Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.
Sandwich with spicy slow-cooked beef brisket, avocado, tomato relish, coleslaw, and mixed baby leaves
I’ve been hearing rave reviews of Green Bench sandwiches for weeks now – the queue outside at lunchtime is supposedly one of the longest in the city. This week, I was fortunate enough to be included in a group order picked up by someone else, so my extraordinary lunch came queue-free. A generous pile of shredded beef brisket anchored the sandwich, with just a touch of heat in its marinade, and the coleslaw was a crunchy foil to the tender meat. Avocado and tomato relish are already two staples in my Irish diet, so they were welcome additions. I was prepared for the sandwich to be rather messy, but the well-toasted bread somehow held up to the all the fillings.
The details:Green Bench Café, 18 Montague St., Dublin 2, Ireland.
Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.
Breakfast Caesar with charred Cos, crispy ham, eggs, pickled onion, and salad cream
I wasn’t sure if upscale brunch would be as popular in Ireland as it is in the States, but Super Miss Sue made it clear that Dublin takes the leisurely weekend meal just as seriously. And if I know anything about brunch, it’s that most of the best ones start with a great Bloody Mary. This one was exceptional: lots of peppery spice and savory worcestershire kick, plus brine from the pickle and char from the shrimp. It felt classic and fresh all at once.
Classic Bloody Mary with a prawn and pickle
My entree veered even further away from tradition. It was a breakfast version of a Caesar salad, so poached eggs landed atop croutons, dressing, and charred romaine leaves. Crispy ham and pickled onions rounded out all the different textures, and also added more color to an already beautiful plate. I wouldn’t normally choose a salad in the morning, but this one definitely satisfied. And closing out the meal with coffee and gelato is never a bad idea, especially when one of the trio of flavors tasted just like Ferrero Rocher.
Coffee, vanilla, and ferrero-rocher gelato with coffee
The details:Super Miss Sue, 2–3 Drury St., Dublin 2, Ireland.
Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.
Slow cooked duck leg with sweetcorn, truffle, grilled onion, and toasted oatsThe pink door at the entrance along Nassau Street
It’s hard to miss the bright pink door marking the entrance to The Pig’s Ear, a charming restaurant with two cozy upstairs dining rooms. The Pig’s Ear serves contemporary Irish cuisine that earned it Michelin Bib Gourmand status (a distinction shared by many of my favorite restaurants in Chicago as well). We chose from a 3-course prix fixe menu available only in the early evening, which turned out to be an excellent value. I enjoyed the whole meal, but the second course edged out the rest as my favorite. It combined familiar flavors with more surprising techniques: an oat crust on fall-apart-tender duck, and sweet corn cut from the cob in full slices. The grilled onion and truffle sauce made the dish even more savory.
But first came the bread basket, including the hearty brown bread that is ubiquitous in Irish restaurants. I’m sure I’ll have much more to say about brown bread in the coming posts, but The Pig’s Ear’s version was nicely dense and nutty. The round of butter alongside was also especially elegant with its marble slab and wooden spreader.
Leather bread basket, with traditional brown bread on the rightCitrus cured Irish salmon with Goatsbridge trout caviar, buttermilk, and cucumber
The salmon starter was light, refreshing, and texturally interesting. Cucumber came in two forms: more recognizable slices, and smaller orbs rolled in black ash. I’ve been impressed multiple times already at the quality of salmon in Ireland, and this dish showed off the fresh fish especially well.
We finished our meal with The Pig’s Ear’s signature dessert, presented to each person in a striped pink bag. Inside was a glass jar filled with three layers of cheesecake: raspberry jam, cream cheese filling, and crushed biscuits (similar to graham crackers). It must be the high-quality Irish dairy, because the filling was some of the creamiest I’ve tasted and made each spoonful heavenly. I might go back for the cheesecake alone.
The Pig’s Ear signature cheese cake with berry jam and crushed HobNob biscuits, jarred and presented inside a pink striped bag
The details:The Pig’s Ear, 4 Nassau Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.
