FENN’S QUAY FOODIE FACE-OFF

FENN’S QUAY FOODIE FACE-OFF

Fair play to Fenn’s Quay’s  Head Chef Kate Lawlor: she has organised another foodie face-off in her restaurant over the coming Wednesdays. Paul Axford and Sarah O'Riordan are the contestants in the second semi-final of what is properly called Chef du Jour and the winner will take on Waterford’s Jeni Pim (above, left, with Kate) in the final.

First up is Paul Axford who takes over the kitchen on Wednesday the 29th. Kate tells me this enthusiastic amateur cook has “a nicely constructed menu”. Paul is fit and ready to go and there could be tackles flying in the kitchen as he is a rugby league aficionado with a particular gra for the Leeds Rhinos. You may read all (well, maybe not all!) about him on his blog http://probablyranting.wordpress.com and stay in touch via his tweets at @paxo13.

A week later, on March 7th, Sarah O’Riordan presents her menu. Sarah has a “proper” food blog at http://yummynom.blogspot.com and her twitter handle is @yummynom. Kate: “Our second contestant is also an enthusiastic cook and Sarah has come up with a quirky menu. She is buzzing with excitement and looking forward to her shift in the kitchen.”

“On each night, our guests will be treated to a 4 course menu at the reduced price of €36 and there will be a selection of wines available on the night for purchase. With communal tables, it's a great night for all foodies to chat about the food and wine. They will meet their chef and see how many stars the judges award.”

The first semi-final took place before Christmas when Waterford’s Jeni Pim got the nod ahead of Clare resident Paul Callaghan.

Chardonnay Marsanne, star of the Pfeiffer Parish

 Chardonnay Marsanne, star of the Pfeiffer Parish

 

Pfeiffer, Carlyle Chardonnay Marsanne, 2008 Australia, 13.5%, €14.55 Karwig Wines 

Carlyle is the name of the parish where Australia’s Pfeiffer Wines  are based and Chris Pfeiffer is so proud of this Chardonnay Marsanne wine that he named it after the parish.

This is about as local as you can get and these little things are important. I remember New Zealand wine-maker Tim Finn, one of the wine pioneers there, speaking in Star Anise before Christmas and mentioning one of his little blocks and its peculiar suitability for producing excellent wine from a certain grape. But Tim was in no doubt what would happen to that little parcel if a major wine company took over. It would just be dug up and the most profitable vine planted.

And that would inevitably lead to less and less choice for the consumer. The survival of the family farmer, be it in dairy, meat or wine, will ensure choice in the long term. It is important and a point underlined by Darina Allen in last week’s Ear to the Ground when she pleaded strongly for the survival of the small butcher.

 Chris is one of these passionate family wine-makers and, fortunately, they do exist and quite a few of them find a market here and indeed visit regularly as you can see here.

Chris (left) showed this wine a few months back at an Australian Stickie evening in the Hayfield. I was impressed with it then and perhaps more so now after a longer “study session”.

Colour is pale yellow with hints of green and the nose is aromatic. On the palate, you sense immediately something fresh and rare. Lets you know it’s there, a lively little number, yet the unusual grape duo produce quite a smooth creamy combination, a very nicely balanced wine, with a dry persistent finish.

When Chris and his wife Robyn (who also attended at the Hayfield) took over the winery in the mid 80s, they were delighted to receive important practical help from their neighbours, even if the nearest of the new friends lived about 40 miles away!

Chris was representing those same Rutherglen neighbours and fellow winemakers at the Hayfield and was every bit as eloquent in promoting their wines as in pushing his own, perhaps even more so. He is obviously proud of his area. No surprise then that he named this one after the parish. It is a lovely wine from what must be a lovely place.

Superb Food at the Hayfield Manor

Hayfield Manor Hotel

“Now you see her” is the title of a Joy Fielding mystery novel based in Cork. One of the main characters had excellent taste and based himself in the city’s five star Hayfield Manor Hotel.

I was there last Friday evening, no mystery, just there to enjoy a superb dinner at the Perrotts Garden Bistro, one of the Hotel’s two restaurants. The other option is the Orchids Restaurant but that was booked out by the time we started checking for places.

The Orchid may the favourite but the Bistro, though it may not have the carpet on the floor or the linen on the table, is still a class venue, great place for a group or a couple to enjoy a meal. Service is well tuned, delivered with efficiency, a smile and a chat (if you want).

