Ireland, June 2022

 After 3.5 years I finally got home to Ireland!  Amazing how much we packed in.  Amongst other things: met tons and tons of Patrick's relatives, saw Oliver Reed's final resting place in Churchtown, Cork (stayed two nights in the village actually), overnighted in The Shelbourne (eek! Bit of a lifelong dream realised),  a night in Powerscourt Hotel, Enniskerry, visited with my family, met up with Alice and spent a nice bit of time with Enid and Ciaran in Ranelagh.

Pictured below are some food highlights of the hol

Centre of the pic is the absolute climax of the food journey - the amazing seafood tower that Ciaran treated us to in his lovely Lawn Tennis Club restaurant.  Lobster, mussels, clams, oysters, salmon, crab, prawns. Oh my!

Other amazing food places visited: One Pico on Molesworth St, Sikka in Powerscourt, Matt The Threshers on Pembroke, Reilly's on Merrion St, various pubs in Dingle and the surrounds.  Good, Irish ingredients just can't be beat!

It really was just a wonderful trip.

My big fat fabulous seafood weekend

This weekend it was all about the Irish seafood!

 

On Thursday night we went to Urchin on Stephen's Green (it's part of the Cliff Townhouse) where we had a selection of prawns (pil pil and gambas) and also a portion of beef cheek.

It was so  nice that we actually went back on Friday night (after drinks in Kennedy's bar on Tara Street) and ordered just the prawns gambas to share.

Recognising us from the night before the lovely staff sent us over 2 little shrimp croquettes which while interesting didn't taste of very much.

And then the finale!

A seafood platter for two from the Bloody Stream in Howth,

Which we actually shared between three (Enid came along for the train ride), accompanied by two sides of sweet potato fries and onion rings it worked perfectly.

 

Can you see everything that is packed on there? Mussels in a lovely hot creamy broth, garlic bread for dipping into said broth, oysters, prawns, crab meat, smoked salmon, and poached salmon. It was excellent! It was my first time in the Bloody Stream and it will not be my last.