HannaBanana

Or a disgruntled reviewer .....................

I hear you! In fact, my one and only time in Alinea, we were served a dish composed of a Madras Curry ball filled with celery extract, which floated in pear juice. When you knocked it back, like a shot, the Madras curry ball dissolved and the celery extract was released. As the celery hit my taste buds, my mouth almost involuntarily ejected it's contents. I actually had to hold my mouth shut so I wouldn't splatter my Other Half with celery/curry/pear. It took me around three minutes to convince myself to swallow the mouthful - I was nearly in tears. Celery. *Shudder*

Apparantely if you're at the Chefs table (and there is *enormous* demand for it) the chef(s) will saunter over and have chats about how various dishes are done, ask your opinion etc etc. Personally, I'd find all that quite interesting (and I'd certainly try to get my money's worth!) but if you are only into *eating* your food, rather than *cooking* it (Simon, I'm looking at you! ) it might be something of a waste of money. eta: I hope they'll be providing cushions for the outside chairs - they look mighty uncomfy....

While my esteemed and delightful other half will no longer be along shortly with a more....loqucious.... review in due course, I must report that Take II @ Gordon Ramsay @ Powerscourt was more of a success. Service was really rather good, the trip around the kitchens an eye opener - they are serene, relatively quiet and *enormous*, the food was far, FAR better than last time (although still rather cool) and all in all an enjoyable experience. My only complaint is that the "aged" tipperary beef was tasteless, tougher than expected and rather...."blah". The emperor has put come clothes on, but they're more in the nature of jeans and a jumper, rather than Sunday best.

What is de stars?

And as Stout goes with everything, there'd be no need for high falutin' wine pairings, either.

Interesting. Being half of one of Corinna's aforementioned "Gastronome's" we called perhaps 3 weeks ago to make a second swoop at Gordo's. The first Friday/Saturday we could get at a reasonable hour was early March. Bookings haven't dipped that much I feel.....

I guess it must be remembered that this was a documentary, with a certain slant, in which hundreds of hours of footage were shot, only to be compressed into the most interesting/view attracting/sensationalist/whatever 1 hour slot. Nice guy/Mr. Understanding wouldn't attract the viewers.

Corinna, you're some cynic.

In general, and from my own (extremely limited) hotel experience, it's usually another and seperate kitchen. I am open to correction, though.

From The Irish Independent: Gordon Ramsay is closing one of the crown jewels in his restaurant empire, prompting fears that his off-screen career may be on the verge of collapsing like a poorly timed souffle. Link to article.

Well, I'll be in tonight, so get that baby cow ready for me! Mmm. Baby cow.

The what? The What?!?!? They've totally changed the menu! Ex-hexcellent. Simon, when are we going?

Alan (head chef) mentioned that the new menu wasn't working out though, and it's due for a change - probably this week I'd say. We'll have to go back. I'm still annoyed I didn't get to try the veal.

I'm not terribly familiar with the area, but the Old Convent is supposed to be very nice. It has a lovely location, too: http://www.theoldconvent.ie/

Not entirely out of Cashel Blue...but it WILL feature (and by sheer co-incidence, I emailed Sheridans about a wedding cheesecake only yesterday! None of the fruit cake malarky for me)

I beg your pardon?!?!?! He had to bring me to Louis XV in Monaco to make sure I said yes! Seriously, glad you're enjoying them!!!

.....actually, I should add that I had a unique cheese board experience. I'm a total cheese fiend, and as usual ordered the selection of cheeses. These came nicely presented, with each cheese being accompanied by it's own complementing dash of "gel"....It really livened up the cheeses, and made a change from the usual grapes/fig and almond cake experience. I was tickled to note that one of the cheeses was Cashel Blue, not just an Irish cheese, not just a really, really good blue cheese, but made in the town where we're getting married! http://www.cashelblue.com/

