O'Briens 40 years in Bunnyconnellan. Good View. Good Food. Mornings To Inspire.

O'Briens 40 years in Bunnyconnellan.

Good View. Good Food. Mornings To Inspire.

The view, to the left.

When Paul O’Brien opens up Bunnyconnellan, early every morning, he looks out over the ocean and counts his blessings. That view on a sunny morning inspires positivity and it’s not too shabby on a poor day either.

The O’Brien family are celebrating forty years at the iconic Cork venue. In 1976, Paul’s parents, Paddy (who passed in 2010) and Sheila, took over the premises from Neill (known to all as Jock) and Mary Porteous, the only other family to have run Bunnys as a bar and restaurant.  

“Amazing people come in here and recount their childhood memories, “ said Paul. The Crosshaven area in general was, in the 50s and 60s, a summer resort area for many city people. A few years back, I attended a 60th party there for a man long resident in the USA but he had such happy memories of Myrtleville that he insisted on marking his big birthday with a party in Bunnys.

Paul told me that this photo was taken outside Bunnys in 1996. 
"From left to right, my Dad, Paddy O'Brien (who passed in 2010),
 my Mum Sheila, my brother Eamonn who runs the very successful
  'Paddy's Bar' in Hamburg Germany, myself & last but not least my wife Julie."

“Some great characters have been in and out of here. And they keep coming, men like Donie Bermingham from Carrigaline; he claims to be our longest-serving customer!”

Aside from the smashing views - you can see the mouth of Cork Harbour as well, see the big cruise liners and the large Brittany Ferries Pont Aven come and go, see Roche’s Point across the way - Bunny’s has always been known for its good food. And that strand of the story continues too. “There is a great little team here,” enthuses Paul. “It is headed up by Head Chef Chris O’Sullivan and Pastry Chef Bobbie O’Donovan, but they are all great.”

I put it to Paul that because they are on the coast that Fish ‘n Chips is always on the menu. It is. But they did take it off once and put it on the specials. There were “ructions” and it was quickly restored to its rightful permanent spot! “We can’t please everyone but we do listen to the bad things as well as the good!”  

The starters

“Fish is plentiful and varied here. Only last week, we had specials of black sole and brill for example. Could be something different next week. Another big seller for us is roast duck, supplied by Silver Hill.”

Specials are an “essential” part of the menus here, though for events like Sunday lunch, you'll find more traditional dishes as part of the offering. There is also a Kids Menu, with half portions of the adult menu available.

Did you have a good Easter? I asked. “We had a fantastic Easter, the whole period back to St Patrick’s Day, all good despite the iffy weather. Indeed, last winter was the wettest and windiest in years, yet we had a very good winter in the restaurant.”

The Cod

 So 2016 is shaping up well. And, believe it or not, the barbecues have started here already, kicking off on the first weekend of April. There are lots of industries in the general area and they tend to use the facility.

And, with a full bar, there is no shortage of beers to go with the meals, indoors or out. Craft beers are already featured, plus the local Stonewell cider. More craft beers are soon to appear and there are local spirits too - I spotted the Dingle gin. And if you fancy a cocktail? Well, they have a list for you. They tend to be more popular at or approaching the weekend.

Dinner service brings a hard night’s work to a close but Paul is back early in the morning, checking out that fantastic view. And, down on the beach, he spots a group of people that he admires: the Myrtleville swimmers. “Rain, hail or snow, there are about twenty out there every morning, some with wet-suits, some without”. People make the world go round just as the O'Brien's make Bunny’s an enjoyable place to come to, every day of the week. Every week of the year. For forty years!

Ham Hock

We enjoyed that view (though not the early morning one!) when we called for lunch. That Specials Board came in for scrutiny and our two mains came from that source. The starters are on the regular menu and I must say my Poached Pear and Blue Cheese Tart topped with walnuts was a delicious opener. And there were compliments too from CL as she tucked into her Goats Cheese, pineapple and walnut salad.

Our mains, served with a side of well cooked vegetables, were really special. Baked fillet of Cod with a pesto crumb and a saffron and chardonnay sauce was CL’s choice and I didn't hear a word from her until it was finished. My Oven-baked Ham Hock, with a creamy parsley sauce, was full of great flavour and outstanding overall, and kept me quiet! No room for dessert after the two courses! Sorry Bobbie - next time!

