Corinna Dunne

... And while it's resting, you can pour over some good extra virgin olive oil, if you want an Italian twist on steak. The juices mix with the oil to make a lovely sauce. Alternatively, you can pour over some melted butter.

I've no idea what he's got planned. It will be interesting to see where he takes it, although I'd imagine that there won't be dramatic changes to start out. One bit of news though... I've got a piece in his July issue (on El Bulli).

Great to see you on the board again ljr. I loved your list for Dublin lunch spots in (Irish) Food & Wine. I was going to start a thread on "good value" lunch spots in Dublin... but if you've got a chance, it would be great if you'd kick it off. Do you have any more recommendations for the Clifden area?

Thanks so much for the post Meanderer. Your experience at Hudson's does sound like a bit of a mixed bag. I'd love to hear a bit more about what you had at the Tannery and Bassett's, if you've got a chance. And yes, Woodstock in Inistioge, where Bassett's is located is such a beautiful spot. So glad you enjoyed it.

Hi Highchef. Thanks for the tender and at times, very amusing report… well apart from the burger belly trauma. It seems that you did your brother proud and adopted a very Irish tradition for “waking” the dead. Copious amounts of alcohol are all part of the process, so I’d say your B&B lady didn’t bat an eyelid. There’s a wonderful Irish short story about an American visitor to Ireland who wanted to attend a real Irish wake. So seeing a great opportunity for free food and drink, the villagers told him about a recent death, but an empty will, so no hope for a wake. Of course he took the bait, and gladly footed the bill for the wake. A fine healthy villager took up the role of “corpse”, with the proviso, that for each drink consumed, one was to be placed under the coffin for him. A great wake ensued, and all went well until some of the over-oiled villagers decided to tease the “corpse” by burning his toes with a cigarette, and worse still, started to drink one of his drinks. At which point, he jumped up from the dead with a roar, and the American hightailed it, never to be seen around the place again. But ehem… what’s all of this talk about drinking “scotch” in Ireland? Thanks for the recommendation of Oliver’s for seafood. You are right. This is the best way to have seafood in Ireland, and thankfully, there are some great little spots along the west coast. They are generally packed with Dubliners in the summer, although I haven't been for years. The “fish” thing is one of my very, very hot buttons. Don’t get me started. In short, most of the best stuff is shipped directly to Spain and France, where it is sold for less than we could buy it here. When I was in Kilmore Quay in Wexford (southeast) last summer, I had to painfully watch crates of crabs and lobsters being loaded into seawater containers on large trucks, bound for Spain. The local fishmonger had none (although some excellent fish), and in Wexford town, one of the two leading fishmongers was selling mostly frozen Canadian lobster, and only bothered to take in fresh day boat lobster once a week (and then shamefully charged more than you’d pay in Dublin). Regarding Jurys Inn at Christchurch... I know it's not exactly luxury, but 5 star hotels in Dublin are very expensive, and when you've got a crowd of teenagers to boot, something has to give.

It was in the previous issue of (Irish) Food & Wine. Apparently Andrew Turner, the head chef has skedaddled too, “with immediate effect”. I didn’t venture in during his “sojourn”, as the reviews had been luke warm at best. In fact, I think they lost the confidence of just about every food journo in town with their ridiculous PR shenanigans. I’ve lost count of the “Yes, he’s really there now" stories. And of course, Louis Murray, the proprietor, allegedly had a serious run in with Trevor White (the editor of The Dubliner magazine, and influential food critic), warning him not to cross the threshold, mentioning that he knew his father(?) and whatnot. Mad stuff. eGullet Society member Kerrier reported a pretty unsatisfactory experience on this thread. So it looks like we saved a few bob by staying away. Just hazarding a guess at what went wrong, it seems to me like it just wasn’t value for money, and a whack of service charge for lack of service added insult to injury. There’s loads of talk about Celtic Tigers, but they’re not a complete pack of “eejits” throwing good money at mediocre food. Most of the stupid money goes on supporting the Italian, Indian and Thai dross. I think the top end of the market is a little more discerning, and if you’re not on the money with your product, you’re out. I don’t think you can give a place a lift just by overlaying a celeb name, and I’m glad to see it hasn’t worked, because they obviously didn’t deliver on their promise. Personally I think La Stampa would make a brilliant brasserie, it is, as you say, a great space, and it’s quite over the top in a baroque Parisian sort of way. If they specialised in French style seafood platters, had great meat and poultry… adopted the KISS formula… they could be on to a winner. But of course, the competition is hotting up now with Venue, Guilbaud’s new brasserie and the Fallon & Byrne spot (although a lot of needless napkin folding going on there, I hear). And yes, Gary Rhodes.

