Finishing the night off at a pub

After the archaelogical museum closed at 5:00 p.m., we had plans to meet a friend of mine, Daisy Cummings (who writes for Presents as Abby Green). A native Dubliner, she lives in a unique part of the city called the Liberties. When we drove past that area, it reminded me of an open marketplace. It was like Sam’s Club (a discount warehouse) outside. People are allowed to sell whatever they like there, and it had a young, hip feel to it.

Daisy booked a reservation for us at Gallagher’s Boxty for dinner. It’s a good thing she did! You’ll never find a table in Dublin if you just show up. You’ll be waiting hours. That surprised me, because in the U.S., you’d never book a reservation at a casual restaurant. But here, it was a necessity.

I decided to try a boxty for my meal. It’s a pancake made from potatoes, and it’s as thin as a crepe. Rolled up inside the pancake was the most amazing chicken and sauce I’ve ever had. Heaven on a plate, I tell you. Toward the end of our meal, the hostess reminded us that we needed to hurry up and finish because the table was booked for another party. This was polar opposite to most meals we had in Ireland. If you’re finished with your meal and want to pay, you have to practically hunt your waiter down and trip him in order to get the bill. Usually once you’re there, the table is yours for the night. In fact, when we had dinner in Clifden a week earlier, I learned that they actually turn people away at the door, saying the restaurant is full. There’s no waiting period, because they assume that once people are there for the meal, they’ll be there for the remainder of the time. Interesting.

After we were kicked out our meal was over, we said our goodbyes and took a taxi back to the DART station. I really did like Dublin. It’s a city with energy, lots to do, and very friendly people. I can’t wait to return!

What’s your favorite city to visit?