Al Boschetto a family run Italian restaurant in the heart of Ballsbridge
Certain smells especially of food, acts like a time machine. Bringing us back to an earlier time in our lives when that smell was prevalent and when we first encountered it. We have so many different countries cuisines that have transformed our taste buds. From Indian Curries, or Irish Stews through to Italian Pastas and French Breads. We have slowly added more dishes to what we are eating. Having lived abroad for a lot of my childhood, I was lucky enough to experience different cuisines.
This meant that from an early age my fussy eater palate was forming. Living abroad also meant that I got to try dishes that were not commonplace in Ireland. When I was 5 and living in Egypt, I can remember having my first curry. Naturally it was not as spicy as I like it now. If you were not lucky enough to have been on trips abroad, then you would have missed this experience.
This soon changed when family run restaurants opened up by immigrants from places such Italy and China. Getting the opportunity to try authentic cuisine from different countries expanded food palates all over the country. Naturally this lead to local restaurateurs trying their hands at these cuisines. Resulting in dishes like pastas, and stir fries being reinvented. Whilst not truly authentic it made a change from what we were used to.
Now a days these family run restaurants have morphed into food trucks that offer authentic cuisine. Bites by Kwanghi, Dosa Dosa and Salty Bouy Seafood trucks are great examples of this. Concentrating on specific cuisines via a small menu, your taste buds get tantalised and you won’t break the bank.
This week’s restaurant is?
Different cuisines and family run restaurants neatly leads us on to this week’s restaurant. In 1996 Al Boschetto opened on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge. Offering authentic Italian cuisine such as pasta, risotto and pizza. Al Boschetto is a restaurant that I have often walked past and not taken much notice of. I am sure that you might have done this too, but maybe it’s time you changed that.
So what did I order?
I quickly opened up the Deliveroo app and felt like having a pizza. Browsing various restaurants that have pizza on their menu, Al Boschetto quickly caught my eye. Having perused the restaurant menu only one pizza stood out for me, the Pizza Margherita. So that’s what I ordered.
So how was my Meal?
The meal arrived well packaged, which ensured it was nice and warm. But as it was raining there was drops of rain on the pizza box. Thankfully this did not get inside the box and cause any damage.
The pizza was cooked in a non-woodfired pizza oven, resulting in a pizza that was neither thick or thin. It had the right amount of cheese and tomato sauce. As it was not too thin the sauce and cheese did not slide around.
The crust was interesting, as it was medium sized which meant I left no crust behind.
This was one of those pizzas that tasted as good as it looked. It is also a pizza that is not soggy and won’t leave you feeling bloated. The rest of the menu has dishes that you would find in family run restaurants in Ireland and Italy.
So what did my meal cost?
The Margherita, cost €13.00. With a service fee of €0.65, a delivery fee of €2.99, and a Restaurant tip of €0.36. The bill came to €17.00 before Rider Tip.
Al Boschetto is open between 4pm–10pm, Monday to Wednesday. 12pm-10:00pm Thursday. 12pm-10:30pm Friday and Saturday. 12pm-10:00pm on Sunday. They also do sit in and collection or delivery takeaway. I look forward to ordering from Al Boschetto Society again and trying one of their pasta dishes.
Al Boschetto, 2 Merrion Road, Dublin 4, D04 F2R2
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