General Chat Thread II

Dave_The_Sheep · 10-08-2023 1:37pm

Fair point. I'm pretty happy with my steaks when I do them myself. So I never get them out except if it's a dedicated steak place, and rarely go to one of those. Might have to see here though.

the beer revolu · 10-08-2023 2:43pm

True, there was a time when it was very difficult to get really good quality, steaks in Ireland, outside of a handful of select butcher's. Now most supermarkets sell decent premium steaks.

Also, people have learned to cook steaks well, at home and more people have the pans to do it.

Faith · 11-08-2023 6:52pm

Has anyone here ever shopped in musgraves wholesale? A friend gave me his musgraves number but I don’t have a card or anything and I’m afraid to try shopping there in case they won’t let me 😅. What’s the process normally like?

Mystery Egg · 11-08-2023 7:12pm

You just give your number at the till. Make sure you know the name of your friend's business. It's fun! But honestly it's not much cheaper than anywhere else. It's just the thrill of the multipack and giant size!

Faith · 11-08-2023 7:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120966799#Comment_120966799

Thanks! Are there any savings to be had on alcohol?

Gloomtastic! · 11-08-2023 7:33pm

Yeah, the giant sizes make it a very entertaining. Plus the variety, every type of food imaginable.

Enjoy! 😋

Mystery Egg · 11-08-2023 10:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120966876#Comment_120966876

I don't recall to be honest! I used to go there to bulk buy, for example, chocolate eggs, for work events around Easter. I just remember there not being great savings generally. We might have bought a case or two of beers, or giant catering bags of tortilla chips, or boxes of Haribo! But the savings were fairly minimal.

Planet X · 12-08-2023 10:00pm

Late night cheese toastie……..oh…wait

New Home · 13-08-2023 5:52am

Cheese and mushrooms?

odyssey06 · 15-08-2023 2:05pm

Dublin Bay Prawns \ langoustines? Anyone seen these fresh in fish mongers?

Had a look in Kisk Fish Coolock but only frozen. Am mulling over whether a trip to Howth will be worth it.

Recliner · 15-08-2023 3:51pm

Anyone any idea how to deal with too much pepper in a dish. Made mushroom soup yesterday and I threw in the remains of a homemade pepper sauce from the day before, which had a potent quantity of pepper in it.

I thought that using it in the soup would mellow down the pepper, but no joy.

It's edible, but it does burn the back of the throat a bit.

TheKBizzle · 15-08-2023 5:27pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120982017#Comment_120982017

Dilute it and add some potatoes would be a good start. The starch should absorb some of the kick from the pepper.

Hotblack Desiato · 17-08-2023 11:15am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120971048#Comment_120971048

You allergic to penicillin or something? 🤣

(no I am NOT suggesting you should eat that! Impressive amount of 'fur' though.)

New Home · 17-08-2023 11:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989761#Comment_120989761

I don't know why people are so fussy - they gobble blue cheese, but as soon as they see a bit of blue bread, no way would they go near it. Talk about double standards!

:pac:

Planet X · 19-08-2023 3:38pm

Make pizza regularly.

Read somewhere, a long time ago, about half strong bread flour and half plain flour. I normally use 100% strong bread. However today I did a 50/50 mix and what a difference it made. Less chewy base, as they say. A lot lighter. And it was. Will permanently change to this ratio now.

Simple but a revelation……to me anyway.

oscarBravo · 19-08-2023 4:21pm

I've used a 5:1 mixture of strong bread flour to wholemeal rye flour in pizza dough for a while now.

New Home · 20-08-2023 8:32pm

Looks like a good idea for Halloween or for kids' parties.

woodchuck · 24-08-2023 3:30pm

Where is good for steak in Dublin City centre these days?

I've eaten in FXBs and Darwin's in the past. I never had any complaints and would happily go back if the standard hasn't slipped.

I had heard that featherblade is good, but I've never been.

I also heard Hawksmoor being mentioned here recently, but again have never been myself.

