Just in case:Describing it as "a case of not going without", Andy Kinsella, of leading Dublin wineshop Bin No 9 in Goatstown, has come up with a good plan to keep serving his increasingly peripatetic customers as they head off to the four corners of Ireland for rest and relaxation.
"For July and August I'm offering free delivery of any case of wine to any part of the country. Whether it's good everyday wine or Bordeaux cru classé, one wine or mixed cases, it's any case, anywhere . . . free." www.binno9.com(01-2964844). Joe Breen
Sweet tunes Alabama
First off, the Alabama 3 are not from Alabama. They're Brixton-based, where they've whipped up such a following that their gigs at the Brixton Academy are a sell-out, whooping jumble of joy. Secondly, there's a lot more than three of them. Somewhere upwards of seven, usually, their numbers fluctuating from show to show, but with stalwarts Larry Love, Mountain of Love and the Very Reverend Dr D Wayne Love - yes, those are the names, or aliases, they like to go by - guaranteed to make an appearance somewhere in the jagged line-up. For their sound, think country meets acid-house with some gospel thrown in, along with anything else that comes to them on the night. As odd as all of the above may sound, it works, making Alabama 3 one of the best live bands you'll see this year. They are probably best known for Woke Up This Morning, the thumping bassy, bluesy tune that plays over The Sopranos' opening credits, and they count among their fans luminaries such as Stephen King and Irvine Welsh. To join the ranks of such high-profile followers, head to the Tripod in Dublin on Tuesday. If you don't emerge a convert, you need to check your pulse. Fiona McCann
Cooks illustrated
When an Italian is hungry, does he ring for a pizza? No Signori. He gets out the olive oil, sautes an onion, throws in some garlic and makes himself a bowl of pasta in less time than it would take to deliver a pizza or even heat up a readymade meal in a plastic dish full of preservatives. Ross Staunton (left) wants his generation to take delight in cooking and the pleasures of the table, just like the Italians. Even on weeknights.
Staunton is a man with a mission. His new food shop in Stillorgan Shopping Centre - The Food Game - is there to encourage cooks rather than merely supply them with food. "Every day we have a different recipe, and all the ingredients to go with it. Rather than sell readymade food, we give you everything you need to make it yourself."
At weekends, the recipes extend to dinner party fare and multi-course menus. He stocks a small, and therefore easy-to-choose-from selection of wines as well as a stack of his favourite cookbooks and immediately useful gadgets: woks, grill pans, coffee-makers and pasta machines. And as you can see here, it's crammed to the gills with the best of Irish artisan food: Mossfield cheese from Birr and Cocoa Bean Chocolates from Limerick, to name but two.
The Food Game is aptly named: the educational toy shop Nimble Fingers across the road has been in the Staunton family since Ross Staunton was a tyke. This venture looks like good fun, too. Patsey Murphy
Ice idea
If a cocktail hasn't enough badness in it for you, here's an idea: add some ice-cream to it. We wouldn't want to put a calorie count on the Mudslide, comprised of Ketel One Vodka, Patrón XO Café, Baileys and Vanilla Häagen-Dazs. A selection of eight alcoholic milkshakes are available at the Mint Bar in Dublin's Westin Hotel until the end of September, priced €13.50 each.
Breathe naturally
Husband and wife Carlo Crighton and Francie Duff have been working behind the scenes in the organic health and beauty sector for the past few years, and have just opened a shop in Co Wicklow to showcase the best of what they've come across. It's called Breathe and is at Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford. There's a wide range of organic foods (delicious chocolate, pastas, beans, rices and so on), high-quality supplements (by Solgar) and the entire range of all-natural Lavera skincare and cosmetics. "People don't want chemicals in their food and they don't want them in their skincare either," says Duff.
Lavera has a cult-like following and is one of the country's fastest growing beauty ranges. The products are very gentle, competitively priced - and they work. I've found the men's range better than any mainstream brand.
There's a logical reason for opening at Mount Usher: "They've never gardened with fertilisers or other chemicals," says Duff, "so it really made sense to open a one-stop shop for natural health and beauty here."
There are a number of opening offers running at the moment: this weekend there's a free Lavera handcream with every purchase. Make a day of it by visiting the gardens and have lunch at Mount Usher's new cafe, run by Avoca. Breathe, Mount Usher Gardens, Ashford, Co Wicklow; 0404-42699; www.breathenaturally.ie. Eoin Lyons
• Holidaymakers in Cork should head to the Triskel Arts Centre in Tobin Street a) to dodge the rain and b) to catch the retrospective exhibition of Sean McSweeney's work, which has just transferred there from the Model Niland Gallery in Sligo. Not to be missed, it continues until August 24th. Left: Fields Along the King's River
• Useful invention, this: a battery-operated tin opener.
Good for camping or picnics, especially for those with weak or arthritic hands. You'll find the Culinare One Touch in Arnotts, Clerys, Home Store Plus More, Atlantic Homecare and other major retailers nationwide, price €29.99