Another stereotype that proves accurate in Dublin is that of the “chipper,” late-night or otherwise. This is a fast food establishment specializing in fish ‘n’ chips and other deep-fried dishes, such as onion rings, chicken nuggets and fried scampi. A chipper comes in handy when you’re hungover or have just been robbed and want something cheap & dirty to make…
I woke up snuggled on a soft mattress in my best friend’s apartment in Dublin on St. Paddy’s day. I woke up with just one thought in mind. Well, maybe two… I thought about all the whiskey I would have to drink that day, remembering past St. P. day parades with my friends in South Boston.…
We rolled through the dewy, green Irish countryside – my best friend and I – in the direction of Galway on the Atlantic coast. We stopped at castles and lakes, took selfies with sheep and at the edge of the rocky Cliffs of Moher. We stopped in the town of Doolin to drink a pint of…
Yeah, the line is long. It starts forming a little before 8:00 p.m. and the place doesn´t open until 8:30. If you get there at 8:05, it´s already so long that when the place does open you will not be among the first 50 or so who are allowed in. And that´s because of the friends…
The picturesque and very quaint Catalan town of Girona is a great place to spend an afternoon but not too much more than that. There’s a series of graceful footbridges crossing over a mostly dried out riverbed and a row of colorful riverfront houses on either side of those bridges. There’s a plaza, some charismatic narrow side…
“It’s tomorrow morning,” came her voice through the speaker. I sat up and pressed the phone harder against my ear. “And Lili, listen: It’s exactly what you want.” “Tomorrow? But I still need to get out there…” “It’s worth it. Trust me, they hardly ever do it like this anymore!” At 6 a.m. the next day I’m…
El Cau is the local watering hole in the Priotari town of Poboleda, packed for lunchtime every day of the week. Part of their success has to do with location – it’s the first restaurant you pass on the drive into town from the direction of Cornudella. Parked in front are cars, vans and tractors; parked inside are hungry vineyard…
Empanadas will always hold a special place in my heart. Back in the summer of 2011, a few months after my college graduation, I headed out into the world alone for the first time. A fresh faced 22-year-old seeking a change, I found a place I loved and built a life there, in Buenos Aires. I…
There’s a restaurant near my place that has very good octopus. They have other stuff too since technically they’re a tapas bar. So they have little sausages, papas bravas, grilled padrón peppers, all that good stuff. They have other seafood too: razor clams, mussels, cockles from the tin. And they have cheap beer, sangria and clarita…
Dining options in the Priorat are somewhat limited and each town offers only one or two places that are really worth stopping at for more than just beer and good company. Siurana has Els Tallers; Cornudella has Al Toll and Refugi, Poboleda has La Terrasseta and El Cau. And then, of course, there’s La Venta. I…
That Best Bite 