Just Ask Restaurant of the Month for December - An Port Mor

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for December is An Port Mór in Westport, Co Mayo

Welcome is the byword at Frankie Mallon’s deservedly popular Westport restaurant, you feel it from the moment you enter - or even when you visit the website, where the language on the home page conveys a warm feeling that both customers and suppliers are valued and respected.

“Welcome… Our philosophy is to use local, seasonal produce from Artisan suppliers. House specialities include pot roasted pigs cheeks with black pudding and apple and vanilla sauce and 21 day dry-aged ribeye steak with red onion marmalade gravy. However, the main emphasis is on local fresh seafood and shellfish, particularly lobster, crab, scallops and langoustines from Clew Bay.”

Surprisingly perhaps, there’s not a lot to be found about proprietor-chef Frankie Mallon on the website, although a careful look through the menu reveals that “Our chef Frankie Mallon is a member of Euro-toques – the European Community of Chefs & Cooks - and is committed to sourcing locally and supporting small food producers wherever possible.”

Well, modest he may be, but Frankie constantly delights customers with his creative yet no nonsense cooking, and has carved out a national reputation for the friendly Westport restaurant that he named after Portmór House in his home town of Blackwatertown, in County Armagh.

The name has a nice West of Ireland ring to it all the same and Frankie took to the food culture of the area like a duck to water, happily putting down roots and developing a network of the valued suppliers who provide the quality ingredients that the celebrated French chef and founding member of Euro-Toques, Paul Bocuse, called simply ‘the building blocks of good cooking’.

And luckily there are building blocks a-plenty in the Westport area. Seafood is the stated speciality, yet Frankie credits no less than four highly respected local meat suppliers, including McCormack’s Butchers Westport; Kelly’s Butchers Newport; McHale and Meats Kiltimagh; lamb is sourced from Mark Walsh of Direct Lamb Westport, along with Calveys Butchers of Achill Island who supply their famous Mayo Blackface lamb. Rump of lamb is a perennial favourite and never off the menu - in a gorgeous dish of Roast marinated rump of Walsh’s Mayo Lamb with salsa verde, perhaps - and the same is true of the famous Kelly’s of Newport 21 day dry-aged sirloin steak.

An equal number of seafood suppliers provide the area’s wonderful fish and shellfish, including Joe Garvin Seafood; Padraig Gannon Newport Mussels; Gerry Hasset, and Achill Smoked Organic Salmon. An Achill Island smoked fish plate of wild Irish tuna, peppered mackerel, honey roast salmon and Clew Bay seaweed jam is a favourite and, in summer, the specials could include Inisturk lobster and crab, offered alongside an impressive range of imaginative dishes designed to showcase the sheer freshness of the fish.

And it’s not all about red meats and seafood - the best of poultry is represented by Irish cornfed chicken supplied by McHale Meats, Skeaghanore smoked duck from West Cork and Thornhill Duck from Blacklion, Co Cavan.

Some great local growers supply the beautiful vegetables, salads and herbs that add interest to dishes and make delicious sides and vegetarian choices - and of course there’s the lovely local cheese, Carrowholly, along with other handmade cheeses including Silke Cropp’s famous Corleggy Goats Cheese from Co Cavan.

Frankie Mallon is clearly achieving his stated aim - 'to give the customer the very best in local fresh produce and value for money' - and giving terrific, informed service too. It all adds up to a great success story - Frankie and his team are serving some of the best food in the area, but it's an exuberant celebration of local produce and, importantly, this is always a fun place to eat the best.

SAMPLE MENUS

A LA CARTE

STARTERS

Fresh Soup of the Evening buttery croutons 4.5

Warm Corleggy Goats Cheese & Sheaghanore smoked Duck salad grilled with natural honey, on a crouton with tapenade & pickled Carrowholly beetroot, lemongrass & chilli jam, mixed salad leaves 9

Donegal Turf Smoked Organic Salmon with grain mustard dressing and local prawns marinated in garlic, lemon & herbs 11

Clew bay Crab Cakes rolled in a seaweed & polenta crust with grilled Clew Bay scallops & hollandaise sauce 11

Warm Salad of Irish Pot Roasted Pig Cheeks Kelly’s black pudding, apple & vanilla sauce 9

Achill Island Smoked Fish Plate wild Irish tuna, peppered mackerel, honey roast salmon & Clew Bay seaweed jam 11

Smooth Duck Liver Pate Armagh cider poached pears, salad and a tangy Cumberland sauce 10

All our starters are served with a selection of homemade breads and green olive & sun dried tomato tapenade

Our chef Frankie Mallon is a member of Euro-toques – the European Community of Chefs & Cooks - and is committed to sourcing locally and supporting small food producers wherever possible

MAINS

Roasted Breast of Irish Cornfed Chicken Kelly’s Black Pudding, apple stuffing, crispy bacon, red wine jus 20

Roast Marinated Rump of Walsh’s Mayo Lamb & salsa verde 21

21 day dry-aged Kelly’s of Newport 10 oz Sirloin Steak red onion marmalade, balsamic & red wine jus 24

Surf & Turf steak as above, topped with Clew Bay scallops & garlic butter 27.5

Thornhill Duck Breast chinese five spice morello cherries 24

Grilled fillet of Curran blue Sea Trout & Grilled Scallops infused fennel, tarragon rapeseed oil 22

Pan-Fried Clew Bay King Scallops Donegal rapeseed oil, lemon & saffron 27.5

Organic Spinach Tagliatelle with Crab claws & crab meat garlic, white wine, tomatoes, fresh herbs, parmesan finished with a Clew Bay lobster bisque 21.5

Roast Fillet of Cod in a crab, polenta & herb crust with a lemon & garlic infused rapeseed oil 22

spicy sweet potato and lentil hot pot with crème fraîche and coriander 14.5

All main courses are served with fresh locally sourced vegetables & potatoes of the day

SUPPLIERS

Meat
McCormack’s Butchers Westport; Kelly’s Butchers Newport; McHale Meats Kiltimagh; Mark Walsh - Direct Lamb Westport

Vegetables
Country Fresh Westport; Liam & Lily Ryder Carrowholly Westport; Joe Kelly, Artisan Vegetable Farmer

Seafood

Joe Garvin Seafood; Padraig Gannon Newport Mussels; Gerry Hasset, Achill Smoked Organic Salmon

Other
Skeaghanore Smoked Duck, West Cork; Silke Cropp - Corleggy Goats Cheese Co. Cavan; Cheese Co. Louth La Rousse Foods

ALL OUR BEEF IS 100% IRISH

EARLY BIRD MENU
2 courses €22

STARTERS
Fresh homemade soup of the evening
Warm salad of Irish pot roasted pig cheeks
Warm Corleggy goats cheese
Pate of the evening
Connemara smoked salmon

MAIN COURSES

Rump of Mayo lamb
Fresh fish of the day
Roasted cornfed chicken
Roast duck confit
Spicy veggie hot pot
Spicy sweet potato & lentil hot pot with crème fraiche

Earlybird menu available nightly as follows:
5.30 - 6.30pm sharp Tuesday - Friday
5.00- 6.30pm sharp on Saturdays & Sundays

Reservations recommended 098 26730