Im Back!

Big Grill 2017, Herbert Park, Ballsbridge, Dublin 

  So I took my camera to the Big Grill Festival yesterday and, as I was snapping away, I thought that there has to be a fun and creative way to share my love of food and photography with the world. I had completely forgotten about Chow Down In DublinI Thankfully, my dear old food blog was lingering in web-space awaiting my return, which I am delighted to announce has come!

  I intend to pick up exactly where I left off 3 years ago. There's a lot that's happened since then and now, so lets briefly run-through some memorable culinary experiences over the last few years:

Salamanca, 1 Andrew Street, Dublin 2: Great selection of tapas, affordable early bird menu. €20 for three plates and a glass of wine. Recommended for groups or quick bites with the other half. They also offer pitchers of cocktails to share, bonus points!

Skinflint, 19 Crane Lane, Temple Bar, Dublin 2: Hidden just off Dame Street, this is an outside-the-box approach to rustic pizza, including, but not limited to, grapes as a topping (and it works, believe you me!). Try their hummous starter and be sure to have a peek around at the decor, you may find yourself dining on someone's front door creatively transformed into a unique dining slab. Pizza is made to share, so grab some friends and seek it out!

Wishbone, 16 Montague Street, Dublin 2: Self proclaimed wing masters, this is an approachable and intimate dive-bar type wing joint (get it, joint!?). The menu is small which always tells me that attention is paid to the few dishes on offer and this rings true in Wishbone. Head here for some soakage before hitting the surrounding bars and clubs. 

The Generator, The Generator Hostel, Smithfield Square, Dublin 7: Anyone who has read my older posts knows that I've developed a healthy interest in burgers in all their dirty glory. The Generator burger is a back-to-roots homage to the quintessential meaty mouthful. Quality beef and signature sauce laid on secretly-sourced buns (the bakery supplies only the Generator) makes it a true treat to the taste buds. No frills, nothing fancy, just a great burger.

Token, 72-74 Queen's Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7: Gamer's paradise, this new arcade-style bar and restaurant offers anyone over the age of 18 (though I've heard this will change with time to allow families) the unique opportunity to drink and dine while being surrounded with arcade games and pinball machines. Tokens are available at the bar, and the menu features items like the Dogg's Bollox ("Latin-style corn dogs with homemade hot sauce...") and a Bag o Cans for the staff for a fiver. Its a fun spot that I recommend to any man-child and his missus looking for a hideout to meet like-minded people. 

Wigwam, 54 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 2: I've brought friends and family to Wigwam if only for the Skewered Chicken Hearts. Served with a minty salsa, these tasty little morsels might strike caution into the minds of some, but for those willing to try them you won't be disappointed. Other favourites include Creamy Brisket Croquettes and mini Churros. Head chef ,Pedro Ferraz, deserves many thanks for the menu, and is also the hero who brought us Spud Box, which any avid festival-goer will undoubtedly know and appreciate as a staple hangover cure!

  I do hope to visit the above establishments again in the future and provide a more in-depth and mouth-watering notation of the goods on offer. For now, I'm just glad to be back and already making notes of where I'll be journeying to next! As always, please feel free to share your recommendations and your own experiences of the restaurants mentioned. I'm always open to criticism and tips on good eats!

Ciao for now!

XO

Mel

Gypsy Rose BluCaffe

Where? BluCaffe, Aston Quay, Dublin 2

Ordered? Pulled Pork Sandwich on Home-made Bread

  There are so many charming features to this humble cafe, its hard to know where to start. A popular spot with Dublin's rock'n'rolling crowd, young and old, it also serves as a tattoo parlour with access to the Gypsy Rose Rock and Blues Bar nextdoor. With a fully covered seating and smoking area, it's a nice spot to sip on a coffee or specialty tea, of which they have plenty, and do a spot of people-watching. If you'd rather sit inside at the counter, the atmosphere is maintained with a steady stream of classic and modern rock songs on the stereo.

