It’s official, restaurants are open and back in business. Saturday night now has meaning again and a weekend meal out with friends gives some semblance of structure to our week, but it’s not for everyone. Whatever the reason for staying in this week, whether it’s by choice or just because your babysitter is busy catching up on their own social life, here are eight new places to try at home.
Tiller + Grain's Salads
Last week saw the reopening (for take away) of Tiller and Grain on South Frederick street, just as some long awaited life has been injected back into the city. Online ordering is due to go live this week but in the meantime you can expect grab and go salad boxes, Imbibe coffee, matcha lattes and tahini brownies. Drop them an email if you are planning a get together and they'll look after the food while you get on with the important tasks like catching up on just how little everyone achieved over the past four months.
Bibi's Dinner Boxes
On Emorville Avenue, Bibi’s café remain closed for sit in for now, but you can still enjoy some of their most popular dishes. While brunch boxes have been available for a while, bake at home dinner boxes for two have recently been introduced into the fold. Available on Fridays and Saturdays, the menu changes weekly but you can expect goodies such as chicken, leek and cider pie with Hegarty’s cheddar and hazelnut crumble. The lemon squares are also top notch.
Rice
We Irish do love a Chinese takeaway, and newly opened Rice from the Press Up group is the latest kid on the block for your Chinese takeout needs. With a variety of old favourites (yes, there is a spice box is on the menu) along with some classic Cantonese and Sichuan favourites, we're curious to try the dandan noodles and that Sichuan staple, fried long beans.
Spitalfields' Date Night Boxes
Following on from the success of their picnic boxes, Spitalfields have recently launched date night boxes that are proving just as popular. Priced at €70 for two you can expect dishes such as smoked almonds and Nocellara olives, vichyssoise with smoked bacon crumb, and The Pig’s Ear lamb shepherd’s pie (the restaurant, not the animal off cut). The price also includes a side dish, dessert and a bottle of wine, making it excellent value, and the menu changes weekly.
Clanbrassil House's Meal Kits
For some time now we have been impatiently stalking the Clanbrassil House social media channels in the hope that meal kits or takeaway would soon be coming our way. After lots of hints dropped by head chef Grainne O’Keefe via her insta page, our wishes were finally granted with meal kits now available for collection. Menus are released weekly and the recent barbeque spatchcock chicken with chimichurri, hash brown chips and grilled broccoli with pickled walnut dressing looked very special, with nibbles, starters and dessert for €30 a head - and you can order for just one. There's also the famous Teelings whiskey aged cote du boeuf for €28.50 which will require full cooking at home, and yes, you can order extra portions of the hash brown chips. Order on their website.
Allta's Shellfish Boxes
When Allta revealed their Allta Box for delivery mid–pandemic, the critics were all a flutter. Not much has changed and the newest member of the Allta family, the shellFISH box will no doubt be as difficult to get our hands on. €95 buys you enough restaurant grade shellfish for four that they say would otherwise be exported, including porcupine bank langoustines, native lobster, spider crab claws, allta fish butter and allta fish sauce, along with a bottle of wine. Rick Stein would definitely approve. Order here.
Kinara's Outdoor Barbeque
Festivals may well be a distant memory this summer but outdoor food is still on the cards. In Clontarf, Kinara have launched an outdoor barbeque from 13:00 - 18:00 Wednesday – Sunday, weather permitting. What’s not to like about chicken tikka on naan and a mango lassi as you stroll by the sea and mentally relive the festivals of bygone days, i.e. last summer.
Flip's Vegan Burger Kits
Nothing says summer quite like a burger (except perhaps ice–cream) and Flip Burger in George's Street Arcade have made excellent vegan burgers at home a possibility with their new Flip @ Home box. The kit contains everything you need to make four vegan Flip burgers in your own kitchen and all the condiments you could need. Order here.
