There comes a time in the life of every Warwickshire lass when the sight of another thatched roof is too much to bear. When one more guide speaking in a cod-rural accent will just make you want to kick his teeth in. What you long for is red bricks and overstuffed rooms with heavy, dark curtains. Actual soft furnishings instead of yet another stupid hardwood 'settle'.
Such environments bring a different class of tea room, too. Gone are the Tudorbethan possets and thick crusty breads. More like 'all our foods are sourced from within the grounds' stuff, so jams and honeys and fruit pies. This establishment is in the old stables of Disraeli's manor with a big picnic area in the central courtyard. Lots of big, refectory-style wooden benches and tables.
Access was absolutely fine, although the ground is a little bit uneven.
This is a National Trust place so the food was good quality. A limited menu of sandwiches and light lunches with the specials which, as with all National Trust eateries, invariably involves quiche. We had the bread and butter pudding and the shortbread. The former was lovely. Smooth, not too chewy with a sugary crunch on the top. There didn't seem to be much dried fruit or raisins; but then I was hungry and the thing barely saw daylight. The shortbread was heavily sugared, broke with a satisfying snap, lots of crumbs that stick to your lips and end up mulched around your gums. Coffee was a latte but a little disappointing. Served in a small white mug, it was more of a 'flat white' with no foam or creaminess to speak of, and a tendency for the milk to start forming a skin, if you left it too long between sips. Still, for all that it was drinkable.
Saturday, 1 June 2013
Friday, 5 April 2013
El Greco, Stratford-upon-Avon
This is, mercifully, not a kebabs-and-plate-smashing establishment where copious amounts of runny tzatziki are ladled on every dish. It is bright, fairly spacious with reasonable access, but furnished in a modern chrome, glass and black palette. Ambient Greek music but, thankfully, not Zorba on a loop. This is ideal if you are tiring of the endless cream-tea-and cupcake Cotswold offering, and feel ill at the prospect of another round of organic sausages and artisan cheeses. Also good to bring friends as a way of advertising your foodie credentials without worrying whether you actually like chipotle goat's cheese burgers, or what skordalia actually is. The menu is helpfully annotated for ignoramuses like me, to save the embarrassment of pretending you know what you are ordering. With the added bonus of comically mispronouncing Spanacopita as 'Spamopticka' and giggling hysterically at 'stifado'.
All four of us opted for the Prix Fixe menu, a bargain at £18.50 for three courses. I had the kalamari which came served with a generous portion of rocket salad. I might have been disappointed with the portion only being three rings; but since we had also ordered the tri-kala with pitta bread there was, in the end, almost too much food. The tri-kala itself was made up of taramasalata, hummus and tzatziki. Three dense, firm helpings - by which I mean not the usual claggy sludge sometimes offered. The kalamari were amazing. Breaded and deep fried with a satisfying crunch and a good chewy texture, though by no means rubbery. Drew opted for the dolmades, three portions of vine leaves stuffed with beef and rice. They tasted fresh and sharp, and were served warm with a tomato sauce. My main course was salmon with a dill and lemon sauce. The portions are certainly generous. The salmon was rose pink, glistening with a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture, slightly crisp at the edges. The vegetables were roasted, just ever-so-slightly chargrilled with loose skin and a soft crunch. The accompanying new potatoes were baked rather than boiled. Drew had the chicken souvlaki, of which he was full of praise - tender chicken, chargrilled on the outside but not so much as to overpower the marinade. We sampled someone else's chips, served thick cut and golden with an oregano coating, lending them some pungency, although that quickly dissipates. Good, spicy flavour, though, without the prickle on your tongue left by chilli-coated chips. I opted for ice cream for dessert; Drew had the combination called 'Sugar and Spice' a trio of baklava, kataifi and honeycomb ice cream. All the requirements for a dessert - hot and cold, sticky and sweet, cloying on the palate and enough sugar to induce a fatal MI. Lovely.
