Dubliners

Dublin! I've never been to Ireland before and I felt very excited about exploring this brand new (to me) city, which felt both familiar and strange.

We arrived late into Dublin airport and enjoyed a short and stress free transfer into the city, on the Aircoach http://www.aircoach.ie/

Our accommodation was a smart, comfortable apartment on Townsend Street which we booked through Air B&B, more privacy and space than a hotel room and bags more character. If you've not heard of Air B&B yet, where ya been?  https://www.airbnb.co.uk/

Here's some of what we got up to:

Day 1 

We took the DART train out of Dublin to the tiny harbour of Howth, rich pickings for fantastic seafood. We opted for somewhere pretty informal for lunch, Octopussy's seafood tapas bar http://octopussys.ie/ boasts fresh as feck seafood, great service and fantastic views of the harbour.

 We gorged on a selection of warm tapas, including small but succulent scallops with chorizo, Dublin bay prawns and crab sliders,whilst guzzling a ridiculously good bottle of Prosecco and watching seals cavort in the harbour.

After a big lunch we didn't want to sit down for dinner and decided to pursue a mainly liquid repast back in Dublin proper.  We started with some fine pints of the black stuff in Mulligans on Poolbeg Street, http://www.mulligans.ie/ a brilliant little pub with a great atmosphere which is on the edge of the Temple Bar area, but isn't too touristy. 

After warming our cockles here we sought out some more serious alcohol at the Vintage Cocktail Club, http://vintagecocktailclub.com/ It isn't easy to find; you enter via an unmarked black door in a side street.  We were really lucky to get a table without booking.  The cocktails are amazing and the atmosphere is truly louche.   The cocktails are described as 'magical creations' and the menu is a hefty tome spanning centuries of heavy drinking history. My favourite was a simple but very effective Bittered Sling.

The food looked really good too but we didn't partake, having decided to round off our night with a kebab at Zaytoon's http://www.zaytoon.ie/.  Something of a Dublin institution, the large premises was seething with Dubliners and tourists in varying stages of inebriation, all good humoured and waiting their turn at the end of the scarily efficient kebab conveyor belt.  Zaytoon's donor was on a par with Berlin kebabs, nuff said.

Day 2

Having escaped without too bad a hangover, we braved the rainy streets and an uninspiring buffet breakfast, before whiling away a few enjoyable hours in the writer's museum and the cinema.

Dinner tonight was on my folks who purchased us a generous gift voucher for the Winding Stair Restaurant just across the Liffey over the Ha'Penny bridge http://winding-stair.com/

This is an atmospheric, efficiently run little place, historically somewhere Dublin writers, artists and creative types met.  There is a cracking bookshop downstairs.  Food came quickly and portions were generous, we really enjoyed our meal here, thanks folks.

Day 3

We took a walk through Temple Bar and along the Liffey (past the imposing Guiness factory) to check out the Irish Museum of Modern Art.  http://www.imma.ie/en/index.htm  It is worth visiting for the building and grounds alone; housed in a former hospital for convalescing soldiers, an atmosphere of calm pervades the place.  We made the trek to see a specific exhibition, 'What we call love, from surrealism to now'.  I've seen some excellent exhibitions this year (Bacon and the Masters in the Norwich Sainsbury Centre was a highlight) but this was outstanding. Including works from masters of surrealism such as  Dali, Picasso, Man Ray, photography by Nan Goldin, a Damien Hurst sculpture, and a mind blowing installation from Rebecca Horn this is truly worth seeing if you get the chance (on until 7 February 2016).

Day two and three it goes without saying we ended up in Mulligans!  We were sad to leave this gem of a pub.  The aircoach shuttled us back to the airport at an ungodly time on Monday morning leaving us feeling we'd only scratched the surface of what Dublin has to offer. We'll definitely be back.

Edin's Kitchen

Edin's has long been a Nottingham institution, with Edin's kitchen, a relatively new addition to the Edin's empire, opening in 2013.

The vibe is shabby but elegantly chic, with higgledy piggledy tables and chairs, slightly dog-eared menus and exceedingy laid back staff, all mingling to create a warm, welcoming and informal atmosphere. The open plan kitchen is situated downstairs with an additional dining room upstairs, we opted for a perch downstairs  as upstairs was nearly full, where we could see what was going on in the kitchen and who was coming through the door.

We kicked off  proceedings (annual Christmas get together) with a glass of prosecco and nibbled homemade hummus, bread and some splendid olives as we checked out the menu and specials board.  I was happy not to be forced into ordering from a festive menu, always a pain at this time of year.

Prices are quite breathtakingly budget, and I couldn't resist a steak (rump) which set me back less than £12.  The steak was top quality and cooked medium rare as requested.  It came with chips done just right, the unusual but tasty addition of celeriac puree and a pat of decadent garlic butter, of which I intended to just sample a scraping, but managed to scoff the lot.   My friend sampled a beef ragu which she declared equally delicious.

