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MELTDOWN BY DAY, WINEDOWN BY NIGHT Following the
success of city centre pop-up Meltdown, owner Maeve O’Malley placed the cheese lover’s paradise on a more permanent footing on Leeson Street two years ago. Now she’s all set to have a second Meltdown on Montague Street, alongside plans that will see the new space segue effortlessly into a post 5pm wine and food bar, as soon as Covid restrictions allow. The daytime Meltdown menu features such popular breakfast staples as bircher muesli and mighty breakfast burritos, packed with eggs, bacon, hash brown, mozzarella and hot stuff sauce. Their fabled cheesy house melts take pride of place at lunch time, with the addition of menu newbies such as spicy tomato soup and a nice range of salads to eat in or to go, with veggie options also available. By night, Maeve tells us that plans are well advanced to have Meltdown morph into Winedown, a convivial evening space from 5pm. Featuring a new menu developed under the stewardship of chef Maeve Walsh, evening offerings will include a selection of large and small plates, a seasonal tasting menu and wine pairings. Breakfast from 8am, lunch/dinner from 11.30am, Mon – Fri, 10-3.30pm at weekends. Insta @meltdowndublin JAR-TISAN STOCKING FILLERS The pivot to online is real for the wealth of artisan producers working across the city right now. Good news for keyboard shoppers looking to curate their own hampers for the foodies in their lives. We suggest picking up some of these babies to jazz up your Christmas haul, though in truth each of these items would make a welcome gift for the foodie lover in your life, whatever the time of year. Harry’s Nut Butter: Slightly sweet, kind of salty, a little bit spicy… this flavoursome spread is incredible on toast, crackers or any wee board you happen to have handy. Enjoy six of the best, delivered direct to your door. harrysnutbutter.com BITESIZE Martina Murray NUT ROASTS AND MINCE PIES FROM BLAZING SALADS There’s nothing like wrapping your tastebuds around a seasonal mince pie to conjure up the taste of Christmas past, something Blazing Salads have been enabling citydwellers to do beautifully for more than a quarter of a century now. Based on an old family recipe, their signature slow-cooked seasonal fruit mix includes sultanas, dates, apples and oranges, enriched with unpasteurised barley miso, and overlain with mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg. Each pie is then set on a base of organic wholemeal spelt flour and finished with an almond topping, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike. On the savoury side, their equally popular Vegan Nut roast with Quinoa and Lentil is also pretty special. Ingredients include cashew nuts, almonds, puy lentils, organic quinoa, organic oatflakes and sunflower seeds. Available to order now from the Blazing Salads Click and Collect service, for collection from December 15th. €18. Box of 6 Mince Pies €8.50. blazingsalads-ltd.clickandcollection.com Fumbally Ferments: Ever changing and always wild, the Fumbally’s selection of fermented food is made with good old Dublin bacteria, available for delivery in boxes of six. Favourites include Caraway Kraut, Cabáiste, Kimchi and Tumeric Kraut, and as they say themselves; ‘They taste so damn delicious.’ We’ll second that. thefumbally.ie Famous Piccalilli from Assassination Custard: A huge hit from Gwen and Ken at the city’s smallest restaurant, a jar of these beauties gives you a sense of the culinary magic being packed in their tiny Kevin Street kitchen. If you’re lucky you might be able to find some at Fumbally, Daddy’s or Gaillot et Gray. Insta: @Assassination_Custard Asian Spiced Tomato Chutney from Nan Wangs: Charge up any dish with a hint of fire, perfect for everything from casual toasties to indulgent cheese boards. They also do some nicely packaged gift boxes too. Insta: @nan.wangs 42