Vikki’s Café & Wine Bar. Bright Spot on a Rainy Day

Vikki’s Café & Wine Bar

Bright Spot on a Rainy Day

Just six euro for this delicious quiche of the day including salad. Added to it with this generous cup of soup (3.00), a warming spicy tomato and black bean, quite appropriate for the unpleasant day. Watch out also for the daily special and a range of Arbutus Sourdough Toasties.

I was up around Sunday’s Well on a recent wet and windy morning. Wondering where I’d get a nice lunch when I thought of Vikki’s, well established now in the old post office. I hadn’t been there in a long while. It turned out to be a very good choice indeed.

A really excellent dish from the Brunch menu: Jack McCarthy's white pudding crumbled on to toasted Arbutus sourdough with two free range poached eggs and pomegranate raita.   Prefer Black pudding? They do a tempting Clonakilty Blackpudding Hash (with crushed potatoes and spring greens, a fried egg and Ballymaloe Relish, again on toasted sourdough. Each of these costs €11.00.

The menu is quite extensive. Maybe not the lunch menu itself but the brunch menu that starts at 8.30am runs right through until 3.30pm and you’ll have great fun choosing from the two. As it happened, I picked from one while CL picked from the other. See the menus (not the specials) here .

Drinks? No shortage. Lots of soft drinks, beer by the bottle (including the likes of Black’s, Galway Hooker), Stonewell cider and a wine list as well. The café opens every day and turns into a wine-bar for the weekend evenings. Watch out for music, mainly on Saturdays I think, with an extended programme for the Jazz Weekend.

Lots of tempting goodies on the counter, including this Almond and Plum Cake. Very enjoyable as was the Lemon Drizzle. Coffee is excellent also.

Tried this Coconut Water but didn't really fancy it.
On the other hand, Vikki's fresh apple juice was
very good indeed.

Service is friendly, low-key and efficient here in this long and narrowish space. There is a quite a garden out the back, lots of seats there too, but that wasn’t in play on this particular day. There were a couple of hardy souls outfront though sitting on the pavement tables under the awning. 

Vikki’s also have another string to their bow. They operate a deli here and on sale are products from some of the top local producers around. Indeed, those same producers feature on the menu. 

Vikki’s Café and Wine Bar 

85A Sunday’s Well Road

Cork

(021) 422 1729

If strong winds are forecast, this is the wine that you need!

If strong winds are forecast, this is the wine that you need!

Breton Avis de Vin Fort Bourgueil (AOC) 2017, 12.5%, €21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Immediately north east of the confluence of the two rivers (Loire & its tributary Vienne) you come to Bourgueil and appellations named after that town and its close neighbour St Nicolas de Bourgueil. Wine is so important here that there is a huge wine bottle outside the church in St Nicolas and a large bunch of grapes is a centrepoint on at least one roundabout. The reds here and in Chinon, across the Loire to the south, are often excellent. As the World Atlas of Wine declares: "For its quality, it is absurdly undervalued".

Cabernet Franc is the red grape in these parts and this is a slightly unusual example, made in the style of a Clairet (indicated on the label), a cross between a rosé and a red. 

Colour though is dark enough, mid to dark ruby. Aromas are of fresh red fruit. It is undeniably fresh and light on the palate, easy-drinking and something of a thirst quencher. Barely a trace of tannin, just enough to dry the lips a bit - and a pleasant finish to boot. This vin de soif is Highly Recommended for that picnic or a sneaky glass at lunch before returning to the daily grind. 

A husband-and-wife operation in the Loire Valley, Catherine and Pierre Breton, based in the commune of Restigné, have recently celebrated their 30th vintage and have built their reputation on making pure Cabernet Francs from Bourgueil and neighbouring Chinon using biodynamic viticulture and vinification.

The vineyards see ultra-intense organic care, no mean feat in this northerly clime though by no means unique either; they avoid chemical fertilisers and weed killers, restrict yields and harvest by hand. The Bretons use indigenous yeasts and their desire for “natural” winemaking comes through strong in their resistance to the use of sulphites, with typically just 10 mg/l added at bottling to many cuvées, although some are bottled without any sulphites at all. And they are bottled unfiltered. This one is raised in Grenier wood barrels until spring, bottled in April with minimal sulphur. There was a little bit of sediment in this bottle, nothing to worry about but you may prefer to decant.

