MARKET LANE

MARKET LANE

What value at Market Lane this evening. 

By chance, I choose a starter and main course that were on the €20.00 early bird. Starter was Pork and Liver Paté with pickled red cabbage followed by Slow cooked Ham Hock with Savoy Cabbage, Sautéed potatoes and Cauliflower cheese. From three desserts, I choose the Chocolate Pot to go with my included coffee. Of course, it wouldn't have been value at all had the food not been up to scratch. But it was just scrumptious.

My non-financially challenged other half went a la carte and started with the Olives at €2.95. Most starters, by the way, cost about €7.50. It was a massive bowl of Olives and we shared both olives and pate. Her mains was a Tempura of Monk fish with lemon and herb potato cake with a tomato, olive and saffron ragout €18.95. She a very happy overall, even though she thought the ragout was a bit too strong for the fish.

The place was busy, busy. People were being turned away before seven bells struck, not a seat to be had. Busy or not, the standards were high. Service, with a smile and a chat, was top class all through.

Oh, nearly forgot the wine. We had a 50 cl carafe of the house white: St Marthe Sauvignon Blanc, with decent flavour, body and length and excellent value at €12.00.

http://www.marketlane.ie/

021 427 4710

MARGARETTA’S CORNER SHOP

MARGARETTA’S CORNER SHOP

Thought the day of the corner shop was gone. Apparently not. Indeed, Margaretta’s Corner Shop at the Brewery End of the Old Youghal Road is a relatively new venture. It is small but pretty well stocked and doing well enough, according to the two ladies I met there today.

Unfortunately (sounds wrong), I just had one big note on me today and there wasn't enough change in the till. I was putting my purchase back but was told to take it anyhow – for nothing! Hard to believe such generosity in these hard times. But I put it back anyhow. I wasn't that thirsty and was on the way home. Thanks girls!

Check out my review of MARGARETTA’S CORNER SHOP - I am cork - on Qype

CLARE VALLEY WINE TASTING EVENING

AUSTRALIA'S CLARE VALLEY COMES TO BLACKROCK CASTLE

WINEMAKER TIM ADAMS IS YOUR GUIDE FOR THE EVENING  

THE CLARE VALLEY STORY   

They have been making wine in Australia’s Clare Valley since the 1840s and the story, which has strong Irish connections, comes to Cork, to Blackrock Castle to be exact, on Tuesday week. Indeed, the valley was named by Edward Gleeson (known as the King of Clare) who left Sixmilebridge (Co. Clare) in 1850.

Tim Adams, owner and wine-maker of Tim Adams Wines, will be your guide to the valley at the Blackrock Castle event. Tim will present and show not only his own wines but those of five other producers:  O'Leary Walker, Wakefield, Mt Horrocks, Knappstein and Jim Barry. Nibbles will also be available at the tasting.

Nestled within the South Australian bush land, the vineyards of the Clare Valley are some of Australia's finest. Perfumed Riesling, delicate Semillon, aromatic Shiraz and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon are some of the highlights of this region.  

And you can meet them all at the Castle on Tuesday September 7^th at 6.45pm (‘til 8.30pm). Tickets available from Wine Australia Ireland (details below).

The Clare Valley Story

Clare Valley Wines

Event info & tickets (€20.00)

John McDonnell

Manager, Wine Australia Ireland

Ballyvaughan, Co Clare

Tel. 00 353 65 7077 264

M. 00 353 87 2673 693

E. john.mcdonnell@wineaustralia.com

E. ireland@wineaustralia.com

RIVERVIEW CAFE

THE RIVERVIEW CAFE

Made an unscheduled coffee stop at the Riverview Cafe in Fitzgerald’s Park this morning. Just a handful of people there about the 10.45am mark, thought there might have been more.

A cup of coffee and a croissant cost me €5.00 and I took it to an outside table in the sun. An inquisitive robin (photo) perched alongside and stayed a few minutes, eventually declining the few crumbs I’d placed in his direction.

Coffee and croissant were fine and the break enjoyable. 

This cafe by the way is open seven days a week and quite central to the attractions in the area.

http://www.riverviewcafe.ie/

Tel: 021 427 95 73

"BUY YOUR OLIVE OIL LIKE WINE"

OLIVE OIL BATTLES

(NOT A POPEYE IN SIGHT)

Once in Tuscany, a wine and olive  oil producer told us the best way to make olive oil is to immediately cold press the just picked grapes. On his place, it was done in the cool of the night as the Olive Press (pictured) was too hot during the day, which it was. I tried it and you could hardly stand there for a minute.

