watch your step and enjoy your trip...

Aniar is the third best restaurant in Galway. If we are to believe the TripAdvisor rankings, that is. Yes, the only Michelin starred restaurant in the whole of Galway currently takes the bronze behind the "consistently good” Gourmet Tart Company and the "excellent little gem" that is Oscar's Seafood Bistro. With The Galleon and Kirwan's Lane restaurant completing the top five, you may or may not agree with this analysis of the current state of dining in Galway.

But a quick look at the reviews for the newly-starred Aniar will show that there is something not quite right with the system. While the contributors are in general fair and honest, now and again an isolated bad experience skews the numbers often leaving fine dining restaurants like The West in Barna out-ranked by cute, popular, little cafes like Cupán Tae on Spanish Arch. Like is not compared with like.

There are a few 'inarticulate rants' wherein restaurant owners are painted as dishonest crooks trying to separate the general public from their cash instead of decent people working their way through a recession in an industry with notoriously tight margins. Of course, and I of all people should know, restaurant criticism requires no qualifications. If you can afford your lunch, you are perfectly entitled to write about it. Bloggers, bon viveurs and the army of virtual food critics do so every day.

While most reported to be "blown away" by Aniar with the food being "absolutely amazing and excellently presented", a small but vocal minority had their “worst meal in years” and found it to be “pretensious (sic) & waste of money”

I have never eaten there myself, early criticism from friends had persuaded me to give them more time to find their feet before venturing in and I also find it difficult to pass by Cava next door, where I know I will get a quality meal at a good price. Alas, now I will just have to join the very long queue forming for a table.

The reviews for Aniar clearly show what kind of establishment it is and what sort of cuisine is on offer, as much can be gleaned from the negative comments as the positive. One person's 'cramped dining room' is another persons 'cosy, intimate setting'.  Are you an adventurous eater? Is fine dining your thing? No? Then keep on walking. There are 190 other places to choose from and one of them will suit you. Common sense can tell you that if you are the sort of person who puts salt on your food before tasting it, likes portions that will require an elasticated waistband and absolutely must have chips - you might not be happy with your experience there.

In general, I believe that these types of restaurant recommendations sites and their advice is informative and useful in avoiding a mediocre meal that will not be to your taste. But overall you would be well advised to take TripAdvisor and their ilk with a large pinch of Maldon.

Dela Restaurant

It's good to share...

As Cava rises phoenix-like from the flames on Middle Street in the city centre, its old lodgings have been given a makeover into a Scandi-style eatery known as Dela. On walking in the door, it's impossible for any regular of the previous occupant not to compare one to the other. The layout is pretty much the same, there's a lunch-time deal of soup and a sandwich with coffee for €10 just like the old days and they have Patatas Bravas on the menu, but then again, who doesn't these days? And there ends the similarities, as they are as different as the proverbial chalk and a sharing plate of Sheridan's cheese.

Dela is owned and run by local couple Joe and Margaret Bohan. So, what inspires a couple to open a restaurant in a space previously occupied by one of Galway's best loved restaurants? Would you have to be certifiable or just confident to open in an area of the city that is home to many of the cities best eateries? Take 'Kai' for a start, just this weekend was announced the best restaurant in all of Connacht with Jess Murphy being highly commended as best chef to boot. There's the very popular 'Oscars Seafood Bistro' and the amazing value in 'Rouge'. If you are going to be the meat in the sandwich between barbecue kings 'Creole' on one side and the Michelin-starred 'Aniar' on the other, then you had better have something special to bring to the table. Luckily for them, they do. 

The dining room at Dela is lovely and bright with clean, simple lines and wooden tables dressed with pretty pots of herbs. The weekend brunch has all the favorites along with some more unusual items, Sourdough Toast with Cheddar and Marmalade; Bellinis; Bloody Marys and Affogatos. Even their fry is made extra special with eggs from their own hens. The newly started lunch menu has Beef Ragu served with potato gratin; or Spanish Omelette with roast peppers and saffron aioli to choose from along with the aforementioned Sandwich & Soup combo, keenly priced with all items €10.00 and under.