The wine’s name is a reference to the maritime warning “Avis de Vent Fort” (meaning strong winds are in the forecast), and is a play on words to evoke the idea that if the weather is bad, one should sail back to shore and have a glass of wine instead.

Holy Salads and Sandwiches at St Francis Provisions

Holy Salads and Sandwiches at St Francis Provisions

Super salad

There is a white tigín in Kinsale. It is the home of St Francis Provisions, a café com deli that is causing something of a stir in the town and beyond.

Hardly because of its size - it would be hard to squeeze twenty diners in here. Not because of its furniture: three basic 2-person tables and perhaps ten basic high stools. Not because of the ware, lots of odd plates here, some the worse for wear! So, why the fuss? It’s the food, stupid!

Take this glorious salad in the top photograph. “Perhaps the best salad ever,” according to first time customer CL who paid €9.50 for this colourful flavourful plate that is also seasonal and local. The tasty bounty of the season is deliciously expressed in the ever so pleasing melange of mixed leaves, fig, spelt, nuts and seeds, roasted parsnips, pumpkin and sweet potato, soft creamy cheese.

I’m also a St Francis novice and ordered one of the two daily sandwiches: Gubbeen pistachio salami, Gubbeen cheese, fig and ginger chutney on focaccia, served on their own focaccia. On advice from the kitchen - there are certain advantages in sitting at the counter - I had this toasted and this too was excellent, local produce expertly handled.

Apple & Blackberry Pie and, right, Sticky Orange Cake

By the way, the day we visited (Oct 9th) was the day that they finally became truly their own bakery with chef Darren Kennedy and baker Sarah Walsh adding the sourdough to their repertoire. The bar has been well and truly raised here and it’s a pleasure to see such a young enterprise (it opened at the start of the summer) progress so impressively under the direction of owner/manager Barbara Nealon, a woman from the Banner who arrived in Kinsale via San Francisco (hence the tigín’s name).

And the output of the ovens is spread across the counters, lots of tempting pastries, both big and small. My pick was the Sticky Orange Cake, sweet, moist and delicious, enhanced no end by a cup of the excellent Red Strand coffee.

Rock and roll was playing on the record player - it is all vinyl here boy - with a voice from my past knocking out “Here comes my baby. Here she comes now…” as we settled up, €27.00 in all, before stepping out in the sunlit Farmers Market (a mega shower had just finished).

It is not just lunch that they serve here. Breakfast is available from 8.45, brunch is well worth checking out on Saturdays and Sundays, and there’s a dinner service (with some superb wines) available every Friday and Saturday from 5.00pm. They are closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

St Francis Provisions 

Short Quay

Kinsale

Co. Cork

tel: 0830636879

All Happening at the River Lee. Afternoon Tea, Harvest Carriage, Jazz Fest

All Happening at the River Lee

Afternoon Tea, Harvest Carriage, Jazz Fest

Petite pieces of finesse and elegance, crowned by this quartet of sweet sensations.
Congrats to the team here as their Afternoon Tea has been awarded best in Munster.

Always a buzz around the River Club in the River Lee. Even more so at present as the riverside hotel steps up another gear - no standing still around here. Latest highlights include a splendid Afternoon Tea and the Harvest Carriage. 

And, for the October Bank Holiday, between the Club and the River Room, there’s a score and more jazz slots, all free, a whole lot of fun from 5.00pm on Friday until 7.00pm on Monday. The excellent New York Brass Band will be here everyday. They are superbly entertaining and watch out too for the Art Crimes Band. But there is something for everyone. Check it all out here 

We were in for the Afternoon Tea last Friday but we also had a look at the Harvest Carriage. The what? Did you know that a three-foot narrow gauge train-line ran from Cork City to Blarney from the late 19th century until it finally ceased service in 1934.

The Harvest Carriage

The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway brought pleasure-seeking tourists from the city to the countryside and ran right through where the River Club now stands. This was the very site of the old Western Road station – in fact you can still see the remnants of the train tracks just under the terrace of the adjoining Grill Room restaurant and two stumps of supporting columns stand in the river outside!

These days, the riverside terrace has been decorated to evoke the good old days of train travel, not so much on the Cork and Muskerry, more like the luxury continental lines. The River Club, in partnership with Fever-Tree mixers, is offering a selection of cocktails to while away the “journey”.

