It’s Friday night and you have a dozen social engagements ahead of you – dropping into that gallery opening, popping into this pub for a birthday party, heading to a club for a dance later… on a night like this, who has the time for a sit-down three-course meal?
What you’re looking for is a swift, spontaneous supper that can be easily shared; something that will satiate without leaving you too stuffed to socialise. We’re thinking cheese boards, terrines, tacos and pizza slices.
Hardly breaking news but more of a reminder, the pizza in the Big Blue Bus is still up there with the best pizza in the city. Housed in a converted school bus that lives in the beer garden of The Bernard Shaw on South Richmond Street, my current favourite is the Pick The Pear, an 11-inch pizza topped with pear, Parma ham and gorgonzola cheese €9.50).
For something a little less ravey, try La Dolce Vita, a sweet Italian spot on Cow’s Lane in the smart end of Temple Bar. Grab a seat outside for a glass of red and a plate of their salami and cheese selection (€20, feeds two to three people).
For a more refined pitstop, get a seat at the bar of Etto on Merrion Row and grab a few of their exquisite tasting plates – think grilled duck hearts and lardo (€7) or salt hake croquettes (€9) – accompanied by a glass from their well-stocked wine cellar.
If I was in Cork City looking for a quick bite, I'd knock into Arthur Mayne's, a wine bar in an old chemist's on Pembroke Street, where you can choose three cheeses for your cheese board (€9 with quince jelly and a rustic baguette).
I’ve also been hearing great things about the Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House, who have taken their skills beyond the brewery and into the kitchen with a space on Oliver Plunkett Street. I’ll have to make a stop in to try their sobrassada on toast (a raw, cured sausage at ¤6) and low smoked brisket roll (€8.50) on my next visit to the “real” capital.
Galway is king when it comes to fast food done well. On a recent Galway jaunt, I found myself face to face with a potato-filled sandwich, made to order from Entrepans counter in the window of The Bierhaus on Henry Street, just down from The Róisín Dubh. Their SBLPT – a smoked bacon, lettuce, potato and tomato stuffed into an old-school roll from O'Connor's Bakery (€6.50) – won my heart but I'll be back for their famed Banh-Mi (€7) and for a go of their Tofu Po' Boy (€6.50).
By far the best taco I’ve had in Ireland was in Galway’s Biteclub, a large food truck permanently parked above Electric nightclub on Upper Abbeygate Street, Galway. They identify themselves as a “streetfood discotheque”, which translates as a buzzy rooftop bar with a great cook behind the bar. The food is fast and no fuss, yet it has a seriously big mouth when it comes to flavour. Find them at biteclub.ie. Or head to Sheridan’s Wine Bar, upstairs from their Church Yard Street cheesemongers, for a glass of Italian wine and a plate of cheese and cured meats.
If you're looking for inspiration on a night of supping and sampling, have a look at what the Dublin Wine Fest have planned for the quaffers of the capital from April 20 to April 25. A €5 wristband gets you a 30 per cent discount on at least two festival wines at 32 Dublin bars and restaurants, many of which will have food-pairing specials laid on for festival goers. Head to greatirishbeverages.com for more info on the festival and to download their festival map so that you can be self-guided on your merry way.
