So, in case you missed the theme of that last post, let me reiterate: we absolutely LOVED Galway and would go back in a second.  Just sayin’. 

But next was Cork.

We arrived there via a pleasant stop for breakfast in Limerick.  Their social media doesn’t hype it, but Café Rosé definitely leans Turkish, evident in their menu and in their staff.  We enjoyed our first Turkish coffees since a visit to see my Dad in Kumlubük a few weeks before his death, and the Turkish eggs killed.  Perfectly poached eggs over a bed of garlicky yogurt in a bath of olive oil and red pepper flakes.  Yeah, poached eggs over yogurt.  Brilliant.

The Moxy in Cork let us check in early, so with an appointment at Jameson/Midleton Distillery late the next morning, that gave us 21 hours to make the best of it.  

First, that orientation walk I’ve previously mentioned, which brought us to

The Fransican Well Brewery, nestled in a 13th-century Franciscan monastery.  Decent beer, cool venue, on-site Pompeii Pizza.

The Fransican Well Brewery, nestled in a 13th-century Franciscan monastery.  Decent beer, cool venue, on-site Pompeii Pizza.

Saint Fin Barre's Cathedral, the site dating back to the 7th century A.D. with various demolitions and rebuilds, the last beginning construction in 1863, designed by let’s-build-a-new-church contest winner, Willian Burges. Gothically gorgeous on the outside; wish we’d had time to see the inside.

Elizabeth Fort.  We arrived too late to partake in the free wall walk, but built up a thirst exploring the outside perimeter.

And we finished at the Oval Bar, designed by the Beamish and Crawford Brewery, and featuring a dark and busy interior, live music, and a crowded outside patio, the western terminus of the Oliver Plunkett Street pedestrianized nightlife corridor, as we enjoyed in Galway’s West End.

And we finished at the Oval Bar, designed by the Beamish and Crawford Brewery, and featuring a dark and busy interior, live music, and a crowded outside patio, the western terminus of the Oliver Plunkett Street pedestrianized nightlife corridor, as we enjoyed in Galway’s West End.

On the recommendation of the Oval’s bartender, we extended our walk several blocks east for an outstanding meal at Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House. 

We lucked out again, and they were able to seat us at a two-top just inside the entrance and next to the bar, which granted us an optimal viewpoint of both the bartenders crafting their libations and the chefs conjuring up their concoctions on an oversized wood-fired grill.  Bricked into the open kitchen wall, the cook space is a blackened mash-up of pizza oven and Argentinian Asado. And my oh my, did it ever produce.

Gun­pow­der almonds; deep fried pork belly with fish sauce caramel, chili & peanut crunch (photo, center right); wood grilled rib­eye with smoked cas­cade but­ter; and slow grilled lamb rump with pur­ple sprout­ing broc­coli, smoked tomato, salsa verde, & jus.  For dessert we doubled up with burnt honey & bourbon ice-cream, pecan, sesame & Korean chilli brittle; and malt chocolate mousse, toffee amaranth, and meadowsweet marshmallow (photo bottom left).  And Nancy sipped planteray dark rum, white cacao, Frangelico, egg yolk, and salt, (photo, bottom right)) while I indulged in Redbreast 12 with a solitary rock. Truly a glorious meal.

On the recommendation of the Oval’s bartender, we extended our walk several blocks east for an outstanding meal at Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House. 

We lucked out again, and they were able to seat us at a two-top just inside the entrance and next to the bar, which granted us an optimal viewpoint of both the bartenders crafting their libations and the chefs conjuring up their concoctions on an oversized wood-fired grill.  Bricked into the open kitchen wall, the cook space is a blackened mash-up of pizza oven and Argentinian Asado. And my oh my, did it ever produce.

Gun­pow­der almonds; deep fried pork belly with fish sauce caramel, chili & peanut crunch (photo, center right); wood grilled rib­eye with smoked cas­cade but­ter; and slow grilled lamb rump with pur­ple sprout­ing broc­coli, smoked tomato, salsa verde, & jus.  For dessert we doubled up with burnt honey & bourbon ice-cream, pecan, sesame & Korean chilli brittle; and malt chocolate mousse, toffee amaranth, and meadowsweet marshmallow (photo bottom left).  And Nancy sipped planteray dark rum, white cacao, Frangelico, egg yolk, and salt, (photo, bottom right)) while I indulged in Redbreast 12 with a solitary rock. Truly a glorious meal.

