The Black Pig Wine Bar

The Black Pig Wine Bar

If you find yourself sitting on a sheepskin covered bench on a painted concrete floor with a fire blazing in the stove alongside and you are trying to decide which of 80 wines you’ll sample, then you are in the Black Pig, Kinsale’s newest wine bar.

It opened on Lower O’Connell Street just a few weeks back and is operated by Gavin and Siobhan who have considerable experience from their years with the Ely Wine Bar in Dublin. It may be new but make sure to book before you go. We did last Sunday night - and found our name chalked on the wall behind our table – and were glad we did as the place filled up very quickly indeed.

Some were there for the wine, of course, but quite a few took the opportunity to enjoy the food. They have lined up some terrific local producers including The Real Olive Company, Frank Hederman, On the Pig’s Back, Milleens, Gubbeen, Golden Bean Coffees, Gurman’s Teas, Koko Chocolates, Colm O’Regan Organic Farm, Diva Boutique Bakery and Billy Connery Butchers

Many of the wines are available by the glass. In the whites, you’ll see old world favourites like Chablis and Riesling and new world wines like the Mount Difficulty Pinot Gris and the Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay from Australia. Chile (Carmenere) and Argentina (Malbec/Bonarda) are available by the glass in the reds; by the bottle you may choose the excellent Domaine de Aphillantes Cotes de Rhone Villages 2007 or, if you really love the other half, dip into the sunken treasures and come up smiling with the Close des Papes, Chateauneuf de Papes 1998 at 149 euro.

I sampled a couple of whites, at the lower end, I hasten to add. One was the organic Weingut Wagner-Stempel, Riesling Trochen, Rheinhessen 2011 and the other was the Domain Raimbault-Pineau Sancerre 2011, each at €7.20 a glass. There was a little discussion, almost an argument at the table, but we both, marginally, preferred the Riesling.

Must say we enjoyed our starters: the marinated Artichoke Hearts and the Toonbridge Buffalo Mozzarella with semi sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil, both served with a generous basket of baguettes slices.

The mains were also excellent. No real surprises on the Antipasto Board (12.95) but thoroughly enjoyed the mix of Gubbeen salami and chorizo, Serrano Reserva, mature Manchego along with a bowl of olives, a tasty pesto and more artichokes heart. 

CL was also on a winner with the Frank Hederman Beech smoked organic salmon with horseradish sauce and brown bread. Needless to say there was a fair bit of swapping going on as the enjoyable evening in a busy buzzy spot unfolded, the rain and the wind outside forgotten as the fire glowed. With a cobbled terrace to the rear and a small streetside patio, it should be even better in the good weather ahead.

Impressive Gilbey’s Portfolio Tasting

Gilbey’s Portfolio Tasting

Jon Smith talking to visitors
at Gilbey's Wine Portfolio in the Clarion.

Enjoyed my tour of the Gilbey’s Portfolio Tasting in the Clarion Hotel (Cork) yesterday, the first time that the event has been held in the city.

Quite a few restaurants and bars represented at a very impressive display by Gilbey’s with eight tables, each with a  different wine theme, and a ninth stand that displayed the company’s growing beer selection.

Renewed acquaintance with Des King at Table 3 and he introduced me to a very fine wine indeed: Paul Jaboulet Aine Parallele 45 Côtes de Rhone Blanc. But I couldn’t resist the Trimbach Pinot Blanc 2010 and felt that that just shaded the Rhone. Might need a replay though.

The Old World was the general title for Table 5 and here I knew that Austria awaited and, in particular, two Grüner Veltliners by Laurenz V, the Forever and the Friendly. Must say that I could stay friendly with both forever. The major difference, perhaps for the those looking to reduce their alcohol intake, is that the Forever will come in at 11% abv while the Friendly has the bigger kick at 12.5.

A couple of excellent reds here also. I have, for a long time, enjoyed the Nero d’Avola from Sicily and here they had an excellent Cusumano 2007 but the star for me, one of the best in the show, was the 2009 Churchill’s Douro from Portugal, a rich unfortified wine from old vines.

