The owners of Eastern Seaboard on exciting restaurants in Dublin, Belfast and Cork, a tiny local pub and a market where they source “the best bacon in the universe”
EATING OUT
Etto
18 Merrion Row, Dublin 2. +353 1 678 8872, www.etto.ie
Tiny, buzzy restaurant in the centre of Dublin, close to St Stephen’s Green. “Very simple Italian food but done well.” – Jeni
Ox
1 Oxford Street, Belfast BT1 3LA; +44 28 9031 4121, www.oxbelfast.com
Jeni: We both really enjoyed Ox when we went last year. I think those guys have got it right. What they’re doing, how they’re doing it, the tempo, everything just feels right. They’ve got it going on. Surprisingly, given the name, meat is the secondary consideration and the vegetables take centre stage.
Reuven: They do small composed plates and they’re just pitch perfect. I had a squid tagliatelle dish that was lovely.
Bear
34-35 South William Street, Dublin 2, Ireland; +353 1 474 4888, www.joburger.ie/bear
“They do a delicious rosary-cut steak. Basically it’s just the meat around the ribs, cut parallel, you have little pieces of the rib bone and a chain of really sinewy meat. You have it with a fried egg, horseradish and coleslaw. It’s done really well.” – Reuven
Loam
Geata na Cathrach, Fairgreen, Galway; +353 91 569 727, www.loamgalway.com
“I’ve heard great stuff about Loam, Enda McAvoy’s place in Galway. That’s top of the to-do list, along with Harry’s Shack in Portstewart.” – Reuven
Curtis Garage
Curtis Cross, Kenstown, Co Meath
Reuven: We’ve been talking a lot about Curtis Cross. Is this the best place to eat in Meath?
Jeni [to us]: It’s not what you’re thinking.
Reuven: It’s run a family of funeral directors. They make sandwiches and cups of sugary tea. You’re sitting there in the cold eating your sandwich… it’s phenomenal. An experience that you can’t get anywhere else.
Mrs O’s (O’Connell’s Bar) (pictured above)
Hill of Skryne, Co Meath; +353 46 902 5122
Jeni: We go for the occasional good pint of Guinness up at Mrs O’s. It’s a tiny little pub the size of this room and for the longest time Mrs O herself was behind the counter.
Reuven: She was like 207.
Jeni: She was there forever – really nice woman – but has since passed. The pub is still the same, you walk in the door, you’re in one tiny little room with a counter, doorway, fireplace just there, another counter, and on this side there’s a pool table. But it all fits in.
Reuven: There’s no music. Ten people and it’s crowded.
BUYING IN
Honest to Goodness
Slaney Close, Dublin 11; +353 87 629 4713, www.honest2goodness.ie (Open Saturdays)
Jeni: This is a really lovely market in Glasnevin. One of our suppliers, The Whole Hog, has a stand there. He produces rare-breed pork. We use his peat-smoked bacon.
Reuven: Which is probably the best bacon in the universe. So good.
Jeni: And black-pepper sausage is also amazing.
Drummond House
Baltray, Co Louth; +353 87 688 2202, http://drummondhousegarlic.com/
“The garlic we use is from Drummond House, who are just up the road from us. They’ve got four acres now and are growing four or five different types of garlic.” – Jeni
Coastguard Seafood
Harbour Rd, Annagassan, Co Louth; +353 42 9372527
“Terry Butterly at Coastguard Seafood supplies us with incredible smoked salmon and fish from the Clogherhead landing. He supplies us with lobsters as well. He doesn’t have a shop but you could probably contact him directly.” – Reuven
Stagrennan Farm orchards
Stameen, Drogheda, Co Louth; +353 41 9837333, www.boynegrove.ie/farm.htm
“This is just outside Drogheda – you see the orchards as you’re coming in on the train from Dublin. You can buy apples there and fresh-pressed apple juice and cider.” – Jeni
Asia Market
18 Drury Street, Dublin 2. +353 1 677 9764, www.asiamarket.ie
“This is where we go to pick up staples for the house: rice and nori and pickles to go with Japanese curry.” – Reuven