My brother and I spent the last few days driving around Dublin peddling our ice cream, and there’s much activity in the food world – at least on a retail level. In Howth, Beshoff’s (photo above) has opened a fantastic gourmet shop with a drool-inducing fish counter and a smashing oyster bar run by their neighboring restaurant, Ivans. We couldn’t help dallying and had one of the tastiest lunches in recent memory. Well worth a detour.
Fresh (who oddly don’t seem to have a website) have added on a couple of stores, and Superquinn is also expanding. Their latest shop is in Ranelagh, with impressive glass frontage on the Main Street, and perhaps to counter this incursion, Morton’s is in the process of expanding to double their size. Already one of the best shops in the country, Morton’s will be even more stunning when it’s complete.
Donnybrook Fair, meanwhile, have taken over the K.C.R. garage in Terenure, and its location is sure to make it a success. Exciting times for a foodie!
Finally, we headed to the Digital Media Awards last night, and I must congratulate Feebee who well deserved to take home the award for best blog. Unfortunately I didn’t get to meet her or Deborah on the night, but we did share a table with some lovely people from Dublin Tourism, who won an award for a great idea – iWalks – podcast tours of Dublin. I could have used a good walk after all that eating and driving…
Technorati tags: Dublin, restaurant, food, tourism, ireland
I’m just back from Venice, and it’s a bit of a shock to leave the place. I can’t recommend it more highly, although I believe it must be unpleasant in the summer with the crush.
For anyone worried about the expense, just stay away from the cafes around St. Mark’s, and look for an apartment if you are staying more than a couple of days.
I do hope to go back to that magical city soon, but now I’m in Dingle, and I can’t complain much about that!
This morning at 8:00, sirens sounded in the city of Venice, waking me from quite a sound sleep. Fire? No, it means “aqua alta” in Venetian or floods. At full moon in the Winter, high tide often floods parts of the city, and we decided to head down to Campo S. Marco for a gander.
For those who think that Wellies are unfashionable, the sirens let Venetians know that it is time to don the rubber boots, they do it in style.
What really made it pleasant was that even the pigeons kept to high ground, perching on the chairs of the flooded cafes.
A week in Venice goes by very quickly! Even without the museums and other attractions, simply walking around the city offers enough diversion that the days fly in a series of beautiful images.
Of couse, visiting the mask shops was a must for us, since 
In terms of ice cream, Gelateria Nico in Zattere has been the best so far, and it is a perfect place to grab an ice cream for a stroll to see the gondolas being fixed in the boatyard or a wander along the lagoon.
The best meal has been in 
 It is so great to be in this city! The old buildings and faded grandeur are so refreshing coming from Ireland, where old is bad and every slightly weathered structure is ripped down in favour of spanking new semi-Ds.
I could spend a week simply walking, feasting on the visual treats. I’m staying in a 
The ice cream man is off to