The Bohans are very hands on in Dela. Margaret, graciousness personified, greets the guests herself at front of house and it was she who seated me when I popped in for dinner last week. She is also green fingered and grows lots of the herbs, salad leaves and gorgeous edible flowers used in the kitchen, but not the tomatoes. She doesn't want to talk about the tomatoes. The tables are provided with complimentary breads and compound butters, not that common anymore and a nice surprise. We had a sundried tomato butter and a pesto one which were lovely, particularly with the freshly baked focaccia and brown bread.

The evening menu reads well at the beginning and end, with some difficult territory to navigate in between. First are the Sharing Plates – charcuterie, cheese or seafood in sizes small and large and using the best of Irish ingredients and local suppliers. The menu also includes traditional main meals – Steak, Pork Belly or Sea Bass with vegetables and potatoes for an additional €3.95 for each. 

Then there are Tasting Plates – which are starters by another name; a selection of Salads/Plates and lastly 'Small Plates' which one might take to mean tapas, but are not. Matched with a very good wine list with some classic reds and whites, divided into new and old world for ease of choice and the best of Irish Craft Brews such as Trouble, Dungarvan, Kinsale, Tom Crean, O'Haras and Stonewell.

We started with one of the Sharing Plates, a classic combination of seared Rossaveal scallops with black pudding. It looked a picture and came with a river of lemon cream and a buttery bright green, pea purée. This was a glorious plate of food that I will no doubt daydream about for years to come.

A main of Monkfish for my companion came with a cream sauce studded with vanilla seeds on a buttery hill of mash, a side of ratoutille included. We also had the Patatas Bravas and the Sautéed King Prawns in garlic and chilli from the Small Plates. While the potatoes were as expected, the prawns lacked a little in both chilli and garlic and sat uncomfortably with a salad full of walnuts and parsnip crisps. It's inclusion in the small plates was questionable as it was a sizable plate of food.

Dessert choices of the day included Bread and Butter Pudding and an Eton mess. We had a nice, chewy Chocolate and Hazelnut Brownie, and a Lemon Tart with berries which suffered from a bit of a soggy bottom. The desserts were just a little on the 'rustic' side - perfectly alright for the day menu with a coffee, but lacking in elegance for an evening menu, more of a plating issue than a tasting one.

For a four month old, Dela is already a solid performer with a growing club of regulars. The brunch and lunch menu offer real value for money for such good quality food. There's a little fine tuning and tinkering required for the evening menu as one or two menu items are conspicuous by seeming immoderately high in comparison to the rest, but Dela is certainly more than good, getting better and has all of the potential to be exceptional. All-in-all Dela is a great addition to the West-End's dining district and another great reason to make that river crossing.

Dela Restaurant, 51 Lower Dominick Street, Galway. Tel: (091) 449252. Currently open every day from 12 until late.

The g Counter

The g Counter club

This new cafe and deli based in Wellpark Retail Park caused quite a lot of excitement when it opened four months ago and now has just about found its groove. Next to the back door of the G Hotel and directly across from the EYE Cinema, it instantly scores brownie points with some of the only free parking in the city and no booking required. 

If you thought The g Counter was in anyway associated with the G Hotel, then you have made the same mistake as I have. Nothing to do with it at all, the only thing they share is a dividing wall and a letter of the alphabet. It is, in fact, the opposite of the G Hotel. No plush neon chairs, afternoon teas or twinkly mirror balls. If you prefer your morning repast to be accompanied by starched linen, heavy cutlery and smartly dressed service, go next door. The g Counter is pared back, open plan, industrial cool, reminiscent of New York's trendy 'Meat Packing District'. This is a Big Apple dining experience without the airfare.

Breakfast Salad

The room has a lively and informal buzz. The breakfast menu caters for those after something light, maybe buttermilk pancakes with fruit salad or a bramble topped porridge. Diners who need something filling and hot before lunch are offered poached egg on pastrami hash with spiced butter and spinach or a 'Full Irish' with duck fat roasties. There’s a comprehensive selection of eggs - poached, scrambled and fried, Benedict-ed and Florentine-d.

