Catriona

I can't eat raw onion. I don't understand why you'd ever do it. It's bizarre how often they're used in salads. Again, total lack of comprehension.

The article is reproduced in today's Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk)

Sounds amazing, Pan! Kerry, without breaking patient confidentiality (!) (spot the lawyer in the room), can you give me an example of one of these amazing names? If you can spell it, that is...

Potato on pizza is an italian thing. I've eaten it in italy numerous times, and not at japanese pizza places either! There's a place here in Ireland that serves potato pizza. A little over-filling, but good (with Tallegio cheese). I was surprised to see it, as I'd never seen it outside Italy.

Looks amazing, thanks!

Thanks, Si, add that to the "must-try" list.

spanish omelette. Or fried with onions.

I'm highly amused with this thing about the size of the spoon. Perhaps she should use the "itty-bitty" salt spoon to eat her dessert if she's not disciplined enough to take small bites with her enormous dessert spoon. Or perhaps inhaling molecules of it would be small enough.

When you sit there over lunch quite seriously debating with your sister the possibility of eating at The French Laundy on each of your respective honeymoons. Yountville being quite far from Ireland.

Having said what I did upthread, I just have to say that I was at Bang at lunchtime, and had the best-cooked piece of Veal I've ever had in Ireland.

Re: Roly's: used to be good about ?10 years ago... Surely it's not more than stodge now? Can't judge, as I haven't been there since 2000. Ely is a regular in my dining rotation, I'm a big fan. Had a disastrous meal in the new outpost in chq, though. Really not one to be repeated. I love itsa4 in sandymount, too. Great neighbourhood place, food obviously well thought through...

Corinna: very excited about the new guide - when is it out? I'm a huge fan of caviston's shop, although to my great regret have never eaten there. I stopped going to gruel after a while, I think the grumpy service just crossed the line for me one day, and my weekly expeditions are no more. I must steel myself (and build up my appetite) to go back some time. And La Maison Des G is heaven. My sister swears by their breakfasts. Re Gueleton's lack of a booking system: if you're starving, hop across the road to the Market Bar and take the edge of your hunger with some tapas. Problem solved! A little aperitif with some nibbles can be exactly what the doctor ordered.

I bow to Corinna's vastly superior knowledge & experience. Hm, the thing is that "best" depends so much on what you're looking for. For dinner (having never had it in either place), I'd suggest that if you want "fine dining" (hate that phrase), Thornton's and Chapter One are fighting it out. For lunch, it's much harder. There are plenty of places that do great value set lunches if you want michelin-style cooking - thornton's, guilbaud, l'ecrivain. Otherwise, possibly l'gueuleton for something good and tasty? But these are apples and oranges. However, I'm a poor hardworking soul, and don't get to experience these. The best place for lunch for me tends to be itsabagel and then a patch of grass in merrion square. Anywhere other than "al desko". Again, what do you want?

Haven't been to Venu yet... reports I've heard have been that it's rather stodgy, and that the lighting is particularly awful. Tales of "slip and falls" on the stairs going down to it, too!

Think it must be an Irish thing! Although French husband is also an expert (one of the very few things he cooks - how did I get the only non-cooking frenchman?) Mashed potatoes is one of the best cooking smells. And add to that the fact that leftover mash = fish pie for supper the next day (with Prawns for Treats a la Two Fat Ladies)... mmm.

I've come to the conclusion that the thing to do with Guilbaud is to go for lunch, and to do the set lunch. It's extremely reasonable, and you still get the "hit" of good service and calm, relaxed atmosphere (you'd pay the same for a lunch at Bang or whatever for a very different experience), but you don't risk so much disappointment. Smaller investment, both in terms of money and expectation. For something wonderful, you're better off going to Thornton's, for example. I'll be clear here - I've had a couple of great meals at Guilbaud, I really think it can do some things very well. It's not a temple to the food gods though. It's a while since I've been to Bang: nice enough, but nothing special. Not sure it deserves a bib gourmande. but who am I to criticise: the more good food in town the better. I'm being brought out by some work colleagues for a special celebration next month, probably to thornton's or l'ecrivain or chapter One. I'm not being told where... the anticipation is already building!

