Fenn's Quay, Cork

A few weeks ago, we finally got down to Fenn's Quay in Cork for a bite to eat. I had been following Kate Lawlor, head chef, on Twitter for quite a while and worked alongside her for Chef du Jour but hadn't gotten around to enjoying her cooking. This long awaited visit was not a disappointment.

So to start we ordered Warm Chicken Salad with crispy potato skins & a sweet chilli dressing and Kate's current version of 'Surf n Turf' which was Rump Steak with Langoustines and Sea Samphire. Hubs had the chicken salad which he loved and he especially enjoyed the crispy potato skins. I had the rump steak and langoustines which were gorgeous. The steak was medium rare and really tender which complimented the juicy langoustines perfectly. Two empty plates were returned to the kitchen.

      

In between our starters and mains we decided to try Kate's fudge which features on her new Punt Saver menu. We got 8 delicious pieces of black pepper fudge and beetroot fudge for €2 or £1. Which was fantastic value and a nice little break between courses. I also sipped away on the days special cocktail which was a Passionfruit bellini, which was gorgeously refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser.

                     

                                               


After that little break our mains arrived, which were the Rib-eye steak with Chunky Chips and Baked Monkfish with Sea Vegetables and Basil Oil. Hubs had the steak with lovely crunchy, crispy chips. And my little pet hate of rib-eye being cooked unevenly wasn't an issue as it was perfectly medium rare throughout with a nice char on the outside. Now, after I stole a few bites of his, I did devour mine. We normally don't eat a lot of fish as himself isn't keen, so when we are out I always try to 'splash out'. This was perfect to satisfy my cravings. The monkfish was beautifully juicy and fresh and blended perfectly with the sea vegetable risotto, followed by a tasty kick of basil oil.

            

Thankfully we just about squeezed in desert, or else I would have missed the glorious Brown Bread & Baileys parfait. I normally steer clear of deserts that claim to have alcohol in them as the alcohol rarely contributes anything. However this desert, had the wow factor. The little bits of brown bread crumbled throughout gave a lovely contrast to the powerful, smooth Bailey's creaminess. Of course, hubs also devoured his Chocolate Pudding with the gorgeous Baldwin's Caramel Fudge Ice cream.

                             

 


We had a fantastic meal and I cannot but recommend Kate and Fenn's Quay to everyone. The reason? I may have featured the dearer dishes here, but there is something for everyone in Fenn's Quay. Whether you want to pop in for brunch, lunch, gourmet dinner or a few quickie selections from the Punt Saver menu Kate has you covered. A short walk from all the hot spots in town...what more could you ask for??

Will we eat there again? Hell, yeah.
Cost? €90.85 for 2 Starters, 2 Mains, 2deserts, fudge, cocktail, glass of wine and 2 cokes.

You can follow Kate and Fenn's Quay on twitter @FQchefess @FennsQuay and also on their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/FennsQuay

Sunday Lunch In Blairs Inn, Cork

Hubs will tell you I am normally completely anti Sunday Lunch. I cannot stand the stodgy carvery style food you get in most places on a Sunday. So when I saw Duncan's Sunday Lunch Menu online I was pleasantly surprised. It's bursting full of an amazing variety of dishes from your classic roast to creative venison casserole with chocolate espresso.

We drove down and arrived a around 12.45 and there was already a couple of cars in the car park. At the door you are greeted with the glorious site of the many awards that Blairs Inn have been given. The inside itself is warm and inviting with a roaring fire.

There is an immense choice of what to drink as both Richard and Duncan are self-confessed 'craft beer junkies'.  Hubs ordered the Shandon Cider and I had the Chocolate Block red wine. I normally hate red wine with a vengeance but after reading the description of the Chocolate Block I was curious. I was certainly not disappointed and have to confess it was the first red wine I actually enjoyed.

