Review: All Seasons, Newbridge

All Seasons Restaurant

Newbridge, Co. Kildare

After numerous recommendations, Ali and myself decided to sample the wares of this popular Newbridge restaurant on Thursday evening.

Upon arrival to All Seasons I was pleasantly surprised to see how busy it was, surely a good sign. We were seated at a small table by the window and handed both the food menu and wine list. This was our first time to visit this restaurant and later in the night I was very disappointed to realise that the specials board had not been pointed out to us. I would've ordered items from it for starter and mains had I known. Instead, not realising there were specials available, I ordered "Tempura Prawns with Chilli Sauce" for starter.

Before our starter arrived we received a bruschetta type dish to share. A nice touch but to be honest it didn't quite hit the spot. It contained far too much onion for both of our tastes and I can't help but think that a simpler, tomato bruschetta might have been a better option. The starter was good. Nicely cooked prawns in a light batter served with a sticky chilli sauce and side salad. The seasoning on the prawns was too reserved for my tastes but the sauce was a nice blend of sweet and spicy and worked well to inject a little life into the crustaceans.

Starter: 6/10

For main I went for the "Oven Roasted Monkfish with Garlic King Prawns with White Wine Herb and Lemon Butter." Again the prawns were perfectly cooked while the monkfish was nicely flavoured but just a little overdone. The seasoning was a little light on the main too but this was rectified with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. There was no shortage of food on the table with mashed potato, mini roasties and roasted vegetable sides all arriving with the meal. The house red wine was of a good quality.

Main Course: 5/10

It was while ordering dessert that we realised there was a specials board at the far end of the restaurant after being pointed towards it to see the available desserts. This was a source of major disappointment for me and a major oversight by the staff. 

For dessert I ordered the "Chocolate Fudge Cake" which was served with a scoop of ice-cream. It was good if a little unspectacular. My post-meal espresso was of good quality with a nice depth of flavour. As for the price, €20 for two courses may sound like a great deal but by the time you add on the €4 supplement between my starter and main, the €6 supplement for Ali's Fillet Steak with Pepper Sauce and the added €5 each for dessert, the bill wasn't long about adding up. €75.80 for 2 starters, mains and desserts, 2 glasses of wine, a tea and a coffee isn't the highest I've come across but it was a little bit too much for the quality of food on offer.

Dessert: 6/10

Value for Money: 5/10

Overall I found All Seasons to be a good restaurant serving decent food. If you have two courses and drink water then I think it comes in on the money at €40 for two people. The service was good although the specials board should have been pointed out. The ambiance was very nice with plenty of diners chatting away over nice background music at an appropriate level.

Service: 6/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Overall: 6/10

All Seasons Restaurant

3 Limerick Lane

Newbridge

Co. Kildare

(045) 487 614

Highs and Lows 4

This Week's

High and Low

28/8/2014

It's a day late due to work commitments but here's the high and low for the past week:

High: Carrot Cake from Tasty Treats by Andrea at Naas Farmers Market

Carrot Cake can be a tricky one. The temptation to add a mountain of sugar to the mix entices alot of people but this is a mistake. I much prefer the less sweet, more carroty cakes. This is one such cake. The mix of carrot and sugar is spot on for me and the moistness of the cake makes this the most perfect version I have tasted. Flawless.

Low: Bridge Bakery Jam Bakewells

I'm a big fan of Lidl. I find that they generally do good quality produce at unbeatable prices and I have been known to do a lot of my shopping in their Newbridge store. For all of their good products there is also quite a bit of rubbish. These are one of the latter. Dry, tasteless and containing so little jam that I'm unsure of the relevance of it being mentioned in the name. With no fewer than 30 ingredients contained in these little tarts, it's a wonder they manage to be so bland.

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

'Spaghetti of the Whore' is not the most appetising name for a dish but don't let this put you off! Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is a tangy, salty, fragrant dish you will either love or hate. I love a dish that has big flavour punches and this one delivers. It's the perfect way to quench the salt craving after a few beers and it's quick to prepare. 

There are quite a few stories about how this dish originated. One is that prostitutes around Rome carried all the ingredients with them as they didn't need to be kept cool, so they could cook up the sauce on an open fire on the street. Although this is disputed - many, claim Sandro Petti invented it in the 1950's as he had nothing but these ingredients left in his restaurant to feed a table of hungry punters. To me, it doesn't matter. It's a great dish that will get the taste buds hopping and the forehead sweating! I have seen recipes with similar quantities to serve 4. I don't think there is enough sauce and becomes too plain when cooked this way. I prefer this method.

Serves 2

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
6-8 fillets of Anchovies in Oil (finely chopped)
1 dried Red Chilli (finely chopped)
90g pitted Black Olives (finely chopped)
1 heaped tbsp Salted Capers (rinsed)
300g Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1 tsp Dried Oregano
120g Dried Spaghetti
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1.  Saute the garlic, anchovies and chilli in the oil over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the olives, capers, tomatoes and oregano and season with pepper (don't add salt!). Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes, removing the lid for the final 5 minutes to thicken the sauce slightly. Check for seasoning.

2. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente (about 1 minute less than packet instructions). Drain, reserving the cooking water. Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and mix well. Add a couple of tablespoons of the reserved pasta water if it's a little dry. Serve.

Highs and Lows 3

This Week's

High and Low

20/8/2014

It's been an interesting week including a trip to my cousin's beautiful wedding and a mini tour of the UK. Here are the best and the worst of my food week:

High: Chicken Pie at Beautiful Day's Festival in Devon.