And we started with one! Since we had been assigned to drive the express, the drink had to be non alcoholic. And our host, Pierce Lowney, General Manager, had just the ticket. A seasonal one, based on the refreshing and spiced Seed-Lip, with ginger beer and their own apple and pear cordial. Now, after that delicious Amuse Bouche, blow that whistle and check out the dining carriage for that superb tea.

River Club Bar

The menu follows the traditional three parts: savoury, scones and sweet, all tempting. Four finger sandwiches were Curry Spiced Coronation Chicken, Cucumber and Chive Glenilen Cream Cheese, Focaccia with sun-dried tomato and basil hummus and my favourite Dressed Ballycotton Crab on homemade Guinness brown bread.

The influence of Modern Botany was seen in the very tempting Bramley Apple and Flax Financier in the scone plate and in the sweets as well. There was Camomile and Honey Carrageen Moss pudding, Orange and Polenta Cake with calendula mousseline cream, Earl Grey Chocolate Choux Bun and a joint favourite Pineapple and Coriander Green Tea Tartlet.

We choose the House Tea here, Barry’s Gold Blend, to start with and when that pot was finished I switched to one of the Ronnefeldt Loose Leaf Teas, the delicious balanced Early Grey. And they had more to offer including an Irish Whiskey Cream tea! Coffees too of course.

Speaking of balance, I think that this was one of the best balanced Afternoon Tea menus I’ve enjoyed, not too heavy at all, even that green tea tartlet in the desserts is quite light. So, feeling nicely fed than overly so, off we headed on a leisurely walk downtown. No train going that way now.

Plants and flowers, both wild and cultivated, are at the heart of Modern Botany’s approach to skincare, using the best natural botanical ingredients to promote skin health, including flax, calendula, borage and chamomile. 

These same plants and herbs all feature in this Modern Botany Afternoon Tea at The River Lee. The company is based in Schull and draws on the botanical richness of the Wild Atlantic Way to create their products. And, if you are an Afternoon Tea customer, you’ll get a gift of a Modern Botany travel size gift.  

The River Lee Hotel  

Western Road

Cork

Richy's "No Menu" Night. Huge Success

Richy's "No Menu" Night. Huge Success

Richy Virahsawmy is a happy man this weekend. "The first no menu night was a huge

success, full house !! Thank you all. The next one is on 14/11/2019. Bookings open now!!"

Now wonder it went down well  in the Clonakilty restaurant - just look at these pictures of

 the wonderful dishes created by Richy's Head Chef Meeran Gani Manzoor. You can see

 that this talented guy has learned well from his time spent working in

 Michelin starred restaurants.

House cured salmon with Turmeric, lemongrass & gin, lime fraiche, apple & cucumber gel, wasabi pearls, lemon oil, fermented rice crisps! 

Pumpkin and pink peppercorn brûlée, goats curd, sage and pistachio

Scallops, cauliflower poriyal, tamarind & palm sugar glaze.

Duck, celeriac, red cabbage, carrot and hazelnut 

Chocolate & coffee

Amuse Bouche

Good boy. Now, come on. We have eggs. Let me cook you an omelette.

She pulled a soggy box out of the press, opened it and at once turned up her nose.

Maybe we’ll skip the eggs, she said, and took a good look around the kitchen as though she was convinced a second press, one with proper eggs and other food, was hiding from her. Her scan complete, she shook her head sadly, threw up her arms and yelled, What a dump! As fast again, she jerked her head towards the stereo, her face lighting up at what was coming out of it.

And off she went. De-de doo-duh. De-de doo-duh. Clicking her fingers.

from Ithaca by Alan McMonagle (2017). Very Highly Recommended.

White Gypsy's Tempting Threesome. Limited Edition Brews

White Gypsy's Tempting Threesome

Limited Edition Brews

Smoked Wheat, 5.2%, 500 ml bottle

A traditional Bamburg style beer made from malt that has been dried over fires from beechwood logs. Weyermann Dark Wheat and Pale Pilsner Malts, Saphir hops and Weihenstephan yeast have all been harnessed here.

A delicious mix of fruit, clove too, plus just a hint of smoke from the drying process. Should be good with food, particularly with those from the BBQ. Next time, I may well try it with smoked salmon or trout.

