Fine meat in Galway and fine wine in Tuam

Thu, Apr 01, 2010

I called in to see Brendan Loughnane in his relatively new butcher’s shop beside the Tesco Express located at Tornóg, Ballinfoyle, on the Headford Road. Brendan is part of the Loughnane dynasty of butchers who were originally from the Loughrea area and is a brother of Sean Loughnane who created Galway’s first super butchers/delicatessen at Forster Court some years ago. Brendan is a master butcher and spent about 30 years running his extremely busy butcher’s shops in Limerick city. He has collected many awards over the years for his products and all that knowledge and experience is there for the customer when you call in. The shop is open six days a week until 6.30pm.

Brendan is very committed to having the very best meat for sale on his counters, and to do that he has a farm outside Loughrea where all the beef is fattened on the best of grass and oats until he is happy it is ready for the next stage. Here again he ensures quality as he does this himself at a local abattoir, hangs the meat for 20 days, and cuts it into the best joints for your table. He has focused on Hereford and Angus cattle as they give a much better fat distribution, and to see this in reality just have a look at his Sunday roasts. They are everything that all the great chefs recommend, and having sampled one myself I can guarantee that you will be delighted. A typical roast for that special Sunday dinner will be €13 to €14. I also sampled some of his bacon ribs and they were the most meaty and tender I have had. I have a real fondness for bacon ribs so I can assure you these are excellent. He only sells the smaller rib that has lots of meat so they are great value.

Eastern Tandoori, Loughrea

Thu, Mar 18, 2010

Way back in the dim and distant past I was a devoted customer at the Eastern Tandoori in South William Street, Dublin. It was the very early 1980s and in the days when I had an expense account that included lunch every day (God bless Digital). This meant that I had an Eastern Tandoori lunch at least once a week, and while there were other Indian restaurants to choose from, this was the best.

New course in nutrition for everyday living

Thu, Mar 18, 2010

An inspiring new 12-week course in nutrition for everyday living, which will take place in Galway on Wednesday evenings from April 14, will demonstrate how good nutrition can prevent disease, make you feel energised, look younger, feel happier, and enjoy better health. You’ll learn vital practical tips along the way about cooking methods to preserve nutrients, improving your mood with food, feeding children, detoxification, and anti-ageing, as well as how to use food as medicine.

Restaurant review sites

Thu, Mar 04, 2010

I am regularly asked for recommendations by people who want to eat out, and the only answer I can give is based on my last few experiences of any particular location. However if you can tap into lots of people’s thoughts about recommended eating spots, then you increase your chances of a good night out.

Pagodas Temple — salsa-fit and gym for ladies

Thu, Mar 04, 2010

Salsa-Fit is geared, in a fun way to get you moving to the infectious rhythms of the Cuban born dance style, Salsa-Fit will help you get in shape and feel great as you learn the hottest dance moves around.

What better way to spend your enjoyable time, than under the instruction of professional Latino instructor Raul Sanhueza, as he leads you into a world of aerobic dance exercises in a bright, warm and welcoming environment. Classes are held on an ergonomic padded floor which provides great results while avoiding injuries as there is less impact on the joints.

Is hot chocolate going to be the new coffee?

Thu, Feb 25, 2010

Traditionally hot chocolate has been very popular in countries like Germany, Belgium, Spain, and Italy where it is often drunk instead of coffee, especially in the winter months.

Tasty treats

Thu, Feb 25, 2010

Creamy Thai chicken curry with potato and coconut milk

White Gables back in business

Thu, Feb 18, 2010

Heading into its 20th year in business the White Gables has re-opened for the season. To kick start the year the Moycullen restaurant is offering two courses from its table d’hote menu for €30 and a fantastic 20 per cent off all wines. The offer is valid Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings. Customers can also apply online for a reward card to avail of extra promotions. To make a reservation phone 091 555744, visit www.whitegables.com or email [email protected]

Galway students Excel in International Irish Championships

Thu, Feb 18, 2010

A selection of students from Shane Fitzgibbon’s “Connacht Taekwon-do Schools” recently attended the International Irish Championships in Neptune Stadium, Cork. With representation from seven European countries, the standard was extremely high. The local group held their own however to bring back a fine haul of silverware. The Galway instructors who attended were Shane Fitzgibbon (Galway and Oranmore), Lisa Connolly (Labane & Kinvara), Sally Whelan (Barna) and Sandra Doyle (Loughrea). The results were as follows: Black belt results —Shane Fitzgibbon – Gold, silver, bronze; Cillian Howard (Oranmore) – bronze; Shannon Holland (Galway) – bronze; Kenneth Duignan (Galway) – bronze; Cathal Kilbane (Galway) - silver; Jason Costello (Oranmore) - bronze; Sandra Doyle (Galway) - bronze; Ciaran Doyle (Galway) - bronze. Colour belt results

