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PROUDLY SPONSORED BY COMIDA: ALFAMA AND LISBOA MA
RKET VALUE You wait for one Portuguese spot to open in Dublin and suddenly two arrive at the same time... Alfama is currently settling in at Windy Arbour in Dundrum, where it is busy serving up a menu inspired by the flavours of one of Lisbon’s oldest neighbourhoods. Savoury classics include creamy fish pie made from Salted Cod, and ‘Meatlover’s Paradise’, a substantial sandwich which hails from the city of Porto. Made with bread, ham, salami, different types of smoked sausage and steak, it comes covered with melted cheese and a luxurious spiced tomato sauce, topped off with a fried egg and a generous side of french fries. Meanwhile, in the city centre, Café Lisboa recently landed on Mary Street, where the bill of fare features deliciously flakey Pastel de Nata, based on a traditional Portuguese recipe, baked fresh in-house every morning. @alfama_restaurant @cafelisboa_dublin COMMON SPACES BY 3FE Coffee connoisseurs 3fe have launched Common Spaces, a new series of café wall exhibitions open to Artists working across a range of media including painting, drawing, photography, print, mixed media and textiles. The initiative sees each 3fe café exhibit a solo artist’s work which will be displayed for three months at a time at their Five Points, Triangle and IFSC locations. The first exhibitors include artists Owen de Forge at The Triangle, and Eileen O’Sullivan at IFSC Mayor Square. As part of their new venture, 3fe is also planning to host a series of evening talks, intended to facilitate a more in depth look at the processes employed by each artist in their work. With further submissions invited via email, check their social channels for updates. 3fe.com #3fecommonspaces. Following a bustling weekend of brunches, lunches and dinners, there’s plenty to entice cash-strapped diners through the doors of the city’s restaurants at the start of the week too. We recently spotted a couple of decent deals at the Market Bar and Restaurant on Fade Street, where from Sunday to Tuesday 20 will get you a Dinner Menu for two, complete with bread and dips, a choice of two tapas dishes, a shared side of bottomless patatas bravas and unlimited still or sparkling water. Joseph Francis Fade, the eighteenth century ‘good banker’ who lends his name to the street where the Market Bar is located, would no doubt applaud their thrifty entrepreneurialism. Were he around today, the prudent banker might even opt to treat his offspring to the set Children’s Menu, which includes a mains choice of Meatballs and Bravas, Pasta with Tomato Sauce or Chicken Goujons with Bravas, along with a soft drink and ice-cream. Not bad value for half a score. @marketbardublin SECOND QUARTER FROM BLASTA Hot on the heels of the successful first series of Blasta Book imprints, pioneering food publisher Kristen Jensen has revealed details of the next four titles in the colourful cookbook compendium. The compact new batch launches in January with Soup, a comforting collection of international soup recipes authored by Blanca Valencia, Dee Laffan and Mei Chin, who also co-host the informative Spice Bags podcast. Next up is Tapas, a recipe book which celebrates the famous Spanish sharing dishes by restaurateurs Anna Cabrera and Vanessa Murphy of Las Tapas de Lola, and the soon to be open La Gordita in Montague Street. August sees the advent of Wasted, Conor Spacey’s collection of recipes created with the intention of helping identify some of the most wasted food items in our homes and turning them into deliciously nutritious dishes. Finally, Masarap by chef Richie Castillo and his partner Alex O’Neill, aims to introduce more people to the food of the Philippines by exploring Filipino food through an Irish cultural lens. According to Jensen, Blasta Books give people a fun, accessible and affordable way to eat exciting food. “The success of our first series – Tacos, Hot Fat, The United Nations of Cookies and Wok – shows that there is a real appetite for more stories and more types of food. These books are literally the voices, faces and food of modern Ireland and we are proud to publish them.” Designed by Jane Matthews, with gorgeous artwork by Dublin artist Nicky Hooper, pre-orders are live now on their website at blastabooks.com. @blastabooks CHRISTMAS MARKET AT THE FUMBALLY Following a two year hiatus, the good folk at the Fumbally recently announced the return of their popular Christmas Market this coming December. Featuring works and produce from food producers, independent creatives, artists and crafters, the small indoor community-focused market is scheduled to take place over two floors in the Fumbally Stables during the second weekend in December. Potential stall holders can apply for a spot via an online application form, which can be accessed directly from their website. The Fumbally Christmas Market takes place on Friday Dec 9th from 12 – 7pm and on Saturday, Dec 10th and Sunday Dec 11th from 10am – 6pm. thefumbally.ie 39