Delicious dining at the Bridge Mills Restaurant

Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Located in one of Galway's old and beautifully renovated buildings, the Bridge Mills Restaurant is on the banks of the Corrib just across O’Brien’s Bridge. After a 15 year absence it is back in the hands of previous owners Frank and Ellen Heneghan, also of Heneghan Florist, for almost a year now.

The House Hotel to launch new cocktail menu in style this evening

Thu, Apr 18, 2013

The House cocktail mixologists have been beavering away for a few weeks now and have crafted a new cocktail menu for your delectation.

Casual Italian dining with a twist at Renzo

Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Renzo Gallery Café is an Italian-style café located just off Eyre Square on Eyre Street beside Debenham’s.

Il Folletto — rustic Italian food in the Latin Quarter

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

In many tourist towns both home and away, you will notice that there always seems to be a street full of tacky souvenir shops, a smattering of dull cafes, and some terrible tourist-trap restaurants. Not so in Galway. We are lucky enough to have Quay Street, the buzzing heart of Galway’s Latin Quarter. It has medieval architecture, a pedestrian street for browsing the many quirky little shops full of wooden toys, vintage clothes, and pottery alongside the quality woollens and Celtic jewellery. The atmosphere in the pubs is fun and friendly, with the sound of music from trad to rock spilling onto the street. There are almost always some buskers and performers, a festival or parade, and this is the best place in Galway city on a sunny evening, when the outdoor seating is packed with tourists and locals engaged in 'people watching' and enjoying all the sights and sounds of the streets of Galway.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

While it has been obvious for quite a few years that the only time we tend to see Delia Smith now on the television is when the cameras name-check her in the directors’ box when Norwich City are playing, her culinary career has gone in a different direction online where her cookery school at www.deliaonline.com has opened for business. In fact, while it is a business, it is also free, offering advice on everything from making classic sponge cakes to storing and freezing brownies as well as putting forward numerous recipes with easy-to-follow aids. That said, Delia has not gone completely virtual, as this ‘newish’ particular cookery book attests.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Velenosi Querciantica Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico 2011 (widely available, €16)

Pub food, only better

Thu, Apr 04, 2013

The Kings’ Head and Malt House Restaurant have just joined one of the more exclusive food clubs in Ireland – Good Food Ireland. It is not an easy club to get into either - you have to jump through a fair amount of hoops before you get one of these coveted stickers for your front door. And they're in good company too, with Kai, Aniar and Renvyle House also on the GFI list.

Sunday lunches at Creole that offer delicious and distinctive dining

Thu, Apr 04, 2013

There is now fantastic opportunity to sample the delicious fare of one of the most exciting restaurants to open in Galway over the past year. Creole now opens for Sunday lunch, serving many of its evening dinner favourites and combining them with more traditional Sunday lunch incorporating the Creole signature taste. It offers a value and choice that will appeal to the most demanding of tastes, and with children’s dishes priced at €6.95 and main course retailing at €9.95, everyone’s palate is accommodated for.

Soon to celebrate its first anniversary, Creole has proved hugely popular, and proves that offering a great dining experience combined with value and great service has already created a loyal following.

Kinvara Farmers Market returns for new season

Thu, Mar 28, 2013

Kinvara Farmers Market has announced the reopening of a new vibrant season with the best food and craft around. The heart of picturesque Kinvara will once again host this joyful and popular weekly rendezvous.

Enjoy Sunday lunch at Kylemore Abbey

Thu, Mar 28, 2013

Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden in the heart of Connemara is the ideal destination for a day out with something for all the family to enjoy. Get outdoors and enjoy woodland walks or explore the Victorian gardens, all just an hour from Galway.

Sunday lunch at the g Hotel

Thu, Mar 28, 2013

I'm quite fond of the g. They have been nice to me over the years, giving me a lovely upgrade on my last significant birthday, a piece of chocolate cake complete with candle waiting for me in the room. The afternoon tea is a real treat, scones, little bites of desserts, finger sandwiches with tea or some girlie pink champagne, or a junior tea for an exceptionally good child.

The entrance to the g reveals itself with a kind of Narnian magic, offering refuge from a dingy underground carpark. The smartly painted area with clipped box is the beginning of a lot of smoke and mirrors that somehow manages to hide the fact that the g Hotel is in the middle of the city. Indeed once inside there is so much to look at that the view, or lack thereof, hardly matters.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Mar 21, 2013

With the BBC’s Masterchef now a couple of weeks into its ninth series, it is not surprising that the cookery book with the similar name is not far behind in reaching the shelves. Filled to more than 400 pages it has everything for the starter cook who cannot wait to get stuck into making everything from simple sauces or basic side dishes to more adventurous creations such as drink party canapés or an elaborate pear and blackberry cake. While the book is more of an in-house production with a team or writers (rather than a recognised author), there are a number of chefy tips from regular Masterchef presenters John Torode and Gregg Wallace.

