We love food guides and pay attention to awards. So how useful are they, asks Tom Doorley
Once upon a time word of mouth was enough. Now that the world of Irish food has got bigger, better and more complicated we need navigational assistance. And there is no shortage of advice in the form of guides and gongs. For someone like me, who spends a lot of his time eating out and reading e-mailed comments from readers, there are usually few surprises. But I was delighted when Good Food Ireland, which used to be Les Routiers, gave its wine-list-of-the-year award to Barça, in Lismore, Co Waterford. This is my local restaurant - and a place of joy for me. I can't understand why there isn't a queue outside every day, especially as the grub, particularly the tapas, is every bit as good as the wine list. Barça is a gem, in a gem of a town, and it should be cherished.
So why isn't it in John and Sally McKenna's 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland 2007? I think I know why, and it demonstrates the difficulty in producing an up-to-date guide. Barça has a relatively new chef, hence the enhanced performance. I trust it will make the 2008 edition.
There aren't actually 100 good restaurants in Ireland, and keeping on top of the industry is almost impossible. Trevor White is refreshingly frank about The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants, which confines its critical gaze to the metropolis. "When I get to about 60," he says, "things get pretty tough. After that you have to drop the bar to make the century." I'm impressed he gets to 60 without difficulty, but, as the McKennas say in their introduction to 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland, Dublin and the east of the country are where it's happening.
They admit they have not a single new entry for Cork in the 2007 edition, and John and Sally have an unerring nose for new and exciting places to eat. They winkle out the most obscure restaurants with the determination of a trained bloodhound. Cork food is moribund at the moment. What is going on? Or not going on?
Good Food Ireland gives its regional award for the south to Cafe Paradiso, Denis Cotter's funky vegetarian restaurant, which is well deserved. But Cotter has been doing his thing here for years. The city of Cork could and should see the opening of at least one significant restaurant every year.
My old favourite L'Gueuleton gets the people's-choice award in The Dubliner 100 Best Restaurants, and it rates very highly in the McKennas' guide. It doesn't feature in Good Food Ireland's awards, but it isn't one of the organisation's 170 members, from which the winners are chosen. This members-only policy means Ballymaloe won the organisation's newcomer-of-the-year award. This is nothing short of an insult: Myrtle Allen established Ballymaloe in 1964. I'm not sure why Ballymaloe joined Good Food Ireland, which describes itself as "a unique marketing group".
Myrtle's granddaughter-in-law, Rachel Allen, recently presented the Eurotoques awards, whose aim is to "protect and promote small artisan producers". This strikes me as much worthier than patting fellow members of Good Food Ireland on the back, however deserving they may be.
Among others, Eurotoques saluted Born Free Chickens, something I myself do most weekends as my family and I tuck into one of Dan and Ann Ahern's organic fowls. They are sold at Midleton farmers' market and, I dare say, will be used by readers of Clodagh McKenna's new The Irish Farmers' Market Cookbook, which tells you what to do with cavolo nero and the other fresh produce that can be sourced in such places.
The Aherns are farmers. I just wish there were more farmers at our farmers' markets. And that we didn't need quite so many guides or awards in order to find great food.