El Vino. Top Tapas. And Much More.

El Vino. Top Tapas.

And Much More.

Monkfish & Serrano

It was cold outside but that was soon forgotten as we joined the diners in the packed downstairs section of the El Vino restaurant at the Elysian in Cork last weekend. Mentioned the Elysian there as they also operate an El Vino in Douglas.

Great buzz downstairs. We were offered a table upstairs too but went with the happy noises. Upstairs would soon fill too. We were quickly seated and studying the menus. Lots of tapas here and they also double as starters but you may, of course, stick with tapas for the evening. We may well do that another time but some dishes on the mains section caught our eye.

Piquillo peppers

 Not easy to pick just two from the tapas list but we did manage it. My choice was the Crispy Fried Calamari, Arrocina Bean Stew, Chorizo, Squid Ink Emulsion (8.95). Delighted wth it. The squid was cooked to perfection and that bean mix (great texture, slightly nutty flavour) with the little bits of chorizo was a very tasty accompaniment. 

You come across these Roast Piquillo Peppers a lot in the Basque country and they were CL’s pick. Hers were stuffed with Goats Cheese, Chorizo, Bread Crumbs & Herbs, Rocket Salad & Toasted Almonds (7.95). We did share, of course, and it was  another perfect dish. And I'm sure there are quite a few more on that extensive list. Check it out here. 

Calamari

Time then for the main event, fish for me, chicken for her. Steak, Pork Belly, Hake and salads were also on the menu. CL’s Pan Fried Chicken Breast  was stuffed with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Mozzarella & Basil, and came with Mediterranean Vegetables, Ratatouille, Tomato & Pesto (17.95). The chicken was top drawer, delicious and moist and the Ratatouille was excellent in its own right as well as being a great match for the poultry.

Pan Fried Monkfish Wrapped in Serrano Ham, Crushed Baby Potatoes, Chargrilled Courgettes, Samphire & Romesco (nut and red pepper based) Sauce (25.95) was my pick, quite an epic dish, beautifully cooked (the ham spot on, moist and tender) and so well presented, probably the best dish of its type in a long time.

CL got those Crushed Baby Potatoes as well and we also got an included side dish of vegetables (including broccoli, carrot and sugar snap), again perfectly cooked. If the kitchen takes care of the minor things, then there’s a great chance that the bigger dishes will be good as well and that was certainly the case here.

Chicken & Ratatouille

 All the while we were sipping our white wines, a Pinot Grigio and an Albarino, and having the odd chat with our servers who were, without exception, friendly and efficient, all adding to the experience here.

We were each nearing the limit at this stage but couldn't resist sharing a dessert, the El Vino Baked Alaska (6.50). Glad we did as it provided a sweet end to a lovely evening.

Good too to see they they support local and include Brian St Ledger Fruit & Veg, Tom Durcan, The Chicken Inn, Kay O’Connell Fish, The Real Olive, Clona Dairy and Ardsallagh Cheese, among their suppliers. Very Highly Recommended.  

Baked Alaska

El Vino

The Elysian 

Eglinton Street  

Cork

Telephone: 0214318530

Email: info@elvino.ie

Web: http://elvino.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElVinoCork/?fref=ts 

Three Delightful Whites. Chapeau Chaps!

Three Delightful Whites

Chapeaux Chaps!

We have been traveling all over to assemble this top notch trio of white wines for you. Maybe just a trio but they amount to quite an orchestra, maybe even capable of a symphony. The traveling has not been done by me personally but by the folks from Wine Mason, Mary Pawle and Le Caveau. They have bought well. So, let us doff the hats and say Chapeaux to the chaps and chapesses!

Turner Pageot Le Blanc 2015, Languedoc (AOP), 14%, €19.95 Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork.

Colour is a shiny pale gold. The nose, slightly honeyed, is of ripe apricot and exotic fruit. Ripe fruit abounds on the medium-dry palate. This is fruity, rich and round and quite a powerful wine with a long and mineral  finish. Very Highly Recommended.

It is an organic blend of Roussane (80%) and Marsanne (20). Turner Pageot, imported by the Wine Mason, produce a range of “gastronomic wines” and say the striking colourful collage on the label suggests exciting food and wine matches.

And the food and wine pairings they suggest are Fish and crustaceans in sauce; Saint Jacques with black truffle; Pike dumplings Nantua sauce; Noble poultry; White sausage. Old-fashioned veal blanquette. Mushrooms with cream. 

Noble poultry, how are ye! Well, come to think of it, there was some right royal Irish chicken in the Thai Green Curry from Cinnamon Cottage. I tried the wine with that delicious dish and they got on very well together!

Diwald Goldberg Grüner Veltliner, Wagram (Austria) 2013, 12.5%, €20.75 Mary Pawle Wines

The low-yielding vineyard overlooks the Danube and this organic trocken (dry) white wine has spent 8 months on lees. Importer Mary Pawle recommends matching it with scallops. It is often recommended with Asian also. Indeed, Grüner Veltliner is a very good food wine, very versatile, so much so that sommeliers regularly mention it, especially if a small group is hesitating over which wine to order.

This Diwald bottle boasts an attractive light gold colour. You’ll first meet its light fruit (apples, citrus) and white pepper on the nose. A tingly feel introduces it to the palate, that clean fruit fresh is there too, balanced by a lively and lovely acidity. Very Highly Recommended.

Framingham Classic Riesling, Marlborough 2009, 12%, €22.65 Le Caveau

Colour is an inviting rich yellow. Floral and citrus elements in the aromas and a hint of diesel too followed by a mouthful of delicious complex flavours. It is just off-dry with a little sweetness in the mix - think Mosel rather than Rhine.

Texture has been reinforced by some six months spent on lees. Balance comes from the juicy acidity and the finish is long and drying. Overall quite a rich Riesling and a Highly Recommended one.

The diesel is almost always an unwanted distraction for me in New Zealand (and Australian) Rieslings but here it is just about noticeable and hardly at all with food, especially with that delicious Skeaghanore Smoked Duck Breast.

Taste of the Week Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese

Taste of the Week

Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese

Gubbeen is one of the original Irish cheeses and one of the very best. It is made in West Cork from the milk of Tom and Giana Ferguson’s mixed herd of cows and is a firm rind washed cheese; the cheese itself is softer than the rind though it has a real bounce. 

It is widely available and I got my most recent wedge, our Taste of the Week, from the Cinnamon Cottage on the Rochestown Road in Cork.

The Fergusons make just one type of cheese and the variations are down to age and smoking. Well, what does it taste like? At the younger stage, it is milky, creamy even, and is mildly pungent. That changes as it gets more mature so the best thing is to try it at different stages, perhaps at a Gubbeen stall in a Farmers Market, and see which suits you best.

Much the same can be said about the smoked version, done in the Gubbeen smokehouse by son Fingal. Again, the youthful version is mild while the mature has a stronger flavour. Some people like the younger cheese, others prefer the mature. Over to you. You may well like both, as I do.

Read all about Gubbeen on their website here.

Irish Focus at Australian Day Tasting. Classics and New Wave Impress

Irish Focus at Australian Day Tasting
Classics and New Wave Impress

I was determined to concentrate on the Focus Table, this year featuring a selection of 31 wines by Irish wine personalities who have a keen interest in Australia, including Liam Campbell, Martin Moran, Harriet Tindal, Colm McCan (Ballymaloe) and Gavin Ryan (Black Pig, Kinsale). The figure was supposed to be 24 wines but it did get extended!

Laura Jewell MW, Wine Australia Head of Market EMEA, said:  We hope this new section adds an extra dimension to this year’s event. Having looked at the nominations, these wines really do highlight the diversity of Australian wine and reinforce the country’s reputation as a premium wine producer.” 

The promise, and it was kept, was that “great classic wines from the likes of Cullen, Clonakilla and Bindi will be on show, plus new-wave artisans like Jauma, Ochota Barrels and Gentle Folk”.  

So the signs were good as I arrived at the Royal Hibernian Academy and sought out the Focus Table. And I made a sparkling start with the House of Arras ‘EJ Carr Late Disgorged’ Tasmania Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2003. Fresh and vibrant, an amazing sparkling wine.

Then followed a string of young Rieslings, including the Josef Chromy ‘SGR’ Tasmania Riesling 2016 with an ABV of just 7.5% and a delicious Skillogalee Clare Valley 2015 by Dave Palmer, “mineral, dry and crisp” as noted by Gavin Ryan from Kinsale’s Black Pig who selected it.

The Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Hunter Valley Semillon 2011  was superb, “intense and complex, but elegant and refreshing” noted Martin Moran. It was all good around here and the standard was maintained by the Bird in Hand Adelaide Hills Grüner Veltliner, the grapes picked in the cold of the night to retain flavour and freshness.

Maximum drinkability and enjoyment is the aim of the producers of the Gentle Folk Forest Range Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2015, the first of the reds and the first of Ballymaloe's Colm McCan’s selections for the table. I reckon the producers got it right as did Colm.

There were quite a few Syrah and Shiraz at this point, all very good including the Payton and Jones ‘Major Kong - Planet of the Grapes’, Yarra Valley 2015. My favourite though was the blend: De Bortoli ‘La Boheme Act Four’ Yarra Valley Syrah Gamay, imported by Febvre and a Liam Campbell pick. 

The Colm McCann selection, Jauma ‘Audrey’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015, is produced biologically and intrigued with its “cider-y” notes.

Some excellent Grenache on the table too including Ochota Barrels ‘The Fugazi Vineyard’ McLaren Vale 2015, the Willunga 100 McLaren Vale 2015, and the Cirillo ‘1850 Ancestor Wine’ Barossa Valley 2011. The Cirillo was chosen by Ian Brosnan of Ely and he admitted that, until recently, he had never tasted Grenache of this quality.

And quality too, at a very good price, in Kevin O’Brien’s Kangarilla Road Terzetto, a McLaren Vale blend of Sangiovese, Primitivo and Nebbiolo. It is a favourite of mine, was chosen by Liam Campbell and is available at O’Brien Wines.

Perhaps the best blend of the lot came towards the end: the Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Margaret River Cabernet Blend 2014, imported by Liberty Wines and nominated by Gavin Ryan who has fond memories of enjoying it at a full moon harvest party in Margaret River.

Time then for a chat at the Liberty Wines stand with Garry Gunnigan and new recruit Marcus Gates and a tasting of their sweet wines before heading into the general wine area.

Here we soon met up with Jonny Callan of Cabroso Wines who import the Kelly’s Patch range to Ireland and we hope to link up in Cork soon and find out more about the company.

Having concentrated on the Focus Table we missed out on many stalls, including McGuigan where they were tasting the impressive Founder’s Series that I enjoyed in Kinsale a few months ago.

Hard to go wrong with the Deakin Estate and Katnook Wines that are imported by Findlater (and available in Cork in Bradley's and other outlets). 

Next time I'm up in North Main Street, I'll be looking at some of the Penfolds that Laura introduced me to at the Findlater’s stand. Both the Bin 2 South Australian Shiraz Mataro (that is what the Australians call Mourvedre) 2012 and the Bin 28 South Australian Shiraz 2011 impressed.

With Marcus (Liberty Wines)

Been writing this and wondering how the Australians get to name their wines. Heard a good story from Michael at the Lanchester Wines stand as we sampled the excellent ‘Don’t Tell Gary’, a McPherson Shiraz 2015 from the Strathbogie Ranges. 

This wine is a labour of love - one the accountants didn't know about.  In 2014, winemaker Jo Nash discovered an exceptional parcel of Shiraz from the Grampians which she gently crushed, then tucked away in some ridiculously expensive French oak barrels to age for 12 months.  

All the while, she was urging her fellow employees: “Don’t tell Gary”. No one did tell Gary, her boss. Now the wine speaks for itself - minimal intervention, purity of fruit, Shiraz at its best and Jo has been given free rein to investigate other possibilities in the vineyard!

John (left) and Michael at Lanchester Wines

See also earlier article on great selection of fortified sweet wines at the tasting here.

