Galway August 2015

Galway

August 2015

I'm a little behind on my blogging at the minute and now, as I sit in Marco's apartment in Turin, I'm reminded of our trip to Galway a couple of weeks ago. Why does an industrial city in northern Italy remind me of Galway? It's simple really, the weather is bloody awful! Anyway, enough about Torino (more of which in another post) and more of The City of The Tribes.

"There's enough McKenna Recommended restaurants here to make a Kildare man cry." This thought went through my head numerous times as I discovered what the vibrant city had to offer. We actually stayed in Salthill but it's only a beautiful walk from the city centre along the picturesque promenade and quays. Our first encounter with Galway's delicious food was our quick stop at The Gourmet Tart Company for a coffee (Lavazza - Thank you very much!) and cake. The perfect start. That night we enjoyed a family friendly Italian in Salthill (joined by my parents and two brothers). My Lobster Ravioli may have been masked by the tomato and chilli in the sauce but the Tiramisu made up for it. As did the wine. More restaurants in Ireland should serve Montepulciano D'Abruzzo as their house offering. A few drinks in the city with good friend Finn that night lead to another discovery - Galway does wine on tap - Sold!

"Peter, what will we do for lunch?" The dreaded question, If sharing an apartment with only Ali and my Mother (who both love food) then lunch wouldn't be a problem but when you throw in my Father, who is at best indifferent to nice things and two brothers who, at worst, despise food it becomes a more difficult situation. "I'll head into Sheridan's and see what they have." Sheridan's started out as a cheese mongers at farmers markets before opening their shop and restaurant in Galway City (and now one in Dublin too). The shop at ground level is a thing of magic. Ham's hang from the ceilings, Italian style, while the smell of cheese permeates the nostrils like a blast of airwaves before a first shift. I was delighted to see free range sausages and rashers from a local farm and these were joined in my basket by some smoky Red Leicester cheese and two fresh ciabatta rolls. Surely enough to please everyone, and so it was. That evening we entered the time warp that is McDonagh's for dinner (see review here) before witnessing the elements at their worst yet again.

Wednesday was a great day. Wednesday was Cava Day! Ali and I strolled into the city in great anticipation only to see Cava owner JP McMahon exiting his other restaurant, the michelin starred Aniar. After a trip to Charlie Byrne's bookshop to augment the cookery book collection and Thomas Woodberrys Wines for some post dinner sustenance, we walked into Cava twenty minutes early. Not a problem. There is a review of Cava Bodega coming shortly so I'll keep this short and sweet - it is outstanding. On our stroll home along the promenade, watching the setting sun, we noticed Sharon Shannon walking her 7 dogs. After a quick chat it was time to get back, open the Riesling and settle into the film "Diana" with Ali and my Mam.

Upon researching places to eat in Galway, one name continually came up - Kai. On Thursday we gave it a go for lunch, continuing our catch up with Finn. Again there's a review on the way but (again!) it was wonderful. My smoked mackerel main was excellent but it was the dessert table that was particularly striking. Although not particularly hungry, a couple of hours later, we tried a pizza from hipster hideout Dough Brothers. We walked out to Mutton Island and enjoyed our pizza watching the waves on the first fine day of our stay. That evening, family in toe, we ate at The Galleon in Salthill. Fine dining it may not be but the family-centric atmosphere and service makes it a must for anyone visiting Salthill with small children.

On Friday there was time for only one thing before our drive home - a trip back to Sheridan's to stock up on free range sausages, rashers and organic pancetta. Ali and my Mother snuck off to another gem - Cupán Tae for coffee and red velvet cake and assured me of (and rubbed in) it's deliciousness. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Galway. I used to be quite pessimistic about Ireland's food culture but Galway gave me renewed hope. There is a great selection of good restaurants and food shops. McCambridge's on Shop Street may come across a little gimmicky but the produce is top notch (especially the Toonsbridge Irish Mozzarella). There are plenty of independent butchers, bakeries, fish mongers and a couple of good vegetable shops too. As for restaurants, the michelin star may have gone to the pocket emptying Aniar but JP McMahon's other venture, Cava Bodega, is magnificent. We didn't get to try Nimmo's but I've heard great things while a dessert at The Gourmet Tart Co. will ensure you snack well in any weather. The pedestrianised areas along with the narrow medievel streets ensure that the city itself is just as beautiful as the food on offer within.

Review: Bastion Kitchen, Athlone

Bastion Kitchen

Athlone, Co. Westmeath

A bank holiday Monday morning drive to Galway may not be everybody's idea of heaven but it became mine after we stopped for brunch in Bastion Kitchen in Athlone. After driving around Athlone for 10 minutes looking for parking I eventually found a spot a little out of the town, adjacent to a busy looking cafe. We decided to have a look and I was instantly sold upon spotting "free range sausage bap" on the blackboard. 

