A good year for Galway’s food sector

Thu, Jan 07, 2010

Looking back over a year that has received so much dark and depressing comment it seems to me that the food and restaurant business in and around Galway did a good job in 2009, and in fact expanded in many cases. Also the quality and value available to us the punters has been going in the right direction, lots of early bird menus, mid week offers, free bottle of wine with takeaways over €40, coffees down to a more acceptable €2 in many places, wine list prices being revised downwards, etc. As regards the quality I think that places like The Twelve in Barna, Sheridan’s on the Docks, Artisan in Quay Street, The g Hotel, and Abalone are all producing serious food and most of them have special deals if you give them a call. Places like Basilico in Oranmore, while only in business less than two years, continue to pack the customers in with great prices and great food. Most takeaways are reporting an increase in business.

O’Brien’s to feature Rachel Allen signature sandwiches

Thu, Jan 07, 2010

Celebrity chef Rachel Allen has joined forces with O’Brien’s sandwich bars to front a national marketing campaign to promote the O’Brien’s brand.

Ms Allen will be retained as a creative consultant to O’Brien’s and over the course of the year will create delicious signature sandwiches, which will be on sale from January in all O’Brien’s Irish sandwich cafes nationwide. She will also feature in a TV and radio advertising campaign as part of a comprehensive marketing and PR plan.

O’Brien’s to feature Rachel Allen signature sandwiches

Thu, Jan 07, 2010

Celebrity chef Rachel Allen has joined forces with O’Brien’s sandwich bars to front a national marketing campaign to promote the O’Brien’s brand.

Ms Allen will be retained as a creative consultant to O’Brien’s and over the course of the year will create delicious signature sandwiches, which will be on sale from January in all O’Brien’s Irish sandwich cafes nationwide. She will also feature in a TV and radio advertising campaign as part of a comprehensive marketing and PR plan.

A bit of this and a bit of that

Thu, Nov 05, 2009

This week I have a few different items to mention and would like to suggest that it might be a good time to shop around for Christmas wine. There are some really good deals available now and also watch out for some up and coming wine fairs such as Cases Wine Fair on the Tuam Road. It is on today (Thursday) from 6.30pm to 10pm and the €20 ticket will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Research Institute. There will be 120 wines to taste and cheese from Sheridan’s. As wine makes a really acceptable present I suggest you make an early Christmas present list and note anyone who would like a bottle or two or indeed a full case! If you are buying a pretty expensive wine for a wine lover, ask the advice of the wine shop’s most senior person and usually you will be well advised. We are well served in Galway with wine shops — O’Brien’s, McCambridge’s, Woodberrys, Harvest, Cases, Fine Wines, The Wine Buff, Noel O’Loughlin at Galwaybaywine.com, upstairs over Sheridan’s Cheese Shop, The Vineyard, and the organic wines from Dirk at the Saturday Market in Galway, off Shop Street. In fact, now that I list them all (hoping I have not forgotten any) I am amazed that there are indeed such a number.

Tuna

Thu, Nov 05, 2009

You know, it’s easy to forget sometimes that we, as a nation, are incredibly well placed at the edge of the Atlantic to take advantage of some pretty incredible seafood. And one such treasure from the sea is tuna. Many an Irish person is of the opinion that tuna is some kind of tropical fish which primarily arrives on our tables and in our lunch boxes via a tin and can opener, but the reality is that tuna is abundant off our coast at certain times of the year. Interestingly Ireland has the potential to tap into ‘big game fishing’ as a small industry, as I believe catching a tuna with rod and line is possibly the greatest fishing challenge of all.

Get the royal treatment at Royal Villa

Thu, Oct 22, 2009

The re-emergence of Royal Villa in Salthill has been greeted enthusiastically by the hundreds of customers who were regulars when the Royal Villa was upstairs in Shop Street for many years. After a gap of three years, during which time Charlie Chan opened a very swish restaurant in Oranmore, he decided to open another Royal Villa close to the centre of town. The new Royal Villa is run by the next generation of the family, Yvonne and soon-to-be husband Jeff are at the helm and it looks like it may be the most successful venture for the Chan family. It is located over the Atlantaquaria in Salthill.

Cupcakes and cookies

Thu, Oct 22, 2009

Have you noticed lately, when passing a coffee shop or tea house, that there is a new trend happening? The cupcake is making a come back, and nowadays they really are coming in all shapes and sizes. Not to mention cookies in their many forms, and these aren’t just everyday cookies. The cookies of today are big, tasty, decadent things which come in a multitude of flavours ranging from chocolate chip through pecan and ginger.

Da Tang — The Noodle House

Thu, Oct 08, 2009

The Noodle House is one of those Galway city eateries that seem to have built up a very, very, loyal set of customers, and many ex college students make it their first port of call when returning to Galway for a visit. If you are one of those who has not eaten there or indeed are wondering if it only serves noodles, I think I can whet your appetite and entice you to visit.

Plums

Thu, Oct 08, 2009

The food authority Waverly Root cites the plum as “one of the world’s most luscious fruits”. Indeed when juicy and ripe a fresh plum is a thing of culinary perfection. Plums are incredibly versatile and make the most stunning compotes which can be used as a base for tasty sauces, ice-creams, or accompaniments to both sweet and savoury foods. Duck roasted and served with plum sauce, plum compote with fresh vanilla ice-cream, or tangy plum compote served with a strong blue cheese — heaven.

