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10th March 2018
10:59pm GMT
Like most people, I love meat.
A meal doesn't seem the same without it – but I do often wonder what it would like to be a fully fledged vegetarian. I did consider it once, thinking about the animal welfare, the good it would do the planet and how much a good veggie diet can help the body.
But for all my fleeting intentions, I was soon back finishing my 16oz steak with blood dripping down my chin.
The biggest problem I find is that – far and all as veggie cuisine has come – you still think you're missing out without some sort of meat on the plate. Add in the fact that the veggie options in most restaurants are piss poor when it comes to originality, and it's a hard sell.
The same options of goat's cheese tarts, mixed vegetable pasta, mushroom risotto and soup on every menu – veggies of Ireland legitimately have my sympathy.
The only veggie meals I'd ever enjoyed in and around Dublin were in the Happy Pear and Fumbally where they offer a great selection of salads and dips to keep things interesting.
That, however, was before I walked into Brother Hubbard...
You'll probably know Brother Hubbard from their super lunch, amazing coffee and lush brownies.
They also have the baby Sister Sadie, and just like that new venture they've started a supper club from Wednesday to Saturday offering more formal sit-down meals.
If I was honest I wasn't even going to review the meal in Brother Hubbard because I presumed they'd have cloned the menu from Sadie. They haven't, however, and it's full of original and inventive Middle Eastern fare.
The Mezze platter for two was hands down some of the most exciting cooking I'd seen in Dublin over the past couple of months, and all without a sausage, steak or burger in sight.
Beetroot hummus, pickled veg, bread, dips, cauliflower and all sorts of other little treats were a triumph and there was enough on this dish to leave you happy without a main course.
As it happened, I went with a chicken tagine for my main – and you know what? It turned out to be the biggest let down of the night.
Maybe it was because the last tagine I ate was earlier in the year, on a side street in Marrakech, and we all know that nothing tastes as good as food on holidays no matter how hard you try to replicate it. The veg, cous cous and cooking liquor were all superb though and I lapped them up.
A couple of courses in here cost €22 per person which is tremendous value given the great service, chilled out tunes and lovely wines on the menu. You won't get better cooking around town for that price – and the fact that it's all veg proves that point even further.
I didn't really think I could ever go out, have a fully veggie meal and feel satisfied but the next time I go back to Brother Hubbard that's exactly what I'll be doing.
They can hold the chicken and I'll be healthy, the planet will start cooling again and a chicken somewhere will have an extra leg. Everybody wins.
café or giant face? it's cosy on the inside & we have lovely food too! Middle East Feast till 9.30pm Wed - Sat pic.twitter.com/cAPmQwYFrs
— brotherhubbard north (@BrotherHubbardN) October 20, 2015
colourful salading happening on the Lil Bro take away counter today. get a box with hummus & sourdough for €6.50 pic.twitter.com/wKp9Y3ffnY
— brotherhubbard north (@BrotherHubbardN) October 21, 2015