We would never by-pass Portlaoise if we knew about the glories of Jim Tynan's Kitchen and Food Hall.
"I rented two rooms in Church Street, called it the Coffee Studio, and that was how it started, 16 years ago," says Jim Tynan. "I still have the same customers to this day."
To anyone who knows Mr Tynan's work, this is no surprise. Jim Tynan's cooking may be little known outside his native county - he hails from Mountrath - but within Laois, and especially within Portlaoise, Jim's Kitchen is a phenomenon.
I can still remember the first time I walked in, many years ago, into what was then just a smattering of rooms, to be astonished by not only the sheer volume of people, but also the happy, content atmosphere. Jim Tynan understands the ability of good food to draw in people from near and far, and his voluptuously flavoured country cooking is reliable and richly enjoyable.
Even if you only snatch something simple at lunchtime - say some toasted ciabatta with roasted vegetables, brie and basil oil - you are presented with a creation where everything is just so, just right. Flavourful bread, vegetables roasted just right, melting cheese, oozing tomato, a splash of the West Cork Herb Farm basil oil finally bringing unity to all the flavours. The attention to detail, the sheer craftsmanship of what is simply an elaborate sandwich, is inspiring.
You would walk a country mile to eat food like this, never mind simply turn off the Portlaoise bypass. And now, with the extension of The Kitchen and the addition of The Food Hall, you would have to be crazy not to detour into the town.
Before opening up in Portlaoise, Jim Tynan spent five years in Rockwell College, before a stint in Claridges Hotel, in London. "I served the Queen and every head of state whilst working there, except the President of Ireland," he recalls, "but royalty is no different from serving the ordinary customer a cup of coffee."
Over the 16 years in Portlaoise, his philosophy has remained constant: "You have to put the intent into it, make sure it's done right."
Perhaps the cornerstone of making sure everything is done right is the fact that The Kitchen is effectively a family affair. "It's all family. My wife Sarah makes all the pies and tarts, there's my sister Caroline, and my sister Imelda has been working with me since she was 10 - my mother used to chase her out of the kitchen because she was so fussy."
In truth, all the Tynan's are fussy, which is why their work is so special.
With baking, in particular, their exactitude is endearing. Stroll into the fine new shop - The Food Hall - which Jim has just added to The Kitchen as part of the smart Hynds Square development, and there are cracking home-made cookies and tea brack, almond slices and madleines, light fruitcakes and pear and almond tarts. It's a light-filled, lovely shop, packed with all the good things of the Irish artisan food producers, even real buttermilk sitting side by side with the real butter from which it emanates, complemented by well chosen foods from abroad and a neat selection of wines and sherries. "The punters have developed, and so all the new things are in demand".
Walk through the door into The Kitchen, and a long counter wraps its way back into what was the original building, but the development of the square means the new restaurant is much more accessible. The food is often familiar, but its sheer goodness, the care lavished in making sure every bake and sandwich and salad is correctly achieved, is what brings in the locals day after day, year after year.
"Our customers are our friends, and we're delighted to welcome them and make them comfortable," says Jim, and it's a caring philosophy which is gleefully exhibited here. Soon, the restaurant will be open in the evenings as well, offering bistro-style cooking, and one senses that even despite the long time he has spent serving the public, Mr Tynan is still a little amazed and enchanted by the whole shebang. "I could never really imagine it happening," he says.
The Kitchen and The Food Hall, Hynds Square, Portlaoise, County Laois tel: (0502) 62061. Kitchen open 9.30 a.m.5.30 p.m. Monday-Saturday and until 10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday from later this month. Food Hall open 9.30 a.m.- 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.