Michelin's Best Pubs to eat in. And a few of my own!

Seafood platter at the Seaview Tavern in Malin.

The Michelin ‘eating out in pubs’ guide

Thirty-four Irish pubs spread across fifteen counties have secured listings in the 2014 Michelin ‘Eating Out In Pubs’ Guide just published. 

Is that too many? Too few? What do you think? Perhaps we have too many listings of the best this and the best that! Still, that won’t stop me from adding a few of my own, in red at the bottom! I ate in all of my recommendations this year.

By the way, I’m not saying that any of those listed shouldn’t be there. Don’t know them all obviously but I have enjoyed the high standards in places such as the Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna and Cronin’s in Crosshaven.

Hake & Scallops lunch in Murph's

Of the twenty-seven pubs in the Republic of Ireland, five are new listings – Byrne and Woods (Roundwood), Tavern (Murrisk), Fallon’s (Kilcullen), Linnane’s Lobster Bar (New Quay) and Morrissey’s (Doonbeg). Three received Inspector’s Favourite listings – Wild Honey Inn (Lisdoonvarna), Deasy’s (Clonakilty) and Toddy’s at The Bulman (Kinsale).

Produced by leading tyre manufacturer Michelin, this year’s Guide recommends some 577 pubs spread across England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland of which 70 are new entries and all of which are selected, first and foremost, for the quality of their food.

Noting that no one has to put up with bad food in a pub anymore, editor Rebecca Burr said that all pubs listed in the Guide have been “rigorously inspected” by a team of full-time inspectors – the same team who produce the famed Michelin Great Britain & Ireland restaurant guide.

The Michelin ‘Eating Out In Pubs’ Guide 2014 is now available in bookshops and online priced at EUR14.99.

The full list of 2014 Michelin ‘Eating Out In Pubs’ Guide listings for Ireland is:
 
DOWN (7)
Pheasant (Annahilt), Coyle’s (Bangor), Lisbarnett House (Comber), Grace Neill’s and Pier 36 (both in Donaghadee) and The Parson’s Nose and The Plough Inn (both in Hillsborough)

CORK (6)
Mary Ann’s (Castletownshend), Poacher’s Inn (Bandon), An Súgan and Deasy’s (Clonakilty), Cronin’s (Crosshaven) and Toddies at The Bulman (Kinsale).

CLARE (4)
Morrissey’s (Doonbeg), Vaughan’s Anchor Inn (Liscannor), Wild Honey Inn (Lisdoonvarna) and Linnane’s Lobster Bar (New Quay)

MAYO (3)
Crockets on the Quay (Ballina), The Tavern (Murrisk) and Sheebeen (Westport)

GALWAY (2)
Moran’s Oyster Cottage (Kilcolgan) and O’Dowd’s (Roundstone)

KERRY (2)
O’Neill’s Seafood Bar and QC’s (both in Caherciveen)

KILDARE (2)
Ballymore Inn (Ballymore Eustace) and Fallon’s (Kilcullen)

DUBLIN (1)
Chop House (Ballsbridge)

LEITRIM (1)
Oarsman (Carrick-on-Shannon)

LOUTH (1)
Fitzpatrick’s (Jenkinstown)

SLIGO (1)
Hargadons (O’Connell Street, Sligo)

TIPPERARY (1)
Larkin’s (Garrykennedy)

WESTMEATH (1)
Fatted Calf (Glasson)

WEXFORD (1)
Lobster Pot (Carne)

WICKLOW (1)
Byrne & Woods (Roundwood)

My Tuppence Worth

Donegal

SeaviewTavern  in Malin Head Village.

Olde Glen Bar in Carrickart.

