ELECTRIC EXTENDS DINE IN CORK

ELECTRIC

Dine-in-Cork may be at an end in most places but both Electric and Liberty Grill are keeping it going for another week to give regular customers a chance at the extra value menu: four courses (including tea or coffee) for €25.00.

Got to say thanks to Electric for putting up a Twitter competition where I was one of a dozen or so lucky winners. Prize was a table for four and a meal from the Dine-in-Cork menu and I took advantage yesterday evening. Glad to report that my guests were all happy with the meal, the venue, the window with a view and the friendly and efficient service.

There are some excellent starters in the line-up and I was tempted by the Bodice and Cabbage. The sticky roast pork ribs came on a bed of sauerkraut and chilli jam. Had the sauerkraut here a few weeks back and it went very well indeed with the ribs.

Thought this might be a sticky dish, especially when the finger-bowl of water arrived. But the pork was so well cooked it more or less fell away from the bone and there was little need to resort to the fingers!

Picked the sirloin for my main course. It was a 6 ounce Angus sirloin served with sauté mushrooms, mash, triple cooked chips (in a paper cone) and mine, by choice, was served with garlic butter. It was cooked as requested and very enjoyable indeed.

They had a good choice of desserts from the regular menu but Baked Alaska was the popular choice and it was, as their heading suggests, “something sweet”. Finished off with coffee as I know they do a good one here. Very enjoyable all round. Now, are there any more twitter competitions at the moment?

CAT WALK CAB SAUV. 9 LIVES? NO. 5 STARS? YES

Cat Walk Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Barossa (Australia), 14.5%, €16.99 RRP, stockists countrywide. 

Rosedale Wines  reckon they’ve put the cat among the pigeons in the Barossa with their innovative approach to wine-making and there are lots of cat words as the Aussies try to lighten up the back label. They leave the serious bit for inside the bottle.

And it is a serious wine. But a very friendly one also. You won't need a technical manual to negotiate your way through, just a glass. You won't even need a corkscrew as this has a screw cap closure.

Perhaps you should note these numbers. The alcohol is 14.5% and the price is €16.99. But I’m sure you’ve handled an ABV as high before and I can assure you it is excellent value for the price.

This highly rated beauty, one of the most inviting Cabernet Sauvignons I’ve come across in recent years, is a deep vibrant red. It is berry good on the nose, all the blacks and blues, and it has an intense palate. The full on fruit is well matched by the unobtrusive tannins and there is pleasant spice from the oak in which it has been aged for 10 months. You may well find other notes in the flavour too, plum in the fruit for instance, but I think that is enough of the technical.

Turn that cap (to the right!) and pour. Lucky you!

COTTON BALL

COTTON BALL

After a meal downtown, called to my local, the Cotton Ball, for a few pints only to chance upon the bar’s Ladies Night.

It was like old times in the venue: good crowd, music, dancing and craic. There were even bare chested bar-persons. Don’t worry. All male. And oh so very pale. You’d think Dracula had just been through!

A free drink on the way in and spots and raffles galore added to the fun and the whole event certainly brought a lot of new faces, including some of the staff from Sam McCauley’s who were sponsoring some of the prizes but didn't do anything for the pale barmen (sorry, no tan lads!).

In fairness, the staff (and there was no shortage of them) joined in the spirit and kept the good times rolling. The ladies, mainly the mature ones, got to their feet to see the top barman emerge on the floor after a vote. He puffed out his chest but pride before a fall. One of his voters picked up her prize, at least part of it. The other part was a kiss from yer man but she avoided that by the proverbial barge pole.

But all in good fun and it was a very enjoyable night. Hope it is the first of many. Well done to all concerned.

THE CORNSTORE

CORNSTORE

Started the final weekend of Dine-in–Cork with an excellent meal at the busy Cornstore. All the Menus, including Dine-in-Cork, were produced upfront and overall the service was excellent and delivered with good humour and a smile or two.

No shortage of choice on the Dine-in-Cork which offers four courses for €25.00. My starter was the Cornstore Treacle Cured Organic Salmon, served with grain mustard, celeriac remoulade and pickled cucumber. Very tasty indeed.

Salmon again in the main course, picked from a choice of no less than nine plates. Mine was Poached salmon with green olive tapenade, mash, grilled asparagus and a tomato and fennel salsa. All the elements combined to give a really well balanced and tasty experience. Excellent.

Six or seven items on the Dessert list and I choose the Black Forest gateau roulade with Black cherries. This was the real thing, tasty cherries, moist overall and irresistible. Finished off with a good cup of coffee.

