Il Vicolo

Thu, Mar 13, 2014

Opened on Buttermilk Walk more than two years ago, Il Vicolo is that clever combination of day-time cafe, wine bar, and restaurant. Breakfast, lunch, coffee, cake, dinner, and wine, it has the lot. Owned and run by Aoife Flaherty and Gerry McMahon, you have to admire the way they have made this very 'Tardis-like' space work for them. Things are a little better now than at the beginning with an small external kitchen giving the staff a little more room to breathe, but it is still bijoux by anyone's standards.

Juice your way to a healthier you with Health and Herbs

Thu, Mar 13, 2014

Health and Herbs is an integrated health clinic and herbal dispensary situated at 9 Sea Road in Galway. It was founded in 1999 by Dr Dilis Clare, the only GP in Ireland who is also qualified in herbal medicine.

A celebration of sandwiches

Thu, Feb 27, 2014

We are a nation of sandwich eaters. Every cafe, counter, and hatch does its own variation, with ingredients ranging from withered lettuce to flash fried steak, from slathered 'spread' to flavourful aioli. But which is the best?

Book now at Taste Matters for your child's Communion or confirmation

Thu, Feb 27, 2014

Taste Matters in Loughrea is a cheerful and hospitable bistro-style restaurant with friendly, welcoming, staff, great food, and a excellent list of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, craft beers, and ciders.

The food is a fusion of various cuisines with influences mainly from Irish, French, and Italian cooking, although their inspiration can come from anywhere. Among the dishes you may find delicious chowder, brie melt, grilled breast of duck, seafood medley, folded chicken, grilled salmon, or rib-eye steak.

Time for tea at The Ardilaun

Thu, Feb 20, 2014

It is no secret that the Irish love their tea. The Irish drink more of this hot beverage per capita than any other country. The presence of tea making facilities is considered essential in any hotel or bed and breakfast room and is offered at breakfast, 'elevenses', lunch, dinner, and any time in between. Lately we have even begun to embrace that very English tradition of afternoon tea. Legend has it that the ritual of afternoon tea owes its origins to Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. As a young women in the early 1800s at this time, it was common to eat only two main meals a day, with breakfast scheduled in the morning and dinner taken late in the evening. When kerosene lamps were introduced in wealthier homes, eating a late dinner became increasingly fashionable, widening the long wait between meals.

Experience the benefits of nutritional therapy and iridology

Thu, Feb 20, 2014

Denise Coyle comes to the Elmtree Clinic in Oranmore with full qualifications in both nutritional therapy and iridology. As a nutritional therapist first and foremost, she works with clients to create diet, supplement, and lifestyle plans to suit individual needs and goals. Nutritional therapy can assist in easing and regulating a wide range of acute and chronic conditions. Nutritional therapy can also help with needs such as weight loss, increasing energy levels, general wellbeing, and improved health outcomes.

Iridology is the study of health via examination of the iris, sclera (whites), and pupils of the eyes. Using a specially adapted camera, Denise Coyle photographs the eyes for detailed exploration. Because every body organ and system has a corresponding area in the eye, iridology is an incredibly useful tool for pinpointing what areas may need nurturing and where inherent strengths lie.

Expand your life in three weeks

Thu, Feb 20, 2014

Harvey Wasserman’s Expand Your Life In Three Weeks workshops have one major purpose — to demonstrate that many emotional problems can respond to simple techniques. Wasserman will present exercises that help with depression, anxiety, and other emotional problems. They will help identify negative thinking and the many beliefs and experiences that limit personal growth and expansion.

It's all a matter of taste

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Restaurants and pubs in Loughrea have a fair selection of good quality meals using locally sourced ingredients and pub snacks. The hotels too have locally sourced cuisine on the menu with great local lamb and beef farmed nearby. As in any sizeable town there are, of course, takeaways offering fast food, fish and chips, Indian, and Chinese. For something a cut above you cannot go wrong with the pizza and pasta at il Porcetto from the affordably priced menu. The Hungry Bookworm, a lovely eclectic cafe and wine bar where you can enjoy variations on classic dishes while also perusing the literary classics, is well worth exploring too.

Delicious food for all tastes at Taste Matters

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Taste Matters opened in Loughrea in November 2010 with the aim of serving honest, good, food in a casual and friendly setting.

Brendan Loughnane Butchers for quality and value

Thu, Feb 06, 2014

Brendan Loughnane is very experienced in the meat business, and comes from a family with a long tradition in the industry.

Out of the Chi pan...

Thu, Jan 30, 2014

Since 1997, Da Tang Noodle House on Middle Street had served the people of Galway with thousands of steamy bowls of comforting noodles, dumplings, and legendary spicy salad. But Da Tang hung on the shoulders of an individual and when the time came for him to retire, Da Tang retired also. Their sister business, Chi Asian Take-away, a little takeaway in Westside, took over the space in the middle of November. Chi promises healthy convenient food choices using locally sourced fresh ingredients. Chef Andy Bandara uses the highest-quality local produce to create Asian dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Known for good food, great flavours, and a mean nasi goreng, how does this takeaway translate into a sit-down restaurant?