Local drinks: Black's Kinsale ale & Stonewell cider. Cheers!

BUNNYCONNELLAN BAR & RESTAURANT,
Myrtleville, Co. Cork.
Tel: +353 (0)21 483 1213
E: info@bunnyconnellan.ie

Web: http://bunnyconnellan.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bunnyconnellan

Twitter: @Bunnyconnellan 

Introducing Schioppettino. Strange Name. Friendly Wine!

Introducing Schioppettino

Strange Name. Friendly Wine!

Never know who or what you’d meet in Cork on a showery afternoon. “Come over and meet Giorgio, an Italian winemaker,” invited Beverly from L'Atitude 51. So over I went and met Giorgio and his Schioppettino, a gorgeous red wine that he produces on his Colutta Farm in North East Italy. His vines grow in the Colli Orientali del Friuli region, close to Slovenia.

The Schioppettino grape variety is from this area and has a history there dating back to at least the 13th century. Giorgio told us the name means “little bang”, the sound the grape makes when you pop a ripe one into your mouth!

It grows well here and has to be severely thinned (green harvested) with up to fifty per cent of fruit being dropped. The surviving grapes then thrive and the wine is more concentrated. Giorgio says the wine is similar to Pinot Noir, a light style. Cabernet Franc was also mentioned.

There is fruit and pepper on the nose and then it is fresh, “not too heavy”. “It is very good in summertime… with poultry, white meat and roasted fish.” Only a small quantity is produced. It is indeed a lovely wine, worth seeking out. I loved its light and fresh qualities and, as Giorgio said, “ it's typical north eastern acidity”.

It is something different from a tradition that had almost died out. So many different grapes in Italy, “hard to save them all”. This was fermented and aged in big Slovenian oak barrels. Freshness, fruit and finish!

We had started with the Colutta Pinot Grigio and it is a good one too, loads of character, flavour and balance and a good colour too. No wonder Wines Direct claim it is the best PG available in Ireland.

Colutta are not organic but they are trying to be eco friendly - they are self sufficient with solar energy. Their first aim is good fruit and they hand pick the best of it to make a good wine. The fruit comes from two parcels which are blended. It is kept unfiltered on the lees and stirred weekly. That and the clay soil enhance its character and body. If it is filtered early, it is “thinner”.

Check the Pinot Grigio out on the Wines Direct Website here. Fionnuala Harkin, who was at the tasting, said they have been chasing the Schioppettino for some time and are delighted to have it. It is new, so not on the website yet, but will soon make a welcome appearance.

O'Brien's Wine Dinner

Florent Cazaux of J.M. Cazes is in Cork later in the month to host an evening of delicious food and wine. Guests will enjoy a four course menu paired with a selection of wines from Domaine L'ostal Cazes, Domaine des Sénéchaux and Michel Lynch. Tickets are €80 each and booking is essential. Thursday 21st April at 7.30pm in Les Gourmandises Restaurant, Cook Street, Cork. To purchase your ticket call in to O'Briens Wine Douglas or contact Nicolas on (021) 436 9596 or email Douglas@obrienswines.ie

Taste of the Week. Ballyhoura Apple Farm Milk Chocolate

Taste of the Week

Ballyhoura Apple Farm Milk Chocolate

Lots of chocolate tasted over the past few weeks - it’s that time of year. But very hard to beat this Milk Chocolate or Seacláid Bhainne. Hard too to get us Irish to turn our backs on that bainne as milk has been part of our lives for ever. 

The package emphasises that link with the words: A taste of bygone days. Well maybe the days are gone but the lovely flavours of milk remains. It is alive and delicious in this bar, that I bought from the Ballyhoura Apple stall in Mahon Point Farmers Market. Made for them  “by a local lady”, it is full of flavour with a pleasing texture and is our Taste of the Week. Well worth a try!

For more on Ballyhoura Apple Farm, check their website here.

April is the Real Wine Month

April is the Real Wine Month

April, the Real Wine Month, is up and running!

Real Wine Month is an exciting, innovative promotion of artisan wines which have been produced sustainably by organic, biodynamic viticulture and low intervention (a.k.a. 'natural') winemaking. It is being run across Ireland and the United Kingdom by specialist importers Le Caveau (Ireland) and Les Caves de Pyrène (United Kingdom).

