ACTIVITIES IN CORK

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Fishing

Horseriding

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By Avril O' Reilly

There are some people in Cork who will tell you that their county is Ireland’s rightful capital.

By an unfortunate configuration of circumstances that honour went to Dublin and Corkonians have always been ready to say why Dublin is not deserving of capital status. Cork has been the self-elected capital of many things including sport, music and beautiful women.

Of course jealousy is a terrible thing and citizens from other parts of Ireland have not always been willing to admit the validity of these claims. Which makes it all the more impressive that people all over the country are in agreement that Cork is a centre for excellent food — the culinary capital of Ireland, in fact.

It wasn’t always so. A lot has changed since the 1970s. Back then most eating out was done in pubs. Artisan food producers churned, smoked and cured, more for love than money. Traditional Irish fare was not particularly well respected and in some people’s minds it had unpleasant connotations of poverty —famine food. Supermarket food had a respect it didn’t deserve. In her book Irish Traditional Cooking, Darina Allen recalls how, in her youth, respect would be shown to the visiting priest by serving ‘shop-bread’ — i.e. white sliced pan, in preference to lowly home-made soda bread.

Nowadays soda bread and other spurned foods are held in higher regard, appearing on expensive menus. All over the city and county restaurants dedicated to high quality food are thriving and people are eating out more.

Food shopping is better as well. Locally produced gourmet foods are easily available, as are international ingredients. Cooks who a few years ago might have served pasta with white bread can now choose from ciabattas, foccaccias and more besides.

In the past year there has been a spate of cookbooks devoted to local cuisine. The recently published Cork Cook Book was an eye-opener for those people who believed that you could only eat well in Dublin.

You get a feeling that a modern Irish cuisine is being developed with Cork chefs making an important contribution.

At first glance it might seem that the Celtic Tiger is behind all the changes. No doubt it has helped. More people can afford to eat out more often than ever before. Extravagant bars like the Bodega and Le Cheile were not possible pre-Tiger. But don’t worry, the place isn’t suddenly populated with mediocre set-ups cashing in on the new wealth.

Food in Cork has a long history of being treated with love and respect, even when money was tight. For years people have been dedicated to cooking and selling local, organic foods used in season. What’s changed is that their approach has now come into fashion.

To get the most out of a visit to Cork there are a few points to remember. The first thing is to use your ears not your eyes. Ask people for their favourites, as the best places to go are not the easiest to find. Star chefs in the city tend to be hidden in side streets, down alleyways or up narrow flights of stairs.

Some things can only be found out by asking, like where to get the best pint of Murphys. The brewery rep I asked recommended Dan Lowrey’s on MacCurtain Street, Moks on Bandon Road and the Chateau on Patrick Street.

The second trick is to make sure you have a car. Unlike other cities where the best restaurants are concentrated in the city centre, Cork county is full of often sophisticated menus in very rural locations.

Drinking Japanese miso soup in Liss Ard Lake Lodge while surrounded by Skibbereen’s green fields is a memorable experience. Glorious countryside and pretty towns all dolled up for the Tidy Towns competition made our drives to remote locations a pleasure.

Finally, it is worth planning which restaurants you want to visit to fully appreciate the scene. If you want traditional Irish food cooked as it would have been years ago then the Allen family at Ballymaloe are the experts. Or for modern updates of classic dishes, see Michael Crawford who owns Michaels. Numerous bistros demonstrate how well Irish ingredients adapt to Mediterranean cooking.

And for a modern definition of Irish food, chefs at the Ivory Tower and Café Paradiso are combining all manner of foreign influences with local ingredients to create novel recipes.

A visit to Cork is enough to bring a blush of shame to the cheeks of those who think that Irish food is all about bacon and cabbage.

Further reading
- The Cork Cook Book by Nuala Fenton and Michael O’Toole. £12.99 Cork Simon Community.
- Irish Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen. £11.99 Kyle Cathie.
- Café Paradiso Cook Book by Denis Cotter, £20 Atrium.

PLACES TO WINE AND DINE

The Ivory Tower 00 353 214 665), off Princes Street. Critics use phrases like “culinary polymath.” Locally reared meats, some provided by poachers share a plate with unexpected companions.

Cafe Paradiso (00 353 214 277939) a vegetarian restaurant on Washington Street. Chef Dennis Cotter is known for his wild imagination and is creative in his use of Cork’s vegetable growers’ produce.

The Farmgate (00 353 214 278134) is a café upstairs at the English market. Much of the produce comes from the stalls. Fresh fish, tripe and drisheen are specialities and home-cooked breads and cakes come from the sister branch in East Cork.
All the cooking in this converted Georgian house is French. Menus have an English translation. Ingredients come mostly from the garden.

The Bodega, The Coal Quay (00 353 21 272878)

Le Cheile, North Main Street. These stylish houses will change your idea of an Irish pub.

Gingerbread House (00-353-21 276411): This airy café just off Patrick Street offers good coffee, excellent home baked cakes and a pleasantly gossipy atmosphere.

Crawford Gallery, Emmet Place (00-353-21-274415) An outpost of the Ballymaloe operation. Take a look at the artwork in the gallery.

Jacques, Jacobs on the Mall and Isaacs. (00 353 214 271387, 251530, 500011): These three lively bistros each have a strong Mediterranean influence and plenty of vegetarian options.

EAST CORK: Right up there with Paris’ Cordon Bleu as a training ground for chefs, the Cookery School at Ballymaloe (00 353 214 646785) also does short courses.
The school is not to be confused with Ballymaloe House Restaurant (00 353 214 652531) a short drive away. The restaurant is run by Myrtle Allen whose passion for preserving recipes has been an inspiration to many.

The Farmgate Café (00 353 214 632771) in Midleton is a very convivial eating place. Even when it’s packed it feels relaxed.

WEST CORK: In the coastal town of Kinsale there is a dense population of restaurants taking advantage of some of the best seafood in Europe.

The Blue Haven (00353 214 772209) and the Man Friday (00 353 214 772260) are two of the best. Fish, naturally, are central to most menus but rich, luscious Mediterranean dishes are also plentiful.

Lettercollum Rouse (00-353-21-46251) in Timoleague is great for Sunday lunch. All food is organic and a lot is vegetarian.
Vegetables are grown in the huge walled garden.

Take the boat from Cunnamore Pier to Heir Island and visit John Desmond and Ellmary Fenton’s one-room restaurant, the Island Cottage (028 38102). It opens again on May 15 until September 15. Lawrence Cove (00 353 27 75063) on Bere Island offers a similar experience.