Baltimore may have lost a little gem in 2019 with the closure of the famous fine dining destination, Mews - but the decision of its gifted Turkish chef, Ahmet Dede, to stay on and re-open another legendary dining spot, The Customs House, just up the road, has been compensation a-plenty.
Dede at The Customs House is a much more relaxed affair than either of its predecessors, offering an inspired combination of casual deli fare (freshly baked sourdough baguettes, salads, dips and rotisserie chickens to go), informal outdoor meals (cooked over a charcoal barbecue and served with modern mezze) and, on late week nights, the exquisite fine dining that earned Dede a star-studded reputation at Mews.
Warmth and a relaxed atmosphere are the keynotes here, whether in the two-room restaurant or a sheltered al fresco eating area at the back, where the simply presented rustic tables and benches are always in high demand.
While menus at both lunch and dinner are short, they offer plenty of choice and oodles of creativity. The focus is firmly on the local ingredients and producers that Ahmet Dede holds in such high regard - the freshly-caught fish, the just-harvested fruit and vegetables, and unique products such as Gloun Cross butter, smoked fish dip from Sally Barnes's Woodcock Smokery, Kimchi by the Cultured Food Company and many more - and then this exceptional chef adds delicious Middle Eastern themes and weaves his magic to create a memorable modern Turkish dining experience.
At lunch time a menu board offers a soup, a choice of salads, a meat dish, and a dessert - with words like spiced lentils, honey sauce, peach, pomegranate, and bulgar wheat, hinting at the deliciousness to come. The charcoal barbecue plays a key role (and adds to the atmosphere), and so do simple stapes like a magnificent sourdough bread, which is also available to purchase from the deli, and an excellent drinks list which includes wine on tap as well as fresh juices, cordials, beers and ciders.
The 3-course 'refined dining' dinner offered on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights is a snip at €50. Although constantly changing, a typical summer menu gives the style: Sourdough bread, salted butter and dips; Marinated tomatoes, basil, ricotta, spices; Aged Beef, aubergine, mint, potatoes; Strawberry, red mulberry and brown butter. While the menu may not give too much away, anyone who was lucky enough to enjoy Ahmet Dede's cooking at Mews, will relish the promise of refined simplicity and subtle favour combinations that are to come.
Whether in for a casual lunch, a memorable evening meal or just popping by to collect some goodies from the deli, the common denominator is beautiful food made with sustainablly produced local ingredients - and served by Maria Archer and her team with a warmth and generosity reminiscent of the Turkish family dining experience that Ahmet Dede loves to re-create - West Cork style!