We popped in for brunch on a busy Saturday. Unusually for a menu, everything seemed to present itself as a contender. Difficult choices had to be made, but immediately, the unusual addition of a goat cheese toastie to the vegetarian breakfast caught my eye, which also listed fried eggs, roast tomato, potato hash and garlic mushrooms. The goats cheese toasted on a very nutty walnut bread was lovely. It also came with a serving of beans, which used to be homemade but now alas are the regular canned kind. I would like to see a return to the house ones as it would have made that breakfast pretty perfect. The 'Oh, so wrong and yet, so right' breakfast salad was also pretty special, with quality breakfast ingredients piled on top of organic greens with a poached egg on top. Fresh watermelon, pear, grapes and pineapple lightly drizzled with yogurt came with the buttermilk pancake rolls and both maple and blueberry syrups for the girls. It's a great spot to bring kids with a well priced kids menu between €2.95 for pasta and tomato sauce or homemade fish fingers and chips at €4.95

Vegetarian Breakfast

The rest of the menu is a variety of oversized 'Deli Sandwiches' salads, soups, rotisserie chicken and hot signature dishes. We liked it so much that I went back two days later for a couple of their 'Deli Creations', for to call these mere sandwiches would be doing them a disservice. The G Counter club sandwich was perfect on a soft pillowy brioche bun. Mexican chorizo, melted Moneterey Jack cheese and roasted red peppers on a delicious sourdough, fresh with a chewy crust and pilled high with herbed rotesseire chicken also came served on a wooden board lined with pretty greaseproof paper. The homemade slaw and pickle were the icing on the cake.

They also boast a great hotdog with good bun-to-sausage ratio, filled to bursting with sauté onions and sauerkraut. A squidgy bun dwarfed by a whopping NY-style sausage with a delicately smokey taste, is probably the best pre-cinema snack in town.

The coffee is good and Peroni beer is available on tap by the glass for €2.95 and there is a small but perfectly formed selection of wines by the carafe. Lot's of smoothies and soft drinks too, including my current obsession, the elusive blood orange San Pelligrino.

Sandwich platter

As well as the theatre of the open hot deli counter, they have an on-site bakery staffed by head pastry chef, Eva Quaid, who keeps the Counter filled with a variety of treats. Cheesecakes, roulades and tarts are piled high on the table in front of her glass fronted stage where you can watch these or a commissioned cake being made.

Cake Counter

Even though the G Counter has got the food spot on, it is still very new and has a couple of rough edges. The seats beside the chill counter are just that, chilled, and the availability of certain menu items could be better communicated. Provenance should also be listed here as they use a lot of local suppliers, a small thing but important to the foodie types who will be attracted here for the deli delights. There is an awful lot going on in this ambitious space, from table sevice, takeaway, bakery and retail, so it is very much a work in progress. Owner/manager, the charming Gerry Kelly, tells me their takeaway deli counter is commissioned and will be installed soon for even more takeaway options. You may well find the service muddled and a little fraught on occasion as they work out the new kinks, but I’d still return here even just for a browse of the exquisitely stocked shelves, for the cute singer sewing machine tables which sit outside under a sunshine yellow awning, instantly turning grey days brighter. This deli/cafe is already a Galway favorite and well worth visiting. Certainly one to keep your eye on.

Shelves full of 'foodie' treats.

The g Counter, Wellpark Retail, Dublin Road, Galway. Tel: (091) 770 891

Open: Mon - Sat from 8am - 6.30pm & Sun from 11am -6.30pm

This article was written for and published in The Galway Advertiser 22/08/2013

Allez les bleus

New Galway restaurant, Chez Azur, in an elegant upstairs room with stunning views out over the docks, is a quiet culinary oasis just a stones throw away from the buzz of Quay Street. At the top of the stairs are two lovely rooms with lots of character, a little casual with dark wood tables, comfortable chairs, and lots of light from windows looking out over the boats on the harbour. This was my second visit here since it's opening night back in March and it has developed quickly into a well run restaurant.

Head chef, Ian Daly is in charge of the kitchen, where the freshest available seafood direct from local sources feature on the menus, with daily specials as you would expect from a restaurant specializing in seafood. They have a well priced set à la carte dinner menu for €31.50.

