Fenn's Quay: Chef du Jour

Fenn's Quay is one of my favourite lunch places in Cork City with a very talented chef. The menu changes regularly and goes with the seasons and Kate is a big supporter of local producers.

Kate had the fabulous idea of inviting amateur cooks to her kitchen - and the first Chef Du Jour took place last night. I was very honoured being asked by Kate to be one of the judges on the first night. My fellow judges were Billy Lyons and Evin O'Keeffe. Chef of the night was Paul Callaghan, a foodie from Co. Clare. We learned that Paul is a plasterer by trade but believe me, you wouldn't have guessed from the menu.

The night was designed as a set menu, with a cocktail at arrival and a bottle of wine during the meal. The menu was a four-course meal solely created by Paul.

We started the evening off with an amouse bouche of stuffed cherry tomatoes with Ardsallagh Goats cheese, basil pesto and a sea salt cracker. The balance between the goats cheese and the pesto was just perfect and a pretty plate of food to set the mood for the following courses.

The starter was a plate of mussels cooked with bacon and Stonewell Cider. I am not the biggest fan of mussels (I like them baked rather than cooked) but the fragrant sauce made well up for it. He used cream for the sauce which divided the judges (I love cream sauces). The cider could have been a bit more present and I thought the bacon took a bit away from the delicate flavour of the sauce.

The main course was Rosscarbery pork belly with potato & horseradish puree, braised red cabbage with the mulled red wine jus. The crowning of this dish was the crackling. It was superb - as crackling should be. It was cut in small strips and placed on top of the meat. the meat itself was a bit too fatty for me but the meat underneath was juicy. The puree was more of a mash and a bit lumpy but that didn't take away from the perfect balance of potato and horseradish. The red cabbage was finely shredded (I never have the patience of being so precise) and he braised it just enough so that the texture and colour was still perfect. Red cabbage for me is always a Christmas thing and therefore would have liked more spice in it (I cook mine with redcurrant jelly and cinnamon) but his version showed the best of the cabbage. The red wine jus wasn't strained but the flavour was rich and went so well with the mash.

But the highlight was the trio of desserts - what a revelation. Professional chefs can take a page out of Paul's book. Desserts are really Paul's strong point and he deserved the full 5-Star rating for the white chocolate cheese cake alone. The crumbly base was buttery without being soaked in it. The filling was so smooth and creamy and well balanced with the cheese and the white chocolate - I was green with envy. No lumps, no cracking of the top - the best cheese cake I have eaten in a long time if not ever. The mixed berry crumble came in a little ramekin dish (mine was square which looked extremely pretty) wasn't too sweet or sour - a perfect autumn/winter dish. The crumble had toasted flaked almonds in it which gave the crumble a lovely texture. A dollop of dark chocolate on the bottom of the dish was a nice surprise. The tower of meringue was constructed by small strips of meringue. If you ever made meringue yourself, you know how hard it is to make biggish pieces - but these small pieces were soft and chewy - just as I like my meringue. It was topped with strawberries and vanilla cream. This plate of desserts left everyone smiling.

Billy, Evin and myself then took our time to discuss the entire menu (as I said, for this plate of dessert we would have given him 5 stars) and we agreed on 3.5 stars. Well deserved and I think we haven't seen the last of Paul - at least I hope we do see more.

Tonight is the second night of the Chef du Jour and Jeni Pim from Co. Waterford will be taking over the reign in the kitchen. Make sure to book a table - it is such an enjoyable evening.

Masterchef in Fenn's Quay

For the first time in Fenns Quay history they are opening up their kitchen to a few succesful cooks . They will get to work along side the Fenns Quay kitchen team whilst producing there own four course menu to the awaitning paying guest.
The guests will have a night of fine food, fun and tasting of fine wines and beers with guess the wine and rate your meal as well as meeting foodies and wine enthusiasts as well as the panel of judges !! Tables will be commuinal as so everyone gets to chat and have fun and enjoy the experience for food and wine total cost will be €50 per person

what do you have to do to enter ?
* the applicants must create a 4 course menu consisting of amuse bouche, starter, main and dessert .
* the menu per person should cost no more tan €22 per person
* a litte paragraph on why they should get this opertuinity .
* closing date for submissions is the thursday 3rd of November
* applicants must be over 17
* post your entries to No. 5 Fenns Quay, Restaurant, Sheares Street, Cork
or email to caitlawlor@hotmail.com

The "Chef de Jour @ Fenns Quay" final will be held 22nd 23rd & 24th of November and on the final night the winner will be announced !!!

Good Luck :-)

Celebrate Thai New Year in Skibbereen

Elephant Island is a Thai restaurant recently opened in Skibbereen by Marc and Saifon Phonchot. They offer authentic Thai cuisine focused on using the best local ingredients.
They are celebrating the upcoming Thai New year by hosting a festival weekend from Friday 15th till Sunday 17th of April. In honour of the festival they have four new dishes on the menu using the best local produce and offering these new additions at half price for the duration of the weekend. Highlights include:

Crispy Quail egg dumplings using fresh Quail eggs from Brendan Ross in Dunmanway and
Seared Schull Scallops with glass noodles, ginger and corriander served Thai style.

