OFFICIAL OPENING DAY

SUNDAY 5.07.2020

 

“To accrue the maximum number of Rosettes, a restaurant must truly possess a distinct creative flair that surpasses all their competitors; achieving standards that demand recognition nationally, and are well-established in their own right.  Most integral to a Restaurant Inspector’s judgment is the taste and freshness of the food on offer, as well as accuracy of cookery. Indeed, it is not the plate of food that is being assessed, but the food on the plate.“ - AA Ireland

Basilico Restaurant in Oranmore is proud to announce that they are the winners of an AA Rosette for culinary excellence. Fabiano Mulas and Paolo Sabatini, owners and co-founders of the restaurant are purists when it comes to sourcing and using the highest quality seasonal ingredients in their dishes.

Paolo Sabatini as Head Chef loves to experiment with flavour and the combination of local produce and Italian ingredients gives his menu a creative edge that is unrivalled locally.

Surprise Visit

“We had applied for the award” said Fabiano, “but we had no idea when the inspection would happen.  It is essential to the integrity of the award that the AA representative doing the inspection is anonymous and compares the quality of what we offer to what is available locally.

It was only the next day, when he had stayed overnight at The Coach House Hotel that we received the good news.”

He called a meeting in the morning and announced that he had awarded the hotel three stars and Basilico Restaurant had won a Rosette. This places Basilico on a level with only three other establishments in the county.

The Provenance of The Cuisine

Amongst our suppliers we have Brady’s Butchery in Athenry, Seafood is sourced from Gannet Fishmongers, Glynn’s and Curley’s supply fresh vegetables and all are known locally for the high quality of their produce.

The AA inspector commented on the superb quality of the dishes on offer and ordered a three course-meal, which he declared outstanding. Both Fabiano and Paolo grew up immersed in the Italian food culture, with Fabiano hailing from a family farm in Sardinia and Paolo from Viterbo near Rome.

Authentic Italian Ingredients

Basilico imports olive oil especially from Calabria. Italicatessen delivers cheeses and smoked meats and all dishes sing with the flavours of Italy.

“All our dishes are prepared here in our kitchen with love by our expert team. Our pizza dough is made on the premises using imported Caputo flour and we take pleasure in each aspect of the preparation process” says Paolo.

Basilico Oranmore is the only Italian restaurant in Galway to win the prestigious “Eccellenze Italiane” award. This company protects all businesses that proclaim Italian authenticity so you know you will be experiencing original Italian cuisine.

 

Fabiano Mulas and Paolo Sabatini are this authentic Italian restaurant's driving force. It’s simple to see where the core values behind this Oranmore Italian restaurant originate. Fabiano and Paolo both believe in using the best quality ingredients to give their dishes the authenticate flavour that speaks so eloquently of the Mediterranean.

 

Fabiano Mulas, GM and Director

 

Fabiano grew up on the beautiful island of Sardinia where it was simply a way of life to grow your vegetables and be as self-sufficient as possible.  The culture continues there even to this day

 

“ My parents, Silvana, and Giuseppe, still believe that the best dishes are made using produce that comes from their land. They knew which ingredients went into the dishes. My mother was never comfortable with buying pre-made and processed products as she wasn’t sure what had gone into them “ says Fabiano.  He has embraced this as his personal philosophy. The Basilico team source fresh local produce wherever possible. 

Fabiano regularly goes back to Sardinia to help his parents sow and harvest the crops, and he remains close to his roots.

“The aromatic fragrance of my mother’s home-made tomato sauce never leaves me “he adds. “ she never took short cuts, she never compromised, the taste was all-important always.”

 

Paolo Sabatini, Head Chef and Director

 Paolo Sabatini hails from Rome, where his parents still own a vineyard and distill their olive oil. “ My father is now retired,” says Paolo “but my grandparents were small farmers and my dad, Sandro, applied all he learned from them about cultivating grapes, olives, and harvesting crops to his own smallholding.  He bottles wine and olive oil for a small circle of people including us and still has a considerable acreage under vegetables.  Olive and grape cultivation is now a full-time occupation for him. My mother, Mirella cooks beautiful dishes with the rich ingredients, which are readily available. “

 

Paolo grew up with those incredible flavours and is keen to share them with his Irish customers.
 

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The Food Sourced Locally

 

Both Fabiano and Paolo have made significant efforts to source the best local products.  Brady’s butchery in Athenry supplies their meat; Seafood comes from Gannet Fishmongers in Galway and their list of high quality suppliers is recognised as some of the best in the business.

They include  wonderful Italian products from both Paolo and Fabiono's parents and amongst others:-

• Max from Italycatessen in Dublin who provides Italian cured meats
• Achill Mountain Lamb
• Castlemine Farm Roscommon
• Green Earth Organics

 

The Wine

Fabiano and Paolo handpick the wines served at Basilico, and as you would expect, they are mostly Italian. Vineyards in Calabria produce distinctive, and high-quality wines and the pair has chosen fifteen that complement the dishes to perfection.  They have a wine cellar, which reflects offerings from the world’s top wine producing areas but they to keep the emphasis primarily Italian. The wine list is updated each season and regular trips home to Italy create opportunities to add to their growing wine menu.