Besides the fresh fish choices, you can enjoy starters such as goats cheese crostini or a chicken and chorizo salad, followed by main courses of rib eye steak, Irish farmyard chicken and a meltingly tender 24 hour pork belly. The kitchen manage mostly to pull off the delicate balancing act between classic French and modern Irish. 

Having sipped some prosecco with some 'gal pals' at the launch of the lovely new look 'Il Folletto' (I know, it's a tough life, right?) the three of us strolled down and were quickly seated at one of the coveted window seats. A prawn, mint and petit pois starter, beautifully presented in a scallop shell with toasted sourdough bread and edible flower garnish set the standard for the evening. The Crab and Smoked Eel starter was light and flavorful and the Daily Mussel special equally good.

The mains were all beautifully presented in good size portions. Hake, Sole, Monkfish, the choice of fish was wonderful with an option to add prawns or scallops to any dish for an extra charge of about €5, an excellent idea for those with difficulty making up their minds. 'Sides' of potatoes, organic leaf salad and seasonal vegetables are all charged extra. Seasonality and local producers get credit here also.

To finish, attractive desserts include popular dishes such as Chocolate Truffle & Hazelnut, Passionfruit & Lemon Tartlet - and a very good wine list, with some quality wines by the glass, served correctly by the ever-so efficient and attentive staff.

For a seaside town we are somewhat lacking in restaurants specializing in seafood. Chef and proprietor Ken Stembridge is hugely likable and deserves to do well. Our outing here was very enjoyable, great atmosphere, good company and nothing was too much trouble for the staff. It's good to see Chez Azur quickly earning local support. And they have cocktails… what's not to like?

Chez Azur, 1 New Docks Road, Galway. Tel: (091) 564 477

Cupcakes are the new Cupcakes!

Just when you think that you can't eat one more cupcake…

The trendcasters have often said that pie was supposed to be the new cupcake, but that didn't happen. Then the speculation was baked donuts or exotic mini tarts. There was an entire list of things that were also contenders for 'the next cupcake'. Regular donuts, macarons, cake balls, whoopie pies - but none of them reached the feverish following achieved by the cupcake.

At Goodness Cakes the new range of flavors inspired by retro summer ice-creams and pops are causing a stir. Pick up a box for your picnic, they travel a lot better than ice-cream. 'Super-split', 'Ninety-nine', 'Banana Split' and 'Mint Feast' have already rolled out of the ovens. What could be next? 'Tangle-twister', 'Brunch', 'Fat Frogs' even?

So this summer, in Galway at least, it seems that once again cupcakes are the new cupcakes.

Kai Cafe & Restaurant, Galway

The last outpost of civilization before you reach Salthill. When Kai opened, it opened with a bang and very quickly achieved a cult following. It suffered not a jot from teething problems, it was a fully formed concept practically from the word go. Kai was unpretentious and fun with flower and seed strewn salads piled on boards, big Ortiz tuna tins filled with bread and the sun spilling through the skylight even on the dullest of days illuminating the lunchtime altar of cakes. Everyone's favorite Kiwi chef, Jess Murphy, brings her own brand of kitchen voodoo and you know you're a regular when you grow to understand husband and partner-in-crime David Murphy's accent at front of house.

Aside from the best brunch in town every Sunday, it is always well worth the extra trek and the couple of extra euro for their short, seasonal lunch menu. Six or seven options that always showcase the best the west coast has to offer, from potted crab to gurnard fish finger sandwiches on their own foccacia, I have yet to be disappointed. Dinner is an equally short and ever changing menu with about five 'beginnings', 'middles' and 'ends'. 

I was last there for their cookbook club, held about once a month. A book club crossed with a supper club, where Jess and her team cook recipes from one book. Past books have included Ottolenghi’s book, ‘Plenty’ and Denis Cotter's famous vegetarian cookbook 'Cafe Paradiso'. The chosen book last month was 'What Katie Ate' by Katie Quinn Davis. A great book, filled with lovely recipes and amazing photographs, it was one I had been promising myself. Originally a native of Dublin, now based in Australia, Katie is a graphic designer turned food blogger and works as a freelance commercial photographer specialising in food. 

