Chez Hans, Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Chez Hans is a simply beautiful looking restaurant, first established a stone's throw from the infamous "Rock", in the year 1968. The building is striking both inside and out as it is a renovated  Victorian Gothic church. The large stained glass windows add to the sense of sophistication throughout. There is also a great collection of eclectic artwork to be seen and admired on the walls. It held a Michelin star for a short time in the early eighties. Its style is European in influence and much of the produce is locally sourced. It is by no means cheap, but for a special occasion, or romantic dinner, this destination restaurant most certainly delivers. We have dined here on three occasions, most recently with two friends of ours. Chez Hans, just in the past few years, now has two sister establishments worth checking out - Café Hans, a delightful daytime café, just a minute up the road from Chez Hans, and Stef Hans, located in Thurles' Source Arts Centre.

The old church setting of Chez Hans

Ashford Castle Afternoon Tea

Ashford Castle in Co. Mayo is a plush, uber luxurious Irish castle, dating back to 1228 and it provides a truly five star experience. Afternoon tea in this idyllic spot is something quite special and memorable indeed.

Foodie Experience in Australia

I am back from over two weeks "Down Unda"! My first time to Australia saw me travelling between Sydney, Melbourne and some of the Victoria countryside. This blog post is a little bit of visual and written reminiscing of what was a great culinary trip.

1. Breakfasts. Boy, do the Aussies know how to make a good breakie and lucky for me, breakie is one of my favourite meals! Some of my top tips are...

• The Fine Food Store in Sydney. Don't be put off by the name, it serves up some amazing breakfasts with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and with a real focus on healthy foods and with varying dietary needs catered for but with great flavour being paramount.
• Bills. I am sure you have heard of the well known Australian TV chef and restauranteur Bill Granger. Well he has a few spots around Sydney and on a bleak beach day in Bondi of all places, we happily sheltered from the rain in Bill's and enjoyed a late breakie. This place packs up fast and I believe we were lucky to get a seat without having to wait or pre-book. Bill's is worth a visit.
• Avocados - they love them and serve them very frequently in breakfast dishes. Go for it. A simple sourdough toast and avo is a thing of beauty.
• Manly/Bondi/Beach locations - Ideally get the ferry to Manly and stroll along the well signposted coastal walks and enjoy a lazy breakfast/brunch at one of the many cafés.
• The Flour and Stone or whatever may be your local bakery. We found this particular place thanks to TripAdvisor and it was literally two minutes from our hotel. It served some of the tastiest breakfasts and most luscious pastries and coffees. It is teeny tiny and evidently beloved by the locals. We noticed repeat business when we visited, which is always a positive!

Breakfast Panini with poached egg, bacon, cheese, spinach and chilli jam at Fine Food Store

Café Hans, Cashel, Co. Tipperary

Café Hans is a little pink treasure of foodie delights. It is nestled on a quaint street in the outskirts of the pretty town of Cashel, just a stones throw from the impressive Rock of Cashel.

We have visited for lunch on three occasions and been very satisfied each time. Our last trip was on Valentine's day.  The café is opened from 12 to 5, takes no bookings and unsurprisingly gets very busy during rush hour lunch time. We arrived about 20 minutes before 1pm and were lucky to get a great spot by the window. Here I had a great view of the "Rock's" round tower.

Café Hans in all its pink perfection!

The First Big Grill Festival, August 2014

I had been looking forward to this food festival for some time. It's been a long time since I was at a food festival, Bloom in Phoenix Park last year springs to mind...in any case, I was all set for a day of good food and entertainment. The entry fee into the Big Grill Festival in the lovely setting of Herbert Park in Ballsbridge was €15. There were early bird prices and I did get my ticket for a little less than this price. However, I was disappointed that literally everything had a cost involved once inside the venue. The cost was in the form of "smokin' tokens" and one token equated to one Euro.

Scenes from around the park at the Big Grill Festival

Duomo - Two Michelin Star Dining in Sicily

I have eaten in a couple of restaurants I would class as very high standard; Neven Maguire's MacNean Restaurant in Cavan stands out, as does the beautiful gourmet getaway, The Old Convent in Tipperary. L'Écrivain, with its one Michelin star in Dublin didn't fully wow me as I thought it would. So, I was certainly excited but also had some mixed feelings about what to expect in Duomo, a two Michelin star restaurant in the spectacular UNESCO baroque town of Ragusa Ibla in Sicily.

Sicily: Its Fabulous Food & Wine

If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, you'll be aware that I spent a week in the stunning south Italian island of Sicily around the beginning of July. Excuse the probably excessive bragging. I couldn't help myself. Well, without a doubt, an amazing week was had. In no particular order here are my top ten recommendations for delicious food and wine in Sicily...

An Port Mór Restaurant, Westport, Co. Mayo

Westport has long been one of my favourite places to get away to in Ireland. It has a happy, relaxed and welcoming buzz at any stage of the year. My last visit to Mayo in June was for a good friend's wedding taking place close by. As I knew we would have one free night to venture out into Westport and due to various good reports and bits and pieces I had read through Good Food Ireland and other sources, I was quite intent upon An Port Mór being our dinner spot. There were absolutely no regrets after what was a fabulous meal in a pretty, serene and unpretentious setting.

Easter in Prague

Prague is a European city that I have wanted to visit for quite some time. I can now say, with absolute certainty, I am so glad I have finally taken a trip to "The Golden City".

What would you tend to think of when you think of Prague? Beer, quite possibly. The Czechs are the second highest consumers of beer in the world! Pork knuckle, ham hock, Prague ham and various variations. The stunning beauty of the well preserved buildings, the 650 year old Charles Bridge, The Old Town Square with its majestic astronomical tower, the oldest medieval castle in the world?! Prague has so much to offer and as a foodie destination, it is a definite winner.

