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A Michelin-starred guest chef will join The Dubliner this month
The Dubliner is teaming up with Michelin-starred guest chef JP McMahon from Aniar restaurant in Galway, Ireland for a special dinner.
With the arrival of March, Bostonians are looking toward the next big holiday. Behold: Saint Patrick’s Day. Only a couple weeks away, decor is already discoverable around town and Boston chefs are revving up their menus in celebration of Irish fare.
In anticipation of Saint Patrick’s Day, The Dubliner’s chef Aidan McGee is teaming up with Michelin-starred guest chef JP McMahon from Aniar restaurant in Galway, Ireland for a special dinner on March 8.
“Irish food has many perceptions from pub food to fine dining,” McGee told Boston.com, but this dinner, he teased, will be “a modern fine dining in a casual Irish bar concept.”
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McGee met McMahon at his Food On The Edge Event, a two-day, annual global symposium that occurs in McMahon hosts alongside his team of EatGalway members for chefs and food enthusiasts around the world to network and debate the future of food in the industry. Though McMahon’s been hosting guest dinners around Ireland, he decided to take it internationally through this collaboration with McGee and The Dubliner.
“There is a great connection between Boston and Ireland; on my international book tour, promoting The Irish Cookbook (Phaidon 2020) we had the biggest turnout in Boston,” shared McMahon. “I love having the opportunity to broaden the perceptions of what Irish food is and to engage with people and develop connections.”
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McMahon continued: “The key thing for me is to tell the story of the island of Ireland, the foods of the land and sea.” McMahon shared that the menu for March 8 will feature Irish produce like lamb and oysters “served to share but in a way we hope will spark conversation and interest like the hay-baked celeriac.” He will also be incorporating ramsons preserved with garlic buds, dried seaweeds, flavored vinegars, rosehip oil and west of Ireland Achill Island Sea Salt—all of which he’ll be transporting across the pond with him.
“We focus on the primary ingredient and let that shine in the dish,” explained McMahon about keeping his dishes contemporary without disrupting the culinary history of the region. “The dishes are not heavily spiced or seasoned but rather complimented by the accompaniments and garnishes.”
In fact, when the season allows, McMahon typically makes time to study the wild plants of the region and forages in advance to align with his ethos at Aniar. This time, he’s focusing on a taste of Ireland by bringing these preserved wild foods with him from the restaurant, assuring that diners will not find corned beef and cabbage or Irish stew on the menu.
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“Although an Irish stew can be a beautiful dish and I’m happy to champion Irish Lamb any day,” he said, he’s aiming to break some stereotypes around Irish cuisine, hoping that attendees will “come away knowing that not every meal is heavy and stodgy,” he said. “We have an amazing variety of produce and interesting wild ingredients; not every meal comes with a side of potatoes!” The dinner with McMahon kicks off a series of events that The Dubliner will present in celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day. The Dubliner will host live Irish music nightly—including One for the Road, Jinty Mcgrath, and Farmer Michael—in their pub and lounge during the entire week leading up to Saint Patrick’s Day. On Friday, March 15, the restaurant will hold its third annual Irish Networking Breakfast, offering curated tasting of authentic Irish ingredients and spirits. And finally, on Sunday, March 17, The Dubliner will welcome guests with a celebratory menu to be served all day, live music and dancing.
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