Farmhouse Ale, 5.5%, 500ml bottle

This is Gypsy’s take on a traditional Wallonia style beer brewed by the local farmer to provide his workers with refreshment during the hard work of the summer. Ingredients include Irish Heritage Hunter Barley, Irish Wheat Malt, Mandarina Bavaria Wet Hops and Saison Yeast.

I’d be very happy to working with any farmer that can come up with an ale of this quality. A perfect balance, positively refreshing, and just the job after a hard days work. A superb saison. Wonder if I could sneak one at lunchtime!

Some similarities between Wheat and Ale, including mouthfeel and hints of clove.

Bock Lager, 6.5%, 500 ml bottle

A traditional Munich style beer brewed by Bavarian monks during Lent to provide them with their nutritional needs. White Gypsy say it’s the best excuse they ever heard for drinking beer. Ingredients listed are Weyermann Barke & Munich Malts, Hallertau Traditional Hops and Munich Yeast.

Dark-ish and power packed at 6.5 abv, this lager was originally brewed by those crafty Bavarian monks for nutritional purposes! In fairness, you could say there’s eating and drinking in it. Superb flavours round down the potential alcohol spike; still though, this is one to sip and enjoy rather than glug and regret!

These three superb beers are all produced by White Gypsy in Tipperary. I got mine, for eleven euro, in Bradley's, North Main Street, Cork. White Gypsy beers are widely available and you can check their other stockists here.

Oh What A Wonderful Morgon At La Bonne Tonne

Domaine de la Bonne Tonne

The "Androgynous" Wines of Beaujolais.

Robert Joseph, whose French Wine was a bible for many of us, wrote in the 1999 edition: “There is something deliciously androgynous about Beaujolais that somehow sets it between red and white, with the colour of the former and the easy drinkability of the latter. The region’s unique ménage à trois of the Gamay grape (a variety that never performs as well elsewhere), granite soil, and the macération carbonique process,…. combines to produce wines with vibrant fruit and almost no perceptible tannin.”

Think he’d have been well pleased with Domaine de la Bonne Tonne, who farm a small area of Beaujolais. The Grillet family have been winemakers for 7 generations in Morgon and their vines are of an average age of 65 years. 1.10 ha is grown in Beaujolais appellation including 50 ares in Gamay and 60 ares in Chardonnay. The wines of the area possess a lot of finesse and a wonderfully expressive fruit.

Here is how the Grillets sum it up: “This is the challenge we have embarked on. To come to live off our profession by producing a small quantity of grapes for a great quality of wine and to make finally express itself this soil so rich which does not require less. The 'black gamay with white juice', the only grape variety authorized for red wines in Beaujolais, can thus translate all its complexity of aromas.”

Did you know that the Gamay grape is an exile? In 1395, it was outlawed by Royal decree as being “a very bad and disloyal plant”. Sixty years later another edict was issued against it. And so it was pushed out of Burgundy and south into neighbouring Beaujolais where it has thrived on the granite based soils. Wonder what those royals, Philippe the Bold and Philippe the Good, would make of these beautiful authentic wines from Bonne Tonne.

Domaine de la Bonne Tonne Morgon (AOC)  “Grands-Cras” 2017, 14%, €25.75 Mary Pawle  

Colour is mid-ruby with the tears reluctant to disappear. Inviting aromas of freshly crushed strawberry and blackberry, floral notes also. All lead to an expected big kiss of concentrated sensation on the palate. A perfectly harmonious experience though, thanks to the acidity and those silky tannins. Loveable all the way to a very satisfactory finish indeed. Very Highly Recommended.

Wine Enthusiast gave this 93 points saying: “The Grillet family's organically grown wine shows delicious, pure flavors of jammy blackberries cut with acidity. It comes from old vines in one of Morgon's cru vineyards, giving both concentration and a mineral structure.”  

Grands Cras is one of the three climats in which the the Grillet family operate in Morgon, the others being Cote de Py and Charmes. Les Grands Cras is at the foothills of Cote de Py.  Charmes is a granite area in the west part of the cru Morgon.

Domaine de la Bonne Tonne Morgon (AOC) “Les Charmes” 2017, 14%, €27.00

Again mid-ruby is the colour. Rich jammy aromas of dark berries. And again we get those pure and delicious flavours of the fruit, plus the usual fresh acidity, smooth and velvety all the way to the excellent finish, a harmonious trip from initial attack to the finalé. 

