RESTAURANTS AND FOOD

Thursday, February 9, 2023

‘Queen of Hearts’ extends reign at Cork’s Imperial Hotel this Valentine’s. A Royal Romance not just for a day! You Have Until March 8th!

press release

Queen of Hearts reigns at Cork’s Imperial Hotel this Valentine’s.

A Royal Romance not just for a day! You Have Until March 8th!

Treat your loved one like royalty this Valentines by planning the ultimate romantic date at Cork’s iconic and elegant Imperial Hotel. Cork’s most historic hotel has just unveiled a new ‘Queen of Hearts’ inspired theme, featuring extravagant displays, themed cocktails and afternoon tea along with rose flourished spa treatments all designed to set hearts racing. These exclusive Queen of Hearts experiences will be available throughout the romantic season leading up to and after Valentine’s Day until the 8th March giving love birds every opportunity to paint the town red on a date of their choosing!

The scene for you date will be set from the moment you arrive. The majestic Imperial lobby with its high vaulted ceilings and sparkling crystal chandelier has been elevated to new romantic heights with a jaw dropping ‘Queen of Hearts’ inspired floral display. Décor wise expect white roses painted red, alongside hearts, and playing card motifs inspired by the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland. Whether you want to aim cupid’s bow at the king or queen in your life, you’ll be guaranteed a memorable first impression or the perfect instagrammable moment!

Sparks will fly over an indulgent ‘Queen of Hearts’ themed afternoon tea for two which has been designed by the hotel’s talented chef and pastry team who are renowned for their culinary talents and aesthetic creations. Get swept away with local delights: on the savoury side you’ll enjoy a generous sandwich selection including cream cheese & cucumber, ham & tomato chutney, egg brioche, red pepper and hummus, while the sweet selection includes a ‘Wonderland’ of on theme treats including the ‘Queen of Tart’ Red Sable Biscuit sandwich, ‘Eat Me, Opera Cake’ with chocolate, coffee and nut layers, White Rabbit Vanilla Yogurt Mousse, Berry Rice Gateaux , ‘Red Knight Army Shortbread’ sandwiched with Vanilla and Jam, a ‘Grow Me, Shrink Me, Bring Me Back Scone’ served with Champagne Jam.

Why not spend quality time together, relaxing with a couples spa treatment in Escape Spa at the hotel, followed by time to unwind in the vitality suite. Choose from a customised facial, full back of the body massage, Indian head massage or facial and back massage combination treatment.

Of course, Cork’s Grande Dame of romance has unrivalled love credentials as it has been hosting first dates, engagements, weddings, and honeymoons for more than 200 years. Continuing in this tradition, The Imperial is pulling out all the stops when it comes to romantic gestures, providing the services of their Director of Welcomes and Special Occasion Butler, James Gunter, who is on hand to help grant guests every romantic wish during their stay. Whether you are planning the ultimate romantic date weekend, an anniversary celebration, or a surprise proposal, James will be on hand to provide local insights, advice, and unparalleled expertise.

Or if you fancy making a night of it the Queen of Hearts package night stay with afternoon tea, cocktails and a birdcage sharing platter to share plus breakfast included starts from €270 and you can also add a couples spa treatment from Escape Spa at the Imperial for extra indulgence. See www.imperialhotelcork.com/queenofhearts.html for more. To make a booking email reservations@imperialhotelcork.ie or call 4274040. To engage with the Special Occasion simply email events@imperialhotelcork.ie

More info

Queen Of Hearts Afternoon Tea is priced at €35 or €45 with prosecco

Queen of Hearts Spa Package (without overnight) includes:

60 minutes in the Vitality Suite
Get the Royal Treatment with your choice of one of the following (total treatment time: 50 mins)

Customised Facial
Full Back of the Body Massage
Indian Head Massage
Facial and Back Massage Combo
Afternoon Tea
Midweek: €149/Weekend: €159

Queen of Hearts Stay Package Priced from €270 includes:

An overnight stay
Arrival treats in the room
Afternoon Tea for two
Birdcage and cocktails in Sketch or 76 in the evening
Breakfast the following morning

Booking on 021 7306622 escape@imperialhotelcork.ie

https://www.imperialhotelcork.com/spa-packages.html

Model Jaime- Leigh Fallon as the Queen of Hearts at the Imperial Hotel.

Photo credit Louis Tang @noirxtone PR contact Clair Phillips clair@e-t-c.ie 0857473204

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

CorkBillyBeers #10. Craft journey with Brown Ales from Ireland and Belgium: Ballykilcavan, Whiplash, Bacchus, and Chimay

CorkBillyBeers #10

Craft journey with Brown Ales from Ireland and Belgium: Ballykilcavan, Whiplash, Bacchus, and Chimay

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Bacchus Flemish Old Brown, 4.5% ABV, 375 ml bottle The Cru

Bacchus introduce Old Brown (Oud Bruin) as “A typical Flemish beer with a pleasant taste of wine...and a rich past. Partially matured in oak barrels, this dark brown beer has moderately fruity aromas and a slightly acidic aftertaste.” This type of beer has been brewed in West Flanders since the 17th century.