All four of us opted for the Prix Fixe menu, a bargain at £18.50 for three courses. I had the kalamari which came served with a generous portion of rocket salad. I might have been disappointed with the portion only being three rings; but since we had also ordered the tri-kala with pitta bread there was, in the end, almost too much food. The tri-kala itself was made up of taramasalata, hummus and tzatziki. Three dense, firm helpings - by which I mean not the usual claggy sludge sometimes offered. The kalamari were amazing. Breaded and deep fried with a satisfying crunch and a good chewy texture, though by no means rubbery. Drew opted for the dolmades, three portions of vine leaves stuffed with beef and rice. They tasted fresh and sharp, and were served warm with a tomato sauce. My main course was salmon with a dill and lemon sauce. The portions are certainly generous. The salmon was rose pink, glistening with a smooth, melt-in-the-mouth texture, slightly crisp at the edges. The vegetables were roasted, just ever-so-slightly chargrilled with loose skin and a soft crunch. The accompanying new potatoes were baked rather than boiled. Drew had the chicken souvlaki, of which he was full of praise - tender chicken, chargrilled on the outside but not so much as to overpower the marinade. We sampled someone else's chips, served thick cut and golden with an oregano coating, lending them some pungency, although that quickly dissipates. Good, spicy flavour, though, without the prickle on your tongue left by chilli-coated chips. I opted for ice cream for dessert; Drew had the combination called 'Sugar and Spice' a trio of baklava, kataifi and honeycomb ice cream. All the requirements for a dessert - hot and cold, sticky and sweet, cloying on the palate and enough sugar to induce a fatal MI. Lovely.
Tuesday, 19 March 2013
The Golden Bee (J. D. Wetherspoons), Stratford-upon-Avon
This establishment is one of the few that smells like a pub should. It smells of beer; a distinctive hopsy, yeasty fragrance with undertones of wet carpet. You would not be at all surprised if the smoking area was indoors and you could breathe the familiar yellow-blue haze of old lingering on the ceiling. Access is fine but there are three steps to the main part and the tables and chairs are packed tightly. This is a place that attracts large groups so it is not easy to manoeuvre yourself through table loads of families and students. Plus, the ordering procedure is no good if your mobility is limited. Find a table, choose food, memorize table number, go to bar and order. Getting back and forth to your table can be a bloody obstacle course.
With the real ale options on the menu, this place attracts the serious, the dedicated beer drinker, the sort that sup, rather than drink; but the cheaper options also attract the cash-strapped, so you may find your meal accompanied by a cacophony of schlurrrps. Then again, this is not a high class establishment and does not pretend to be. I am not normally a safe person to be with in these environments. A menu that consists almost entirely of food that is griddled or fried is likely to make me pass out from a sheer overload of joy - burgers, bacon, onion rings, batter, honey glazes, melts, grills, sauces, add a topping, choose from three, for an extra pound you can have this. And then they have the gall to recommend dishes for sharing. Sharing?! Over my dead, cholesterol-pounded body. As I was in respectable company, I opted for the ham, egg and chips from the 'two meals for £8.29' menu. Adopting the cunning ruse of helping my companion seek out vegetarian options, I perused the menu fully, marvelling that they add calorie values to all the choices. Oooh, what to go for? A portion of chips at 796 calories or a superfood wholewheat pasta dish, nut-free with soya at 770 calories? Ooooh, what to do?
The food itself is absolutely fine. The chips were thick-cut, golden and lightly crispy, with a fluffy hot centre. I had two slices of thick cut, slightly fatty Wiltshire ham, chosen presumably because it has a generic flavour, mild and slightly moist. The eggs were clean, bright firm whites, runny with orangey yolks, a good advert for the free range credentials. A decent-sized portion too. My friend went for the jacket potato with the five bean chilli, the only vegetarian option on the special menu. The chilli was filling, but not that spicy, chunky in texture with plenty of chew. The potato was a good size, slightly larger than the palm of your hand and the accompanying salad consisted of at least three cherry tomatoes, chunks rather than slices of cucumber and bright, fresh-looking leaves. The lattes were excellent. The brand is Lavazza so quality is pretty much guaranteed. Served in a mug with an optional chocolate topping, strong flavour with a thick creamy foam.
This place also does a decent fish and chips. The portion is a decent size - a large fresh-battered piece of cod. Slightly too soft batter over the fish, but the end pieces have a good, gravelly crunch. Thick cut chips, clean, lightish-yellow colour. Very fluffy in texture, but not crispy. I opted for the mushy peas, rather than garden ones, being in the mood for a glut of calories. They were very runny, and forming a slight puddle on the plate, but the taste was the distinctive salty and sweet associated with the classic mushy pea.