You can make a reservation by calling the restaurant on (028) 23876. Will have to go soon.

Electric at South Mall

A few months ago I saw that a new restaurant/bar has opened in South Mall but only last week was when I was finally able to go. I met Linda for lunch at Electric on Thursday and was there before she came so grabbed a table and waited. A waiter came and asked me if I was ok (not sure if this is the new way of asking if I like to order something or if I looked lost). Before I was able to open my mouth to ask for tea, I was told that alcohol was available from the bar (again, not sure if I normally look like an alcoholic) and if I wanted water - that also was available from the bar - what do they do if you ask for an orange juice?????? I was finally able to ask for tea. Sugar was in sachets on the table but I had to go - yes, to the bar - to get the milk.

Linda came and we started queuing - if you haven't been there before it is a bit hard to see that you have to go behind a pillar to order your food. I opted for the Sambo - carrot/orange soup with half a baguette (I chose brie and sundried tomatoes) for €7. The soup lacked a bit of flavour and after getting salt & pepper - yeap, from the bar - it was ok. Nothing to write home about. The baguette was lovely, the brie plentiful and it went down a treat. Not a bad choice for lunch for €7 - water was free, so something for the smaller budget.

We fancied a dessert but didn't want to indulge too much - no fear of that as they only had a small selection of desserts. Lemon tart, scones and pastries. We opted for the lemon tart which was light and wobbly and came with a little tup of cream. For €3.50 - not bad at all.

Will I go again - yeap but I will make sure that I get all I need straight from the bar :-)

The tables were quiet small - so hopefully the restaurant (which I assume is upstairs) is better furnished.

Puccino's in Paul Street

I still love to head to town on a Saturday morning and have my breakfast...and since Farmgate was still closed for business due to renovation and the queue in Liberty Grill was out the door, we decided to give Puccino's a try. I am not too keen on Franchise Coffee Shops-Bars-Restaurants (call me a snob if you like) but Puccino's (at least the one in Paul Street) is actually quite nice.

The menu is simple but has something for everyone. The Full Irish, The Small Irish, The Veggie and French toast, scrambled egg and salmon were all there. The tea was lovely and the espresso strong as it should be.

I went for the Veggie Fry-up and wow...the portion was big (didn't eat until I came to Roy and Linda's for dinner that night) and very well cooked. Sauteed potatoes were 'al dente' as I like them and not mushy or greasy, mushrooms were pan-fried, eggs had a runny yolk, the beans were nice - simply nice.

Terence had scrambled eggs with smoked salmon - classic combination. Fine speckled dill over the salmon and perfectly cooked scrambled egg....we both had a smile on our face and were ready to do the shopping... only minus point for me.....no prosecco....I do love my prosecco on a Saturday morning.

Fenn's Quay

We had plans for last Friday - Cinema, popcorn and back home as the big freeze is not really inviting to stay out too long. But destiny had other plans for us. We were too early (or too late) for the King's Speech, so we decided that a nice meal instead might be on the agenda.

As I had read on Facebook that Fenn's Quay has introduced a new menu, we decided to try it out. And it was the best decision of the night. Warm and inviting as always, Kevin came to greet us (always nice to be recognised and welcomed). We went into the back part of the restaurant and were given the menu....and the debate started....what to order. So many nice, yummy things on the menu made it really hard to choose. I had my heart set on the platter of dips. Fiery tomato-pepper dip, watercress pesto, houmus and garlic marinated olives were waiting to be smothered over lovely toasted bread. I was already in heaven. Terence went for the cauliflower soup with Cashel Blue cheese and the conversation at the table stopped apart from 'hmm', 'yum', 'ohm' etc. As Terence was torn between the soup and the scallops, Kevin suggested to have the scallops as a main which put a smile on his face. I had to make the difficult choice between Potato Rotondo and Baked Cod with Spinach sauce and Champ. The fish was flaky, white and cooked perfectly until I came to the end of the fish (trying to keep the fillet of fish in one thickness makes sure that both ends are cooked evenly). The end was a bit dry - but the taste and combination of the dish was excellent. The scallops came with prawns and a warm puy lentil salad. The scallops still had the coral attached (I always think it is a waste to discard them) and the prawns looked lovely juicy and pink. I wasn't able to snatch any of the lentil salad but the empty plate was evidence enough that they were indeed very tasty.

We were both quite happy to just finish the bottle of El Coto 2006 Rioja (I more than Terence as he was the poor fellow who had to drive us back home, so it was just one glass for him and the rest of the bottle for me - tough life I have I know). The wine had a good balance - silky, velvety with a good aromatic intensity. It didn't matter that I had fish with the wine.

As I had seen on Facebook, Fenn's Quay were offering an Apple Clafouti. I had Cherry Clafouti in France (it is the old classic) but apples go actually quite nice with the lovely dough. A cinnamon mousse was the perfect partner. Hmmm.....happy

Congrats to Kate and Kevin for getting it right - and I am sure that the Michelin Inspector was equally happy when he came to see you.

You can follow Fenn's Quay on Facebook - and make sure you pay them a visit either for a lovely lunch or an even better evening meal

Happy Birthday...