From 4th-30th April, selected wines will be poured by the glass or featured on wine lists,  in tastings and themed events in over 200 restaurants, independent retailers and wine clubs across the U.K. and over 50 in Ireland.

This, the third Real Wine Month in Ireland, is shaping up to be the best yet. From pubs, bars and bistros to Michelin-starred establishments, to independent retailers and wine clubs, we have seen increasing interest in the quality, authenticity and diversity of these small-scale, artisanal wines.

Through participating restaurants and retailers, the promotion represents a great opportunity for wine-drinkers to taste and explore a diversity of wines that are not mass-distributed due to small-scale production, or indeed are in short supply due to global demand particularly from cities like New York, San Francisco, London and Paris.

To see what’s on in your area, the events, the participating restaurants, wine bars and stores, please click here for the full press release. I hope to have another post or two over the month.

In the meantime, here are some of the wines that you may well come across. There are some real beauties here!

Chateau Turcaud Entre-Deux-Mers sec 2014, 13%, €14.90 Le Caveau

I didn't know it then but I was looking down on this vineyard less than two years ago. After a visit to Gavin Quinney’s Chateau Bauduc, I had climbed to the top of the famous local abbey Le Sauve Majeure and, from the final 159th step, had a great view over the surrounding countryside. April is Real Wine Month and, as part of the fun, Chateau Turcaud will be represented at events in Dublin and Cork.

Le Sauve Majeure

This particular wine is a classic Bordeaux blend of Sauvignon Blanc (60%), Semillon (35%) and Muscadelle (5%) and, having been fermented and aged on the lees in vat,  the result is very crisp and fruity.

You'll note a good depth of yellow in the colour with aromas of citrus fruits, some blossoms too. On the palate, it is more intense, more assertive than the nose, with a lovely wave of fruit flavours, an excellent mouthfeel, well balanced and with a good finish. Highly Recommended.

Serve this delightful wine well-chilled as an aperitif, with all sorts of seafood, or with goat cheese, sheep cheese, and hard cheeses.

Isabelle and Stéphane Le May are eager to safeguard the local soil and terroir they have inherited: they’ve come back to mechanically weeding, and fight vine diseases with sustainable methods.

Chateau Beauregard Mirouze Tradition 2013 (Corbieres AOC), 13.5%, €14.85 Le Caveau

Winemakers Karine and Nicolas Mirouze have blended 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah (over 40 years old) to make this excellent organic wine.  Mirouze will be another of the French wineries to be represented here this month. Their favourite pairing for this wine is Duck breast accompanied by a ratatouille of vegetables from the garden.

Colour is a deep red, almost purple. The aromas, savoury and spicy, puzzled me a bit and the chateau says they are “nose dashing”!  A mingling of the scents of red fruit and garrigue (the local scrub). So there you are. On the palate, you find intense dark fruit flavours, spice too, tannins noticeably in play, yet overall invigorating and with a very good finish. A really warming satisfying wine and Highly Recommended.

Clos de Caveau Carmin Brillant 2012 (Vacqueyras AOC), 14.5%, €24.50 Le Caveau

Vacqueyras village, under the shade of its large trees, stays cool when the vineyards all around are warm. And this is one cool wine, coming from a height of 200m, higher than most of its neighbours.

The vineyard is naturally isolated by a belt of Mediterranean forest, making it ideally suited for organic viticulture, for which the domain obtained full certification in 1989. Most of the work in the vineyard is carried out by hand and the yields are very limited. Clos de Caveau too are coming to Dublin and Cork in April.

Colour is a dark red and the aromas feature red fruit and some hints of herbs. It is very smooth and concentrated on the palate, lush fruit flavours with spice and herbs, and fine tannins. An excellent finish as well and Very Highly Recommended. The blend is 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah and it is 100% organic.

Chateau Tour des Gendres, La Gloire de mon Pére Cotes de Bergerac Rouge (AOC)  2007, 12.5%, €21.30 Le Caveau

The aromas are intense and very pleasing, one that invited me to take off my glasses! Like the wine, I’m getting on; by lifting the glasses, my nose works that little bit better! It is quite a dark red with a lighter rim - it is after all getting on in years!

