We have moved.

Don't worry, you don't need to buy a new computer to continue with Food and Drink Ireland. We've just moved to a new home, which is located here (http://belfastmedia.com/food/). This site will remain here for a while just to ensure a smooth transition. See you at our new home.

New site

Food and Drink Ireland is moving to a new home soon. And for those in the blogging world who know what this means, we're moving to Wordpress. New site might be up today or tomorrow morning. Hope you like the new look. Thoughts will be great appreciated. I'll put up the new link once it's ready for action.

Job losses and Buckie

It's bad news today for those 100 or so people who have lost their jobs as two restaurants based in Victoria Square close down. According to a spokesperson for Vic Square, both Chilli's and Maggiano's will close immediately. It's always a shame when there's job losses. But you've got to wonder why people would spend money in a chain restaurant when they could get a meal for the same price around the town at one of our many wonderful restaurants. I know personally after trying a few places in the shopping centre for lunch, I reverted back to leaving and going to the Barking Dog and other similar spots.

On a lighter note, my mouthy sister sent me a link to this story in the Scottish Sun about a cheesecake made with Buckfast. What a great way to use up the tonic wine.

A food critic's guide to food in Majorca

Total de mierda (that's total shit in English for those of you who can't be arsed logging on to Google's translator service).

Sunday steak

There's a lot to be said for a restaurant's website. I'm sure most people who read this blog are the same as me and check out a place's online presence before going. Get a taste for the menu, and being in the web business, I tend to use companies (whether it's for food or any other service) based on how professional their website looks.
Had I glanced at the Porterhouse's website before heading down on Sunday I'd have went to the nearest KFC for a steak before trying the Lisburn Road based steak house. But thankfully it was on a whim, after the place I was planning on going was bashed over the head by Mrs F's cousin who had told her she believes she had someone's leftovers as her main (I'll hold back the restaurant's name) when she went recently.
But back to the Porterhouse, it's on the expensive side if you were dining on a Friday night (the 22oz trademark Porterhouse steak costs £22.95), but on a Sunday they do a very reasonable two-course lunch for £12.95 or £14.95 for three.
We both went for the two course option and Mrs F began with BBQ short ribs with coleslaw and I had the salt and chili squid on a fantastic salad.
Both plates when they came out looked like they were ready to be pictured for a magazine and were big portions for starters. I wasn't complaining though as the squid and salad (particularly the latter) was the nicest thing I've eaten in months.
For mains they offered a choice of pasta, chicken, something else I can't remember and a 10oz rump. We both opted for the rump although Mrs F never learns and had hers well done. The menu stated that it should be served no more done than medium (which is how I had it) and she was shocked for some reason that it was a little dry. I've told her so again. I think this time she might actually listen.
My medium cooked rump was on the other had delightful, and I'd hope so too... the Porterhouse boasts that it also owns a long-established butchers and states that all steaks are hung for at least 21 days. My steak was juicy, perfectly cooked and with a wonderful sauce, great chips and some tobacco onions. The onions for me were the only let down on a fantastic meal, a bit too greasy and not much taste.
At £12.95 it's possibly the best value quality meal you'll get in these parts. A real treat for a Sunday afternoon.

P.S. I'm back, it's been two weeks of holidays and illness, but normal service has been renewed

Best hangover food?

First off, it's a shame Danny Millar didn't make it through to get a place at the banquet on the GBM. His change of main course looked like it might just do it for him. Both him and Glynn Purnell liven up the show no end, he did himself proud.
Now on to more upsetting matters. I sit here with a two nights on the booze hangover. It's not good. It's not pretty. And it's certainly not fun. It's been a while since I was out two nights on the trot. Old age creeping up on me. Friday night was celebrations, UUJ finished forever and ever. Saturday night was Mrs F's brother's 18th birthday party. Karaoke and hangovers don't mix, I know that much now.
I sat in Castle Court on Saturday with a KFC in front of me for about 20 minutes before giving up and deciding that it was a moral victory to have eaten half a drumstick. Saturday night was more of a struggle. The hair of the dog and all that is a blatant lie. Because no amount of drinking on Saturday night helped. Although I did get a laugh from the Strong Man and Pervy T, I felt like I'd been used as a punchbag. What's your favourite hangover cure? Alcohol didn't do it for me. And Sunday night a kebab from Ruba Spice did little to stop the pain. Maybe I should just accept I'm too old for all this crap!

The Big Fight Live

It's just your average Friday morning at Teach Basil. The Barnes, who is leaving us soon for the Sunday Life (incidentally if you want to apply for his job the deadline is noon today, click here for application form), rushed in to arm wrestle the Koffeeman. At stake was his pride during one of his last days at the Belfast Media Group, where he's been for at least 8 or 9 years. But more importantly, what was at stake was free coffee for everyone at the BMG on Monday if he beat the Koffeeman. I'll let you decide for yourself who the real winner was, but suffice to say the Koffeeman looks like he hasn't exercised in 16 years whereas the Barnes is a big fan of muscle tops to show off.

Come Dine With Me? I'd throw him out on his arse

There have been few times in my life when I've been at a dinner party that has ended in me being thrown out or not invited back because of my antics. In fact I think the number of times is zero, but I could be wrong. There was an infamous dinner party at my own home with my good friend Chris and his lovely wife Martina, which began with me and him drinking a bottle of wine in the time it took me to fry some scallops. The next morning there were enough empty bottles in the kitchen to embarrass Rab C Nesbitt and to be honest it was a week before I felt normal again, and before Mrs F got sick stains from the bathroom rug. There was probably enough things that went on that night to get me kicked out of many a house, but since it was my own home, I survived. I'm reminded of this because of Come Dine With Me last night (click here to watch the episode). Within the first 10 minutes I thought I'd end up wanting to throttle Angelique, who looked like a bag lady who'd found the extras bin from Ten Years Younger. But as the show went on, my blood began to boil thanks to Christian Viola who is probably the most pompous man I've seen on the show. He moaned about plates not being warmed. He moaned about Burmese lamb curry not being authentic because "Burma no longer exists" and they would have used goat. By the end of it I was toying with the idea of turning it over because he was annoying me that much. I do believe if he had been at mine for dinner, I'd have thrown him out. Simple as that. What's the worst experience you've ever had at a dinner party?