...to On the Pigs Back.... the Douglas Cafe is 1 year old and Isabelle Sheridan celebrated in style and invited her faithful customers and friends to join her and she combined her celebration with the launch of a new exhibition of the artist Valerie Walsh Jolley.

True to her style, Isabelle offered an amazing buffet and wonderful wine. I was too busy chatting away to John Grey and his beautiful wife Ellen - whom I haven't seen in 5 years so I didn't pay the attention to the food it actually deserved.

For the Christmas season, On the Pigs Back is offering a selection of hampers starting from €20. A luxury Gourmet hamper can be purchased for €120 - inn case you want to spoil that special someone.

But it doesn't end here - for the whole month of December, Isabelle is offering Late Friday's. So if you are doing your late night shopping why not pop in to the cafe and have a glass of wine or two. You will get served finger food and tapas with purchase of wine and bubbles.

December 7th, will see Timmy - The Brit McCarthy returning with his fantastic set dancing classes. The class costs only €8 per person.

December 8th - Cheese & Wine Tasting with Gary O'Donovan, €10 per person

December 14th - Timmy's Set Dancing followed by a Christmas Party for the dancers, €20

December 15th - Pig's Back Santa is coming to give foodie presents t the children, introduce healthy and fun food to kids for Christmas. Tickets €20, includes a gift given by Santa and tasting plates for kids and adults

Contact the team for bookings or more information on 021 - 461 78 32

On the Pigs Back, Unit 26, St. Patrick's Woollen Mills, Douglas, Cork

My Foodie Weekend Part 3

We finished the evening on Friday night with a few pints in the pub below the restaurant 'Sky and the Ground' which had a heated beer garden. Here we met some lovely locals and ended the night with a dance off in a night club.

Saturday morning started off nicely with a hearty breakfast at our B & B and we took our time to get into the mood for hitting the shops. Di found some amazing boots and I stop right here with the description of our shopping finds as this is a food blog and not a fashion one.

Shopping does make hungry and by 2pm our breakfast has vanished into distance memory. Walking down the Main Street we found a lovely little cafe called Stable Diet. They had some tables outside and as the sun was shining, we decided that it was time for a cup of tea. Walking into the cafe, we were greeted by a buzzing atmosphere that reminded of cafes in Paris. The display unit showed some lovely handmade pastries and bakes. The floor was checkered and the furniture was dark wood.

As we planned to go our for dinner later on, we decided to have just something small. I opted for the apple crumble tart while Di had a giant scone. My tart was served with jam in the bottom, caramelised apples and a lovely musli crumble topping. It was warmed but not hot which made it perfect to eat. Di's scone was fluffy, light and also warmed. It came with butter, cream and jam.

It was a wonderful afternoon and it took us all strengths to get up again and to return to the B & B where we chilled out. Around 7ish we got peckish again and headed out to explore the part of Wexford that laid left from the B & B. We had the choice of 3 restaurants nearby, Taste, La Dolce Vita and Jaques Wine Bistro in the Greenacres Building. I kinda fancied a bit of Italian food and since La Dolce Vita displayed a lot of plaques, eg. Good Food Ireland, Food & Wine and Euro Toques. As it is dead easy these days to impress me, I thought Euro Toques must be a must to try so we headed into La Dolce Vita. It seems that this restaurant is focused on lunch service rather than dinner service. The premises looked more like a day cafe than an evening restaurant. No candles or deco on the tables. It was 7:30 and a girl was swiping a brush around the tables while some people were actually already eating (call me picky but I really don't like dust in my food). We were seated next to the wine shelve (which needs some dusting if you seat people next to it) and I took the opportunity to have a look through the wines. Impressive selection, all wines were from Italy and had a Barolo, Nebolio. Pinot Grigio and Nero had La Dolce Vita's own label on it which was a lovely touch. The cafe also offered Italian goodies like black pasta, 00 flour and proper truffle oil. The chilling unit displayed buffalo mozzarella, Italian cheeses and several salads.

We were handed our menus and I was impressed that they had proper Italian courses on offer. Risotto of the day as a first course and meat and fish dishes as second course is the proper way of eating Italian food. No pizza or lasagna in sight. Fresh ciabiatta with olives and a small bowl of olive oil was served straight away. The wine list was impressive and had very good value.

So the first impression was not too bad but then it started to go a bit downhill. The girl who served us, didn't know anything about the specials which where Gnocchis with spinach and ricotta cheese and stuffed peppers. When I asked her how the peppers were stuffed, she shrugged the shoulders but after looking at us made the effort to ask in the kitchen. Didn't really understand her when she came back. Anyway, I ordered the gnocchis which were homemade, the spinach and ricotta worked into the dough and they rolled big gnoochis out. A passata was the base of the sauce and the dish was drizzled with pesto. It was a lovely dish, rich and delicious. Di's stuffed pepper came with anchovies, cherry tomatoes and chopped garlic. The side dish of salad was nothing to write home about.

