Diva Boutique Bakery Cafe. Big in Ballinspittle

Diva Boutique Bakery Cafe
Big in Ballinspittle

The Diva Wrap

 No mystery about the title Diva, the name of a bakery and foodstore on one side of the main Street in Ballinspittle and, on the other side, of a village cafe. Owner and founder Shannen Keane named it after a cafe in her native Seattle.

But there is a bit more to it, methinks. After all, some of the walls and some of the tables are plastered with black and white photos of real women from the forties and fifties, maybe some from the sixties, before that decade inflicted Twiggy and a forest of lookalikes on us.

All well and handy for slipping into a mini-dress or a mini-car but hardly robust enough for the farm! Our farmers did appreciate the diva size. I always remember being in a yard one day as one of the women hauled a couple of full buckets across the square with two old fellows watching. Her skirt had been hitched up for the milking and, when she bent over to drop the buckets for a rest, even more of her legs, perhaps the pale backs of the knees (God forbid!), was exposed. “Hasn’t she a fine pair of shafts*,” exclaimed one grizzled fellow to another.

The Diva BLT

Size is important here in this little cafe in Ballinspittle. They make big cakes, big sandwiches. Called in there the other day for lunch and was surprised to see it full. But they got us room, sharing a table with a guy who was working his mobile like mad. At an nearby table, another guy was engrossed in his laptop while all around couples and trebles and groups were noisily tucking in. Welcome to village life in Ireland 2013.

Quite a selection on the blackboard, though we were told they were only operating at half power, it being so early in the season. We were too late of course for the breakfast but no shortage of lunch choices.

CL went for the BLT and got quite a surprise when she found three or four big rashers tucked in between the slices of bread. Plenty of tomato as well and a big crunchy salad, no micro this or mini that here. All for less than seven euro.

I went upmarket, a bit, as my Chicken Wrap cost all of €7.95. Again it was substantial but so tasty. No shortage of tasty chicken and I too enjoyed that rustic salad. Quantity and quality. With so much to eat, we both went for the tea. Total cost €18.40 and they knocked the forty cent off. Only in Ballinspittle!

* The horse carriage or cart, once common in the Irish farmyard, was equipped with two (timber) shafts which ran along the horse's sides.  Example here.