Mystery Dining came to Cork....

... and we all had a great time.

We started off at 6pm in Interior Living in McCurtain Street where everyone was greeted with a glass of Prosecco. Simone and Trixie have created a haven in the middle of a busy street and we all felt right at home.

But duty called and we all started to march towards Bridge Street and of course, it dawned the first few people that we were heading to Star Anise. Virginie Sarrazin and Remy Vasseur opened Star Anise about 8 years ago and it went from strength to strength. They pride themselves to source as much of their produce locally and take special care when preparing the food they are famous for. We had a wonderful selection of starters to choose from Polenta & Sage crusted brie with walnut pesto and red pepper jam, summer salad of ham hock with broad beans, red onions, Kim Shandon's organic rocket and parmesan. For wine options we were offered Heart of Stone Sauvignon Blanc 2009, Candidato Bianco Viura 2008, Stormy Cape Shiraz 2008 and Candidato Tempranillo Castilla 2008. A great start to the night. Contact Star Anis (021) 455 1635

From there we were heading towards the oldest restaurant in Cork - our member Miriam guessed right that we were going to Jacques. Jacques - as Simone - have been involved with Slow Food Cork City from the beginning and it was a great idea to join forces for this event. Jacques has never been off the radar as they have a faithful following amongst their customers. The restaurant opened the doors 25 years ago and have established a trusted relationship with their suppliers and producers which is mirrored in the food. We had the hard choice between fresh hake tagine, free range chicken with Dave Barry's beetroot and grated horse radish, Michael Bresnan's lambs liver with spinach, raisins, pinenuts and sherry and organic spinach & Ardsallagh goats cheese and almond cannelloni.....thumbs up for each dish as the face simply lit up with delight. Wine on offer was Spanish Tempranillo and Argentinian Sauvignong Blanc and glasses were topped up generously. Contact Jacques (021) 427 7387

Leaving Jaques, we made a small walk to Club Brasserie were we were greeted by Beth. This is the second venture of Beth and Harold Haughton who are well known for their restaurant Citrus in Douglas. Harold is known for his commitment to quality and ingredients are sourced locally as much as possible. The dessert menu on offer included Angel Pie, Chocolate Brownie, Rhubarb crumble, Creme Brulee, Tarte Tatin, Eton Mess and a wonderful plate of selected Irish cheeses. Tea and coffee rounded the evening up. Contact Club Brasserie (021)427 3987

We would like to thank all restaurants involved for their support, generosity and great food. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the chatter at the tables were proof that food is the best way of making new friends - Deirdre and myself definitely have.