‘Discover a Life Uncorked’ is the tagline of this years Campo Viejo Tapas Trail which will take place in May to June in both Dublin and expanding this year into Cork. Tickets cost 20 euro and the venues are slightly changed this year, now including the very cool new bar Bagots Hutton on Sth William St. Full details are below!

Spanish wine brand Campo Viejo, the flagship of Rioja wines, has announced the return of the sell-out Campo Viejo Tapas Trail for 2013 and its expansion to Cork this year for the first time.  Throughout the months of May to July, food and wine enthusiasts can enjoy the culinary culture of Spanish tapas and discover the true passion, generosity and vibrancy of Spain on the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail which will run from 8th May to 5th June in Cork City and from 9th June to 17th July in Dublin.

For further information and to purchase tickets, priced at €20 per person, log onto www.facebook.com/campoviejoireland<http://www.facebook.com/campoviejoireland> or www.campoviejotapastrail.ie<http://www.campoviejotapastrail.ie>

Inspired by the Spanish way of life and Campo Viejo’s mantra of ‘stimulating a more expressive world’, the Tapas Trail will this year bring Spain’s expressiveness and vibrancy to the streets of Dublin and Cork through urban art.   In an exciting new collaboration with renowned Irish urban artists, Psychonautes and Fatti Burke, Campo Viejo will capture Spain’s colourful culture and passion for living through bespoke installations which can be seen and enjoyed during the Tapas Trail.  Urban art features heavily in contemporary Spanish culture, with Madrid often considered the spiritual home of urban art, making it the perfect complement to the Campo Viejo

Tapas Trail 2013.

Now an annual celebration of the best of Spanish cuisine and wine, the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail allows participants to enjoy the unique colourful social experience of going from eatery to eatery and sharing a selection of authentic Spanish tapas cuisine, while experiencing  the vibrancy of Spain right on their own doorstep.

Tickets for the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail are priced at €20 with the trail taking place each Wednesday between 6.30pm and 9.00pm and each Sunday between 2.00pm and 4.30pm (excluding Sunday 2nd June in Cork) in participating restaurants in Dublin and Cork. During the event, participants will visit four top tapas restaurants in Dublin and Cork where they will be presented with the venue’s best three tapas specially created to complement the well balanced, tasty and round, full flavours associated with Campo Viejo Reserva.  Participants will also enjoy a glass of Campo Viejo Reserva in each restaurant. Dublin restaurants include; Salamanca, St. Andrews St., Havana Tapas Bar, Georges St., The Market Bar, Fade St. and Bagots Hutton, South William Street while participating Cork restaurants are; Arthur Mayne’s, Pembroke St., Electric, South Mall, The Cornstore, Cornmarket St. and Oysters, Lapps Quay.

Speaking about the launch, Rachel Keogh, Brand Manager of Campo Viejo, said; “We’re very excited about the return of the Campo Viejo Tapas Trail, particularly with the expansion of the Trail to Cork and the introduction of urban art this year.  The creative process of winemaking and art is more similar than most people think.  Both start with a blank canvas and a vision of what we want to achieve.  The process then takes us on a journey of experimentation – be it with flavours or colours – until we are satisfied with the final outcome.  Through the introduction of urban art into the Tapas Trail we hope to encourage people to embrace the Spanish way of living, full of colour and passion, which is central to Campo Viejo’s mantra to live a ‘Life Uncorked’.”

80 people can participate on the trail during each session. They will be split up into four groups of 20; each group will be assigned a different route, starting from different restaurants and work their way around the trail. Hosts will guide participants on the trail educating them on the importance of the Rioja region and describing Campo Viejo’s unique characteristics. For further information and to purchase tickets log onto www.facebook.com/campoviejoireland<http://www.facebook.com/campoviejoireland> or www.campoviejotapastrail.ie<http://www.campoviejotapastrail.ie>

A couple of weeks ago WeLoveTown and friends went to ‘Rock Lobster‘ which is the new-ish restaurant over Kielys in Donnybrook, Dublin 4. We were lucky it was not a rugby weekend so we managed to get a table on a Saturday night.

The venue itself has been changed with funky interiors, white-washed walls, cool paintings and art and a lovely cocktail lounge area to one side. Rock Lobster as the name suggests is primarily a seafood/lobster restaurant but also a ‘primehouse’ = steak!

Cocktails are a speciality here so we all indulged in some Rockstar Martinis to start the night. The wine list is well priced with plenty on offer for every budget, we opted for an NZ Sauvignon Blank.