The Monkfish

 We found it hard to pick a starter so took the easy way out and went for the lot, well for the Starter Plate for Two (18.00), a plate with samples of their Caesar Salad, Warm Crottin de Chevre, Tiger Prawn Spring Roll, House Smoked Magret Duck Breast and Shot of Soup. All tasty, though my personal favourites were perhaps the Caesar and the Duck! CL, after some deliberation, gave her one two to the Spring Roll and the Caesar.

Halibut

Then on to the Main Event, as they term it on the menu. CL went for the fish special: Roast Fillet of Monkfish, with Cabbage, Leek and Fennell Fondue (in own pot), crushed baby potato and chervil beurre blanc (24.00). No calories spared here in the creamy fondue and overall an excellent combination, a superb match.

Sauternes

Often I go for the special myself but this time picked the Pan Seared Fillet of Halibut, with Herb infused Potato Gnocchi, and crispy Alsace Bacon, with Carrot and shallot puree and Pea Shoots Salad. Not a great Gnocchi fan but must say that this was another super dish. Fish was done to perfection, the puree was a highlight as were the crunchy tasty bacon pieces, the flavour coming through cleanly to add contrast to the fish and the same could be said of the textures. A five star combination for sure.

We had a liquid dessert! Had a good look at the tempting list on the menu but, feeling rather full, we ordered a glass each of the Chateau Barbier Sauternes 2005 (9.00). And sip by sweet sip, we brought the meal to a lazy close.

A Hillside Pinot Grigio

A Hillside Pinot Grigio

Ronco Blanchis, Pinot Grigio, Collio, Italy 2010, 13.5% abv, €13.99 @Karwig Wines 

Colour: Straw is what the publicity says but that seems a little dull. Maybe barley flashing in the sun.

Nose: Quite aromatic and very promising.

Palate: This wine is quite full bodied with more flavour than usual, velvety, and more rounded than normal. Here you find fruit, a good balance and a decent finish. 

Quite a contender all round and would like to taste it in a head to head with the excellent pale Little Beauty Pinot Gris that Fleur McCree showed in L’Atitude last week.

Collio is a province of Gorizia, part of Friuli, and is next to Slovenia. It is said to produce Italy’s best and most expensive dry whites.

When speaking of Pinot Grigio, the reliable Vino Italiano says that “Friuli’s best are the best in Italy”. Honestly, I can’t tell you if this is the best in Friuli. But it ain’t half bad. Recommended.

And just to explain: Ronco is a term for a hillside vineyard.

Amuse Bouche

Time for your Amuse Bouche

In 16^th century England, the law dictated much of everyday life.

“Food was ...regulated... depending on status. A cardinal was permitted nine dishes at a meal while those earning less than £40 a year (which is to say most people) were allowed only three courses, plus soup. Happily, since Henry VIII’s break with Rome, eating meat on Friday was no longer a hanging offence, though anyone caught eating meat during Lent could still be sent to prison for three months.”

From Shakespeare by Bill Bryson.

LAZY LUNCH AT ELECTRIC

LAZY LUNCH AT ELECTRIC

Click on image to enlarge

Enjoyed a long lazy lunch, with two colleagues that I used to work with, at South Mall’s Electric last week and it worked out very well indeed.


But I knew the signs were good when I checked out the menu on their site. No delay then as I made the booking via the site, a very impressive facility indeed, as you immediately know where you stand and it even gives you a reference number.


I mentioned lazy there at the start but should make it clear that it applies to the customers, not to the staff, all of whom were friendly and efficient and up for a chat and a bit of banter. Makes the whole experience that bit more enjoyable.


There are over six starters on offer and the one that caught my eye was the Crispy fried tripe with chorizo, chickpeas & kale (€6.00). I didn’t change my mind in the comfortable restaurant and must say I really enjoyed it. Quite a combination of flavours, quite a match.


There are about nine “Main Plates” and, in addition one or two, of the starters may be ordered as main courses, a great range of choices for lunchtime. One of my colleague picked the Ground steak beef burger with an onion ring, chips & aioli (€13) and pronounced himself quite happy it while the other was delighted with her Tagliatelle with prawns, parsley, chilli, lemon & garlic, reasonably priced at €11.00.


