The Menu: Dingle Peninsula Food Festival
The Menu’s grá for Dingle began many years ago when, as a child, he passed nine months deep in the heart of the Gaeltacht not only acquiring a taste for the ‘teanga’ but also growing to love the fine produce from the peninsula. He returned many times since and the 7th annual Dingle Peninsula Food Festival (Oct 4-6) should find him not only eating, meeting and greeting with a vengeance but also casting around a judicious palate to aid in decision-making at the prestigious Blás na hÉireann National Irish Food Awards, a festival centrepiece. The Taste Trail involves over 70 establishments and food ventures and The Menu, having recently taken quite a shine to the new Dingle Bay Gin, is looking forward to discovering other equally fine palate-pleasers. Of course, a body cannot dine the entire day long so there are plenty of other activities, including splendid food demos, An Canteen’s craft beer and cider festival, and an all-male baking competition in the legendary Dick Mack’s. www.dinglefood.com, www.irishfoodawards.com
The Menu loves a mushroom, particularly from his good friends at Ballyhoura Mountain Mushrooms, so a morning’s foraging with the aforementioned sounds splendid indeed. But adding a mushroom identification workshop, craft beer and mushroom tapas cooked by Kevin Aherne at Sage Restaurant, Midleton, all for 30 bucks, ensures The Menu will be in both East Cork and his element on Oct 13 at 11am. Limited places, booking essential. Ballyhouramushrooms@gmail.com or www.sagerestaurant.ie
This fair isle is superbly positioned to exploit its myriad culinary charms — world-class produce and a growing band of sublimely talented chefs to present it at its finest — in the burgeoning global gastro-tourism movement so The Dublin Food Chain event (Oct 2), during Fingal Enterprise Week 2013, is a must for all stakeholders including restaurants, hotels and food operators. (www.dublinfoodchain.ie). Renowned winemaker Neil McGuigan hosts an exclusive wine dinner at the Boardwalk Bar & Grill (Oct 2), kicking off with a drinks reception followed by a seven-courser with a minimum of five of McGuigan’s latest offerings to be sampled. (www.theboardwalkbarandgrill.com) Congrats to Adrian Gregan, head of Tourism & Hospitality, CIT, newly elected National Representative for the European Association of Hotel and Tourism Schools (AEHT) while The Elm Tree Bar, in Glounthaune, has just carried off Great Carvery Public House of the Year for the second year running, with Dan Buckley’s Bar at the Castle Hotel, in Macroom, the regional winner for Munster.
The Menu, most fond indeed of a spud, regularly despairs at the fate of those poor tubers that fail to reach the table having rotted away in a plastic bag. But a closed wicker storage-basket from food hero Michael Kelly’s GIY, is not only a seriously attractive addition to any kitchen but keeps up to 30lbs of potatoes fresh. www.giyinternational.org