Anton's — a hard habit to break

Thu, Jan 23, 2014

For me, it all started with a tuna sandwich. There was a time that I lived just round the corner from Anton's and was as comfortable there as in my own dining room. Anton's has been deservedly rewarded with many years of success on Father Griffin Road.

The café has a pretty outdoor seating section, while inside the walls are often hung with local artists' exhibitions. The room always has an encouraging blend of bohemian types, students, and suited and booted business people.

Sushi delights at Kappa-ya

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

For a couple of years now the undisputed centre of the restaurant scene was over the river in the West End. Dominick Street to Sea Road had all the better places to tempt people over the bridge, from Rouge all the way up to Kai. But at last there has been a seismic shift and there is a new dining district in the heart of the city. Middle Street is Galway's newest dining destination, where you can feast on tapas in the new Cava Bodega, slurp your way through lunch in the long serving Da Tang Noodle House, or dine on modern Irish cuisine in the comfort of The Malt House. With the inclusion of the friendly wine shop that is Thomas Woodberries, I may never go over the bridge again.

It is however Kappa-ya that is my current obsession. Nestled beside Thomas Woodberries, with its door awning waving to you in the breeze, it is what you might call bijoux, seating about 20 but with amazing food served by a friendly staff. There is an informal atmosphere with an unusual soundtrack (Gloria Estefan often features) and the menu is a tightrope walk between traditional and experimental Japanese cuisine. The original Kappa-ya sushi rolls are a regular working lunch option for my current husband. Probably not like any sushi you've had before, and though in Japan no one puts teriyaki chicken in sushi, they do here and it is very good. The rolls are sizeable and very good value especially to take out at €3.70, so you may as well have two. The prawn tempura with asparagus and mustard sauce is a particular favourite.

Galway Bay Hotel wins Best Carvery in Connacht Award

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

The team at the Galway Bay Hotel have picked up yet another award at the Unilever Foods Solutions Great Carvery of the Year 2013, held at the Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin recently. The hotel was awarded Best Hotel Carvery in Connacht, which is a testament of the quality of food and service provided in Harvest Café under the watchful eye of executive chef Robert Webster.

Casual Italian dining at Renzo gallery cafe

Thu, Sep 26, 2013

Renzo gallery café is located on Eyre Street beside Debenhams, in Galway city centre. Renzo is now open late Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, serving fine Italian wine and cuisine at recession busting prices. Good Italian food is at the heart of Renzo, with menu options to suit all ages and occasions. It offers simple, fresh, delicious, food, bursting with flavour, texture, and colour.

The set menu is a reasonable €16.50, which consists of an Italian platter to start and a main course of your choice, including a range of salads, pastas, and pizzas. The dessert menu features popular Italian sweet treats such as tiramisu and limoncello cheesecake. The wines on offer have been carefully chosen to complement the flavours of each dish. The team at Renzo are passionate about good Italian coffee, and trained baristas will be happy to serve you a rich espresso or a frothy cappuccino to top off your meal.

Add a little murder to your company Christmas party

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Murder on the Menu, the successful murder mystery dining experience featured every month at the Harbour Hotel, has begun accepting bookings for this year’s Christmas season.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Pie
Angela Boggiano

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

Château La Rose Bellevue Prestige Côtes de Bordeaux 2010 (O’Briens, €14.99)

Grand Cru Wiebelsberg Riesling 2012 (Lidl, €12.99)

Thu, Sep 19, 2013

At part of Lidl’s French wine sale that started last week, the German retailer has introduced a number of new wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône and this particular delight from Alsace. Made with 100 per cent Riesling grapes grown in the Andlau valley close to the Vosges Mountains, it’s got a welcoming floral and citrus bouquet on the nose. On the palate, the citrusy and lime fruit is big, bold and fulsome while retaining a charming and elegant structure in what is a very well-balanced wine with a crisp dry finish. Perfect as an aperitif or with a range of seafood, this is definitely one to fill your boots with while stocks last.

Why did the student cross the road?

Thu, Sep 12, 2013

Having spent some time working in NUI Galway, I can justifiably lend my voice to those who say that the food available on campus is generally not that good. Sure, the pizza in the college bar is tasty enough, but it does not really count as a vegetable as the American government would have us believe. The Gourmet Tart Co used to supply the university with its freshly-made sandwiches, but these seem to be no longer available this year, replaced by a lesser sandwich to fill the gap. It is not, I am sure, because students don’t care what they eat — in fact a growing number of them are revolting against the banal food on offer.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.