For me, it was the Baked cod with wilted greens, herb mash and parsley beurre blanc (€13.00). Nice presentation here and the chunk of cod were quite large and done to perfection; the greens and the kale were a perfect complement while the sauce was just gorgeous. Fortunately, they didn’t give me too much of it or I’d have been taking a spoon to it (pictured, top right).


One colleague, the only one working, had fallen by the wayside when it was time for “Something Sweet”. All deserts are priced at €5.80 and we had no complaints with the two. I enjoyed the rather different Iced prune and almond terrine with blackberries (bottom left in photo) while my colleague tucked in to her Sticky toffee pudding with rum & raisin ice cream (top left).


During the meal, I had a glass of one of the four white house wines (a very satisfactory Sauvignon Blanc from the Languedoc); they also do four reds and one rose. There is also a full wine list and, with the bar downstairs, you have lots of choices in the drinks department. Took our time over a couple of coffees and then two happy customers headed off before the parking discs expired.

MACROOM’S CASTLE HOTEL

MACROOM’S CASTLE HOTEL

Must tell you that I really enjoyed a recent stay in the town of Macroom where I was a guest at the excellent centrally located Castle Hotel . 

The hotel is located right on the main street and looks very well indeed, well kept, well painted. It has three doors on to the street, one for Dan Buckley’s Bar, one for the Next Door Cafe and the other for reception.

Our first contact was the reception desk and we got a very warm welcome indeed. No shortage of information on the hotel and its facilities and also three brochures for the town and its surrounds. That friendliness continued right through all areas of the hotel, restaurant, bar and cafe. Other facilities available to guests include a lovely swimming pool, gym and treatments area.

Before we checked into the hotel, we had taken a walk through the nearby Gearagh, a fantastic place and well worth a visit. Now after leaving our bags, we headed west the street to the nearby Town Park, through the Castle entrance, and enjoyed a smashing stroll on the banks of the Sullane River.

We had been told the pastry treats in the cafe were irresistible and soon confirmed they were. Later, we visited the Hotel’s B’s restaurant, where again the service was ever so friendly and the food was well presented and generally top notch.

After dinner, we gravitated towards the bar. Once again, we found friendly helpful people. A proactive young employee gave us a tip as to where best to sit, to stay away from the door to the street as the weather had turned very cold and an icy blast intruded whenever the door opened. We took his advice.

After a good night’s sleep in our warm comfortable room, we headed for breakfast. What a selection! Juices galore, all the cereals, nuts and seeds you’d ever want, yoghurts and berries, breads and pastries and, of course, the hot meals from which I picked the Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg.

This lovely hotel is right bang in the centre of the town and the town itself is also very central to the region’s attractions with Cork and Killarney each about 30 minutes away while West Cork and North Cork are also easily accessible. Even if you must pass through rather than stay, do stop at the Next Door Cafe or the restaurant and see if you resist their goodies.

Little Beauty Comes To Town

Fleur (centre) with L'Atitude owners Beverley (left) and Emma

Tom (left, Fleur and Cathal

Fleur with Maurice of Wine Alliance

Little Beauty Comes To Town

In 2002, the land in Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand, where the grapes for the Little Beauty wines  now grow, was a sheep farm. Fleur McCree and her partner spotted its potential and got to work, planting from scratch and patiently waiting three years for their first crop.

“It was exactly the kind of place we were looking for and we wanted to work it,” she told the appreciative audience as she held a tutored tasting of the wines upstairs in the newly opened L’Atitude Wine Cafe at No 1 Union Quay.


There were many hurdles to overcome, including starting to sell their first wines as the recession hit. But sell she did and sell she does, this Irish call the prelude to trips to Scandanavia and Russia and maybe a call to Pro-Wine.

She sells these wines to luxury hotels in the UK and the prices there really underscore the point that Little Beauty’s Irish Importer Maurice O’Mahony of Wine Alliance  makes frequently: these wines over perform at their price points.

Irish stockists sell the range at anything from €15.00 for the Sauvignon Blanc to 25 for the Pinot Noir. In the likes of Claridges, the Savoy and the Gleneagles you’d be paying anything from 50 pounds sterling to 70.

Prices could well rise here. The emergence of China, Hong Kong and Japan as big markets for NZ wine has pushed Ireland from 5th to 8th in the league of NZ wine importers. If that trend continues, it is possible that less and less wine from that beautiful far country will find its way here.