Colour is brown as you’d expect with a slight tan head that barely says hello before its fades, leaving just a trace on top. It is indeed a mild one and the first taste indicates a tart wine-like acidity (somewhat similar to what you’ll find in the Basque wine Txakoli) but that moderates soon enough. That fresh sweet-sour taste is, the producers say, typical for this type of beer. The sweetness, nothing mega, comes from the touch of caramel from the roasted malt while the sourness is “is less pronounced than the sourness of other Flemish red-brown beers”.

And another odd thing is that there is no label, no info at all on the bare bottle, but it comes on the unusual paper wrap! It informs us it is a mixed fermentation beer with sugar and sweetener and that the ingredients are water, barley malt, sugar, wheat, hop, spices, aromas, sweetener. That sweetener is steviol glycosides, aneis around 150-300 times sweeter than sugar! Check it out here, if you are inclined!

Bacchus Oud Bruin was launched in 1955, making it their oldest beer. The Bacchus Kriek (in my queue) and Bacchus Raspberry are brewed on base of Bacchus Oud Bruin. Once I settled in to it, I found it quite a lively and refreshing beer with a pleasant finish, perhaps more suited to the garden in summer.

This beer was not designed to be a culinary or gastronomic beer, unlike some other beers within the extensive Van Honsebrouck range. When Oud Bruin was developed in the 50s as a beer style, no thought was given to gastronomy when brewing beer.

More about the brewery here.

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Chimay Red “Brown Ale”, 7.0 % ABV, 330 ml bottle Bradleys

The Chimay Red is the oldest of the Chimays. It gets its name from the the colour of the label. The colour of the beer is a multi-hued copper tinted brown (from copper to deep ruby) with a tan head that sinks down to a thin disc without too much delay.

Malty aromas, fruity and toasted, invite you on to the palette where you meet them again in the flavours. Fruits such as orange, peach and apricot now meld with sweet honey, nougat and baguette from the malt. And yet, there’s a delightful balance from first to last, minerality, aromas and flavours all combining in bringing a super conclusion as the aftertaste lingers

The Authentic Trappist Product label certifies that this ale is brewed in a Trappist abbey and that the majority of sales income is intended for social aid. Chimay Red was brewed for the first time in 1862.

The perfect pairing for the Chimay Red is with Chimay cheeses but particularly with the Grand Chimay.

Trappist beers are among those that age gracefully. Brew Dog's Great Beer for the People list three requirements: high ABV, low hops, and bottle conditioned. Trappist beers tick those boxes and “they get softer, sweeter and fruitier. …… They age beautifully.”

Ingredients: water, barley malt, sugar, wheat starch, hop, spices, yeast,

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Ballykilcavan Bambrick’s Brown Ale, 5.8%, 440 ml can, The Cru

"Possibly the beer we're best known for! A beer to savour all year round, but it does really suit these shorter, cooler Autumn evenings. Enjoyed all the way from Laois to Lombardy," says David Walsh-Kemmis of Ballykilcavan.

This Bambrick’s Brown Ale is brewed with barley and water sourced from the family farm in County Laois. It is named after Joe Bambrick who worked on the farm for sixty years. And, believe it or not, the Walsh family have been farming here through 13 generations, since 1639!

Not a Belgian style beer this time but a Brown Ale based on the rich and malty American style. The ingredients are simple: malted barley and wheat, water, hops and yeast.

It is a dark brown colour with a tan head that slinks away rather quickly. Aromas are modest with a little fruit (including slight cherry notes) coming through the chocolate and toffee. Superb on the rich and malty palate, just a soft touch of hops, roasted coffee and burnt toffee all the way through to the dry lip-smacking finish.

IBU of this one is 26. It seems to be quite a successful style for Ballykilcavan and, in a recent post, brewery co-founder David Walsh-Kemmis indicated that they may well have another example or two during 2023. They already make an Export Bambrick’s with an 8% ABV so I must watch out for that!

Very Highly Recommended

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Whiplash Quiet Crowd Robust Brown Ale 5.0%, 330 ml can Whiplash Online

Colour’s more black than brown and there’s a silky and tight knit tan foam that hangs about a bit. The aromas, of modest intensity, are on the malty side, caramelised and toasty, with prominent coffee notes. And so too are the roasty flavours (not too modest now though!) and there’s quite a depth here with chocolate, caramel and bread. Really impressive.