The ever enthusiastic Jon Smith was manning Table 6 where the wines were Black Tower and Bend by the River. Enjoyed my sip of the Bend by the River Riesling 2011 but found the Black Tower equivalent a bit on the sweet side. But many people don’t and millions of bottles of Black Tower are sold each year in England and Jon reckons that, given two years, a similar proportion will be sold in Ireland.

New Zealand was represented by just two wines at the New World table and both, the Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc and the Hunter’s Pinot Noir, were excellent. If I had to choose one, it would be the SB, “a pristine example of its type”.

Carmenere, once thought to be extinct but it was hiding all along under the guise of Merlot, was rediscovered in Chile as a separate variety in 1994 and has since been associated with the South American country. Sampled the Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere and can recommend it. It is produced in the Apalta, “a new area ..and the best place for Carmenere”.

After that, and with time running out, there was just time to call to Table 9 and the beers and an informative chat with brand manager Ealron Kennedy and that will be the subject of a later post.

Happy. On the Pig’s Back

On the Pig’s Back

Jack McCarthy, Arbutus Bread, Ardsallagh Goat Cheese, Ardrahan, Durrus, Milleens, Gubbeen, Lorge, O’Conaill, Caherbeg Pork, G’s Jams. Familiar food names, local producers. You’ll see lots of their excellent stuff, not forgetting Willie O’Callaghan’s organic vegetables, when you visit On the Pig’s Back in Douglas Woollen Mills.

Of course, you see most of them too in the On the Pig’s Back stall in the English Market, but there is more space here to show them and more space for the customer to browse. And a very pleasant place it is too as I found out the other day.

Did a bit of shopping and gathered up some Jack McCarthy’s pudding, sausage and rasher, among other things. Was on the lookout for his Pancetta. But they were out of it. They do import chosen top notch French produce, imported directly, and so I settled for some Pancetta from the Haute Savoie and was advised to try it in the frying pan with some eggs. Did that for breakfast this morning and very tasty was the verdict. You don’t get that kind of product or that kind of advise in a supermarket!

The main purpose of the visit was to have lunch in the cafe. The place was packed and no wonder as the food and service are excellent. Good choices too with the regular menu supplemented by a list of daily specials. You can have Soupe de Jour or their famous Chicken pate for a starter and then move on to salads, quiches, and various platters of meats and cheeses, before finishing with something sweet.

We settled for a big platter, their Speciality Platter of Cheese and Charcuterie that includes pate, relish, salamis, saucisson, Spanish, French or Italian cured ham, served with a selection of farmhouse cheeses, gherkins, breadsticks, relish, crackers and an assortment of Arbutus breads. Quite a feed and it cost €18.95 for two.

* The Cork French Food and Wine Festival will be held at On the Pig’s Back (Douglas) from the 9^th to the 11^th of May. They are looking for volunteers.

*       Le Cork French Food and Wine Festival organise par On The Pigs Back a Douglas du 9 au 11 Mai... recherche des volontaires!!! Banquet, Foire au vins et produits regionaux, Marche nocturnes, concert et bals, petanques, animations ... il va y avoir de quoi faire!!! Voir notre Facebook page Cork French Food and Wine Festival and like us et contactez nous du volontariat anime et gourmet!! A bientot!!

Paradiso: Paradise Found

Paradiso: Paradise Found

Spring is here and so are the new greens from Gort na Nain farm including the "new kid on the block, cime di rapa, aka broccoli raab amongst other aliases". That green, see picture below, was new to me at least and not the only "surprise" during a superb weekend dinner at Cafe Paradiso. 

In this elegant, intimate and comfortable space, the food is top notch, as is the service. Asked one of our servers about part of the amuse bouche and got all the details, from the ingredients to the recipe to the various possible finishes. More than just training, I think, at play here. This lady likes her job!

