Enjoyable Lunch At Friendly Café Vega In Sunny Cobh

 Enjoyable Lunch At Friendly 

Café Vega In Sunny Cobh

Chicken, cheese, chorizo

No shortage of eating choices when we arrived in Cobh for lunch and a midweek walk in the sun. The Arch Café and Wine Bar is one of several newcomers in the town but, on this occasion, we opted for the well-established and very popular Café Vega just across Casement Square from the wine bar.

And here, in this neighbourhood restaurant, we found no shortage of choice.  The paper menu contains a variety of main dishes (including fish and steak offerings), about five burgers (including El Chapo!), Panninis and Ciabattas with different fillings, and more.

Mural inside Vega

Don't forget the specials. The board may be hanging on a pillar or they may well bring it to the table for a close-up read. Service here is really excellent, efficient and friendly all through. 

After doing quite a lot of “reading”, we settled on two dishes from that specials board. We had arrived at about 12.30 and now the place was really filling up, just as well they had a good number of tables outside in the sunny square.

Duo of salmon

Our specials:

1 - Crispy salt and pepper chicken, goat cheese, roasted pops, confit tomatoes, chorizo, warm salad (13.95)

2 - Open duo of smoked and fresh salmon, two salads and fried potatoes (12.95)

Two excellent lunch plates arrived soon after ordering. Quantities were generous yet each was neatly presented and both looked very appetising indeed. That crispy chicken was a delight, especially with a little sweet chilli sauce on the plate. In addition to the items mentioned, there were also pieces of avocado and the filling dish scored highly in terms of both quality and quantity.

And it was much the same story with CL’s salmon, plenty of the fish on brown bread, a little bowl of coleslaw, with a combined excellent salad that included leaves, tomato and corn. Very satisfactory indeed and no need to cook a dinner later on! 

A few months back, I enjoyed a similar vibe in The Shamrock in Dungarvan where I was reminded of the bar atmosphere in the TV series Cheers. Like the Shamrock, Vega is another neighbourhood restaurant where customers and staff know one another. They didn't know my name. I was a blow-in but, now, could well blow in again.

Where everybody knows your name

And they're always glad you came

You wanna go where people know

People are all the same

You wanna go where everybody knows your name

You'll find the Vega on Facebook here

************

The Cobh Walk in Pictures

There was no cruise liner docked in the town on this occasion but still plenty to see on our walk, a gentle stroll really, from the Five Foot Way Car Park. We reached this unique building (1860), once the home of the Cobh Urban District Council before turning back. In an eye-catching waterside location, it now houses an Asian restaurant with an inviting outdoor covered dining area (check it out in the photo) but it is looking the worst for wear, just seems to be dying a slow death.

Table with a view by the Water’s Edge Hotel.

The Commodore Hotel looking very well in its blue colours. Haven’t dined there in over a year!

The Navigator, in a contemplative mood, with the cathedral in the background. The work is by Irish sculptor Mary Gregoriy.

I hadn't noticed this before. These are a set of steps by which you can enter and or exit the promenade at its western end. Best viewed before and certainly not while you walk up.

Chef Network Launches Open Kitchen Week 2023. Inviting Guests to Experience a Professional Kitchen: 6th to 12th of November

 Chef Network Launches Open Kitchen Week 2023

Pictured at launch in Café En Seine, Kailum Concannon of
Aniar (left), Galway, and Meeran Manzoor of Rare, Kinsale

 
 

Inviting Guests to Experience a Professional Kitchen: 

6th to 12th of November

Anyone who has ever been curious about what it’s like to work in a professional kitchen will be invited by Chef Network to go ‘behind the pass’ in professional kitchens throughout the country from November 6th to 12th. 

Chef Network has enlisted restaurants from around Ireland and Northern Ireland to offer guest slots in kitchens throughout the week of the 6th to the 12th of November. This is the first year of this brand-new initiative, with plans already in place for an expanded annual ‘Open Kitchen Week’ in 2024 and beyond. 

There are over 300 guest slots available in 50 restaurants, cafes, bakeries and hotels across 14 counties, each signing up to offer anyone interested the chance to look inside their kitchens. Participating businesses include some high-profile names such as Elbow Lane, Inchydoney Hotel and Spa, The Hungry Donkey Food Truck and The Blue Haven to name but a few. The list of establishments includes a diverse range of hotels, bakeries, cafes, restaurants and bars, allowing participants to choose from the environment they want to trial. Anyone interested can sign up for a two to three-hour shift, a full day or a particular service: breakfast, lunch or dinner service, depending on what is on offer from the particular establishment. Registrations are open now. 