Malt certainly has the upper hand, yet there is a very satisfactory lip smacking finish with enough bitterness to allow the malt shine without having it too sweet, that balance coming despite the heavy use of caramel and aromatic malts.

Not sure the 5% would qualify it as robust though! According to the Beer Bible, you are more likely to find these nowadays in Chicago rather than on this side of the Atlantic.

Very Highly Recommended

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Tuesday, February 7, 2023

This Cinsault, a red star of the Eastern Pyrenees, will put a grin on your face!

This Cinsault, a red star of the Eastern Pyrenees, will put a grin on your face!

Foulards Rouges, Le Fond de l'Air est Rouge* - Vin de France 2021, 12% ABV

€23,50. Stockists: 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Cinsault is one of my favourite grapes even though many critics are inclined to run it down saying it is “a minor blending grape” and “lacks the prestige of..such as Syrah or Mourvèdre”.

I have been impressed by some excellent examples of the variety from the Itata valley of Chile, one involving the famous Pedro Parra, the Clos des Fous “Pour Ma Geule” (blend, mostly Cinsault), and another by Aurelio Montes, the Montes “Outer Limits” Cinsault.

Itata shows prominently in Wine-Searcher’s search stats for the variety but the most sought after are those from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. Yes, while most of the worlds’s Cinsault plantings are in France, the grape has found a welcome and suitable home in countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

This wine has a mid-ruby colour. Bright, red berry fruits head the aromas and also lead on the palate. It is soft and deep, notes of raspberry and cherry, sweet spice also. Quite complex too all the way through to the refreshing finish. Highly Recommended.

In the south of France, the traditional and somewhat famous food pairing for a fine and light Cinsault wine such as this is with Escargot, garlic butter and a French baguette. Importers Le Caveau say it's a perfect summer red to serve quite cool with grilled foods, charcuterie and mild cheeses. Wine-Searcher suggest pork and chicken, char-grilled vegetables and even Thai or Vietnamese cuisines while Wine Folly say well spiced vegetarian Indian fare.

The terroir is Les Albères in the Pyrenées-Orientales, 10km from the picturesque seaside village of Collioure (that those who have holidayed in the area will know) where the maritime influence brings the freshness that enables the wines to reach phenolic maturity without excessive alcohol. ..They say they “work.. according to the goodwill of the moon. The harvest is carried out in joy and good humour with small boxes of 13 kg to preserve the intact bunches. ..vinification is natural, i.e. without input if possible (indigenous yeast, no sulfur, filtration or fining)… Bottling is done manually and by gravity (no pump)…Purity is the watchword here; the first thing you notice is the freshness of the wines, and, dare one say, some pretty juicy fruit.”

Local beach Argeles-sur-Mer

When Jean-François Nicq and a childhood friend Bijan Mohamadi (math teacher at the Faculty of Montpellier), bought the estate in the Eastern Pyrenees, they baptised it "domain of red scarves", a memory of their militant past.. All peaceful here now, though the bottle comes with a notice: “Attention danger and there will not (enough) be for everyone! Arm yourself!”

* The wine name, Le Fond de l'Air est Rouge, translates as The Bottom of the Air is Red. Puzzling! But then I read that in 1977 a French political film had the same title, the red hinting perhaps that there was socialism in the air. The English title for the same film was A Grin Without A Cat! Did that cat have a red scarf?

KILLARNEY'S CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL HOSTS BOTANICAL WATERCOLOUR PAINTING WITH MARY DILLON AT NINETEENTH CENTURY

BOTANICAL WATERCOLOUR PAINTING WITH MARY DILLON

AT NINETEENTH CENTURY CAHERNANE HOUSE HOTEL, KILLARNEY

Mary Dillon

The historic, four-star Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry (Ireland) is delighted to once again host a spring flower inspired botanical watercolour painting workshop from the 5^th to the 8^th of March 2023. The three-night ‘Watercolour Painting Package’ costs from €549 per person sharing. Renowned watercolour artist, Mary Dillon, heads up this residential course which includes three nights bed and breakfast with a full Irish Breakfast each morning and one evening meal.

Guests will check in on Sunday, 5^th of March and will enjoy welcome drinks and an introduction to the course by Mary Dillon. This wonderful residential painting workshop also includes a farewell table d'hôte dinner in the stunning 2 AA Herbert’s Restaurant on Tuesday evening. Over the course of the workshop the participants will be tutored in the art of watercolour and will learn how to bring the majesty and colour of spring flowers to life on paper. All materials will be provided including colours, brushes, palettes, watercolour paper and drawing boards and there is no experience necessary. This fabulous course will include two and half days of painting in the elegant Drawing Room in Cahernane House Hotel which overlooks the hotel’s mature gardens and Killarney National Park.

