Lucky 13

A few weeks ago Bill told me he had made a reservation for our anniversary dinner, and that it was going to be a surprise. On the evening we hopped in a taxi and Bill asked the driver to take us to Stephen's Green. A large proportion of Dublin restaurants are concentrated around the green, so I still had no idea of our destination. After hopping out at the corner of the green we wandered about (Bill wasn't quite sure of the restaurant's location) but we finally wound up at the Fitzwilliam Hotel which houses Thornton's. Thornton's is a one Michelin star restaurant owned by Chef Kevin Thornton and his wife, Muriel.

Bill had reserved the chef's table, which meant we would have a window into the kitchen and would be served each course by the head chef. Thornton's prefers to seat parties of four at the chef's table because it is away from the other tables and misses some of the restaurant buzz. We really wanted to watch the kitchen, so they made an exception. The table was decorated with a stunning bouquet of red long-stemmed roses. We chose the eight-course Chef's choice menu and settled in for a lovely evening. The chef's table is near the bar, which was deserted on this Tuesday evening, so we treated it as our own private sitting area enjoying our pre-dinner Champagne.

Thornton is experimental, without losing sight of the fact that food is ultimately to be eaten. We had saffron infused mist (from dry ice) and tuna in a bowl of smoke, but it wasn't all experiential. We definitely ate.

Here is our menu:

Ballotin of Guinea Fowl with Celeriac
Gazpacho of Cucumber Jelly, Mussels and Consomme
Roast King Scallop with Truffle Mousse
'Mi-cuit' of Foie Gras rolled in new season truffle
Fillet of Red Mullet, Shellfish Consomme
Smoked Yellow Fun Tuna, Prawns wrapped in Tuna and Beluga Caviar
Nettle and Thyme Sorbet
Wicklow Venison with Juniper Sauce
Cashel Blue Cheese
Molten Valrhona Chocolate
Petit-fours and Cappuccino

The scallop was our favorite course from a pure taste experience. It was simply grilled and perfectly matched, but not overpowered by the truffle mousse. I could have eaten about fifteen. The truffle course was also great. It included a healthy portion of marinated and cured foie gras rolled in black truffle. The slices of black truffle were a great treat. The truffle powder takes three months to make and delivered a jolt of truffle power. This was Bill's favorite course intellectually and moved the meal to a higher level.

We enjoyed the autumn ingredients in the meal. The Guinea fowl with celeriac and venison were nicely seasonal, but light enough to fit into the overall meal. We enjoyed all the seafood as well. The Nettle and Thyme Sorbet was perfect! The herby sorbet worked great as a palate cleanser.

We moved back to the couch for the cheese and dessert courses. The dessert was a familiar, but perfectly prepared chocolate bombe. After all this, we were served a plate of lovely petit-fours.

We enjoyed the chef's table. Being separated from the other diners with our own seating area made it feel like we were dining in our own private restaurant. It was fascinating to watch the plates come together in the small and efficient kitchen. Chef Kevin primarily plated the meals, and yelled occasionally. At one point the server asked if we could speak French. We said No. Good, he said. We did hear a few gems like, "I asked for a opera, not a f*cking musical!" (One of the petit-fours was opera cake.)

A memorable and delicious meal. A great start to Year 14.

Working Nine to Half Five

I hit the six-month mark in my job this week. I've now completed my probationary period, which doesn't mean much except that European labor laws make it pretty hard for me to get fired. That's what I'm hoping at least.

I've found the office environment and working dynamics in Dublin to be quite similar to jobs back home. Folks here drink much more tea, and the cleaning staff come around periodically during the day to collect mugs and other glassware, but other than that people still send around goofy emails, discuss the worlds of sports and entertainment, and look forward to Fridays.

You can see a picture of me taken today at my desk. Yes, that is today, even though it looks like I'm using a monitor from 1999. I expected to loathe the open plan office, but turns out it's no bother. I'm in a bay with other BAs at the moment, but will be co-locating with my project team soon. While I started out masquerading as a QA tester, I'm now working on requirements for a new project (I'll be tester girl again soon enough). All in all, a good gig.

