So now you know all about my love affair with the chipper. Matt used to tease me in college that I was a cheap date (you know, in a good, clean way), and this is still the truth. Spend three euro on a bag of garlic mayo chips and I'm your girl for life. But there is more to food life in Ireland than the spud.
I've said before we feel extremely blessed to live here and in such close proximity to Dublin. On the rare chance we get a night (or a morning or an afternoon) out on the town alone, our first stop will be Lemon.
Lemon Crepe & Coffee Co. makes the most delicious savory and sweet crepes and I could probably eat there every day and never be bored. I would also have to buy all new clothes and run 6 miles a day. For our girls' day in the city, I took Ella to Lemon and - like I knew she would be - she was absolutely in love with her strawberry and nutella crepe with fresh creme. I devoured my apple cinnamon crepe, while still somewhat wishing I had gone for the savory mexican crepe with a spicy cheese glaze and quacamole on the side. You just can't go wrong with Lemon.
Other favourite Dublin eats?
Acapulco. Also Mexican food, slightly more dear (expensive) than what we'd prefer, so this is our special occasion place. Matt and some friends took me here for my 30th birthday and it was so tasty! At the time, there weren't a lot of Mexican restaurants to choose from. I think there may have been three in the whole of the country, not including the Chili's in Belfast, which was both short-lived and a tasty reminder of home, including FREE REFILLS (unheard of here). Now we have more Mexi-places to choose from, but I still defer to my old favourite. Did I mention the fried ice cream?
Ooh, and there's Third Space, a somewhat newish place on the block. It's owned and run by some acquaintances of ours and it's fresh food with a neighbourhood vibe. Seating is based round community tables and it's not uncommon to strike up conversation with the people sitting next to you. Every day Third Space posts pictures and descriptions of their fare - shepherd's pie, margherita pizza, every soup imaginable - and my mouth waters just at the thought of them!
Locally, we've enjoyed take away from Mango Tree. They serve delicious thai food and my sweet family treated me to their fantastic pad thai for my most recent birthday.
You can also find McDonalds, Subway, KFC and - believe it or not - TGI Fridays in the greater Dublin area, but apart from the monthly happy meal treat, we stay away from the old fast food staples. If we're going to splurge on eating out, we're going to do it the right way.
The downside to all this good food? Eating out - especially as a family with kids - comes with a high price tag. But when you take into account that we live on an island nation, most of the food is local, and all meat is traceable and ethically sourced, the standards match the cost. It's by no means a frequent occurence for us, which in my opinion, makes dining out that much more of a treat (since we've returned to Ireland, Acapulco hasn't made the budget cut).
So a side trip to the McD's drive-thru may end up being a little more reasonable. What can I say? It just tastes better here. But skip the happy meal. The toy is never worth it.
In October I'm sharing about the life we've made at home in Ireland, including the food. I'd still give anything for a Giordano's deep dish, Jimmy John's sub or some Panera soup. Do you have an old stomping ground your mouth still waters for?