Ice Cream Ireland

 My brother and I spent the last few days driving around Dublin peddling our ice cream, and there’s much activity in the food world - at least on a retail level. In Howth, Beshoff’s (photo above) has opened a fantastic gourmet shop with a drool-inducing fish counter and a smashing oyster bar run by their neighboring restaurant, Ivans. We couldn’t help dallying and had one of the tastiest lunches in recent memory. Well worth a detour.

Fresh (who oddly don’t seem to have a website) have added on a couple of stores, and Superquinn is also expanding. Their latest shop is in Ranelagh, with impressive glass frontage on the Main Street, and perhaps to counter this incursion, Morton’s is in the process of expanding to double their size. Already one of the best shops in the country, Morton’s will be even more stunning when it’s complete.

Donnybrook Fair, meanwhile, have taken over the K.C.R. garage in Terenure, and its location is sure to make it a success. Exciting times for a foodie!

Finally, we headed to the Digital Media Awards last night, and I must congratulate Feebee who well deserved to take home the award for best blog. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet her or Deborah on the night, but we did share a table with some lovely people from Dublin Tourism, who won an award for a great idea - iWalks - podcast tours of Dublin. I could have used a good walk after all that eating and driving…

Technorati tags: Dublin, restaurant, food, tourism, ireland

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My brother Sean and I have headed to Dublin to visit some accounts and attend the Digital Media Awards tomorrow night. Tonight, we decided to splurge and feast at Thornton’s. Here’s a video of the desserts. Mine was a warm chocolate tart with raspberry sorbet and rasberries. Sean had a blood orange souffle with mandarin sorbet. Memorable!

For those interested, Kevin Thornton has a lively blog here.

I’m just back from Venice, and it’s a bit of a shock to leave the place. I can’t recommend it more highly, although I believe it must be unpleasant in the summer with the crush.

For anyone worried about the expense, just stay away from the cafes around St. Mark’s, and look for an apartment if you are staying more than a couple of days.

We had some meals out and some meals in, and all in all found Venice good value, especially if you avoid the patently touristy joints and make some meals from the market. And why wouldn’t you do just that? Delicious fish, fruit and vegetables at very low prices can make any meal an affordable feast!

I do hope to go back to that magical city soon, but now I’m in Dingle, and I can’t complain much about that!

I must get to the business of ice cream (and back to blogging about it!)

So here are the last photos from Venice…

Technorati tags: Venice, Italy, holiday, ice cream

This morning at 8:00, sirens sounded in the city of Venice, waking me from quite a sound sleep. Fire? No, it means “aqua alta” in Venetian or floods. At full moon in the Winter, high tide often floods parts of the city, and we decided to head down to Campo S. Marco for a gander.

For those who think that Wellies are unfashionable, the sirens let Venetians know that it is time to don the rubber boots, they do it in style.

Not only do they manage to look just as good, but they clearly take pride in the fact that they can wade nonchalantly through the flooded squares, avoiding the crowds of shoe-wearing tourists on the raised gangways.

The great thing about the high tide was Campo S. Marco was peaceful and empty. If you could wade to a raised spot, you were alone except for everyone on the edges. What a beautiful sight.

We did go into the Palazzo Ducale for a look at the Venice and Islam Exhibition, which had some beautiful pieces, and took a quick stroll around the Museo Correr. Then we went back out to the square, and enjoyed the flooded square some more.

What really made it pleasant was that even the pigeons kept to high ground, perching on the chairs of the flooded cafes.

Last night, by the way, we had a stunning meal in Al Fontego Dei Pescatori in Cannaregio. Highly recommended Venetian fare (my Venetian partner in crime compared it to her mama’s cooking - high praise indeed). Make sure you peruse their excellent wine list, and leave room for the sublime desserts if you visit!

Technorati tags: Venice, Italy, St. Marks, square

A week in Venice goes by very quickly! Even without the museums and other attractions, simply walking around the city offers enough diversion that the days fly in a series of beautiful images.

Of couse, visiting the mask shops was a must for us, since Wrens Day is coming up quickly, and what better costume for this year than a mask from Venice?

It is a bit surprising to me how strong tourism is here that even in the end of October, the place is packed with us. I cant even imagine what it is like here in Summer. Anyway… 

For any foodie, the market in Rialto is a visual treat, and lunch today will come from the chunks of fresh tuna bought there along with fresh fennel and other vegetables.

In terms of ice cream, Gelateria Nico in Zattere has been the best so far, and it is a perfect place to grab an ice cream for a stroll to see the gondolas being fixed in the boatyard or a wander along the lagoon.