Like all meals here, anyone looking for a healthy meal should check the menu or website for the food credentials. This meal has whopping amounts of calories, salt, sat fat and carbs. Which, of course, is why I wanted it.
Access: *****
Latte: *****
With the real ale options on the menu, this place attracts the serious, the dedicated beer drinker, the sort that sup, rather than drink; but the cheaper options also attract the cash-strapped, so you may find your meal accompanied by a cacophony of schlurrrps. Then again, this is not a high class establishment and does not pretend to be. I am not normally a safe person to be with in these environments. A menu that consists almost entirely of food that is griddled or fried is likely to make me pass out from a sheer overload of joy - burgers, bacon, onion rings, batter, honey glazes, melts, grills, sauces, add a topping, choose from three, for an extra pound you can have this. And then they have the gall to recommend dishes for sharing. Sharing?! Over my dead, cholesterol-pounded body. As I was in respectable company, I opted for the ham, egg and chips from the 'two meals for £8.29' menu. Adopting the cunning ruse of helping my companion seek out vegetarian options, I perused the menu fully, marvelling that they add calorie values to all the choices. Oooh, what to go for? A portion of chips at 796 calories or a superfood wholewheat pasta dish, nut-free with soya at 770 calories? Ooooh, what to do?
The food itself is absolutely fine. The chips were thick-cut, golden and lightly crispy, with a fluffy hot centre. I had two slices of thick cut, slightly fatty Wiltshire ham, chosen presumably because it has a generic flavour, mild and slightly moist. The eggs were clean, bright firm whites, runny with orangey yolks, a good advert for the free range credentials. A decent-sized portion too. My friend went for the jacket potato with the five bean chilli, the only vegetarian option on the special menu. The chilli was filling, but not that spicy, chunky in texture with plenty of chew. The potato was a good size, slightly larger than the palm of your hand and the accompanying salad consisted of at least three cherry tomatoes, chunks rather than slices of cucumber and bright, fresh-looking leaves. The lattes were excellent. The brand is Lavazza so quality is pretty much guaranteed. Served in a mug with an optional chocolate topping, strong flavour with a thick creamy foam.
This place also does a decent fish and chips. The portion is a decent size - a large fresh-battered piece of cod. Slightly too soft batter over the fish, but the end pieces have a good, gravelly crunch. Thick cut chips, clean, lightish-yellow colour. Very fluffy in texture, but not crispy. I opted for the mushy peas, rather than garden ones, being in the mood for a glut of calories. They were very runny, and forming a slight puddle on the plate, but the taste was the distinctive salty and sweet associated with the classic mushy pea.
Like all meals here, anyone looking for a healthy meal should check the menu or website for the food credentials. This meal has whopping amounts of calories, salt, sat fat and carbs. Which, of course, is why I wanted it.
Access: *****
Latte: *****
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Warwick Arts Centre Cafe, Warwick University
A university cafe is a destination fraught with nostalgia for me. Once these places were the hotbed of conflict, resounding with the clash of intellectual steel, a contention from which your rapacious blogger would emerge, replete both academically and gastronomically. Nothing left now but a heap of battle scarred bones and ignominious burial.
Access is fine, there is ample room for wheels or any kind of mobility problem. I went for an egg and cress sandwich which was certainly tasty. Despite it being pre-packaged the bread was thick-sliced and the filling a decent heft of chunky, fresh egg. Not too much cress either, which is usually a means of filling out a sandwich on the cheap. I deliberately avoided the 'egg salad' choice and was pleased to note that, in this egg-and-cress, there was no resort to sneaked-in slices of lettuce to make you think you are eating a little bit extra than you paid for. I was slightly disconcerted by the branding. The print design declares itself to be 'urban eat' and the lettering the kind of cod-street style so enamoured of organizations keen to show that they are 'down' with the kids. It is an interesting way of advertising that your ingredients are fresh and organic to describe them as 'real'; and an equally interesting slant to describe such artisan fare as, not 'hand made' but 'hand crafted'.
Drew opted for the soup, a thick lentil and bacon broth. Possibly a little overfilled with lentils, with portions of actual bacon somewhat minimal. I am instructed to convey that Drew did not mind in the least, as the bacon was 'just for taste'. The portion was generous and there was an choice of accompaniment. Drew rejected the traditional bread roll in favour of a pretzel. This was an oversized plait of bread, very dense in texture, almost smooth on the upper palate. Not the most absorbent composition, very much a dunk-and-drip arrangement; if you prefer to soak-and-sup, opt for the bread roll.