Mayo

The Market Kitchen at Murphy Brothers Bar (Ballina)

Kerry

An Canteen (Dingle)

Cork

Blair’s Inn (Cloghroe)

The Rising Tide (Glounthaune)

Murph’s (East Ferry)

Charlie Mac’s (Fermoy)

Annie’s (Sunday’s Well)

Woodford (Paul Street, Cork)

Three Friends at my Table. West Cork Paella

Three Friends at my Table

West Cork Paella

I had three friends at my table for Saturday night dinner. Well, not really. But I did have the fantastic produce from Kanturk’s Jack McCarthy, West Cork’s Anthony Cresswell and the Loire’s Sebastien du Petit Thouars.

Anthony’s Ummera Smoked Chicken, bought in the Brown Thomas Food Emporium, was the main ingredient of the main dish. Ummera is the only Irish producer of smoked chicken and we used it in a special recipe by Clodagh McKenna: West Cork Paella.

When checking the list of recipe items, we found ourselves short a few and that led to a tour of the local shops. Supervalu had the Risotto Rice but no Chorizo. Coolmore, our local butchers, were out of a possible substitute, O’Flynn’s Gourmet Mexican or Italian Sausage, so we ended up in Aldi and got a Spanish Chorizo. Hard, if not impossible, to get Desmond cheese these days so Castlemary Farm’s award winning Goat Cheddar substituted and played  a blinder!

Indeed, though I forgot the lemon wedges,the whole dish was excellent, full of great flavours. You can take it will be done again, this time with the Gubbeen chorizo! So well done to Anthony for the chicken and to Clodagh for the recipe! This link will also take you to four or five other recipes for the smoked chicken.

Chateau du Petit Thouars . Is that a Cork car in front?

Jack and Timmy McCarthy are doing great things in Kanturk with Irish charcuterie and we started with a platter. Highlight here was their non-smoked Pastrami with special peppers. Simply outstanding and well worth getting your hands on.

We met Sebastien du Petit Thouars at his Chateau in the Loire in August and enjoyed a couple of visits. We had a great tasting with Sebastien, Darcy and their baby daughter Elizabeth, and one of the wines we brought home was his Selection 2009. This is a superb Cabernet Franc and one of the matching recommendations on the label was for curry. So why not Cloadagh's paella, we thought! And, glad to say, it worked a treat.

Amuse Bouche

A woman came in and ordered soup, and so it was Aria and this woman together alone, the

server and the served, like a woodcarving or a sketch. Supermarket soup, at a price to make her blush.

"Oh c'est delicieuse," exclaimed the woman beaming.

Aria thanked her and smiled.

''C'est vraiment delicieuse," the woman repeated, the type of woman who would never buy 

supermarket soup.

From Fishing in Beirut by Steven Callaghan

Amiable Amicus

Amiable Amicus

Wings!

Great to get in out of the winter’s night and get comfortable in Amicus in Paul Street. We were rather early but the place was filling up. Soon we were comfortably seated at our table and studying the huge menu. We weren't aware they had an early bird as well but that menu was also presented to us and indeed we choose from it.

It seems the Early Bird is doing well for some restaurants around town. We passed the Strasbourg Goose about 6.30pm that Wednesday evening and they were packed! Obviously three courses for €20.50 is a good draw. Amicus at €21.95 for three courses is only marginally more expensive.

Bruschetta

Amicus, who grow much of their salad and vegetables themselves at their southside allotments, source their meat and fish locally and they list The Chicken Inn, Ballycotton Seafood, Kay O’Connell’s, Fasnet, Durcan Meats and O’Crualaoi among their suppliers. They have a full bar service (wine, spirits, beers, cocktails etc) here but, aside from Murphy’s Stout, don’t seem to have any local beer on their list.

The Amicus operation in Paul Street is spread over three floors and they are going all day long with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, even a takeaway service, available. Service on the ground floor was excellent, friendly, helpful and efficient.

This is the Early Bird starter selection: Soup of the Day; Selection of Bread and Dips; Bruschetta of Cherry Tomato, Feta and Basil; Spicy Chicken Wings with Garlic Dip; Nachos Covered with Tomato Sauce, Cheese, Guacamole and Sour Cream; and the  Amicus Caesar Salad. I picked the Chicken Wings, quite a tasty and substantial opener, while CL enjoyed her Sourdough Bruschetta.