Ruth Hegarty, from egg&chicken Food Consultancy, who is leading the project for Chef Network says “Chef Network and many many people in the industry do great work to build positive and nurturing work environments in kitchens, but we don’t always see or hear about it, so we thought ‘let’s open up kitchens and show people’. This is for anyone who has considered any kind of kitchen or culinary career, or it might spark someone’s curiosity for the first time. Our message is that a career in a professional kitchen could be for anyone; there is such a huge diversity of types of roles and places to work, and there are so many opportunities out there. We expect big interest in this, we think people are genuinely interested in knowing what goes on behind the doors of a professional kitchen. For year one, we have just 50 establishments participating, so we expect slots to book up fast”. 

A professional chef, Chef Network spokesperson and Culinary Director at Gather & Gather Ireland, Mark Anderson, said, "This is a fantastic and unique opportunity for people to see inside the kitchen and how good and positive kitchens work daily. Those who sign up for the experience will get a very different and rewarding opportunity, working in some of the best restaurants and workplace kitchens in Ireland. It's a chance to get behind the pass and see how professional kitchens and chefs operate in a fast-paced exciting environment that will hopefully highlight the positive industry that I love to work in every day.”

Anyone who is interested in participating can book a slot here.

Munster restaurants taking part include Elbow Lane, Inchydoney Hotel and Spa, The Hungry Donkey Food Truck and The Blue Haven Hotel. 

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Chef Network on social at @chefnetworkirl

Liberty Tasting at Hayfield Manor puts focus on “Sustainable Winemaking”.

Liberty Tasting at Hayfield Manor puts focus on “Sustainable Winemaking”

At the Hayfield Manor Tasting (l to r): Liam Campbell, Wine & Drinks Editor & Consultant; Sandra Biret Crowley, Castlemartyr Resort Sommelière;
Marcus Gates, Liberty Wines.

If you are asked about sustainability in wine-making, you may well think first about looking after the vineyard, understanding and looking after the soil. But of course, the subject is much broader than that as was obvious from the Liberty Wines Sustainable Winemaking Focus Tasting at the Hayfield Manor last Monday.

Let us start with bubbles as many tastings do. My first call was to the Rathfinny table, an English Sparkling Wine producer from the South Downs, just 3 miles from the channel. The Drivers, Mark and Sarah, are the owners here and are sustainability supporters: “We aim to be a sustainable wine producer. As a result, we take the stewardship of our land seriously. All our buildings are constructed using locally sourced materials, such as flint from the vineyards, and we have worked with Natural England and the South Downs National Park to implement a programme of improvements to enhance wildlife habitats and reclaim areas of natural chalk grassland, as well as creating wildlife corridors throughout the vineyard.”

This ‘re-wilding’ of what was previously an arable farm ensures greater biodiversity. This focus on the environment, and to sustainability and the soil, ensures good quality fruit.…sustainability is multi-layered, it’s everything we touch. It’s not just about the use of carbon or energy or chemicals. It’s about how we treat our soils, our use of water and all the inputs we have in the winemaking process, the whole environment.” 

Rathfinny is taking multiple steps to increase biodiversity following a pioneering assessment by Buglife.

This attention to detail shines through in the wines, which are beautifully made, elegant and balanced. I tasted their Classic Cuvée Brut (2018) which has spent 3 years lees and is one of the best things you can ever put into your mouth on a Monday morning! A brilliant start to the day! 

However, this focus on sustainability is not limited to the vineyard. Pepe Raventos’ restoration of the Can Sumoi estate has protected 380 hectares of forest. Piper-Heidsieck uses the lightest available Champagne bottle as part of their commitment to reach net zero. Nor are these efforts limited to environmental sustainability. Fairview supports an association for its farm workers, enabling employees to further their education, build new homes and make their own wines.

Whites

The 80 wines on show were roughly half white and half red with a Sake (Keigetsu Sake Nature V) in between and a superb Port (Dona Antonia 30-year-old Tawny) to finish. 

One of the outstanding whites and new to Liberty this year was the Domaine de Montille Bourgogne Blanc `Le Clos du Château de Puligny-Montrachet 2020. Superbly balanced and one of my Star whites on the day.

