CheapEats.ie - a blog about food and value

Tuesday 20 November, 2012
by peter
2 Comments

Query: Thanksgiving dinner in Dublin

Our reader AnneMarie asks:

Would anyone know of any places in Dublin that are serving Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday, ideally with all the trimmings? I have some hungry american ex pats to feed and I’d rather the lazier eat out option than cooking a bird!

There’s a surprising dearth of options. One reader, Aisling, suggests the Four Seasons in Ballsbridge. Every year, the Beaufield Mews in Stillorgan do a full four course dinner including a glass of warm apple pie cider on arrival for €30 + 10% service charge, and we’ve heard good things about this option. Finally, we’re told that the Uisce Restaurant in the Hilton hotel on Charlemont Place by the Grand Canal has an annual Thanksgiving dinner that’s worth checking out (last year’s menu is still available online).

Readers and Amerophiles: any thoughts on these, or any other suggestions?

Monday 19 November, 2012
by peter
Comments Off on Bloggers Recommend: Emma from E-D Does It

Bloggers Recommend: Emma from E-D Does It

We’re joined today by Emma Dyar of the very lovely food blog E-D Does it (e-ddoesit.com), who has some excellent tips for North Dublin and the city centre.

Also check out Emma’s Facebook and Twitter.

About E-D Does It

I started ‘E-D Does It’ as an outlet for all my culinary experiments and triumphs. I come from a family of foodies and enjoy nothing more than arriving home from work, settling into the kitchen and making delicious treats for others to eat. I enjoy crafts, cosmetics and style and thus decided to incorporate these into the ‘E-D Does It’ mix. Speech and language therapist by day and dedicated blogger, budding baker and food photographer by night, ‘E-D Does It’ chronicles my adventures from my pokey Drumcondra kitchen, together with my other creative exploits.

Fish and chips at Kavanagh's (Photo: wjkavanaghs.com)

For Sensational in Season Grub: W.J. Kavanagh’s (4-5 Dorset Street, Dublin 1)

This spot is a relative newbie on my radar, but I have to say I am absolutely smitten that I stumbled upon it one Friday evening. Re-opened since March 2012, W.J Kavanagh’s is a treasure trove of unusual beers, unique spirits and carefully sourced Irish cuisine. The decor is very trendy and inviting, the staff friendly and helpful and the prices fitting for the quality of the food. The menu is mouth-watering to read and really does ‘exactly what is says on the tin’. The Steak Sandwich is out of this world, the Chicken Liver Pate was infused with remarkable flavour and was presented beautifully. Not forgetting to mention the Buttermilk Free Range Chicken, which was so fresh we feared it may fly away. Other ‘quirky’ characteristics of this charming spot include ‘Jam Jar Cocktails’ and a suitable beer recommendation for each dish. It is quite evident that a wealth of thought, love and imagination has gone into W.J Kavanagh’s inception and all the hard work has paid off – to say it is a tremendous place to eat simply wouldn’t do it justice!

Thursday 15 November, 2012
by julie
1 Comment

Recipe: Spicy duck pie with carrot and pea veloute

Try this PieMinister recipe

More pie, please.  This one is called “Romany’s Lucky Ducky Pie” and is my favourite recipe is from the Pieminister Cookbook by

Tristan Hogg and Jon Simon. If you have sampled their wares, or just like a good pie, I highly recommend it. The recipes are quite tricky, but just clear the decks, open a bottle of wine, lash on some music and get stuck in. The results are fantastic.

Ingredients:

  • 2 confit duck legs (definitely in Superquinn)
  • 50g butter
  • 3 shallots, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ small red cabbage (about 150g) shredded
  • 2tbsp cider vinegar
  • 150ml dry cider
  • 2tbsp demerara sugar
  • 2 star anise
  • ½tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Williams pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
  • Salt and black pepper

Continue Reading →

Wednesday 14 November, 2012
by peter
12 Comments

Query: Best wheelchair-friendly restaurants

Photo: sxc.hu

Our reader Sue is looking for recommendations for a cheap and cheerful wheelchair accessible restaurant:

I often organise nights out for our team at work and I’m now tasked with organising the Christmas party. There’s 20 of us and we have a very small budget (€20 a head). My difficulty is that there is one wheelchair user in the group and it is a nightmare to find a wheelchair accessible restaurant that is actually wheelchair accessible. Often restaurants and bars say that they’re accessible but in fact, when we arrive, he has to go through a back door or through the kitchen entrance or he has to get carried up steps.

If any of your readers have suggestions I would be eternally grateful.

Although Sue is particularly looking for somewhere cheap and cheerful, it would be useful to gather a list of any restaurant that’s wheelchair-friendly.

Readers: any tips?

Tuesday 13 November, 2012
by peter
21 Comments

Cinnamon restaurant calls customer an “a**ehole”

I’ve no idea why Cinnamon in Ranelagh is so wildly popular for Sunday brunch. It’s jammed with buggies, the food is average and unreliable, and their customer service has been widely slated by bloggers, reviewers, and the public.

I didn’t realise quite how dire it was. Yesterday, they publicly called one of their customers an “arsehole” on Twitter.

The customer said that he had been waiting 40 minutes for service, that Cinnamon was a “pretentious creche”, and that he would not be returning again. The response: “Here’s something else for you to retweet. You’re an arsehole. Why don’t you come in and introduce yourself to us.”

The management have wheeled out the old “moment of madness” cliche, and apologised to customers the offence caused. The staff member has been disciplined. Continue Reading →