[Listing] A Taste of Mexico Festival

I found yet another email in my inbox, which offers some more free and fun food-releated entertainment to Dubliners. The Mexican Gastronomic and Cultural Festival will run between November 12th - 17th and will bring the sounds, culture and taste of Mexico to Dublin for the third year running. Mexican food has become hugely popular in Dublin over the last few years, and ‘A Taste of Mexico’ features many of the growing number of Mexican restaurants and offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in Mexican culture.

“It is wonderful for us to offer a little taste of Mexico to Irish people, and we hope many will take advantage of that”, said Mexican Ambassador, Carlos Garcia de Alba.

• November 13th - Chef Helma Honda, a specialist in authentic Mexican food, will host a conference about genuine Mexican cuisine, sharing her expertise and love of this unique cuisine in The Instituto Cervantes on Lincoln Place.  The conference will be followed by a tasting of tequila, the iconic Mexican spirit. 
• November 14th - A hosted tasting of mezcal ,a little known spirit that has recently been generating worldwide interest, will take place in the Instituto Cervantes.

Both these events are free and open to the public.

• November 15th - The search is on for ‘The Best Taco in Dublin’. This will be hosted in the Mansion House with a judging panel including the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Oisin Quinn, renowned chef and food writer Darina Allen, and chef Helma Honda, (this is an invitation only event). Foodies around Dublin have also been asked to vote online who serves the best tacos in town. Voting has now opened on the taste of Mexico Dublin Facebook page, www.facebook.com/tasteofmexicodublin 

The festival offers a wide range of authentic and traditional Mexican events including a variety of tastings, cookery workshops by the renowned Mexican Master Chef Claudio Loredo  and chef Helma Honda, live Mariachi music and events so bring your amigos to this fiesty fiesta. For further information visit the Embassy of Mexico’s website: www.embamex.ie.

The Taste of Mexico Festival is sponsored by Pernod Ricard-Irish Distillers, the Cervantes Institute, The Village at Lyons, Aeromexico, the regional office of the Mexican Tourism Board, Corona, Barry and Fitzwilliam, and The Porterhouse Group. 

[Listing] Bend in the River Wine & Style Night

I'm always a fan of a free event so when details of the inaugural Bend in the River Wine & Style Night appeared in my inbox, I felt it was worth sharing. The event will take place in House of Fraser at Dundrum Town Centre on Thursday, November 14th. It will form part of the Shop & Rock event, and The Bend in the River will host their own VIP exclusive event as part of the fun-filled night.

Cafe Zest on the top floor of House of Fraser will serve The Bend in the River wine alongside tasty canapés, free beauty makeovers, tips by Benefit and other cosmetic houses, great music, a novel photo booth, jam-packed goodie bags and much more. Bairbre Power, fashion editor of the Irish Independent will deliver a winter fashion masterclass, outlining all the key trends to watch out for this season.

In addition, there will be prizes on offer on the night including a trip to London with budgetair.ie, an overnight stay at the lovely Wineport Lodge thanks to Ireland's Blue Book and a House of Fraser shopping bonanza. 

The Bend in the River takes its name from a beautiful gorge section of the majestic River Rhine, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where it meanders and bends it way past the small town of Bingen in Germany, the home of The Bend in the River wines. 

[Feature] A burger manifesto for Ireland

I don't know who was the first person to think of placing a grilled meat patty between two slices of bread, along with salad and condiments, but I thank that person from the bottom of my gluttonous stomach. The burger probably started out as a quick dining option, and while it still serves that function, it's also possible to dine on gourmet burgers. The burger is truly a king among foodstuffs.

Across the pond in the US, they take the burger pretty seriously. Patties are juicy and often cooked to order, even to my preferred medium rare. In recent years, several hamburger chains have achieved something close to cult status, including Five Guys, In-N-Out and Fatburger. Even the Wahlberg brothers have a hamburger restaurant, the cleverly titled Wahlburgers. Recently, I found myself running through Washington Dulles airport, hoping my make my connecting plane to Newark, where a plane home to Dublin awaited me. But, just a short distance from the gate, I noticed a Five Guys outlet. I skidded to a halt. 5 minutes later, I was sitting at the gate gleefully wolfing down my lettuce-wrapped, bacon cheeseburger and praying to St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) that this burger would not leak it's juicy goodness over my work clothes.

A selection of US burgers (from top Houlihan's, Stanford Grill and Five Guys)

All these wonderful burger experiences have made me despair of the standard of burger production in Ireland (with some obvious exceptions, which I'll get to later). If you order a burger in most pubs or casual dining spots, chances are that you will receive a hockey-puck lump of dry grainy meat, cooked to an attractive grey wallpaper paste colour. A slice of tomato and a few lettuce leaves usually sit miserably on top as garnish, unsure as to how they ended up there. I understand that cooking meat through is a food safety issue, but there is no excuse for much of the woeful mistreatment of burgers to which I have been subjected in Ireland. Most of them belong to a monochrome world which has been sucked dry of all pleasure and joy.

It really a travesty. The chefs who cook and serve these monstrosities should call themselves aside. If they don't understand the burger, then they shouldn't have it on their menus. So this is is my manifesto. If you are a restaurant or venue that serves up a burger crime, I will critique you. Simply put, Irish diners and Irish beef deserve more respect.

There are some bright spots of burger cuisine, enough to make me optimistic that there are some chefs  and restaurants out there who really do understand the burger. For me Bunsen Burger on Dublin's Wexford Street serves up the best burger in Dublin. Their offering is a juicy and flavoursome dirty-style burger, the complete opposite to standard grey Irish burger.

The Bunsen Burger

The Morrison Grill at the newly refurbished Morrison Hotel also serves up a burger worth eating. It's a substantial beast with a thick patty but their Josper Grill ensures that the meat remains juicy. Half the burger was more than enough for me, especially as it comes with additional sides such as pickles and crispy onion strips.

The Morrison Grill Burger

During my quest around Dublin for the best burgers, I revisited Bóbós. Several years ago, I hadn't thought much of their burgers, but I was quite pleased by their bacon cheeseburger offering. It ticked all the boxes with a juicy, tasty patty and clean simple toppings. Extra marks were awarded for the excellent fries, plus who can resist a restaurant packed with cow pictures?

Bóbós Burger

My final mention is for Gourmet Burger Kitchen, a chain of gourmet burger restaurants. While this place does suffer from a soulless atmosphere, a forced Kiwi jollity and a tendency to construct burgers Pisa-style, it must be said that the burgers are good, plus they have a brioche bun option.

Bacon Cheeseburger at Gourmet Burger Kitchen

What do you think about burger crimes? Which places serve the best (and maybe the worst burgers)? Please comment below, especially if you have any hidden gems which deserve to be praised.

[Review] Luke's Lobster Roll, Washington DC

I've been in Washington DC before, but never on a sunny Autumn day. Right now, the leaves on the trees are the most vibrant shades of russet and gold and are all the more stunning against the backdrop of a bright blue sky. Driving along the Baltimore Washington Parkway is a visual delight with constant immersion in rich autumnal colours. It's a treat for the soul.

The good thing about visiting Washington DC on a Saturday is the quietness. It makes it pretty easy to get around and see the sights. I started with the Library of Congress, located in the 1897 Jefferson Building, a glorious Beaux Arts building right across from the Capitol. I wasn't expecting to find such elaborate architecture and design in an American building of this era. It is a wonderful tribute to everything book-related and our guide, Tom, was simply amazing. 

The US Capitol in the sunshine

Inside the Library of Congress

The Sciences on the vaulted ceiling at Library of Congress

Later I headed to Luke's Lobster, located on E Street NW in the Penn Quarter. Nothing really symbolises North East America food better than the lobster roll and I really wanted to try one. The lobster roll is deceptively simple in nature, consisting of some form of a bun or roll, packed with lumps of lobster meat. I was failing to see how this simple sounding construction could inspire such passion and devotion from aficionados. After all, lobster is the finest of sea food with it's sweet, succulent flesh.

Luke's Lobster

The restaurant itself is relatively small with high stools and a beachshack vibe. Luke's serve their lobster rolls Maine style. This means that the New England-style bun is toasted and buttered while the meat is cold and mixed with the slightest touch of mayonnaise, lemon juice and some secret spices. For $20, the lobster roll comes with chips (aka crisps), a pickle and a beer. At first glance, the bread roll itself appears quite small, but it is packed with large, coral-pink lumps of knuckle and claw meat. And it tastes so good. The bread is buttery sweet, brioche-soft with a slight sugary crunch, while the lobster is a literal gulp of the ocean. I chow it down, savouring every bite, but before too long I'm looking at an empty basket, mournfully dressed with lobster juices and seasoning.

The lobster roll: Before and after

After my Luke's Lobster experience, I fully get the lobster roll love affair. Somehow, this simple dish pays full respect to this magnificent crustacean. Hopefully, the next time I enjoy a lobster roll, I'll be sitting on a beachfront with the wind in my hair and sea-salt on my lips.

Luke's Lobster, 624 E Street NW, Washington DC 20004, United States
Tel: +1 (202) 347 3355
URL: www.lukeslobster.com
Twitter: @LukesLobsterDC

[Review] Cleaver East, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

When Mr and Mrs H came to visit in Dublin a few months ago, I knew that there was only one place I could take them. Just a few days earlier, a critic's review in the Sunday papers followed by a chef's response had sparked off a media storm. If nothing else, it definitely served to raise the already impressive profile of Cleaver East. With two Michelin-starred chefs involved, the venue was always going to be held to high standards, but we needed to verify for ourselves. I suppose you could consider it a form of gastronomic rubbernecking.

Somewhat disappointingly, all the famous cleavers were firmly attached to their frames, rather than sitting quivering and embedded in the table of a naughty diner (or even food critic). I found the cleavers in the exterior windows to be dour, but I quite liked the orange backlit arrangement on the rear wall. 

The eponymous cleavers

Cocktail special - a clever take on a mojito

Mr and Mrs H had arrived early (the luxury of being retired) but it took a few more minutes for Himself and myself to arrive from our respective workplaces. Despite being at the table for quite a while, we had to request menus from a member of staff, even though the dining room was reasonably empty. Cleaver East is all about small plates, designed to share around the table. With 4 of us dining, this challenge was accepted with gusto. We ended up ordering a plethora of plates, which eventually arrived in two rounds from the kitchen.

First up was the Cleaver East twisted take on a Scotch egg (€9), a sublimely excellent St Tola goat's cheese parfait (€8), a fresh and cool heirloom tomato salad with salty black olive crumb (€6) and a spiced Dublin Bay clam chowder, served in an organic glass bowl worthy of being part of a Philip Treacy hat (€13). Each plate was exquisitely pretty, adorned with fashionably required pea shoots, crumbs and dollops. Apart from the somewhat dull Scotch egg, the other plates were excellent examples of the craft.

We had been warned about the tasting plates concept (well it is 2013 and it's a bad state of affairs if you haven't been told at this stage), but even so we found ourselves waiting quite a while for the second wave of plates. Roast cod was delicious with wild artichoke (€9) while royal monkfish was partnered well with sweet piquillo peppers and Iberico crumb (€14). We had looked forward to the two meaty dishes of crispy lamb breast with rosemary aioli and glazed baby turnip (€10) and BBQ rare breed pork belly with apple and ginger (€9). The pork belly lived up to all expectations, but despite the excellent quality of the lamb, I felt that the rosemary aioli just didn't cut through the richness. 

St Tola goat's cheese parfait with heirloom beets and walnut praline

The twisted Cleaver East Scotch egg

Heirloom tomato salad with pickled onion shells and black olive crumb

Pan-fried scallops with crispy pancetta and potato bubbles

Spiced Dublin Bay clam chowder

Roast cod, wild artichoke cream and brown shrimp vinaigrette

And then we waited again for desserts. I'm sure that you can see the trend developing here. The Black Forest gateau? (yes, there is a question mark) invited many questions of our server, and it was duly ordered along with a Cleaver twisted version of banoffee and a strawberry pannacotta for myself, all extremely well-priced at €6 each. The tasting plates might be smaller-sized but the desserts are judged perfectly for one jealous diner. I quite liked the firm pannacotta base (how wobbly you prefer your pannacotta seems to be matter of personal opinions) but the honeycomb shards tasted too much of sodium bicarbonate, leaving an unwelcome chemical tang.

Strawberry pannacotta with honeycomb

Slow wait times aside, the service was genuinely warm and friendly. Don't let the surly, macho interior misguide you, as the food is a true reflection of what it takes to achieve a Michelin star. Rory Carville and Oliver Dunne have created a place where fine dining and tasting menus are combined at affordable prices in a social, casual venue. In short, it's a perfect restaurant for modern Dublin.

Cleaver East, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)1 531 3500
URL: cleavereast.ie
Twitter: @CleaverEast

[Listing] The Movember Cookbook

It's that time of year where men can validly grow all sorts of facial fuzz in support of a good cause. And the women in their lives have to grin and bear the pain of looking at the soup strainers. This year, the Movember charity launches its first official cookbook 'Cook Like A Man'. It aims to encourage Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to eat well, enjoy the tradition of good feasting with friends and family and transform themselves from bewildered cooks into fearless gourmets. 

The cookbook offers a host of Mo-friendly recipes from serious salads and soups to meat, fish and poultry dishes that pack a punch. It also features tips and tricks from Irish Mo Bro chefs, gleaned from their years of knowledge and exploration. Chefs from the Fumbally Cafe, Damson Diner, Ukiyo and the Brook Lodge have given their time and talent, alongside some mustachioed brethren  from the UK, Spain and Finland.

The recipes represent a true mix of individual Mo Bro Chef's tastes and family traditions with dishes that range from a simple Man Jam and Davis Family Ribs to the adventurous Chanterelle-Filled Reindeer Fillet and Som Tam Green Papaya Salad.  As Mo Bro Chefs, these guys know that the most important part of cooking up a feast is to bring family, friends, food and conversation around a table and so, with the release of 'Cook Like A Man' they hope to inspire Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to gather a crowd and cook up a storm.

'Cook Like A Man' will be in store from October 24th. For more information on Movember and 'Cook Like  A Man' visit www.movember.com.

A few facts about Movember

Movember, the month formerly known as November, is when men around the world grow a moustache, with the support of women in their lives, to raise awareness and funds for men's health - specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer and men's mental health. The Movember journey began in 2003 when a few friends in a pub in Melbourne, Australia. The goal as simple - to create a campaign promoting the growth of the moustache among like-minded people and to have fun along the way. 

The campaign how spans the globe with a reach of 21 countries. In 2012, over 1.1 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas raised a staggering €113.5 million with Ireland's 17,250 participants raising over €2.1 million. Funds raised around the world and directed to men's health programmes which are shaped by Movember's vision to have an everlasting impact on the face of men's health. 

[Review] Cocktails at House, Leeson Street, Dublin 2

Because I work in the vicinity of Harcourt Street, I think that I  have been dragged to most of the depressing bars and venues that litter the area around Harcourt Street and Leeson Street. Many of them are grim places with bad, loud music, forced jollity and the reek of desperation. I was intrigued when word started to filter through on Twitter that the venue formerly known as Kobra had been redesigned as House, a new "leisure option" including a greenhouse type location and wine room.

The first thing I noticed upon entering was the smell of a real fire, burning in the fireplace to the left. The entrance opens up into a wooden floored bar area, before transitioning to a conservatory and finally opening out onto the large garden area. The hostess offered to set me up a small foldaway table at the very beginning of the garden area, but the wafts of cigarette smoke were off-putting, so I took another table, tucked against the wall in the conservatory. 

On first acquaintance, I very much liked the decor. It was bright and airy with apparently mismatched (yet carefully  matched) tables and comfortable chairs and lots of verdant greenery. It promised a different kind of nighttime work bar and I especially liked the cocktail menu which was bound in heavy dark leather, embossed with the House logo.

The conservatory area at House

My first cocktail choice was the Fiorello, a mix of Cointreau, pisco, agave and fresh thyme (€11.50).  Served short over chipped ice, it was a good choice for the first Friday evening drink. I've seen thyme starting to appear on cocktail menus recently and this was an excellent example of how to use it. 

The second cocktail of the evening was the Mariposa, a richly coloured drink made with lime, passion fruit, Aperol, rum and topped with champage, served in a coupe (€9.50). I had chosen this because of the Aperol and rum base, but I should have remembered that I don't terribly enjoy the sweetness of passion fruit juice. This is definitely a drink for the more sweet toothed drinkers. 

The Fiorello cocktail

The Mariposa

My last cocktail of the evening was the classic Last Word (€11.50). This mix of Chartreuse, gin and Maraschino came served atop a coaster formed from a folded paperback novel page. I sincerely hope that no decent book was sacrificed in its making, but I would nominate Fifty Shade of Grey or any Mills & Boon novel as fair game. Alongside our last drink, we shared an antipasto plate of reasonable meats and cheeses (€16.00) and excellent sweet potato fries with a punchy aioli (€5.00). 

The Last Word with its 'novel' coaster

As the evening wore on, it darkened outside and the atmosphere inside the conservatory area became more intimate and cosy. This would have been great for cocktail drinking except for the that the music volume was turned up and the vibe was regressing back into the horrible Celtic Tiger bar that I thought it had escaped. This was disappointing to me as the cocktails at House are well-made with a well thought out menu. But the level of the cocktails just didn't suit the atmosphere of the bar.

The nighttime conservatory at House

I have been told that there are other rooms, including a wine room, in House which may be better suited to relaxing back and drinking some serious drinks. But I do believe that you shouldn't have to escape to a special room when enjoying drinks that cost around the €10 mark. House strikes me as a great concept, which is well presented and packaged. However, I feel that it needs to escape the ghost of earlier venues and do something different, instead of merely looking different. My recommendation, go early in the evening, enjoy a drink or two and depart before the cattle-like crowds arrive.

UPDATE (December 22nd, 2013): I recently went for lunch at House, where I ordered the burger.  To be honest, I don't know why I keep playing Russian roulette when it comes to burgers. I should stick to the good places.

What I received was truly an insult to the meat that went into it. It was everything that could be wrong with a burger. Mealy grey mince, over processed with all texture removed. Given the time between ordering and arriving, there was no possibility that this burger was cooked to order, which means that burgers are sitting pre-cooked in the kitchen.

Why go to the effort of dressing up like a supermodel when you're wearing tatty grey underwear underneath?

House, Leeson Street, Dublin 2

Tel: +353 (0)1 905 9090

URL: housedublin.ie

Twitter: @HouseDublin2