Yes, Jeam Christophe Novelli and La Stampa in Dublin have finally gone their separate ways. Which is not surprising, since JCN sightings were rarer than hens’ teeth; the only recorded appearances being quite literally that: in front of a TV camera, or looking deeply into the eyes of reporters, as he talked mostly about his private life; which he tirelessly told us he wanted to keep private. So he’s gone. And now we’re waiting for Gary Rhodes to set up shop, and Nobu, who may or may not move into the Shelbourne Hotel, due to re-open at the end of August. So what should we expect? Jay Rayner tackled the subject of Nobu, among others, being discussed in the Food Media and News Forum here. So I’m interested to know, how does the Gary Rhodes concept travel?

They were using them at El Bulli a few weeks ago. A dish of lightly poached salmon with pickled vegetables, and a small scattering of flowers, mostly lavender. Some chunks of tomato were served with an elderflower foam, and one of the deserts had a number of floral jellies; jasmine and rose. The mountains nearby were covered in wild flowers. Very, very pretty.

The Loire Valley is beautiful. We spent the second week of our honeymoon staying in a chateau there, which contrasted nicely with the wonderful time we had spent in a farmhouse in Normandy (I’ve posted some Normandy recommendations on this thread). The Loire is all about chateaux and wine, so a car is essential. It makes for a great driving holiday and there are some very nice wines, although they’re nothing like the big guns of Burgundy and Bordeaux. The Rhone Valley is a better wine route, but in my experience, with places like Beaune, very expensive. Anyway, the Bordeaus area (St Emillion etc) makes more sense for your trip. I do think you’ll find the southwest area very interesting and it would work well if you are factoring San Sebastian into your plans. In terms of the French Basque, it’s a long time since I’ve been in Biarritz, but I’m sure it’s still quite expensive, and even though there is a good stretch of beach (further down from the coves in the town), this is surfers’ paradise, and the waves are very strong with some tricky undercurrents. There are, of course, plenty of other towns and villages, but I’m not too familiar with them. Further up, as suggested by Dave Hatfield, the Limousin and Dordogne area has a lot to offer. We stayed in Buzet-sur-Baise in the Tarn-et-Garonne and it worked well as a base (but I’m sure that Dave could give you some better recommendations). You can hire out a barge to spend a slow, easy-going day on the canal; visit the broad range of local vineyards; or pop into Bordeaux. If you like truffles and foie gras, you should definitely visit the hilltop town of Gourdon in the Perigord area. I would highly recommend lunch at Valette a local producer of foie gras and truffles. Order the plate of assorted foie gras (seared, mi-cuit, pate etc) and follow with the truffle omelette… but order only one plate of each between the two of you. The helpings are enormous (and I’m not exaggerating). This is also a great place to buy good quality foie gras, as the quality does vary remarkably. Years ago, a Frenchman remarked to us that it was going the way of smoked salmon ie increasingly available at a lower price, but with some pretty low quality stuff hitting the shelves as a result. This is also a great area for confit and cured duck breast, served like ham. And of course, there should be an abundance of fruit and vegetables in July, so all in all, some great eating. Moving out to the coast, you could possibly work La Rochelle into your itinerary which is a lovely town and has a great beach (one of your requirements!). As it is on the Atlantic, you are not guaranteed the weather that you’d get in the Med, but it’s certainly warmer than the northern coasts, and is generally quite good in July. If you’re intent on getting good seafood, I agree with the posters upthread that there is much better value to be had in Brittany or Normandy. The Cote d’Azur is lovely - and yes, between Cannes and St Tropez it is not quite as expensive - but on the whole, it is far pricier than the rest of France. The beaches in Brittany and Normandy have much to offer, but unfortunately not always sunshine. Brittany also has some lovely harbour ports like Dinard and Dinan (well worth a visit if you take in this area), and of course, there’s St Malo and Mont St Michel. In terms of planning, I think you are better off sticking with a smaller area, so if Paris and San Sebastian over two weeks are the givens, I would focus on the area in between and drop the idea of Normandy or Brittany. You will get some very good seafood in Paris and if you are really intent, you could use one of your Paris days to get a train out to the coast (I think there’s one to Honfleur). You won’t need a car in Paris, but it would serve you well for the rest of your holiday. From an accommodation point of view, I've used Gites de France, but also found Alastair Sawday to be invaluable for hotels in Paris, and recommendations across a broad range of places (farmhouses to chateaux).