We moved on to drinks here there and everywhere but would certainly recommend starting the evening at Edin's, great food in a relaxed, convivial atmosphere and it certainly won't break the bank,what's not to like?

For more info check out:

http://www.edinsnottingham.co.uk/

Smoke BBQ Sheffield

Okay, so we're a little late to the whole 'American BBQ' party, but the places closer to us (Red's True BBQ and Rub Smokehouse in Nottingham) seemed a little inauthentic so we hadn't rushed to try them. Smoke BBQ was recommended, natch, raved about to us by friends of friends, so as we were in Sheffield we decided to  give it a try.

I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't an aircraft hanger.  The restaurant is huge and filled with the aroma of smoked meat, and appeared to be doing a roaring trade despite recent revelations from the World Health Organisation.

Sheffield was the original Smoke BBQ but they have now branched out to Leeds and I'm sure there are further franchises in the offing.  With the paper menus and industrial vibe it did feel a tad formulaic.  We were seated and given a glass full of salty popcorn to nibble. The drinks list is heavy on the bourbon, but happily I located Freedom Organic lager, albeit only available by the half pint or in two pint jugs? Presumably because a single pint would last you no time after that salty popcorn...and jam jars instead of glasses, really?

Sadly the organic, free (range) ethos did not seem to extend to the meat on offer.  Although the website claims they use 'the best meat Yorkshire has to offer', the menu is resolutely muddy about it's point of origin. I eat less and less meat these days (what the hell am I doing in an American BBQ joint, I hear you ask?) and am keen for the meat I do eat to be good quality, locally sourced and ethically produced.

Ethics aside, the smoke sharer plate we ordered was a beast to behold.

It consisted of smoked sausage, ribs, chicken thighs, pulled pork and an almighty turkey leg,plus 'twice cooked' chips and another side of your choice (all a bit cheeky Nandos) we opted for slaw.  The smoked flavour was good, but the meat all started to taste the same after a while.

Still, we did alright:

I'm glad I have now experienced the American BBQ shtick myself, but I don't think I'll be going back, it wasn't that there was anything particularly bad about Smoke BBQ, in fact there were plenty of little touches I did like (the chalkboard walls in the bathroom are pretty cool) and it is obviously popular, it just seemed a bit gimmicky to me.  I'd be interested to hear if anyone has been anywhere they considered really special, BBQ wise?  Or am I going to have to keep planning my 'pig'rimage to and through the good old US of A?

The Kedleston Country House

The much anticipated re-opening of the Kedleston Country House occurred last week, so with a birthday to celebrate this weekend (the boy's mother) we gave it a whirl for Sunday lunch.

It is fantastic to see this characterful building restored to its former glory by the Derby Brewing Company.  Their website humbly declares them to be a 'family run microbrewery' but in recent years they've successfully revamped several neglected Derby venues, including The Greyhound on Friargate.  I noted a gratifying level of attention to detail in the decor, with plenty of plants and vases of flowers, artfully mismatched crockery and a set of statuesque stone dogs to greet you at the entrance.  There is an appealing snug and a study, as well as a bar and a separate restaurant area and ample outside seating.

We ate in the light and airy Orangery, (complete with real orange trees) which I thought was the nicest area of the restaurant.  Very 'country cottage' but not too twee. We were brought a jug of water and a basket of fresh bread. The drinks menu is an extensive volume, but only one copy per table meant we had to take turns choosing a beverage (a very drinkable prosecco, local Freedom lager and a formidable Belgian beer).

The choice for Sunday lunch was between roast 'striploin'of beef, stuffed lamb, a vegetarian option, fish and chicken.  We all chose beef, bar one black sheep who went for the lamb.  Meals arrived promptly but not before we'd had chance to graze on the bread and butter.  Portions of meat and Yorkshire pudding were generous and the beef was very tasty.

Sides of green vegetables, a slightly watery cauliflower cheese and very moreish honey roasted root vegetables came separately for some reason and we had to request serving spoons.  Some more information on the menu, regarding the provenance of the meat, would have been welcome.  We finished with coffee rather than  dessert.

Price wise I would say it was perhaps slightly above average, although certainly not extortionate. Staff were all friendly and polite and seemed to be doing a very efficient job, as they were evidently busy.  Overall the Derby Brewing Company have done a commendable job and it is sure to be a resounding success, can't wait to get a look at the rooms sometime.

http://thekedleston.co.uk/

http://derbybrewing.co.uk/

Reuben Rebel

I finally made Reuben sandwiches.  I looked at a million different recipes and did a little tweaking.

I owe the most to this recipe:

zingermans-reuben-sandwich-recipe.

Zingerman's sounds like the most amazing deli but it is in Michigan, so a bit far to go for a sandwich.

http://www.zingermansdeli.com/

Here is my version...

Ingredients for four sandwiches:

1 loaf of rye bread
12 slices of corned beef or pastrami
Russian dressing, recipe follows
sauerkraut
12 slices Swiss cheese
Melted butter or olive oil

Russian Dressing:
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
Hot sauce to taste
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped parsley 
1 tablespoon minced onion
1 tablespoon minced dill pickle
Fresh lemon juice,good quality creamed horseradish and Worcestershire sauce to taste.