Where's good to get a nice bit of steak that's cooked properly (e.g. if you ask for medium rare, it's actually medium rare and not medium!) and a few nice sides and sauces. Bonus points if it's good value for money - I just don't want to feel ripped off if I can get similar food for a cheaper price elsewhere! I've no interest in cooking my own meat on a hot stone or any nonsense like that though :P

Any advice would be great :)

Gloomtastic! · 24-08-2023 3:32pm

Hawksmoor got a good write-up in today’s Indo but €130 for a steak! 😵‍💫

https://m.independent.ie/life/food-drink/food-reviews/hawksmoor-restaurant-review-great-steak-and-killer-cocktails-in-dublins-buzziest-dining-room-but-130-for-a-prime-rib-may-be-too-costly-for-some/a83546781.html

Gremlinertia · 24-08-2023 3:36pm

Friend recommended Elephant and Castle, I've yet to try but I trust his opinion.

The Nal · 24-08-2023 3:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021605#Comment_121021605

Loved Featherblade

Have had great steaks in all of below.

Marco Pierre Whites

Mr S (their chicken and piri piri type sauce is nicer though)

Tomahawk

l'Gueuleton

Fire

FXB

Hawksmoor

Bull & Castle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021618#Comment_121021618

130 quid for 1 kilo of steak! The fillet (280g) is 42 quid. My ribeye was 40 quid.

Hodors Appletart · 25-08-2023 11:16am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121021618#Comment_121021618

no cannabis, no?

Dial Hard · 25-08-2023 11:28am

Featherblade and Hawksmoor are both great, but very, very different dining experiences. Featherblade is definitely the one to go for if price is a consideration. Hawksmoor do €5 corkage on Mondays, which can take considerable sting out of the final bill, and a very reasonable express menu 6 days a week.

I've never ordered a steak in E&C but I can't say it's a place I'd immediately think of as a potential good option for one.

The Nal · 25-08-2023 11:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024535#Comment_121024535

You could get 2 x rump steaks, 2 x fries and a bottle of wine in Hawksmoor for 100 quid. Its not as pricey as people are making out. Just don't buy the steaks by weight.

Dial Hard · 25-08-2023 11:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024570#Comment_121024570

Or the cocktails. (Which are excellent, to be fair.)

The Nal · 25-08-2023 12:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024686#Comment_121024686

Fantastic yep! Fair price no? 12-14 quid. Id a lovely spicy margarita before dinner and a great espresso martini after.

Black Sheep · 25-08-2023 1:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121024686#Comment_121024686

I make Shakey Pete cocktails at home... A great 'modern' beer cocktail to try. The fresh ginger syrup is a bit of a pain but it's worth the effort.

Black Sheep · 25-08-2023 1:29pm

I haven't eaten in the Hawksmoor in Dublin, so I can't comment specifically on it, but I've eaten several times at their London restaurants and have mixed views.

Some of the best dishes they offer are little twists on things, the bone shins with marrow and griddled toast is brilliant, for example. The steaks are a safe bet but high quality steaks just aren't that hard to find anymore, I'm not sure the Hawksmoor has the appeal it did a few years ago when it first appeared in London.

In Dublin, I wouldn't expect them to serve a better sharing steak than you'll find in places like Mister S, which has been doing killer ones for the last several years.

I'm eating in Etto, tonight, and even they have a sharing steak for two, with sides, on the menu at 84 euro, and that's not really their style of cookery. I'd expect their sharing steak to be very well-executed.

Shanahan's is also worth an honourable mention. It can feel a bit fussy and Irish American in a twee way, but I think they've been around long enough now, slinging out high quality steaks and that amazing cheesebread, that you'd have to say they are an institution.