Ben, I've just seen this thread now, so hopefully, I'm not too late. I think you would enjoy a trip to Honfleur. It’s a lovely little harbour with plenty of restaurants, although most of them don’t face onto it. If you wind up the street from the harbour there are a few nice seafood spots (great assiette de fruits de mer, with oysters, clams, mussels, prawns,crab and lobster), and moving onto the Place Saint Catherine in the town, there are plenty of good places to eat, some a little more formal but nothing too posh. I have stayed in/near Honfleur quite a few times, and I can honestly say, I’ve never had a bad meal there. Most of the restaurants offer a number of fixed price menus as well as a la carte, so there’s some very good value to he had. As far as I remember, the market in Honfleur is on Saturday mornings. It’s very friendly; you could literally eat your way around the stalls of cheese and charcuterie with the amount of samples you’ll be offered. I love it. And don’t forget to drop into the Cider House. Trouville and Deauville are worth a visit too, although they are primarily beach resorts (Deauville, with its famous equestrian racecourse, being the upmarket one. There’s a casino there, if you like a little flutter!). Both of them have wide, long stretches of beach. Trouville has a great fish market in the mornings (most days I think), and also plenty of seafood restaurants similar to those in Honfleur. For something on the more expensive end of the scale, I had a very nice meal in Le Bellevue in Villerville, between Honfleur and Deauville, although it was many years ago. Moving inland from here, you’re into the Pays d’Auge, with its rolling hills, lush pastures, and pretty, half-timbered houses and barns (we spent part of our honeymoon driving around this area, so it seems terribly romantic to me). It’s famous for its creamy cheeses: le Pont L’Eveque, Camembert, Liverot etc and there’s a signposted cheese route, which is a great drive. So too is the cider route, and there are some producers well worth dropping into, where you can sample the cider, Calvados (an apple brandy), and look out for Pommeau, which is stronger than cider, but lighter than Calvados (it is really delicious poured over some homemade apple sorbet as a palate cleanser). The cider here is much stronger than traditional English cider, and is drunk out of small earthenware bowls, a bit like large sake cups. It’s potent!!! And be sure to stop for the odd café Calva, which is like an espresso with a shot of Calvados. Tarte aux pommes (the local apple tart), is of course on just about every menu. Pont-Audemer, sitting like a pretty picture on a river, is also worth a visit. Get there in the morning to catch the busy market on the street which runs from Monday to Friday (and doesn’t clear away until lunchtime). There are some nice little places to eat, but in a small village outside of Pont-Audemer, and up the hill, there is a little restaurant perched on the side of a narrow road, which is particularly popular with the locals. It specialises in the robust cooking of this area, with some great charcuterie, like boudin and (quite challenging) andouillettes. I am so sorry that I can’t remember the name of it, but if you’re in the area, it would be worth enquiring. And if you find it, please let us know. From a sight seeing/tourist point of view, I found the Memorial Museum in Caen very moving, the Bayeux Tapestry well worth the visit (nice little town too), the Mont St Michel is wonderfully dramatic, and Rouen Cathedral is enthralling. When I visited Monet’s garden in Giverny it was high season, and I think the crowds and queuing detracted from it, so May is probably a good time to visit, when things are starting to come into bloom and there aren’t too many tourists around. Another beautiful place is le Bec-Hellouin, a quiet village with a large walled abbey (not too far from Pont-Audemer). We went to service there on Easter Sunday, and it was a wonderful experience to hear the Benedictine monks sing; and walk around the courtyard, and absorb the calm. It really feels like it’s lost in time. The restaurants in the village looked quite nice too, although we didn’t try any of them. Enjoy your holiday, and I’d love to hear how you get on.

So glad you enjoyed your trip... and the legendary Midleton! And thanks for taking the time to post. It's great to get input from around the country.

I've had extremely good luck with Alastair Sawday in the past, across a broad range of places. I love the way the reviews are written. Some great euphemisms. If they mention that the owner is quirky, they generally mean bonkers, which adds to the appeal.

In Listowel, The Bridgestone Food Guide recommends Allo's, a bar and bistro. I haven't been, but it might be worth a shot. And if you cross the Shannon from Adare to Killaloe in Co Clare, the Cherry Tree Restaurant is worth a visit.