Mary Dillon is a world class botanical artist and an outstanding, engaging, and inspiring teacher who is passionate about painting and plants. She is a member of the Watercolour Society of Ireland and was the founding Chairperson of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists.

Mary will guide you through simple drawing and painting techniques to help you capture the essence of a plant with its sensuality and frailty. If you already have some experience, she will work with you to enhance your skills and increase your competence. Each day you will learn, practice, and apply the skills required to create your own botanical watercolour painting.

Mary's Black Tulip

Speaking in advance of the Spring Flower Painting Workshop at Cahernane, Mary said, “During our workshop we will slow down, taking time to really look at the bright, fresh and vibrant colours of the changing seasons. We will learn simple techniques to accurately draw plants by observing their structures and shapes and using light and shade to bring life to your drawing and painting. Having learned how to find just the right colour mix for your painting we will use first wet and then dry watercolour painting techniques, painting fine detail, and layering colours. This will also be a wonderful opportunity to experience painting and nature in a mindful and relaxed atmosphere.”

Cahernane House Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry is the perfect place to get away from it all this spring. Removed from the main throughfare of Killarney and set on its own private grounds on the edge of Killarney National Park, the house presents plenty of opportunities for guests to enjoy a relaxing and creative getaway. The Muckross Road, where Cahernane House is located is often referred to as ‘The gateway to the Ring of Kerry’, renowned for its spectacular scenery and ancient history.

Built in 1877, Cahernane House Hotel has been extensively renovated by the owners, PREM Group who have spent over €7.8 million on an ambitious renewal programme. There are 12 grand bedrooms in the original Manor House, 28 in the Garden Wing and the Coach House, once home to the horses and carriages of the Herbert family who built the house is now the setting for 8 new luxurious bedrooms. The Coach House Bedrooms have all been decorated in vibrant colours and the soft furnishings and wallpapers have been inspired by the flora of Kerry and its famous wildflowers.

Cahernane House Hotel is well known for its fantastic food which is created by the Executive Chef Cormac Vesey and his team. The Cellar Bar serves casual food daily while fine dining is offered in Herbert’s.

For more information on Cahernane House Hotel or to book the Watercolour Painting with Mary Dillon see www.cahernane.com or call +353 (0) 64 663 1895.

Monday, February 6, 2023

Greenwich. Passionate café culture in Cork city centre

Greenwich. Passionate café culture in Cork city centre

The lady at the counter is delighted, compliments are flowing to the staff as she pays her bill in the little Cork café. “This is delightful,” she enthuses, “A real café, great food and relaxing music, and in the heart of the city. How long have you been here?”

They explain that the current owner has just celebrated a year in residence but the café has been here for about 20 years. With an incredulous gasp, she questions: “How come I’ve never found it before?” Greenwich is the uber central café in Caroline Street, just behind Brown Thomas that itself faces onto to the main thoroughfare of Patrick Street.

Dermot O’Sullivan is the chef/owner celebrating his first anniversary here in Greenwich and he has the place smelling well, looking well and sounding well!

Flowers and bright paintings all around, cool jazz and easy swing ooze from the speakers as tempting aromas waft from the kitchen. This gentle melange for the senses, served with smiles and chats, has enthralled many a customer, our happy lady the latest in a long line.

These months, with not much use being made of the outdoor seating (even if it is sheltered), the 20 plus seats inside are busy and buzzing, the punter’s eyes on the glass containers of cakes on the counter, the wall-mounted boards (detailing coffees, teas and wines) and on the menu with its day-long brunch offerings and its lunch list, along with a host of sweet treats.

We get in around 1.45 on a midweek afternoon. There is a short wait for a table and we have the menu to check in the meantime. By the time we’ve read it, the table is cleared and we have a good idea what we’ll be eating.

I had the Reuben sandwich on my most recent call and this time I’m inclined to go for something off that day-long brunch menu and pick the Challah Bread French Toast. It is a tasty and generous plate, the bread (from the English Market) is dipped in egg and cream, fried in butter until golden and served with crispy bacon and maple syrup. There is also a homemade fruit compote vanilla Mascarpone version.

Dermot supports local suppliers. The ever reliable Chicken Inn is one such and CL picks the Chargrilled Chicken Salad with chargrilled red pepper, toasted cashew nuts, dressed Waterfall Farm leaves and pickles served with the café’s homemade honey & mustard dressing. A generous and inviting plateful, accompanied by a couple of slices of their brown bread, is a very satisfying combination of colours, flavours and textures.

They have a short wine list here but today we pick the beautiful refreshing apple juice from Con Traas’s Apple Farm in Cahir. Coffee is by the Golden Bean and we decide to share a slice of the Lemon Curd Cake. Just as well we shared, as the portion is quite large!

So, heated by the meal and feeling good after the warm welcome and the friendly service and the day’s play-list, we are well equipped for the walk back to the car.