On the palate, it is very very smooth and rounded, gentle too, nothing extreme, still fresh but ready to enjoy and appreciate, with an excelling lingering finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Bergerac, perpetually in the shadow of neighbour Bordeaux, produces many excellent wines, mainly from much the same grapes. This blend of Merlot (45%), Malbec (35%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and Cabernet Franc (5%), is an excellent example. By the way, the proportions of the blend vary from year to year. It spent eight months in oak. Viticulture is biodynamic.

A word from the makers: This wine, quite powerful in the mouth, will accompany venison, duck, the stews and cheese. It will be better if decanted for within hours, and can be kept  between 5 and 8 years. The eight years is up! But no panic at all.

Specials At Bakestone

Specials At Bakestone

Chicken special

You may go to Bakestone Café for their tasty sandwiches. Maybe for one of their appetising salads (small or large). But I go to the Cobh Cross venue for their specials. And since, it is part of the Ballyseedy Garden centre, I often come home with something for the garden.

We called in during a sunny day in mid-week. We were early but the place was already busy. It is a popular spot. For many reasons, but the big draw for me is that specials board. They post three new ones every day. You’ll also see many of them on their Facebook page.

The three up when we called were:

Soy and Honey Chicken on a crunchy Asian salad, with spiced cashews and a sesame dressing (10.50);

Onion bhajis, chickpea and spinach curry, basmati rice and herb yogurt (9.95);

BLT - Irish bacon with crispy cos lettuce, juicy tomato and avocado mayo, served with triple cooked chips (9.25).

Superb curry

I must admit we did have a look at the main board, at the list of salads and so on, and at all the sandwiches, not to mention the pastries, as we queued to pay. You do pay here before you sit down although if you come for brunch at the weekend you will be served at your table (you could well have music on Sundays). So we paid for our specials and also for our Badger and Dodo coffees which were then served after the specials as agreed.

My pick was the chicken. I have to say, very glad to say, that I enjoyed every little bit of it, especially those cashews, one of the best lunch plates I’ve had in awhile. Well priced too. And CL was very much delighted with her curry, the colour and the whole range of flavours. The curry was also obviously the vegetarian option, a well-priced dish. I’m sure the BLT would have been fine too but we were very happy with our choices.

Our server then brought down our coffees and after that we strolled out to the plants and bought a very healthy looking pot of parsley that should keep us supplied for a few months.

Bakestone Café

Ballyseedy Home and Garden Centre,

Fota Retail Park

Carrigtwohill

Co. Cork

(021) 438 9001

info@bakestone.ie

Twitter: @_Bakestone

Web: http://bakestone.ie

Amuse Bouche

Ingredients wise, it may not be organic or locally sourced but the only club forced to withdraw pies during the 2013 horsemeat scandal was Aberdeen. Intriguingly, over the last five years a better class of pie has got a look in. Of course, some redoubts of the craft in the north have been producing excellent products for a long time, Poole’s Pies in Wigan being a notable example. ...Morecambe FC’s Chicken, Ham and Leek, competing well beyond the comfort zone of football-only goods, won the title of Supreme Champion at the British Pie Awards 2012. The Scottish Football Pie of the Year was won by old-school Highland butchers, showcasing the distinctive mince and pepper Scotch football pie.

from The Game of our Lives by David Goldblatt (2014)

Hook & Ladder Delivers Satisfaction

Hook & Ladder Delivers Satisfaction

Tuna galore!

So, you’ve just visited the Hunt Museum or done a rake of shopping and are looking for a good lunch in the middle of Limerick City. Well, you could do worse than call to Hook & Ladder in Sarsfield Street.

Quite a menu here, featuring some fantastic produce from around Munster, including Gubbeen, Arbutus Bread, St Tola, Rigney's Farm and M & D Bakery Waterford and more.

The building is also a shop, selling home accessories (lamps, for instance), and there is a busy cookery school here with a great variety of classes. The formula proved successful in Waterford and has spread to Limerick with two other outlets in the city.

Blaa

The cafe was quite busy when we called for lunch recently but it has lots of space, both on the ground floor and in the basement. So we were soon seated and checking out the menu. With a dinner booked for later on, I gave the starters a skip.

Went through the list of sandwiches, burgers, quiches, even a curry, before settling on one of the salads: Salad Nicoise (Ortiz tuna, semi sun dried tomatoes, olives, boiled egg, romaine rocket & red wine vinegarette). It was a quite a large one, with a very generous amount of tuna on the plate. Enjoyed it all though, every little tasty bit.

