I’ve eaten in Juniors deli and cafe on Bath Avenue, Dublin 4 twice in the last week. Although the circumstances where very different on each occasion Juniors delivered. Putting it simply Juniors do great food.
They describe themselves as follows:
Juniors is a New York style Deli, serving generous sandwiches, salads, soups and specials by day, and an Italian influenced Cafe by night.
I’ve not had the pleasure of eating there in the evening but if the popularity and taste of their soup and sandwiches are anything to go by then I bet I’d walk away well satisfied from a dinner.
I’ve only eaten there at lunch time. The first occasion I confined myself to the char-grilled chicken sandwich and the spicy tomato soup. The second ocasion I stayed with the chicken sandwich theme but this time I had it with salad.
You might think that at €6 the sandwiches are pricey, but this is definitely a case of you get what you pay for. I defy anybody to walk away from a Juniors sandwich feeling hungry.
They do a roaring take-away trade but if you want to sit inside then you should get there early as this place is very popular with the local office staff.
As I said the first time I was there I had a soup and a sandwich for a tenner. Yes it’s a big lunch but I had just walked there from Terenure!
I was visiting my Mam and normally I take the public transport combination of a DART to Tara, followed by a 15A to Terenure Road West. The return journey is usually the reverse unless I have to take care of something in town.
This time, inspired by a conversation I had with a fellow Jazz fan in JJ Smyth’s, I decided to walk along the Dodder to Lansdowne or Grand Canal stations and take the DART home. It seemed like a great idea. I had the time, the weather was overcast but dry and it was a chance for a bit of exercise along a really nice route.
Starting from near the KCR, I walked into Terenure Village and joined the Dodder as it crosses Rathfarnham Road. Following the Dodder away from Bushy Park you pass plenty of weirs, millraces, bridges and some more unusual structures like the Ely Gate (once an entrance to Rathfarnham Castle), the former grazing ground for the Bewley’s Cafe Jersey cows (near Mount Carmel Hospital), the Nine Arches Bridge (Milltown) and the tall chimney which was once part of the Milltown Laundry.
Before long you find yourself passing through, Rathfarnham, Churchtown, Dartry, Milltown, Clonskeagh, Donnybrook and on through Herbert Park to Ballsbridge.
It’s a great walk, probably best on dry days. You can understand why I was feeling peckish when I reached Juniors.
This walk, along with many other Dublin walks, is described in detail in the book Walking Dublin by Pat Liddy.
So how was it I was in Juniors a second time? Well the reason this time is a lot less energetic. I was at the National Crafts and Design Fair in the RDS and since I was only a short stroll away once again Juniors seemed the perfect place for lunch.
The annual Craft and Design Fair can be a good place to pick up some inspired Christmas gifts and once again it didn’t disappoint.
There were some fantastic skills on show in the RDS including clothing, jewellery, wood turning, photography, pottery, games, books and of course food.
The highlights for me were the photographs of Michael Gannon who just seemed to capture light and colour perfectly in all his images and the most unusual handcrafted jewellery and gifts on display from May Fly of 11 Fownes St Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
Unfortunately the fair ends today but perhaps you still have time. Note there is a charge (€10 I think) to enter.
