[Travel] A weekend in the Priorat

Last August, I found myself standing on top of a hill in the Priorat, surrounded by vines laden heavy with grapes, under the intense searingly dry heat of the late summer sun. The vineyards were enjoying the quiet time that comes before the hustle and bustle of the harvest. It was a pretty intense moment, where I really felt connected to the land, to the vines and to the magnificent wines of the region. 

The Torres Priorat winery at El Lloar

[Wine] Torres Priorat

DISCLOSURE: My visit to the Torres winery at El Lloar in the Priorat was provided free of charge by Pico Communication and Torres. Many thanks to all those who helped arrange the visit. 

The Priorat is a sun-baked, mountainous region inland from Tarragona and south of Barcelona. Climbing up through the mountains via the modern but very windy roads brings about a sense of awe. Abandoned terraces are visible, cut into the hillsides, once verdant with vines but now abandoned for decades. The combination of emmigration and the fascist rule of Franco took their toll on the Priorat, resulting in an 80% reduction in the area under viticulture. 

The DO Priorat winemaking region was created in 1954, but it wasn't until the late 1980s and early 1990s that things started to change. In 1985, the bottling of bulk wine was phased out and the production of quality wine was phased in. Then came the revolution. In 1989, winemaker Rene Barbier and a gang of likeminded winemakers bought land in the Priorat and introduced fine winemaking techniques along with French grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot. The world started to take notice, the modern reputation of Priorat wines was born and it has continued to grow ever since.

The vineyards at Torres near El Lloar

[Travel] 3 new Amsterdam hotspots

Amsterdam can be so cold during the winter months. But it's also a city that's never quiet. Tourists and weekenders are always thronging the streets, especially in the middle of town. There are always new bars and restaurants to check out, so here are three of my latest finds for you to enjoy.

Bar de Vlieg

Bar de Vlieg is a four month pop-up collaboration running until the end of March 2017 between the famous and historic d'Vijff Vlieghen restaurant and the Nolet Distillery from Schiedam which is run and staffed by bartenders from the Fabulous Shaker Boys. You may not immediately recognise the name of the Nolet Distillery, but you will know their range of Ketel One vodkas and Ketel 1 jenevers (Dutch gin).

The location is what makes Bar de Vlieg really special. It's located upstairs in a small, warm cosy room in a  complex of 5 17th century townhouses on Spuistraat that make up the d'Vijff Vlieghen restaurant. Every single inch of the room, from the brown wooden panelling to Dutch wall tiles and the original windows literally screams history. The bar staff are immediately welcoming and most importantly the drinks are exceptionally good, served in beautifully delicate glassware. Try the jenever martini for a blast of rocket fuel and feast on the Dutch bar snacks in order to prevent any consequences.

Cocktails at the Ketel One pop-up at Bar de Klieg

[Travel] A quick weekend in Paris

Can you believe that until recently, I had never been to Paris? I had passed through Charles de Gaulle Airport several times, moving between one flight and the next, but I had never been in the city centre itself. So I must admit that I was quite excited when we booked a short weekend in Paris in March. 

As I was working in Amsterdam, I travelled via Thalys (high speed train) to Paris and it was a comfortable relaxing experience. I arrived at the Gare du Nord station, where I then caught a metro to our hotel on the Place de la République. The tall statue of Marianne (the personification of the French republican) at the centre of the square was still covered in tributes to the victims of the November 2015 Paris shootings and the grey, bleak wintery weather suited it well. 

Metro entrance near Place de la République

[Travel] A weekend in Amsterdam

There are some places in this world where life's journey keeps directing you. In my case, it's Amsterdam. At this stage, I've worked in Amsterdam for 3 different clients, and my current engagement will keep me there for the foreseeable future. It's a good thing that I like the city! I first lived in Amsterdam in 2010 and managed to get all of the usual tourist experiences done in that first year. Now that I'm back (yet again), my current focus is trying to find the latest and coolest spots. My self-imposed challenge on a recent weekend visit was to visit as many new spots as I could. 

Ironically, on a weekend of new discovery, I started with an old spot, the superb cocktail bar Tales & Spirits, located a few minutes away from Dam Square, down a little street, along with some red light booths. Inside, it's a very classy affair with dapper bartenders and a smart cocktail menu. Grab a seat at the bar and have some fun with the crew as they shake their way through the orders. 