He was scathing about the big companies who dragged in olives from all over the Med and were still able to claim that oil was on a par with his. The longer the olives are hanging around (or in transport) the more the acid is a factor. Some big producers filter out the acid but also much of the goodness.


We got some of his oil, packed in a special tin for travelling. But it didn't last forever and then you have to go out and buy here.

Choose the oil as you do wine.

That’s the advice from Saveur Magazine in a recent article on Olive Oil, which also lists some interesting figures on Italy production and consumption and exports.

Took them at their word and set up a tasting. Managed to mount a line-up of four at short notice.

One: an Italian, from Karwig Wines in Carrigaline; Farnese Oilo Extra Vergine di Oliva, organic, from the town of Casoli, in the province of Chieti (CH) in the Abruzzo region of Italy. I think this was about 11 euro for 500ml.

Two: a Greek Spray-on Job from KTMAX. Surprised? Me too. But they do have a foodie rack in the shop. This was Odysea Extra Virgin Olive Oil, approved by the vegetarian society. Reduced to €5.99 for 250ml.

Three: A purchase from Aldi. Under their Evoo brand, it is an Extra Virgin but no indication as to country of origin. Three or four euro for 750ml.

Four: A very recent buy from the Ballymaloe Shop (by the house).  This was Emile Noël’s organic Extra Virgin from Noël’s in Pont Saint Esprit in France. Cost €9.20 for 500ml.

It was close at the finish but I gave my casting vote to the Farnese with the French one a whisker behind. The Spray-on was a distant third while the Aldi was an even more distant and best forgotten revolting fourth.

I’m talking here about Olive oil for salads and breads and so on as ordinary Olive Oil will do for cooking in most cases.

To see the Saveur article go to http://bit.ly/9LCbuO

In 1951, Pont Saint Esprit was the scene of a mass poisoning, heavy stuff.  For that weird almost sci-fi story go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-Saint-Esprit

BARBECUED BANANAS

EASY DESSERT  

These barbeque days just last and last, fingers crossed!

Here’s my favourite dessert when out in the garden.

Put your bananas on the grill and allow them to almost blacken (about 15 minutes on ordinary charcoal).

When bananas close to ready, get your bowls and lay down some ice-cream. When bananas ready, slit them quickly, remove skins, and lay flesh on the ice-cream. Now, add in a table spoon or two, and one for the cook, of a nut liquor. And eat quickly.

No nut liquor? Then try Kirsch or a dark rum. But, if you do get the chance to get yourself some nut liquor, do so as it definitely gives the best results. Believe this veteran. I’ve been doing this for 17 years, since I first visited the Dordogne and bought myself a bottle of Sarlanoix.

The Butcher's Block in Cork

THE BUTCHER’S BLOCK (BLACKPOOL)

The Butcher’s Block has some nine shops nationwide and two in Cork, one in Douglas, the other, which I visited over the weekend, in the Blackpool Shopping Centre.

On the lookout for BBQ stuff and stocked up on the pork chops (five for a fiver) and the fat butcher’s sausages (six for 3 euro). Good value, good service (friendly, chatty) and, most important of all, the meat got the thumbs up in the back-garden.

Now what more would you want? How about some Bandol Rosé. Even the wasps agreed.

021 4932576
www.thebutchersblock.ie

Check out my review of The Butcher's Block - I am cork - on Qype

THE WEEKEND CATCH - YOUR WEEKLY CORK FOOD & DRINK UPDATE

THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant & Bar Scene in Cork

via Twitter & Facebook

No.5 Fenns Quay Restaurant new menu hit the right notes tonight (Thursday) great to be back up and running !!

Nautilus restaurant We have some organic sea trout and delicious scallops for specials this week :)

RaisingReds Redhead Convention August 21 Saturday in Cork, Ireland, in Crosshaven at Cronin’s Pub and Crosshaven Farmer’s Market from 11am to 10pm.

CuriousWines  Last opportunity to have your wine delivered for the weekend http://bit.ly/cz83ab (order before 3pm today for Friday delivery)

SoHo Bar & Restaurant Oh the weather outside is weather.... Ah Well, come in to SoHo for a cocktail, and forget about the weather. How about a 3 course meal for only €25?? Check out the Early week menu in the reastaurant!!

