May 19th, 2022
Hungry from a long day of scavenger hunting in Galway, Ireland, the aroma outside of Ard Bia at Nimmos’ beckoned. With dozens of award-winning plaques on the outside wall, we thought surely this would be good.
Boy, were we right.
The old stone walls and dark red-striped awning complemented the green rocky edge of the Corrib river on which it sat. It seemed a peaceful escape right outside of the busy town.
We sat at a small table near a beautiful white window that looked out to the river next to us, pink flowers blooming alongside it.
Ard Bia, according to their cookbook, directly translates to “high food” in Irish and derives from the small town of Ardara in Donegal, Ireland. In Ard Bia at Nimmos, this word has been transformed to envelop the magic of Galway food – a celebration of the happiness that gathering around a small table brings.
We ordered tea, local kombucha, wine, cider, bao buns, risotto, and the special of the day: toasted ham sandwiches and vegetable soup. Having ordered the special, I was surprised by the burst of flavor – shredded ham, hand-sliced pickles, and creamy cheese with a savory vegetable soup. It was a cold windy day and so the hot soup was perfect.
The restaurant was filled with cozy intimate tables sitting in nooks with a homey-cottage feel. Even the hand soap smelled amazing.
Soon after finishing our meal, my friend happened to open a drawer under the table top. Inside was a treasure of hand-written notes on random scraps of paper, napkins, and maps from people around the world. Like us, all were ecstatic to have found this drawer. Some couples, some families, some adventures, and one saying he was born in this building (whether that is true or not we will never know). Some were poems, and most raved about the food.
We wrote our own note and hope that one day we can return to Ard Bia at Nimmos and see it sitting among all the other, new hidden notes. Hopefully, this drawer only continues to grow.
Leave a Reply