Letters Page: Dear John and Sally

Dear John and Sally

I love your newsletters. Can you recommend a quiet romantic restaurant in South County Dublin or Wicklow for an up-market mid-week meal? Annette

*Check out the recipe from Ballyknocken House in Ashford in this issue of Megabytes: it's a charming little place to eat and stay.

Dear John and Sally

Please could you tell me how does one get a mention in the Bridgestone Guide?  Is it through comments from guests, or do you people visit places & give your approval or otherwise? Many thanks, Noreen

* We visit incognito, Noreen, usually having received a mail from a food lover that someone is doing something we should know about. It's not a scientific system, but it works, because food lovers love to swop information, both for good, and for ill!

Dear John and Sally

Great to see Bridgestone Guides on line ! Between adlib.ie and your site we foodies are being well served! Elaine

*Thanks Elaine. We're blushing, honestly, we are.

Dear John and Sally

I was wondering what the procotol should be when customers contact a restaurant to inform them that they believe the were the victims of severe food poisoning. My sister and her partner formed part of a group of 10 for a meal in Dublin last year. One of the group had to leave the restaurant by the time the main course arrived as she had gotten sick in the restaurant. It was subsequently discovered that all five members who had the same shellfish starter were all violently ill over that weekend the remainder of the party were fine.
Due to the fact that the MD was treating the group to a nice night out they did not wish to make a big issue of it in the office so one of the group wrote a letter to the restaurant  explaining what occurred, however he never even received an acknowledgement of the letter. I think he may have called to follow up but never received a response.
Keep up the great work !
PS. Jam cafe in Kenmare is a great addition to the town.
Best Regards, Elaine

*Maybe you should threaten them with a writ, Elaine! Food poisoning is a very serious matter, and if several people in a group all suffered similar consequences after eating one dish, then the evidence clearly points to the kitchen being at fault. You would also be doing the restaurant a favour by pursuing this: they should know that something was wrong and not just hope it goes away.
Yes, Jam is an ace space: lucky old Kenmare!

Dear John and Sally

Megabytes very good this month(as usual ).
About gravy....Eugene Mac Sweeney learned some of his trade from a chef called Franz Kannobloch, Franz had served on the Western front and had received a bayonet wound from a Russian which gave him an odd gait,however one of the things Franz told us was
1. not to be afraid to burn the bones to the bottom of the pan
2. if you haven't any stock use old tea and
3. if you have no seasoning (salt and pepper) using your teeth screw the lead bullet off the top of your (.303) round and carefully sprinkle the contents of the brass shell over the bones (ensuring of course none of the contents come in contact to the naked flame under the pan) ..... I don't know whether Franz told this to all his students, he certainly told me .
Regards Ken

*Thanks Ken, we're always interested to hear about any culinary techniques with, em, explosive possibilities. The old school of chefs certainly had some creative leanings, or is that just Franz's war wound?

Dear John and Sally

I think my mother-in-law contacted you about my upcomming wedding in July. My husband is from Cork and I'm from the US. So we were wondering if you might be able to create a wedding cake that is both American-style and a layer that is traditional Irish style.
We will be in Kenmare the first week of May, I can talk to you then about designs etc. or if you would like I can use email. thanks a million, Peggy

*A wedding cake which is American in style but with a traditional Irish layer! No easy job being a patissier, these days. Eek. Surely some mistake here.