SlowFoodIreland Download an application for the Waterford Harvest Festival Artisan Food Producers' Award atwww.slowfoodireland.com

westcorkhotel posted 5 photos on Facebook in the album "Sunday's Dessert Buffet" http://fb.me/AmsWJpaK

Bibliocook Gregg's (Wallace) Favourite Puddings by @puddingface is a greatest hits of the pudding world. Open any page and dip into...http://fb.me/DYP5nbhn

Bordbia Something quick, tasty & wholesome for this evening folks http://bit.ly/donwfw

Catavino For Sherry fans - harvest 2010 is underway in a few places http://bit.ly/cPqGff  according to @mroconnell some might be a bit retarded! http://bit.ly/bkRrsV

Greenes Restaurant Cork Check out our Christmas menus on our website. Book groups of 10 or more before September 15th & get a pressie from Santa!!  www.greenesrestaurant.com

donalskehan Feasting on wild foods in Sweden! http://t.co/r5g8nJx

We search the net, via Twitter and Facebook, each Thursday evening and early Friday morning, for the latest from the Cork restaurant and bar scene. If you don't have either of the above, reach us at cork.billy@gmail.com. Deadline 10.00am Friday.

POT OF HONEY OR POT OF GOLD

HOW MUCH SHOULD A DECENT JAR OF HONEY COST? 

I need someone to educate me on honey. Why should I pay €6.95 for 340gm of the sweet stuff when I can get 454gms of it for €1.99?

I admit, the comparisons aren't exactly like with like. The dearer one, Deise Honey, is made on a farm in Co. Waterford.

The cheaper one was bought in Aldi and had the Irish tricolour marked on it and was called Kilcrea Gold. So, I thought it was Irish made, especially when I saw the County Cork address on the jar. There is a drawing of Kilcrea Abbey (Ovens) on the jar and the address is Cooleen Foods, Co.Cork.

The obvious difference, before tasting, was that the Kilcrea was much darker. On tasting, the difference, to me anyhow, is not that much though I would definitely prefer the Waterford product but at €6.95 it the most expensive I’ve come across in the last year or so.

Now, one other thing, rather annoying, about the Aldi jar. As I say, it had all the looks of a local product but, on closer inspection, I read, under the tricolour (where you normally expect to see “produced in Ireland”)  “packed in Ireland” and the product is a blend of EC and non EC honeys.

That, of course, doesn't rule out Irish honey and of course it is no crime if it is not. In addition to its well known Irish Organic range, Mileeven Honey in Kilkenny market a “ range of honeys from around the world”.

CAFE GUSTO - MORE THAN A CAFE

CAFE GUSTO

Cafe Gusto is more than just a cafe, more than just two cafes as it is found in both Washington Street and Lapps Quay.

What makes it different is its attitude, easily seen in its tweets and Facebook pages. “We are the glass half full type of people.” I like that in these recessionary times.

The post Celtic Tiger era has led to a whole load of gloom but you won't see that at Gusto or its sister restaurant the Liberty Grill (also in Washington Street), both of which by the way serve top class food and drink.

I was strolling up there the other day and called into Gusto for a cup of their excellent coffee and who should I meet, for the first time, but Marianne, my twitter mate.

And what was she doing? Helping out a visitor to the city. Marianne and partner Denis do this as a matter of course.

Speaking of twitter – Tuesday is tweet day at Gusto in Lapps Quay where the twitterati meet up and enjoy free wi-fi, battery charging and the second cup of coffee among friends free. Not bad.

Denis recently said to me that we have a great product in the city and county, lots to see and do “but it can be hard to find them if you are plonked down in the middle of it”.

And that’s where the friendly attitude of Denis and Marianne and their staff come in. They go out of their way to make visitors welcome and Gusto has a rack of informative booklets available.

They also use the internet to help out and are always willing to plug events that liven up the local scene as you’ll have seen with their efforts on the Lee Swim and Paddy Games to mention just two.

Obviously Denis and Marianne are not the only two in town with this pro-active attitude. But we need more of them. After all, the more we pull together, the further we will go.

And the payoff? Well, have a look at this from a globe trekking LA foodwriter

http://www.glassofwin.com/?p=2508

GREAT TASTE WINNER

The competition for the Great Taste hamper drew loads of entries from all over the country and the winner is:

Gerry McCarthy

from Co. Offaly

A hamper of teas and coffees from Robert Roberts, a long standing Irish company who, as all of you indicated in your answers, won 12 stars at the recent Great Taste Awards in London, is on its way to Gerry.

