Gastronomic Ireland Part 2 - Traditional Dublin Restaurants and Modern Gastropubs

Dublin is awash in history and a strong outlook to the future; the cuisine in Dublin reflects this attitude. The city has many types of gastronomic experiences to offer, so I am splitting Dublin up into a couple posts. This post will cover where to find my favorite Dublin Restaurants that traditional Irish cuisine and modern gastropubs. Subsequent Dublin posts will cover fine dining, breweries and craft food markets.

Other Ireland Articles

• Ireland - Part 1- Background and Ireland’s Culinary Renaissance
• Ireland -Part 2 - Dublin - Traditional Restaurants and Modern Gastropubs
• Ireland -Part 3 - Dublin - Fine Dining Restaurants
• Ireland -Part 4 - Cork- English Market
• Ireland- Part 5- Cork Restaurant Recommendations
• Ireland -Part 6- Exploring the Guinness Storehouse

Roots of Traditional Irish Cuisine and Modernization

Traditional Irish food is based on an agrarian peasant lifestyle with dishes like stew. Early peasant dishes were very rustic and relied on ingredients that could be foraged, caught, hunted or milked. After the introduction of the potato, from South America, the peasant diet changed considerably to be highly based on potato consumption. Modern traditional Irish cuisine reflects the tradition of classic peasant dishes, but with modern cooking techniques and presentation.

Gallagher’s Boxty House

If you are looking for modern cuisine that pays serious homage to classic Irish dishes, then Gallagher’s Boxty House is an absolute must for any traveler. The owner of Gallagher’s Boxty House is Chef Padraic Gallagher, who is Failte Ireland’s Dublin Food Champion and the President of the Ireland Restaurant Association. Chef Gallagher has gained strong acclaim for his revitalization of classic dishes, including his famous boxty.

 

The Boxty Platter – The platter includes sautéed boxty dumplings (similar to gnocchi) in a Cashel blue cheese sauce, pancake (like a combination of a crepe and latke) with Ardsallagh goats cheese filling. and toasted boxty loaf (potato bread) with a black olive tapenade and tomato. This is perhaps one of the best ways to try a modern spin on boxty. Each of the preparations have been modernized and enhanced the overall experience.

 

The Seafood Platter- Seafood was a staple food for people who lived along the coast. This platter consisted of smoked Galway salmon, Kilmore Quay rock oyster, Dunanny Irish crab meat & smoked mackerel pate with wholemeal dillisk bread. I really enjoyed the smoked fishes on the platter, the flavor was fresh and and the preparation was artful.

 

Gaelic Boxty - Tender medallions of Irish fillet beef are seared and sautéed in a whiskey & mushroom cream sauce and wrapped in a pancake style boxty. The flavor was rich , creamy and remarkably balanced. The boxty served as the common thread that tied together the beef, cream and mushroom flavors. This is another must try!

 

Fergus Dunnes Free Range Pork –Free range native Irish pork from the Fergus Dunnes farm, is braised with in a sweet and tangy sauce. The pork is accompanied with a wholegrain mustard coleslaw and a stack of sage-flavored mini boxty pancakes. I ordered this dish after I asked Chef Gallagher what he had for dinner the night before; I always order what the Chef eats. If you try this dish, I highly recommend you order a a dry cider with it, as ties together sweet, savory, tart flavors into a single bouquet.

Bailey’s Cheesecake – Light whipped Bailey’s chocolate cheesecake with Bailey’s syrup and fruit topping. The cheesecake in Ireland is nothing like a hard baked New York Cheesecake, but rather soft and creamy. Case in point, The Boxty House’s cheesecake is creamy and coats the mouth as you chew. The flavor of Bailey’s and fruit amp provide flavor and texture contrasts. I’m getting hungry.

Modern Gastropubs

Pubs being a major community gathering spot in Ireland and food service is common. If you want a high-end version of pub food, I highly suggest you find one of Dublin’s many modern Gastropubs that place a strong focus on craft food and cocktails. Gastropub food is typically modernized Irish fare that brings in modern techniques, international influence, and a rustic presentation.

The Bank on College Green

The Bank on College Green, which is an upscale Gastropub with reasonable prices. Located down the row from Trinity College, the building was originally Belfast Bank. The Bank was built in 1892 and displays the lavish Victorian style. As I sipped on my Bushmills Old Fashioned, I imagined the deals and historical characters that must have walked through the doors. Here is what we ordered:

 

Confit of Duck Liver Parfait – Confit of duck liver is prepared into a fluffy parfait and served in a mason jar and accompanied with toast and house made jam. The liver parfait was extremely rich and delicious. This rich creamy flavor paired perfectly with the sweet berry jam. In California they have outlawed foi gras and its derivatives, so this dish was a real treat.

 

½ Dozen fresh oysters served in a bucket of crushed ice with the house made cocktail sauce and garnished with seaweed. The Dublin Bay oysters were extremely fresh, they had a pleasant smell of salty brine. The oysters were smooth with a slight crunch. I loved the presentation in the bucket with the seaweed garnishment. These oysters slept in the ocean the night before.

Crottin De Chavignol (fried goat cheese balls) - Their award winning goat cheese balls are fried in a crispy batter and served with a slow roasted beetroot, horse radish, Dublin honey, and organic leaves. This dish is very common in Ireland, although The Bank made one of the best. I liked the light crust and the goats cheese took center stage in both flavor and texture. Although the name of this dish suggests the French influence, this dish is very Irish.

½ Boneless roast Chicken – Roasted chicken stuffed with herb sausage bread stuffing and served with butter roasted potatoes, fresh vegetables organic salad and roast gravy. We both loved this dish, the chicken was juicy and the flavor of herbs, sausage and butter infused into the meat. Daniele normally doesn’t like sausage, although she loved the subtle sausage influence on the chicken’s flavor.

Other Similar Restaurants

One of the toughest parts of visiting a city for just a couple days is not getting the opportunity to try all the restaurants that you want to try before you leave. Below are a list of restaurants that serve modern interpretations of traditional Irish food or gourmet gastropubs. Pick any one of these restaurants and they will be a winner. All of these restaurants have been recommended by local Chefs, Irish food bloggers, T.V. personalities and local Dublin foodies.

The Winding Stair

This was a popular hangout for artists and musicians, keeps the original ambiance and serves High Quality Organic Irish homestyle cooking. http://winding-stair.com/ 40 Lower Ormond Quay Dublin 1

 

 

Mulligan Grocer Gastropub

They describe themselves as a eating and driking emporium. This establishment has received positive reviews from many critics and bloggers. http://www.lmulligangrocer.com/ 18 Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.

 

 

Other Gastronomic Ireland Posts

• Ireland - Part 1- Background and Ireland’s Culinary Renaissance
• Ireland -Part 2 - Dublin - Traditional Restaurants and Modern Gastropubs
• Ireland -Part 3 - Dublin - Fine Dining Restaurants
• Ireland -Part 4 - Cork- English Market
• Ireland- Part 5- Cork Restaurant Recommendations
• Ireland -Part 6- Exploring the Guinness Storehouse