The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Doin' Dingle
Our last full day in Dingle was delicious -- weatherwise and otherwise. It was (relatively) warm and sunny all day and we
sampled our way through several more Dingle restaurants. Trying to make a tour of all the pubs in Dingle Town would likely
get your health insurance canceled. At last count there were 52 pubs to service a resident population of 1500! Fortunately,
Dingle attracts hundreds of visitors, although I'm sure it gets pretty thin in the winter.
Figuring that this would be another two-meals-out day, we were looking for something light for lunch ... and what could be more perfect than crepes? We really picked up a taste for these when we were in Brittany and it was nice to discover that a transplanted Breton had set up shop in Dingle. The place was clean and simple; the crepe large, tasty and pleasing to the eye. Even the simple salad was a work of art and painfully fresh. We didn't try any dessert crepes but after I found a picture of the sort of sweet product they put out, I almost wish I had. Next trip for sure!
We walked down along the harbor just taking in the sights, sounds and smells. Like our home town of Gig Harbor, there's a working fishing fleet here which gives the harbor area authenticity. The official celebrity of Dingle Harbor is Fungie the dolphin who took up residence here thirty years ago. He follows tour boats around the harbor, occasionally popping up for a face plant, much to the delight of startled tourists. He even has his own statue next to the tourist office, a guaranteed photo op for any child.
Among the excellent local products is Murphy's ice cream, hand made in Dingle. They tempt locals and visitors alike with such uncommon flavors as Irish coffee (liberally laced with Jameson's), Bailey's Irish Cream, Dingle Sea Salt and Irish Oats. Taste samples are readily distributed and I went through at least four before settling on the Irish coffee. They also offer hot chocolate that starts by melting dark Belgian chocolate to order. Talk about doing the work!
We attempted to have lunch at the Dingle Pub but were told they didn't serve food until 5:00. Fair enough. But there were a number of things on the menu that really sounded good so we thought we'd give them a try for dinner. Good choice. The place had a well-worn warmth to it, more restaurant than bar it seems. Margene hadn't seen Irish stew on an Irish menu until the Dingle Pub and had to have it. The dense, slightly sweet, brown bread that came with it was the clear crowd pleaser. I went for another Fisherman's Pie, not quite as good as the version at Fishy Fishy in Kinsale, but still tasty ... at about half the price!
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