There are a great many varieties of plum available and the colours of the plum can be as stunning as the taste of the fruit, ranging from deep blue through to bright purple and the all the way to vibrant yellow. Plums are closely related to cherries, so close in fact that a cherry could almost be categorised as a small plum.

The Western Hotel celebrates the opening of TK Maxx

Thu, Oct 08, 2009

The Western bar and restaurant, located next to the new TK Maxx store, will celebrate the shop's opening today (Thursday) by offering, for one week only, a special 10 per cent discount on lunches and dinners to all customers upon presentation of a TK Maxx store receipt.

Winter coats for under €100

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Winter coats are a must-have in every woman’s wardrobe. Now is the time to shop for a coat that will see you right through autumn and winter. I have picked out three winter warming coats for under €100.

Exciting news for brides to be

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

Just arrived at Galway’s leading designer bridal shop are some stunning gowns from the 2010 collection from Novia D’Art and Fara Sposa of Barcelona. Brides will be spoiled for choice with this incredible collection. Sisters Maria and Therese Raich are the inspired designers behind the brand. They use the most delicate of fabrics, especially silks and laces. Last year one of Spain’s princesses wore a wedding gown made from Guipure lace. This is an intricate and delicate lace favoured by the Spanish royalty. Two of the gowns from the Novia D’Art collection feature this beautiful lace.

The Pagodas Temple — the one stop shop for martial arts in Galway

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

The Pagodas Temple was started in 2005 by Chris Hickey, a fourth Dan black belt, the highest graded judo black belt in the west of Ireland. Mr Hickey always wanted to have his own dojo where he could pass his skill and knowledge on to others with a passion for the martial arts. This is due largely to the training he received in the Galway Judo Club, the support of his many friends, and his long time mentor Sensei John Creaven.

La Trattoria, Quay Street

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

The Magnetti family was one of the first to set up an Italian restaurant in Galway, and that was the original la Trattoria in Cross Street in 1989. They moved to their current location in Quay Street in 1994 where, if I remember correctly, Craughwell Electric started out. In fact they had a 20 year anniversary party earlier this year and everything on the menu was priced at 1989 prices! It is now run by the second generation of the Magnetti family and the emphasis is on authenticity. All the pastas and all the sauces are made by themselves and it shows through in the taste.

The Fisherman come to Galway Shopping Centre

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

A new fish shop has just opened in the Galway Shopping Centre. Aptly name The Fisherman, the store is located beside the main entrance to the centre.

Sweet potato

Thu, Oct 01, 2009

The sweet potato, or boniato, is in fact not a potato at all, but a member of the morning glory family. This versatile vegetable has a great many uses and makes a refreshing change from the traditional spud. The sweet potato is ideal for roasting, making soups, for purees, and many more culinary uses. Additionally the bright orange colour of the vegetable tells us that the sweet potato is also a good source of carotene and vitamin A. Additionally this vegetable is regarded as the most important tropical root crop in the world. Introduced into Africa, possibly by slave traders, the sweet potato has since its introduction steadily replaced the true yam in Africa as a major source of carbohydrate.

Sheridan’s on the Docks

Thu, Sep 24, 2009

I have been aware of Sheridan’s on the Docks since it opened; however my impression was that it was a bar that served bar food and most likely lots of cheeses from Sheridan’s cheesemongers. It is difficult to spot as you whizz past in a car, indeed the signage can only be spotted if you are directly in front of it. However this is a premises worth finding as some pretty exciting things are happening in the kitchen upstairs.

Cava — authentic Spanish cuisine in Galway

Thu, Sep 17, 2009

My visit to Cava dissipated two preconceived ideas that I had about the menu. One, the idea that the tapas dishes would be small little nibbles similar to what you get at a bar counter in Spain and two, that the menu would be limited to the typical array of tapas that you might find on the Costa del Sol. Neither proved to be the case, the portions are quite large indeed, very often as big as a typical main course, eg, my cured roasted duck leg served with baby potatoes fried in duck fat was of a size that would satisfy most appetites, and the selection is absolutely spectacular. JP and his team seem to have found some of the very best tapas dishes from around the world and recreated them with 100 per cent authenticity. Suffice it to say that the tapas here are much better than anything I have been offered in the touristy parts of Spain. It is worth saying that my initial impression of the menu was that for tapas it seemed expensive, however, from the size of the portions and the inventive dishes I have to say the opposite is the case.

Doughnuts

Thu, Sep 17, 2009

There are few foods better suited to go along with a hot, fresh, cup of coffee than a doughnut. This fried pastry, when made fresh, is delicious, and if freshly cooked doughnuts sound like your kind of thing make sure you get down to the Saturday market in Galway city and seek out the doughnut stall, as they are truly delicious especially with a little ground cinnamon.

Fiori di Zucca, Dominick Street, GalwayFiori di Zucca, Dominick Street, Galway

Thu, Sep 10, 2009

Fiori di Zuca, which means pumpkin flowers, is a new venture from four women, three from Italy and one from Ireland. They describe it as a friendly and creative Italian café which is open seven days a week from 10am to 7pm. It is located at the end of Lower Dominick Street near the river and at the rear of the building that houses the new indoor market. Having chatted to Barbara and Roberta I think they may have just the right formula for the times we live in.

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