Dial Hard · 25-08-2023 1:46pm

The quality in Shanahan's has dipped appreciably, imo. I would always have said it was worth the splurge if you had a little windfall or whatever but the last two times I was there it was disappointing bordering on poor. Who knows, though, Hawksmoor's arrival may wake them up a bit.

woodchuck · 25-08-2023 1:56pm

Thanks for all the advice guys! I hadn't realised Hawksmoor do an express menu, that might be worth a try so :)

Dial Hard · 25-08-2023 2:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121025431#Comment_121025431

€29 for two courses and it's available til 6pm Monday to Saturday. If you went on a Monday and brought your own wine you could have yourself a very nice meal indeed for a great price. Do as they advise and bring a Nebuchadnezzar 🤣

Dial Hard · 27-08-2023 10:31pm

No corkage (on Mondays) on wines bought in The Corkscrew until November 30th.

woodchuck · 15-09-2023 6:16pm

So we ended up going to Fire in the end for our steak! We had a lovely meal - the 3 course early bird. The steak was pretty good! And it's a lovely building and great service.

However...

Muggins here ordered a chocolate moussey thing for dessert. It was absolutely delicious! But I felt nauseous soon afterwards and ended up puking up my lovely 3 course meal while waiting for the bus. I stupidly assumed mousse was made using cream. I must've only ever had cheap supermarket chocolate mousse made of cream, because when I googled it, sure enough, proper mousse is made with raw egg 🙈 I have a food intolerance to egg (particularly undercooked egg) and my body reacted as if it was ejecting a toxin! I was mortified. People must have assumed I was drunk. I literally hadn't had a drop of alcohol, I just dared to eat dessert 🙄 I'm usually so careful too, but this time I was a fcuking moron 🙈

the beer revolu · 15-09-2023 11:47pm

Oh, no, that's so unfortunate.

Now you know, proper chocolate mousse has egg white, at least!

woodchuck · 16-09-2023 2:10pm

Yeah I like to learn my lessons the hard way 🙈

We're heading out again this week for our anniversary, so hopefully I'll get to keep my meal down this time!

odyssey06 · 16-09-2023 3:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121118235#Comment_121118235

My friend Basil Brush says he hopes next time woodchuck wont... chuck.

the beer revolu · 16-09-2023 6:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121118680#Comment_121118680

Would woodchuck chuck his dinner up? Woodchuck would, would woodchuck!

Hotblack Desiato · 17-09-2023 10:00pm

Maybe there should be an equivalent of a doggy bag for such a situation!

awec · 21-09-2023 1:37pm

Anyone tried the McSpicy burgers from McDonalds yet?

I wouldn't have McDonalds regularly, wouldn't be top of my list of fast food, but the McSpicy is actually decent. Obviously it's the standard McDonald's quality chicken burger, but it's actually properly spicy!

I was expecting the usual slightly-above-bland level of spice you usually get from these places but was pleasantly surprised to find it's genuinely hot enough to feel the heat.

Mystery Egg · 21-09-2023 9:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121138148#Comment_121138148

It's like a Zinger burger from KFC. But perhaps not quite as nice.

Hotblack Desiato · 22-09-2023 1:17am

At the back of a press I have found a nearly full bottle of rapeseed oil, best before... 2009 😯

No I'm not planning to cook with it.

What's the best way to dispose of this? Compost heap?!?

the beer revolu · 22-09-2023 8:24am

It's oil. It's either rancid or it's not. Taste it. (this is not food safety advice)

New Home · 22-09-2023 8:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141300#Comment_121141300

Recycling centres have specific containers for the collection of oils (both cooking and not). It's illegal to dispose of them in any other way as they are highly polluting. If you ring your local authority they should be able to point you in the right direction.

awec · 22-09-2023 9:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121140494#Comment_121140494

I think it's possibly spicier than a Zinger, but it's been a while since I've had one.

Hotblack Desiato · 22-09-2023 10:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141701#Comment_121141701

Sod's law - I was just up there a couple of weeks ago and disposed of a lot of stuff including a couple of bottles of used motor oil. I'll hope to remember the veg oil when I'm up there next in a few years time 😀

New Home · 22-09-2023 10:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121142113#Comment_121142113

Ask your local chippers if they can take it and dump it with theirs, they might be obliging enough.

Dial Hard · 22-09-2023 4:42pm

You can put solid grease in your brown bin but not liquid oils. Tbh I'd agree with the beer rev - you'll know as soon as you open it if it's rancid or not.