My wife and I have known each other for 21 years, first meeting in college. After going our separate ways post-college, we later reconnected, forging the beautiful partnership we have today.
We are from two different yet similar worlds. I was born in San Diego, California, U.S. When I was pre-teen, my mother moved my younger brother and I from San Francisco to New York City. My wife was born in Southeast London, U.K. When she was child, her mother moved her and her younger brother across the pond to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Our differences are what I love most about us.
One of the perks of being married to an immigrant is being able to frequent another country. Let me tell you…any and every opportunity I have to take a break from America, I take it! Don’t get me wrong, England has its share of issues. However, their colonial history is much different than America’s. Racism and gun violence aren’t at the forefront of their problems!!
Booking a trip from America to just about anywhere can be pretty costly. It’s one of the many reasons why it’s such a privilege for me to now have England as a second home. I am fortunate to be able to spend lengths of time in London, which also offers me more affordable access to other parts of the world. During the pandemic, my wife and I vowed to be more intentional with using London as our base and carving out time to fly to and discover new places or frequent cities and countries that we’ve come to love. Plus, depending on where you are looking to explore, smaller airlines make it worth your while with bargain round-trip fares as low as £20 (euros).
Ireland, Off the Coast of England and Wales
During our recent trip home to London, we scheduled a family trip with my father-in-law, Geoff, to visit my brother-in-law, Kai, in Ireland and experience his latest business endeavor with La Cocina Cuevas.
My brother-in-law is a charismatic chef and wine connoisseur with such a unique expertise in the culinary and restaurant industry. He recently moved to Ireland to partner with one of his closest mates, Jeremy, to help him elevate his restaurant, La Cocina Cuevas – a farm-to-table eatery serving up delicious Californian-Mexican cuisine!
My wife and I took the overground train from Southeast London to London Stansted Airport where we met our dad for a flight on Aer Lingus to Dublin, Ireland. Jeremy and Kai were at work and unable to pick us up, so Jeremy’s life partner, Laura, met us instead. She is the sweetest Irish woman, full of energy and life! She’s truly lovely!
La Cocina Cuevas
Jeremy is a Mexican-American from San Francisco, California. His passion for food began as a young boy where he spent time in the kitchen watching his grandmother cook while also learning cultural secrets. As he got older, more life experiences allowed him to gain an even deeper connection to his Mexican roots including his frequenting a taco spot near his Mexican father’s job where he fell more in love with cultural dishes.
Through life experiences, education, and almost a decade of working in some of the top restaurants in London, Jeremy decided to start his own business. A few years ago, he moved to Ireland where he established the food truck, La Cocina Cuevas, to pay homage to his grandmother, Mexican culture, the OG American taqueria, and his love for food.
La Cocina Cuevas is a Californian-Mexican restaurant located on Laura’s family farm in Naul, North County Dublin, Ireland. The taqueria is open on Thursday (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), Friday (4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.), Saturday (1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and reopens 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and Sunday (11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.).
Patrons have the option to dine-in or takeaway. If you have the time, I recommend dining in. Don’t worry about the rainy and dreary Ireland weather, La Cocina Cuevas has you covered – literally offering throw blankets and hot water bottles to keep you warm while indulging in Cali-Mex delights.
The atmosphere is pretty chill and down to earth. Don’t be surprised if their older dog, Brandy, comes to greet you or the newest addition to their pet family, Marles Barkley, runs up on you then scurries away.
Eat. Sleep. Repeat.
Me and the family were situated in Kai’s house which is steps from the truck. After settling in, we went for a walk around the farm while Jeremy and Kai prepped for Saturday reopening. On the way down, we met Kai in the grow house where he spent time daily tending to or picking produce for the meals of the day. As someone who has grown fond of growing my own produce, it was really beautiful and awesome to see what Jeremy and Kai had grown, especially knowing that we’d get to experience their fresh produce throughout our stay.
We ate so much food on our first day. For lunch, we tried every taco on the menu and washed them down with freshly made jamaica. The Chicken Tinga Queso Tacos are banging! However, I also really enjoyed the OG American Tacos. Honestly, I recommend trying them all. They’re each delectable in their own way.
Laura and Kai more than spoiled us. I think we ate or at least tasted, everything on the dine-in dinner menu. My wife and I could barely move by the time we were finished. We definitely overindulged with no shame, I might add! Tacos are by far our favorite dishes and they are so hard for us to resist.
After all of that food, you’d think we’d take it easy in the morning. Yeah…okay. We each had a breakfast burrito and split the blueberry and peach pancake. Honestly, I tapped out after that for a while. I couldn’t put anything else in my stomach.
Life on the Farm
Living in a city that never sleeps like New York City can be draining. We all need and deserve a break from the noise and hustle bustle. It was really refreshing to wake up each morning to the sounds of nature.
Kai spent his mornings prepping food while my wife and dad enjoyed their quality chats and coffee out in the fresh farm air. Just like I do every morning, I began my day with a yoga flow. Only this time, I wasn’t tuning out the car horns of the city, but rather embracing the view of a herd of cows. Each morning, they’d walk towards me and stare before making their round back up the hill. I’d smile and say hello as I puffed up my chest to the sky and grounded my feet into the fresh grass. This experience provided a refreshing and rejuvenating start to my day. A release and healing that I didn’t know I needed.
We all have our mental health challenges and trauma. We are all also still healing from the global pandemic that forced us inside, halting the natural social connection that we need to thrive in life. I imagine that life on the farm offered each of us a bit more solace and clarity so that we can continue to progress on this complex yet beautiful life journey.
Howth
There’s only so much you can do on a farm, especially if you aren’t manning it. Jeremy played tour guide on our last two days in town. From Naul, he drove us southeast to Howth, an Irish village on the Howth Peninsula. We hiked from the village to Howth Cliffs and back down through the village harbor. The first two days of our stay were cloudy and rainy. On this day, to our surprise, we were lucky to experience blue and partly cloudy skies. It was as if the skies parted so that we could see why Ireland is the Emerald Isle. Just like the rest of the island, full of green fields, the cliffs were covered in vibrant and mesmerizing greenery.
Dublin
As a Californian native, Jeremy had me at tacos. However, as a New Yorker, I am also a tough critic when it comes to pizza. Jeremy and Kai took us for lunch to the Dublin pizza staple, Bambino. After the first bite, the boys looked at me like “so…” as if to say, did it pass the test. I should’ve known the chefs would not disappoint. The pizza from Bambino was pretty on par with a New York slice.
After our bellies were full, we headed for the infamous Temple Bar neighborhood known for their crowded pubs full of patrons, lushes, and live music. We stopped by the legendary pub, The Temple Bar, for a cider and people watching before carrying on for a stroll around the town.
The more I explore England and Europe, the more I realize how similar cities are. We walked over the O’Connell Bridge, which felt very reminiscent of our walks across the bridges in London, Rome, and other parts of Europe. Our final stop on our way day, Reyna Meditterrean Grill. The perfect way to seal a beautiful day in Dublin.
What do you think?