seafood – Hillary Weller

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

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.

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

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

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