And it looks as if that goes all the way from the front of house (great to meet Geraldine on her home turf) to the kitchen where Denis Cotter has brought this cafe, founded in 1993, to a multi-award winning top class restaurant. One of my friends, who travels widely in the hospitality industry, tells me that it's "not alone the best vegetarian restaurant in Ireland, it is probably the best restaurant in Ireland".

Tartlet of caramelized beetroot & Bluebell Falls fresh goat’s cheese, salsa verde and olive-crushed potato.

Marinated Toonsbridge buffalo mozzarella with Gort na Nain leaves, roasted grapes, crushed fennel , crispbread and pomegranate syrup and pistachio dukkah

These were our starters. The tartlet was in a class of its own. These can be fairly skimpy in some places but not here! Never had mozzarella served like this before! Fantastic combination. By the way, Gort na Nain farm supplies the bulk of vegetables used by Paradiso. 

Spring cabbage dolma of spiced carrot & chickpeas with smoked pepper-almond sauce, orange mint yoghurt, crushed saffron potato cake and broad beans

 Looks like a work of art, too good to eat! A majestic main course and, if you want the recipe, check it out here

Leek & roast squash gratin with hazelnut & Hegarty’s cheddar crust, citrus rosemary cime di rape, braised borlotti beans.

This is where I met the cime di rape for the first time! Tasted well, like broccoli to be honest, as it played a supporting role here to the magnificent roast gratin. Like many of the dishes served here, this is (well, was) beyond my imagination but certainly not beyond that of Denis Cotter. Superbly executed. 

Crozier Blue cheese, apple, Gortnanain honey, glazed pecans

Cardamom set custard with poached rhubarb and pistachio shortbread

With a visit to Cashel Blue coming up this week, I was delighted to get the opportunity to taste their Crozier, served in such a simple yet brilliant way. And more of the same with our other dessert. Hasn’t the humble rhubarb come a long way from the neglected corner of the back garden!

If the food is the main story here, the wine list has recently claimed a mention. Better let Denis explain it himself: "As promised, we've torn up the wine list and put it back together in a new way. There are two major changes that we're very excited about. Firstly, every wine is now available in four measures. And we've radically changed the way we price wine to drag the top end of the list down into the middle. Get the scoop here, then come in and play with it...http://www.cafeparadiso.ie/blog/a-new-approach-to-pouring-and-pricing-wine"

The result for the customer is brilliant: a new list, new measures, and new prices. There are about forty wines available, all by the glass (150ml), the quartino (250), the mezzo (250) and by the bottle. You also have a choice of aperitifs and digestifs.

We started with a quartino of Dos Victorias ‘Jose Pariente’ Verdejo 2011. With the mains, we each enjoyed a glass of the Cullen Margaret River White 2011. Picked the Cullen in anticipation of a WineGeese event in Paradiso. On Tuesday May 28th the restaurant will, in association with Liberty Wines, host a Presentation & Tasting with winemaker Emma Cullen of Cullen Wines from Australia's Margaret River. Book direct with Paradiso.

Oh, nearly forgot the gorgeous desert wines. One was a brilliant port, the Quinta do Infantado Senior Tawny Port, and the other was Californian Essencia Orange Muscat 2010. Sweet ending to a lovely evening,

Fenn’s Quay Nominated for 3 Restaurant Awards

No.5 Fenn’s Quay Nominated for 3 Irish Restaurant Awards 

Head chef and proprietor of No. 5 Fenn's Quay, Kate Lawlor, will be on tenterhooks on the night of April 23rd when the winners of the Munster Region of Restaurant Association of Ireland Awards will be announced in the Imperial Hotel. Kate won’t be on her own as quite a few local restaurants have been nominated.

Her popular Sheares Street venue has been nominated for three of the most coveted awards in the Irish restaurant industry.  The Awards recognise achievement and excellence in the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry, and No. 5 Fenn’s Quay are nominees for Best Restaurant in Cork, Best Customer Service and Best Chef. 