The General Lee at Tales & Spirits

[Travel] Wine Tour in Bordeaux

Early this year, we chose Bordeaux as a destination for a long weekend. Thanks to Aer Lingus, we got good value flights, with flight times at sensible hours and we sorted a lovely apartment in the old town through Airbnb. The only thing left to think about was which vineyards we would visit. I thought briefly about renting a car, but instead I booked a "Best of Wine Tourism" day trip via the Bordeaux Tourism website. The Tourism office offers a good selection of half-day and day-long tours in the various appellations surrounding Bordeaux, making it the perfect way for us first-time visitors to see Bordeaux. The "Best of" tour visits 3 different châteaux, selected from the 16 châteaux who won "Best of Wine Tourism" awards in 2015. The destinations rotate for every trip, meaning that we would not know which vineyards we would be visiting until we set out. 

On a bright Saturday morning, we joined our tour group outside the Bordeaux Tourism office and boarded our coach for the days' fun. The first stop was relatively close by in Pessac-Léognan, where we would be visiting the winery at Château Couhins. Most of the estate is owned by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) who use it for viniculture research while still also producing a white grand cru classé.

In fact, this would be the only white wine we would taste on the day, not surprising given the predominance of red wines in the Bordeaux region. Made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc and full of crisp fresh fruit such as grapefruit and gooseberries, accompanied by good acidity and balance, this wine would give the top New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs quite a run for their money.

Chateaux Couhins-Lurton

Vines at Château Couhins

On the tour at Château Couhins

The cellar at Château Couhins

Tasting the wines

Our second stop of the day would be in the appellation of Fronsac, where we were visiting the beautiful Château de La Dauphine. Once hailed throughout the word for their quality, the wines of Fronsac fell out of popularity after phylloxera hit. Dating back to 1670, the struggling château was purchased by Jean Halley in 2000, who set out on a program of modernisation and revitalisation. The property is now being farmed organically and boasts a state-of-the-art vinification cellar with concrete and steel tanks designed to match each of the 14 plot sizes. 

Following a walk through the vineyards and the vinification cellar, we entered the château itself for lunch. Here we were treated to a superb 4 course meal, served by black-jacketed French waiters and  accompanied by lashings of wine from the estate. We started with the second label Delphis de La Dauphine (90% Merlot, 10% Cabarnet Franc), before moving to the first label Château de La Dauphine (also 90% Merlot and 10% Cabarnet Franc). I enjoyed both wines but the main wine was a very classy affair with fine tannins, dark red fruit and blackcurrants and good length.

After a very lengthy lunch, and lots of chat with our dining companions, it was time to board the bus for the last château. To be honest, given the free-flowing wine at lunch, I was a little surprised that we all made it back to the bus safely without losing any companions to the land of nod. 

The vines at Château de La Dauphine

The picturesque village of Fronsac

More grapes, nearing ripeness

The modern vinification cellar at Château de La Dauphine

The cellar at Château de La Dauphine

The beautiful Château de La Dauphine

The final stop was Château de Candale, a Saint-Émillion Grand Cru vineyard, set amongst field after field of beautifully maintained vines. The château is famous for its restaurant which, along with an outdoor terrace, is located on a gentle slope, affording us a chance to sit in the evening sun with a glass of fine wine. Following a tour of the winemaking facilities, we tasted two wines from the château. We started with the house rosé, S off Scandal, a light and fresh Bordeaux rosé, made especially for easy drinking. Next was the second label Roc de Candale, a nicely silky wine with lots of peppery notes. Disappointingly, we didn't get to taste any of the first label wine.

The gateway at Château de Candale in Saint-Émillion

The Saint-Émillion countryside

Getting the tour at Château de Candale

S off Scandale rosé from Château de Candale

Our tour guide had hoped that we could visit the village of Saint-Émillon itself, but due to time constraints, we were limited to a quick drive-past, which also took in a stop outside the gates of the  (disappointingly restrained) world famous Pétrus estate. 

Having set out at 09.30, we arrived back in Bordeaux at 18.30. I must admit to being a little surprised at how quickly the day had passed. Tickets for the tour cost €105 per person, but I thought it was excellent value for the trip, considering it had 3 private guided tours, lashings of wine and a delicious, boozy lunch. Plus, there was no need to worry about drink-driving or being over the limit. 