AN CRÚIBÍN in Cork

AN CRÚIBÍN
Enjoyed one of their famous Sexy Lunches at An Crúibín during the week. Enjoyed also meeting the guys behind the venture, Paul and Frank.
The menu was being chalked on the blackboard as I came in and, aside from the odd Spanish flourish, the words looked plain enough. Deceptively so. I choose the Spiced Carrot Soup and the Smoked Mackerel with New Potatoes.
The soup, as they say in this neck of the woods, had eating and drinking in it. It was bright orangey with a swirl of cream in the middle. The eating? Well, sunken circles of carrots and crunchy bits of other veg and just enough spice to warm you up. Just brilliant! Took a lingering look and then, as Frank, having a bowl himself, suggested, gave it a lash!
Well if the soup was Van Gogh, my mains was Miro. A bit dull maybe on the left where the potatoes and generous circle of mackerel was placed, the bright reds and yellows exploding in the salad to my right. Colours aside, this was really tasty and certainly filled the gap.
They had five or six other promising main courses (eg Hegarty’s Cheddar and Tomatoes) and all were priced between €7.50 and €8.50. Good value to be had here in the shadow of the City Hall.
One of my aims in going out to eat is to try something you don't normally do at home. This place doesn't disappoint on that score. Different class, as another Corkman is fond of saying.
You will see many words used to describe this pub and its Silk Purse Restaurant upstairs: funky, cool, edgy, surreal. I prefer the words they use themselves: low-key, relaxed.

http://themeatcentre.com/wordpress/
1 Union Quay, Cork City, Ireland
Telephone
+ 353 (0) 21 431 0071
Picture above from AN CRÚIBÍN

Check out my review of AN CRÚIBÍN - I am cork - on Qype

THE WEEKEND CATCH - YOUR WEEKLY CORK FOOD & DRINK UPDATE

THE WEEKEND CATCH

Restaurant & Bar Scene in Cork

via Twitter & Facebook

Well done to Nash19Cork  - one of the finalists in the Food and Wine Magazine Award 2010, Good Cooking Catagory.

No. 5 Fenns Quay Restaurant the renovations are going really well the floors are being laid and we hope to back up and running by the middle of next week !!

Nautilus restaurant Various dishes, tempting pics

Glanmire’s cafebeva  for the rest of the week, we are selling the excellent TASTE A MEMORY READY MEALS @€4.00.

@florencehivert EmmanuelDelmas RT 73 portraits of winemakers (vignerons)...http://0z.fr/YxAnS http://fb.me/ECA54YcO

See the In Season Evening Specials for August at Liberty Grill

FreckledPast I'm sharing my 'Made from Scratch' recipe for Barbecue-style Sauce with Slow-cooked Beef Brisket http://bit.ly/bukGce

bordbia | New season potatoes as featured on RTE news. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVeYfo1fHwk

Food Safety Authority of Ireland Latest list of food premises that have been served with a Closure Order: http://short.ie/io855f

The Seaview Cafe & Market Seaview Market back today from 10am until 3pm.

Snapper Ger Mac’s video of English Market http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy9cvGiRCVg

DailySpud  Hint, it involves potatoes... RT @kickpleat: Let me introduce to you my new best friend: http://bit.ly/byhOuH 

rachelallen1 Hello everyone. I'll be doing a cookery demo in Singapore this Saturday at the Singapore Food Festival. If you...http://fb.me/F2xQn2pw

An Cruinin and Silk Purse.  See their OPENING HOURS FOR AUGUST http://themeatcentre.com/wordpress/?p=755

The Future? Robot Chefs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0GKIQdpscg

SlowFoodWCork RT @SlowFoodIreland: First national meeting of Slow Food members in Ireland. Saturday 11th September in Waterford

grapes_of_sloth New wine event http://pauljkiernan.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/tim_adams_tasting_cork_aug_2010/ 

Curious Wines: Ireland's Online Wine Store Indian Summer Chillin': September contest, just posted on the Curious Wines blog. Super snazzy picnic wine cooler up for grabs, only for Facebook followers

We search the net, via Twitter and Facebook, each Thursday evening and early Friday morning, for the latest from the Cork restaurant and bar scene. If you don't have either of the above, reach us at cork.billy@gmail.com. Deadline 10.00am Friday.