The Dublin Community Blog

This Friday (i.e. the day after tomorrow!) the Hyperbolic Crochet Reef, which has been on display in the Science Gallery in Trinity College Dublin since March, will be packed away to continue its world tour elsewhere. I have yet to see this exhibition myself – the timing was a bit off for me with all that has been going on but I am heading to the gallery on Friday to catch a tour of the reef. I’m sorry to be leaving my trip to see this fascinating marriage of science and craft so late, being a bit of a hooker myself. I even rustled up a few pieces of coral myself which are still languishing at the bottom of my crochet box: as I said there’s been a lot of changes recently!

Photo owned by superfem (cc)

What in the heck is hyperbolic crochet I hear you ask? Well you can read Karlin Lillington’s excellent column from last week’s Irish Times to get an idea of this amazing process of modelling 3 dimensional geometry which was first developed by Latvian Dr Daina Taimina. Taimina was in the Science Gallery during the week to talk about her work. This was one of many events organised by the Gallery throughout the coral’s visit to Dublin.

You can also watch this brilliant TED talk given by Margaret Wertheim who, with her sister Christine, has used this modelling method to raise awareness of the dangers to the world’s coral reefs.

Some of my co-bloggers here on Dublinblog.ie have written a post or two about the Science Gallery and really it’s a gem. If you are visiting Dublin, planning a trip to the Gallery via the grounds of Trinity is well worth it. It’s easily accessed from a number of bus routes or you can alight at Pearse Dart Station and the Science Gallery is just around the corner. There’s a full calendar of events with something to suit all types, from ubernerds to schoolkids.

While I don’t think my children’s patience will stretch to it on Friday, I’m delighted to see that the Science Gallery’s Friday Tapas are back as I heard a number of favourable comments. Some day I’ll make it

You’ve probably heard the cringe worthy advert currently running on national radio stations in relation to MenuPages.ie giving vouchers for restaurants. The advert might be annoying, but the offer is definitely worth a look. The value from each restaurant varies considerably. From taking a quick scan today, I noted good deals by Buenos Aires Grill and Cafe en Seine.  Should you find yourself on Dublin streets accompanied by hunger pangs, these vouchers might come in use. The majority of offers cannot be used during the weekend, however, dining out on school nights is more fun anyway.

I recently came across a notice in the Irish Times seeking out attendees for a public forum on developing the Café Culture in Dublin. The topic for discussion was less about coffee quality and more to do with the Café becoming a “third place” away from work or home and thus an alternative to the good old Irish Pub. The role of the traditional pub in Ireland is deep rooted but the forum focused on an ideal that the café could in future become a hub for socialising, business and the arts.
 
Among the speakers were Professor Kieran M. Bonner of St. Jerome’s University Canada, actor Glynis Casson, divisional librarian with Dublin City Council Maire Kennedy and Dick Gleeson. The latter, a Dublin city Planner, gave a fascinating presentation (worth a post by itself) on the future of Dublin from a planning perspective, with cafes playing a key role in linking the inner city regions.
 
People from all backgrounds and industries spoke at the meeting and the consensus was that Dublin needs an alternative to the pub when it comes to a “third place” but there is a conflict between what the perceived ideal café is and what the business owners are willing to provide.
 
I have thought a lot since the talk about whether Dubliners would ever change their socialising habits and pick a café over a pint. Michael McDowell was lampooned for this suggestion in the not so distant past and although there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that a change is called for by Dubliners, the question still remains whether or not they would turn up once a week rather than once a month.
 
I often hear people complain about the lack of cafes in the city that have real atmosphere and character. Cafes in Dublin tend to be more like convenience stores that happen to sell coffee. Sandwiches, pastries, fizzy drinks and smoothies are all laid out in an effort to maximise the earning potential per square foot. Café owners need to make a certain number of transactions a day just to make ends meet and all the trouble starts to arise when customers start requesting jazz lunches, free wi-fi and a single comfy couch in a space that fits 12 seats.
 
