ross lewis is one of the aforementioned
champions, a pioneer of the modern Irish food
movement; he started his restaurant Chapter
One, in 1993 on Dublin’s decaying Northside
in the basement of a Georgian building on
Parnell Square. The area, once the epitome of
“Georgian Dublin", a uniquely golden period
for the city during the 17th and 18th centuries,
has sadly seen better days. That said; try
getting a booking in Chapter One for a Saturday
night to spend a rather large gift voucher, as
happened to an acquaintance of mine in the
spring of 2017. The waiting list was 8 weeks as
the restaurant was solidly booked. The couple
in question bided their time, took the next
available booking and by all accounts had a
memorable evening which was definitely worth
the wait!
Ross Lewis knows his customer base; many of
his customers may only eat in the restaurant
once or twice a year for special celebrations.
He knows Chapter One is special to them and
makes sure they know he appreciates them as
loyal and valued returning customers. He is very
hands on in terms of his interaction with his
customers.
Born in Cork, he studied dairy science at
University College Cork. After a stint in the US
on a J1 visa working as a waiter in New York, he
returned to Ireland and decided he wanted to
run a restaurant. He trained in London, initially
at Odin’s in Devonshire Street, before moving to
Beau Rivage, a five star hotel near Geneva. He
returned to Dublin in 1990 to get a green card
but was impressed by the vibrancy and decided
to stay for a while. While working with Eamonn
Walsh at the Old Dublin Restaurant in Francis
Street, he met Martin Corry and together
they set up Chapter One on the wrong side of
fashionable Dublin.
Nearly 25 years and a Michelin star later,
Chapter One is considered by many to be one
of Ireland’s top restaurants. Head Chef, Eric
Matthews works closely with Ross on day to
day operations, Ed previously worked in Mayfair
in The Square and in Australia for a few years.
Eric works alongside Ross, head pastry chef
Darren Campbell and Sommelier, Ed Joliffe;
together they are a formidable team.
Taking a walk around the large basement area
we stop in the private dining area, known as the
Jameson Room. This is an acknowledgment
of the history of the original house, once the
residence of George Jameson, brother of
John, whose whiskey is now a global brand.
There is also an evolving gallery area known
as Project Art, which displays emerging Irish
artists. There are bog oak sculptures on tables,
Irish basketry and lots of textiles and ceramicsby Irish designers. There is also a book full of
recipes Chapter one an irish Food story with
photographs by Barry McCall.
Sitting at the Chef’s table interviewing the
very charming Ross Lewis, I was struck by
his genuine enthusiasm. He told me that
for 27 years, while based in Dublin, he has
been on the side-lines of the great Irish food
renaissance. Through Euro Toques which
was founded in 1984, he has focussed on
supporting the small Irish food producer,
small famers, the artisan and the fisherman. A
member of the Taste Council of Bord Bia (the
Irish Food Board) who have been to the fore
in terms of political lobbying, their objective to
gain recognition for the Irish food industry hasfor many years, been an uphill battle.
However, about five years ago, the momentum
of the great Irish food family began to gather;
from the ground up, as opposed to the top
level down. Ross feels this was a huge turning
point in terms of the perception by the general
public about Irish produce. He is proud to
point out that Ireland has some of the best
grass in the world, which leads on to the best
milk, best cheese, best lamb and best beef.
He makes reference to the amazing supply of
fish and shellfish caught in the Atlantic off the
West Coast of Ireland. He also cites the vast
amount of game currently available here. Ross
points out that Ireland as a rural country, is very
underpopulated in terms of what is available.scallop with a white bean and razor clam stew.
see recipe on page 64 Photography courtesy barry McCall and grace McMahon34 area focus dubLin: by Jean smuLLen