The mains for me provided a problem as it only consisted of meat or fish of which I could only choose the sole (I know - boring as I just had it the night before) as I don't like tuna. There was nothing wrong with the dish but nothing really right either. The potatoes were boiled and crushed and had no taste whatsoever. The fish fell flat in all regards other than it was cooked. The vegetables came served in a bowl and were swimming in olive oil. Carrots had a nice bite to them but the courgettes were cut in different sizes and were not cooked evenly as some of the pieces were simply soggy. Di had Calf liver which she ordered pink and came well done although tender. Same spuds and veggies. The dish should have come with caramelised onions but were kinda just cooked and too plenty. We both didn't finish our meal. As dessert I ordered orange and lemon tart which was lovely, zingy and fresh. Di had a panna cotta which was wobbly but was holding its shape. The dish could have benefited from some decor on it.

The staff was the most detached people I have ever experienced. They couldn't have been less bothered if they tried. The time between the courses was quite long and it took them ages to bother asking if we wanted the dessert menu.

It was a weird experience really, the chef has potential (the first courses showed that) but the food lacks consistency. The staff really needs to put it up a notch if they want to help the restaurant to succeed. I would go there for lunch tho but it is not an evening destination. Saying all that, I was impressed by the wine list, the goodies and the attempt to provide proper Italian food. I hope they can bring it to the next level as I really think the talent is there.

We ended the night in Maggie May's pub with a few pints in front of a roaring fire and the evening finished on a high note.

My Foodie Weekend Part 2

After lunch in Waterford's Geoff we continued our trip to Wexford where we booked ourselves into a lovely B&B. After resting and freshening up, we went out to find Le Tire Bouchon (The Cork Screw) which received outstanding reviews from Paolo Tullio recently. Located above the pub 'Sky and the Ground', it is int he shopping centre of Wexford, South Main Street. You have to go into the pub and up the stairs to enter the restaurant. The noise from downstairs does not make its way upstairs and you enter a complete different world. While the pub is dark, aged and typically 'pubbish', the restaurant welcomes you with calm colours. A waiter greeted us and showed us to our table (we had booked in advance). The napkins were folded into a large, long cone (starched as it stood by itself), white linen and white china dressed the table nicely with the glasses sparkling in the candle light.

The menu has a strong focus on French dishes but Irish influences are visible. The restaurant is a joint venture of Arnaud Clement as Maitre d' and Kevin Carley as Executive Chef. Kevin has been trained in Dunbrody House Hotel and the quality in his food proves that he did pay attention.

We were served an amouse bouche which was served in a mini kilner jar and consisted of smoked chicken and mustard mousse on top of a chilled tomato and sprinkled with chives. The effect was amazing. Friend enjoyed the two jars (damn I really wish I could eat meat). Anyway, I ordered Dublin Bay Prawns in a filo basket which came with a wonderful fresh leaf salad and an amazing proper vinaigrette. Cherry tomatoes were upside down placed on the plate and when turning them around revealed a lovely stuffing of goats cheese and tapenade (proper tapenade). The prawns were perfectly cooked and buttery. Friend had pork rillettes with fig jam (jam was served in a little urn) on toast and leaf salad. She liked it but would have preferred more texture and seasoning. My main was dover sole which was advertised as cooked on the bone (I am too girlie to deal with bones) and I asked if I could get it served off the bone - not a problem. The French waitress came to the table when serving the fish and de-boned it at the table very professionally. The fish was so tender, it melted on my tongue. It came served with an almond butter (served in a mini gravy boat) which complimented the dish perfectly. Side dishes were baked baby potatoes and crunchy roasted mixed veggies. Friend ordered Halibut with fennel fondue and mash potatoes. The kitchen was out of fennel fondue and she was served an extra portion of fish. I would have liked to be asked if I wanted an alternative but Friend was okay with the solution but said later that the fennel was missing to give the dish a lift. She also would have liked more seasoning but I have to say that I didn't season any of my dishes.

All dishes on the menu come with their own wine recommendation and each wine was available by the glass. Even the dessert menu had its own wine and coffee recommendation (yeap, they have an extra menu for coffee and tea). French favourites like Crepe Suzette were on offer but also old-fashioned dishes like Baked Alaska. The friend ordered the crepe suzette which were prepared with great skill at the table (Cynthia really is an experienced and well trained waitress - and that is a great compliment from me. The title waitress does not give her justice tho). A bit more orange flavour would have made this dish simply perfect. I opted for the Rhubarb and Vanilla Souffle. It was prepared fresh and took about 15 minutes (which was announced when I ordered it). It came out perfectly risen, fluffy and light with a slight hint of rhubarb going through the dish. Vanilla ice cream gave it a nice balance.

The staff is attentive, very well trained - everyone was able to give us advise on the wine and we ordered a bottle of Cote de Gascogne which was floral without being sweet and was a perfect match to our fish dishes. It had a long finish and hit your palate after a few seconds and ran smoothly down your throat. The bouquet promised a delight and the taste did not disappoint.

Will I be back - definitely. Well worth a visit and the pub downstairs is a great way of finishing the evening with a lovely pint.

My Foodie Weekend Part 1

This weekend is solely devoted to food - yeah, I know nothing new here. Anyhow, Di and I went off to Waterford on Friday to arrive around lunch time. We had a nice stroll in the city centre (girls, lovely shops out there) and went finally into Geoff's in John's Street. Voted best Gastro Pub in Waterford, we thought, we can't go wrong.

