What do you miss about home?

Fysh

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

Pizza Napoli beside Neachtains in Galway.... Best pizza going. Always make a point if going there when I'm back home!

I may have to defer to the native Galwegians under duress but for my money the best pizza place in Galway is Fat Freddy's, partly because Bloody Awesome Pizza and partly because Gilbert Shelton counter-culture comics on the walls FTW!

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Jev/N wrote: »

Also, the inability to ring people with a half an hour's notice and get a group together for a few pints

Conversely, its getting harder and harder to get a few together for pints here at home now, because everyone is in Australia, New Zealand or the UK! :mad:

LadyMayBelle

Fysh wrote: »

I may have to defer to the native Galwegians under duress but for my money the best pizza place in Galway is Fat Freddy's, partly because Bloody Awesome Pizza and partly because Gilbert Shelton counter-culture comics on the walls FTW!

You've clearly never been to Pizza Napoli after a night out

Fat Freddy's isn't that popular amongst locals (correct me if I'm wrong fellow Galwegians, including you AnnaVanilla!). Fat Freddy's tends to draw tourists more than locals..

Sorry OP, Im back on track again!

bhdfa

iambrazil wrote: »

not that difficult to find! Selfridges had it in a little Irish section in their food hall a few months ago. Along with Taytos, O'Donnell's crisps and a few other products which I forget. The prices weren't too scary either.

Tayto....at last they got a montion. O'donnell's are a new invention!

djpbarry

Dave0301 wrote: »

Also, decent pints of Guinness. Didn't realize how awful the stuff they have over here was!

Ah, come on. Let’s drop all this mysticism surrounding Guinness – it’s a fairly standard stout. And there are plenty of dodgy pints of it to be had around Dublin! Beamish, O'Hara's and Porterhouse Plain are all better stouts than Guinness.

Bluezar wrote: »

Wat United! Flying home this Friday for play off final!

I’ll see your promotion/relegation playoff and raise you a cup final! Heading back this weekend to see Pats at the Aviva – can’t wait.

Aside from the footy, like others, I miss the nice, manageable size of Dublin – arranging meet-ups with people at relatively short notice was relatively easy. Of course the flip side of that was that people were often fairly complacent and noncommittal about plans.

Going to gigs was easier in Dublin too – the music scene is much more concentrated than it is in London. That’s not to say there aren’t good gigs in London, but it was much easier to just happen upon live music in Dublin (or Galway, or Cork). And if anything, even more establishments seem to be embracing live music in Dublin, while everywhere in London is turning into a bloody generic “gastro-pub”.

AnnaVanilla

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

You've clearly never been to Pizza Napoli after a night out

Fat Freddy's isn't that popular amongst locals (correct me if I'm wrong fellow Galwegians, including you AnnaVanilla!). Fat Freddy's tends to draw tourists more than locals..

Sorry OP, Im back on track again!

I agree!! I'm not sure I've ever been to Fat Freddy's so I'm not actually sure about the quality of their pizza but I've a good friend in Galway who's from Salerno and she claims Pizza Napoli is the only place to get decent pizza in Galway.

I've got a lasagne take away from there the day after quite a few times too

Fysh

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

You've clearly never been to Pizza Napoli after a night out

Fat Freddy's isn't that popular amongst locals (correct me if I'm wrong fellow Galwegians, including you AnnaVanilla!). Fat Freddy's tends to draw tourists more than locals..

Sorry OP, Im back on track again!

I'm wary of taking restaurant recommendations based on how good the food was at the end of a night out, too many people in Cork still try to tell me Hellbelly's is decent for that one to fly. That being said, as a big fan of Gilbert Shelton's comics it's possible that the decor in Fat Freddy's did more for me than it would many folks. They still do good pizza, but it would be highly unscientific for me to claim that it was the best pizza place in Galway without conducting an extensive survey (ie until I've got a week free to go on a pizza-eating binge around Galway the question will remain unanswered...)

ballsymchugh

Fysh wrote: »

I'm wary of taking restaurant recommendations based on how good the food was at the end of a night out, too many people in Cork still try to tell me Hellbelly's is decent for that one to fly. That being said, as a big fan of Gilbert Shelton's comics it's possible that the decor in Fat Freddy's did more for me than it would many folks. They still do good pizza, but it would be highly unscientific for me to claim that it was the best pizza place in Galway without conducting an extensive survey (ie until I've got a week free to go on a pizza-eating binge around Galway the question will remain unanswered...)

as a teetotaller who spent 5 years in UCC, i can safely say that Hillbilly's is .......



alright.

i think it's the imminent threat of violence that adds to it all.

Awayindahils

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

And the Spanish Arch.
And Ballymaloe relish.. What have you started Silvervixen! (banning self from thread!)

Soon you'll be able to buy it from over the counter in O'Neills

djpbarry

Awayindahils wrote: »

Soon you'll be able to buy it from over the counter in O'Neills

Why would anyone ever want to buy anything in O'Neill's?

