The Menu: Keith Boyle is back — with a View to culinary greatness
Keith Boyle, a superb chef with one of the most intriguing of all backstories in Irish food
Old Menu favourite Keith Boyle, a superb chef with one of the most intriguing of all backstories in Irish food and whom a lot of people with the inside track would have had down as a dark horse for a Michelin Star until his very recent move to a Kilkenny City hotel was bizarrely truncated, is newly appointed as executive head chef at Mountain View, in Ballyhale, Kilkenny, the highly scenic restaurant and wedding venue, a move which has brought them the class of national attention this glorious location was long overdue — and stay tuned for other exciting developments in the pipeline.
- Mountainview.ie
- @mountainviewkilkenny
In an ideal world, The Menu would live very near Sarah Richards’ Seagull Bakery in Tramore, or better still, inside it, but he will happily settle for an evening sipping cracking low-intervention organic wines from the Loire Valley in the Broad Street outlet of one of his most favourite Irish real bread bakers, with wines presented by the lovely Laurence, formerly of L’Atitude 51, along with accompanying delicious nibbles.
If The Menu were to consult readings from his internal Fun-O-Meter, last year’s Cork on a Fork would rank right up there and, on foot of its recent pre-launch, he very much looks forward to its return this coming August (14-18) as the five-day citywide festival returns with a host of fabulous new food experiences for all the family, and The Menu looks forward to returning to the heart of the festival on Emmet Place, which will host live cooking demos and events and a local food market.
Cork on a Fork is organised and supported by Cork City Council in partnership with Fáilte Ireland, Pure Cork, and Cork Airport, as well as local hospitality businesses, so restaurateurs are urged to fire up their thinking skillets and start cooking up inspirational events to counter all the bad news the sector has had to deal with, and truly celebrate Cork food.
- corkonaforkfest.ie
- @corkonaforkfest
One of The Menu’s most favourite Irish chefs, Simon Kershaw — late of Camus Farm Field Kitchen and now rowing in at Pike Deli, in Clonakilty — has also revived his fabulous food truck, formerly Ron D’s, now re-christened as Ceapairí (Irish for sandwiches), dishing out some of the finest grilled sandwiches in the land, and will also be rocking up at another highly recommended event, installing the truck to the rear of Levi’s, of Ballydehob, for the duration of the very splendid Ballydehob Jazz Festival (May 3-6) with tickets still available for some events.
There are many reasons for The Menu’s longtime love affair with Limerick, and right up near the top of the list is an old favourite, No 1 Pery Square, the gorgeously restored hotel in the city’s historic Georgian Quarter where a progressive approach to wine has always been to the fore, which all bodes well for an upcoming winemakers dinner (April 27), led by master sommelier Nick O’Callaghan, joined by two other great Menu favourites, Liam and Sinead Cabot, who now produce their own wines in Slovenia.
A welcome aperitif is followed by a fine five-courser, with excellent all-in overnight packages also available.
- To book, tel. 061402402 or email: info@oneperysquare.com (Blue Book vouchers also accepted.)