The Best Restaurant category recognizes ‘The very best in a dining experience, as evidenced by attention-to-detail, a well-structured, balanced and appropriate menu, exemplary customer service and suitable atmosphere’.

The Best Customer Service award goes to the nominee which ‘demonstrably goes above and beyond a normal level of service’ on a consistent basis, and the Best Chef is chosen based on the ‘approach, design and execution of dishes’ and their dedication to ‘push culinary boundaries in Ireland’.

Kate: “We are thrilled to have been selected as nominees for these awards. This is the second year in a row that we have been recognized by the Irish Restaurant awards, along with our 2012 nomination for Best Wine Experience. It is proof that our simple philosophy of using only the best produce from the best local suppliers, and treating it with careful attention to detail, is really paying off”. 

Nominations for the Awards are made by readers of the Sunday Independent LIFE Magazine and members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland.  The nomination & awards selection process is also independently audited by KPMG to ensure that best practices & standards have been adhered to throughout the process.  It is a detailed and thorough process whereby nominated Restaurants face rigorous scrutiny from the Consumer, Regional Judges, a Mystery Guest Visitor and finally the National Awards Academy.  The All Ireland Awards are on Monday 10th June 2013 in the Burlington Hotel Dublin.

To make a booking at Fenn’s Quay call 021-427 9527, email fennsquay@gmail.com , visit www.fennsquay.net  or follow Kate Lawlor’s culinary exploits at fqchefess.blogspot.ie

Amuse Bouche

.... the brewery lads were dreamy-eyed from hopsfumes, while the slaughterhouse boys had been all....night up to their oxters in corpses of beasts, filling the wagons....and the wagons rolled out now across the greasy cobbles, and it was a gorey cargo they hauled:

See the peeled heads of sheep, and the veined fleshy haunches of pigs, and the glistening trays of livers and spleens, skirts and kidneys, lungs and tongues – carnivorous to a fault, we’d ate the whole lot for you out in Bohane.

From City of Bohane by Kevin Barry

Cafe Serendipity. A Happy Hour

Cafe Serendipity. A Happy Hour

Calamari

They were praying for the weather to dry up when we arrived at Cafe Serendipity on the Western Road one night last week. We joined in the prayers. They weren’t answered but our wish for a good dinner certainly was and we spent a happy hour being well cared for by Aideen (the General Manager), Krzysztof (Head Chef) and Keeley (waitress).

The fire was on and we enjoyed its warmth and glow and also the artwork on the whitewashed stone wall as we settled into our comfortable seats. Then we studied the menu and it looked very promising indeed and that good feeling was enhanced with the arrival of the mini-specials board to the table. These had a terrific selection of fish dishes and one very special dessert!

Hake

John Dory

We went with the specials for the main course. I was delighted with my Pan Fried Hake, served with Rösti Potatoes, chorizo chowder, jumbo capers, sundried tomatoes, and crispy Parma ham (16.00). A good mix of flavours, some nice sharpness from the capers and tomatoes and gorgeous fresh fish. Wondering what the chorizo chowder was? Just the sauce but a terrific one.

John Dory, with fondant potatoes, baby carrots, asparagus, Samphire, artichokes and saffron beurre blanc (20.00) was the other special at our table and that too drew the kudos. Looked well and tasted even better. Perfect.

The starters came from the regular list and were none the worse for that. CL enjoyed her Serendipity Smoked Chicken Salad. My pick was the Hot Calamari Salad - Artichokes, jumbo capers, red onions, asparagus, figs and sundried tomato (7.00), one of the best squid starters I’ve had in a while.

 

Prune Crème Brûlée

For dessert, it was back to the Special Boards for CL and a lovely Natural Yoghurt and Red Wine Barry Compote (4.25). Something different for me too, though from the regular list: Prune Crème Brûlée with Pine nut shortbread, a lovely variation on the Crème Brûlée theme.