I joined up with charming company, my new BFF, Jennie Browne from Goodness Cakes and reigning social media queen of Galway. We also had the wonderful Seamus Sheridan from Sheridan's Cheesemongers and Peter Boland from Cases Wine Warehouse at our table. Both were there to talk about the importance of local suppliers and supporting cottage industry and also to introduce some wines and cheeses to the assembled diners. The dishes selected from the book came thick and fast from the kitchen, the best value three courses for 35 euro I have ever encountered.

Among the starter dishes were patatas bravas - spicy potatoes with crispy ham and wobbly eggs baked in enamel tins and served family-style to the table along with a red cabbage and fennel slaw, lightly dressed with a creamy, lemony herbed yoghurt and studded with blood orange, goats cheese and toasted pecans. There were jugs of lemon cordial with a hint of mint as well as the excellent wines. A creamy orecchiette pasta dish in a pecorino sauce with scattered peas and pine nuts with pretty roasted vine tomatoes balanced on top and a generous bowl of wings and roasted limes to squeeze over.

For the second course Jess had chosen a lovely Panzanella with a punchy balsamic dressing and a fregola salad (a grain like giant cous cous) with bacon and preserved lemons. A crunchy leek topped fish pie landed on the table along side a 'retro' beef curry topped with caramelized bananas, piles of popadoms and jars of relish, the dishes kept coming until there was barely room to set down your glass.

Dessert was a piquant rhubarb and hazelnut tart paired with an initially strange tasting strawberry, basil and black pepper ice-cream, that grew on you eventually. 

Alas that was the last cookbook club before the summer season kicks off, but the good news is that Kai is now opening 7 days a week for your dining pleasure. Remember, they seat but 45 so make sure you reserve a table - especially at the weekends. The cookbook club will return after the summer, and I for one shall be keeping a beady eye on their Facebook page, so that I don't miss out on what is one of the best evenings out in Galway has to offer. Totally Toto Africa.

Kai Café + Restaurant. Sea Road, Galway. Tel: 091 526 003 Email: kaicaferestaurant@gmail.com

This article was written for and published in The Galway Advertiser 09/05/2013

Miss Havishams Valentines Cookies...

Rich dark chocolate biscuits with sweet fondant icing

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, but not everyone is looking forward to its arrival. I personally am not a huge fan of all the pink, red, glitter and giant stuffed animal clutching fluffy hearts with embroidered messages of undying love.

Indulge your own bitter heart with these gothic valentines cookies to mark the day, Miss Havisham style. Put on your old wedding dress and eat these in your decaying mansion. They will be a lot tastier than your dusty old wedding cake, all the time being careful to stay away from naked flames.

Ingredients
50g unsalted butter (3 1/2 tbsp)
50g soft light brown sugar (4 tbsp packed)
1 TBS golden syrup
110g plain flour (1 cup plus 1 3/4 tbsp)
20g cocoa powder (not the drink mix, scant 3 tbsp)
(I used Cadbury's Bournville cocoa powder)
pinch salt
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 to 2 tsp milk
Rollable fondant icing to decorate.
A little icing sugar and water mixed together to make a paste.

Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 3. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment paper. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the golden syrup until smooth. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt and soda together in a beaker. Sift this into the creamed mixture. Add the milk a bit at a time, until you get a soft even dough. It should be a bit crumbly, but be just coming together. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface or onto a large piece of cling film and press until it comes completely together.

Roll out with a lightly floured rolling pin about 1/4 inch thick. (I rolled mine out between two sheets of cling film so that I did not have to use a lot of flour.) Cut out into shapes, heart or others. Carefully lift onto the prepared baking sheet with a metal spatula, leaving some space in between the biscuits.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from the oven. Carefully lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Roll out the fondant icing very thinly and cut into similar, slightly smaller piece of fondant icing. Stick the fondant to the biscuit with the icing sugar paste and leave to dry. Paint, stencil or stamp cold, black hearts onto each cookie or decorate as desired. Fester in your own unhappiness or plot your revenge, while enjoying the biscuits with a nice cup of tea.