Kelly's Kitchen

Thu, Mar 21, 2013

There is a stereotypical gender divide in food. Man food is slabs of meat, scotch eggs, big fry-ups, and anything wrapped in bacon. Women prefer yoghurt, quiche, cupcakes, and chocolate, preferably not all on the same plate. Whatever the truth of these clichés, most menus and venues lean more into one camp than the other. Kelly's was always a man's place to my mind, with burgers, pints, and the football on the telly. But Kelly's bar is fond of change. It is fair, I think, to say that Kelly's has had more re-inventions than Kerry Katona. The latest change the team have made is a new menu that just might be the most gender neutral menu in town.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Mar 14, 2013

Burgáns Albariño 2011 (Widely Available, €17.99)

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Mar 14, 2013

On the threshold of the St Patrick’s weekend and the celebration of all things Irish, Rachel Allen’s newish cookery book with 120 of her favourite family recipes is a timely addition to the culinary bookshelves.

Get ready for the second annual Galway Food Festival

Thu, Mar 14, 2013

The launch of the programme for the second Galway Food Festival took place on Monday March 11 upstairs at McCambridge’s. The lovely Máirín Uí Chomáin, in a particularly elegant outfit and a covetable pair of shiny, fire-engine-red shoes, did the honours beautifully. As an author, the chairperson of Irish Food Writers Guild, and a true Connemara woman, she was perfect for the job. JP McMahon, festival chairperson, also spoke at the launch, in particular speaking warmly of the late lamented Gerry Galvin, who had launched the festival last year. A man who will be sadly missed.

The festival is bigger and better this year, running for five days from Thursday March 28 to Monday April 1 during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, and I for one am certainly looking forward to it. Celebrating Galway as a food destination, the festival this year aims to highlight the importance of food provenance, sustainability, and healthy eating. Many of the great and the good of the Galway food scene were present at the event. Chefs, producers, restaurateurs, food educators, and… me! One of the best things about the launch being in McCambridge’s was that the nibbles were very nice indeed with chef Heather O’Flaherty and her team working hard behind the scenes. A huge amount of work goes into organising the festival with the committee members and many others giving freely of their time and expertise to make it a success. With some 70 restaurants, food outlets, and producers participating at more than 70 individual events, it must at times have been like an exercise in herding cats.

The Book Shelf...

Thu, Mar 07, 2013

Following the huge success of The Great British Bake-off (a format TV3 hope to imitate soon with The Great Irish Bake-off), Mary Berry’s star continues to rise among a whole new generation who were not born the first time she was famous. And, not surprisingly, the cookery books continue to be churned out to meet this new demand.

The state of the nation

Thu, Mar 07, 2013

In France, there is a distinctive culture of French food that is undeniable, food made with pride, using exquisite ingredients and techniques. There are world renowned culinary schools and regional specialities. To not experience the food, is to not truly experience France. Produce is affordable and accessible. Food is part of French life in a natural way, a country with strong rural traditions and great respect for food from the farm.

But now in France, traditionally the land of the slim, the number of obese people has doubled in the past 15 years to reach seven million. Yes, while we have been fecklessly stuffing ourselves and they are now faced with exactly the same problem of obesity as the rest of Europe and indeed the developed world. How to stop the spread? The French do not eat thoughtlessly. This was the secret to their success. I had visited there last in November 2011 and was shocked to notice a shift in the status quo. The habits of the French that had kept them slim were slipping — being replaced by the hallmarks of the global scourge of obesity. Parts of eastern France exhibit far higher rates of obesity than the well-to-do residents of Paris. Levels are higher in rural areas, where people drive everywhere. Obesity, as everywhere else, is also a bigger problem among the poor.

A Cajun feast at Creole

Thu, Feb 28, 2013

Creole was an instant hit when it opened last summer. A long sunny evening in the terrace with a pile of ribs and a beer was time well misspent, and it has been popular ever since. Now, it's not really a place for vegetarians, there are only a few choices from quite a big menu. This is man food. In fact, when my current husband realised he could not join me at Creole, there was much gnashing of teeth. I brought The Bride instead.

On the Wine Shelf...

Thu, Feb 28, 2013

Atlantis 2011 (Independents, €14.99)
This is probably not the first bottle of wine that is likely to catch your eye. But if you are looking for something really different or unusual this is definitely worth considering. Made in the Santorini region of Greece (yes, Greece) from a whole bunch of grapes - Assyrtiko (90 per cent), Aidani (five per cent) and Athiro (five per cent) - that are by no means familiar, the nose has a mineral charm with a dash of lemon that is very inviting.

E-paper

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