Believe it or not, there are no less than twelve options in the main course section,everything from a Cajun Chicken Salad to a Chicken (or vegetable ) Curry, including 8 oz sirloin at €3.95 extra. CL choose their Fish Cakes, served with Chilli Jam, House Salad and Wedges. This was a massive plateful!

Smoked Salmon Pizza

One of the options was a pizza and you could pick any from the main menu. I thought the Smoked Salmon (white pizza), consisting of Smoked Salmon, Sour cream, capers, caramelised onions, peppers and mozzarella, looked interesting. And so it proved.  The onions and salmon were a cracking combination, very enjoyable overall.

Dessert menu: Sticky Toffee Pavlova, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Warm Apple Pie and Cream,

Mixed Fruit Crumble, Sauce Anglaise, Selection of Ice-creams. If you wish, you may have a glass of wine or beer instead of dessert or starter.  Made a note to myself for the future to take the wine or beer and skip the dessert!

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Torres Tasting at Bradley’s

Bodegas Torres, probably best known here because of their Vina Sol and Sangre de Toro labels, is the largest wine company in Spain and exports to 140 countries. They also run wineries in Chile and California.

Their Brand Manager Marta Delfa will be in town next week. Bradley’s Off Licence on North Main Street is the venue for a two continent tasting. There’ll be a rosé and white from Chile and two reds from Spain.

It is an interesting line-up and I’m really looking forward to tasting the Ibericos, their first wine from La Rioja, their most recent regional venture in Spain. See more about Torres wines on You Tube (links at bottom).

Details:

Venue: Bradley’s, 81/82 North Main Street, Cork.

Date: Wednesday November 6^th.

Time: 3.00pm to 5.00pm.

The wines:

Torres Ibericos Rioja Crianza Spain

Ibericos is Torres' first wine produced in Spain's most famous wine region, Rioja. Deep red cherry colour. On the nose it reveals notes of black ripened fruits and spicy aromas (cocoa and nutmeg) from the wood. Silky in the mouth with pleasant tannins. Long and spicy aftertaste. Tomas Clancy of the Sunday Business Post gave Ibericos 89 points and found it a "Polished, glossy and vibrant Tempranillo, bursting with blackcurrant and leather, rounded out with modernist tannic grip. Pitch perfect for drinking now". Accompanies roasted meats, stews, Iberian charcuterie and cured cheeses.

Torres Celeste Crianza Ribera Del Duero Spain

Made entirely from Tempranillo, rich, full bodied style, brimming with fruit and colour. Intense blackberry colour. Spicy and intense nose, with liquorice and black pepper hints on a base of well ripened fruits (blackberry and cherry). On the palate, very fruity at first with ripened tannins, also persistent and full bodied. Owing to its fruity and tannic characteristics, this wine pairs well with a great variety of meat dishes including roasts and small game.

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Sauvignon Blanc (Chile)

This unwooded Sauvignon Blanc is a lively dry elegant refreshing style showing a lovely combination of green apple flavours supported by ripe tropical fruits. Zesty, clean finish.

Miguel Torres Santa Digna Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé (Chile)

Fragrant and floral, with a temptingly fruity sensuality. On the palate the wine is voluptuous, with a silky texture and the sort of fresh, fruity body (blackcurrant, cranberry, redcurrant) that only Pacific Cabernet Sauvignon rosés can offer. Delicious with cured sausages, meat pies and many pasta dishes. The perfect wine for sweet-and-sour Chinese dishes.

See more about Torres wines on You Tube (links below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKZDUw1STOI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xSbIXbOcnE

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

À la recherche du temps perdu.

A blàs from the past.

Oxtail Soup at the Farmgate Cafe, English Market, Cork.

Many of you will have put with weak imitations from packets in recent years.

This superb Oxtail will bring you back to the original

and will set you up for a wintry afternoon.