Walking in, I was set back to my student days where I sat long nights discussing world peace. The floor is worn down planks of dark wood, the tables, chairs and benches are a mix and match (or mis-match) collection of left over furniture from my past. The place was buzzing, people from all walks of life were coming and going. We found a free table in the middle of the front room (the whole pub is bigger than it seems from the outside) and looked around to see if we had to order from the bar or if there was table service. Hungry as we were (window shopping is exhausting), we grabbed a menu from the bar. The menu was divided into lunch and evening menu. Soup of the day was Courgette & Fennel Soup, served with homemade bread. Other dishes included salads (mostly with chicken), mains are beef stir fry, spiced chicken, pasta, cottage pie, Goujons of haddock, king prawns in filo pastry. Bruschetta, sandwiches and paninis rounded the lunch menu up. The evening menu included most of the lunch menu except the breadbased dishes. Dessert options are limited to 3, chocolate biscuit cake, eton mess with mixed berries and crumble of the day.

We both opted for the soup of the day, which had a lovely consistency and had a few bits in it. The bread was homebaked brown seedy bread. Di then was torn between the cottage pie and the goujons of haddock. Since I believe that everyone can make a decent cottage pie, I persuaded her to go for the haddock. Ok, they weren't goujons but end of tail filets in breadcrumbs. The tartare sauce was more like a mayonnaise, the leaf salad was a bit tired but the shoestring potatoes were lovely. The plate was too small for the amount of food (or too much food for the size of the plate) and most of it landed on the table. My bruschetta was a bit weirdly served. The menu stated that it was a goats cheese, tapenade and sun-dried tomato pesto topping - but what I got were 2 slices of pan-fried (and therefore slightly greasy) bread with 3 separate pots on the plate where an pinky-orangy coloured goats cheese, a very bitter tapenade and red pesto was simply too much to put on only 2 slices of bread (slices weren't big at all). Here also, the leaf salad had seen better days. As the place was very busy, we were mostly ignored but were finally able to order our dessert. It has been ages since I had a proper eton mess - and it will be another while before I will have one. The dessert wasn't bad but nothing to write home about either. We ordered a glass of Pinot Grigio delle Venezie each but have to admit that I have my doubts that I actually got a Pinot but wouldn't swear to it.

The pub is a great place to on a Saturday night for a pint or five but I would not say it is the best gastro food I have ever eaten. Saying that, they are trying to order as much as possible from local producers and I think if they can bring the food up a notch, they are on the right way - they really could be Waterfords or maybe even Ireland's best Gastro Pub. I would also recommend that they make it more obvious how to order (as we couldn't figure it out ourselves - even the staff asked shrugged the shoulders as if what ever way you want to order is okay) and have a better board for the dish of the day. But again, the locals don't seem to bother and know the procedure very well.

Hope they keep improving as I really miss a good Gastro Pub.

Kenmare - Foodie Town Part 2

We spent the night in Davitts B&B (I would call it a boutique hotel) and woke up after a great night sleep and still with a silly smile on our faces from the food we had the night before. I actually wanted to dismantle the bed and take it home with me. It was wonderfully comfy. Anyway, we headed down for breakfast, which was good (just the chef must have been in love as the scrambled eggs and mushroom were oversalted).

At the cafe opening the night before we met one of the women who volunteered at the Bridge Street Co-op Whole Food shop. So we decided to pay the shop a visit. It is a paradise for bakers and cooks alike. The usual suspects of organic and vegan stuff was there (could never warm to the vegan style) but what makes this shop so special is that they have loose flour - unbleached strong flour, self raising, plain, spelt, rye. Rice is loose, pulses, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices and dried fruit. I will definitely pay them a visit when I start my Christmas baking again. They are a non-profit organisation and can offer low prices. A great shop well worth a visit when you are in Kenmare.

And it was again time for lunch - it is amazing how time flies when you have fun. We planned to pay the Kenmare Park Hotel a visit. A jewel in the middle of town. When you enter the hotel and look across the gardens you can forget that you are in a town. Kenmare Park Hotel is member of the Blue Book Ireland and rightfully so. You feel that you left all behind and that time stands still (actually we completely forgot time). We were greeted by the Manager, Rory (completely missed his surname) who remembered Dianne from a previous visit and lead us to the lounge where we ordered our 3 course lunch and I went into heaven again. The food, the service and the surroundings were simply amazing. Bar Manager John Moriarty (who works at the hotel for the last 24 years - wow) looked after us and we enjoyed his attention. He knows the menu in and out, he is very knowledgeable about the history of the building and he is well travelled and had lots of little stories.

You are asking about the food????? Let the photos speak for themselves:

Kenmare - Foodie Town Part 1

I can call myself quite lucky that I have foodie friends and that they are always up for some good foodie destinations. So Dianne and myself headed off to Kenmare last week and spent 2 wonderful days there. The main reason for the trip was that Manuela Goeb has opened her new bakery/cafe called the Breadcrumb Cafe in New Road in Kenmare. She operated her bakery shop since 2004 but was brave (or mad) enough to expand into a cafe. The colours of the cafe are fresh and vibrant. If you meet Manuela, you will see that the colours match her personality perfectly. Originally from Germany, she started her career as a nurse before learning the proper craft of bakery. Her focus is on the German way of baking - and let me tell you that German breads (next to French of course) are the best in the world. She also offers patisserie and cakes as well as light vegetarian lunches with no processed food in sight. Everything is made fresh on the premises. Her ware can also be bought at the farmers markets in Milltown and Dingle. I wish her all the success she deserves. When I am in Kenmare next time I will make sure to pay her a visit again.

