Some Dose cures all ailments Over the course of recent months, as No 1 Son hit the home straight of further academic shenanigans, The Menu would unchain said progeny from his desk to take him out for some much needed R&R in the form of a stroll and a coffee at the Some Dose coffee shop in Congress Road, in Turner’s Cross. The Menu was especially delighted to see proprietors Jarryd and Tamzyn Kotze choosing a formerly defunct suburban retail premises in which to open their second outlet (the first is in Hanley’s Garden Centre, Frankfield), restoring some of that local independent community feel which has become so sadly lacking in these days of homogenised franchised high street chains and industrial retail parks. And now the intrepid duo are opening a third outlet, this one in the Cork Opera House Café, weekdays only.
Of course, it is ultimately all about the bean for The Menu and he is delighted to report that not only are they pouring Roasted Brown but other specialty coffees, Irish and international. Those spied on their shelves in recent times include Cloudpicker, Exemplar, White Star, Bailies and Right Side Coffee, making it a veritable temple to the way of the bean. Rare opportunity for wining and dining Meeran Manzoor, Executive Chef at Rare in Kinsale’s delightful little Blue Haven hotel, continues to garner an ever-growing retinue of fans as his application of classical French technique to his Tamil Nadu heritage then brought to bear on premium Irish produce yields up increasingly wonderful results on the plate.
Upcoming is a visit by award-winning winemaker Jules Taylor for an exclusive Wine & Food Pairing Experience (August 29), as ‘The Queen of Sauvignon Blanc’ pairs her wines to a five-course tasting menu, with opportunities to also sample Jules’ bespoke Blue Haven Sauvignon Blanc created exclusively for the Blue Haven collection. A special seat at the Dunloe table The revitalised Dunloe Hotel & Gardens continues its exclusive Chef’s Table experience in their Grill Restaurant, hosted by Executive Head Chef Jupp Osterloh and Head Chef Thomas Ostermann, for an intimate dining experience (August 31) featuring a seasonal menu while seated in front of the open kitchen, engaging with the kitchen team as they present a bespoke eight-courser featuring produce from the farmers, fishermen and growers of the region, with a maximum of eight guests. It sounds like the perfect night out for a family or friend group seeking to celebrate a special occasion, with overnight package deals also available.
Bedding down at Mount Congreve The Menu has a very strong suspicion that, in the coming years, Mount Congreve House is going to become a unique Irish hospitality destination par excellence and the opening of the first suite only further serves to confirm that hunch, with the new Courtyard Suite in the West Wing, offering a very sumptuous take on historical habitation with a cooked-to-order breakfast in the award-winning Stables Café by the Pantry at CLIFF included for each stay, along with access to the incredible 70 acres of Mount Congreve Gardens which will undoubtedly be a highlight of each stay. Also added to the portfolio is the newly restored gate lodge at Mount Congreve’s Forest Hotel, a short drive from the gardens, Whitfield Court Gate Lodge, on the 18th-century Whitfield Court Estate, a luxurious self-catering accommodation option which is also dog-friendly. Today’s Special The Menu believes the only way to properly deal with a largely washed out summer is to act as if it is in fact not happening at all and he has passed recent months gliding around in a self-induced Aegean haze of delightful delusion, not least indulging his passion for vermouth, especially in pre-prandial negronis.
So he is currently raving about the Stillgarden Distillery collaboration with Valentia Island Vermouth for their All-Irish Negroni gift sets, bringing together two excellent Irish libations in a single glass, in a pretty gift set that includes Stillgarden’s Distillers Edition Gin (500ml), Stillgarden O’Maro (200ml), Valentia Island Vermouth (100ml), two glasses and two tickets for a Distillery Tour at Stillgarden Distillery..