We had a discussion before dessert. Very necessary as they have about a  dozen listed - they bake here every day. We could have had anything from a Blueberry and Poppy Seed Muffin to a Chocolate Fudge Cake and Chocolate Ganache. Our choice was closer to the top end, a gorgeous Strawberry and White Chocolate Meringue Roulade that we shared and enjoyed with a couple of cups of decent coffee.

Dessert!

Enjoyed our break at this friendly cafe with its many decorations including a large olive tree in the middle of the floor and an arrangement of upside down flower-pots on the ceiling. All in all, a good place for food (they also do breakfast here) and Highly Recommended.

See also:
Two Days in Limerick City

Holiday break in County Limerick
Buzz at the Coqbull
Limerick's Locke Bar
Sage Cafe

Hook & Ladder http://www.hookandladder.ie

7 Sarsfield Street

Limerick

Tel: 061 413778

Email: info@hookandladder.ie

Twitter: Twitter @hookandladder2

Overhead

Laurent Miquel. Blending Tradition And Innovation

Laurent Miquel

Blending Tradition And Innovation

Lagrasse

Near the ancient village of Lagrasse, 30 kilometres south east of Carcassonne and south of the A61 (Autoroute de Deux Mers), you will find Les Auzines, a vineyard owned by Laurent Miquel and his Irish wife Neasa.   Les Auzines, in the Corbieres appellation and organically farmed since the 1990s, is the place where Laurent’s family “will share its passion of the vines to future generations”.

The hill-top fort at Ensérune, not too far from Miquel's Beziers vineyard,
 was occupied continuously, including by the Romans,
 from the 6th century BC to the beginning of the first century AD.

The Miquels are best known, to date, for their Cazal Viel vineyard, not too far from Beziers and in the Saint Chinian appellation. This superb terroir was first planted by Roman warriors during the construction of Via Domitia, the ancient road that ran along the south through Narbonne.

Laurent and Neasa, a Dubliner, got married in 2007 after a long courtship (11 years!). Before and since, she has been busy on the marketing side and has opened up new avenues for the excellent wines of the two estates.  I certainly enjoyed the three below and there are others available.

Via Domitia, preserved  in Narbonne centre

Laurent Miquel Albarino 2014 (Vin de France, Lagrasse), 13%, €15.00, Dunnes Stores

I didn't mention Spain in the preamble but the limestone soils coupled with a uniquely cool microclimate and access to water makes Les Azines the perfect place for this audacious Albarino project by the innovative Laurent.

According to Laurent, this is a “repatriation”: Albarino was first brought to the Galicia region of Spain by the French monks from Cluny along the fabled route of Santiago de Compostela many centuries ago.

Forget the history for a moment and let us taste this light and bright gold wine with its aromas of citrus fruit and floral notes too. Crisp and dry and lively, terrific minerality, no shortage of refreshing fruit with a good long finish. A great match for seafood. This elegant wine is Very Highly Recommended and one to watch for the future!

Laurent Miquel Père et Fils Chardonnay Viognier 2014 (IGP Pays d’Oc), 13%, €12.00 Dunnes Stores

This blend has the colour of bright honey with very pleasant peach-y aromas, some floral notes too. There are fresh fruit flavours with a lively refreshing mouthfeel and this very agreeable wine has quite a finish as well. This is a gorgeous blend of Chardonnay (65%) and Viognier (35%). 

The Miquels are regarded as leading growers of Viognier and, though it is in the minority in the bottle, it plays quite a role. Impressed and Very Highly Recommended. This wine is ideal for pre-dinner drinks, salads, all types of seafood or poultry dishes.

Laurent Miquel Père et Fils Syrah 2014 (IGP Pays d’Oc), 13%, €9.00, Dunnes Stores

Syrah is another of the grapes that the Miquel family specialises in and this is  a good example. Colour is purple and there are aromas of rich dark red fruits, spices notes too. It is smooth, fruity and spicy on the palate, fine tannins, excellent balance plus a persistent finalé. Well made (cool nights and long sunny days help), well priced and Highly Recommended. A natural for your rack of lamb!

All pics (c) Billy Lyons