Robert Walsh (Oranmore) - Gold x 2; Ronan Conneely (Galway) - bronze x 2; Brendan Kenny (Oranmore) - silver, bronze; Michael Conneely (Galway) - silver x 2; Fawad Noonan (Galway) - silver, bronze; Deirdre Smyth (Galway) - gold; Darren Costello (Oranmore) - bronze; Mark Buckley (Galway) - silver

L’Arco Italian Restaurant, Ballyvaughan

Thu, Feb 18, 2010

L’Arco has been open since mid 2009 and is located in Ballyvaughan. It is on the left hand side just before the famous ‘T’ junction with all the road signs, left will bring you to Ailwee Cave and right to Fanore. It is built on the site of an old Royal Irish Constabulary Barracks and the beautiful stone entrance and courtyard are part of the original building. The restaurant is quite large and the most striking aspects for me were the fact that it was really warm on a very cold Sunday evening and that the tables are large and very well spaced apart. The atmosphere is friendly and the staff professional and attentive.

Back to our roots for 2010 trends

Thu, Feb 18, 2010

Laurent Billiet, director of La Maison Chic, member of the Irish Association of Interior Designers, reports the trends from the biggest interior design trade show Maison et Objets held in Paris at the end of January 2010.

Cutting edge landscaping

Thu, Feb 18, 2010

Elm landscaping is a vibrant young company, offering a variety of landscaping services. From grass cutting and maintenance of commercial parks, to the construction of pergolas and water features in private estates or gardens Elm covers all landscaping needs. It also provides a service to hire out mini-digger and skid steer loaders with a driver.

Cookery hints for students and teenagers

Thu, Feb 11, 2010

Many students are now finding out just how good they had it at home, arriving at the dinner table just as the plates are served and then out of there at the speed of light once the last morsel is eaten.

Get cooking Spanish style — no experience necessary

Thu, Feb 11, 2010

Hailed as the most authentic Spanish restaurant in Ireland and having the best tapas in Ireland by top food critics, Cava Spanish Restaurant is offering you the rare chance to learn how to bring some Spanish flavour to your table.

GMIT — a tour of the hospitality and culinary arts department

Thu, Jan 28, 2010

I had often wondered just how big our local college of catering is, so with the help of Robert Dagger, head of the hospitality and catering arts, I was given the ‘tour’. I also met Gerry Talbot, head of hotel and tourism management. These two departments are what make up the school of approximately 900 students and 40 staff who are partaking in the many courses that the hospitality and tourism industry world require. I use the word ‘world’ as the skills are extremely portable and equally applicable in any corner of the globe. Many graduates occupy some of the highest posts around the world in hotel management and as executive chefs.

The perfect burger — now in Galway

Thu, Jan 21, 2010

The making of a perfect burger has been the aim of many a chef over the years and recently we have seen the arrival of gourmet burger restaurants where the whole focus is on providing you with a substantial meal in a bun. The meat has to be right, the cooking (preferably chargrilled) has to be perfect, the bun itself has to be well chosen, and then you decide which additions will make it a finished product. I am surprised how long it has taken for this type of food to catch on as 25-plus years ago I survived on a diet of such burgers in Birmingham, served in a basket with fantastic chips and salad.

Asian noodle bar opens

Thu, Jan 21, 2010

Street Wok, an exciting new concept in fast food has just opened its doors in Eyre Square promising tasty, healthy, fast food for the iPod generation. The menu is delicious with hundreds of combinations such as firecracker beef with egg noodles, or Malaysian satay with curly fries. Street Wok promises to have something tasty for all ages throughout the day or evening.

Ten reasons to lose weight in 2010

Thu, Jan 21, 2010

Have you ever been asked if you were pregnant, refused to go swimming, or avoided looking in the mirror? These are just some of the reasons why you should start your weight loss journey in 2010.

If you take up the challenge this month and join LighterLife, in just two months you could be nearly two stone lighter and well on your way to a healthier life.

A good news story

Thu, Jan 14, 2010

Following on from last week’s article, where I looked at some of the food businesses that have expanded during 2009, I decided to focus on one establishment that has had a phenomenal success since it opened less than two years ago. Basilico is the name and it is located in The Coach House, Main Street, Oranmore. Since the very first day it opened its doors the people have flocked there — why? To find out I asked Fabiano and Paulo to take some time out and have a chat.

Savoury sea urchins

Thu, Jan 14, 2010

We all have our favourite foods and there are plenty of foods which stir up all kinds of nostalgic feelings. Then there are the fun things to eat as well as foods to share. Then there are the challenging foods, those delicacies which are often worth getting to know but require a bit of perseverance and possibly a leap of faith. Caviar falls firmly into this category, as do snails. The sea urchin is also an unlikely species of shellfish which is both challenging and exciting as well as being abundant off our coastline.

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