Tag: ireland

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Travel Eats

Travel Eats: A weekend in Galway

Travel Eats documents my food adventures while traveling.

Smoked salmon salad with baked beans at Ard Bia
Burren smoked salmon salad with organic quinoa, soft boiled market egg, and pistachio and sumac dressing, plus side of Turkish baked beans, at Ard Bia

I recently took the train to Galway for the weekend, excited to see what Ireland’s western coast was like. The standout meal for me was a late brunch at Ard Bia, housed in a cozy stone building just past the Spanish Arch. The salad combined loads of local smoked salmon, hearty quinoa, a soft-boiled egg (which kept it in the brunch zone), seeds, greens, and a nutty dressing into what was by far the best salad I’ve eaten this year. The locally sourced ingredients, eclectic flavor combinations, and laidback-yet-stylish vibe reminded me a lot of Lula Café in Chicago, which made me feel even more at home.

I kept with the same theme during dinner at Kirwan’s, a tucked-away seafood bar that had come highly recommended. The cold seafood platter packed major variety: smoked mackerel, head-on prawns, shrimp in Marie Rose sauce, and a salty oyster, all atop a thick blanket of smoked salmon. It was straightforward enough that I could truly appreciate the freshness and character of each component.

Cold seafood platter, Kirwan's
Seafood platter with smoked salmon, fresh prawn, smoked mackerel, rock oyster, and brandy-scented Marie Rose sauce at Kirwan’s
Cheese plate, Sheridans Cheesemongers
Plate of five cheeses, olives, crackers, and quince at Sheridans Cheesemongers

I was able to enjoy a sampler plate of five fine cheeses at Sheridans Cheesemongers, whose products I’d seen throughout Ireland. I also got into the holiday spirit at two locations of the Galway Christmas Market, one near the Spanish Arch and the other on Eyre Square. At one decked-out tent, I sipped my first mulled wine of the season; at the other, I went for a warm blend of Jägermeister, mulling spices, honey, and lemon. And of course, I tucked into a pint of Guinness, the only appropriate beverage for listening to some Irish trad music at Latin Quarter pub Tig Coili.

Mulled wine in a festive tent at the Galway Christmas Market
Mulled wine in a festive tent at the Galway Christmas Market
Guinness at Tig Coili
Pint of Guinness while listening to live trad music at Tig Coili

Because I was staying in Salthill, a coastal area just outside Galway City, I kept to that area for breakfast. One morning, that meant walking down the Salthill Promenade for the Fisherman’s mini version of an Irish fry-up breakfast, which included especially good black pudding and sunny views of Galway Bay. Another morning, I grabbed takeaway pastries from Gourmet Tart Co, who especially excelled at chocolate croissants and fruit-almond tarts.

Mini fry breakfast, The Fisherman
Mini fry (full Irish breakfast) in the sunshine at Fisherman along the Salthill Promenade
Pastries at Gourmet Tart Co.
Chocolate croissants and other assorted pastries at Gourmet Tart Co. in Salthill

The details: Gourmet Tart Co., Salthill Upper; Galway Christmas Market, Spanish Arch; Ard Bia at Nimmos, Spanish Arch, Long Walk; Tig Cóilí, Mainguard Street; Sheridans Cheesemongers, Church Yard Street; The Seafood Bar @ Kirwan’s, Kirwan’s Lane; Fisherman, Salthill; all Galway, Ireland.

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Dublin Dining

Dublin Dining: Breakfast caesar salad and Bloody Mary, Super Miss Sue

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

Breakfast Caesar, Super Miss Sue
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.

Bloody Mary, Super Miss Sue

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, Super Miss Sue
Coffee, vanilla, and ferrero-rocher gelato with coffee

The details: Super Miss Sue, 2–3 Drury St., Dublin 2, Ireland.

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Dublin Dining

Dublin Dining: Mussels pot, prawn cocktail & more, Matt the Thresher

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

Prawn and lobster cocktail, Matt the Thresher
Prawn and lobster cocktail with iceberg lettuce and Marie Rose sauce

I knew I wanted seafood during my first week in Dublin, and the seafood at Matt the Thresher impressed both in quality and quantity. We began with a prawn and lobster cocktail with rosy-colored Marie Rose sauce, which is apparently a traditional preparation in this region. It was lovely to look at, vibrantly colored and served in a martini glass. I was also glad to see that the seafood wasn’t too heavily dressed. It wasn’t until later that I learned that Michelle Obama and the girls ate here during their visit to Ireland in 2013, and that Sasha and Malia chose this same appetizer.

And then came the main event: the mussels pot. Underneath the heavy iron lid was easily the largest portion of mussels that I had ever been served (the photo doesn’t do it justice). I lost track of how many of the petite, meaty mollusks I pried out of their shells, but they were so fresh and simply prepared that it was well worth it. And then, of course, dunking the crusty garlic bread into the white wine broth completed the whole experience.

Mussels pot, Matt the Thresher
Roaring Water Bay mussels pot with white wine, cream, fresh herbs, and garlic bread
O'Hara's Pale Ale, Matt the Thresher
O’Hara’s Irish Pale Ale (and the ubiquitous brown bread)

I decided to eschew the Guinness and instead tried a pale ale from O’Hara’s, a popular Irish craft brewery. It was quite easy-drinking and paired excellently with the mussels. I also kept getting distracted by all the details in the restaurant’s interior, whether it was the stained glass windows overhead, the sprawling, spiral-shaped light fixture over the bar area, or the multiple seating levels with tables tucked into every curve.

Stained glass windows, Matt the Thresher
Stained glass windows above our upper-level table
Storefront of Matt the Thresher
Storefront of Matt the Thresher

The details: Matt the Thresher, 31-32 Lower Pembroke Street, Dublin 2, Ireland.

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Categories
Dublin Dining

Dublin Dining: Slow-cooked duck leg, cheesecake (in a jar) & more, The Pig’s Ear

Dublin Dining chronicles my food & drink experiences during six months living in Dublin, Ireland.

Slow cooked duck leg, The Pig's Ear
Slow cooked duck leg with sweetcorn, truffle, grilled onion, and toasted oats
Pink door, The Pig's Ear
The 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.

Brown bread, The Pig's Ear
Leather bread basket, with traditional brown bread on the right
Citrus cured Irish salmon, The Pig's Ear
Citrus 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.

Cheesecake, The Pig's Ear
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.

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