  They feature a small menu of pulled pork sandwiches that speak for themselves, the pork itself can be seen cooking behind the coffee station and is well worth the wait as it is slow-cooked. Order a sandwich and a coffee, and wait for your order with a spot of pool or peek in at their resident artist working away through the see-through wall into the tattoo studio. 

  If pool is not your thing, look for the bookshelf featuring books brought by guests, as they have a "take a book, leave a book" policy. On my last visit there were mixes of rock autobiographies, a book on celebrity inventions; even a few Stephanie Meyers and a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey! I might have been tempted to take it, but I didn't have a book with me to leave, no shame!

  The food is tasty with home-made ciabatta bread and sides like apple and cinnamon sauce and roasted aubergines, definitely a treat to warm anyone up on a rainy day. 

  I've been a patron of the Gypsy Rose since it was opened four years ago for many reasons, and the BluCaffe is another reason I'm proud to call myself a regular. Check it out, especially if you're a classic rock and metal fan, and tell me I'm wrong, I dare ya!

BluCaffe

The Vintage Kitchen

Where? The Vintage Kitchen, 7 Poolbeg Street, D2
Ordered? 2 courses for €25, Starter of Roasted wild Irish Sea ling wrapped in Parma ham, crispy cod fish cake and caper sauce. Main of Roasted poussin, caprese salad, horseraddish sauce and sauteed potatoes.

  On a quiet street near Tara Street train station, beside Mulligan's pub, the Vintage Kitchen is a small 30-something seater restaurant that one would never even know existed. There is no sign outside, nothing at all to give away the fabulousness of the interior and the amazing cuisine flowing from the open kitchen. I had never heard of it before, but would be only too happy to recommend it to anyone who will listen. 
  The menu is small and changes seasonally, with 5 or 6 options for mains and starters as well as a couple of dessert options. Two courses for €25 is a bargain, with a BYOW policy and no corkage when you avail of the two course option. The wall space is adorned with artwork and crafts that are all for sale, just make an offer, and a record player provides the soundtrack; they even allow guests to bring their own vinyls to play during a sitting. 
  For starters I order the Sea Ling. Always eager to try new things, I have to admit I had to ask what a ling was (a member of the cod family). The dish was neatly prepared and smelled lovely. The ling itself had the same colour and consistency of cod but much fluffier, and the accompanying fish cakes were the nicest I've come across in a long time. The dish sat in a generous ladel of rich smooth caper sauce that was so good I scooped it all up with some homemade breads, not wanting to waste a drop.
  An extremely good start. As I was dining with a group, we were all trying and tasting a bit of each others dishes. One of our group opted for a board of slow roasted beets, whipped mascarpone, pink onions, feta, black figs, prune & jalapeno relish. Seeming to me to be an odd mixture of flavours, but after trying some, I was overly impressed. The fig, beetroot and cheese was an amazing combination, really daring. 
  Like the ling, I wanted to order something I hadn't had before, deciding on the poussin. Even though its just chicken, I had never tried one so young. And like the ling, it did not disappoint. The meat was softer than on a mature chicken, the skin a lot thinner and tasty, and the brown meat underneath so juicy. After picking and shredding the tiny fowl, there was nought left but a plate of bones. It was delicious. 
  My mam, who was seated next to me, ordered the lamb shank in treacle gravy. An average sized shank thick with meat, I was only too happy to help her finish it! Deeeee-vine! I didn't get to taste the steak, but from the noises coming from the other end of the table there's no doubt that it, too, was a success.
  The quality of each and every dish was consistent, there wasn't a single complaint amongst our group (all avid foodies and even a couple of retired chefs), and the staff were so polite and witty it was almost like having dinner at a friend's. And although there is no room for a bar in the restaurant itself, they do allow customers to buy drinks nextdoor in Mulligan's and bring them in.

  I would recommend the Vintage Kitchen to anyone looking for lovingly prepared seasonal grub. Anyone would do well to take a gal here on a first date, a definite keeper. However, reservations on the weekends are booked up until January, but one might get lucky midweek. I really hope to be back again when the menu changes in the New Year, ten out of ten all round!