Highchef I was away, so only getting to this now. As Simon mentioned, the main Jury's Hotel is iin Ballsbridge, which is actually a stroll from town, so probably not what you're after. The Jury's Inns hotels are not only a lot cheaper, but in better locations for your purposes. The one at Christchurch would make a good no frills base, and your merry men will probably thank you for keeping them close to Dublin's hotspots. Just down the street from the hotel you will find Les Freres Jacques (old style French, excellent cheese), and Eden (famous for its smokies), which are mid-priced restaurants with lunch and early bird/table d'hote menus. For cheaper eats, you have the wonderfully popular Gruel (a different roast in a roll every day), and also Zaytoon (a Persian kebab joint0. You are close also to the Mermaid (try the crabcakes), for a very reasonable lunch menu, and L'Gueuleton (Toulouse sausage, blanquette, etc) is around the corner off Georges St. Another lunch spot not too far away is La Maison des Gourmets (wonderful bread and pastries), close to the Powercourt Townhouse Centre, and also upstairs in Avoca on Suffolk Street is good for a light lunch or tea and cakes. If you were to do one restaurant for dinner without the children, I would suggest Chapter One. Try their charcuterie trolley if it's on, otherwise the Fish Plate starter. You could also just go for the pre-theatre menu here and book tickets for the Gate Theatre nearby, making it a special night out. If you want, you could do some good formal eating at exceptional value during the day if you go for the lunch menu at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Thornton's or L'Ecrivain. There's more information on these on the Eating in Ireland thread, but when I get a chance, I'll start a Good Value Lunch and Earlybird Menu thread, because this seems to be one of the most frequently asked questions.

Absolutely. I love the Roundwood Inn, but I should have been more specific. There's a formal restaurant (which is quite expensive) and a bar area (with a big open fire) which serves food. The bar is the one you want. Great native oysters in season, goulash, venison stew... and of course, Irish stew. They don't take bookings, just put your name down on a list when you get there. So if the bar looks any way full, be sure to get your name on the list before you order your pint. So... I'll cross that quiet country walk in the Wicklow hills off my lisst for next Saturday.

I'm afraid, I don't have any recommendations for Belfast, but if you do head down south again, The Roundwood Inn, up the hills in Co Wicklow, does a very good Irish stew... and a nice pint of Guinness too.

I’ve just got back from El Bulli, and these words echo my experience exactly. In every way, I found the experience unique; but I think what astonished, and surprised me the most, was the true warmth of the welcome, the service, and the complete lack of pretension. The restaurant is unbelievably relaxed; there was even a smattering of people in jeans. There is no fussy napkin folding and replacing, and the very capable waiting staff move around comfortably, implementing an extremely complicated service with an extraordinary ease. You get a strong sense of the solid backbone of people who know the business inside out from Luis Garcia and the senior waiting staff, and you can see that the younger staff are clearly enjoying the experience and sucking up the knowledge which is being imparted to them. The underlying feeling is always one of generosity and giving. And as a diner, you feel part of this great exchange of ideas and energy. It's like we're all absolutely meant to be in it together. I’ve never experienced anything like it.

And just a few more recommendations for Kilkenny and Waterford… In last weekend’s Irish Times - discussing the best fish pie in Waterford - Tom Doorley maintained that you won’t do better than McAlpin’s Suir Inn at Cheekpoint, and suggested that a wide berth be given to Waterford’s Wine Vault, which is a bit off the boil at the moment. I haven’t been to McAlpin’s, but my brother has been there many times, and totally agrees on the superior fish pie. In this month’s (Irish) Food & Wine, Leslie Williams (who has contributed to this board in the past) suggests the following: Waterford l’Atmosphere at 19 Henrietta St, due to open soon, offering well priced French bistro classics, from chef Arnaud Mary (owner of La Boulangerie bakery) Brasserie Orange, seeking a new tenant (?), but still open (I’m not sure that this sounds like a recommendation) The Tannery (as suggested upthread), with a particularly good lunch and early bird menu The Strand, or The Ship in Dunmore East for fish, as well as Coast in Tramore White Horses Restaurant in Ardmore, for something simpler Richmond House in Cappoquin, for dinner Local Cheeses: Knockalara and ]Knockanore Kilkenny Bassett’s, in Inistioge(mentioned upthread), gets a great review Hudson’s, in Thomatown Waterside, in Graiguenamanagh (a beautiful old village, which spills into Carlow on the other side of the River Barrow). There are some nice pubs there (avoid the trendy ones) The Marble City Bar, in Kilkenny City for pub food Zuni Restaurant, in Kilkenny City for a slightly quirkier take on cooking Shortis Wong on John St in Kilkenny, is worth a visit to buy Lavistown sausages (which are a personal favourite of mine… big flavour, gutsy, top notch pork, which is well capable of carrying the garlic and cumin, kebab type spices) Local cheeses: Lavistown, light and deliciously sour, like homemade butter; Knockdrinna Farmhouse Cheeses which include “a goat camembert, a semi-hard goats’ cheese, and a washed rind cows’ milk cheese”. And on local crafts; visits to Jerpoint Glass, Nicholas Mosse, and Stoneware Jackson are recommended. More detail on these on the Edible and Portable Souvenirs thread. If I was to pick two, it would be The Tannery in Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and Bassett’s in Inistoige, Co Kilkenny.