A Happy Hour? Yes indeed. Perhaps a bit longer, closer to two hours, but we enjoyed the time spent there, the excellent food and friendly service.

New Cream Cheese from Cashel

Cashel New

Cashel Irish Farmhouse Cheesemakers, the makers of Cashel Blue, have come up with a creamy beauty. I was introduced to Cashel Cream Cheese in Carrigaline at the weekend and it could well be a long lasting affair.

It is basically a mix of the famous Blue Cheese matched by Natural Cream Cheese and then they add some more cream! It has a mild and creamy flavour and a gorgeous rich creamy texture. No stabilizers, no additives, just all natural ingredients.

So why did Cashel bring out this new product? “This is an easy to eat everyday treat, which is not as strong as Cashel Blue and therefore appeals to teenagers and people who may think blue cheese is not their thing."

So go on and give it a try. I’ve tried it in various ways: simply on crackers, also on toast and also stuffed into mushrooms and baked as a simple starter. Just take it out of the easy to use tub and try it, maybe as a dip with carrot sticks, perhaps with chicken wings or in a burger or in a hot Panini with Roast beef, chicken or roast peppers. Delicious!

For more info, including recipes, check out the Cashel Blue site here. 

And here is one that was posted on Twitter this week:

Cashel Blue Cheese ‏@CashelBlue25s

Shaved asparagus and Cashel blue salad - Recipes - Food & Drink - The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/shaved-asparagus-and-cashel-blue-salad-8558589.html … via @Independent

Note: It is suitable for vegetarians but not for pregnant women.

Food and Drink Spotting. A Wine Geese Special.

Food and Drink Spotting

The Wine Geese Events

Next event in the series of WineGeese events,sees one of Ireland's most gifted and respected wine writers and broadcasters visit Ireland's wine capital!

Tomás Clancy, well known Wine Writer and Presenter of the Irish Wine Geese series on RTE's Lyric FM, will talk about the incredible influence that the Irish have had (and continue to have) on the world of wine. He will also guide us on a wine tasting of his personal selection of Irish Wine Geese wines. It promises to be a wonderful evening

If you would like to listen to his brilliant four part radio series on the Wine Geese, the link can be found on Tomas Clancy's website here

A special visit deserves a special venue and the WineGeese oranisers are delighted to be hosting this talk and tasting in the Sculpture Galleries Room in the  Crawford Art Gallery in Cork's City centre.

Thursday April 25th. 6.30pm Cost: €10

Venue : Crawford Art Gallery

Booking is strongly advised as all events to date have sold out quickly.

To book, please contact Colm McCan on 021 4652 531

or by email on colm@ballymaloe.ie

Another one for the diary

Thursday May 16th

Venue : Latitude 51

Fleur McCree of Little Beauty, Marlborough, New Zealand, will retrace her family steps back to Cork in a presentation and tasting of her wines in association with Maurice O’Mahony of Wine Alliance.

A Dublin Bay Wine Experience 

Thomas Barton wines are sponsoring the one-woman play ‘A Wine Goose Chase’ by Susan Boyle as part of the ‘Bringing the Wine Geese Home’ initiative at the Dublin Bay Wine Experience, which is taking place in Dun Laoghaire on May 18^th and 19^th.

‘Bringing the Wine Geese Home’ is a wine initiative, in association with The Gathering, which will feature wine events and promotions that focus on wineries with an Irish connection.

 ‘A Wine Goose Chase’ play is the story of the Irish men who left Ireland in the 18th Century and established themselves in the wine industry around the world. It seems only fitting that Irishman Thomas Barton is a part of the storyline as he established Barton & Guestier, Ireland’s most loved French wine brand, in 1725.

Originally from Fermanagh, Thomas Barton travelled to Bordeaux and set up business as a wine merchant. When Thomas died in 1780, his grandson Hugh took over the business. During the French revolution, Hugh Barton was imprisoned and condemned to the guillotine in Bordeaux in 1794. He escaped and sailed back to Ireland with his wife, leaving his business in the hand of his French friend Daniel Guestier. Hugh came back to France in 1802 where he and Daniel Guestier teamed up and the brand Barton & Guestier was born.

