Back in his home town of Balla in mid-Mayo, after working in top restaurants abroad and in the west of Ireland, Chef Patrick McEllin has fulfilled his dream of establishing a destination restaurant that is also a home from home for local diners.
Oxtail Kitchen, which Patrick owns and runs with his partner Rebecca Miton, is a comfortable and stylishly informal room above The Shebeen pub. The couple met while they were working at Ballynahinch Castle and, while Patrick's experience is in the kitchen, Rebecca - who is from the Cognac region - is a wonderful host, with front of house skills learned at college in La Rochelle and then honed in European fine dining restaurants and leading hotels.
Cooking seasonally and supporting local producers on his ever changing menu comes naturally to Patrick, and what he describes as 'classical cooking with a modern twist' soon earned Oxtail a following over a wide area.
Starters may include delights such as braised beef and cheddar cheese bonbons with celeriac remoulade and roast onion mayonnaise or a roast squash gnocchi with cashew nut and parsley pesto and pecorino crumb.
Wild Irish venison, accompanied by rosti potato, parsnip, kale, beetroot & apple relish & jus is a popular mains and there is always a choice of fish – perhaps ray wing with almond nut butter or hake fillet with chorizo & beans.
Wines, mainly European but with an interesting cabernet sauvignon from Canada, include some available in three sizes ( glass, carafe and bottle) and non-drinkers will be pleased to find the delicious sparkling apple juice from Con Traas in Tipperary.
Very tempting modern desserts too – steamed orange pudding with mascarpone cream or a chocolate and caramel pot with popcorn ice-cream.
Although mainly an evening restaurant, Oxtail does a great Sunday lunch. The à la carte offers a range of Small Plates and Large Plates including a monkfish, scallop and prawn linguine and there's also a Family Roast Platter (with all the trimmings) offered at a very reasonable €65.00.
Offering fairly priced menus, interesting, seasonal food cooked by a classically trained chef and served with charm in a very pleasant setting, Oxtail is doing a great job - one to try next time you're in Mayo.
