Just Ask Restaurant of the Month - Nash 19 Restaurant Cork

“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign 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 always enjoy reading 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 delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted 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

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for December is Nash 19 Restaurant, Cork

Home from home for its many loyal customers for nearly 20 years, Claire Nash’s bustling city centre restaurant is just a stone’s throw from the English Market – the source of much of the local and indigenous produce they are known for, including vegetables, fresh sustainable catches and meats.

You pass through a recently opened organic food shop and deli to reach the restaurant, which is open from 7.30am during the week, serving breakfast and lunch, also teas, coffee and light food throughout the day until closing at 6pm.

‘Simple food cooked honestly’ is their mantra and the day starts early, with a procession of deliveries from local producers and suppliers arriving between 7 and 8 o’clock each morning, and the bakers already busy making the fresh breads, scones and pastries that will be needed for the day.

The lunch menu changes every day, depending on the availability of fresh seasonal produce (for a typical example, see below), many dishes are coeliac friendly and this is highlighted on a blackboard, as is a small but carefully chosen wine selection (mainly from small producers) which changes monthly.

They are members of Good Food Ireland, and take pride in sourcing ingredients from local suppliers and artisan producers – a full list is given on their website, and it runs to about 30 items. Beef comes from Jack McCarthy in Kanturk, north Cork, for example, or is supplied by Tom Durcan, in the English Market, while the pork and bacon which is a special source of pride comes from T J Crowe artisan pig farmers in Dundrum, Co Tipperary – who also cure pork from the Ward family farm of Country Choice in Nenagh, which is another supplier of outstanding quality including bio-dynamic product.

Chicken is Jack Mulcahys, fish from Kay O'Connell, both in the English Market, and cheeses are bought directly from producers include Ardsallagh, Gubbeen, Ardrahan, Bluebell Falls and Baylough. Vegetables come mainly from nearby Waterfall Farm and, in the summer months, fruit is supplied by Antonia Catell in Kinsale – how local is all that.

THE MENU - this is a typical example of the menu that is chalked up on a blackboard and changed every day to suit seasonality and availability

Caherciveen Smoked Salmon Plate

Ham Hock and Celeriac Soup

Fish Chowder

Vegetable Broth with Coconut Milk and Ginger

Crowes Loin of Pork with Crackling (Date and Walnut Stuffing )

Jack McCarthys Beef Sirloin

Green Saffron Chicken Vagadam with Aged Basmati

West Cork Scallops Seared on a Rosemary Stick

Panfried Ballycotton Mackerel with Rhubard Compôte

O’Connells Roasted Cod Warm Salad Style with Gubeen Chorizo

O Flynn Sausages with creamy mash and lentil and onion gravy