In the 1830s Hugh Barton came back to Ireland to retire, where he first bought and lived in Barberstown Castle, before buying some land in Straffan in Co. Kildare to build his family home, the Straffan house, which is now the East Wing of the K Club. In the late 1830’s Hugh’s son, Thomas Johnston Barton, bought the Glendalough estate in Annamoe in Co. Wicklow.

And....the Irish connections don’t stop there! Thomas’s daughter Anna married Professor Robert Caesar Childers and their grandson was Erskine Childers, who went on to become the fourth President of Ireland in 1973!

Samples of the exquisite Thomas Barton Reserve Medoc will be available throughout the performance for the audience’s added enjoyment.

Tickets €15pp and can be purchased from:

 The offices of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chambers or from www.dublinbaywineexperience.ie

https://www.facebook.com/Dublinbaywineexperience

Shorts

 @Latitude_51 New Wine Fundamentals Course Level 2 starts this Sat at 3.30 for 4 weeks, costs €25/class (€90 for 4) pic.twitter.com/H0TN13l1wa

 Gurnard Goujons   http://www.foodspotting.com/reviews/3368027

What to do with left-over sushi - http://www.foodspotting.com/reviews/3387314

Ailish Drake ‏@AilishDrake

Do you like home grown, organic vegetables? Would you like to learn how to grow them? Next workshop focuses on... http://fb.me/FhVw1wQv 

River Lee Hotel's authentic Cork tasting menu.

River Lee Hotel's

 authentic Cork tasting menu... 

This new ‘The Gathering Package' menu gives visitors to the Rebel County an opportunity to sample foods sourced from local producers in every corner and coast of Ireland’s largest county, without having to take on such an epic journey.  Instead you can take a culinary journey of the senses from scenic West Cork to the fishing villages of East Cork as you whet your appetite with starter options such as ‘Truffle & Honey Scented Ardsallagh Goat’s Cheese’, ‘Sugar Cured Skeaghanore’, and ‘Castletownbere Crab Brulee’. 

Sample a salivating taste of the famous English Market with fresh dishes such as ‘Grilled Fillet of Ballycotton Cod’ and get a sense of the character of Corkonians with the aptly named ‘Optimistic Salad’ - jam packed with superfoods, it provides a witty play on the Cork sense of humour.    And because The Weir Bistro has a policy of making good healthy food available to kids, they also have joined the Irish Heart Foundation's Food for Kids programme so it is focused on healthier options making it perfect break for families. Read more here including full detailed menu,

Counting Calories at El Vino

El Vino at The Elysian

From the top: Monkfish and black pudding, bream, duck, crab croquettes.

El Vino

There is something extra to read on the menus at El Vino in the Elysian Tower. Quite a lot to study actually as you have an Early Bird Menu, an Evening Menu, a Tapas Menu and a Set Menu. But what distinguishes El Vino from most other restaurants is that they actually show you how many calories are in each dish.

It is a Bistro style venue, first opened in 2009. Made my first call there at the weekend and settled in to a comfortable seat as I took a look at the menus which were already on the table. Service overall was smart and friendly and the food was good with some local produce, such as Clonakilty Black Pudding and Bantry Bay Mussels, mentioned on the menus.

Indeed, the famous black pudding featured on one of our starters (which also doubles as a tapa):
Pan-fried Monkfish served on Clonakilty Black Pudding with a Red Pepper Dressing. It will cost you €10.95 and weighs in at 402kcal. This fairly unusual match worked out pretty well, a nice mix of flavours and textures.

The other starter, was Crab, Lemon and Roasted Red Pepper Croquettes served with a Garlic Aioli. The tasty croquettes (coquettes almost slipped through there!), six of them, weighed in at 486kcal and cost €9.50. This also appears on the tapas menu and indeed would be ideal for sharing among a group of three or four.

