Even in my most pretentious moments (and those that know me would probably say I’ve more than anybody’s fair share of those) I wouldn’t claim to have a palate than can discern the subtleties in every dish I taste.

That doesn’t stop me enjoying food and the opportunities to meet up with family or friends over a coffee or even lunch.

I suspect I’m no different to most people in that I’ve a few favourite haunts I like to go to. Some are better for coffee than others, some are perfect quick tasty lunches and some straddle that sea between long lunch and dinner.

Although the list of favourites changes over time they usually tick the following boxes:

• good food
• good service
• good value
• good atmosphere
• friendly staff

Chef’s change, menus change, staff changes, but that doesn’t mean that any of these qualities should change.

Dublin is a major city and there are no shortages of good places to eat or grab a coffee. It doesn’t take long to build up a list of favourite spots and it’s great if these places never fail to deliver. If they consistently manage to tick all the boxes (or perhaps occasionally miss just one of them) a restaurant can built up a regular and devoted army of customers in no time at all.

[Warning: Entering a pretentious zone...]

Before going further with this post I should let you know that I don’t really like to “grab a coffee”.

I prefer to sit down and enjoy a good cup of coffee when I’m not in a rush. I like to taste it and enjoy it.

I believe in the Italian three C’s of coffee: carico, caldo, comodo.

The translation is strong (think full of flavour), hot and convenient (when you really have the time).

[...leaving pretentious zone.]

My favourite places to relax with a good cup of coffee are The Bald Barista at 55 Aungier Street and Third Floor Espresso at 54 Middle Abbey Street.

I have been to the Third Floor Espresso more often than The Bald Barista. That isn’t because I have a strong preference for one over the other it’s just that I tend to pass Abbey Street more often than Aungier Street. But I’ve been known to drag people, not quite kicking and screaming, over to The Bald Barista for what I think is a damn fine cup of coffee.

I wouldn’t describe either coffee shop as being luxurious. But I like them and I’ve had many a long conversation in both drinking more coffee than is probably good for me.

My favourite eateries at the moment are (in no particular order):

• Queen of Tarts on Cows Lane, Dublin 2
• The Cake Café at The Daintree Building, Pleasants Place, Dublin 2
• Just Off Francis at 78 Thomas Street, Dublin 8
• Green Nineteen at 19 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2
• McHugh’s at 59 St. Assam’s Park, Raheny, Dublin 5
• Ten Fourteen at 324 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3
• The House at 4 Main Street, Howth

My experience is they all do variations of a similar theme; good food and good service at reasonable prices.

I don’t eat out a lot; I couldn’t afford to do that. So when I do go out for that treat I like to be reasonably confident I’m going to get something tasty that won’t break the bank.

Having said that my favourite right now is The House in Howth. That’s where I’d go if I was pushing the boat out and it was a special occasion. It’s the one that would put the biggest hole in my wallet, but the food, the service the atmosphere has always been excellent any time I’ve been.

For a tasty lunch/brunch or early evening meal you could do a lot worse than Queen of Tarts, The Cake Café or Green Nineteen. They’re all near the city centre, very walk-able, cycle-able or bus-able. The Cake Café web site says it’s “leafy courtyard is an oasis of calm in this busy area of the city”. That’s exactly how it felt to me.

Ten Fourteen is owned by CASA, a voluntary organisation who says their goal is develop friendships and social outlets for people with disabilities through a variety of social activities. I’m not aware of any other restaurant in Dublin that is owned by a charity. I’m not sure if many of the people who eat there regularly know its charitable status. My guess is that most people who eat there do so because the food is very good. Sitting outside on a sunny day opposite the wooden bridge that links Clontarf to Bull Island with a coffee and scone (they do great scones) is blissful.

I’ve eaten the best ham panini ever in McHugh’s opposite The Cedars in Raheny. It’s run by the same family that have one of the best off-licences in Dublin, also called McHugh’s.  McHugh’s Off-Licence seems to win the “beer specialist” award practically every year so it’s no surprise that the restaurant has a really good beer selection.

Finally I want to mention Just Off Francis. I’ve only been in it once and the occasion was just before going to a concert in Vicar St. We didn’t want to go to a pub and P spotted a few free tables inside as we passed by.  They were getting ready for dinner but they kindly allowed us to stop for a cup of coffee as the rush had not started yet. We had a lovely half hour, chatting away, with some excellent fruit crumble and coffee (I do like tea too, honest), as So Far , the 1974 album by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played in the background. As we left for our concert there wasn’t a free table left.

