Value for Money
or Paying a Fair Price
Why do you go out for food?
I’ve often been recommended to eat out in places based solely on the huge portion sizes. I wonder why this is the draw, as I personally find massive feeds off putting; for me the privilege of eating out isn’t being led to a trough to eat my fill, I can do that at home if I really want to!
I want to experience exciting, interesting food, quality ingredients, skill of the cook/chef/baker and an atmosphere. That is the treat. Years of educating myself in understanding food, provenance, seasonality, ethics, processing, independent producers, taste and ultimately happiness has led me to viewing portion size quite far down the list when it comes to value for money.
For me eating out is a luxury and I have always seen it that way. Mum and Dad took us out now and again as children and I remember the excitement at the exotic change of scene enjoying a restaurant experience with my parents. Even now it remains a rare occurrence with spare change often being spent on children’s shoes, remedying car trouble or maybe plants for the garden (ok, also a wee beer!) I love the children to have the experience of a restaurant dinner, despite the potential stress of it, I feel it’s important for them to enjoy the theatre of it too. This can be a fun and hilarious-once a waitress thought Michael was a little girl and Cillian, in his loud toddler voice at the time, shouted ‘He’s not a girl, he has a penis’ which made everyone in the restaurant laugh. And of course there have been disastrous meals with smashed glasses, kids on the loose and food everywhere but we were all children once and I think sometimes it’s actually the other customers that need to take a long hard look at themselves and chill out a bit!
I wonder how have we become so conditioned to our daily coffee or weekly meal out that we have forgotten how lucky we are to be able to do these things? It is not an entitlement, it is a privilege. Therefore I consider (scrutinise!) carefully where I’m going to eat and why. I’ve worked hard in order to be able to spend my money somewhere and I don’t want to be disappointed, I want to be nourished and happy and not feel I could’ve made better at home. This means I am also prepared to pay a fairer price which is supporting a local economy of growers and producers than be fed a larger portion of dubiously sourced ingredients with extra food miles, questionable ethics, chemical additives and preservatives. I’m not saying this is the be all and end all because sometimes a big plate of chips and a pint is absolute perfection. You can be flexible! We do what we can.
I haven’t been out that frequently over the past nine years with pregnancy, babies (babysitters) and COVID all making it tricky or impossible but since I am in the industry I think it’s an important thing to do; to support my fellow hospo folk, to see what other people are doing, for the experience itself and to be able to recommend to others. It just takes a little bit more organising, although it’s not really a chore to have someone else cook!
Here are a few meals I’ve had over the past year that stand up to my values, which I can confidently recommend and would go back to time and again. I’d love you to add your recommendations so we can eat our way around and across the island!
Savoir Fare, Westport, Co.Mayo; I’m lucky to have been a few times over the past year and it is always excellent from the welcome to the gorgeous desserts. The plate of crudites (all locally sourced) with a generous helping of salsa verde and aioli remains an absolute food highlight of my life. Cheese, bread and wine heaven.
Scarpello, Derry City-Anytime we’re headed through the maiden city we try and time it around pizza time; which is actually anytime at all! Beautiful sourdough pizza with seasonal toppings and Irish ingredients. No faffing just excellence. Also pistachio gelato…
Ruibin, Galway City- A gorgeous meal with the girls in Galway with carefully sourced ingredients, flavours, textures, and both simplicity and complexity in this beautiful dining room at the Docks. It felt like a real -wrapped up in fancy paper with a big bow sort of treat. Divine.
Lir, Coleraine-A place for us all to be proud to recommend; a north coast born food passion zone. Skills and ingenuity along with friendly service and the freshest fish in the land. Great wine, beer and cheer. Total perfection with kick ass views.
Paradiso, Cork City-A fully veggie tasting menu that showcases beautiful Irish produce. Plates of food full of little bits of magic, using every part of the vegetables in clever ways to pack in extra flavour and minimise waste. An institution still ahead of the game.
There can be comfort (or necessity if choice is limited!) in places with a predictable menu, the pub grub style gastronomy we get in many Irish eateries means that you can be confident knowing there’ll be fish and chips, some kind of steak and definitely chicken goujons. Or if you’re veggie you KNOW there’s going to be a Mediterranean vegetable tart, Thai green curry and a goats cheese and beetroot scenario. But maybe they’ve sourced the fish responsibly, they get the veggies from a local grower or they use Irish cheese? Only a small amount of effort is needed to turn the mundane into something more interesting and praiseworthy. There are many places upping their game and feeding people better, taking pride in their offering, I hope that the ‘All you can eat Carvery’ and scones as big as a human head are on their way out.
We are all becoming a little more aware of the importance of good food for our bodies and souls. In the bakery we are stubborn in our use of quality and local ingredients and in my experience I have found that this gives our beautiful customers a feeling of pride and a deeper knowledge, respect and understanding of their food. This increases awareness in fair price and shapes their interpretation of value for money.
This week I don’t have recipe for you but I encourage you to choose somewhere and treat yourself to a meal or cake, you deserve it xxx.*
*If treats are off the cards at the moment because of other financial commitments then I’d love to treat you to cake & coffee in Ursa Minor, send me your address and I’ll send you a voucher xxx
Thank you for the recommendations - a few places I’ve visited already and a few new places for my list. Eating out it such a luxury. I love to experience skilled cooking, ingredients I wouldn’t use at home, and the craic of course. A big portion is at the bottom of my list, it doesn’t indicate quality and I also prefer small plates and the opportunity to try several different things.
Love this. You're a good egg!