For starters I had the ‘Posh Fish Fingers’ and had plenty for the good price of €3.50, these were really tasty. For main I could not go past the whole split lobster which is served with fries and salad and at a very reasonable price of €20.00, make sure you ask for all the relevant tools to crack open that lobster and get all the juicy meat out. There is a bit of work involved but it is worth it!  Here is a pic of my demolished lobster

The restaurant itself is very buzzy and had a good mixed crowd of all ages. Definitely a great spot for a dinner with friends or even for a date. The food was really tasty and well priced. Somewhere we will definitely go again!

St.Patricks Day is fast approaching and WeLoveTown enjoys the more creative ways of celebrating irishness and our unique sense of fun and playfulness – Tayto have come up with a great fun way to celebrate being Irish:

This week, Gaeilgeoir and Irish model Roz Lipsett met with Mr. Tayto to announce the arrival onto shelves nationwide of a limited edition Tayto Cheese and Onion 6-pack designed completely as Gaeilge. The pack celebrates Tayto as a proud Irish product that has been on our shelves since 1954, now selling over 1 million units worldwide each day.

The new Tayto pack pays homage to the retro 1980s design that will be remembered by Tayto lovers everywhere. The taste is the same delicious Cheese and Onion flavour invented by Joe ‘Spud’Murphy in the mid-1950s that has inspired many other crisp brands worldwide. Raymond Coyle of Tayto said today, Tayto is incredibly proud to be Irish and with Seachtaine na Gaeilge and St. Patrick’s Day both taking place in March, we thought it would be the perfect time to reintroduce our limited edition, as Gaeilge 6-pack! We are delighted to welcome the Tayto Cheese and Onion design from the 1980s back to the market and are excited to see the reaction it receives from the loyal Tayto fans who would have eaten the crisps all those years ago.

A limited amount of the new Tayto packs as Gaeilge will be sold in supermarkets nationwide for the next 8 weeks and promises to be a much sought after item in the run up to St. Patrick’s Day and during Seachtain na Gaeilge which takes place from March 4th until March 17th. More information on Tayto can be found at www.facebook.com/MrTayto or follow Mr. Tayto on Twitter – @MrTaytoIreland.

Last week we were lucky enough to be invited to the launch of a new drink called ‘Zaconey’ in the beautiful surrounds of hot nightclub Everleigh Gardens. Zaconey is described as an ‘new crafted spirit with a twist of American bourbon and natural flavours’

The branding is very retro, Americana 1950’s and Everleigh Gardens was a fitting setting for all the funfair frolics we enjoyed. There was a popcorn machine, candy jars and 3 different tastes on offer. Oreo cookie slushy with Zaconey, straight up ‘Zac’ and Coke, or a Zaconey ice-cream float, so a lot of sugar on offer.  The ladies serving the drinks looked great in their 50’s style quiffs, branded leather jackets and satin A-line skirts.

Zaconey is on offer in a handful of premises in Dublin at the moment including Everleigh Garden, Howl at the Moon, The Workmans Club, The Grafton Lounge and Copper Face Jacks among others. You can find the full list here http://www.zaconey.com/where-find-us.html

A new taste of the retro spirit of 1950’s Americana has hit Ireland .

‘Zaconey’ is a spirit with a bourbon twist and natural flavours that captures the sense of the unexpected. It was officially launched in Dublin this week (Wed 6^th March) as a carnival descended on Everleigh Garden, Harcourt St., bringing with it all the twists and turns of the night-time fair.

A real life ‘Barker’ served up the thrills and nostalgic memories of the legendary carnival of 1950’s Coney Island featuring all the anticipation and delight of that bygone era. The brilliantly retro Boudoir Boys replayed the sights and sounds of the 1950’s with their magical production as guests enjoyed Zaconey & Cola over ice.

The Zaconey carnival is now a travelling night time funfair visiting 15 bars across Dublin city over the next eight weeks. Let 1950’s Americana fill the senses as the Barker with his vintage megaphone whips up a show of games, glamour, performance at selected venues  Enjoy ‘All The Fun of The Fair’, play the games, win the prizes and taste the retro spirit of Zaconey.

Over 120,000 barrels make their way from the bourbon distilleries of America to Irish Distillers Ltd. every year arriving with a pool of golden bourbon resting inside. This is the origin of Zaconey (35% ABV), a new crafted spirit with a twist of American bourbon. Inspired by the optimism and inventiveness of a magical moment in history, it’s an old time spirit of fun with a smooth natural berry flavour and a bourbon twist.

The Dublin Dance Festival programme has been launched and is now live on their site at http://www.dublindancefestival.ie/programme/

As a taster of what is to come check out this colourful video shot on the streets of Dublin

GREAT IRISH FOODIE QUIZ THIS THURSDAY – FANTASTIC PRIZES ON OFFER

Aine Maguire

A huge list of prizes is on offer this Thursday 7th March at the Fourth Annual Great Irish Foodie Quiz – whether for well-informed winning foodies, or just plain lucky raffle winners! Taking place from 7.30pm in The Circle Club of the Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin’s Docklands, with food available and a full bar, entry to the Great Irish Foodie Quiz costs €100 for a team of four with all proceeds going to Down Syndrome Ireland. Book at http://www.mycharity.ie/event/greatirishfoodiequiz2013/.

