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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY FAMOUS PICCALILLI AT ASSASSI
NATION CUSTARD Ken Doherty runs the city’s smallest restaurant, Assassination Custard, with wife and business partner, Gwen. When we checked in with him recently, he observed that people are still a bit afraid to come into town. “It’s been a bit like Sunday in the summer, with less tourists”. It was a different story back in March. “We were very busy. I remember people coming in and after a meal one or two of them wanted to shake your hand. We were a little bit worried so we decided to close ourselves three or four days before the actual lockdown.” Since then the restaurant has remained closed mainly because, as Ken says, “It’s not very viable once you’re reduced from ten to four or five people”. While other places have pivoted to doing takeaway, this isn’t a viable route for them. “I wouldn’t be happy serving some of our food to be brought home and reheated. If we did do sandwich type things for take away, then eventually, we’d be coming in at two in the morning to make bread, and that’s not really what we’re trying to do here.” In addition to giving the place a lick of paint, they’ve been in most days making their Famous Piccalilli. “Most of our veg comes from McNally’s farm. At the moment they have a glut of amazing courgettes, gherkins and peppers. So we get loads, pickle and ferment them and hopefully when we open we can use them in our little dishes at the beginning of the menu. We haven’t really sold any, just given the odd one out”. Asked about the name he laughingly explains; “Gwen came up with it. Darina Allen had it the first time she was here, and she loved it, so we used to give it out to people to try. It was kind of “Oh, have you tried our Famous Piccalilli? Darina Allen had it”. We also serve offal here, tripe and things like that, so on our T-shirts we have, “Have you tried our famous tripe?” It’s kind of tongue in cheek. While things are very challenging, Ken is clear that what they really need is for people to come in when they reopen. “It’s about support not sympathy, so you want people to act, instead of just saying ‘I love that place, I must go there more often’. You need people to come back. I think that’s really the key.” Future plans include doing lunch for small pods of people. “We have our fans and what we want is to have a safe place for people to come while not losing what we had before. It’s been tough, but we’re going to keep making pickles, get the kids back to school, then I’d say we’ll hit the ground running.” For updates follow them on Instagram @assassination_custard. Their Famous Piccalilli is currently available from Fumbally, Daddy’s and Gaillot et Gray. WE’RE LOVING… Incredible 48-hour fermented sourdough kits from the Lab. Each kit comes with everything you need to make amazing sourdough pizza at home including ingredients and printed instructions, while a QR code located inside the box can be scanned to quickly launch a short demo video. The Double Margherita Kit contains two 48-hour fermented sourdough balls, fior di latte mozzarella, tomato & basil sauce, Italian olive oil, fresh basil & semolina (for opening the dough), while the Vesuvius Kit includes all the above, plus nduja sausage, chorizo, pepperoni and a spicy honey drizzle. Vegan options are also available. Delish!. Insta: the.lab.dublin GRIOLLADH IN OUR MIDST Upsides to furloughing are few and far between, but this summer has witnessed some impressive attempts to keep on trucking against the grain. From such humble origins was cheesy sensation Griolladh born. During some enforced downtime from their respective day jobs, boyhood pals Jack Brennan and Jacob Long hit upon the idea of offering some simple cheesy goodness from a suburban front garden in their old Malahide stomping ground. Made with Tartine sourdough bread, lashings of Kerrygold butter and three different kinds of cheese, the lads’ tasty grilled cheese specials met with such an enthusiastic response that they quickly had to source a dedicated food truck and set up shop in a new location. They’ve also come up with a gorgeous Hambo version featuring a slice of delicious honey baked ham for those who like their cheese with a meaty side. Hop on the Dart and see for yourself. Insta @Griolladh Pssst – Got some food ’n’ drink nuggets you’d like to share with Totally Dublin readers? Feed them to us for consideration… Email: MM@hkm.ie PLUGGING INTO THE GRID AT ROE AND CO. The post-Lockdown return of Roe and Co. Distillery has generated quite the buzz about the Liberties, as the bright sparks on James’s Street welcome visitors back to the site of the former Guinness Power Station. An imaginatively designed Cocktail Village nicely anticipates the much-longed for prospect of an Indian summer, while an innovative new programme features immersive Pod-style experiences accommodating up to six people per session. In addition to the variety of cocktail workshops, whiskey tastings and mini-cocktail masterclasses on offer, The Powerhouse Bar also serves up an impressive selection of cocktails with names that pay homage to the location’s industrial past. Meanwhile on the food front, the distillery has plugged into the talents of seafood supremo Niall Sabongi, whose tasty selection of Salty Buoy lobster rolls, grilled prawns and Hake Kiev neatly complement the delicious range of cocktails on offer. The Powerhouse Bar and Cocktail Village opens Thurs and Friday 2pm-10pm, last admission 9pm. Cocktail Workshop experiences Thurs & Fri 3pm-8pm; Sat 2pm-8pm. Advance booking essential. roeandcowhiskey.com TIME GENTLEMEN, PLEASE? Last month saw the Support Not Sympathy movement gain traction even as publicans continue to scratch their heads about future prospects for the trade. While pubs remain shuttered, there’s still little sign of movement on that front, although the debate has seen some interesting ideas mooted. One suggestion involves forging a formal alliance between wet pubs and the mobile catering industry, another sector that has been badly affected by the pandemic. With movable feasts fast becoming the food trend of the year, it seems like a useful way forward. In the meantime, we’re still timing our creamy takeaways to coincide with tea-time opening hours at the local offie. 45