Oh yes... I love Chocolate Kimberleys! Another book that might be of interest is Full on Irish by Kevin Dundon. There's also Irish Country House Cooking, The Blue Book Recipe Collection, compiled by Georgina Campbell here.

That’s a shame. Was there anything in particular that you found disappointing? As it happens, I was up in Belfast last weekend, but as we were staying with friends, I was only out around town for a quick bite in Deane’s Deli at lunchtime. I found it mediocre: a nice casual spot with very pleasant service, but very predictable plates and barely a whisper of provenance. In fairness, there was quite a cross-section of people and age groups, so maybe this is spot on for their market. I wasn’t too impressed with Deane’s Brasserie either some time back, but haven’t been to his restaurant upstairs, which I would expect is far superior.

Meanderer, I've have heard great things from friends in Kilkenny about a new restaurant called Bassetts in Inistioge, which is a beautiful little village not far out the road from Thomastown. It is set in the gardens of Woodstock on the way out of the village, and from what I can gather, specialises in "small plates", so a multi course approach, with plenty of fresh, seasonal and local thrown in. Also in Inistoige, down by the water, there is a lovely little lunch time spot; it’s very simple with wholesome soups and soda bread. I can’t remember the name of it, but it is a scrubbed pine type of place. For information on Kilkenny pottery and glassware, check out this thread In Dungarvan, Co Waterford, there's The Tannery. I've never been, but it gets great reviews, so probably worth a try. Simon, yes I agree on Chapter One. Everyone seems to love this place except for blind spot Michelin. On the best restaurant in Dublin, I think that Dax was the only opening of any significance last year. I only went once, not long after it opened, and found the servings pitifully small and the prices on the steep side. But I understand that it’s changed quite a bit since then and have heard great reports. I think they do a very good deal for lunch. Have you been recently? Do they still have a table for two right beside the ladies toilets (I couldn’t believe it when I swept past a romantic couple in this spot)? The best newcomer next year will face stiffer competition with all the talk of Nobu, Antonio Carluccio and Gary Rhodes coming to town.

The Restaurants Association of Ireland Awards for 2006 are as follows: Dublin Best restaurant: Chapter One Best new restaurant: Dax Wine Bar Leinster Best restaurant: Dunbrody House, Co Wexford Best new restaurant: O’Brien’s Good Food and Drink House, Co Meath Munster Best restaurant: The Cherry Tree Restaurant, Co Clare Best new restaurant: Mrs Dee’s Steakhouse, Co Cork Connacht Best restaurant: Vina Mara, Co Galway Best new restaurant: Cleverly Mill, Co Sligo Ulster Best restaurant: The Old Post Inn, Cavan Best new restaurant: Molly’s Yard Restaurant, Belfast

Alastair Sawday is particularly good for B & B's. I have used his guides in England, Ireland, France and Italy; and stayed in a broad cross section of places, from farmhouses to chateau. Some of the places we stayed at in France also did dinner (some wonderful food). I'm not sure if any of the UK selection does, but it would certainly be worth checking out.

As far as the Lake District is concerned, good, gutsy Cumberland sausage is the one that comes to mind. There are possibly others. I also have fond memories of comforting Lancashire hotpot, plenty of beer and muddy boots!

I absolutely agree on the Lake District. I have been a number of times, but always did the rustic walkers' pub type of thing rather than the fine food bit. Both would be wonderful. The countryside is unbelievably dramatic: mysteriously spellbinding in the haze and rain, and breath-takingly spectacular when the sun shines. I think it's one of the most beautiful places in the world.