It is the real thing, eating and drinking in it!

Well done to the Farmgate team and to Chef Eddie!

Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2013 Finalists

Finalists Announced For Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2013

After months of entries, short-listing and deliberations, the 30 finalists have been selected for the upcoming Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards 2013, which takes place on Saturday, November 9th in Dublin.

The Easy Food Home-Cook Hero Awards, run by Ireland’s number one food magazine, is a national cookery competition open to all ages and 2013 sees its third year, and possibly highly contested and most popular to date!

Three finalists were selected for each of the ten varied categories from thousands of entries for their unique, tasty and creative recipes. Finalists are asked to take part in a cook-off final on the morning of Saturday, November 9th at Cooks Academy cookery school, South William Street, Dublin 2, where each person will cook their dishes for the competition judges.

One of our youngest finalists this year is eleven-year-old Andrew Ryan, from Navan, Co. Meath, who created ‘Andy’s Banana and Caramel Invention’ in the Tiny Taste category. “I made it for my Mam after dinner on Mother’s Day. My Dad made the dinner which turned out very bad but Mam said my Banana and Caramel Invention was the best thing ever.”

Read more...

Bordeaux tops the Euro Red Contest

Bordeaux tops the Euro Red Contest

Beautiful wine from a very good year

I was in a really comfortable zone with the last glass of Caldora Yume Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2008. I reached out for the next bottle and was totally ambushed, in the nicest possible way, by this 2009 from Bordeaux.

Chateau Beaulieu Comtes de Tastes, Bordeaux Superieur 2009, 13.7%, 20.30 Karwig Wines 

This blend of Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) and Cabernet Franc, is a delight from a year of delight in the region. It has everything going for it: silky, fruity for sure but so well balanced and, of course, a long finish.

The producer’s description: A round and exuberant wine, very enjoyable in its youth, yet with a complexity and elegance one expects of prestigious Bordeaux. This wine will be enjoyed from its second year and beyond.

Very Highly Recommended.

Chateau du Donjon, La Pujade, Minervois 2010, 14.5%, €15.25, Karwig Wines

The vineyards of the "Château du Donjon", Panis family property since the 16^th century, stretch out over the rural district of Bagnoles, the western part of the Minervois region. It is divided into two large parts, one for A.O.C. Minervois, and the other for "Vin de Pays". The grapes for this are from a vineyard that is over 100 years old, planted mainly with Grenache Noir vines.

There is a magnificent concentration of aromas in this dark red wine. Beautiful juicy black fruit flavours on the palate and also a little spice. Totally luscious then before this well balanced wine produces an excellent finish.

Needs to be decanted. Highly Recommended.

Messias Grande Escolha, Douro 2011, 13.5%, €15.40, Karwig Wines

Continued the very enjoyable Euro red sequence with this beauty from Portugal’s Douro, another with an intense aroma and then a smooth mouthfeel, a supple fruitiness on the palate followed by a terrific finish.

Grape Varieties used in this blend are all local: Touriga Franca; Touriga Nacional; Tinta Roriz; Tinta Barroca.

A big wine for the price and Highly Recommended. Unfiltered - Decanting advised.

Must say this was one of the best sets of reds that I’ve come across recently but the Italian, the Portuguese and the languedocien will have to take a place behind that superb Bordeaux. Of course, if you are having a group in, start them off with the other three before springing the Bordeaux. A perfect ambush. Of the nicest possible kind.

* Prices quoted all before recent tax ambush!

A Visit to Midleton Country Market

Midleton Country Market

Farmers Markets are the buzzword now but don't think that the original country market has gone away. There are still scores of them around the country, including eight in Cork alone. Get the details here.

I called to the one in Midleton last Friday. The venue is the old school on Church Lane right in the middle of the town and with parking nearby.

You might be under the impression that this type of market is all about baking and you'd be half right. Midleton has a table full of baked goodies, small cakes and big ones. I picked up a gorgeous Strawberry and Almond cake for a fiver. Great value.