When we said goodbye to Manuela, we decided to pay Packies a visit. Whenever I was in Kenmare before it was only during the day and this restaurant only opens in the evening. So this time there was no excuse. What a great decision. The menu had its focus on fresh fish and lamb and chicken. There was no red meat on the menu. It was hard to decide on the food as we wanted to try everything - but although the waitresses were very very patient with us, it was time to make up our mind. Dianne ordered the lobster salad with citrus salad. The lobster was perfectly cooked and came easily out of the shell, the leaves of the salad were crisp and fresh. The dish was served with homemade mayonnaise which will put Hellman's out of business. I went for the three cheese tartlet which was served with a lovely organic leaf salad. The pastry of the tart was a tiny bit overcooked and burned on the edges but the mixture of cheeses was just mind blowing. For mains I had the Dover Sole with baby prawns and brandy sauce - I proposed to the chef then and there (problem was that I said it to one of the waitresses who is engaged to the chef - ups). The best - and I mean the BEST - Dover Sole I have ever eaten. I asked it to be filleted and the chef done a great job. The fish was cooked on the bone, filleted and put back together with the prawns as a filling. The sauce was not overpowering but matched the fish perfectly. Dianne opted for Fillet of Cod with chili and rosemary olive oil. The fish was flaky, perfectly cooked and the oil was again not overpowering. We both stopped talking for a long while. The Pinot Grigio 2009 Garganega Venezie (€19.50) was a great partner for this amazing food. Champ and honey roasted vegetables perfected the meal.

For dessert we had Creme Brulee and Iced Coffee Parfait - Any French chef would have sold it in any Michelin starred restaurant. A nice glass of Prosecco ended an evening that we actually didn't want to end at all. We had a nice chat with chef Martin Hallissey who is not only a great chef but a nice fella as well. The food showed that here is a chef that shows respect for the produce he is using and lets the ingredients do the talking rather than changing its structure and naturally beauty.

Innishannon House Hotel

The other day while I was in Kinsale meeting Piluca and her newborn littl boy, Dianne called me if I wanted to catch up with her. As we were both kind of middle away from Innishannon, we decided to give Innishannon House Hotel a try. They have recently launched the new bar menu and it was a wonderful day to see the gardens as well.

The hotel calls itself the most romantic hotel in Ireland - depends really but I have to admit it got an old-fashioned charm to it. The bar lounge (and the rest of the hotel) has a kind of shabby chic to it. I loved sitting in the lounge waiting for Dianne and her lovely daughter. The reception is small and the restaurant to the left of the reception was busy with a party that might even have been a wedding (the kiddies running around were nicely dressed).

A recent addition is the new back bar which is kind of a miss rather than a hit as it is completely different from the rest of the hotel. It might have worked with a designer who actually considered the old fashioned charm of the rest of the hotel. It looks more like a sports bar in Dublin than a lovely hotel bar of the 'most romantic' hotel.

Anyhow, Dianne and her daughter came and we sat down in the 'old' bar lounge for the bar menu (as far as I understood, they don't use the restaurant for formal dining anymore but only for weddings etc).

The veggie options of the menu were as boring as they always are in hotels (what is wrong with chefs - we are people you know) so I opted for oven baked cod with mash, grilled cherry tomatoes and watercress pesto (€14). The pesto was lovely - not too peppery, the fish cooked nicely and the cherry tomatoes were not over-grilled but nice and juicy. The mash was solala - nothing to write home about.

Dianne had the slow roasted belly of pork (€12.50) which came with mash, whiskey sauce and very sad looking selection of vegetables. The belly was quite fatty and dried (not really evenly cooked) but the sauce was lovely.

The girl (and I am so sorry I don't know how to spell her name - she is just a lovely girl) ordered the burger which came with caramelised onions, chips (not fresh cut chips but from the variety of the freezer) and a fresh leaf salad (€13.50). The poor girl was starving and it didn't help that the service was very slow.

For desserts I had a apple tart tatin which was oversweet and came with a ready-made fruit coulis. The 'girl' opted for a chocolate roulade which looked quite dry and judging from the face - nothing to write home about either. Desserts were at €6.50 each. An Irish farmhouse cheese plate was on the menu but when we asked what cheeses were included we were told that this has been taken off the menu ages ago. Also, the website has outdated menus.

The food knowledge of the staff was quite limited - when we asked if the pork belly was nice, we were told 'Yes'. The menu itself is basic but I think it caters for a different clientele than me and Dianne. It would be a place where I would bring my nan to have a nice Sunday afternoon.

What really makes this hotel special are the gardens and the lake. Just enjoy the photos. We spent more time than we wanted because the day was lovely, the view amazing and the company was just perfect.

