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FINE DINING IS all well and good but sometimes you just want to eat something that tastes like it could have been made by mom or dad. A restorative breakfast sandwich on a Saturday morning or a hearty bowl of soup on a chilly Winter afternoon.
In Dublin 8, in the village of Rialto, Daddy’s Cafe is the quintessential spot to go when you’re in need of a comforting meal in a place that feels like a home away from home.
Having previously worked as a food researcher in television, opening a cafe was always Colm Keane’s dream. He eventually made the leap into the food industry and picked up invaluable experience along the way. Following a chance encounter with John Mahon – co-owner of The Circular, where Daddy’s Cafe operates morning to afternoon during the week – who was looking for someone to set up a cafe in the same building to ensure that the space would accommodate the local community throughout the day, Keane was finally able to realise his dream. Soon after, Daddy’s opened its doors in December 2019.
Catering to the community has always been a crucial component of Daddy’s ethos. Daddy’s has fast become an integral part of the Rialto neighbourhood. In the three years since commencing service, the team have developed strong relationships with their customers, as Keane told The Journal.
“We appreciate every customer that walks through the doors of the café, but the locals have our heart. Throughout the last three years, we’ve gotten to know the people around us, and watched some of them fall in love, get married, and have babies that have grown into toddlers. It’s that gorgeous part of having a business that is the fabric of the community. We definitely feel very lucky!”
As well as providing a place for locals to stop by for a toasted ham and cheese sandwich or coffee on the go, offering a welcoming space for everyone is important for Keane, and one of the most rewarding aspects of running the cafe. “One of my favourite things about running the café is how casually queer it is. Growing up in Kildare, queer spaces were few and far between. The café here is for everyone from every walk of life, and I love that. As well as that it’s great craic. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very stressful running a small business – but the craic you have with customers, the team, the suppliers and all that – it beats anything else I could think of doing!”
Since childhood, food has played an important and influential role in Keane’s life. Given his early associations with food and its ability to bring people together, it’s no wonder he aspired to open a cafe.
“I always loved how food brought our family together. Raising five kids was a busy challenge for my parents, which, to me, they did quite seamlessly – although I’d say they were stressed out of their minds. Dinner times were always important. Everyone together at the table, no excuses, talking about their day. And the breakfast at the weekends was ritualistic. The grill and frying pan are quite full when you are feeding seven people total – so we learned from a young age the skill of getting everything on the table hot.”
These early memories of family mealtimes instilled a sense of ritual and sharing conversation and food in good company. Bringing that warmth and familiarity to Daddy’s – from the atmosphere to the flavours in each dish – was essential to Keane. “There’s space for every type of café. Everything has relevance and a space to exist and the customers that want it. For me, it was the hearty, generous, cosy cooking you get from people you love or that you make for yourself when you’re exhausted or when you’re relaxed. I like traditional things that spark food memories for me – like mashed egg in a cup on our menu.”
As well as serving up dishes that evoke memories of the lunches or dinners you’d enjoy throughout childhood, the quality and origins of the fresh produce used in Daddy’s food are equally important and carefully sourced. “Where the actual produce comes from also means a lot to me,” Keane says. “Ireland produces some of the best quality food in the world, and the ingredients we use in Daddy’s are an effort to showcase that.”
This extends into how the culinary team at Daddy’s create their delicious and inventive specials. Their Instagram is a feast for the eyes with kaleidoscopic sandwich fillings, mouthwatering cakes and boldly hued soups. Each item on their menu, as well as being exceptionally appetising, is extremely artful.
Keane describes the process of developing these impressive dishes: “We like to keep a few rules at the heart of our specials. Seasonal or occasional produce, texture and colour. Nutrition is also a big part and of course, flavour! We normally don’t do too many trials. We’re happy to put something together and give it a go and see what the customers say. Thankfully it almost always lands in the delicious category. I did try to do something with Dandelion leaves before that was vile.”
Given the level of inventiveness the Daddy’s team brings to traditional recipes and meals, what does Keane have in store for customers this festive season with their specials? “I adore all the flavours of Christmas, who doesn’t!? At Daddy’s, our annual Festive Sandwich is Spiced Beef with Brussel Sprout, Horseradish and Cranberry Slaw. I like traditions and that’s become our staple. I adore stuffing and cranberry sauce and lots of woody herbs. And ham. But ham is an everyday obsession for me.”
When Colm Keane isn’t behind the counter serving customers and ensuring the best dining experience in Daddy’s, we asked him how and where he likes to spend his free time.
Down the Local: “I love Walsh’s and The Glimmerman in Stoneybatter and The Magnet on Thomas St. I’d happily sit in any of them for a solo drink or swing out of the bar stools with a gang of pals. They’re great pubs to have a pint for any and all occasions.”
