Disappointing Dinner at Front Door

I curse the moment I convinced Gerda to have dinner with me in this place - to be honest I wouldn't have entered it if we weren't both so hungry; every other place was packed and queuing for half an hour didn't sound good. 

Where do I start? The place itself is a gastropub-looking bistro with a cocktail bar and an inviting, reasonably priced (considering the central location) menu. Nice decor, glass roof, neat contemporary restaurant interiors dimly lit by candles. All good until we ordered the food. The waitress didn't know the actual meaning of the words coeliac and gluten-free so she was a bit confused when Gerda enquired about GF options. There was this fella at the bar who, for some reason, convinced himself we didn't speak English and tried to communicate via pseudo-sign language - I know I'm a bit deaf but come on. 

I ordered... you guessed it, steak. Sirloin steak with veggies and a glass of red wine for 20 euros (for that price, my expectations didn't fly too high), some weekend promotion going on. Gerda ordered roast chicken wrapped in bacon paired with cheddar mash, it actually looked better than my steak when it finally made it to our table. She wasn't too impressed, apparently the cheese was too gluey and the chicken a bland fiasco.  Now, the steak. Possibly one of the worst I've ever been served. Lukewarm, watery, far from rare and worse, NOT SEASONED. Unforgivable. The only silver lining in this cloud of unsatisfying meat was the subtle, distinctive taste offered by the charcoal grill. If there's something I'm actually great at is cooking the perfect steak and ruining a good cut of meat is a sin. A tragedy, really.

Washed-down-with-Malbec veggies were ok but the sides didn't make up for the catastrophic meal I've had. Can't really complain about the presentation but I wondered why the hell my pepper sauce was placed in a gigantic ramekin. Oh, and I didn't even bother finishing my chips because they were undercooked... I have one friendly advice to the chef: when in doubt, double fry it. I should also reveal that poor Gerda had a bad reaction after our unfortunate dinner. Cross contamination's a bitch. Moral of the story: you get what you pay for.

Hometown Hunt: La Peniche

When I stumbled upon Eventbrite - a great place to find, create and manage events (and also a platform where I save my must-go events before I forget about them) - I was excited to contribute to their Hometown Hunt project, which asked me to share/suggest my favourite spot or event in Dublin. Hence, I accepted the challenge and picked one of this city's best kept secrets. Mind you, nobody paid me to sugarcoat my personal experience, what you see is what you get. I had the opportunity to go on a canal cruise for the first time ever in Dublin and let me tell you, it was a Wes Anderson-looking dream come true kind of experience! The moment I stepped into that lovely barge I knew I was in for a treat. La Peniche is a charming floating restaurant where one would find a fusion between French-inspired cuisine and some good old Irish grub, also offering evening cruises - and if it's a sunny day, you can pig out and drink gallons of Sauvignon Blanc on deck. There's a distinctive Titanic-meets-houseboat vibe once you sit down and enjoy your boat ride from your velvet seat, while the captain speaks. 

Regarding the menu... You're probably wondering where are the bloody food pics. I couldn't even think about neglecting my meal for a second and fetch my camera to snap a few food shots. Sorry! You will have to imagine, I suppose. So, I had a duck & brandy paté with quince jelly, which was scrumptious, to say the least, but the cheese and charcuterie platter stole the show. Starters were definitely an early climax. Main course was meh: beef bourguignon with more mushrooms than meat didn't really meet my expectations but hey, it can't all be perfect, and I'm not even a big stew lover anyway. The dessert made up for it though - delicious Baileys cheesecake with raspberry coulis. You can't go wrong with that. The ultimate winner, however, was the yummy crusty bread, straight out of the oven. Never underestimate the power of bread and butter.

The atmosphere was cosy and the ambience romantic and not too over-the-top-fancy. Dining afloat sounds like fun, huh? If you're looking for something different, unique, special or just an evening to remember, you can make it a memorable dining experience on the Grand Canal - and you will surely impress/surprise your date, if that's the case. The restaurant is on the barge MV Riasc (riasc means marsh in Irish), moored on the Grand Canal alongside Mespil Road. And yes, they accept credit card.

Dinner at Mullens

Yesterday evening I had dinner in Mullens with Cláudia and her boyfriend (yes, I know, I'm always the third wheel ahah!). The chicken pesto was literally melting in my mouth, the wine was not too bad and Mozie (aka beef Mozambique) had this juicy flavour with a hint of coffee (?)... Oh, and the chips! Best motherfucking chips in town!
I have this theory about drinking (alcohol) and eating at the same time: if you keep on drinking during a meal, your gradually intoxicated brain will, eventually, stop being able to let you know when you are full, so you can keep on eating: it's a convenient balance between your digestion and your tipsiness.

Cook O'Clock!

When you are hungry like a beast, slightly tipsy and in the mood for Italian food and red wine, this is the way you do it!

Quando vos atacar a fome, e estiverem com um ligeiro grau de embriaguez, com apetite por comida Italiana e sede de vinho tinto, é assim que a coisa é feita!

Celebrate the times!

Fresh bread + red wine + cheese is a combo I find hard to resist - how very Portuguese of me! The only thing added to the table that I don't like is the smoked ham, and people always wonder why.
I had this cosy dinner with some old friends - one of my best friends and some girl I befriended last Summer and whom I haven't been with since then.
Besides, this was an occasion of celebration, not only for the joy of our gathering, but also because I just - FINALLY! - bought my ticket to see Crystal Castles live in Lisbon next month! If you have read this, you know how passionate I am for the lovely Alice Glass.

So that's the main reason I want February to come quick, even though it's usually a shitty month.

Pão fresco + vinho tinto + queijo é uma combinação à que dificilmente resisto - tipicamente Portuguesa nesse aspecto! A única coisa adicionada à mesa que eu não gosto é o presunto, e a maioria das pessoas pergunta-se porquê.

Tive um jantarzinho acolhedor com umas velhas amigas - uma das minhas grandes amigas e mais uma rapariga que conheci no Verão passado e com a qual me dei muito bem e que já não via desde então.
Para além disto, isto foi uma ocasião digna de celebração, não só pela alegria de nos reunirmos à mesa novamente, mas também porque - FINALMENTE! - comprei o meu bilhete para ver Crystal Castles ao vivo em Lisboa para o mês que vem! Se leram isto, podem constatar o quão apaixonada eu sou pela Alice Glass.
Portanto, é esta a razão pela qual quero que Fevereiro chegue depressa, mesmo que seja um mês frequentemente merdoso.