Girlie Weekend in Kells

Wow, I am still in Kells Mood. Dorothy invited Caz, Angela and myself to her cottage in Kells and we had a ball. It was the most relaxing weekend I had in a long time. Everything was chilled out and we took it all in with a big smile on our faces.

We headed out on Friday evening and Dorothy was the designated driver for the weekend - not that anyone objected. We arrived at the cottage in the dark but when Dor lit the lights, it was as if we arrived in paradise. We could hear the sea although not seeing it. But just to know that it was there was enough. I had prepared some pizza bases and brought along tomato sauce, tomatoes, feta, mozzarella and salami. So my job was to prepare the pizzas and we settled in with some nice wine and enjoyed that reality was left behind.

The next morning was greeted by some sunshine and a fresh sea breeze. Caz and Angie were still in slumber land so Dorothy and myself headed out for a nice walk on the beach which was exactly 2 minutes down the road - why did we return to Cork again????

After Dorothy managed to get the sleepy heads out of bed, we had some nice breakfast of toast, boiled eggs and homemade granola and yogurt. After cleaning up, we headed out for a drive along the really beautiful countryside. We stopped in Cahersiveen as Dor had just received her iPhone and wanted to get some advise from Vodafone.....and since we were 4 girls - we headed to the shops (very successful by the way as I got 2 pair of shoes while Angie got some amazing boots and a jacket - perfect for the festival season. Caz got the most adorable outfit for her little niece). Anyhow, the evening came too soon and we were starving. Dorothy - knowing the area like the back of her hand - took us to The Bridge Bar which has a restaurant 'The Moorings' attached to it. A lovely country pub with a pub menu as well as the a la carte menu of the restaurant. The interior is nautical with fishing nets hanging from the ceiling and ship models being displayed. The choice of both menus was so varied that it took us ages to decide. I opted for deep fried brie with homemade cranberry sauce (€5.95) for starter and fish cakes for main in starter size (7.95). The brie was gooey in the middle with a crunchy crust. The cranberry sauce was sticky and sweet. The fishcakes were made of salmon, mackerel and crabmeat and tasted great. I wasn't too keen on the tatare sauce and asked for garlic mayonnaise instead. Angela went for the homemade garlic bread and deep fried Lemon Sole. The portions were huge and she wasn't able to finish her meal at all. Dorothy and Caz ordered the King Prawns wrapped in filo pastry which were served with garlic mayo and sweet chilli sauce. Both stopped talking while eating - always a good sign ;-). For main Caz opted also for the fish cakes while Dorothy decided on the fish special which was Grilled Plaice served with lemon butter. It looked great and looking at her face it was delicious. The staff was friendly, attentive and made sure that all my questions were answered. A lovely evening.

After heading back to the house, we tried to have some wine, but to be honest, we were sooooo relaxed that we completely tuned out and just enjoyed each others company.

The morning came to quick and it was time again to come back to reality. Girls, we have to do that soon again. Thanks for a great weekend and your company.

Bramley Lodge near Fota

Sofie and I were meeting the other day in Bramley Lodge to catch up as I haven't seen her in ages and since Fota is almost midway, we chose to meet there. I have driven by this restaurant a few times and always thought, I should stop and try it out.

The restaurant is located just off the Cork-Waterford Road when you turn off to go to Fota. It is a building that looks older than it is with a lot of character. It has a conservatory and outside seating. The attached car park fills up quickly as lunchers are coming from all sides.

A little shop and bakery is attached which offers all a food lovers could want. Dishes from the menu are available from the shop as well as Arbutus bread and homemade chutneys and sauces.

The atmosphere is busy enough at lunch time but still relaxed. The staff is friendly although not the fastest. Bramley Lodge opens at 7 for breakfast and goes into lunch with closing time around 5ish. The breakfast menu includes the 'Bramley Full' for €9.95 which might be considered a bit steep but the portions are biggish enough. Pancakes are served with cream, maple syrup and wild berry compote which sets you back €4.95.

Lunch includes the 'Soup of the day' for €5.50, sandwiches from €6.50 (€10.50 for the open seafood sandwich), Steak Sandwich sets you back €12.95.

I opted for the Ardsallagh Crostini (€6.96) which was a bit of a disappointment. Simply a slice of rye bread cut in half with a bit of goats' cheese (although it said it would be baguette) with wild berry compote and a hint of garlic. The compote was too liquid and had no 'kick' to it. A bit of vanilla or star anise would have lifted this compote to higher grounds. The 'hint' of garlic disappeared by the time it arrived at the table.

Sofie had the seafood chowder (€6.95) and she enjoyed it very much. It came served with brown bread and butter.

Will I go again....yes, if I am in the area.

A Foodie Friday

Today was just a lovely day, weather was great, I met lovely people and have lots to write about.

First of all I went to the new venture of On the Pig's Back by Isabelle Sheridan in Douglas and it was a treat. When I heard she opened her new cafe at the premises of Patrick's Woollen Mills I was a bit surprised as it is very industrial with garages and wooden flooring places around. But when I arrived I was still surprised but it was a pleasant one. High ceilings, whitewashed walls with art works hanging (which you can purchase by the way), tall timber shelving packed to the brim with yummy goodies with a great focus on French and local produce (they had even Irish music in the background). Light timber flooring and handmade wooden large tables and chairs invite you to sit down with friends and family for a delicious lunch.