We woke up early to walk across the River Lee to explore the English Market.  Not quite as expansive as we’d hoped, and clearly catering to commercial customers - restaurants and such - but plenty of local meat, seafood, and produce vendors; and the baked goods team impressed.  As did the olive purveyor.  If we lived in Cork, we'd surely shop there at least once a week.

On our Oliver Plunkett stroll the night before we’d pegged a legit breakfast option and walked a block to the Dulce Bun House for hot porridge with various fruits, honey, walnuts, and peanut butter!! and a tomato & peppers omelette with croissant and profiteroles on the side.

We woke up early to walk across the River Lee to explore the English Market.  Not quite as expansive as we’d hoped, and clearly catering to commercial customers - restaurants and such - but plenty of local meat, seafood, and produce vendors; and the baked goods vendor impressed.

On our Oliver Plunkett stroll the night before we’d pegged a legit breakfast option and walked a block to the Dulce Bun House for hot porridge with various fruits, honey, walnuts, and peanut butter!! and a tomato & peppers omelette with croissant and profiteroles on the side.

And then came our very reason for the side trip to Cork: the Jameson Midleton Distillery Experience.  Now, you’ve got to understand, we’ve done plenty of distillery tours before.  And breweries. So, we already knew the basics going in.  But this was unquestionably different.  First of all, Jameson is almost 250 years old.  That’s a quarter of a millennium. And they are by far the best selling Irish whiskey producer in the world. And every drop of Jameson is distilled there in Cork. As are their other five whiskey brands: Midleton, Powers, Redbreast, Spot Whiskeys, and their experimental shop, Method and Madness.

So, our guide named Evarose was everything you’d want in an Irish distillery guide: cute as a button, whip smart, with a cool sense of humor, and an Irish accent that was both perfectly articulate, but lilted with Gaelic spice and caramel notes.  The tour itself was truly gawkable.  A mix of snug and cozy nooks jammed with levers and cranks and dials and pipes, and then huge and centuries-old chambers with cathedral ceilings and gleaming copper vessels or malt grain drying tiles.  (That's the kiln room in the throwback photo to begin this post.) 

Every room was perfectly appointed with carefully placed lights and informational plaques, and all the while Evarose filled our brains with legitimately interesting factoids and contextual history.  We loved everything about it.  And the triple whiskey sampler at the end brought perfect closure.

And then came our very reason for the side trip to Cork: the Jameson Midleton Distillery Experience.  Now, you’ve got to understand, we’ve done plenty of distillery tours before.  And breweries. So, we already knew the basics going in.  But this was unquestionably different.  First of all, Jameson is almost 250 years old.  That’s a quarter of a millennium. And they are by far the best selling Irish whiskey producer in the world. And every drop of Jameson is distilled there in Cork. As are their other five whiskey brands: Midleton, Powers, Redbreast, Spot Whiskeys, and their experimental shop, Method and Madness.

So, our guide named Evarose was everything you’d want in an Irish distillery guide: cute as a button, whip smart, with a cool sense of humor, and an Irish accent that was both perfectly articulate, but lilted with Gaelic spice and caramel notes.  The tour itself was truly gawkable.  A mix of snug and cozy nooks jammed with levers and cranks and dials and pipes, and then huge and centuries-old chambers with cathedral ceilings and gleaming copper vessels or malt grain drying tiles.  (That's the kiln room in the throwback photo to begin this post.) 

Every room was perfectly appointed with carefully placed lights and informational plaques, and all the while Evarose filled our brains with legitimately interesting factoids and contextual history.  We loved everything about it.  And the triple whiskey sampler at the end brought perfect closure.

After our whiskey experience we headed for Kilkenny in hope of exploring a legitimate Irish castle, but those hopes were dashed in the insane traffic clogging every road into that city.  So, we rerouted and made our way to Dublin, where - surprise, surprise - the entire metropolis was garbed in the colors of Counties Kerry and Donegal, in town for the Final of the GAA Gaelic Football League.

But that's another story. 

We'll be in touch.