As with others, I have a problem with serious headaches. I've been on a yeast-free diet for the past 2 weeks and have noticed a huge difference. Part of this includes avoiding MSG. This is usually not a problem, as I eat very little "processed" food, usually fresh ingredients, cooked at home. I admit that, though I vaguely knew about glutamates ocurring naturally, this was filed elsewhere in my mind, nowhere near conscious knowledge. Last night, exhausted after a bad day at work and looking for comfort food, I picked up some aubergine parmigiana from my favourite food store. Splitting headache this morning for the first time in two weeks. It's got to be the glutamates in the parmesan and tomatoes. I know cheese isn't a trigger for me under normal circs - well, cheddar, gruyere and emmenthal, in any case. Was the first time I had had parmesan though. Am horribly upset at the thought that parmesan and tomatoes are problematic for me. So yes, here's someone who DOES, in fact, seem to have a reaction to free glutamates in (admittedly non-heirloom) tomatoes.

That's funny/nice... I used to live near Burdo, have fond memories of their chips. Best chip in Dublin, I say. Paddy, eh? I can suggest one better: Connemara, a very smoky whiskey which comes from the Locke's distillery in Kilbeggan. (having said that it's not me who drinks it, I dislike the smell of whiskey, though the taste less so). Happy to provide tips if you ever do make it here. By the way, the Celtic Whiskey Shop (http://www.celticwhiskeyshop.com) delivers to the USA, and stocks Paddy's. Expensive, I'm sure, but might be handy if you ever run out!

Hilarious. I know Irish pubs are a big thing (don't really see the appeal, myself), but a Dublin chipper! Interested - areyou irish? Have you been to a real Dublin Chipper? (Burdock's, for example...)

Thanks for those... How did it feel?

Thanks, everyone! In fact, the size of the wedding is, to some extent, governed by what we wanted to do in terms of food/wine. We're not party people, we don't go out dancing (actually, he'd love to but I can't dance), what we do is we entertain people at our apartment, and eat and drink well.. So it seemed natural to have the wedding that we wanted to have, not to have to do anything that we didn't want, no late nights, no having to make small talk with people we didn't have a burning desire to see... So it's at lunchtime, so there's no late night, and then were all going down to the west of Ireland (where we met - the 3 year anniversary of our meeting will be when we come back from "honeymoon") with all of his family (from france) and all of my fmily (from Ireland and England). There will be 14 of us on the weekend away in total, I think! Walks on the beach, and great food at the hotel we'll be staying in - one of our favourite places in the world, the Zetland Hotel. Maggie - the position of bridesmaid has been taken by my twin sister. VanessaBerman, who is also an egulleteer. Also attending will be my brother, who also hangs out here. It'll be an egullet wedding. I can't wait. 52 days from now!

Poor nessa. In revenge, I suggest you eat damn well in sicily!

I'm very much looking forward to our upcoming wedding (October 26). I've just got back from the post box where I mailed the invitations! We're having exactly the wedding we wanted - registry office, followed by lunch at my parents' house. No fuss, no hoo-haa, no white gown. 26 people (including us). Just the closest of people, and good wine and food (after all, this is our wedding, we couldn't have had so-so food!) When people arrive, there will be smoked salmon (from the Connemara Smokehouse) on blinis and champagne. (roederer nv) Then foie gras just simply served with toast and a sprinkling of gros sel. Lobster and basmati rice, and rare roast beef. (mostly lobster, just beef for the couple of people who won't want it... or for people that want something warm) and vegetables Cheese (both Irish and french - I'm marrying a frenchman) and a huge green salad Cakes: a Baba au Rhum (his favourite thing) and a fruit tart, and something gluten free. Some of the delicious dragees that we tasted to nibble on with the coffee (we went for the totally traditional ones for people to bring home with them, but these ones were so good we had to figure out a way to get them into the proceedings - they've got a tiny layer of dark chocolate, and the sugar coating is coffee flavoured - delicious!) Most of the meal will be served with champagne, but we have an amazing sauternes to go with the foie gras, and a red for anyone who wants that with their beef.

I wonder is rue des volontaires the one that has the maison du sud-ouest on it... I think it may be. So yes, you're just around the corner. Congratulations on picking a great neighbourhood! All the shops that I mentioned are just on that stretch of rue lecourbe. Oh the envy...

Amen to that!