Paul Mescal has revealed his obsession with the chicken wings from Dublin restaurant Elephant and Castle, saying he would even consider naming his first born after them.
he Oscar nominee and Normal People star spoke about his first visits to Dublin and enjoying “the perfect chicken wing”.
Speaking to the Off Menu podcast, hosted by comedians James Acaster and Ed Gamble, Mescal said: “I was 18 or 19, and on my first couple of trips to Dublin going out for a meal. It was just lathered in this beautiful buffalo sauce.
“No blue cheese dip, no celery. They were there, but I don’t go for them. I was just like, firing it into me.”
On the show, guests are allowed to choose their favourite starter, main course, side dish, dessert and drink, and the actor opted for a portion of crispy double fried chips with his wings.
“I want it almost burnt, like it’s been sitting in the oil for a long time. I’d scoop up the buffalo sauce with the chips,” he said.
However, the Kildare native, who was this week nominated in the Best Actor category for his role in Aftersun, also claimed his favourite dish is “not the same anymore”.
Elephant and Castle in Temple Bar was Paul Mescal’s favourite restaurant
“I want the chicken wings from Elephant and Castle in the 2010s. They are not the same anymore,” he said.
“The wings are smaller, there’s less sauce. They’re skimping. They had it, it was there – the perfect chicken wing.”
Host James Acaster asked Mescal if he would still recommend his fans to visit the restaurant in Dublin.
“I feel like with great power comes great responsibility. If they go back to the way it was, I would ask people to go in droves,” he said.
“If they go back to their 2010s heyday, it would be an honour. I would name my first born after them. Elephant and Castle Mescal.”
The actor said he was on the cusp of becoming a more “seasoned foodie” and admitted to experimenting with more cuisines and dishes over the past few years.
For the starter to his meal, he decided to go with his mum’s broccoli, onion and potato soup with O’Donnell’s brown bread and a generous serving of Kerrygold butter.
“At Christmas, my mum goes bananas and fills the fridge with things nobody eats,” he said.
“But she makes this broccoli, onion and potato soup, I would eat buckets of it. It’s one of the things I anticipate the most about Christmas.
“I played a lot of gaelic football and rugby growing up and it was just about getting a lot of food into your body. A lot of my favourite foods are comfort foods like big portions of chips,” he added.
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