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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY BITESIZE WORDS Martina Murra
y COOL BEANS ON BAGGOT STREET Less than a year on from opening his first Cool Hand Coffee Roasters shop in Kilmainham, Luke Creighan has turned the key on two more, one on Mayor Street in the heart of the IFSC, and the other on Upper Baggot Street in Dublin 2. Describing his latest caffeinated venture as ‘a one stop-shop for everything you need to brew your chosen blend at home’ Creighan aims to enable customers to witness the ritual of coffee making in a whole new way, as they get to see their coffee order progress from bean to roaster to cup. In addition to selecting their chosen blend from one of the store’s dispensers, coffee lovers also get a unique opportunity to hand-roast their choice of beans in store. A selection from over fifteen different countries is available, thanks to partnerships with a number of green coffee importers. With regular takeaway options also on the menu, Creighan clearly takes his pastries as seriously as his coffee, with a fine selection of indulgent bakes ready to grab and go from the Natural Bakery, the company he founded back in 2013. @coolhandcoffeeroasters REJUVENATION ONCE AGAIN ALL ROADS LEAD TO ORWELL ROAD Exciting neighbourhood newcomer Orwell Road has been blazing a trail and raising the bar since first opening its doors in Dublin 6 just a few short months ago. With Head Chef Dan Hannigan holding fast to his promise of getting the best local seasonal produce and letting each ingredient sing, the Rathgar destination is fast becoming a magnet for fascinated chefs and food lovers throughout the city. New seasonal additions to an already outstanding menu include a stunning dish of beautiful John Dory with Taramasalata, Buttered Cabbage and Dirty Chicken Butter Sauce. The convivial eatery recently extended its opening hours, offering further opportunities to check out the incredible fare on offer there. Orwell Road is now open from 5-10pm Tuesday through to Thursday, 12-3pm and 5-10pm on Friday and Saturday, and 1-8pm on Sundays. Get in! @orwellroad LOCAL HERO With inflation continuing to skyrocket, a generous invitation by farmer Sean Hussey is sure to pique the interest of restaurateurs determined to bring prices back down to earth. The enterprising North Dublin based producer recently issued a call on social media asking restaurants and coffee shops to get in touch if they were interested in working with him. “I can invest and grow a lot of produce on the farm,” Hussey wrote on Twitter, adding that he thought such partnerships might be “a good idea to help combat rising prices”. As Totally Dublin readers may already be aware, the fourth generation farmer has a solid track record in encouraging newcomers and fostering new initiatives. In addition to supplying Dublin’s restaurants and delis with freshly grown fruit and vegetables, the past few years have also seen him actively supporting local artisans and those interested in growing their own crops, as well as helping micro-producers bring their produce to market. Hussey’s efforts resulted in an RAI Local Food Hero award in 2019, while in more recent times he was also an early proponent of ventures such as Cream of The Crop, a business launched by Brazilian chef Giselle Makinde Pereira Goncalves based on a ‘zero waste, more taste’ approach. The initiative sees surplus food and rescued imperfect ingredients that would otherwise have ended up in landfill transformed into delicious artisan gelatos and sorbets. Beautiful produce from his family business, Hussey & Sons Fruit and Veg, can currently be enjoyed in many of Dublin’s great restaurants. Hit him up on Twitter at @jtattshotmailc1. WE’RE LOVIN’ The award-winning Wildwood Vinegars artisan range crafted by founder Fionntán Gogarty in the wilds of Mayo. Their specialty 5 year old aged blackberry balsamic vinegar brings added colour and sunshine to plates all year round, and makes for a decidedly flavoursome accompaniment to seasonal summer salads. We recently tuned in to the first episode of The History of Irish Whiskey, an insightful podcast series covering the fascinating evolution of Ireland’s ‘aqua vitae’ over a period of eight hundred years. Stewarded by Cork native Barry Chandler in conversation with expert Irish whiskey historian Fionnán O’Connor, this spirited series traces the story of Ireland’s most famous export from its early monastic aspirations to world domination, to near extinction, to valiant rejuvenation once again in modern times. Featuring tales of monks, perfumes, and a large dash of culinary history, the podcast successfully distils a lot of detail into seven compact episodes. It kicks off with ‘The Birth of the Spirit That Would Become Whiskey’, a fascinating deep dive into the early origins of the spirit, bringing listeners right back to a treatise on distilling found in The Red Book of Ossory in the 1300s, and the first mention of the term Uisce Beatha in the 1450s. The first episode is free to listen to on any device from anywhere, with the other six exclusively available to members of the Stories and Sips Whiskey Club. While catering mainly to an American audience, there is much to offer anyone interested in learning more about the world of Irish whiskey. Our verdict? A hearty aural gem best savoured in the company of a pure drop or two. storiesandsips.com 38