It’s kinda cruel really

As the restrictions continue to restrict, we are left with little alternative but to scroll on our phones and traipse around the well-worn paths of our own neighborhoods. It’s getting harder and harder to even notice the things that once gave us so much joy- it’s not that we hate the bench we periodically sit on, or that we avert our eyes to the spring flowers cropping up in the local park- we’ve just seen them too many times to even register their existence. The time for appreciation is gone, what we want is something new, something we haven’t tried before. Which makes the things that local businesses post on Instagram seem so exciting. Even if it’s a four-second video of a soggy croissant made the other side of the city, we want in. Our wanderlust has been so twisted, that even a McDonald’s carton slung on the side of the road looks vaguely appealing. We are exercising our right to admire food and drinks from afar, mainly because there’s a whiff of freedom about. One day, when we are allowed outside of our 5ks, we will be able to try these places, and once we are, we will be prepared, armed with a folder full of saved images and screenshots. The moment we can try something new, sit on a new bench, and eyeball a crop of flowers will be sweet. But until then we bide our time, gather our recommendations, and wait. Here’s a list of the top things we’ve seen this week that we would love to try:

10.

Baste’s Crowd Pleeza

With illustrator Hephee behind the design, Baste’s new BBQ sauce was bound to be an eye-catcher. The “Crowd Pleeza” looks like an everyday sauce staple, even its tagline of “tangy, earthy with a hint of heat” marks it as a go-to lash it on everything sauce. The small-batch sauce is part of a lineup of condiments being rolled out by Baste- Crowd Pleeza is the softer sister to Hunzo Hot Sauce’s heat. Their sauces are made in Dublin from natural ingredients and are inspired by Baste’s time smoking meat and organizing food festivals, events, cooking, and eating their way around the world. Pick it up from Baste’s shop in Clanbrassil Street Upper open Wednesday-Sunday.

9.

Sharkbait Shelby’s moules

The new food truck on the block Sharkbait Shelby’s has rustled up a large amount of hype considering they are in their first few weeks of opening. Operating out of Baste’s Clanbrassil Street space in Portobello, the seafood seller looks like a refreshing new edition to Dublin’s oversaturated burger and fried chicken landscape. Filling a fishie-shaped gap in the market, Sharkbait Shelby’s are offering their classic moules, a pile of steaming muscles served with a healthy dusting of parsley and a nice wedge of lemon. Pick some up from their truck in Baste, their Instagram is the best place for more information on openings.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SHARKBAIT SHELBY’S (@sharkbaitshelbys)

8.

Coke Lane Pizza’s Hawaiian

The Hawaiian pizza is a contentious invention, one that has launched a number of heated Reddit threads. “Pineapples shouldn’t be on pizzas,” they say (sometimes in all caps) to Redditers that counter that there’s no harm in a bit of fruit on a pizza. If one crust can pull off a Hawaiian and quieten the angry users of Reddit, it’s Coke Lane Pizza’s. Their limited-edition pizza has Teeling Whiskey-soaked flambeed pineapple pieces on it, with honey and mustard wood fire-glazed ham hock, oh boy. Coke Lane Pizza’s is operating out of Rialto’s The Circular, hit their click and collect link here for pickup/deliveries.

7.

Grano a Casa’s Sardinian Culurgiones

Grano never fails to produce an unreal special, that’s typically freshly made and dusted with ‘000’ flour. This week’s offering of Sardinian culurgiones is no exception. Pillowy parcels are artfully slashed with folds and tips, while the center promises to be stuffed with nice comforting things like potatoes, pecorino cheese, and mint. Grano a Casa is operating out of its Stoneybatter kitchen, to order hit the click and collect link here.

6.

CHICC’s Chicken Wing Lollipops

Timelines are never far away from CHICC’s juicy-looking fried chicken, but something sets their chicken wing lollipops apart. Maybe it’s the incredible use of the chicken’s leg as a lollipop or the way you can literally imagine diving into the box and doing a Homer Simpson eating all the donuts in the world routine (video for context). Anyway, the batter on the chicken wings looks so crispy, that parts of it have over-crisped and now resemble cirrocumulus clouds. They look heavily spiced, with what looks like a paprika mix, making them look even more mouthwatering. CHICC is based in Xico’s premises off Baggot Street, chicc out their website for more information.

5.

The Fourth Corner’s Pina Coladas

The Fourth Corner has been playing a blinder, supplying the thirsty masses with drinks they may or may not be consuming around the corner in Saint Patrick’s Park. The corner-side pub already has a healthy cocktail selection but has added the limited edition pina colada to the lineup. In a 700 ml takeaway jar, you get a preblended cocktail made up of Bacardi blanco rum, Bacardi coconut rum, fresh pineapple juice, coconut cream, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and crushed ice. Getting caught in the rain is pending, for more information visit The Fourth Corner website here.

4.

Winedown’s Croquettes

A collaboration between sister food offerings Winedown and Meltdown has resulted in a pretty mad product, croquettes flavoured like Meltdown’s toasties. I’m here for the novelty factor, and the crossover into toastie to croquette doesn’t seem to be too much of a leap for flavours like hey presto, spicy cajun, mac mama, rib-melt to the smoked fungi. They look good, those small balls seem to be panko-crumbed (the superior crumb) and look delectable. The croquettes are available from Winedown’s Montague Street on Fridays and Saturdays, visit the Winedown Instagram account for more information.

3.

BuJo’s S’mores Kit

Fully embracing the Winter’s spirit of the past week, BuJo Burger Joint has whipped out the s’mores. Their kit created by their culinary director Gráinne O’Keefe is made up of soft-baked cookies, jumbo vanilla marshmallows, and dairy milk chocolate buttons. There’s the larger “MasterPiece kit” and the smaller “Mini-MasterPiece Kit” available through the BuJo Burger Joint in Sandymount, visit their website here for more information.

2.

Cuan’s The Cubaño

Recently opened in Smithfield square, is Cuan. Renowned in the North for their BBQ subs and sarnies, we really want to try their The Cubaño sandwich- which dead giveaway- is based on an 1800 century Cuban recipe. The foundation of the subroll is a pork shoulder that’s been marinated for 48 hours in Cuan’s signature mojo mix, there’s more meat added cold-smoked Buchanans farm gammon, added to Swiss cheese, American mustard, and dill pickle, squished together into a Kirks bakery subroll and pressed over the toaster. It looks heavy on the meat, with the charred slightly dry-looking subroll being offset by the lashings of mustard and cheese. Follow Cuan’s Instagram account for more information.

1.

Hen’s Teeth Sake Slushie

Being optimistic about the upcoming weather forecast, in a kind of Padre Pio-esque way, the Hen’s Teeth sake slushie had to be number one. Launched a couple of days ago, and sold out of the Blackpitts premises the cherry slushie promises to be sweet and sour. Visit the Hen’s Teeth Instagram account for more information.

Have a recommendation for our next top ten? Send it to me at emily.mullen@districtmagazine.ie

Elsewhere on District: Revisiting the Bloody Mary Garnish War