A: They actually have a long, long food tradition that was affected by their economy and by their relationship with England for hundreds of years [which is why] a cuisine never developed. But they have all the raw materials there to develop a great cuisine. In the mid-’90s when the economy exploded in Ireland and they had that huge boom a lot of people … returned to Ireland and started opening restaurants there. Those guys have become pioneers in a fine-dining Irish movement.
Cathal Armstrong, the Irish-born, James Beard Award-nominated chef and owner of Alexandria’s Restaurant Eve, adds the title of author to his resume with “My Irish Table: Recipes from the Homeland and Restaurant Eve” (written with David Hagedorn), which debuts in March. Armstrong is already planning two follow-ups: a health and fitness guide and Restaurant Eve recipes.
(February 2014)