Bastion Kitchen is an intimate cafe with a firm focus on healthy eating. At first I thought that this was the reason for the "Bastion" in the name until I realised that it's located on Bastion Street, a happy coincidence. Despite it's focus it contains none of the pretentiousness sometimes encountered in such establishments and everybody seemed to be equally welcomed; families, couples and lone diners. The walls are adorned with healthy foodie treats for sale and a large coffee sack contains bags of McCabe's coffee, the new darling of the Irish coffee scene.

We took our seats and were handed menu's. I went for the aforementioned Sausage Bap and a double espresso. The espresso was magnificent and while Salamander in Newbridge claim the best coffee in the town (also McCabe's), I think Bastion Kitchen could probably claim the same for Athlone. The Sausage Bap provided the perfect brunch fix. Black pepper and chive sausages with lettuce on an oaty bap with onion relish on the side. The bap was delicious while the onion relish balanced the peppery sausages beautifully. After another double espresso to ward off any driving induced tiredness we were on our way with full, contented bellies.

Brunch Ratings:

Food: 9/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Selection: 8.5/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Overall: 8.5/10 Highly Recommended

Bastion Kitchen,
1 Bastion Street,
Athlone,
Co. Westmeath.
087-9721373

Review: Mc Donagh's, Galway

Mc Donagh's

Quay St, Galway City

Last week Ali and myself took to the road for Galway for a 5 day stay in Salthill with my parents and two brothers. I have never spent much time in Galway, only ever there for an odd gig, I was always looking for the quickest way home but not this time, this was food exploration time! There'll be plenty more about our antics in Galway in future posts but this one is about the quintessential fish and chip shop; Mc Donagh's.

I walked into Mc Donagh's not quite knowing what to expect. My Mother had been raving about it since we decided to go to Galway (actually I think Mc Donagh's and O'Grady's On The Pier were the main reason she was pushing so hard for Galway, even if she did swear that it was actually called O'Reilly's On The Pier) and although I had always thought that it was a chipper, she insisted that it is a restaurant. In reality I'm still not sure exactly what it is but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It is a chipper on the left and a restaurant on the right. It sounds quite simple but intermingles recklessly. The majority of people in the restaurant section seemed to be eating big plates of fish and chips, as were the people in the chipper section.....the main difference? Those on the right were dressed a little better and had staff serving to their every need.

Ambiance: 8/10

Service: 8/10

We waited in line for the restaurant for about 20 minutes before being shown to our seats. The amiable staff never faultered and showed great patience throughout. A difficult job when turning tables is an obvious requirement. For starter I went for the Wild Clarenbridge Mussels which were beautifully cooked in a mix of coconut milk, garlic, chilli and lemongrass. Simplicity is the key here and although the mussels still had a few beards attached and weren't seasoned quite as much as necessary, they still pretty much nailed it.

Starter: 7.5/10

In a break from tradition I decided to go for one of the specials instead of the usual battered fish and chips. My Silver Hake was well cooked and retained plenty of moisture. It was joined on the plate by a delicious pea and mint puree and lay on a bed of baby potatoes. I'm not sure what the creamy sauce was as it didn't taste too much like anything. Overall it was a nice dish, the elements didn't quite sit together but the fish was cooked beautifully and that was good enough for me.

Main: 7/10

I thought Mc Donagh's was pretty good value. The fish is fresh and delicious while the chips are also excellent. A chipper probably isn't the place to be expecting a more refined meal but they can provide that too even if it does seem a little confused.

Value: 7.5/10

Mc Donagh's is a place of legend serving good food at an appropriate price, well worth a visit.

Overall: 7.5/10 Recommended

Marie Louise Tea Rooms

Marie Louise Tea Rooms

Howth, Co. Dublin

On Thursday, sensing some nice weather, Ali and I took a spin to Howth for some fish and chips and a walk along the pier. After doing both and with the rain beginning to fall the want of a coffee and cake came upon us.

Marie Louise Tea Rooms are beautiful, with a vintage feel and friendly staff. The tea and coffee are both excellent but it's the carrot cake that forced me to write this! It was magnificent. The moist cake was topped with a thin layer of butter icing and a scattering of walnuts that complimented the flavour perfectly. It wasn't too sweet, as carrot cake's can often be and the portion size was generous. The perfect cake? Possibly so. 

I was delighted to see some training in action also. Our waiter was clearly quite new and the other staff guided him well while explaining everything as they went along. Great to see.