Weekend Update

Before moving to Dublin, Bill and I discussed the need to avoid too much of a routine, to try to keep a bit of the tourist about us, as locals can become blind to the historical, architectural, and museum-ical goodness around them. We joke with our friends here that we've seen more of Ireland than they have. But, still, the majority our days are comprised of work, eat, a little telly, and sleep. Thankfully, we have the weekends for a bit of variety. Here's a bit of what we've been doing on our days off.

In late August, Dún Laoghaire (Leary) hosts a Festival of World Cultures that features a variety of food and music. Dún Laoghaire is a lovely suburb south of Dublin on the coast, about 45 minutes away via DART. The Saturday of the festival turned out damp and grey, but Sunday was a sunny delight, so we headed to Dún Laoghaire, along with everyone else in Dublin. The festival was very crowded, so while we did see and smell a wonderful assortment of culinary offerings, we didn't want to spend all afternoon in queue. We managed to procure some falalfel and paella, which were both yum. After eating we maneuvered through the crowd to the main music stage to hear a klezmer band called The North Strand Klezmer band. They were great. If I ever pick the clarinet back up, it will be to play in a klezmer band.

Last Sunday we took a day trip to Waterford. We boarded a train at 9:30 for the three hour trip. We had another beautiful sunny day (after many rainy ones) and the scenery along the way is lovely. We were going to check out a Farmers' Market which was part of a slow food festival. The market wasn't much different than the one in Howth, but many local vendors were present, and it was the perfect day to wander around and eat lunch boxes from the Lebenese stand. We had our backpack cooler, so we bought a bunch of meat and sausages along with some other goodies.

Waterford was playing Kilkenny in a hurling match in Dublin, and the blue and white colours were out all over town. Waterford flags were flying, and many stores had "We support Waterford" signs. There was a huge screen broadcasting the match, in Irish, in the square where the market was held. (Waterford lost.)

After the market, we visited the Museum of Treasures which presents Waterford's history, starting with its Viking beginnings. The museum has a great selection of Viking artifacts, along with some cool, historical parchments. After filling our brain, it was time to grab a sandwich and catch our train back to Dublin.

Today was yet another sunny weekend day. Many times the day dawns bright, but turns to rain later in the day. Bill says this has something to do with afternoon heating. I think it's a plot against late sleepers. At any rate, we decided to take advantage of the sun and picnicked on the strand on Bull Island. We took the opportunity to dip our feet into the chilly Irish Sea. The clouds did come in a bit, but we had a lovely afternoon on the sand.

Guinness moving back home

Diageo names Leixlip as site of new Guinness brewery - The Irish Times - Thu, Sep 11, 2008

I hadn't read that stout would continue to be produced at the St. James' Gate facility--that's very good news.

Things You Won't See in Ireland

The adjacent picture is like a Highlights Hidden Pictures page of items I have not seen in a long time. How many can you find? Hot water corn bread! Yes! Large glasses of refreshing beverage (even if it is iced tea)! Very good. Do you see squash that looks mighty nice? Heck, even the liver and onions and greens look delectable, and I don't eat any of that stuff. Who can spot the gigantic bottle of pepper sauce? (I've yet to see pepper sauce in a pub.) How about, my mom! Happily, we will see my parents next month.

The featured soul food meal is my Dad's birthday lunch today at Sista, Sista, Sista. If you're ever meandering through South Arkansas or Northern Louisana, this restaurant is one of two reasons to visit El Dorado. (I forget the other one.) I really could do with some of the sista's cooking.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Can you bring me some corn bread?

Jerpoint Abbey

As mentioned before, Bill and I visited Jerpoint Abbey a few Sundays ago, after our Relaxation Weekend in Kilkenny. Jerpoint is one of best preserved abbeys in Ireland, having been maintained by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society since the mid 19th century and under protection as a national monument since 1880.

This Cisterian Abbey was initially constructed in 1180 with a cruciform church layout with nave, chancel and transepts. The remaining structures dating from the 13-15th Centuries include the Nave, North Aisle, Cloister Garth (courtyard) and Calefactory, the only heated room at the Abbey. The Cisterians were an austere offshoot of the Benedictines. They lived on veggies and beer, and could visit the Calefactory only a few times throughout the day for a total of an hour.

