A bleedin' deadly Dublin Saturday

Up early this morning! First stop was Fallon and Byrne on Exchequer Street to pick up fresh produce (potatoes, chillies, garlic, carrots and a sweet potato) for dinner today and tomorrow. 

Isn't their foodhall amazing?! 

I also picked up a Cajun chicken wrap for lunch. That was delish! The pickled veg on the wrap were perfectly juicy!!!

Next we went to Alchemy Juice Company which is on the first floor of BT2 on Grafton Street.

I chose an Americano and a Slush Puppy smoothie (strawberries, mango, apple, lemon, ginger, cayenne pepper and coconut water) Sean just had their Beat It juice...

Great healthy way to start the day - Their windows overlooking Grafton Street are brilliant for people watching! 

From there we drove to Kish Fish Company in Smithfield to pick up hake, haddock and scallops. Brilliant selection - or so I'm told I didn't actually go in! 

Drove back across town to visit The Cupcake Bloke. Don't the cupcakes for Dublin Pride look FAB?? 

I picked up one red velvet cupcake (a definite favourite!) and some macaroons

Home for a quick change then back out. 

We decided to do the Teelings Distillery Tour (newly opened on Newmarket, Dublin 8) and I'm VERY glad we did!

We booked the 3pm tour but managed to get there early and they had no problem swapping us to the 2:30 tour! 

Our tour guide (I'm very sorry I never caught her name!) was excellent. She is clearly enthusiastic about the place, the brand and also very knowledgeable! I learned why the extra "e" is there... 

You're taken through the history and then the distillation process... 

The heat in here was incredible! 

Then through to the bar for the tasting... Obviously the bit you wait for!! 

The bar is a really nice, bright space and has a great set up! When we walked through the doors the drinks were already set up waiting for us :-) 

With my €14 ticket I got to try their Small Batch and one of their cocktails - the cocktail on that day was a raspberry iced tea (small batch, asperol, ginger and raspberries) delicious and tart and perfect way to cool down after the tour!! 

I found out afterwards that Sean's ticket  got upgraded to the Trinity tasting - he was pretty chuffed about that! 

It's only recently opened but if you're anyway into whiskey (or whisky!) you have got to do the tour! 

Finished off in the gift shop - where all good tours must end! We picked up a bottle of Small Batch and two mason jars. I just had to buy their whiskey in a jar :-) 

After there we had a stroll back to Christchurch and stopped off at Beer Market. This time I tried a glass of Lindemans Peche - a peach fruit beer. Absolutely delicious on a Summer's day... 

Then home for dinner... The hake fillet for my dinner was so good served with sweetcorn and a sauce made from basil, garlic, mint, chilli, rapeseed oil & apple cider vinegar. The basil and mint are currently growing like mad in our little herb patch! It went (too?) well with some Bougrier rose wine...

Valentine's food

After leaving San Lorenzo's we had to pick up some food for dinner after the rugby.

We decided on a cheese and charcuterie board. We already had the cheese from Sheridans but we went to the food hall at Fallon and Byrne and some of their house chicken liver pate, chilli salami and 

Culatello.

Of course I had to visit to The Cupcake Bloke for treats. By the time we got there there wasn't much left! 

Last weekend I tried most of their Valentine cupcakes but missed the raspberry one. Managed to get that yesterday along with a vanilla cupcake for me and fiancé got more of his new favourite - coffee and amaretto! 

Of course I got my loyalty card stamped and they added a little present of a heart shaped biscuit... It went v V nicely with the Marsuret Prosecco and Chambord we drank during the rugby... 

We paired the cheese and charcuterie board with red wine - San Valentin Grenache (Seemed a good choice for the day that was in it!!) 

Saturday tour of Dublin

Woke up pretty early this morning so decided to go for breakfast rather than lunch... 

Chose Hatch & Sons at The Little Museum of Dublin on St. Stephen's Green. 

Walk down the external steps into the basement of 15 St. Stephen's Green into a v cute little courtyard. 

Really old fashioned fireplace takes centre stage as you walk in the door (you can just about make it out in the above photo!) and an entrance that's looks like it should be the front of someone's house leads you to another seating area.  It looks like a house drawn by a child as they imagine a house with windows on either side of the door.. Afraid my fiancé refused to take a photo to share as I couldn't get a good angle from my seat but if you decide to visit you'll see what I mean.

The all day menu... 

We got a pot of filter coffee. I ordered the bakers basket (brown soda bread, scone & half a blaa - all toasted & served with butter and jam or marmalade).Fiancé ordered porridge and we (rather boldly) decided to have dessert at breakfast and ordered an apple streusel cake! 

Left there & visited Sheridan's cheesemongers on South Anne Street to pick up some cheddar for a cheese & charcuterie board we'll be trying next Saturday evening. This place is amazing. They have a wonderful selection of cheeses (obv!) along with chutneys, relishes, wine, crackers and a small butchers / charcuterie place. The smells are unbelievable and if you like cheese you can't miss a visit here!

Onto Arnotts on Henry St then for a quick visit to Wines Direct for a bottle of bubbles. Lovely spot in the basement of Arnotts (Abbey St side) 

Walked across the Ha'penny bridge then into Temple Bar for a stop into Roasted Brown (Curved Street where Filmbase is and not too far from the Wall of Fame) to pick up some new beans for the (space age) bean to cupcoffee machine..

I love the space here!! Think it's how Temple Bar should be seen this morning - rather than the sights of many business owners having to clean the streets after another messy Friday night...!

From Roasted Brown we walked to Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer Street so I could pick up some bread to go with Italian Meatballs I got in James Whelan Butchers at Avoca Kilmacanogue last week. This is what you now see when you walk in the door and I think it's impressive. Bread induced drool may be a possibility!! (I chose a Ciabatta in case you're wondering) 

And as I may have mentioned I am a massive fan of The Cupcake Bloke!!! Even though I had two yesterday thanks to my fiancé picking some up while he was in town I couldn't resist another visit to try out more of the Valentine's Day 

Here are the ones we had yesterday...

Red Velvet

Chocolate / last Rolo

Coffee and Amaretto

 

Today's view 

As much as I enjoyed the red velvet and chocolate ones yesterday I decided I'd attempt as many flavours as possible so today we've picked up vanilla, raspberry, blueberry (gluten free), cookies and cream and another coffee and amaretto one! 

Last stop was Blackrock cellar to pick up some beer for the IRE v ITA six nations game this afternoon. Picked up a bottle of Founders Big Lushious (Rasbperry &Chocolate  stout) to share when we're munching chipsticks ☺️

🍀💚 !!!!COYBIG!!!! 💚🍀

The Cupcake Bloke

The Cupcake Bloke

Coppinger Row, Dublin 2

(Beside Powerscourt Town Centre) Thirs-Sat 

I just love cupcakes from The Cupcake Bloke so keeping this short and sweet...

My favourites are the Oreo and Red Velvet & my fiancé's are the vanilla with sprinkles and the apple ones..