We started off with the 2009 dry Riesling. This was bursting with flavours, fine, balanced and refreshing. A Bronze Medal Winner at the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Challenge, this wine is currently being presented at 2* Michelin Restaurant, Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Scotland.

Marlborough is the home of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and when you know that the Little Beauty winemaker Eveline Fraser was “stolen” form Cloudy Bay, you know this is going to be good, and it didn’t disappoint. It is indeed “A fine example of an aromatic, intense and mouth-watering single vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc”.

The limited edition Pinot Gris was next up and by the way all the wines were accompanied by really tasty nibbles from the kitchen at L’Atitude, quite a reminder to the punters that this a venue worth visiting on a regular basis. The pale Pinot Gris had a fresh and inviting aroma and felt full and creamy on the palate, a step up for sure on some regular Pinot Grigio visitors to these parts.

Fleur and yours truly

Next tasting was the 2009 Gewürztraminer. This was strongly aromatic and pleasingly luscious but stopped well before reaching full sweetness. Goes well with Asian cuisine.

And then came the Pinot Noir, the silky star of an altogether excellent show, and Fleur recommended matching it with lamb. It is a gorgeous wine, full of plum, raspberry and red cherry flavours. It has an attractive background spice and has benefitted from 12 months in new French oak.

A Little Beauty to finish a delightful session in L’Atitude. The Wine Cafe intends holding a series of these events and the next, on the Rhone (presented by Simon Tyrrell of the Wine Store), takes places on Monday March 5th. Check with the venue for tickets.

And that isn't all. L’Atitude also holds classes for both novices and those interested in going further and indeed the next series is due to start shortly. The contact number is 021 2390219 or email: info@latitude51.ie. Also keep an eye on their Facebook page

Hands on and join the food dots in West Cork weekend

Stephen Sage has been on to tell us all about a fantastic Weekend Break for food enthusiasts in West Cork, Ireland, for St Patrick’s Day 2012

West Cork has a reputation as a centre of excellence for artisan food production; a reputation founded on the care, commitment and skill that the artisan producers and providers of this enticingly beautiful part of Ireland bring to all that they do.

Many of them have a lifetime’s worth of practical experience, and are more than happy to share their skill and passion with people who appreciate good food.

West Cork Food has been created to bring the treasure-house of that experience within the reach of individuals like you, people who truly appreciate good food, how it’s produced and how it’s cooked.

During a weekend or longer, you get to meet and visit artisan producers, watch the experts at work, acquire some new skills, stay in quality accommodation and enjoy the captivating landscape and seascape of West Cork in all its diversity.

West Cork is an area served and supported by small businesses, a key element of its distinctive character. West Cork Food is itself a small, local business, and we act as a focus for the wide range of artisan producers scattered across the region so that they can provide food, cookery or gardening enthusiasts like you with a unique experience; an experience that incorporates the active participation of those producers themselves.

West Cork Food is organised and managed by Sally Barnes and Stephen Sage, and grew out of their discussions around how to bring the world-class quality of West Cork artisan food production to a wider audience.

Journalist Carol Gilbert described the initiative in these terms: ‘Sally Barnes and Stephen Sage have initiated an enterprise, which effectively joins up the dots. They have included all that is best to showcase West Cork food and provide an enjoyable quality experience for groups visiting the region.’

Web: www.westcorkfood.com

GREAT BUZZ AT L'ATITUDE OPENING

Click on image to enlarge. Top: Bev (right) and Emma welcome guests and, top left,
Brock shows how it's done. Below: guests and staff.

L’ATITUDE WINE CAFE

L’Atitude Wine Cafe, on the go at 1 Union Quay, across from City Hall, since early December, officially opened last evening. Joint owners Beverly Matthews and Emma Lagrande were on hand, making sure the party went well. And it did: no shortage of wine, no shortage of tempting food, no lack of general merriment. A great buzz!

Half of Cork’s twitter characters were there and the conversation flowed for well over 140 minutes. I enjoyed mine. Brock of coffee roaster @BadgerAndDodo was the first man I met and he helped serve up some smashing coffee.

The crew from @BubbleBros joined the fun as did a bunch of wine connoisseurs including @theleggalamb, @wineallianceMoz and @marcus_karwigs. Had a great chat with the enthusiastic @biasasta and her husband.

Restaurants were well represented with @Nash19Cork and @AugustinesRest among the attendance. Food suppliers spotted included @TomDurcanMeats and @mccarthykanturk. The press and PR world were well represented by @deshocks and @renatemurphy, among others.

