Murphy | Kavanagh

I’ve really been working around the clock recently and just needed a bit of solo dining. Running on fumes, if I’m brutally honest—especially after the last six months. Mamo in Howth—never, ever misses. And the owners? Jess and Killian. The soundest cats. I knew they’d get my needs, so off I went—no booking, just a hope and a prayer I’d get in. @mamohowth greeted with hugs to beat the band. Called a friend about something completely unrelated on the way there, plonked myself on a stool, big smiles from Jess, and got giddy looking at the menu. Just said, yup, yup, yup, keep it coming till I say stop. I’ve been known to demolish menus in their entirety. Couple of snacks landed, I’d zoned out into my happy place, and then— that same mate I’d called? Well, him and his hubby (both proper funny feckers) meowed at the window. Jess let them too in even though they were closed. They joined me at the new bar area, and suddenly, it was the afternoon I didn’t even realise I needed—until I was in it. Plates getting milled and shared, belly laughs rolling, stories flying, every dish a home run. Watching the kitchen work? Heaven. Rita picked us all up, and we ended up back in Kavanagh’s @KAVANAGHSMARINO for a couple of pints of plain and more proper, proper laughs—Rita howling away too, just clicked with the lads. Mamo’s Jess and Killian, Stevie and Diarmuid—you couldn’t have four better people in your life. @stevekdublin @diarmuidjmurphy are fecking reprobates though 😜 Got home feeling like a new person, tbh. Lads, you don’t know what you did for me that day. Just what I needed. Thanks for coming to my eat the entire menu TED Talk. Mamo—deserves a star, ALL day long.