Next stop was the Fatted Calf, in Glasson: this is a winner! It looks like a country pub from the outside, and it’s got typical pub ambiance and cosiness – but the food is mind-blowing. We loved how friendly everyone was; we loved looking at the giant burgers and crispy fillets of lemon sole and hand-cut chips on other people’s plates; we loved how, in response to our question about craft beers, they produced bottles of O’Hara’s pale ale, Dungarvan’s Copper Coast red ale, and Dungarvan’s Helvick Gold blonde ale, to sample with a local (fabulous) cheese plate.
All was drool-worthy: a rich, subtly seasoned, deep-flavoured mushroom and celeriac soup; linguine tossed with fine strips of red pepper, tiny red and yellow cherry tomatoes, garlic, lemon thyme, Parmesan, and more huge fat sliced assorted grilled mushrooms. Bruce’s lemon thyme polenta fritters, garnished with greens and smoky paprika aioli was just right for a light dish following the soup. The homemade brown and sourdough breads were outstanding, too. (Then we had the cheeses for dessert.)
Feargal O’Donnell extracts maximum flavor from his ingredients. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone of any age, nationality or appetite. Another great thing is that it’s right on the road to Galway – an area we remember as pretty much of a food desert when we lived in Ireland in the 2000s. And really reasonably priced, too. Five stars.
Glasson, Co Westmeath Tel: 090 648 5208
Elizabeth Field