Made from 100% Gamay grapes from vines with an average age of 65 years, it is vinified naturally with natural yeast and no added sulphur in the wine making. This wine, like all the Bonne Tonne bottles, is made with authenticity and aplomb, and little else. No herbicides, no pesticides here. No filtration and a minimal dose of SO2 is added to the bottling to avoid any degradation of the wine during transport.

Domaine de la Bonne Tonne Morgon (AOC) “Cote du Py” 2015, 14%, €28.75 Mary Pawle  

Colour: Mid ruby, tears slow to go. Intense and rich and inviting dark berry aromas, fresh and complex. And that all follows through to the immediately loveable palate, rich and rounded, seamless harmony all the way through to a long intense finish. Very Highly Recommended.

The Morgon "Côte du Py", is the most famous climate of the vineyard. There are ten crus in the Beaujolais region and Morgon, as you probably know, is one of them. With the typical acidity, these wines can match a range of foods. One suggestion that I fancy is Moroccan Lamb Tagine with apricot.

World famous for its exceptional soil resulting from ancient volcanic activity, the soil of the Py hill is composed of decomposing volcanic elements, with the presence of iron oxide and manganese. The blue rock is friable, and so the locals have been known to claim that the best Morgon are made on this land of  terre pourrie (rotten rock)! 

And more good news from Mary Pawle...

Mary Pawle will soon have this gem (due by end of the month); she already has the Energies on her list. I'll be ordering! The review above is from November's Decanter.

GOLDIE AIMS TO MAKE A SPLASH IN CORK'S CULINARY SCENE

GOLDIE AIMS TO MAKE A SPLASH IN CORK'S CULINARY SCENE

- Cork city’s burgeoning culinary reputation has been boosted with the opening of a new restaurant on the bustling Oliver Plunkett Street -

Goldie is a small restaurant aiming to have a big impact on Cork's dining scene, serving the freshest and most exciting fish dishes in the city. It is the result of an exciting collaboration between Aishling Moore (25), former head chef of Elbow Lane, and Stephen Kehoe, (39) executive chef of the Market Lane Group (pictured right). 

Goldie sources its fish from the day boats that operate out of Ballycotton in East Cork and the English Market. The restaurant takes the ‘whole catch’ from these boats (so they take whatever is caught on the day, regardless
of the quantity and species) ensuring a daily changing menu featuring the freshest produce available.

The name of the restaurant is a nod to the much loved ‘Goldie’ fish-shaped weathervane that sits on top of the famous Shandon Bells at the ancient St Anne’s church in Shandon, just north of the city centre.   The weathervane symbolises the historical importance of fishing to Cork.

Moore and Kehoe show excellent form.  Under their stewardship, Elbow Lane regularly appears in the top 100 list of the best eateries in Ireland and they were arguably at the vanguard of open fire cooking in Ireland.  With Goldie, the pair have spread their wings and created a mostly fish menu that will delight and surprise.  Dishes include the likes of ‘Pan-fried Ray with fennel and langoustine butter sauce’ and ‘Salt fish brandade with dillisk cracker and Churchfield tomatoes’.

The interior of the restaurant is contemporary chic and the atmosphere is intimate and relaxed.  The duo has kept price points extremely accessible; snacks start from €2, small plates from €7.50 and large plates from €18

As well as taking the whole catch, Goldie operates a ‘gill to tail approach’, using as much of the fish as possible.  Some of the most notable dishes are fish spines served with house togarashi, made with hops from Elbow Lane’s brewery and Pollock collar Teryaki.  The ultimate aim is to utilise as much of the fish as possible, with an emphasis on serving parts that are usually discarded.

Elbow Lane’s beers feature on the drink’s menu alongside a small, but carefully chosen wine list. Says Moore "While it has been extremely hard work opening my own restaurant, it has also been so enjoyable and is absolutely a career highlight for me.  To be doing so with Stephen as a business partner, who has been such a huge influence on my cooking, is a dream come true”

 Opening times are Wednesday – Sunday from 5 pm until late.  For further information please visit www.goldie.ie.

Press release

Taste of the Week. Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey

Grace O’Malley Blended Irish Whiskey

Pirate queen Grace O’Malley has had a recent Irish whiskey named after her, quite a few in fact, all finished by a company set up by Stephen Cope (deeply proud of his West of Ireland heritage) and his partners Stefan Hansen and Hendrick Melle.

