Grungy, underground and darkly chic, Maggie Joan's has proven it's not a hipster destination that can't last a year. It just celebrated its third anniversary last year with a new menu designed by promising young chef Seumas Smith. Formerly Head Chef at Moosehead, he has taken on the role of Group Executive Chef and now fronts the kitchen at Maggie Joan’s.
The focus remains Modern European, and the dishes are executed with flair and skill, but remain approachable. Still, it's intriguing learning about the ingredients and techniques used here.
While the philosophy behind Maggie Joan's (named after owner Daniel Ballis' two grandmothers Maggie and Joan) is to make food as much as possible from scratch (just like grandmas would), the final delivery is certainly far more refined than granny's rustic fare.
Among the new dishes: