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Features 16 F&W in association with Mezze Opinion real Ireland A taste of Dear FOOD&WINE Magazine, I’m planning a trip west later this summer to Galway but the itinerary is open-ended. We’re not necessarily looking for luxury, just a sense of the real Ireland and some good food experiences. Any ideas? Josie Williams Dear Josie, There’s lots of exciting stuff happening in Galway and neighbouring counties. See page 64 for our review of Kappa Ya, but other jewels include Ard Bia at Nimmos (www.ardbia.com) and Cava (www.cavarestaurant.ie). Down on the docks is the glass-fronted Eight bar and restaurant (www.bar8.ie). See next month for full review, though we don’t suggest you wait too long to sample ex-Ard Bia Kiwi chef Jess Murphy’s utterly moreish cooking. And be sure to book a sea view room at The Heron’s Rest B&B on The Long Walk (www.theheronsrest. com); decanters of port for a nightcap, al fresco quayside afternoon tea and imaginative breakfasts are just some of the treats that make this one of Galway’s sweetest spots. Heading south towards Co Clare, be sure to stop in at Linnane’s Lobster Bar, New Quay for some local oysters and stout. For dessert, head along the Flaggy Shore to the nearby idyllic source of Linnalla ice-cream (www.linnalla.com) or on to Ballyvaughan for tea and cake in An Fear Gorta tearooms. Views across immaculate gardens to the moonscape of the Burren are just one of the draws of the dining room at Gregans Castle (www.gregans.ie); the exquisite presentation and precisely honed flavours of Mickael Viljanen’s cooking are another. Down the road in Lisdoonvarna the Wild Honey Inn (www.wildhoneyinn.com) now boasts a Michelin Bib Gourmand (chef-proprietor Aidan McGrath’s CV name-checks the likes of London’s Dorchester hotel). Or jump the Doolin ferry to the Aran Islands and Inis Meain Restaurant and Suites (www.inismeain.com) for a memorable detour. If you head north to Mayo, don’t miss Castlebar’s Café Rua deli and café (www.caferua.com) for real Irish cooking, particularly on the last Friday of the month when they open for dinner: think simple pan- fried plaice, tender Mayo lamb, or courgette and Ryefield goats’ cheese fritters with local grower Stephen Gould’s myriad leaves. Or sign up to the Moorehall Mushroom Foray, an intriguing series of weekend-long foraging and fishing on nearby Lough Carra (pictured) running from late August to early October. Run by Patrick O’Reilly of Carra Boat Hire ([email protected]), who is a trained sommelier and ex-manager of Ard Bia restaurant, with the help of local experts on mushroom and wild food foraging, and local ghillies for guided tuition on fly fishing, the entire weekend will be spent in the same square mile of the Moorehall woods, and wherever possible guests will eat food gathered in the local area. All meals, accompanied by beer and wine in the evenings, are included in the price of [150, as are airport/train station transfers. Guests are welcome to bring tents and camp lakeside on the lawns of the fisherman’s cottage which will be your base for the weekend, or accommodation can be arranged with local families or B&Bs. Quirky extras will include music sessions in the local pub, and outdoor movie screenings on the lakeshore. You can’t get much more real than that – or if you can, be sure to let us know how. Sunset by Dubai creek Lough Carra, County Mayo 16,17_Mezze.indd 16 6/17/10 1:42:05 PM