They have tied down a large supply of stock from the John Teeling-owned Great Northern Distillery and Paul Caris, cellar master and blender at French company Alteroak, has been recruited to oversee maturation and finishing of the spirits.

“We’re not a distiller and we are not trying to be. That isn’t what we are about. Our whiskey comes from Great Northern and we’re very proud of that as we see them as specialist at what they do,” said Mr Cope, quoted in the Irish Times. The company, Inis Tine Uisce, are head-quartered, appropriately enough, in Westport, where they reportedly intend to open a maturation warehouse in a year or two.

Their whiskey is being sold in three different ranges, beginning with the introductory Grace O'Malley Crew. Move up then to the Navigator Range and next to the Captain’s Range (their finest bottles).

I recently tasted a sample (provided) of their 3-year old Blended Irish Whiskey. The blend, a special blend, combines multiple batches of whiskey of varying age statements from three to ten years old, including, unusually for Ireland, a high content of double-distilled malt.  Each batch of whiskey is aged in different barrel types including French Oak, American Oak, Bourbon and Rum Casks.  These casks are hand selected and matched to each whiskey’s characteristics for maturing and finishing. 

So what’s it like? Colour in the glass is not quite as dark as it appears in the squat bottle. Nose is quite intense, quite spicy. On the palate it is light and fruity, spicy too (not as prominent as you might expect from the aromas). Nice harmony between all the various elements (and there are a lot of them), all the way towards a very pleasant finish indeed, smooth and fruity with a slight sweetness.

A World Of Wine Coming To Cork Next Month. O'Briens Wine Festival

A World Of Wine Coming To Cork Next Month.

O'Briens Wine Festival 

The Lingenfelder brothers from Germany

They’re coming from many corners of the world, from California, Chile, Argentina, from South Africa, from New Zealand and Australia, all coming to Cork on Thursday November 7th. People will be there too from the Old World, all heading to the O’Briens Wine Festival at the Clayton Hotel in Lapps Quay, Cork. And watch out too for Kate and Denis from the local Kinsale Mead Company - they’ll certainly have something for those on your Christmas present list (including yourself!).

Wine Masterclasses are an additional feature this year. There will be three of them on the night, including one by Jose Maria Fraile of Tandem. This winery in Spain’s Navarra is one of my favourites. 

I see also that the Lingenfelder brothers, the double act of Georg and Karl, will be in attendance. Not too sure whether both will be doing the masterclass or just one but one way or the other you’ll have a laugh along with some very interesting wines to taste. 

The third masterclass will be given by Maison Schröder & Schÿler (they’ll have three reps at the festival) and they have some terrific Bordeaux wines under their wing, including Châteaux Kirwan (classified Grand Cru Classé in 1855); should be interesting!

Kangarilla's Charlie O'Brien (centre) pictured a few years back with his parents Helen and Kevin.

The Delicato Vineyards are one of the leading family producers in the US and produce under a variety of labels including Gnarly Head that you will see in Ireland. They’ll have Jonas Hillergen in attendance.

What’s going on in Chile these days? Check it out with Javier Letamendi from Viña Leyda (DO Leyda Valley). You won’t have to trek over the Andes to check out the wine scene in Argentina as Bodegas Norton from Mendoza will also be in Cork.

We recently highly recommended the Ken Forrester Old Vine Reserve Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch (South Africa) 2018, relatively new to O’Briens, and this excellent South African producer will have Louw Strydom on hand to tell you all about it and their other wines.

A beauty!

Looking forward to meeting Charlie O’Brien of Kangarilla Road in Australia’s McLaren. Hope he’s got some of the Devil’s Whiskers with him! New Zealand wines are always welcome here as are the country’s producers. Sacred Hill’s man at the Clayton will be Ben Stuart.

There’ll be bubbles of course, perhaps to begin the evening. Check the champagne by Champagne Beaumont des Crayères. Gilles Francois will have it at the perfect temperature.

And would you like to finish with a drop of Port? Ah, go on! The person to see is Lorna Rouse of Taylor's & Fonseca.

Tickets are selling fast for this outstanding event (199 wines, 45 winemakers). Check at your local O’Brien’s or order online here. Cheers, Cork!

