The Menu: Kilkenny festival
Quite some time ago, in the third or fourth flush of his youth, and always a great man for the chuckling, The Menu was inclined to fetch up in the Marble City to gee-up his giggle gland at the Cat Laughs Comedy Festival and developed a great fondness for Kilkenny and its hinterland. Since then, the place has undergone quite some culinary transformation and Savour Kilkenny Festival of Food (Oct 24-28) is a reflection of that astonishing evolution which culminated in recent Michelin Stars for Garret Byrne and Brid Hannon at La Campagne and for Cormac Rowe and team at Mount Juliet. Top of the pile for The Menu must be a masterclass from The Professor of Ballymaloe Cookery School, Rory O’Connell, a truly world-class teacher. There is a not-to-be-missed pop-up restaurant from the sublimely talented Yannick and Louise, a Food Pairing workshop for the experimentally-inclined, but The Menu would not think one bit less of you were you to park your tush by the always-popular Chef’s Table for a couple of days, sampling the creations of all manner of local and international culinary talent. www.savourkilkenny.com
The Menu throws out an exceptionally large welcome mat to chef Bryan McCarthy, now heading up Greene’s Restaurant, Cork, and another reprise of the Bia Sasta Critic’s Night (Oct 17) affords an opportunity to sample his wonderful wares with a six-course tasting menu and cocktail for €36. (Booking: biasasta@hotmail.com) Ryan, of The Firehouse Bakery, is bringing his legendary baking classes to their new outlet in Delgany, Co Wicklow, (www.thefirehouse.ie) while anyone at a loose end on Leeside today (Oct 12) could pop along to The Goldiefish Food & Folk Market on the Grand Parade as part of the Cork Folk Festival, for edibles, crafts and surely a tune or two.
The Menu is readying himself for his annual winter hibernation, which involves much cosseting, pampering and, generally, being especially nice to The Menu. Starting with a nice geansaí, a 100% West Cork wool number being part of a special deal at Liss Ard House, near Skibbereen, in West Cork, also including two nights B&B and one dinner, €155 pps. (www.lissardestate.com) If The Menu isn’t right after that, then he may require one of several deals on offer at the uber-luxurious Sheen Falls Lodge, in Kenmare, including three nights B&B and two dinners for €615 per room, to ensure his continued survival through to next spring. www.sheenfallslodge.ie
During one particular confinement, Mrs Menu was of a mind to consume sushi and little else, so The Menu was knocking up batches of the stuff three or four nights a week. What followed was several years of broken sleep and a complete omerta on sushi until he was faced with a tray of Oishii Foods’ splendid range: delicious fresh fish, sticky rice and some very fine condiments of their own construction. The Menu is willing to consider another helping — of sushi, that is, not more progeny, thank you very much. www.oishiifoods.com