The Vintage Kitchen

GBK

Where? Gourmet Burger Kitchen, South Anne's Street, Dublin 2
Ordered? Halloumi Bites, Camemberger

  Untill last year I was never much of a burger fan. It was as if one day it dawned on me how wonderful a burger is. A slab of beef in between two slices of bread and any number of combinations of fillings and toppings; why had it taken me so long to appreciate this? After my delicapiphany, a brief phase followed where I just craved burgers and wanted to try them all, inevitably leading me to GBK.
  To start I ordered halloumi bites, innocent enough. Wrong! They came with a sweet dip, more like a chutney, but with a killer after-burn. Not for the faint of heart but a mild foodgasm for those of us who do like it hot. A small starter full of flavour, ten points.
  The burger was made with a lightly toasted brioche bun, adding a nice little crunch to each bite. The beef was good quality, free of fat and gristle, and the camembert an excellent substitute bringing all the flavours together.

  It's a small restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere, a must for burger enthusiasts.

GBK

BrunchDay - The Exchequer

Where? The Exchequer, Exchequer St, D2 

Ordered? Pulled Pork Hash

  Just off South Great Georges Street, looking onto Dame Square, is the cosy den that is the Exchequer Bar. As well as top quality cocktails and a team of bartenders who like to play with fire (their words, not mine), they also serve up some tasty eats.
  I've ordered the Pulled Pork Hash, served with poached eggs, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. It comes out looking so good and well put together, but doesnt stay that way for long! I dive right in, bursting the poached eggs and pulling apart chunks of the hash with my fork. What I get is flavour filled mouthfulls, creamy and crunchy,  eggy and piggy all in one, with great long strands of pulled pork throughout. It doesn't take long to polish off the lot (more more more please!), and I make a mental note to replicate this dish some morning in the near future.

 After all, in my opinion, simplicity never fails, and this dish is so simple and so tasty. I'd call that successful Brunching!

The Exchequer

Art of Coffee

Where? Art of Coffee, Unit 1, Alto Vetro, Grand Canal Quay, Dublin 4
Ordered? Ham, broccoli and courgette quiche

  No word of a lie, this is the third time I've been here in the last 6 weeks. For a place that's well known for stylish coffees (yeah, they ain't bad), I would come for the quiche alone. Each time I've ordered the same quiche, and for good reason.
  A thick layer of crumbled ham and a tightly packed veggie filling, it's well balanced, tasty and the pastry is just the right texture.
  As well as the food and coffee, the outdoor seating area along the canal provides a quiet serene setting. However, if there's a hint of wind, one would be wise to get a seat inside as you might find the best part of a salad will easily become wind-borne.
  It's a popular spot with the surrounding office flock so get in early at lunch to secure a table as they are limited.
  Worth the stroll and great value for money; another little gem in the Grand Canal crown.

http://www.theartofcoffee.info

Bison Bar

Where? Bison Bar, 11 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
Ordered? Pulled pork with sides of Coleslaw and Fries

  Its always a toss up between Bison Bar and Pitt Bro's when I'm in the mood for BBQ pork, and neither disappoints. While the Pitt Bro's option is a little easier on the wallet, I've always favoured the Bison Bar as the portions are a little larger and the meats just a little juicier, As well as the decorated outdoor seating and smoking area, and whiskey-adorned cocktail menu, Bison Bar wins it for me. The whole place has an air of being transported back to the American Mid-West circa the cowboy era.
  I had the pulled pork today with coleslaw and fries, which came with a tasty spicy mayo dip. The whole lot was savoured and the plate left clean. The dishes are quite expensive but the food is cooked well, the staff are lovely and the place itself has a really unique charm, including saddles instead of stools, a smoking area that can be accessed by climbing through a large window, and a massive colourful mural of an American bison.
  Not my first visit to this meat joint (pun intended), they also offer a superb collection of whisk(e)ys, including tasting platters that I recommend any whiskey enthusiast travelling through Dublin try.

  All in all, its a pleasant place to relax and enjoy some succulent meats, and maybe go for a cheaky Bourbon if the mood strikes!

Bison Bar