It’s Blasket Lamb Time at Market Lane Group.

It’s Blasket Lamb Time at Market Lane Group.

Uan Blasta at ORSO, Castle Cafe and Elbow Lane

Lamb Shank

It’s that time of year again. The Market Lane’s precious quota of delicious Blasket Lamb has arrived in Cork and the chefs at ORSO, Elbow Lane, Castle Café and the parent restaurant itself are trying to outdo each other with tasty expressions. Every bit of the lamb will be used and there’ll be quite a variety of offerings to choose from.

Diners can look forward to dishes such as ‘Spicy Lamb Sausage, grated tomato, red onion, parsley pine nuts, mint, and sumac served with flatbread, ‘Slow Roasted Lamb Neck Shawarma with tahini, green peppercorn and pickled squash, ‘Braised lamb breast with black garlic mash, wild mushroom and Tawny cider jus’, and ‘Loin of lamb with pancetta and potato terrine, aubergine puree, winter vegetables and a lamb jus’.

When I got the call to try out the dishes at Elbow Lane, there was no hesitation. We got in early on Friday evening last and enjoyed two fabulous courses from their famous grill and some of their own superb beers as well.

Lamb Cutlet

Not too many restaurants use kidneys nowadays, maybe the customers are reluctant. But we had no hesitation when our fantastic server detailed this starter dish for us: Blasket Lamb Kidneys, with Quince, Rhubarb and Kombucha glaze and sautéed Chard.

Kidneys with Chard

Quite a hat trick on the plate. The glaze was unreal, the green Chard provided an extra texture (and flavour of course) and the interaction with the kidneys rounded the potentially robust and rustic dish into a very sophisticated mouthful indeed. Quite a few mouthfuls actually!

The sauce in the next dish, a preserved lemon and marjoram beurre blanc, was another standout. You could have either Lamb Leg (no bone) or Lamb Chops. Both had the same sauce and also a crunchily delicious caper roast cauliflower. 

So one of us  had the Chops, the other the Leg, and there was a bit of swapping going on. If it had been a contest, I think I’d have given the chops, with their amazing fat enhanced flavour (or was it the Angel Lane stout factor), the edge. Must admit I know little about the grill here but it sure delivers fantastic flavours.

Elbow Lane Smokehouse and Brewery, as you may know, is not the biggest, but the crew here make the very best of it, whether it’s the chef is his very confined quarter or the front of house people explaining the various dishes, helped diners make their own choices, in the narrow dimly-lit space,  and it all runs very smoothly indeed. Quite an enjoyable customer experience and highly recommended, especially for couples and foursomes.

Just a bit of background on the Blasket Lamb….

The habitat on the islands is what makes this product so special. The animals mostly graze on the small island of Beginish, a natural bird sanctuary, which makes the soil incredibly fertile.  There, the animals graze at leisure in a marshy meadow full of heather, grasslands and wild herbs.  They have even been known to nibble on the seaweed which washes up on the natural beaches that provide access to the island.  The grass is salty from sea spray and this gives the lamb its highly valued flavour.

Donnacha (farmer) and Jerry (butcher) inspect the sheep as they arrive on the mainland.

As the animals are free to roam uninterrupted, there is no forced ‘fattening’.  This means that the lamb is leaner, ‘creating a near-perfect fat to meat ratio’ says award-winning Dingle Butcher, Jerry Kennedy.  “Fortunately, there is no liver fluke on the islands, so the lamb is not treated for anything other than worms.” 

Conrad Howard, head of the Market Lane Group, who has been supporting Blasket Island lamb for many years now says “We are delighted as a group to highlight this very special produce.  The impeccable provenance of this lamb is reflected in its superb quality and flavour. We are also very proud to be the only restaurants to serve it to our customers. Our chefs begin creating their dishes in August in the anticipation and hope that the lamb will arrive.”

Amuse Bouche

It was essentially a debriefing on the killing and there were high fives all around. It didn’t matter to Thompson and his associates that a young girl had heard the shots being fired and ran out to find her father lying in a pool of blood. The fact that Thompson brought his associates out just a few hours after a man’s life had been taken shows just how callous he really was. They enjoyed a good meal, drinks and posed for photographs. It was simply a party to celebrate a murder.

from Fat Freddie by Stephen Breen (2019). Very Highly Recommended (but not for the faint-hearted)