Etienne de Montille was an early advocate of organic farming when, in 1995, he introduced these principles in the estate’s vineyards. Biodynamic practices followed in 2005, and the domaine received ‘Ecocert Bio’ certification in 2012.  Montille’s `Le Clos du Château` is a five-hectare vineyard located within the walls of the castle of Puligny.

My other Star whites were

2021 Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay

2021 Loimer `Loiserberg` Kamptal Grüner Veltliner Reserve

2022 Domaine de L’Enclos Chablis

Always something differentand colourful
from Gallina de Piel

Other gettings a big thumbs up were

2021 Pieropan `Calvarino` Soave Classico

2019 Gallina de Piel `Manar dos Seixas` Ribeiro Treixadura/Albariño/Godello/Loureiro

2022 Matošević `Alba` Malvazija Istarska 

2022 Antonella Corda Vermentino di Sardegna

2022 Château La Verrerie Hautes Collines Viognier

2023 Tinpot Hut Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - perhaps the freshest wine in the room, just in from New Zealand.

2017 Mount Pleasant `Elizabeth` Cellar Aged Hunter Valley Semillon -

2020 Cullen `Grace Madeline` Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon V

Reds

One of the outstanding red wines was NV Dreissigacker `Vintages` St. Laurent/ Pinot Noir. This multi-vintage wine has elegant and charming aromas, is well-balanced with a silky texture and is altogether gorgeous.

Jochen Dreissigacker has 45 hectares of vineyards in Rheinhessen. All of his wines are certified organic and he describes his transformation to organic viticulture as “the artisan path to purity”. In 2019, Jochen also started following biodynamic principles in order to create the optimal conditions for the grapes to thrive – an approach that he describes as “a long-term investment in nature and wines”.

`Vintages` red (he also has a white) is a harmonious ensemble of St. Laurent and Pinot Noir from 2018 and 2017. Fermented separately before blending and ageing in barriques for three years, it certainly made a big impression last Monday.

Three excellent Italians

Pedro Parra is a major favourite of mine. He has spent decades working internationally but bit by bit realised he really wanted his own vineyard and winery and so he set up in Itata near the ocean, 500 kms south of Santiago, the capital of Chile. And this Vinista (below), the fruit sourced from 120 year old vines planted at 300 m above sea level, is one of the results. It was my wine of the year in 2020. 

País is a red grape variety of great historical importance. According to Wine-Searcher.com it was the first Vitis Vinifera grape variety to be exported from the old world to the new world in the 16th century.

 You've heard of flying winemakers. You're more
likely to find Pedro Parra in the ground. (pic from Liberty zoom session).

My other Star picks in the reds were:

2019 Racines Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

2022 Monterustico Dogliani

2019 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico

2019 G.D. Vajra Barolo `Albe`

2021 Domaine Vico `Le Bois du Cerf` Rouge

2021 Pedro Parra `Vinista` Itata Valley País

2020 Montes Colchagua Merlot - Montes have significantly reduced their water usage through a technologically advanced approach to drip irrigation.

2021 Cuevas de Arom `Altas Parcelas` Calatayud Garnacha

2021 Can Sumoi Garnatxa Sumoll - - The restoration of the Can Sumoi estate has protected 380 hectares of forest.

September morning at the Hayfield Manor.

And big thumbs up for:

2022 Frédéric Berne Beaujolais Lantignié `Granit Rose

2021 Domaine Grégoire Hoppenot Fleurie `Clos de l’Amandier`

2019 Altos Las Hormigas Mendoza Tinto

2019 Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve - the estate is certified organic, run on biodynamic principles and a lead in regenerative viticulture.

2019 Kaiken Mendoza Cabernet Sauvignon

2021 Montes Apalta Vineyard Carignan/Grenache/ Mourvèdre

Cattle at Fontodi (pic via Zoom masterclass 2020). More detail here

Liberty had no bother in picking 80 great examples to illustrate the topic of sustainability.  “Wine producers are adapting the way they work in the vineyard to adapt to climate change and to produce better grapes. Both mean better wines,.… There is much more to do before we achieve a truly sustainable wine industry – and much required for producers to adapt to the increasing temperatures and extreme weather caused by climate change." 

"We are proud to work with producers rising to this challenge and, as a Carbon Neutral Positive distributor, share their values. These producers are not only making excellent wines with a clear sense of place today but also ensuring that such wines can be enjoyed in future.”

No denying. Harvest dates get earlier and earlier as global warming builds up.
Chart via Cellar Master Émilien Boutillat during Liberty Zoom masterclass May 2020.

