Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for June - EatGalway

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for June is EatGalway, Galway City

Something very different for the ‘Just Ask!’ Restaurant of the Month in June as, for the first time ever, the award goes not to a restaurant but to a group of establishments, in Galway city.

Since they opened Cava, Galway’s first (and only) Spanish Restaurant, in 2010, husband and wife team Jp McMahon and Drigin Gaffey have become an unstoppable force that’s quickly driven Galway to a leading position on Ireland’s foodie scene.

Cava was soon followed by the terroir-based restaurant Aniar (‘Contemporary Dining Inspired by the West of Ireland’) and then Eat @ Massimo (‘the new gastropub experience’) and - although very different in many ways - the trio sit comfortably under the EatGalway banner thanks to the meaningful mantra ‘Three Restaurants, One Philosophy: Good Food, Local Suppliers & Artisan Produce’.

In lesser hands this catchy line might just be PR spin, but there’s no doubting the genuine commitment of this dedicated pair – and their sales pitch also has the fortunate side-effect of highlighting not only their own establishments, but also the quality local food offered by other like-minded operators in Galway city and environs.

The EatGalway trio stands out for its flair and commitment to showcasing local and speciality Irish foods, albeit with international interpretation, and around fifteen respected suppliers are listed on the menus.

So what’s so different about these places in practice? Firstly, Cava is ‘devoted exclusively to Spanish food, wine, sherry and beer’ (and counts the Georgina Campbell Ethnic Restaurant of the Year Award 2012 among its many accolades) yet, while speciality products like the cured meats and cheeses come from Spain, Irish ingredients are equally carefully selected because they ‘support the local and national infrastructure, most specifically in the realm of fishing and farming’; they also cure their own meats and fish – and are committed to a ‘nose-to-tail’ policy, ensuring that every part of an animal is used and not just the most popular cuts.

A sense of place defines the terroir-based Aniar - everything in chef Enda McEvoy’s kitchen is inspired and informed by the unique landscape of the West of Ireland: “lush ancient woodland, bountiful shorelines, thriving farmlands all heaving with some of the best ingredients in Europe but unique to us”. ‘Terroir’ (territory) is the particular combination of land (or sea), climate and other local factors that create unique foods and flavours, and the philosophy at Aniar is to ”obey the seasons and let nature decide our menu”.

Then there is Eat@Massimo which – unlike so many others currently trading on the label – lives up to its claim to be a gastropub, an inelegant but catchy term coined in early ‘90s London at The Eagle, a Clerkenwell pub-restaurant renowned for its high quality casual food.

The menu ‘features pub food old reliables with gourmet flair’ and – as in the other EatGalway establishments - the drinks are chosen carefully to match the food; here, for example, craft beers are promoted, including the West of Ireland Galway Hooker range.

The supplier list to the EatGalway kitchens reads like an artisan producers’ Who’s Who of the West of Ireland and, with only a handful of honourable exceptions - the Allen family’s Castlemine Farm in Co Rosmommon (suppliers of free range pork and lamb, the former a recent Irish Food Writers’ Guild Award winner); Dromland Castle game and Linalla ice cream (Co Clare); milk from Arrabawn Dairies, and apple juice from The Apple Farm at Cahir (both Co Tipperary) – all are from Co Galway.

Colleran’s Butchers of Galway, and Morgan Maguire Meats in Ballinalsoe supply Irish pork, lamb and beef; free range chicken comes from The Friendly Farmer (Ronan Byrne) and chicken fillets from Corrib Foods, both at Athenry; while locally sourced fresh fish is supplied by both Moycullen Seafoods and Gannet Fishmongers in Galway.

When it comes to vegetables and salad leaves, the commitment to local sourcing and seasonality is especially evident, as no less than half a dozen suppliers are listed, including two organic producers (Green Earth Organics and Dirk and Hella Flake of Kinvara).

What this level of commitment means to the customer is freshness, flavour and the joy of seasonality - what it means to the local economy is extraordinary. Just imagine the result if every restaurant in Ireland were to adopt the EatGalway philosophy of ‘Good Food, Local Suppliers & Artisan Produce’. Just imagine… and Just Ask!

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Aniar Menus

The menu in Aniar changes daily but the sample below will give diners an indication towards the style and content of the food on offer. In writing his menus, Enda keeps both tradition and innovation in mind, always allowing the local product to speak-for-itself while ensuring that the other ingredients on the plate all complement each other.

Proprietors: Drigín Gaffey & Jp McMahon ?

Head Chef: Enda McEvoy

four course tasting menu
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scallops, oyster, dillisk, smoked potato
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pork cheek & belly, hazelnut, apple, kohlrabi pickle
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wild mallard, beetroot, hazelnut, spruce, apple
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rosehip parfait, elderflower jelly, honeycomb

wine pairing

Toffili Prosecco Frizzante (Italy) Grape: Prosecco

Domaine des Chezelles (Loire, France, 2010) Grape: Sauvignon Blanc

Crios de Susana Balbo (Mendoza, Argentina, 2009) Grape: Malbec

Chateau Jolys Cuvee Jean (Jurancon, France, 2008) Grape: Petit Manseng

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full menu 40 euro per person
full menu with wine 60 euro per person
tasting menu must by taken by the full table

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artisinal Irish cheese board supplement 7.5

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VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

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“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.