Organised by Chef Aine Maguire and MCd by Myles McWeeney, the Quiz has become a much anticipated fixture on the social calendar. “Whether you’re a chef, a food writer, a gourmand or just a greedy guts, there’s loads of fun to be had” said Aine.

Prizes now on offer include:

•   The Cliff House Ardmore, Waterford….overnight stay Bed & Breakfast with Dinner in their Michelin starred restaurant http://www.thecliffhousehotel.com/

•   €200 Voucher for Chapter One Restaurant, Michelin Starred Restaurant http://www.chapteronerestaurant.com/

•   A Master class with Michelin Star Chef, Kevin Thornton, Thornton’s Restaurant http://www.thorntonsrestaurant.com/

•   4 x VIP Tickets to Taste of Dublin http://www.tasteofdublin.ie/

•   Two nights in a suite in The Twelve Hotel, Galway with a masterclass in wine from general manager and award winning sommelier Fergus O’Halloran. The Twelve Hotel is the only Irish hotel to win the Wine Spectator Award for five years running, along with numerous other awards for their excellent wine list.  www.thetwelvehotel.ie

•   A visit to the 5-star  Castlemartyr Resort including two nights bed & breakfast in one of the resort’s Manor Suites and dinner on one evening in the AA Rosette award-winning restaurant The Bell Tower. www.castlemartyrresort.ie

•   Two nights in Knockranny House Hotel, including Seamus Common’s tasting menu in LaFougere restaurant www.knockrannyhousehotel.ie

•   The new signature supper menu with a flight of wines, and an overnight stay in a suite with breakfast the following morning in The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin http://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/dubbr-the-shelbourne-dublin-a-renaissance-hotel/

•   Two nights in a suite in Lisloughrey Lodge in Cong, County Mayo, overlooking Lough Corrib, including dinner on one evening in Wilde’s Restaurant www.lisloughreylodge.com

•   An overnight stay in The Cliff Townhouse on St Stephen’s  Green for two people, including their new Flying Fish lunch, cocktails in their bar in the evening followed by dinner in their seafood restaurant www.theclifftownhouse.com

•   Dinner for 2 with Cocktails at SABA http://www.sabadublin.com/

•   Spend the day with the stars at Montrose….a walk-on part in Fair City for 2!

•   Dinner for 4 at Chameleon Restaurant in Temple Bar.  You will dine at one of their Opium tables and also be treated to a magnum of Prosecco!

•   A wireless colour screen Baby Moniter from Rory Casey at Firepulse Ltd in Castelbar, Co. Mayo www.firepulse.com

•   A delicious hamper of hand made chocolates from Cocoa Atelier

•    A side of Smoked Salmon from The Burren Smokehouse

•   You’re very own food quiz board game, Irish made and designed, Smorgasbord.

•   Dinner for two at the Morrison Grill in the revamped Morrison Hotel

•   Dinner for two at Jaipur.

•   The Ice House, Ballina: One night bed & breakfast in one a Riverview Deluxe Room with a glass of bubbles on arrival, dinner in the Pier Restaurant and complimentary use of the Chill Spa Thermal Area. http://www.icehousehotel.ie/index.html

•   A Full Rib of Hereford Dry Aged Beef from Ennis Butchers http://ennisbutchers.com/

•   Dinner for 4 at Crackbird ‘a night with me bird’!

•  Dinner for 2 at The Cake Cafe with a glass of wine

• Dinner for 2, Skinflint

•  Dinner for 2, JoBurger Town

•  Taste of Emilia voucher

•      Blackrock Cellar Hamper

•      Tickets for the Bord Gáis Theatre:  CARMEN & THE LION KING

•      Tickets for 2 to Stockton’s Wing, at the National Concert Hall on St. Patrick’s

HOW TO BOOK:

1. Visit http://www.mycharity.ie/event/greatirishfoodiequiz2013/

2. Click on the tab ‘SPONSOR ME NOW’ on the left, enter €100.00 for your table.

3. Put your chosen Team Name in the personal message box so that your team name shows up alongside your payment.  It’s important to have the team name as you will need it to gain entry on the night of the quiz. (When you pay online your payment goes directly to the charity; you must pay in advance as you will not be able to pay on the night)

Also, if you can’t make the quiz you can always simply donate to the charity.  Just mark ‘Donation’ in the Personal Message box.

For further information contact irishfoodie@gmail.com  and follow Aine on Twitter: @irishcheftweets