At the helm of Mayfield Eatery in Terenure are two Kevin Byrnes. Kevin T Byrne and Kevin D Byrne took over a small deli on Terenure Road North in 2010, bringing their respective chef and front of house experience with them.
The deli did well for them, and a few years later, they expanded by taking over the space next door, which soon became the hub of Mayfield activity.
This sprawling cavern of kitsch bric-a-brac is always full, particularly for weekend brunches, and one of its endearing features is a well-stocked gift store. If you’re in a tight spot for a greeting card, this is your one-stop shop. It has been such a success that it could be accused of overshadowing the original deli next door.
Earlier this year, the Kevins gave their deli a subtle make-over, in an effort to give the space its own identity, and relaunched it in September as Fragments. “We hope that people will go to Mayfield for their scones and pastries,” explains Kevin D, “and come in here for something a little more Italian-influenced”. Here, they’ve created a lifestyle food store, where you can literally buy the plate you’re eating off. Sunlight spills on to the counter that lines the front window, and next to that you’ll find a little area stocked with affordable pretty pieces for your home. I picked up a sweet 1970s-style retro sugar and milk jug for just €9.50, and there are plates, bowls and wine glasses waiting for you to adopt them.
There's a small dry goods pantry stocked with De Cecco pasta and bags of Nik's Tea, made just down the road by Nicola Kearns (www.nikstea.ie). A cold fridge is stocked with cheeses supplied by Lilliputs across the river in Stoneybatter, and a basket of Arun Bakery bread, also based in Stoneybatter, has loaves on sale daily.
My lunch is a plate piled high with deliciously thin slices of spiced pastrami, supplied by La Rousse, the star of the hot pastrami open sandwich (€9). The beef comes from Malone Meats in Co Monaghan, via the premium suppliers, La Rousse Foods. The sandwich’s foundation is made of lightly toasted Arun Bakery rye bread, and there’s a dill crème fraîche alongside a beautifully tart red cabbage pickle made by head chef Grainne Walsh.
My lunch date happily makes his way through an enormous and enormously comforting bowl of Tuscan white bean and pancetta soup (€7), served with swirls of salsa verde on top, bringing an extra level of flavour. It’s made from a recipe that Kevin D picked up on a recent holiday in Italy. There are torn chunks of crusty baguette served on the side.
We share a slice of really gorgeous orange and olive oil cake. Its height is impressive and it’s light and spongy. Washed down with well-made coffees using the fair-trade, organic and Rainforest Alliance-certified beans supplied by excellent local coffee suppliers, Imbibe Coffee.
Those of you fond of bubbles will delight in the Prosecco tap that juts out of the wood-panelled wall at Fragments. That’s right, I said Prosecco tap.
Fragments stays open until 9pm in the evening, serving the same simple, straightforward fare as during the day.
From the wine shelf, there’s a choice of two wines, a French Sauvignon Blanc and a French Merlot. Hanging out here is an uncomplicated no-brainer, and it’s great to see this sweet little space coming into its own.
