonable two euro each. The stock though goes away beyond herbs and you can buy all kinds of flowers and small plants there and get a bit of home-spun philosophy as well.

Photo: River Ilen in Skibbereen
Check out my review of Swantons Plant Centre & Plant Scaping Services - I am cork - on Qype

O'Sullivan Poultry (English Market)

O’SULLIVAN POULTRY

O'Sullivan Poultry in the English Market have everything you might expect in such an establishment.

But now they have added some unusual meats as well: Ostrich, Kangaroo, Crocodile, Rabbit, Pigeon and so on. I was on the “hunt” for venison the other day and they had some from Tipperary in stock.

A neat packet, costing less than four euro, caught my eye. Was surprised that it held more than enough for two. Took it home and had ourselves a delightful venison casserole that evening. Easy and not at all costly.

Check out my review of O'Sullivan Poultry - I am cork - on Qype