* The Liberty Wines Dublin Autumn Portfolio Tasting on Monday 2nd October 2023 at The Westbury (trade only).

CorkBillyBeers #43. Craft with Wicklow Wolf, Galway Hooker, St Bernardus and Community Brew Project

CorkBillyBeers #43

Craft with Wicklow Wolf, Galway Hooker, St Bernardus and Community Brew Project.

********************

Wicklow Wolf Eden Session IPA, 3.8% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

Deliciously juicy, easy-drinking dry-hopped ale

The colour is hazy orange with a soft white head. Aromas of resin and grapefruit. Citrus is also prominent in the juicy palate where there’s quite a tropical presence as well, and again there’s a hint of pine. Well-balanced though all through with the malts having their say and the freshness of the hops combining in a satisfactory finalé.

Deliciously juicy, this easy-drinking dry-hopped ale, carrying just 3.8% ABV,  is a banker for a session, another winner from the Wicklow Wolf.

Very Highly Recommended.

 

They introduced it in 2019, saying: “An easy drinking Session IPA brewed with a shed load of the freshest El Dorado, Sabro & Chinook hops….We are obsessed with hops. Deliciously juicy, Eden is dry-hopped to give an abundance of tropical and stone fruits with a hint of piney bitterness. The malt bill provides a creamy & well-rounded balance. Malts: Pale, Oats, Cara Blond, Cara Clair

********************

Galway Hooker Irish Pale Ale, 4.3% ABV, 500 ml bottle Centra Victoria Cross

Established in 2006, Galway Hooker produced the original Irish Pale Ale – now the most popular style of craft beer in the country.

And this bottle is indeed marked “the Original”. Colour is a mid-gold, a bit on the hazy side but that doesn't prevent you from seeing the bubbles rising up to the soft white head. Aromas are a mix of citrus and floral. It is crisp and zingy and the flavours are deep on the palate with both malts (Caramel) and hops (Cascade) getting an influential look-in. Quite a refreshing beer with a dry finish.

Perfect, they say, with barbecued meats, seafood and mature farmhouse cheeses. Very Highly Recommended.

Hooker tells us it is created in small batches to make the perfect balance of slowly developed malt and Hops flavours. “The result is a tangy flavour to savour with a light citrus aroma. It combines European and American hops with Irish malt to produce a truly unique blend of old world subtlety and new world taste.”

“Our ethos is to brew natural, full-flavoured, high quality and preservative-free beers. The results are beers that have received numerous awards, including Gold Medals at the Irish Food Awards and the World Beer Awards”.

********************

St Bernardus Wit, 5.0% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

St.Bernardus Wit is a traditional unfiltered Belgian wheat beer produced in Watou. It was developed in collaboration with Pierre Celis, the legendary master brewer who was the driver of the resurgence of white beer in the 1960s.

It has a pale orange colour, quite hazy with a dense white head. The aromatics are quite complex though clove stands out for me. There follows a masterclass in balance in the mouth. The herbal notes (coriander), the spice (clove), the fruit (orange, lemon), the sweet malt and the creamy texture (from the wheat) all combine marvellously well with a superb result.

It is a very refreshing beer but quite versatile at the table (which almost goes without saying when you have a Belgian beer at hand). 

St Bernardus are enthusiastic: “This incredibly versatile beer can be paired with almost any recipe from anywhere in the world. Its most outstanding role is perhaps that of a refreshing contrast when served with creamy dishes - a risotto for example - or in combination with shellfish and white fish. Do you serve a slice of lemon with your fish? You can echo that or a lemon sauce or dressing with this beer with its strong hints of citrus.”

********************

Community Brew Project Fragments Red IPA, 6.5% ABV, 440 ml can Bradleys

How does the Brew Project* work?

“It's pretty simple... It's up to you to tell us what you'd like to see brewed by each of the breweries! We'll narrow the ideas down to a shortlist, and then vote. The beers with the most votes get brewed. We have four brilliant breweries taking part in the project: Ballykilcavan, Dead Centre, Hope and Dot Brew.”

This Red IPA is brewed by Hope. And, yes, it is reddish, pretty murky, with a cream head that slowly sinks. Hops used (“liberally”) are Citra and Amarillo and you do get a bit of citrus fruit in both aromas and flavours.  Not a great balance though and we parted ways before the end.

* More details of the project on the Craic Beer Community platform here.