During my mini tour of the UK with Marc O'Reilly and his band, I was surprised to see the variety of food available at music festivals across the water. It's been a few years since I've been to any music festivals in Ireland but my memory of the food is soggy, greasy chips and Abra burgers. Not the most appetising! Here there were lots of vegan and vegetarian options, contrasted with everything from kangaroo steaks to Mexican fajitas. My favourite was the humble chicken pie. Tender pieces of chicken in a white sauce with veg, encased in a perfectly crispy pastry. Simple and delicious!

Low: Hargold's Florentine Flapjack, a petrol station, somewhere close to Honiton, Devon.

I've never seen one of these before but when presented with a breakfast choice of this or a sausage and baked bean pie, I somehow went for this. Tasteless and the texture of thick cardboard. it was the perfect partner to my cup of burnt coffee. At least we beat the Brits on petrol station breakfasts!

Review: Le Petit Camion

Le Petit Camion

Boutique French Food Truck

We have started to make it our business to attend the Dublin Flea Market on the last Sunday of every month. Lots of bargains and haggling always make for a great few hours but it's the quality of the food and drink available that gets me excited. At the July market we decided to sample the offerings of Le Petit Camion, a beautiful, vintage looking food truck selling sandwiches and beverages.

The first thing to say about this truck is that it looks fantastic. You are instantly drawn to the vintage look and sparkling clean exterior. I decided to go for a double espresso with their "The Gringo" sandwich. The coffee was excellent. It was one of the best espresso's I've had out anywhere in Ireland. The sandwich was also delicious. Chorizo, Jalapenos, Leaves, Cheese and Relish between two large slices of white bread ensured this was no ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. 

I found Le Petit Camion to be very good value. €5 is very reasonable for a sandwich of this quality and €1.50 for a double espresso is cheaper than most. I would recommend this truck to anyone, if it's in your area make it your business to eat from it. You won't be disappointed.

Lunch Ratings:

Food: 8/10
Selection: 6/10
Service: 8/10
Coffee: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Overall: 8/10 Highly Recommended

Highs and Lows 2

This Week's

High and Low

13/8/2014


It's been a good week for food in and out of the kitchen, here are this week's high and low:


High: Home Made Pizza

Recently I've stopped following recipes for pizza bases and instead, I try to feel the dough. It has been a major success and my bases have been steadily improving. This week's one was great! For two pizzas, I start with 200g of "00" flour and 1 sachet (7g) of active dried yeast. I add some extra-virgin olive oil and enough warm water to make it feel right. The sauce started with 2 cloves of garlic and 3 anchovie fillets sauted in extra-virgin olive oil. I added a tin of San Marzano plum tomatoes, some sugar, oregano, salt and pepper and mashed it all together with a wooden spoon. I covered the pan and cooked for 15 minutes. I topped the pizza with salami, prosciutto, mozzarella and chilli flakes. Delicious!


Low: Chicken, Rocket and Cheese Ciabatta from O'Briens, Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

On Tuesday I was in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre looking for shoes for my cousin's wedding. After the stress of shopping I needed something to fill the gap in my stomach but didn't fancy any fast food. I settled on O'Briens and ordered a ciabatta and double espresso. The filling for the ciabatta was fine but the bread itself was horrible! I'm pretty sure it was a par-baked roll that was never finished off. It tasted very doughy and was very unpleasant. 

Spaghetti with Crab

Spaghetti with Crab

Simplicity is often perfect. I'm occasionally shocked at how great a dish can be after eight minutes of cooking - this is one such recipe. Not only is it quick to put together, it contains few ingredients, with each given space to flourish. I had the intention of buying fresh crab but sometimes Newbridge is not the best place to shop. I settled on a good quality tinned crab and it worked really well. If it's this good with tinned crab, I can only imagine what it's like with fresh! Feel free to double the quantities to serve 4 people.

Serves 2

220g Dried Spaghetti

4 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)

1/2 Red Chilli (finely chopped)

1 tsp Salted Capers (rinsed)

1 Small Lemon (zest and juice)

200g Crab Meat (tinned or fresh)

1 tbsp Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. In a large saucepan, bring 2.5 litres of water to the boil and add plenty of salt. Add the spaghetti, return to the boil and cook until al dente (usually about 1 minute less than instructed on the packet).

2. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and add the garlic, chilli, capers and lemon zest. Cook for 2-3 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper (be careful about adding too much salt with the capers already present). Add the lemon juice and crab meat and continue to cook for another minute to heat through.

3. Drain the pasta reserving some of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the frying pan and mix well. Add a little of the cooking water if it seems a little dry. Sprinkle over the chopped parsley and serve.

Highs and Lows 1

This Week's

Highs and Lows

6/8/2014

I've decided to add a weekly 'Highs and Lows' post to my blog to document the tasty and not so tasty cibo that crosses my path each week! 

High: Sweet Potato Fries and Avocado Mayo - The Good Food Cafe @ Michael Murphy's, Newbridge.

In the interest of clarity, I have to say that I used to work in this lovely little cafe located in Michael Murphy's furniture shop on the main street of Newbridge. Ali and I popped in for lunch yesterday. I haven't worked here in over a year and it's now under the new ownership of chef Dora-May Cousins but I decided I wouldn't do a full review. One thing I must include though are the delicious sweet potato fries and avocado mayo that accompanied my cajun chicken burger. The fries are crispy and perfectly seasoned and are perfectly matched by the fresh and creamy avocado mayo. Wonderful!

Low: Prosciutto and Mozzarella Frittata - Home cooked

I went to Naas Farmer's Market last Saturday and along with my usual bounty of fresh fruit and vegetables, I picked up some Irish buffalo mozzarella. It's deliciously creamy, slightly salty and is the perfect addition to any pizza or sandwich. Unfortunately after two days in the fridge it loses these qualities and soured my otherwise perfect frittata. It was completely my fault though, when fresh, it's a great product.