Fysh

djpbarry wrote: »

Why would anyone ever want to buy anything in O'Neill's?

I suppose it's a better reason for being in O'Neills than thinking it's a good pub

S.M.B.

Well I now miss Galway after reading this thread.

ballsymchugh

i took this photo after driving back in may. the re-stocking at Christmas can't come quickly enough!

Dave0301

djpbarry wrote: »

Ah, come on. Let’s drop all this mysticism surrounding Guinness – it’s a fairly standard stout. And there are plenty of dodgy pints of it to be had around Dublin! Beamish, O'Hara's and Porterhouse Plain are all better stouts than Guinness.

On don't get me wrong, Beamish is certainly nice stuff as well and the Porterhouse do great stouts.

The point I was trying to make is that I was quite surprised at the standard of Guinness compared to back home as I noticed a big difference.

Marcusm

Dave0301 wrote: »

On don't get me wrong, Beamish is certainly nice stuff as well and the Porterhouse do great stouts.

The point I was trying to make is that I was quite surprised at the standard of Guinness compared to back home as I noticed a big difference.

For the last 10 years or so,the Guinness in the UK has come from St James's Gate so the difference is in the way it's kept and/or poured. Get picky with the barman!

djpbarry

Dave0301 wrote: »

The point I was trying to make is that I was quite surprised at the standard of Guinness compared to back home as I noticed a big difference.

I'm not a big Guinness drinker, but I can't honestly say I've noticed any more difference between the average pub in Dublin and London than I have between different pubs in Dublin.

udonwannado

Jev/N wrote: »

Also, the inability to ring people with a half an hour's notice and get a group together for a few pints

That is definitely what I miss most, and chickatees.

BraziliaNZ

udonwannado wrote: »

That is definitely what I miss most, and chickatees.

Get to know your neighbours, I often go for pints within the half hour

HavingCrack

I'm quite suprised by the amount of complaints about pubs in London. I'm living in Manchester and all the pubs and bars here have great bar staff, similar to at home, remember you face etc. for the most part, minus a few bad bars that you get everywhere.

Maybe it's a southern English thing!

1fm

Two years in London now myself, love the place but the main things I miss would be:
a) the family springer spaniel
b) Being only 30min from a run on Tramore beach. Never appreciated the landscape of home until I left!

Feathers

Marcusm wrote: »

For the last 10 years or so,the Guinness in the UK has come from St James's Gate so the difference is in the way it's kept and/or poured. Get picky with the barman!

djpbarry wrote: »

I'm not a big Guinness drinker, but I can't honestly say I've noticed any more difference between the average pub in Dublin and London than I have between different pubs in Dublin.

I think it's mostly down to the run on it & how it's poured — agreed, I've had bad pints in Dublin (and definitely would prefer PH plain or Wrasslers if it's going), but not a tenth as often as London. Plus it's Extra Cold in most places :mad:

On the upside, the selection of real ale is a good fallback in most pubs round here & great to be able to try local guest ales that they have on rotation!

Aoifebm

Tanora

emeraldstar

Aoifebm wrote: »

Tanora

Had to look this up. Never heard of it!

djpbarry

emeraldstar wrote: »

Had to look this up. Never heard of it!

That makes two of us.

Fysh

djpbarry wrote: »

That makes two of us.

It's mainly a Munster thing, I think. I do think it's weird that red lemonade in general doesn't seem popular outside of ireland, but then the republic does generally seem to be the place where confectionery brands go to die...

Weebuns12

I miss Veda bread, had to resort to making my own potato bread last week!

Playboy

Fysh wrote: »

It's mainly a Munster thing, I think. I do think it's weird that red lemonade in general doesn't seem popular outside of ireland, but then the republic does generally seem to be the place where confectionery brands go to die...

I thought Red Lemonade was banned elsewhere or is that an urban myth?

83ste

Playboy wrote: »

I thought Red Lemonade was banned elsewhere or is that an urban myth?

Myth. The EU banned a dye that was used in some red lemonades in the past, not the product itself.

jonnyfingers

It's funny, I usually only realise I miss things when I go home. Firstly there's the Mammy. It's lovely to go home and be looked after!

Also I was home for a stag at the start of the month and realised I missed the craic you can have with a large Irish group. I often go to events with a large group of English friends and it's just not the same.

Playboy

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Also I was home for a stag at the start of the month and realised I missed the craic you can have with a large Irish group. I often go to events with a large group of English friends and it's just not the same.

haha yes I'd agree. The debauchery seems to reach excessive levels when in the company of fellow Irish... I think by and large most Brits that I have come across are a little bit more restrained. Even second generation Irish over here just seem to 'go for it' more on nights out. Not that I'm condoning that type of behaviour!

I'd like to try a night out in one of these regional towns that you see on those police shows. It looks like pure carnage that you just dont get in London. Did Newcastle but it was a Monday night.. still was impressed with the nightlife (not sure impressed is the right word lol). Liverpool was pretty good also.. Edinburgh I found to be a little more reserved like London. Cardiff is off the scale.