Fish and Chips – Super Miss Sue – Dublin

Over the course of two weeks in Ireland, Your Correspondent ate fish and chips only twice, partly because her traveling companion wasn’t keen on them, and she ended up cursed with an overly battered version at a “chipper” in the Temple Bar in Dublin that touts all the celebrities who have eaten there.  The two of us, though, hit the jackpot at SMS, or Super Miss Sue, in Dublin.  Super Miss Sue has a takeaway side and a café side, separated by curtains, and, apparently, a restaurant side that we didn’t even see.  There was loud music in the takeaway, so we were happy to find the café (with this cool neon sign).

The fish and chips were heavenly!  Since it wasn’t busy when we were there (before supper time, because it was our arrival day and we were hungry early), we got to chat with the proprietors, who are actually Brazilian.  True to our suspicions, they do have a special recipe for the batter.  They said it was a secret, and we said we were just curious and not prying into the ingredients.  They also cook the fish and chips in beef tallow, which definitely added to the flavor.

This very filling serving was €16, maybe a little higher than what we’d pay in an Irish bar with food in San Francisco (e.g., Harrington’s).  This definitely lived up to the advance billing.

Lunch with Beth–San Francisco Fish Company

The San Francisco Fish Company, in the Ferry Building Marketplace, has an extensive selection of seafood, both prepared and raw. The sandwich selection is equally extensive, and made to order. But somehow, we always opt for the soft-shell crab, which is available year-round. That means they're using frozen  crab, but that's actually an advantage. Crabs start growing their new shells immediately after shedding the old ones, so in-season "soft" crab can sometimes be a little tough. If they're frozen immediately after shedding, they retain their "velvet" texture.

There's plenty of seating in back of the building, with scenic views. It was very sunny at lunchtime, so we went upstairs to get some shade. This character immediately joined us on our bench and serenaded us, in hope of a handout. He appears to be a Hermit Thrush, but obviously he's a little unclear on the concept of being a hermit!

Feathered freeloader singing for his supper.

The sandwich is served on a soft, but not squishy, roll, with lettuce, remoulade sauce and a separate garnish of coleslaw. A few salads are also available as sides. 

We didn't encourage our visitor, but he was very bold, landing on us and snatching crumbs from my sandwich. He seems to have learned a lot from the seagulls. Fortunately, he isn't big enough to fly off with the whole sandwich.

Aggressive beggar about to steal a crumb

How do you feel about feathered beggars? Are you more likely to feed the cute ones?