Delicious Dinner from Cinnamon Cottage

Delicious Dinner from Cinnamon Cottage
A Very Special Thai Green Curry

Delicious curry

Isn’t it great to be able to make one single visit and get everything for your dinner, a delicious three course dinner at that. We had that in mind as we recently called to Cinnamon Cottage and a few minutes later it was mission accomplished.

Ali and Pat are well into their second year at the Cottage by now. Pat told us they had a very busy run-in to Christmas as he helped us select. He suggested their readymade Thai Green Curry, their most popular dish. We opted for that.

And it is a beauty, amazingly well balanced between the various flavours and the delicate but definite spice. The Irish chicken was succulent and juicy, the vegetables superb, and that sauce brilliant. 

On Pat’s suggestion, we used their White Rice, Wild Rice with the curry. A great and natural match, adding texture, especially from the wild grains. A top notch main course then for two for less than fourteen euro. Very Highly Recommended.

Paté

First things first though! What about a starter? Here you can get charcuterie, salads to beat the band, shell fish.  There is a packed deli counter there with olives and sun dried tomatoes and more. But we wanted something that is made on the premises and got a tub of their creamy chicken paté, creamy indeed and with a dash of brandy added! We could also have had one of their soups or chowder.

And for dessert, well it had to be cake. After all, that is what Cinnamon Cottage is famous for over the years. Lots of them here, most available by the slice. We were again tempted by the very popular Coconut and Raspberry cake before we settled on a Salted Caramel and Chocolate slice. Quite a unique and delicious cake, rich yet not heavy.

Aside from the curry, they do many readymade meals, including warming soups, chicken and beef dishes and more, and handy side dishes as well. You may pick from fresh or frozen and there are cartons for one or two people. By the way, the Thai Curry is so popular, it doesn't spend long on the shelf! You've been warned.

Cake!

It certainly made for a very enjoyable high quality meal in this house and so convenient to be able to call to the Rochestown Road venue, with its friendly and informative staff, and get everything you need under the one roof.

See previous post on Cinnamon Cottage here.

The Cinnamon Cottage

Monastery Road

Rochestown

Co. Cork

Tel: 021 4894922

Facebook: @Cinnamoncottage

Twitter: @Cinnamoncottage

Web: http://cinnamoncottage.ie

Hours

 Mon - closed;

Tue-Fri: 9.30-6.30;

Sat: 9.30-5.30;

Sun: 10.00-4.00.

Amuse Bouche

In the same letter, Walsh (a prison teacher) provided some details of his diet..:

….sitting down to our supper of boiled bread and milk. We have both to spare, as the storm did not permit the milkman to land in the morning, and we now have a double portion. Adam says: ‘Mamma will be in great glee when she comes here, to find such lots of boiled bread and milk.’ I am annoyed from little turns I am forced to do about myself and Adam. Fancy me cooking ham and cabbage, and cleaning up the crockery?

from Too Beautiful For Thieves And Pickpockets, a history of the Victorian convict prison on Spike Island, by Cal McCarthy and Barra O’Donnabhain (2016). Recommended.

Tawny. Muscat. Topaque. Top Sweet Wines from Australia.

Tawny. Muscat. Topaque.
Top Sweet Wines from Australia.

Australia’s wine industry began with sweet fortified wines and the stickies were in great form at the Australia Day Tasting last Monday in Dublin’s Royal Hibernians Academy.

I was determined to concentrate on the Focus Table, this year featuring a selection of 31 wines by Irish wine personalities who have a keen interest in Australia, including Liam Campbell, Martin Moran, Harriet Tindal, Colm McCan (Ballymaloe) and Gavin Ryan (Black Pig, Kinsale). The figure was supposed to be 24 wines but it did get extended.

Chris Pfeiffer

It included three sweet wines so I had to be patient, working my way through the white and the red before getting my hands on them. The d’Arenberg ‘Nostalgia Rare’, a McLaren Vale Tawny, more tawny port style than ruby, according to Liam Campbell’s note, was delicious. McCan’s choice, the Skillogalee ‘Liqueur’ Clare Valley Muscat NV, from Dave and Diane Palmer, poured slowly from the stubby bottle, a sweet stream, sweet but with balance.