[Travel] Another weekend in Amsterdam

We recently returned to the Netherlands, and more specifically to Amsterdam, for a little weekend away. Even though it's been 4 years since I left Amsterdam, I immediately feel at home and comfortable whenever I return. In a city where bicycles outnumber residents, it's so tempting to fall into the Amsterdam cliches of the Red Light district, canals, coffee shops and bicycles. However, if you dig a little deeper and head away from the tourist spots, Amsterdam is a stylish city with many hidden gems.

Following out check in at the hotel, we set off down Overtoom in the bright winter sunshine. We had a specific target in mind, namely the delicious burgers at the fun and lively Cafe Parck. I had first discovered Cafe Parck when living in Amsterdam, and I had fallen heard for their tasty burgers (plus the fact that they have a cat living in the bar). We both ordered the Fabulous Twinburgers, with a portion of parmesan fries and samurai sauce to share. Each portion consisted of two perfectly cooked (medium rare) juicy burgers, complete with all trimmings. The burgers were every bit as good as I remembered, getting our Amsterdam visit off to a flying start.

Twin burgers at Cafe Parck 

Menu at Cafe Parck

Leaving Cafe Parck, we hopped onto the tram and headed north to Central Station. From there, it was a 5 minute walk in the very very cold air to one of Amsterdam's finest cocktail bars. Hiding in Plain Sight sits quietly on the corner of two streets in a residential area and serves drinks across two small floors. Given the small size of the bar, reservations are always a good idea here. The prices aren't cheap, but the exquisitely turned out staff produce some damn fine drinks.  Here, we sampled a selection of seasonal drinks, including cocktails based on sugarsnap peas and christmas cake-infused brandy. All excellent. 

Citron Brûlée at Hiding in Plain Sight

South Snap at Hiding in Plain Sight

The next day, we checked out the newly opened Nacional for a light lunch. The vibe at Nacional is French brasserie, with high ceilings, exposed brickwork and white linen. It feels immediately classic and is a very welcome addition to the touristy venues scattered around Leidseplein. An open tartine sandwich plus a plate of melted brie with roasted red onion set us up nicely for an afternoon of strolling. 

The interior at Nacional

Brie with roasted red onion at Nacional

On Saturday night, we caught yet another tram, this time heading west to the renovated de Hallen. Dinner was reserved at Meat West, a new restaurant firmly targeted at meat lovers. Box iron frames help section the restaurant which sits in a old tram repair shed. Prices aren't cheap here, and service was somewhat slow, but the quality of the steak and the whole roast spring chicken were excellent.

After our dinner, we left Meat West with the intention of having a look around the rest of the de Hallen complex. We wandered through the crowds in the Foodhallen, marveling at the variety of food stalls. In fact, we liked the Foodhallen so much that we returned the very next day for lunch. Read more about our visit here. 

The interior of Meat West, in de Hallen

Smoked beef ribeye with parmesan cracker

Marinated salmon

Dry-aged ribeye

Grilled whole spring chicken with lemon

On this trip to Amsterdam, we mixed it up with some favourites (Cafe Parck and Hiding in Plain Sight), while adding in some new finds (Meat West and Nacional). The wonderful Foodhallen will be a regular fixture on future visits to Amsterdam. Amsterdam is indeed a city that's worth investigating.

Cafe Parck, Overtoom 428, Amsterdam 1054 JV
Tel: +31 (0)20 412 5335
URL: www.cafeparck.nl
Twitter: @CafeParck

Hiding in Plain Sight, Rapenburg 18, Amsterdam 1011 TX
Tel: +31 (0)6 25 29 36 20
URL: www.hpsamsterdam.com
Twitter: @HPSAmsterdam

Nacional, Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 11A, Amsterdam 1017RP
Tel: +31 (0)20 205 0908
URL: nacional.nl

Meat West, Bellamyplein 51, Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 2181 776
URL: meatwest.nl

[Travel] Foodhallen Amsterdam

You have to give it to the Dutch. In their typically classy and refined manner, a former Amsterdam repair shed for electric trams has been converted into a beautiful event and food space. Large airy halls play home to cultural spaces, a movie theatre and many other attractions. It also is home to Amsterdam's very own indoor food market, the Foodhallen. It's only been open since October 2014 but it's already proving very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Interior of De Hallen

The Foodhallen is a large space with restaurant booths lining the walls with a couple of central bars and loads of communal seating. We passed through on a Saturday night after dinner at the nearby Meat West restaurant (also located in De Hallen) and we returned Sunday for an early lunch. On both occasions, the Foodhallen was full of families, couples and diners.