On then to the mains and must say I was happy enough with mine: Pan Seared Duck Breast
with Artichoke Puree, Borettane Onions, Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes and a Red Wine Reduction (996kcal, €23.95).  Nicely executed, with a good accompaniment on the plate and a well cooked set of vegetables on the side-plate.

The other mains on the table was: Pan Fried fillet of Sea Bream with a sundried Tomato and Oregano Ragout and a crispy Olive Polenta Cake (€19.95). Again quite an acceptable plateful of flavours and textures. You’re probably fed up of calories by now but this was a very healthy 368.

Sticky Toffee Pudding, served with a Bushmills Butterscotch Sauce and Creamy Vanilla Ice Cream was the main temptress but, staying on the healthy path, we avoided the dessert course altogether. Did have a couple of glasses of wine though; they have a list that covers most bases, and I enjoyed my Verdejo while CL loved her Riesling, each at €6.50 per glass.

·         If you are checking the El Vino website, just be aware they they also have a restaurant in Douglas and not all menus or opening times are the same for each.

·         The Indigo Brasserie, on Washington Street, also lists the calorie count on their menu.

Loire Lessons #1: Cuvee La Grange Dîmière

Loire Lessons #1

Jean Max Roger, Cuvee La Grange Dîmière, Sancerre 2010, 12.5%, €21.35 Karwig Wines

Pinot Noir

Will be heading off to the Loire later this year and thought I’d better get a bit of practice on the wines. Karwig’s have quite a selection, indeed a whole shelf full, and soon, with no little help from Emily, I had enough to start my Loire lessons.

This Rosé was the first and very pleasant it turned out to be. The immediate pressing of the Pinot Noir grape “gives a unique salmon colour, along with lightness, elegance and finesse”.

But, dare I suggest, it is a rosé with backbone. Maybe backbone is too strong a term. It sure has the pink colour of the salmon and I think I can safely suggest that it also some of its suppleness.

A very pleasant combination of colour, texture and flavour. A winner for me and Very Highly Recommended.

It is called "La Grange Dîmière" in reference to one of Bué’s ancient tithe barns which constitutes the oldest part of the winery. Bué is the family village.

Bird on the vine

* On the subject of the Loire, if anyone has any tips, not just on the wine, I'd be glad to hear from you!

A Cafe in a Butcher’s? Dinner for a fiver!

A Cafe in a Butcher’s?

Had dinner in the butcher’s today! Not too many can say that. But O’Crualaoi Butchers will serve you up quite a meal in some of their branches, including Carrigaline where I called, looking for good food and good value. Think I got both as two massive platefuls of meat, potatoes and vegetables cost us just a tenner. Yes. A tenner. For two!

With O’Crualaoi’s being well established butchers – they were founded in 1957 in Ballincollig – you may be sure that meat will feature heavily on the carvery menu. And it does. Fantastic choices here and also a fish dish (haddock) added in.

I went with the Roast Loin of Pork with Apricot and Sage stuffing. And everything they could throw at the plate: mashed potato, potato gratin, vegetables, stuffing, gravy etc. And quite tasty it was. True, I had to carry it to the table! But remember it cost just a fiver. And was every bit as good as most carveries and better than quite a few.

Very few Irish butchers have cafes attached to their shops. Indeed, this is the only one I know of. It is quite spacious. There is also an outside dining area with an awning and room to play for the small ones, even a substantial playhouse.

It is value all the way here. Check it out at the salad bar. Even desserts such as Apple Crumble cost just two euro while a cookie might set you back one. They also have quite a deli here, so if you don’t have time to dine out, then you may pick up something for later, again at a good price. 

They also do party menus here, handy for confirmation or communion groups. Spotted a sign in the store that offered their “celebration foods” package, to be shared with family and friends. This costs €130 and feeds about twenty people.

Mon - Fri: 8:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sat: 8:00 am - 6:30 pm

Sun: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

021-4376716.