Dublin: Flawless food of the Forest

Forest Avenue,

For several years now, serious chefs and restaurants like The Greenhouse (Mickael Viljanen), Gregan’s Castle (David Hurley) and The Pig’s Ear (Stephen McAllister) have been bringing a New Nordic nous to bear on our emerging Irish cuisine. Their food is among the best I’ve eaten.

At the same time, a new breed of cafes and hangouts — Kai in Galway, for instance, or Brother Hubbard and The Fumbally in Dublin — have been rocking the rustic minimalism that Scandinavia does so well, bringing oomph and found-object funkiness to the country’s casual food scene.