The Wine Cafe is open for breakfast, lunch and light evening meals. The wine menu is on a huge blackboard and there are over 50 carefully selected wines to try, 25 of which are available by the glass, pichet or in a special tasting measure. So: sample and learn!

Not all wine. Stout and lager and local craft beers are also available and of course locally roasted gourmet coffees and speciality teas. The food, described as “deli style”, comes with a strong French and Italian influence but with an Irish thread running through it. Something different and well worth a visit!

Valentine's: from tea to wine to aphrodisiacs

CELEBRATING VALENTINE’S WITH TEA. AND WITH WINE.


Seems to be confusion galore about St Valentine, the Patron Saint of Lovers. How many saints of that name were there? Anything from one to fourteen, depending on where you read.

Hard to say then if the real Valentine enjoyed a cup tea or a glass of wine, two suggested ways of celebrating next Tuesday, the first recommended by Nash 19, the second by the folks at the Wine Store.

Nash 19 may not have saintly approval but Mairead O’Brien quotes Henry James: “There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony know as Afternoon Tea.” Nash 19 will be serving Afternoon Tea in Honour of St Valentine during February and March. The daily slot is 2.45 to 4.00pm, booking is essential (021 4270880) and cost for two is €38.00.

Mrs Tyrrell of the Wine Store tells me they love their Northern Rhone wines and would love to share some with you this month. “The list of the wines in this offer include many that are not normally listed on the site, some are only available in very limited quantities.” Looks like a special to me and well worth checking out here.

Must say, I enjoyed my Plan de Dieu during last summer’s trip to the area and spotted one on the list - Côtes du Rhône Villages, Plan de Dieu 'Le Temps est Venu' 2010. It is down from 15.95 to 13.95. And there are decent deductions on the prices of Condrieu and Côte Rôtie. Certainly worth a look. But hurry if you want a Rhone special in for the big day!

If you want to really impress why not check out the Fotal Island Hotel. They have some tempting packages here.

And, if you’re truly daring, or just chancing your arm, the Town Bar and Grill in Kildare Street (Dublin)  have a Special aphrodisiac menu on for Valentine’s Day!

MONSTER MUNSTER FOODIE TWEET-UP

MUNSTER FOODIE TWEET-UP

Ace chef West Cork’s Bryan McCarthy (left) is looking forward to welcoming foodies from Munster (and probably) to a monster foodie tweet-up at Springport Hall Hotel on the first Sunday of next month, March 4^th. No less than nine courses are planned for the evening which begins with a drinks reception in the Balltydaniel Bar in the highly rated hotel.

Bryan is the chef at the 4 star 1 AA Rosette hotel, “cooking with the seasons and using local artisan produce”. You’ll find him on twitter under @newfoodie2012 while the hotel itself tweets as @springfort and the event tag is  #munsterfoodietweetup . Costs are €75pp for drinks reception, 9 course tasting menu & wine (+ accommodation €25pp).

“This is going to be brilliant,” Bryan enthuses. “We already have a lot booked and spaces will be limited. It’s a great deal at that price and it's going to be epic! The local disco is going to be well over before we finish up. Don’t worry about the disco though as it's rumoured there might be a DJ on the night!”

Bryan is pretty well known for his sensational Twelve Hour Feather Blade of Hereford Beef which went down a treat at last year’s Taste of Cork in Fitzgerald Park. We asked him if it will be on the menu.

Bryan: “As for the menu, there will be lots of local produce including Jack McCarthy’s black pud, Ardsallagh goats cheese, our own pork, wild garlic and of course the Feather Blade beef.”.

Conor O’Brien of JN Wines is consulting with Bryan on the wine list. Details have yet to be finalised. Conor tells me it'll be a sparkling wine reception, then one white wine, two red wines and a dessert wine to finish. “This will be JN wines third time sponsoring the #munsterfoodietweetup and we hope to keep that up into the future.”

Springfort Hall Country House Hotel,
Mallow,
Co Cork.
Tel : 022 21278 

Taste Overload

Craig Camp @CraigCamp

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Wine Camp - 5000 Wines a Year: I saw a comment recently from a wine writer noting that they tasted over five thousand wines a year. I could only think how sad. Was this some sort of punishment? Did someone commit a crime? What a pity to turn such a pleasure into such a grind... bit.ly/xAmarP #wine