The other side of this argument is that café owners in Dublin pay very large rents most of the time. An average enough (small) café in a reasonably busy street in the city will often set you back rents of somewhere between 35-45k and that’s before rates, insurance and all those other wonderful add-ons.
 
There are two models for a café and I suppose you could use a fishing analogy to describe them. The first works like a large scale fishing boat that drops a net and sieves the ocean waves. Large chains open cafes on busy streets with the knowledge that they will net a certain percentage of passers by. It’s a formula that works and continues to work for many businesses. The turnover is huge but so are the costs unfortunately. As a rule the quality also tends to suffer as a result but as long as it’s of a “reasonably” high standard they are ensured of a certain amount of sales based on convenience and curiosity alone.
 
The second approach is less scale-focused and more quality focused, like line fishing in a way. The overheads are nowhere near as large but the quality can be maintained more rigidly. This is a business built on the basis that they will use knowledge, experience and craftsmanship to ensure quality and thus repeat business from customers. (Unfortunately there is also a third type of café that tries to combine low quality with low volumes but we’ll try to ignore that for the time being)
 
Admittedly the second example is less frequent in this country. Despite having a World Barista Champion in 2008 (he now works in Chicago after a spell in London), a number of really innovative machine and equipment manufacturers and a growing online coffee community there is a distinct lack of high quality, small cafes in the city. Is this down to a lack of creativity on the part of the proprietors or the failure of patrons to support small cafe business? I’m not so sure.
 
This question is all the more poignant for me in that I myself am on the verge of opening my first cafe. I’ve had countless people wish me well but all have done so with a reminder that I will have to make some sort of compromise in order to be commercially viable. I’ve always wanted to provide a space where Dubliners can enjoy a decent cup in a comfortable environment but as I approach d-day those doubts begin to whisper in the back of my mind.

After the namesake closed it’s Munich’ gates last weekend, it’s time for Dublin to have its share of German delicacies. Especially German beer. And this is possible at the Paulaner Oktoberfest at the IFSC, which is back from tomorrow on.

Last year the Paulaner Oktoberfest took Dublin by surprise! Over 70,000 people visited this unique free Bavarian event. Make sure you don’t miss it this year. It starts on Thursday the 8th and runs until the 18th of October in George’s Dock in the IFSC.
Experience traditional German fun, food and entertainment with over 30 German barmaids dressed in traditional Dirndl’s!

And this is not all of German-themed entertainment in town this weekend. Our friends over at the Porterhouse are launching their own version of the Oktoberfest tomorrow as well. And for this occasion they have the delicious Früh Kölsch from my hometown Cologne on tap – not very Bavarian, but nevertheless very tasty.

Disclaimer: Dublinblog is not responsible for any adverse health effects you may experience after having a couple of steins. Please enjoy your German beer responsibly.

I’m not sure we could add this to our ‘recession busters’ or ‘how to get by on €15’ categories, but it’s a good deal nonetheless. The ‘Dine in Dublin-Restaurant Week’ campaign will feature a number of restaurants offering three course dinner menus for promotional rates of €25 or €30 (a 20% discount.) The initiative will run from the 12th through the 18th of October and there are over 50 restaurants participating. It may indeed include some of your favourites, so be sure to have a look at the full list HERE.

And if you can’t wait until next weekend for a culinary adventure, be sure to check out Marlay Park this weekend, where the Festival of World Food will be taking place again. (CLICK HERE to see DublinBlog’s write-up on it last year.)

[I'm having a hard time confirming the Festival of World Food event this weekend, so if anybody can provide further information or a website that confirms it, that would be appreciated. It's supposed to be a Dun Laoghaire Rathdown council sponsored event, but their website is showing nothin'.]

Further ‘recession buster’ deals to be taken advantage of in Dundrum these days. The Counter are offering a free Signature Burger to the first 100 people to visit from 12noon tomorrow. That gives you seven options in the ‘Signature Burger’ category. The Counter is located below Hamley’s toy store in Dundrum Town Centre.