And it was the Pfeiffer Wines Rutherglen Muscat NV, a Martin Moran pick, with its heady complexity and orange notes that was my favourite of the trio.

And there were more from the Rutherglen area at the Liberty Wine table, sipped as we chatted with Gerry Gunnigan and new recruit Marcus Gates. First up was the Chambers Rosewood Muscat à Petits Grains Rouge NV (€18.99) and the direct comparison was with the ‘Old Vine’ Rutherglen Muscat à Petits (34.99).

The first is unctuous and rich, yet balanced. The ‘Old Vine’ , with orange, raisin and floral aromas, and a concentration of riches on the amazing palate, and again that balance. Both delicious but, if feeling flush, go for the Old Vine which has had the benefit of going through their specific Solera System.

Back then to visit Chris and Robyn Pfeiffer at their stand and, first to try their Topaque Rutherglen Muscadelle NV (previously called Tokay). “This is 100% Moscatel. It is well ripened. There is plenty of accumulated sugar but we don't lose the fruit.” And this luscious flavour-full wine is another stickie gem.

On a previous visit to Cork, Chris revealed that the table wines “pay” for the fortified wines which are regarded as “an accountant’s nightmare, because they tie up so much capital”. Fortunately, thanks to people like Chris, the accountants don't always have their way. “Fortified wines are undervalued...they deliver great punch for your pound!”

Colm picked a good one.

And, on that occasion, at The Hayfield Manor, I had the pleasure of sampling the even rarer Pfeiffer Grand Muscat. It is twenty years old and has spent most of that time in barrel. “It is a very special occasion wine (like old Cognac). It is very complex and you don't need much.”

That left me wishing for a tasting of their Rare Muscat, four years older than the Grand. “Like to get a  sip or two of that sometime”, I said to myself that night. And it finally happened in the RHA when Robyn produced a bottle and we drank the amazing wine, clinking our glasses in honour of the departed Joe Karwig, the wine-person’s wine-person who left us too soon (in late 2015). A fitting end to my stickie excursion at the Australia Day Tasting.

See also: A general review of the Australian tasting, with emphasis on Irish Focus Table

Rich and rare

Robyn Pfeiffer and Johnny McDonald

Battle of the White Horse. Burger Festival Week In Full Flow

Battles at the White Horse

Cork Burger Festival In Full Flow

This Seoul didn't survive!

By the time you read this, the White Horse  kitchen will be preparing for Round Four of their series of Burger Battles, featuring the White Horse Blue Cheese Burger versus the Mozzarella Cheese Burger. It is all part of the first ever Cork Burger Festival, a week long multi-venue affair that is certainly getting attention.

I was there on Tuesday night, along with dozens more, and the main event that evening was The Seoul Food Burger versus the Pulled Pork Burger. Like all the match-ups, it was a close-run thing and myself and CL were left thinking a replay was necessary.

And, just in case you think the burgers here are a rare event, they are not. Four burgers, including the Seoul, appear on the regular menu. And all the beef burgers are made from 100% Cork beef, wedged between Pana Artisan Bakery brioche buns.

The Seoul, by the way, is a 6 ounce patty; it is spiced and served in Korean BBQ sauce, chilly garlic mayo and kimchi slaw. It is a little spicy, yes, but it is all very well balanced, nothing extreme, just extremely tasty!

And The Pulled Pork Burger is another treat, full of great flavours and texture and that comes with celeriac slaw and their very own BBQ sauce. We shared a fair few bits from each just so both had a good idea of the qualities. Hard to choose, so two winners on the night!

The White Horse is quite a supporter of local producers and we were delighted to be able to help those burgers on their way with a couple of excellent Irish craft beers: the White Gypsy’s Blonde Weissbier and Metalman's Pale Ale. 

Pulled Pork

The Battles of the Whitehorse go right through to the end of the week. By executive order from a certain Mr T, the much anticipated Texan (General Cleburne, a man who once hung out on Spike Island, I think) and the saucy Mexican clash gets a double round, on Friday and Saturday night. Should be a great match-up. 