The outstanding feature of Jerpoint Abbey is the carvings throughout, many the work of a famous stone sculptor family from the 15 and 16th Century, the O'Tunneys. Jerpoint Abbey was surrendered to the Earl of Ormond in 1540 as part of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries. The total holdings of the Abbey at that time included a castle, several watermills and fisheries, comprising around 14, 500 acres.


Three of the Apostles: Peter with the key, Andrew with the cross, and possibly Luke (we can't remember, and Luke and Mark share the symbol of the book).

More Apostles. I like their toes.

The sin of gluttony.

St. Christopher.

A monkey.








Even though it kept trying to rain on us, we found Jerpoint Abbey fascinating and beautiful.

Back to K-Town

After a few weeks spent close to home, last weekend Bill and I ventured to Kilkenny. We've been to Kilkenny before, but didn't get to explore the area as much as we'd liked because our car broke down. The Mighty Polo is in better form these days (more or less) so we decided to give it another go. We booked a "Relaxing Weekend" package at a hotel across the river from Kilkenny Castle. A deluge of rain was forecast, but our relaxation package included several meals, 30-minute massages, and 4:00 PM check out on Sunday--we didn't have to leave the hotel if we didn't want to. And if we did venture out, Kilkenny's annual arts festival would be worth checking out.

Bill picked me up at my office Friday evening, and we arrived in Kilkenny around 8:30. We had dinner in the hotel at 9:00. As foodies there's some pressure to choose the exotic, but sometimes you want basic grub, and the hotel restaurant delivered that quite tastily. The highlight was my whimsically served, tumbled basket of Caesar salad. We both had steaks for entrees. The hotel was host to a world music segment of the arts festival, so at certain points during the meal, strains of an Indian tune or Irish trad mixed with the easy listening melodies in the restaurant, creating a soundtrack "like the mind of a crazy person," as Bill aptly observed. At least the crazy person ate normal food.

Saturday morning we were happy to eat breakfast in the hotel while rain lashed outside and young and old donned slickers in the lobby before venturing out for soggy seeing. We booked our massages for 12:00 and 12:30, and spent the morning watching Olympics. By 1:00 the rain had cleared, and we ate lunch at a nearby cafe. We wandering through some of the art exhibits, bought tickets for an orchestra concert that night, and visited the Black Abbey. The Black Abbey was built in the 13th C, destroyed by Cromwell in the 18th and rebuilt in the 19th. The church is still actively used by the Dominican order and has an impressive stained glass window from 1892 and a beautiful 15th C alabaster carving of the Holy Trinity. I have to say, it's hard to visit many historical sites in Ireland without acquiring a distaste for Oliver Cromwell. Bill and I have developed a Seinfeldian Newman! response to his very name.

We'd seen the Ulster Orchestra perform before, but not in a 13th century cathedral. St. Canice's cathedral is a lovely venue, even if the acoustics were not great for the featured violin. The rain had returned by the end of the concert, and we took refuge in an Indian restaurant down the street where we had a great dinner.

Kilkenny has a dual life as tourist-friendly, medieval city by day, and noisy, stag and hen party haven by night. The nightclubs were coming alive as we walked back to the hotel around 11:30, but the partying had been going on long enough that guys were already puking in the streets. Nice.

Sunday morning was cloudy, but not as rainy. After breakfast we walked the grounds of Kilkenny Castle for about an hour. We were highly entertained by a Little Grebe diving in a pond to find food for its chick. The air was autumnal, which of course freaked us out, as it was mid-August.

We had lunch at the hotel, and lounged in our room to wait out another band of rain. We left around 3:00, stopping by the shop at Jerpoint Glass. Luckily we were able to bypass the guard dog, and bought some candlesticks from the Seconds room. We proceeded on to Jerpoint Abbey. The lingering rain didn't discourage our exploration of the Abbey, and it was the highlight of our weekend. The Abbey is so cool, that it deserves its own post.