But there is much more there besides the cakes. Lots of healthy looking vegetables were on offer, along with pots of jams, honey, and relishes, apple juice, goat cheese and goat yoghurts and more besides (sometimes including crafts, maybe books from time to time).

A word of advice though. Do get there early as the best things are all snatched up first and I missed out a few items last week, including a goat curry! Good quality here as well. For instance, the hard goat cheese, from Castlemary Farm, won bronze at the 2012 Blas Awards in Dingle.

There is a major difference between these and the Farmers Markets. Here, you don't necessarily deal with the individual seller. In fact you might not meet him or her at all but you will meet some lovely helpful people around the hall.You pick up your basket on the way in and collect what you want from the various tables. Then you settle up as you go out. The lady wrote down our list and totted it up. She didn't have a calculator but was as quick as any checkout operator and soon we were on our way.

CORK

Bandon	Weir Street	Fri/Sat	9.00am
Carrigaline	G.A.A. Hall	Friday	9.30am
Fermoy	Youth Centre	Friday	2.15pm
Mallow	St.James` Hall	Friday	1.30pm
Macroom	GAA Hall, Macroom	Tuesday	10.45am
Midleton	Old School Church Lane	Friday	9.30am
Riverstown	Glanmire GAA Hall	Friday	9.00am
Skibbereen	Abbeystrewry Hall	Friday	11.30pm

Cork Jazz Fest and Child of Prague

Jazz Fest and Child of Prague

Overheard: Saturday.

A man opening a new bar (the old Phoenix) on Union Quay was offered two Child of Prague statues, blonde and blue eyed of course.

“Why?” he asked.

“You can't open a bar without a Child of Prague,” was the answer.

“Why two?”

“In case the first one breaks.”

The bystander did not report the conclusion but I wonder if the person with the statutes also tried to off load one or two at 6IX (not sure whether that is pronounced Six or Six Nine), another new bar that opened this weekend on the premises previously known as Boqueria. The jazz weekend proved a good time to open for Electric (Happy Birthday Denis and Ernest) some three years ago and they haven't looked back since.

The reds line up at L'Atitude!

Heard the child of Prague story in L’Atitude to where we had retreated between beats on the streets. Haven't they got a magnificent collection of wines in there many of which come in 75ml, 150ml or 250ml (pichet) size servings.. As a guitarist played in the background we, who drink mainly European,  made something of a round the world trip on their reds: Australia for Cat Among the Pigeons Cabernet Sauvignon, California for Zinfandel, Lebanon for Massaya, and Argentina for Malbec. Favourite was perhaps the Massaya.

Moved on then to what we thought was a funeral, New Orleans style and starting outside the English Market at 5.30. We were there in good time but no sign of a corpse! Indeed no sign of life until the New York Brass Band turned up to inject massive fun into the proceedings. These guys are not from New York at all but from York in England. Why don't we twin with a town like that and guys like this?

They impressed on last year’s visit and were in top form on Saturday. They immediately commandeered any street furniture with a bit of height and soon had the crowd singing along, spilling out on to the parade and almost stopping the traffic. Great session guys and well done.

Beat 'n Blow

And this is all free. Have to say that the organisers put on a fantastic in-depth programme here in the city every year, anything from learning the ropes to impromptu stuff on the streets, to the extensive music trail around the pubs, to the fringe and to the serious (some not so serious) concerts.

Beat ‘n Blow were another band that I enjoyed last season. Saw the group from Berlin walking by the Opera House and followed them up to Paul Street where they put on a typically energetic engaging display in the plaza. They couldn't believe how the weather had changed from the morning rain and really enjoyed the sun and we all enjoyed their music. Great stuff folks.

In the meantime, the jazz goes on today and indeed you are sure to see the New York Brass Band and the Beat ‘n Blow on the streets and in the venues. And, as I write this, the sun is out. Let's go down town and blow up a storm!

Beat 'n Blow