Hmmm. Myself, Simon and my mother went for lunch in the Roundwood In on sunday last. The bit about the bar, roaring fires etc etc is all true. Hover, the food was pretty abominable. Also, the services was, at best, dour, uninformative and at times, quite rude. I has goulash soup to begin which was admittedly fairly tasy, although there was an oil "slick" at the top of the bowl. Mother had veggie broth, again, tasted ok (was homemade) by with oil slick effect too. Simon had smoked ducked, This was thinly sliced, fairly tasty, and served with grated onion. All the above was accompanied by margarine-smeared "soda bread" Mains: I had poached lobster. While cooked....er...just while it was cooked, it was tasteless. Totally tasteless. It was served with....er....plain melted butter and a miserable lemon "slice". All in all it was pretty dire. The "side salad" consisted of grated onion, 2 lettuce leaves and a small portion of potato salad. Just as well i ordered the side of chips..... My mother and Simon had pork. This was served in an overpowering celery and red pepper sauce. The pork was very tough and was accompanied by 2 (over)boiled potatoes and saurkraut. Which was inedible. Desserts: I had blueberry pancake. This was basically a (pretty good) pancake filled with what appeared to be blueberry jam. i was ok, but very sugary and "jammy". Simon had either a: shop bought or b: very stale apple pie. All in all, with 3 coffees, it came to over €100 (not including tip). Perhaps winning the Georgina Campbell pub of the Year award 2007 has gone to their heads, but i found this to be a bitterly disapponting meal. I'm not a bit impressed, and I will not be returning.

Nope, it was called something like Zoop (I think it rhymed with "loop")...And it was delicious. Interestingly, the barmaid mentioned that one of her Colleagues was highly involed in the development of the bar/bar list at one of Ireland premier and recently renovated and re-opened Hotels, the Shelbourne. My only complaint is the number of different waiters and waitresses we had. While we had an excellent experience with an extremely competent, friendly and enthusiatic Somelliere, there was a certain degree of randomness as to from whom and when your next course might arrive. It made the experience a little Canteen-like, disorientating and perhaps impersonal (super-somelliere aside). It's a very small criticism mind. Fabulous meal....with the best duck I have ever eaten. I also liked the way that before the duck was served, it was presented to us, whole, with a big bunch of lavender prettily inserted. Amazing.

Indeed, Simon. I would add at this juncture that we had a fabulous trip, and did some wonderful dining. Our last gastrotrip which was to Lyon was similarily peppered with some highs (Nicolas Le Bec) and some serious Lows (Bocouse)....

Simon had pre-warned me that his review of Daniel might be a little harsh, and that I was to temper same with my own birthday-glow and champagne-induced feelings of wamth and fuzziness from the evening. While I had a good night, it wasn't a great night. I enjoyed Momofuku the night before far more. As such, I have little to add to the above. While I really appreciated the waiter making an effort to talk to me while I sat like something of a lemon on my own, and while it's always nice to be comped something (unless you're suffering from really bad heartburn caused by overindulgence ) I was really quite disappointed with the whole experience. The spilling water all over the table and my (admittedly very nice) bread and butter, the wine fiasco, the "chuck the (pretty poor) brioche onto my wet and buttery plate" incident kinda set the tone...For an...incomplete, or somehow deficient... experience. Now, I'm not a princess. In a certain 3* place, when a winged monster crawled out of my salad, I happily brushed him off the plate and continued to eat....I don't expect waiters to crawl and be obsequious. However, the service didn't inspire confidence. The food, while it was very good, wasn't exquisite, and FOH seemed only interested in the regulars. Again, like Simon said, that to be expected to a certain degree....However, we were made feel a little like interlopers....

Joaquin, Simon. He was cute, too! Despite the fact that (for us) it was 6am, we probably would have kept drinking, given the skill with which they worked, the quality of the cocktails, and the general "people watching". However, the JetLag was starting to get the better of us...Plus, it was closing time.

Glad you're enjoying our "Tag-team" action! To be fair, I do think there is real creativity in WD-50, but it simply isn't my "bag". Oh, and thanks a million for all of your advice to Si before the trip.

Stop squealing on me Simon! So much so that when we were leaving (literally, we were "Paddy(s)-last"), I had noticed a bread roll had fallen under a neighbouring table. In my all's-well-with-the-world state of inebrieation, I simply HAD to tell our waiter, pointing out that you'd only notice it if you sat in the exact spot I was in... Simon nearly had to stop me from offering to climb in under the table to locate it for the waiter. 'Nuff said. You loved it.