It must be said that most of the ice cream around the place is utter junk, the then again, that is the case in most places…

The best meal has been in La Zucca, a delightful restaurant with good vegetarian options as well as the usual meats, etc. The pumpkin flan (not a dessert) is worth a trip in itself, and the desserts are definitely weighted toward the chocoholic (happy days!)

Today, I think, will be a lazy day, and I will get some work done on the book. On the other hand, there is the Venice Biennale on at the moment, and it certainly is tempting to go wander the pavillions and soak in some (more) art…

Technorati tags: Venice, Italy, Rialto, market

 It is so great to be in this city! The old buildings and faded grandeur are so refreshing coming from Ireland, where old is bad and every slightly weathered structure is ripped down in favour of spanking new semi-Ds.

I could spend a week simply walking, feasting on the visual treats. I’m staying in a rented apartment instead of a hotel, and it’s huge, quiet, central, full of charm, and brilliant in that I don’t have to have every meal out. Last night I made a pumpkin risotto with spoils from the market…

Tonight it’s a Handel and Vivaldi concert in Scuola Grande San Rocco beneath the masterpieces of Tintoretto, tomorrow it’s La Fenice. I’m so spoiled!

Technorati tags: Venice, Italy, La Fenice, market

 The ice cream man is off to Venice for a boost to the soul and a bit of work on the book! The flight is to Bergamo, where I’m spending a night in an agritourismo (farmhouse accommodation) near-by. Then on to the Veneto and that loveliest of cities. I’ll post when I get a chance…

I didn’t think that people ate ice cream in Biarritz, until last Sunday. Then, all of the strollers came out and lined up for the stuff. Quite amazing to see the place so busy, and to see shops that had been mostly closed during the week doing a booming trade. Anyway, above is a sampling of photos…

Technorati tags: Biarritz, France, ice cream, eaters

One could get used to life in Biarritz. A swim and then coffee in the morning, followed by a visit to the market, a day writing, and a sunset stroll before dinner to look out across the water and to marvel at the amount of surfers, bobbing around like a huge family of seals.

The markets in France have always been a source of joy for me. Life in Ireland has greatly improved with the advent of the farmer’s markets, but still we are a ways from what one can find on this side of the water - especially in terms of vegetables, fruits, baked goods, and freshly-caught fish.

Every day, my lunch has consisted of booty collected at the market - prawns, local cheeses, fresh yogurt, and whatever looks especially tasty in terms of vegetables and fruits.

Nights have been about checking out the local eateries. Last night the restaurant was
Les Platanes, a restaurant with a Michelin star, in an old house with plenty of charm.

The service was friendly and the food was quite good, although perhaps not quite what one would expect given the reputation. Could be, of course, that the chef was distracted by the rugby and and not giving the cooking the usual attention. I’m guessing it’s bad form to go for a meal while “Les Bleus” are playing. From my perspective, however, given Ireland’s performances, I was happy for the distraction!

(P.S. from Saturday night: Just back from Chez Albert down at the pier. It’s a seafood restaurant with a stunning location. Inventive and delicious. Definitely recommended, but give the desserts a miss.)

Technorati tags: Biarritz, France, food, market

That’s not me on the surfboard. No, I have been quite diligent here, working away on the book. Still, there has been time to stroll around the place and get a sense of Biarritz.

It’s surprisingly quiet, so I don’t know if we’ll be opening a shop here anytime soon! But the tranquility is what makes it appealing - a relaxed place, with slightly faded grandeur.

One thing is certain - it is very popular with surfers. The beach is packed with them. They are the only people who seem in a hurry - I’ve met a few running down the streets in wetsuits, boards tucked under the arm, to try to catch the next wave.

This evening I had a delightful meal in Le Clos Basque Restaurant (12, Rue Louis Barthou, Biarritz). Tucked away down a side street, the interior is charming with white-washed walls and starched blue and white tablecloths.

The food was inventive (perfectly cooked skewer of prawns with strawberries and a vanilla risotto, gazpacho with black pepper and mint served with a slice of peasant bread and aged parmesan, stewed apricots with lavender chantilly) and worth waiting for (the place was packed, and the waiters seemed a bit overwhelmed). The prices were as surprising as the food - less than 30 euro per person for three courses including wine…

Reservations are essential. So book ahead and don’t miss it. After all, what’s the hurry?

Technorati tags: Biarritz, France, food, book, Le Clos Basque, restaurant