Food stalls at the Foodhallen

Gin & Tonic bar at the Foodhallen

As we wandered around the stalls, we found it increasingly hard to make up our minds. The incredible cheese sandwiches at Caulils Kaas made us both pause. They were stacked up high, packed full of grated cheese, waiting for the heat of the grill to create some melted magic. The end result was one of the best cheese toasties I've even eaten, complete with buttery grilled outside and wonderful oozing cheese inside. Trust me readers when I say that this sandwich is worth a trip to Amsterdam alone.

Cheese sandwiches piled high at Caulils Kaas

The perfect grilled cheese sandwich from Caulils Kaas

The Rough Kitchen is a concept stall from Jord Althuizen (specialist in pig roasting) and Mark Polman (cookbook author) and it focuses on all things piggy. Several trays of pork pieces sitting under hot lights lured me in and I ordered a pork tasting platter with two hot meats (pork belly and pulled pork) with a selection of three cold meats (terrine, rillette and spek). Utterly delicious and some of the best pork products I've ever enjoyed.

Pork platter from the Rough Kitchen

The Rough Kitchen

Being the gluttons that we are, we couldn't resist staying for some more tasty dishes. I chose a posh dog from Bulls & Dogs, featuring a pork dog with truffle and hazelnut, while Himself chose fresh spring rice paper rolls from Viêt View.  Again, both delicious and great examples of quick food, done well.

The Foodhallen reminds me so much of other food halls around Europe, particularly the new Mercado da Ribeiro in Lisbon. Street food, small stalls and tapas are a great way of eating, particularly as a couple, with family or with friends. In short, it's a great way of eating with anyone. So if you're in Amsterdam, avoid the usual tourist trap restaurants and take a slight detour to the Foodhallen.

The Posh Dog from Bulls & Dogs

Salamis at Bulls & Dogs

Viêt View

Fresh Vietnamese spring rolls at Viêt View

Foodhallen Amsterdam, Bellamyplein 51, Amsterdam

URL: www.foodhallen.nl

[Travel] Food in New York, October 2014

What does a bon vivant do when she ends up in New York on her own? Well, if she's like me, she plans her eating and drinking and is 100% willing to put in the effort to make sure she gets the job done. Dublin has absorbed so many influences from cities like New York and London recently that you're left wondering what's still left or undiscovered. While New York has a scale and energy that's all its own, by the time I left I was happily convinced that Dublin is currently up there with the best that NY could do. 

I had a short list of things I absolutely had to accomplish on this trip, which included shopping in Century 21, cocktails at the Dead Rabbit and a trip to one of David Chang's Momofuku venues. I got myself down to Century 21 shortly after it opened at 8am and I spent the next few hours happily browsing rails and digging through shoes. But eventually, my stomach started calling so I hailed a cab to head uptown to Momofuku Ssäm Bar 

Momofuku Ssäm Bar, 207 2nd Avenue, New York 10003

Momofuku Ssäm Bar is reservationless, except for certain dishes, and I wanted to get there early to be sure of a seat. In the end, the restaurant turned out to be mainly empty and I parked myself at a counter seat. I ordered the famous spicy pork sausage and rice cakes dish ($19), with a plate of fried duck dumplings to start ($12). The dumplings were indeed crispy, but lacked any significant flavour, despite a little broth with pickled cauliflower and some sriracha mayo. 

The signature spicy pork sausage and rice cake looked like a bowl of heavenly spiciness when it was delivered to my counter space. Don't be fooled by the words "rice cakes" as what you get here are dense, gnocchi-like pillows of rice that have soaked up the oily juices. Once I got to eating, I could pick up some Sichuan pepper flavours, but they were low key and ultimately not spicy. At this stage, I was questioning my palette, wondering if I had picked up a cold or flu that was numbing my taste buds. After all, this dish was oily and red with bean paste, all things that usually bode well. A quick sip of my wine reassured me that I was tasting just fine. Since eating there, I've found numerous versions of this recipe on the internet, and it really does sound better than the version I tasted. I think I'll be trying it out at home to see if it redeems itself.

