Food News ? Tasty Picks For Summer

Soak up the best of the season with lashings of sun drenched al fresco eating, restaurant?openings and the new summer sippers we are indulging in.

Lust for Life
Created by the brothers behind Mak at D6 in Ranelagh, Wanderlust sets out its stall as a “global fusion” restaurant. Expect sticky chicken wings, five-spice calamari and meatball linguine. We can attest to the killer cocktails – the Passion Fruit Mojito and I Pink I Love You are must-tries. 01 235 1548; wanderlustdalkey.ie.

Passion fruit mojito at Wanderlust, Dalkey

Meet… Red Cabot of Cabots, Westport
“I’ve been involved in food all my life.?Growing up, you had two choices: help with the cooking or do the washing up. I chose cooking. ?I moved to Westport?in the early noughties to open the town’s first wine shop, before opening my restaurant, Cabots Source, in 2008, and finally settling on the production of artisan sauces and dips in 2012. I can’t get enough of?the local Wild Atlantic mackerel, smoked by my pal Jerry Hasset. I use it as the base for my Smoky Mackerel P?t?. I replace rich cream cheese with a touch of Greek yoghurt, fennel, grated horseradish and lime juice for a lighter finish.?

Red Cabot?

Perfect Pasta
The only pasta to be approves by the Italian Cooks Federation has arrived inIreland and promises to hold its shape and texture. Find Rummo in SuperValu, Mortons and Cavistons,??2.65.

Rummo pasta

Al Fresco Fare
Fallon & Byrne in the People’s Park, Dun Laoghaire is the perfect place to pitch up on a sunny day for something light and tasty, washed down by something delicious.?Linger over?a charcuterie board (pictured above) and let the day drift away.?01 230 3300; fallonandbyrne.com.

Wild Wicklow Way?
Irish craft spirits are having more than just a moment. We can’t seem to get enough of these small-batch gins and whiskies, and why would we when they’re being made with such passion and imagination. Our libation love affair continues with Glendalough gin, Ireland’s first and only distillery to produce a seasonal gin by picking and distilling on the same day to lend the gin a fuller flavour. This season the foraged botanicals include: gorse flower, sweet woodruff, wood sorrel, watermint, blackberry leaves, dandelion flower, sweet cicely, blackcurrant leaves, birch and scots pine sap – adding delicious botanical notes to the new spring gin, €47.50, Celtic Whiskey Shop or glendaloughdistillery.com.

Glendalough Gin

Eat Local
Newport native Aine Maguire returned to her roots to open the Idle Wall restaurant at the gates of Westport House. The setting is spectacular and Aine’s cooking is no less accomplished. Come here to feast on the finest local mountain lamb, native oysters and mackerel so fresh it’s landed at the slipway outside the front door, all in the most convivial, cosy setting. 098 50692; theidlewall.ie.

Idle Wall restaurant