I deliberately didn’t attempt to describe what I’ve eaten at the places I’ve mentioned. There are a few reasons for that. As I said earlier I’m not a food critic and I don’t want to go down the route of describing the food in detail. Secondly, I suppose I prefer eating a nice meal than talking about it. Finally, although food is an important part of the equation you need more than just good food to ensure a worthwhile and satisfying experience.

If you haven’t tried these places and you fancy somewhere different, give them a shot. You might discover a new favourite of your own.

And to finish off, since I’m taking about favourites, here is John Coltrane to play us out. I hope you like his version of My Favorite Things.

Post from: Blog Of Good Cheer

Dinner, Lunch or Coffee in Dublin – These are a Few of my Favourites

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That doesn’t mean that I’ve anything against Murphy Blacks or The Strand. They both served up excellent food while I was in Kilkee and once again they are run very friendly people.

I suppose what swings it for Naughton’s is that it was lively. Sometimes if you’ve had a long day out and about exploring a bit of life in a restaurant can make the difference between falling asleep or getting a second wind.

Here’s a tip. If you want a lively bar atmosphere head to Naughton’s, if you want excellent food and a  good wine selection head to Murphy Blacks, and if you want to enjoy a great food and see the sun setting in the Atlantic head to The Strand Restaurant.

And here’s another tip. Stay in Kilkee for four nights and eat in all of these restaurants once, and on the last night eat a second time in the one that most suits your mood.

It’s worth checking their days of opening because I think they may only open weekends during the off-season.

There’s one last place in Kilkee that I’m going to recommend to eat and chill, The Diamond Rocks Cafe. We had scones fresh out of the oven on a bright Sunday morning. Add to that great coffee and the Sunday papers and we didn’t move from our spot looking over Kilkee Bay for hours. If you ever want to check out the weather in Kilkee and you don’t trust forecasts, try The Diamond Rock Cafe’s live webcam.

If you’re taking in the Loop Head Drive then you could do a lot worse stopping off at The Long Dock in Carrigaholt. I had seafood chowder their twice. Once while exploring Loop Head and the second time was when I came off the Carrigaholt Dolphinwatch boat after successfully finding a dolphin and more sea life than I knew what to do with. They do great seafood chowder in The Long Dock but their reputation is known and you may have to wait a bit for a seat.

If your follow the Loop Head drive you could very easily find yourself in Kilbaha. This is home to The Lighthouse Inn where we stopped to take in the view and to have coffee and rhubarb crumble. There was a great crowd of tourists there and they seemed to be enjoying getting stuck in to various main courses.

If you’ve kept with me and this post you’ve probably guessed that we pushed the boat out a little and ate well while we were staying in Kilkee. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself nicely.

We also made sure we explored Loop Head and much of what it had to offer. The drive around Loop Head is spectacular. There are plenty of places to stop the car and get out and explore on foot. Many of the locals believe that the scenery is as good as what you’d find further north at the Cliffs of Moher. The areas around Kilcredaun, Kilbaha, Loop Head Lighthouse and The Bridges of Ross, make this less frequented part of Ireland an absolute paradise for anyone who wants to experience nature in all its glory, without the tour buses.

If you have the inclination and a bit more time than we had you might take a trip to Scattery Island. The island lies in the mouth of the River Shannon near Kilrush and you can get a boat over and explore. I’ll have to save that trip for another day but I was able to take a photo of the round tower from Cappa Pier, Kilrush.

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Kilkee and Loop Head: Eating and Exploring

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That’s what happened recently when I was in the Third Floor Espresso at 54 Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1. I got taking to Colin Harmon, who owns the shop and also writes a blog called Dublin Barista. Instead of getting off the Luas at Busaras I’d started getting off at Jervis so I could pop in and have an espresso. Walking on to Connolly to get a DART is pobably good for me.

After asking me what I thought of the coffee he’d just made me (which I loved) Colin said that in a couple of days he’d have a blend that he felt would be perfect for my coffee maker. It was Machacamarca and I think (working from memory here) it came from Bolivia. A few days later I bought some and I really like it.

I’m not going to try and describe it. I’ll leave that to people, like Colin, who not only are experts but are passionate about producing a consistently great cup of coffee every time. If you’re a coffee-phile, then the next time you find yourself in the O’Connell Street area or anywhere around the quays, take time to drop buy and get a great espresso or a damn fine cappuccino for €2. That’s great value considering it’s served by the Irish Barista Champion 2009 who has also won fourth place overall, World Barista Championship Atlanta 2009!