Momofuku is famous for their addictive Milkbar desserts, so I rolled the dice one last time with the Thai tea pie served with saliva-inducing tamarind. I simply loved this strangely sweet and tangy dessert with its delicious crumb and vibrant parfait-like layers.

Fried duck dumplings at Momofuku Ssäm

Spicy pork sausage and rice cakes at Momofuku Ssaäm

Thai tea pie with tamarind and almond at Momofuku Ssäm

Empellón Taqueria, 230 W 4th Street, New York 10014
Empellón Al Pastor, 132 St Mark's Place, New York NY 10009

Empellón was another to do item on my checklist. I've been following this creative Mexican group of venues from ex-pastry chef Alex Stupak ever since I came across their blog posts. I had made a reservation for one (not lonesome at all, let me reassure you) and was supping an excellent margarita when I was personally welcomed by both the hostess and manager. Turns out they had seen my tweets and wanted to make sure that I enjoyed myself. I was genuinely gobsmacked by their warm welcome and the fact that they cared about a single, overseas visitor.

Empellón Taqueria is a sit-down restaurant in the West Village and was nicely buzzing on my visit. Guacamole and chips came with two punchy salsas, one a nutty, fiery arbol and the other a smooth smoked cashew ($12). Let's just say that a mental note has been made to replicate these at home. A dish of octopus, parsnip and pumpkin seeds coated in a smoky, sweet and spicysalsa papanteca ($16, complimentary from the house) was utterly moreish and was followed by two tacos of succulent pork shoulder and roast, caramelised pineapple ($12). 

In contrast to the Taqueria, Empellón Al Pastor is a less-formal bar-restaurant on the East Village. You order from a short taco menu at either the bar or taco counter, grab a number and wait for delivery at your table. All tacos are just $4 and once again I had the delicious pork shoulder and pineapple taco, along with a beef and caramelised onion taco. Add in another great margarita with smoked salt ($12) and I was completely rocking a party of one. 

Beef taco at Empellon Al Pastor

Pork shoulder with pineapple at Empellon Al Pastor

Eataly, 200 5th Avenue, New York 10010
Bouchon Bakery, 1 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 10016

The next day, I found myself wandering around 5th Avenue and at the recommendation of several Twitter friends, I called into Eataly. I had heard so much about this Italian food emporium and was curious to see for myself. Intially, I wondered what all the fuss was about, but as I wandered deeper and deeper into the halls, it opened up like an Aladdin's cave of treasures. When I found myself in deep contemplation of a jar of pistachio spread, I knew it was time to stop.

Well, as you can predict, it was time for another pitstop, and I pulled up a seat at the marble counter of La Piazza.  Fresh bocconcini (mini mozzarella balls) topped with sautéed spinach and chiles ($14) was followed by nutty, deeply intense arancini flavoured with wood mushroom and Fontina fondue ($9).  My only regret is not getting the lift to the top floor roof bar. 

By accident, I came across an outlet of the famous Bouchon Bakery (from chef Thomas Keller) at Rockefeller Plaza. As I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, in I went for one of their oversized macaron. I ate the delicious creation outside in the fresh cold air, watched closely by many of the little birds that take advantage of the crumbs.

Bocconcini with spinach at Eataly

Arancini at Eatalyv

Macaron at Bouchon

A little table guest at Bouchon

fsOriental Garden, 14 Elizabeth Street, New York, 10013

My hotel for this trip was located in Chinatown, and I had repeatedly promised myself a Chinatown dinner. However, instead of dinner, we ended up having dim sum for breakfast at the Oriental Garden, just off Canal Street. Inside, groups of Chinese women were laughing through breakfast, and we started with a selection of ready-prepared dim sum from bamboo steamers on a table side trolley. Shark fin dumplings and classic pork & shrimp dumplings were light, incredibly fresh and gently aromatic. These were followed by a selection of fried plates, cooked to order from the kitchen. All dim sum range between $3 and $5, meaning that our breakfast just creeped over the $20 mark.

Shark fin dumplings at Oriental Garden 

Pork and seafood pancakes at Oriental Garden

I hope my little eating adventure around New York will give you ideas for your next trip. And in case you're wondering what did I drink while in the Big Apple, my next post will cover my cocktail tour!