The menu is short but varied. Soup of the day was carrot with basil which was oozing with freshness. Silky texture and a perfect consistency (€5.50), Quiche & Salad (€6.50) doesn't really say much but they had 5 different quiches on offer (Dianne ordered the spinach & pine nut) and the salad served with the quiche was almost bigger than the plate. I ordered Tartine which is a toasted slice of rye bread topped with melted cheese and tomatoes which was served with a lovely pesto and red onion jam. The leaf salad was organic and fresh. We then shared a slice of rhubarb pie which was just lovely and not sour at all but thanks God not too sweet either.

The place was buzzing, so my concerns about the location was completely unfounded. Isabelle has a great business head on her shoulders and I wish her great success.

Dianne and myself then headed back towards city centre as Colman Andrew launched his latest book 'The Country Cooking of Ireland' in the Farmgate restaurant. Colman is an American with a love for Irish Food. The book is quite extensive, the photographs are amazing (by Christopher Hirsheimer) and very well researched. I love especially the chapter of Irish Wine with a photograph of a pint of Guinness next to it. He talked about how it came that he wrote about Irish food and how interesting he finds it. He is a great advertiser in the States for Irish Food (not that many people seem to believe him).

While listening to Colman and enjoying the canapes of mushroom frittata, we also met a lovely girl Evin who is from California but moved to Ireland 2 years ago. A fellow food blogger, we had of course a lot to talk about. Have a look at her blog . I bet you will love the photographs as much as the recipes. I invited Evin to join us for our next wine tasting on Portuguese wine next Saturday. Hope she can make it.

So, I think that was enough excitement for one day - sitting now in front of a blazing fire, got some crackers with goat's cheese and O'Flynns mixed berry jam and a glass of Sherry and let my brain roar wild with some buzzing ideas for events. Watch this space

Shebeen @ Vineyard

I got the latest Whazzup the other day and I always check first if there were new restaurant listings...and surprise surprise...Shebeen is the latest addition to the restaurant world of Cork. Seamus O'Connell is the brain and chef behind this new venture and when you enter the Vineyard you will know that it can only be Seamus' new child.

The bar itself has nice features but they are not put in the right light. The little stools were homemade upholstered where the fabric doesn't fit properly. Comfy red leather sofas invite to snuggle in. The kitchen is open to the bar and Seamus just pops his head out and asked you what you like to order.

The best thing I encountered was the menu. It was actually a Marvel comic of superheros. I had the Ultimate X-Men. The menu was stuck into the middle of the comic (a pity really as I wasn't able to finish the story).

Shebeen has a great offer on at the moment: 2 course lunch for €10 incl. tea/coffee or dinner for €15. If you have ever eaten in The Ivory Tower you will know that Seamus' reputation as a chef is excellent (apart from being eclectic and chaotic at times - and I mean that with the greatest admiration) and the menu of Shebeen is a good sample of his talent.

He keeps the menu simple and short. Soup of the day was cannelloni bean or Moroccan Lamb Soup, pigs trotters with pickled cauliflower was taking the lead on the starter page closely followed by duck terrine and oysters with elderflower vinegar, pot of mussels in cider and the much loved Umera House smoked salmon.

Ever heard of Boxty???? It is a potato cake (I know it as a giant rosti) stuffed with different fillings like black pudding & apple, smoked mackerel & seaweed, Gubeen ham & aged cheddar, Irish cheeseboard & tomato.

The mains offer Irish old fashioned favourites like lamb shanks, Irish Stew, bacon & cabbage but he also offers ox cheeks (I made them once and my guests licked the plate) and Guinea fowl....desserts included iced Tiramisu, lemon & passionfruit tartlet, hot chocolate fondant, hot apple tart, hot spiced cake, selection of homemade ice cream and a market Irish cheeseboard.

I persuaded Linda to have our weekly lunch meeting in Shebeen and I think she loved the food although the service was quite slow and she returned to the office late (hope her boss didn't give her any grief). We both ordered soup (me of course the veggie one) and the soups were chunky, flavoursome and came served in an old fashioned soup bowl and a slice of bread on the side (the bread was so fresh that it crumbled when I tried to get butter in it.

We both wanted to try the Boxty and Linda asked for the black pudding filling while I asked for the cheesy version. The blue cheese used as filling was unfortunately overpowering everything else on the plate (next time I will ask him to leave the blue cheese out). We both wanted to try a dessert as well and Linda asked for the lemon tart which was advertised to come with raspberry sorbet but as he was out of the sorbet offered alternative ice cream. Linda opted for cinnamon. I asked for the selection of homemade ice cream and I asked for Bergamon, Praline and Cinnamon flavour. I love and adore homemade ice cream (ok ok ice cream in general) and the Bergamon (used in earl grey tea) was my favourite while the Cinnamon had a grainy texture but the flavour was great.

Will I go back??? Yeap - just hope they don't get too busy as the service was really slow. But quality-price margin was worth the time spent.