When French restaurateur Patrick Guilbaud arrived in Dublin in 1981, drawn by Ireland's abundant fresh fish and meat, he promptly introduced a foreign practice. From the first location of Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud on St. James's Place, just behind the Bank of Ireland, he began working directly with local farmers to get products of the quality he required. "We were the first to do this kind of thing," he explains. "In 1981, Ireland was a place where people wanted very large portions. The quality on the plate didn't matter as much as the quantity." Now, of course, the booming capital of the Celtic Tiger is a changed city, and so is its once-maligned culinary culture. Ireland has gone from being the economic basket case of Europe to one of its richest countries — and a major financial center. Likewise, Dublin's restaurants also have undergone an astounding renais- sance. What with organic ingredients, good chefs and great rooms, you may feed stupendously.
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