Irish Food (and Drink) 2018

If you have to swallow a frog, 

try not to think about it. 

If you have to swallow two frogs, 

don’t swallow the smaller one first. 

~ Irish Proverb

To say that I was not impressed with my first experiences with food in Ireland (or England either - fair play) is putting it mildly. Many things were boiled and bland, if filling. Other food put me off for years.* But in recent visits the Irish have "built superhighways and learned to cook" say many critics. I think it is access to variety and exposure to other cultures that has influenced the change. An incredible variety of foods can be found and I have rarely had a bad meal since, hmm, 1997 say.**

And now there is an expectation that the food will be good, whether it is the standard soup of the day and brown bread or something fancier.  So, if you are a foodie and want to take a look, you are welcome. If you want to skip it, suit yourself. I will never know.

A word of warning - in many places the food is so plentiful you will find yourselves "rolling" out of the restaurant. Ask the size of the portions. Share a selection.***

Food (and drink) and some special spots in Ireland from September 2018****

The Gallery Cafe, Gort, County Galway is heaven on a plate. Really. The food is imaginative, fresh, and filling - but perfectly portioned. I generally want to order everything on the menu. As it is, we have often ordered two things agreed upon by the table and shared. The only negative thing about the meal was that the owner was away and I wasn't able to say hello. [Special thanks to JM who told us about this place last year.] Wait, there was another negative. We passed through Gort twice on days the restaurant is closed (Monday and Tuesday - who planned this trip? Whatever. We ate there twice.).

It's a little quirky, but good. Don't try to eat there on Monday or Tuesday. They are closed.

The "bar"

Yeah, I know. This plate looks half finished. I got carried away and ate most of it before remembering I would want a photo. I refrained from taking photos (or bites) from the food at neighboring tables. Not to say I wasn't tempted. We shared the hummus and flatbreads and crab/potato cakes. We each had salad.

VM, the other wandering woman, was in the same situation. We were served on Michael Kennedy's pottery. He is the Gort Potter and does some lovely work.

On another stop in Gort we were able to enjoy breakfast the Gallery.



Our first overnight stop was in Strandhill, County Sligo. While there we tried out two pub/restaurants. Both were more than satisfactory.

NOTES:

*My first "lamb" was so bad - tasted like sheep smell! - I never ate lamb again until DH had lamb shank in 2016 and forced me to try it. Yeah, I know. I am usually begging a bite of whatever he is eating. It's a thing we have. But I only tried the lamb because he almost swooned over it. And he was right. [Put that on the calendar!] Lamb shank served in Doolin, County Clare.

My first "curry" was served in some weird spot in Cork City. We went after a play. Don't ask who "we" is because I may have forgotten his name. The play was "Juno and the Paycock" by Sean O'Casey (I remember that!). He was a nice guy who worked for the airport or an airline or something in Wisconsin. Yes, I know his name. Yes, I have FB stalked him. No, I am not sorry we did not stay "in touch." [DH is incomparable.] Wow, I digress! Anyway the curry was served with raw rice. Seriously, I don't think it even hit the boiling water. I do not think I have had any curry since.

**Although I had food in Birr year before last that was pretty bad. [DH liked it, but he wasn't right this time.]

***That is always my plan and I am often surprised and happily stuffed until weigh-in day.

****In the event I return, I'll probably need some help remembering. If you get to Ireland, maybe this will help you decide where to go/eat. [And I am trying to keep up with this trip as I go along because the memory in the phone and computer are a little over-taxed. Don't judge.

While on the way to Ireland we stopped at a Waffle House and ate the airline food. Do not judge.

I love a good Waffle House. The eggs and hash browns were good. Don't eat the biscuits.

American Airlines - I had the vegetarian pasta. It wasn't bad. The coffee was good.