Only a spin up the road from Kilkenny, Carlow Restaurant Week gets underway this coming Saturday 26 October (tomorrow), running to Saturday 2 November.
The initiative from Carlow LEO, Carlow Tourism and Carlow County Council with support from Enterprise Ireland is designed to let local food and culinary talent across Carlow shine.
In a first for the county, eleven members of the recently established Carlow Food Network will each feature a unique Carlow dish on their menu, celebrating the county’s rich ingredients and flavours.
With a week off this week, I’m very much planning a trip up the road to see what’s on offer. The spread around the county is quite good too with Tullow’s New Moon involved alongside Goodley Barrow in Goresbridge, Café de Mode in Ballon, Teach Dolmain in Carlow town, the Lazy River at Duckett’s Grove and more. The week itself will be bookended by the usual Carlow Farmers Market, taking place at The Exchange every Saturday.
Quoted in the Carlow Nationalist this week, chair of Carlow Tourism Michael Walsh stated “Carlow Restaurant Week aims to foster a sense of community and welcomes locals and visitors to savour the rich food experiences of the county. Carlow has a superb history in food production and we are hoping that this dedicated initiative will help shine a light on the fabulous ingredients, local dishes and culinary talent to be enjoyed here”.
Carlow Restaurant Week Participants
- Café de Mode, Ballon
- Carlow Farmers Market, Potato Market, Carlow town
- Goodly Barrow Waterways Museum and Café, Goresbridge (Carlow)
- Lazy River Café at Duckett’s Grove
- New Moon Indian Restaurant, Tullow
- Rachel’s Garden Café at Arboretum Home and Garden Heaven, Leighlinbridge
- Reddy’s of Carlow, Tullow St., Carlow
- Teach Dolmain, Tullow St., Carlow
- TD Molloy’s Restaurant at The Seven Oaks Hotel, Athy Road, Carlow
- An Bhearú Bar & Bistro at The Talbot Hotel, Portlaoise Road, Carlow
- Plum Tree Bistro at Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Kilkenny Road, Carlow
If you’re a breakfast lover, then Café de Mode’s Breakfast de Mode might be up your street – think sausages, bacon, black pudding, stacked on a hash brown and topped with a fried Ballon free range egg (Kilkenny’s Arán also using Ballon eggs on their menu) with a side of beans and toast.
Ballon also comes to the fore at Teach Dolmain this week with a herb-crusted rack of Ballon lamb with minted pea emulsion, Carlow rooster fondant potatoes, carrot and turnip puree, served with a rosemary reduction.
Or if you fancy a solid burger and chip, the Lazy River are serving up a 6oz prime Irish Clonmore beef burger, topped with crispy bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, homemade tomato relish, with lettuce and tomato, all served up in a flour bap from Crotty’s Bakery in Carlow, with fries on the side.
For more, check CarlowTourism.com.
