Uncles Sam's cafe menu
Roast Beef, onion marmalade, and rocket (a type of lettuce) and a cup of veggie soup
corned beef & cabbage with parsley sauce
Lamb dinner with mashed potatoes 
fried haddock
a typical Irish breakfast ( 2 eggs over easy, irish rasher, black and white pudding, 2 sausages and fried tomatoes and mushrooms)
coco cafe in Salt Hill, Galway
AMAZING carrot cake
coco cafe menu
Quay Street Kitchen menu
a local cider ale from Galway 
potted crab with fresh bakery bready and greens
sweet potato and ginger soup
a peroni beer
KC Blakes in Galway city Ireland
fresh brown bread (delicious )
mussels in a cream sauce with garlic bread
Prawns (shrimp) with linguini and tomatoes 
rib eye steak with fingerling potatoes 
organic salmon
sausage and cheese omlette with cucumbers & tomatos 
capucino and cream pastry
McDonaghs, Galway city
seafood chowder with brown biscuit
grilled mackerel
fish n chips with mushy peas
key lime pie with raspberry compote ( Parks Hotel Galway City)
carrot cake, from Fellini cafe
Fellini Tea Room , Cork City 
Duck breast with ratatouille stuffed tomato
lamb chops
filet steak 
a 5,000 Euro bottle of whiskey
Ballymaloe Restaurant lunch menu
our reserved dining area
seafood bisque
white vegetable creamy soup with a dollop of fresh cream 
appetizer section of lunch buffet
4 carving meat carving station (pork, lamb, corned beef and Irish bacon)
Veggie section of buffet
Ballymaloe House
Dessert cart ( 5 different options)
Scoozi restaurant in Cork City
dessert options
pizza with olives, sausage, anchovy, pepperoni and a fried egg
mars bar cheesecake
me eating a 99 ( vanilla soft serve with a flake chocolate bar)
latte 
Isaacs Restaurant menu Cork City
cream of pea & coriander soup
Duck Confit
NY Sirloin
Haddock with a lemon sauce
apple rhubarb crumble with fresh whipped cream
Sticky pudding with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream
coffee cubana (with rum and condensed milk)
dessert menu Hotel Isaac Restaurant
The world is filled with misnomers and one that i feel i must correct is that the stereotype of Ireland being the land of potatoes and corned beef & cabbage. This is a European nation that is on the cusp of what is new and trendy. First i must say i have a special fondness for Ireland as it is the birthplace for both my parents (Counties Limerick and Mayo). But having visited Ireland repeatedly has given me an outsiders view to see a country grow into an eclectic culinary utopia.
When people think of certain areas they can sometimes associate certain foods or restaurants with the area. When i think Paris France i think amazing white wines and cheese, when i think of Providence , Rhode Island i think of amazing Italian subs and calzones. When some people think of Ireland they think, beer, potatoes and corned beef, this does not even scratch the surface of what delicacies Ireland has to offer these days.
I had some extremely flavorful creamy soups in many areas of Ireland, i love the creamy flavor and the brown bread that comes with ever bowl. My only criticism of these soups would be, i do not like the soups that have been run through the blender, They have a grainy taste which i do not enjoy, I had a hard time getting used to dinner sized meals at dinner time. But i rather enjoyed eating the bigger meal in midday and having the smaller meal during supper time.
I love the fresh fish you can obtain in Ireland, i had some really lovely prawns and cod. The key to any successful seafood restaurant is the lack of a fishy aroma, my mom always preaches to me is that fresh fish should never smell. While visiting Galway city I had the best fish n chips i ever had in Macdonaghs , the cod was amazing and with a perfect breading, not too heavy. The chips (French fries) and mushy peas made for a perfect accompaniment to the cod. If you are a fan of salmon, then Ireland is the country for you. The irish Salmon is superior to most other places. Paired with a nice sauce or rice accompaniment it makes for a 5 star meal.
If you find yourself in County Cork, then i can't recommend Ballymalone Restaurant/Hotel enough. This establishment is run by the Allen family, Ireland's 1st family of culinary delights. They put on a luncheon buffet that would rival any 5 star restaurant. The staff is polite and attentive, the food hot ,flavorful and plentiful. They offer 4 carving stations, multiple starch options, and perfectly seasoned vegetable dishes. A dessert cart that you can get almost anything your sweet tooth would desire.
No matter what county in Ireland you find yourself in, you can find some of the best pub foods you can imagine. You will see a lot of the same dishes from pub to pub but they are far superior to the normal chicken fingers and cheeseburgers you would find in any bar food menu in the states.
I also would have to say i found the romanticized image of the irish pub is still in existence in many pubs in Ireland but mainly in those frequented by tourists. Don't get me wrong, i think that is where it should be, my favorite pub in Ireland is probably not frequented by many Irish customers, but mainly a tourist bar in Galway called the An Pucan (Irish for The boat) . The bar is known for its daily live music, and the musicians all play the style of Irish popular music that you would look for.
If you are a fan of pastries or sweet desserts then you won't have a hard time finding some of the best bakeries with some amazing fresh baked pastries and pies(or tarts as they like to call them). My mom and i would often pop in to a bakery after taking a long walk and reward ourselves with a cappuccino or latte and split a lovely fresh cream filled pasty, like the 1 picture in the picture above. They make these pastries with fresh whipped cream, and because you can't have enough cream they also give you a side dish of whipped cream with almost all desserts....its the little touches that really make something good become great.
I know most people would not plan a vacation based on the cuisine of the area, but i would say if you are planning a trip to Ireland and assume you will only eat corned beef and cabbage, and drink Guinness then i would say you are in for a pleasant surprise. I myself look forward to my next visit to Eire, not just for the family i have there but also for the different surprises behind every corner pub.
I consider Ireland to be my 2nd home, and i look forward to my next visit. If you have any questions about places to visit or things to do i would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Have a great day and a fabulous meal.
Kevin M. Boyle
