Report Cards

From BALLYCASTLE, Ireland, Oct. 21, 2008. . .

• Fishy Fishy Café (Pier Rd., Kinsale, Cork) — classy restaurant with outstanding food. Lunch for two with wine, $50. They do not take credit cards.

• Rosquil House (Castlecomer Rd., Kilkenny; phone 056 7721419, www.rosquilhouse.com) — modern guest house with beautiful, large bedrooms with facilities en suite. $98. Gourmet breakfast. Helpful owners.

• Kenmara House (45 North St., Ballycastle, Co Antrim, BT546BP, Ireland, phone [028] 20762600) — on a hill overlooking the Ballycastle harbor.

Marconi sent one of his first telegraph signals from this home. Tastefully decorated with antiques, it retains its original appearance. Owned by Ernie Shannon, a delightful and informative gentleman. B&B price, $98.

— Carolyn Jones, Modesto, CA

From LYON, France, Oct. 19, 2008. . .

Le Pique Assiette (4 rue de la Baleine, Lyon 5; phone 04 7837 3878) — located just off the quai in Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon).

This charming restaurant has an excellent menu. I had a starter of chicken liver mousse accompanied by veggies in a tomato sauce and followed by a Lyonnaise specialty, quenelles de brochet, a poached pike mousse with lobster sauce. This beautifully textured dish had a lobster sauce in which you could actually taste the lobster — not always the case. I followed this up with fromage blanc (like a very creamy cottage cheese), surrounded by a sauce of red fruits.

My friend had a starter of a special Lyonnaise salad, then the quenelles, with a fruit tart for dessert. We split a half bottle of the house white wine. Our bill was €51.50 (about $68).

There are many good restaurants in Lyon but not that many in Vieux Lyon. This one is worth a visit if you are in Lyon or staying near the Old City. It’s open every day, including Sunday when few restaurants are open, which means on Sunday it gets crowded fairly early, by French standards. Try for 7:30 p.m. and it will be empty.

— Ms. Abbie Salny, Wayne, NJ