For the food itself I had the Mussels poached in a white wine and garlic sauce, which were easily the best mussels I have had. They were so plump and juicy and the sauce was one of those where you'd skip your main just so you could get another few slices of brown bread to mop it all up. While I'm on the subject of bread, we had the moistest Beamish soda bread which Duncan bakes himself, served warm. To die for. Hubs had the Chicken and Mushroom Vol-au-Vent which was lovely and creamy with incredibly tender chicken.

For main I ordered the Braised Wild Wicklow Pheasant with a Wild Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce. The flavour was superb and the pheasant very juicy. Hubs had the Beef Casserole in a Blackrock Stout Sauce. Hands down he won on this course the beef was as tender with a sumptuous rich sauce.

And finally we managed to squeeze in desert which was a Warm Chocolate, Walnut and Brandy Brownie and Banoffee Pie. Both of which ended the meal with a gorgeous rich finish.

I cannot recommend Blairs Inn highly enough. Everything is perfect. You can tell this place is Duncan and Richard's baby. All the effort that goes in to source the ingredients and beverages pays off. It is a must for all. And I am now officially converted to Sunday Lunch..at Blairs Inn.

Will We Eat There Again? Hell yes!!
Price? €80 for 2 starters, 2 mains, 2 deserts, 2 glasses of wine and a cider.

You can follow Duncan on his twitter @Duncanblr and Richard on his @Richielala

A Day in Avoca Monkstown

So we took off to spend a day in Avoca Monkstown. The plan was to grab some lunch in Salt Cafe and pick up a few foodie treats in the food store after. 

We arrived at 12pm and immediately realised parking was going to be tricky. As this little gem has become so well known, we weren't the only ones looking. We found a space around the corner and skipped off to see the store.

Once we arrived, we were greeted by a bustling queue for Salt. Best word of advice is to book if you can. We were seated relatively quickly by the extremely friendly staff but there was an air of begrudgery from those around us who had reservations.

The restaurant itself is stunning. It carries a luxurious worn look which is carried out throughout the store, tables and even down to the menus.

Lunch Menu

So to get down to the really interesting bit. I ordered the duck liver parfait with pear & shallot chutney and toasted sourdough for starters and the venision, porcini & spinach cannelloni with a rocket, parmesan & fennel salad for main. While hubby ordered the white onion soup with aged parmesan & truffle oil for starters and free-range rotisserie half chicken with Caesar salad for main. No deserts this time :( 

Both my dishes tasted absolutely fabulous. The parfait was velvety smooth, however I did find with the cannelloni there was quite a shortage of venison. Hubby's dishes were exquisite. No complaints there whatsoever, in fact we probably had more than enough chicken to do both of us. Consistency with portions seems to be the only problem.

Duck Parfait

Cannelloni

Soup

Chicken for Caesar Salad

Caesar Salad

We ordered the sparkling home-made lemonade which was gorgeous and fresh however I did  find the price a little steep at €6.95. The presentation of both the lemonade and water somewhat distracts you from this.

Water 

Sparkling Lemonade

We asked for the bill and were kindly offered to take our leftovers home and finished with a nice bill of just under €60 overall not bad value.

Next was the food store. The store is full to the brim of foodie nuggets that will excite you when you see them. Such as the Romanesco which we purchased. We noticed part of the store had been filled with tables for the cafe, we were told by shop assistant this was a new feature. Honestly, it doesn't work. The last thing you want to do is squeeze in behind someone as they are eating to grab something of the shelf behind them. Not a pleasant experience for the eater either. But hopefully they will change this back with time.

Romanesco

We ventured into James Whelan's Butchers and were greeted by the gorgeous vision of the meat being hung. The shop is decked out beautifully with all the produce displayed perfectly and as always, the staff were extremely pleasant and helpful. We picked up these delicious 56 day aged Sirloin Steaks. 

Overall we enjoyed our day in Avoca Monkstown. However if we were to go again we would allow more time and certainly book ahead.

Will we eat there again? Probably.

Price? €60 for 2 starter, 2 main and lemonade