I think I’ve visited the Third Floor Espresso about a dozen times now and I’ve always liked the coffee I was served. Colin isn’t always there (I guess even coffee lovers have to sleep) but everyone who works with him seems to have the same devotion to delivering a excellent cup of coffee every time.

Enjoy!

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Excellent Coffee In Dublin City Centre From A Champion Barista

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First a confession: when I say it’s the best ragù I’ve ever cooked I’m not really saying a lot as I don’t cook that much. So it might be more accurate to say that it’s one of the best meat sauces for pasta I’ve ever tasted, and I managed to prepare it!

If you’re a natural cook I think you’ll find this recipe a doddle. If like me, you’ve difficulty finding the right utensils in your own kitchen then you’ll probably still find this recipe stress free, as nothing is done in a hurry. In fact, after the tomatoes are added the best thing to do is let it slowly simmer away until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

The recipe comes from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan. I’m not sure if the edition I have is still available but I’m pretty sure the recipe is reproduced in her more recent The Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

According to the author, it is important to remember the following points:

• The meat must be sautéed just barely long enough to lose its raw colour.
• It must be cooked in milk before the tomatoes are added.
• It must cook at the merest simmer for 3.5 to 5 hours!

Here are the ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 40g butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped carrot
• 350g minced lean beef preferably chuck or neck
• Salt
• 300ml dry white wine
• 8 (120ml) tablespoons full cream milk
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 400g tinned chopped tomatoes

The Steps:

1. Heat a heavy based pot and sauté the onion with all the oil and butter until translucent.
2. Add the celery and carrot and cook 2 minutes.
3. Add the minced beef, crumble with a fork, add salt, and cook briefly until the meat has just lost its raw colour.
4. Add the wine and increase the heat to medium high and cook, stirring occasionally until the wine has evaporated.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the milk and nutmeg and once again cook until it has evaporated, stirring from time to time.
6. Once the milk has evaporated add the tomatoes, stir well and reduce the heat to the gentlest simmer.
7. Stir occasionally and allow it to cook uncovered for 3.5 to 4 hours. 5 is best.
8. Adjust the seasoning adding more salt and pepper to suit.

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly and purists will probably despair at my changes, but the end result was fantastic.

I started with 1kg of mince, so I multiplied everything except the wine and the milk by two and a half.

I increased the volume of wine and the milk by about 50%.

I used low fat milk.

I had no celery, so I left it out.

I used two small onions, one large carrot, lean round steak mince. And possibly the biggest faux pas, I used French wine!

I’m fairly certain I didn’t simmer for 5 hours.

Why I like this sauce:

• It tastes great, wonderful depth of flavour
• It’ll keep in the fridge for 3 days
• You can freeze it
• You can use it with pasta (tagliatelle is best) or in a lasagne
• All you have to be able to do is chop and stir – not that hard really.
• Did I mention it tastes great?

Buon appetito!

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The Best Pasta Sauce I Have Ever Cooked

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My current favourite breakfast is a toasted bagel smothered in smooth peanut butter and a good mug of tea. Is it healthy? I’m not sure, but I believe bagels are considered to be less fattening than other breads and the peanut butter (which according to the jar contains peanuts!) is a protein source. I’m not going to go down a food nutrition path here; the main reasons I like this breakfast are it tastes good and it keeps me from feeling hungry again until lunch time. I wish I could take credit for the combination but it was my wife’s idea. In fact my favourite “winter” breakfast was her idea also, porridge with blueberries – fantastic!

I’d rather get up early or work late, than rush breakfast. That’s just me, how I like to work and how I like my day to begin. On occasion, I do leave the house without eating, but that usually results in low energy and a craving for chocolate that I find hard to ignore.

Looking out the window I can see the day is starting dry, overcast and breezy. Perfect for a reasonably long walk and a chance to put the toasted bagel (did I mention it was only a half bagel?) and peanut butter to an energy test. My plan is to go for a walk around Howth Head (approximately 15 km from Dublin city), which should take between 2hrs and 3hrs, depending on the route I take. The breakfast passes the test if I have no interest in buying food at the Howth Market which is on every Sunday! Not a very scientific test I agree, but it is the sort of test that suits my mood this morning.

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Breakfast: Bagels and Peanut Butter

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