And Sunday is marked by a biblical battle between Noah’s Ark (a double beef burger) and the High Priest (a roast beef burger with stuffing).

See poster at end or check here for details: 

And when all the battles are over, or even if you don't like burgers, then don’t worry, you'll find loads to keep you going on the White Horse Dinner menu. Classic local dishes such as Fish and Chips and relative newcomers like the Malaysian Monkfish Curry feature.

Looking for something a little more substantial? Then how about the 12 hour cooked feather-blade of beef? Maybe the chargrilled 10 ounce sirloin? And if you like vegetarian, then they have a Vegetable Moussaka for you and also a Tikka Masala.

And besides all that, there is a big choice of starters and desserts. And you'd never know, there may be a bit of music going on as well. This is a lively spot, with terrific service, and well worth a visit.

Taste of the Week. Skeaghanore Hot Oak Smoked Chicken Crown

Taste of the Week

Skeaghanore Hot Oak Smoked Chicken Crown

Skeaghanore has long been associated with duck and now this new fabulous chicken product (not up on their website yet) is our Taste of the Week.

The smoking has been very nicely judged and the overall flavour is brilliant; texture is spot-on too, lovely and tender, even juicy. Eat it with a salad or with pasta. And, besides you get a lot of bang for your buck. It is a rich and succulent food and very good value as well.

Skeaghanore products are widely available and I got my smoked chicken in Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork.

Skeaghanore West Cork Duck

Skeaghanore

Ballydehob

Co. Cork

Tel: 028 37428

Web: http://www.skeaghanoreduck.ie

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

Twitter: @SkeaghanoreDuck

Café Velo. Take Time-out to Slow Down

Café Velo

Take Time-out to Slow Down

Crispy Fish Burger

 I joined the peloton at Café Velo the other day. No musette or bidon needed but lots of food and super service in this large bright feeding station on George’s Quay (Cork), which includes pictures of cycling aces and events as part of the decor. 

Local food heroes such as Jack McCarthy Kanturk, Ballymaloe Relish, and Ardsallagh Cheese, are among those mentioned on the menus. Menus? Well aside from lunch, they also do breakfast and then there’s brunch at the weekend.

You can check out the menus here . But, when in-house, be sure and check out the daily specials board. Service is very good and they’ll more than likely make you aware of the specials in any case.

Soup is on every day at lunch-time. But which one? Just check the board. We did - there was a choice - and both of us settled on the Roast Tomato and Fennel Soup (4.90 a bowl or 2.50 a cup). Very tasty indeed and a good start to the meal.

Broadly speaking, the lunch menu is divided into two categories: various types of sandwiches (and very good they looked too as they passed our table) and another section under “From the kitchen”. The sandwiches generally cost 7.90 or 8.90.

CL picked her dish from The Kitchen: Tandoori roast chicken burger with herb and lemon aioli, red onion, plum tomato, leaves and brioche bun served with Shoestring Fries (10.90). She enjoyed that. Good for the athletes among you; by coincidence, I spotted this on an on-line cycling magazine: If you choose dishes baked in a tandoor and avoid those with sauces, then it can be one of the better meal options.

Not too sure about all the French fries though and I got a big helping of those same chips with my dish. I'd been tempted by the description of the Velo Crispy Fish Sandwich on the board: Crispy Cod with a Brioche Bun, beef tomato, red onion, gem lettuce, homemade tartar sauce and fries (12.90). No shortage of those chips but no shortage of the excellent cod either. The tartar, by the way, was replaced by a tomato sauce.

We had arrived about 12.30pm and by now the place was full, a testament to its popularity. By the way, if you’re in a rush and chasing the pace setters in the office, Velo do take out as well. 

Café Velo

3 George’s Quay

Cork

Tel: 021 4323044  

Email: cake@cafevelo.ie

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

Twitter: @velo_cork

Hours:

Mon - Fri: 7:30 am - 5:00 pm 

Saturday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm 

Sunday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm