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Monday, July 05, 2010

Jammets Restaurant In Dublin




John Lennon's entry in Jammets Guest Book.

















This was the only restaurant in Dublin in the late '50's and early '60's. It had a great reputation and was so far out of reach of the ordinary person that it may as well have been on the moon. It closed down for some reason and all the cooks went to the hotels around Dublin. We got some of them in the Gresham.
The Gresham at this time was a funny place. There was already an elite core of chefs and cooks who had been there for a long time and who were 'in' with the right people. They treated all newcomers with a touch of disdain and the cooks who came from Jammets were no exception. There was a roast chef who had come from there, he was a very hard worker and very good at what he did. I would watch him as he tried to curry favor with the people who had been there a long time. They never accepted him and he was left as an outsider.
These 'elite' were patronizing , condescending and , in their own way, very cruel to newcomers. They were almost a Trade Union in and of themselves and everyone sought their approval. They didn't like me at all.
At the time Jammets was the mecca of haute cuisine in Dublin along with the Russell Hotel. These were the two places at the time that were the best places to work and learn the trade. They were seen as far above us in quality and style. It was a shame when it closed down. I would have loved to have dinner there but of course I had more chance of going to the moon than to eat in such a fancy place at that time.
There was another hotel in Dublin at that time called The Russell, not to be confused with the Russell in London. There was a French Chef there and he had a very good reputation.
http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/jaunting-at-jammets-2132692.html

1 comment:

phyllis said...

This restaurant had a connection with the Kinsley family years ago...what the connection was i do not know....
someone might know??