Irish Patriotism?

Not my thing, but three of my Galway-mates were happy to partake.

should you get the late-night munchies...

might I suggest curry fries from Supermacs?

Joy of Cha

I've been sans internet (joyously) for the past 4 or 5 days (more on that later) so excuse the back-blogging.

Wanting to escape group mentality, on our last night in Dublin, I sought out a place where I could relax and read a book over a cup of tea. I found it in the Joy of Cha. Located in the heart of Temple Bar, it's a cozy little shop with a wall of loose teas and a case full of tempting sweets and pastries. I went for assam tea, vegetable quiche and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (fitting, as the girl behind the counter reminded me of Lisbeth).



I should also mention that they let you steep your own tea and it's quite relaxing to watch.

So, if you find yourself in Temple Bar and don't want a pint, discover the Joy of Cha.

25 East Essex Street, Dublin 2
South City Centre, DUBLIN 2, Co. Dublin, Ireland

more parks, more cupcakes, a little less satisfaction

Today was the National Museum and National Library (woo Yeats exhibit!). The National Museum had a great cafe with very tempting food/desserts, but it was too early for lunch, so I settled for a coffee.



When we were done, our professor told us that the World Street Performance Olympics were going on, so we grabbed sandwiches at the Runner Bean and made our way over to Merion Square. (the Runner Bean had a ton of specials like soup and a sandwich for €5 or a make-your-own sandwich with two fillings and a coffee/tea for €5 and tons of organic, gluten-free, free-range products for pretty cheap)


I picked the parma (ham) pesto panini with melted brie. Delicious.



Fantastic atmosphere for a picnic lunch--we had the chance to see a funny (yet hairy) performer named Derek Derek from San Francisco and this act called Quick Change from Chicago. They were my favorite--if you get a chance, look them up on youtube. They've been featured on America's Got Talent and Oprah in addition to performing for 3 US presidents.

Then, in pursuit of a bakery called Buns, I ran into two Canadian tourists who needed help finding their hostel, which was supposed to be up the street from said bakery. I helped them to their hostel, but Buns was nowhere to be found. A few turns later and I hit the Parnell shopping center where I stumbled upon Johnny Cupcakes.

They were pretty, but kind of generic looking and I wasn't wowed. (these photos might give them too much credit)

perfect day.

Parks, cupcakes, baby animals, good food and people in silly costumes all make for the perfect day.


(lunch in Phoenix Park - my lunch was mushroom potato soup & brown bread. also pictured: my friend's panini)


successful cupcake hunt - I found Lolly & Cooks.



ginger lime cupcake (think less cinnamony gingerbread) and raspberry coconut (vanilla cupcake with a surprise raspberry baked on the bottom, coconut frosting and huge coconut flakes on top)


The perfect setting to enjoy them, though the ginger one was too crumbly to sandwich properly.




(this was obviously the highlight of my day - I spent a good 20 mins. watching them nibble)

then I saw my first Bloomsday re-enactors strolling on my way out of St. Stephen's square (appropriate considering Joyce referred to it as "my square")


and then I found Leonida's where I got to try 6 different chocolates for €1.

I am beaming all over.

my day (in food)

breakfast = simple, but hit the spot. (I dunno when I started liking egg yolks, but I do and an egg on toast and tea was the perfect start to the day)

by the time I ate breakfast, it was lunchtime. I almost ate here, but thought that Joyce would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that there was a restaurant serving chicken quesadillas for €8 in his name... and I went to the Joyce Centre and got my fill of real Joyce instead.

Dinner was a messy treat. We stopped at GBK - Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Temple Bar and I had chips (admittedly not the greatest... slightly overcooked and small--not the wedges with a crispy outside and a hot starchy inside like the ones I pictured in my head) and a low-rise (4oz) burger with bleu cheese, mayo and lettuce, tomato and red onion. The menu said it had relish, which I thought was mixed with the cheese and mayo (it looked like tartar sauce), but two bites in I was surprised to find a cranberry relish. Without it, the sauce (for lack of better word) was creamy and mild, with a slight tang from the cheese. When the relish was introduced into the mix, the seemingly perfect burger got even better. Sweet relish with a slight (surprise) tartness meets creamy tangy cheese aoli (can we call it that? well, I just did) on a perfectly char-grilled burger. Ohh yeah.

Check out the Gourmet Burger website for a beefed up version of their offerings (har har)
http://www.gbk.co.uk/

A Lovely Day

It was certainly no PBC tour, I will say that much. In fact, the entire thing is basically done at your own pace, by video screen. Very high tech, slightly Disneyworld-ish. I knew about the brewing process, so I was more interested in the history of Guinness. I enjoyed myself and made a friend (from New England, at that) and learned to pour the perfect pint.






You don't have to be Irish, but it helps.