The Old Convent, Co. Tipperary

It has taken me quite some time to write this blog post about a place I have many times referred to as "my favourite restaurant". There's no "in Ireland" or "for a special occasion" attached to that, although it is certainly very special. It is just a wonderful place, with heavenly food, spectacular hospitality and it is a true hidden gem.

Afternoon Tea and a Wonderful Wedding

As it's Valentine's Day, I wanted to share with you a nice experience combining love and food. What's not to like?! The story goes back many months, to about summertime 2013 when a very close cousin and friend (Catherine) asked my sister and I if we would like to prepare an afternoon tea type selection of sweet goodies to be served at the drinks reception on her wedding day on 30th December 2013. At first, the thought was a little daunting (by daunting, I mean scary!) but we gladly agreed and we felt really privileged to be included in their special day in such a lovely way. Thus ensued, some planning, preparatory baking, and research, involving trying various sweet treats out for quality and taste purposes of course - what fun! Christmas rolled around and by the 28th we were both ready to go. Baking begun in earnest in our respective apartments on the evening of the 28th and the morning of the 29th. When we arrived on the wild west coast of Ireland on 29th December, icing was made, chocolate was melted and decorating begun. The following morning, we set up our "trestle table" as my sister, an ex-wedding planner called it. We covered our goodies from any straying paws, dolled ourselves up and headed off to see the lovely Catherine marry the equally lovely Kevin. The reaction to the mini sweet treats was great and most especially and importantly, Mr. and Mrs. Cryan were really pleased!

Looking Back, Going Forward

First off - welcome one and all to 2014 and a happy new year to you! Every good wish and happiness in this new year.

Now to cast a little look back on the year that was 2013. For me, it was a busy one, an exciting one, a celebratory one, and a very special one. I happily spent year one with my husband, celebrating our anniversary on the shortest day of the year 2013, just a couple of weeks ago. I bid farewell to my twenties (in style!)...and I set up this food blog - a wish that I had long held.

Red Velvet Cupcakes and the Heavenly Hummingbird Bakery

It’s taken me a while to blog about this but at the start of the summer, on a warm and sunny weekend visit to London, my husband and I took a jaunt out to the famed Notting Hill area in search of...

1. That blue door – don’t pretend you don’t know it ;-) and ...
2.  The Hummingbird Bakery

Alas, the former was not found, but we did get to visit and purchase a splendiferous cupcake each from the Hummingbird Bakery! Their cupcakes are perfectly formed, just the right size, with a delicious melt in your mouth texture and the most moreish icing toppings. I felt it my duty to go for the red velvet, which the polite and friendly shop assistant told me is their biggest seller. It was cupcake heaven! We sat on a pretty street bench, staring enviously across at one of those seriously appealing private gardens in beautiful Notting Hill, while happily and silently munching away. I have still kept the cute wine coloured box with the little hummingbird motif on it since then! And I have also tried out their recipe, which, though more complicated than a good old queen cake, is certainly delicious and well worth it for a treat. Oh and yes, of course, if you’re a cupcake aficionado, do pay a visit to one of their bakeries when in London!

Neven Maguire’s MacNean House and Restaurant

Some images from the stunning MacNean House and on top, with Neven!

If you are a true lover of quality Irish food, excellently prepared and executed, served in an elegant setting by the friendliest, most welcoming staff, you will want to be putting MacNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion, County Cavan, on your foodie bucket list.

The man behind the Cavan phenomenon is Neven Maguire – an inspired chef, a friendly and engaging person, a true gentleman.

Fishy Fishy, Kinsale

I find it a bit bizarre but I think it’s true to say that, for many Irish people, fish is still something to be wary of, or something almost foreign. I am a midlands girl and have always liked fish. When I’m by the sea, I’m actually at my happiest, and always eager to see and taste the fishy pleasures that are available. Whether you adore fish and seafood or are inquisitive and eager to try some, Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, County Cork, is a very safe bet.

The restaurant/café is bright, buzzing, airy and chilled. You can wear a dress, jeans, a shirt, a t-shirt, even “golfing chic”! To me, it seems that anything goes and this is certainly part of its appeal. It puts you right at ease, from first entering the restaurant. The menu focuses a lot on daily specials, implying to me that what is freshly caught is what they work around on a daily basis.

August - Gourmet Month!

It’s the first of August people and supposedly the first day of Autumn in our neck of the woods! For those who call it Fall, I’m not so sure if it’s Fall yet, but regardless, I wish you all a joyous welcome to Autumn!

Anyway, I should probably be clear from the outset that this post is going to be a tad self-indulgent and boastful. If you’re still there and want to continue reading, that’s super!

So this month holds two amazing gastronomic delights for me and I have been looking forward to it for quite some time.

Ariel House and Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is one of those luxurious treats which, once you’ve been introduced to, will probably become somewhat of an obsession! It all started a few years back when a good friend of mine from Austria who spent many a year in Dublin, brought me to the swish Westin Hotel in Dublin city centre for some “afternoon tea”. I was intrigued indeed, but didn’t know quite what to expect!

The relaxation, the calm, the absence of any hurry, the tea served in pretty china cups and saucers, the savouries and the sweet treats; wow! Suffice is to say, I was well and truly hooked.

Since then I have been lucky enough to experience a few Afternoon Teas. In July 2012, my sister and I visited the K Club in Kildare and were treated to a beautiful array of goodies, outside, admiring the preened and beautiful gardens, in the sun, yes the sun, summer 2012 – I kid you not!

Afternoon Tea looking out to the gardens at the K Club