Just Ask Restaurant of the Month - Itsa4

“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign run by Bord Bia that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we take great delight in menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests. 

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are very pleased to note that restaurants all over the country are continuing to submit lovely menus for our “Just Ask Restaurant of the Month Competition”, menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.

VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

Our first ‘Just Ask’ Restaurant of the Month winner was Longueville House, Mallow, County Cork, where many ingredients come from the farm, gardens and the river and woodlands on their own estate.

The May ‘Just Ask’ Restaurant of the Month winner is Itsa4, Sandymount, Dublin 4

While this smart Dublin restaurant is very different in some ways to last months winner, proprietors Domini and Peaches Kemp share the same emphasis on Irish suppliers and commitment to quality at their family-friendly neighbourhood restaurant.

The aim is to provide comforting and nutritional food at reasonable prices, with menus built around seasonal foods; raw ingredients are the stated inspiration for each dish and, as well as giving plenty of information about the provenance of ingredients - both on menus and, in more detail, their website – Itsa4 is also very nutritionally-aware, with vegetarian [V], gluten-free [GF], low fat [LF], low salt [LS] and healthy option [HO] dishes  highlighted throughout.

Even if customers don’t read the supplier information statement, nobody reading an Itsa4 menu could be any doubt about the provenance of the ingredients used.

Read on, and see for yourself…

Itsa4 Dinner Menu (March 09) -

starters

Soup of the day (GF) with fresh baked boule €6.50

Caesar salad €7.95  with char-grilled free range O’Mahony Irish chicken €12.95

Grilled Mediterranean vegetable salad, goats cheese, baby spinach
balsamic dressing (♥, GF, low carb) €8.95

Beetroot, blood orange, pecorino, fennel & rocket, lemon vinaigrette (♥, V, GF) €8.95

Mushroom tart, crème fraiche, spring onions, herbs, mixed greens (V) €9.95

Potato skins with Irish farm-house cheddar,
dry-cured Irish bacon, crème fraiche & sticky onion relish (GF)  €9.95

100% Irish Crab cake, wholegrain mustard sauce, Chinese cabbage & herb salad €13.50

Pasta of the day (V) sm €8.95 / main €12.95

Free range O’Mahony Irish chicken buttermilk goujons with honey-dijon dip  sm €9.95  large €13.95
 
 
mains see board for daily specials

Organic Good Herdsman Irish burger, Swiss, bacon, beetroot marmalade, hand-cut fries €13.95

O’Mahony Irish free-range chicken “paillard”, organic mash, rocket (GF) €16.00

Home-made Irish lamb sausages with Lyonnaise potatoes, red wine jus €18.00

Baked Irish salmon fillet from Terry Butterly with sautéed Asian greens,
soy and toasted sesame seeds  (low carb, ♥) €18.00

Fish special (see blackboard, priced daily)

O’Mahony steak frites with béarnaise sauce (GF) €19.50

Olive oil & honey roasted Silverhill Irish duck breast, braised endive, crushed parsnips,
orange & cumin sauce  (GF) €22.00

Grilled leg of O’Mahony Irish lamb, marinated with garlic, mint & lemon,
caponata, cucumber & mint yoghurt (GF) €23.00

SIDE ORDERS                                    

Big bowl hand cut chips & aioli (GF,V)  €3.95
House salad with balsamic vinaigrette (GF,V)  €4.50
Gold river Farm, organic veg special, see blackboard


JUNIOR BITES
 (under 12’s only)

“Mac n cheese with ham” €5.00
Free range chicken and chips/mash €5.00
itsa 4 organic burger and chips/mash €5.00
kids scoop of ice cream €1.50

“A few words about our suppliers and menu items. Definitely not compulsory reading, but here goes:
All our beef is dry aged, grass reared and comes from O’Mahony’s.  Our organic vegetables come from Gold-River Farm in Co.Wicklow.  Our chicken is certified free range, Irish and comes from O’Mahony’s.  Our desserts are all home-made by our team of pastry chefs and our ice cream comes from Irish ice-cream maker, Goldenhill.  We make our Caesar salad using pasteurised egg yolks, so it’s safe for pregnant women to consume.  Our lamb sausages are home-made by us. Our fish comes from Terry Butterly and Hanlon’s. ”