Good meal at a good price in an excellent city centre restaurant. By the way, the wine list here is quite extensive and there are many choices by the glass or by the half carafe.

Total bill for two, including 50cl carafe of Casa de Vila Verde Vinho Verde (€17.95), came to €67.95.

SEAFOOD & SAUVIGNON AT HAYFIELD MANOR

Click on image to enlarge

On the following evening (May 17, 5.00 to 7.00pm), in OUZOS Bar and Grill, 39 Main Street, Blackrock, Dublin, Neil Ellis is your host. There will be a walk around tasting complete with some delicious seafood canapés.  Neil will be on hand to answer questions on his wines. Tickets are €15/head or €25 for two.

This will be followed, at 8.00pm, by a Winemaker’s Dinner. Neil will guide us through a 4 course meal designed by our Chef Raouf to complement his wines perfectly. €60 a head to include wine with the meal.

SPARKLING EVENING COMING UP

Raise a glass of Champagne Lanson at Donnybrook Fair

Legendary Grand Marque Champagne Lanson visits The Restaurant @ Donnybrook Fair onWednesday 25^th May at 7.45pm for a sparkling evening of fine Champagne and exquisite food in association with Tindal Wine Merchants. Tickets for this event are fantastic value at a mouth-watering €60 per person or €100 per couple.

Lanson’s Champagne Ambassador, Enguerrand Baijot, will guide 

COFFEE PARADISE

COLUMBIAN PARAISO COFFEE

Gareth Scully, Master Blender at Robert Roberts, tells us that the Columbian Paraiso Coffee is a mid morning one. No problem with that; mid-morning is my favourite coffee time and this one is just perfect.

Indeed, it is the fourth in 2011 Robert Roberts Connoisseur Club and keeps up the high standard set by Brazilian Bruzzi (Jan), Monsoon Malabar (Feb), Sigri A (Mar).

Scully: “Columbia produces some of the most complex coffees in the world and this little gem is no exception.”  He felt a lighter roast was best to make this coffee “really deliver” and it was roasted for 11 minutes @191 degrees and released 30 seconds after the first crack.

 

The name Paraiso is taken from the village at the centre of the local co-op and I really enjoyed this one from the first sip. Tasty and well balanced, the flavour is complex and it has a long aftertaste, a classic coffee. Gareth suggested trying it both black and with milk saying the addition of milk and its cooling down effect give a little extra length to its body. Not too keen on the milk. Maybe I’ ll get someone else to try it.

3 REDS FROM THE ANGELS OF VENTOUX

3 REDS FROM THE ANGELS OF VENTOUX

Heading south to Provence at the end of the month and felt the need to get in a bit of wine practice.

Headed south (a wee bit shorter) to Karwig Wines of Carrigaline the other day with that mission in mind and I picked up three reds from the Irish owned and Irish managed vineyard Domaine des Anges, in the Mont Ventoux region of Provence.

 More about des Anges here.  By the way, if anyone has any tips for Provence – wine or otherwise - I’d be delighted to hear from you. I’ll be based near Arles.

The three reds, also available at  Red Nose Wines and maybe other independents, may well come from the field of angels but the pleasures they give are rather earthly (not that I’ve had any experience of the other side!)

Domaine des Anges Le Tricolore Ventoux AC, 2008, Grenache/Syrah, 13.5%, €11.60 (Karwig Wines)

 

Of the three wines, this is probably the most user-friendly, satisfying both the novice and those more acquainted with the slightly deeper side of wine. Colour is medium red and the nose is fruity (woodland fruits mentioned on label!) On the palate it is light and spicy, dry enough to give a nicely balanced easy drinking wine.

The photo of the Domaine shows where three flags hang outside: the Irish and French tricolours and the EU standard. Funnily enough, there is no sign of the producers name on my bottle and le Tricolore is not listed in the website wines. Grape Varieties: 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah.

Domaine des Anges, Ventoux AC Rouge 2006, 14.5%, €12.75 Karwig

Colour is medium to dark red while the nose finds a discreet red fruit mix. On the palate it is subtle and tender, smooth, rich enough with fruit, the tannins discreetly do their work to balance it up and there are moderately spicy notes in the long finish. A well made wine for sure, a friendly wine for drinking with friends as it hinted in the literature.

Karwig tell us that the grape varieties are 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah. “A rich, deep, garnet colour. The nose a mix of raspberries , cranberries, chocolate, liquorice and subtle notes of thyme and rosemary. The flavours carry through on the palette, with tannins are that are full, ripe yet velvety smooth. The finish is soft, round and long.”