First make the Russian dressing.  Some recipes I've seen use thousand island dressing which is both gross and wrong.  Basically just mix all the ingredients together and leave to meld, I made mine in the morning and left it all day in the fridge.  It was sublime.

The Zingerman's recipe had you bake your whole rye loaf for fifteen minutes to crisp the crust.  I wouldn't recommend doing this.  I don't know if the rye bread I used wasn't quite right.  It was really tasty (it was from Birds, the only place I could find it in Derby on the day I made these sarnies, Jack Rabbit's had sold out and Baked only do rye on a Saturday,) but it was a total bitch to slice after crisping up in this way. The bread went all kind of holey inside and I was lucky to salvage four slices.  I don't see the point when you are frying the sandwich in its entirety, which crisps everything up nicely anyway.

Sooo, warm up your oven to around gas mark 4. Pop your pastrami in some foil, sprinkle with water, wrap it tightly and place it in the oven, leave for about 15 minutes.

Slice your rye loaf (I sliced mine lengthways, which is quite greedy).

Plaster a slice of bread with Russian dressing.  Top with a layer of hot meat, sauerkraut and a couple of slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, also spread with Russian dressing.

Brush the outside of your sandwich with melted butter or olive oil.  Place in a hot frying pan, cover with a lid and weigh down with something heavy (i used the mortar part of my pestle and mortar, turned upside down, perfect.)  When it smells done, turn it over and do the other side.

Scoff half a sandwich with fries (and leftover Russian dressing to dip them in).

Go to a gig, drink four pints of cider.  Come home and eat the rest of the sandwich whilst watching and slagging off Florence and the Machine at Glastonbury.  Go to bed.

Darleys

Here is a review of Darleys that I wrote a couple of months ago and did not publish at the time...

Perched right on the river Derwent in the village of Darley Abbey, Darleys is clearly the place to come for a special occasion meal.  There were all kinds of celebrations taking place during the lively Saturday afternoon we visited, from a 60^th birthday to a demure hen do.

Upon arrival, friendly staff ushered us to the bar for an aperitif.  We sipped a sparkling Chilean white and first impressions of the dated maroon décor were immediately forgotten as we guzzled the complimentary home-made crisps (baked fresh each morning) and unctuous olives we were presented with.

Having chosen from the reasonably priced set lunch menu, we were settled at a table and our starters arrived quickly.  Ham hock, locally sourced and perfectly seasoned, came with satisfyingly stodgy yellow corn bread and an abundant Dijon mustard foam.  Nori wrapped salmon with a ginger and soy dip was enlivened by a decadent strip of crispy salmon skin.

Mains were a classic free range chicken dinner and a richly flavoured daube of slow cooked Derbyshire beef, served with thyme dumplings and a bacon sauce.  The intriguing Romanian Pinot Noir we drank complemented both dishes perfectly.

The faultlessly executed food is sadly let down by the restaurant’s interior design, from which no amount of ostentatious crumb sweeping and wine pouring could fully distract us.  Mosaic mirrors, floral curtains with monstrous pelmets and jewelled light fittings vie for attention.  It’s lucky for Darleys that the food and atmosphere more than make up for the disastrous décor.

The Pelican Brief

I've wanted to go to the Pelican Club since it opened, I am a huge fan of cool and friendly Nottingham cocktail bar Tilt and this is a venture by the same people.  The Club is all about dinner and jazz - Italian food and cocktails.  Obviously this is proving popular with Nottingham's movers and shakers as sadly we could only get a table early doors, 18:30 to be precise, with a polite request that we vacate our table by 20:30.  Our table was in the bar area, which is decked out with loads of old jazz record sleeves.  Said sleeves also serve as cocktail menus.  The atmosphere on Saturday was lively, with a good crowd seated around the bar.

We started with a Spritz, Aperol and Prosecco, the perfect aperitif in my book.  I'd made the mistake of reading a few Tripadvisor reviews and was concerned about the accusations of stingy portions being levelled.  However we need not have worried.  We shared antipasti; a board of good quality charcuterie and cheese meant for two, between three.  We also shared another starter of Tomino cheese wrapped in more charcuterie and baked, delizioso!  I skipped the primi and went straight for a secondi of pork belly served with chicory salad leaves.  Crisp, unctuous and terrifyingly salty, but in a good way, this pork meant business.  My amici had primi pasta and a burger from the specials board which I tried and coveted. So a meal consisting of mainly meat and cheese, washed down with a good Orvieto.  Heavenly,  Just a crying shame we missed the jazz, as the music was not scheduled to start until ten.  We were sitting right in front of the stage, so as we were finishing off our meal the musicians were setting up and tuning up, what a tease.  Well at least I'm briefed for next time and will be booking a late table well in advance.  

http://www.thepelicanclub.co.uk/