Dream Night Out: “Dinner with my pals in Piglet Wine Bar on Cow’s Lane. They nail the restaurant experience for me. Relaxed, delicious, boozy. Then on for a night of dancing at Mother Club to get sweaty!”
Morning off Ritual: “Slice in Stoneybatter for brilliant eggs and a chat with Ray, Jack and the team there. They’re brilliant and were always a big inspiration to me as well. I walk around Phoenix Park most days; I love the park. I annoy my friends with little facts about it every time we walk around it. ‘Did you know the Wellington Monument is the tallest obelisk in Europe!?’ Etc etc…”
Hidden Gem: “Lilith Wines in Stoneybatter on Prussia St. is a new addition to that neighbourhood and I love going in. I’m an easy sell though – bubbly rosé. Yes, please. Anything by Whiplash brewery; I’ll take 10. Delicious booze!”
Weekend Getaway: “I like going west to Galway to see my childhood friend Ciarán and his wife and kids. He lives in Spiddal, so we’ll usually pop to Builín Blasta or Pota Café for a coffee and a bite. Jess and Dave from Kai are good pals and I feel like everyone who heads West would want to make sure they pass their door – one of the best restaurants in the country.
I have pals in Westport and we climb the Reek if I’m out West. Corley’s of Ballintubber is one of my favourite places to visit out that direction. Their dinners, the roast beef especially, are legendary there. That whole part of the country has strong links to our pagan past – things like the Boheh Stone and Church Island. I’m a witchy kind of person so all that history is right up my street.
If you want to get away to somewhere serene, I can’t recommend the little islands off the coast enough – Inishturk and Inis Oirr in particular. Great hikes, great B&Bs, great Guinness, great swims and great locals. Go!”
He only got two years for trying to burn two kids to death? how ridiculous is that?
Extremely
He won’t be missed
Looks like he may have gotten the death penalty
he doing life now
He only got two years because it was accepted that the people involved did not know there were children in the car and that he then tried to pull them out. Afaik he was the lookout on the job. Obviously I’m not condoning any of his actions but once we start wishing death on people then aren’t we lowering ourselves to that level? Killing people is wrong.
He only got two years because it was accepted that the people involved did not know there were children in the car and that he then tried to pull them out. Afaik he was the lookout on the job. Obviously I’m not condoning any of his actions but once we start wishing death on people then aren’t we lowering ourselves to that level? Killing people is wrong.
Even if he “didnt know” there was children in the car he shouldnt have burned it out in the first place! Either way he wasnt being an upstanding citizen!
@Mark – so he deserves to die for not being upstanding?
@Dennis. I didnt say that did I? Seen as you do mention deserving things, did those kids deserve the injuries they got in the burning car?
Dennis, if it were my kids I’d gladly burn ALL of them.
Eye for an eye etc.
How can anyone have that many blots on their sheet and still stroll around.
The fact that this one showed the most remorse does NOT excuse their actions!
The man made his bed and now he can sleep in it. Even after the car incident he was still involved in criminal activity such as driving across a green area where kids where playing and many other numerous offences. You’re right Faceless Man, he won’t be missed. No doubt his family will come out saying ‘he was a lovely child just had bad company, he didn’t derserve this’. Well he did. If you play in s**t you are s**t. I don’t don’t condone death but when it does happen i’d rather see it upon people like him and not the innocent kids he help damage physically and mentally for the rest of their lives.
Fair comment
good
I’m disgusted to see people believe it is a good thing that a man was executed like this in such a barbaric way. His heinous crimes should be be dealt with by a proper justice system. That means severe prison sentences.
The only fault with that is that his 50 convictions obviously weren’t dealt with adequately by the judicial system. Like all the other dirt crawling around our streets. The idiotic Judges are so far removed from reality to make a credible impact on crime.
@ Irish renters, if you knew the man or lived in the area he destroyed I’m fairly confident you’d have a different opinion
No harm done.
Job well done.
Karma.hope them kids have a little party.
No comeback for this Misfit.
Delighted
Any chance they could clean some more dirt off the streets?
What I’d love to know is how s’one with 50(!) previous convictions is free and walking. I’m not a member of the hang ‘em persuasion but I get fed up hearing of pple who should be in prison out and free. And don’t you just get absolutely sick of “concurrent” sentencing?
Totally agree. Judicial system is the most lenient in Europe. This is not the answer though.
Whoever invented concurrent sentencing should serve 20 consecutive sentences of 5 years. The most idiotic legal invention of all time.
Yeh practically a licence to commit crimes knowing you’ll only have to do time for one.
B.I.H.
Over 50 convictions at 21 years of age says it all, I’m sure innocent people have suffered by his hands and this has stopped others being affected. Justice system is a joke.
Get over yourself Adrian, and less of the personal insults, I didn’t insult you. I left schoolyard insults in the schoolyard where they belong. Leave the old cliches where they belong also. This is reality, that affects people.