Domaine des Anges “Archange”, Cotes de Ventoux, 2006, 14%, €19.20, Karwig Wines

This blend of 80% Syrah and 20% Grenache is best of this well made trio and has been highly praised. It is more complex than the other two. Colour is a rich dark red with a pleasant nose of black fruits. In the mouth, it is fruity, juicy and spicy, a really smashing wine. The Syrah has spent 12 months in French Oak barrels of which a quarter are new. 

COOKIE CHALLENGE!

MARKET CHALLENGE from ANGELFOODS!


Picked up some tasty cookie bits and a challenge at Blarney Farmers Market recently. After the tasting the samples, I bought a bag by Angelfoods which contained most of the ingredients and all the instructions needed to make 18 Spiced Date and Sultana Cookies.


Had the gear.  The opportunity came this dreary Bank Holiday Monday. The alternative was watching St Mirren and Hamilton Accies on the telly - I did break away from the baking to see the only goal!

Added 4 ozs of butter and one medium egg to the mix and it was easy after that. Fifteen minutes in the oven and soon afterwards was doing the taste test. Not bad at all. Cookies can be stored for up to one week. Don't reckon they’ll last that long! By the way, Spiced Oat and Sultana is just one of a selection of cookie flavours available in this handy kit form. Watch out for them!

SHINING STAR OF BRIDGE STREET

STAR OF BRIDGE STREET

Just have to tell you about Star Anise in Bridge Street. Had the most fantastic lunch there yesterday. It is a very convenient venue, so close to Patrick Street. Inside, the colour scheme is just gorgeous, the room bright. The food too is gorgeous and the people you’ll 

meet are friendly and efficient.

Had dinner there a good few months back and so we were expecting a high standard. We weren't disappointed and herself reckoned it was her “best lunch ever”.

My starter was certainly the best Tomato and Basil Soup I’ve ever had. This was a darker colour than your normal effort, topped with Parmesan shavings and also a swirl of Olive Oil; it leaves all other such soups in the weakling category. 

The other starter was Marinated Olives with salad and hummus; another top notch opener, the most beautiful herby/garlic marinade and, if memory serves me right, for just over 3 euro.

I always have an eye for the specials as does the other half who went for the Lamb Kebab with Couscous and a Cucumber/Yoghurt dip. Could start wading through the Thesaurus for superlatives but let me just say that it was brilliant.

I picked the fish of the day which was fresh Haddock, served with rustic sliced potatoes and haricots verts in the most delightful sauce of Fennel, Tomato and Saffron. Could go with brilliant again or maybe just wow! Presentation all round was excellent.

Ended with a selection of desserts (they do a Dessert Plate for Two there) and enjoyed a sample of Vanilla Crème Brûlée, Vanilla Panna Cotta and a New York Style Baked Cheesecake.  Finished off with some excellent coffee having had a delicious Chenin Blanc to accompany the earlier courses.

What a day: sunshine outside and a taste of the Mediterranean inside.

WHERE TO EAT

WHERE TO EAT 

wheretoeat.ie is the website of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and quite a handy one.

Home Page highlights Special Offers, Latest reviews, and a Featured Restaurant.

Tabs here also for Gift Cards, Events, Places to Stay, Recipes and Cookery Schools.

I had a run through and there is quite a lot behind the various tabs. Take the Recipes for instance. Here you can find everything from Rhubarb Crumble to Beef Wellington, dozens of good ideas and all suited to the local scene.

DINE IN CORK WEEK

Issacs-regular participants

DINE IN CORK WEEK

Always look forward to Dine in Cork Week. Why not, with four courses for €25.00? 

The participating restaurants make a genuine effort to give value for money. Take Fenns Quay, for example, who have five choices of starter, mains and dessert. And others, such as ECO in Douglas, have as much choice, if not more

.

BRAVO JACQUES

BRAVO JACQUES 

Jacques  claim to be the city’s longest established restaurant and they do the simple things superbly.  Here they serve great food and they serve it well and the customers keep on coming.

It was full last Saturday night. But they are used to full houses, well capable of handling the demands, the confidence built through the last three decades or so.

We were welcomed with a smile and soon seated and all the staff we met were friendly and efficient and all interaction was carried through with good humour.

That care for the customer runs through the establishment. We ordered their Rack of Baby Easter Lamb with a soft herb crust and a sprouting broccoli (€28.90). After the expected “delay”,