Also, Milano are offering two pizzas for just €12 (except on Saturdays) through 4 October. CLICK HERE to fill in a form and receive a voucher to print out and take with you to any one of seven restaurants in Dublin.

The other day, my family and I took the opportunity to have lunch in Alfie’s on William St. South after noticing their “€10 Lunch Box” promotion on a sign just outside the door. We were greeted by friendly staff who accommodated us and made us feel a little more at ease with a toddler and a buggy. (Any parents living in Dublin will tell you that some city centre restaurants are more accommodating to families than others.)
Read the rest of this entry »

Commencing next Saturday is this year’s Festival of World Cultures. Featuring the (un)usual mix of music, food, fairs, theatre, dance and street art from all over the world (and Ireland), this is a perfect occasion to hop on the DART and pay a visit to Dun Laoghaire. The foody that I am, I’m especially looking forward to the Feast Americana and the International Food Traders. You can download the full festival programme (PDF) here, and you can also become a fan on Facebook.

It’s been a busy June in Dublin, I’ve decided to catch up on some photos that I’ve taken and intended to post to the Dublin Community Blog.

First we had the Dublin Docklands Festival. A great sunny weekend packed with food, music and tall ships. Click on the image to see more photos from Flickr.

Normally moored on the Grand Canal at Mespil Road, La Peniche was the venue for our little gourmet gang’s latest dinner. Normally we have an “early bird menu, house wine only” rule to keep the costs down, but this time we went all-out in search of a different dining experience.

We started off on deck, relaxing with a drink in the beautiful summer evening before being escorted below to our table. The decor has an old-world maritime charm to it, but since the boat was designed to fit inside a standard Grand Canal lock, its 18.5 metre overall length makes for a cosy dining experience. In the end this wasn’t a problem; the close quarters combined with the eclectic music playlist (I don’t think I’ve ever heard “Return to Sender” and Van Halen’s “Jump” sharing the same musical bill before!) just added to the experience.

Although a restaurant, it is also a fully-functional barge so it does move, just not very far! The standard dinner cruise (€10 pp supplement) takes you west through one lock before mooring outside the Hilton at Charlemont bridge. It’s enough to give you a taste of travel on the canal, but those expecting a Rick Stein-style epic journey will be disappointed. Still, it means you avoid the perilous badlands of D8 and D12 further west.

And so to the food. I’m happy to report it was of a very good standard, though for a restaurant touting itself as “the premium dining experience in Dublin”, one would expect no less. I had a smoked salmon starter with an avacado and capers salsa, which was both generously-sized and delicious. The garlic mussels and cured meats were also both hits, but my favourite starter was the black pudding. Served with apple and a strip of bacon, it was one of the nicest puddings I’ve tasted.

For mains I opted for the lamb shank; again a generous portion, and tender to the point of falling off the bone. Another hit was the duet of prawn and smoked mackerel, which is served fish pie-style in a creamy sauce. Possibly the weakest of the mains we tried was the confit leg of duck. Still lovely, but it suffered from comparison with the other dishes.

Things finished off strongly with desserts, with praise all round for each dish that was offered: a chocolate tart, a pear and almond tart, and the selection of cheeses. Service throughout was friendly, though slightly haphazard. It would be churlish to complain, however, as the staff were uniformly pleasant and happy to chat about the barge and its operation.

The only surprise was when the bill came. Three courses are available for €35, which is reasonable enough, but when you add the cruising supplement, wine, a tip, and of course the pre-dinner drinks, we were suddenly looking down the sharp end of €75 a head. It is tempting, though perhaps a little unfair, to compare this to places like Green 19 which offer excellent value and good food for much less, but in the end I think the unique experience and quality of the food on La Peniche just about justifies the price of admission, particularly if it’s for a special occasion.

Overall, I’d give it 7.5 marks out of 10, a happy customer, albeit much lighter of wallet!