Obnoxious ass!?
I now understand the meaning of “don’t feed the trolls”.
Ronan, I totally agree with you.
You are insulted by me calling you a name after you assumed to know what my family may or may not have gone through, yet a cold blooded murder in a hotel car park is perfectly acceptable????
Keep up the cliches Adrian, maybe you could get a job writing for The Sun, or Viz.. “Cold blooded” You forgot to say “father of (insert meaningless number here)”
Listen Dirty Harry, not an hour ago you calling for “dirt to be cleaned off the streets”, like a scene from a 70′s detctive show. There is no other way for me describe walking up to a man and shooting him 5 times, ending his life, but to call it COLD BLOODED MURDER. I’m not trying to be writer. I’m just disgusted enough with the reaction you and your ilk thhat i feel I should comment.
More hugs needed for toerags Adrian, And “ilk”? ah, come on now, jesus. What redtop did you pull that from? FFS
I cant use ilk but you can use toerag? Are you my english teacher. I’m not defending the dead man. We cannot, however, take the law into our own hands. Debate the subject, not the language. Otherwise piss off.
You aren’t debating anything Adrian, just throwing personal insults around the place like an idiot. I am not defending vigilantism either, but strongly oppose touchy feely kid glove treatment of the dregs of society, See, there you go again, “piss off” Did you type that with a frown?
Do you think this mans killing was justified? Yes or no.
You asked earlier whether there was a chance that these people could go out and, “clean more dirt off the streets”. Now you say you are not defending vigilantism. Which is it?
No, because I doubt if the people who did it were pillars of society themselves. The fact that anyone with 50 previous convictions, including the obvious one is able to walk around the place just proves that he wasn’t dealt with adequately by our so called justice system. Saying that, I will not lose any sleep over such a loss to our community.
his death doesn’t help those two kids, they have a life time of scars and operations and now cant face the man that did it to them and ask WHY?
Why would they want to meet the dirt that did that to them?
Excellent news. delighted.
God thats all we need now for this feud to start up all over again.
Nonsense, we have strong gang laws in this country becuase of the troubles. Just declare any known gangs as a threat to national security and send any members to a high security lock up.
Any one involved in an attack on kids and how he has lived doesn’t deserve sympathy but it’s sad to think how this young man’s life has turned out. Let’s hope others who live similar lives learn that sometimes your past will catch up with you.
We cannot condone vigilante action. An eye for an eye can only make us all blind.
Really Adrian? Has your family ever been affected by dirt posing as humans? No? Didn’t think so.
No…there will be one person left with eyes… So your wrong there… ;)
Ronald and Adrian, summary justice has no place in society, but the pendulum has swung a bit too far in the criminals’ favour.
I agree. But its not our job to kill him
I do like someone who can ask me a question and answer it for me. Saves me the bother. The intsinctfor revenge is in all of us. Dont you dare think for a second that i dont understand it you obnoxious ass. We cannot allow ourselves to dish out whatever punishment we feel is neccesaryfor a wrong done to us.
if someone went out and took care of some of the nasty parasites in our country,I’d see no problem in that.this passive,rise above attitude bores well for alot of folk sitting up on moral pedestals with clean hands!
A great weekend all round.. hope the criminal court judges are reading the comments above… it might give them some idea of how fed up people are with irish legal system
The commenters here with the “good” and “he deserved it” sentiments are the exact sentiments that killed this fellow. Rise above it, be the better person, don’t condone his actions, but don’t wish death on him. The only difference between you and his killer(s) is that his killer(s) acted on those sentiments.
RIP, alas, another wasted life.
I’d say there are many other differences between the people here and Michael Sheehan’s killers. (Unless, of course, you happen to know all about everyone commenting here, in which case I defer to your superior knowledge).
Eh no, most people aren’t dangerous scrotes with no regard for society.
Sounds like proper justice to me!
it was’nt me.
mmmm
When will someone start judging the judges
Good call, who are these fantasists accountable to?
Live by the gun……..
I really would like to know who they are accountable to anyone know
He done his time and lived with the guilt that’s more then enuf punishment he’s still sbodys son nd brother and grandson like let him rest we can’t change the past if it was sumbody in ur family use wud stand by him so why shudnt his family nobody has that right to judge r.I.p bro was glad to have u as a mate let ur past set u free lie peacefully respect…..!
People are quick to judge wat so he deserved to die because he made stupid mistakes no he didn’t deserve it he made bad bad mistakes who are any of u to judge him nobody’s perfect use are sick to say sumbody deserves to die u duno the reason he endid up the way he did kids scars wil heal he’s dead for life he done his time forr his crime i was locked up wiv him myself i seen how guilty he felt like no matter wat he done he didnt deserve to get shot 5 times its moral and an act of uncalled for evilness like wats done is done let the lad rest in peace and leave his family to greave use sick people cop on we all human fact
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