The coffee is, frankly, magnificent. I had a large latte which came adorned with a kind of starburst etched in chocolate on the foam, a variation on the traditional rosette. The flavour was rich, but not too strong with a smooth, if somewhat thin texture and chocolate aftertaste. Served in a large mug with saucer it was an excellent antidote for tiredness and made me feel fit to carry on - bloody but (unlike Richard) unbowed.
Access is fine, there is ample room for wheels or any kind of mobility problem. I went for an egg and cress sandwich which was certainly tasty. Despite it being pre-packaged the bread was thick-sliced and the filling a decent heft of chunky, fresh egg. Not too much cress either, which is usually a means of filling out a sandwich on the cheap. I deliberately avoided the 'egg salad' choice and was pleased to note that, in this egg-and-cress, there was no resort to sneaked-in slices of lettuce to make you think you are eating a little bit extra than you paid for. I was slightly disconcerted by the branding. The print design declares itself to be 'urban eat' and the lettering the kind of cod-street style so enamoured of organizations keen to show that they are 'down' with the kids. It is an interesting way of advertising that your ingredients are fresh and organic to describe them as 'real'; and an equally interesting slant to describe such artisan fare as, not 'hand made' but 'hand crafted'.
Drew opted for the soup, a thick lentil and bacon broth. Possibly a little overfilled with lentils, with portions of actual bacon somewhat minimal. I am instructed to convey that Drew did not mind in the least, as the bacon was 'just for taste'. The portion was generous and there was an choice of accompaniment. Drew rejected the traditional bread roll in favour of a pretzel. This was an oversized plait of bread, very dense in texture, almost smooth on the upper palate. Not the most absorbent composition, very much a dunk-and-drip arrangement; if you prefer to soak-and-sup, opt for the bread roll.
The coffee is, frankly, magnificent. I had a large latte which came adorned with a kind of starburst etched in chocolate on the foam, a variation on the traditional rosette. The flavour was rich, but not too strong with a smooth, if somewhat thin texture and chocolate aftertaste. Served in a large mug with saucer it was an excellent antidote for tiredness and made me feel fit to carry on - bloody but (unlike Richard) unbowed.
Here also, faithful bloggee, is the reason why there are so few photographs of food on this site. It rarely lasts long enough.
Access: *****
Latte: *****
Monday, 14 January 2013
The Lygon Arms, Broadway
This is another example of what the Cotswolds do so well, which is indulge the fancy that in a previous life you were an aristocrat. Or, at the very least, a well-kept person who did not eke out an unseemly, grubby existence in a mill or up a chimney. The layout of this establishment means that you can choose to eat and drink and play the aristo in vaguely historical surroundings. The ground floor is divided up into several lounges; in one, you can sit on a mock-Tudor 'settle' in front of a log fire. In some, you can enjoy what might be called a Victwardian ambience: high-backed chairs, small round tea tables and the obligatory log fire. For the modernists amongst you, slip off your gilet and sit on a tub chair or an enormous, squashy sofa. The fact that this place is table (or chair. Or sofa) service adds to that Downton Abbey feel. No queueing at a bar for food and drink, just find a place to sit and someone comes to you.
The selection of food is not cheap and neither are the drinks - £2.75 for a coffee is a lot. We had sandwiches and a bowl of chips (I'm a pleb). The sandwich was ham and mustard and was reasonably generous. Three slices of bloomer bread, two slices of fairly thick ham. Not a lot of mustard but what was there was strong - there was a pleasant burn on the tongue as an aftertaste. The accompanying salad was leaves and the crisps were Walkers ready salted. Chips were fine, but nothing special. Thick cut, but inconsistent in colour and crunch. There were some golden, with crisp edges, but mixed with some anaemic-looking examples, with a less fluffy, light texture. Rather too many of them had dark spots and eyes. Although that at least defines them as fresh or pre-cut chips from potatoes rather than oven-ready style, it was a let down. Latte was good though. Served in a very large glass, Costa-style with a shortbread biscuit, hot with a decent foam. Drew's Americano was also served in a decent sized cup, with saucer and he was offered a very generous portion of milk. The largest milk accompaniment I have yet seen, in fact. Drew had a second cup as the first was so good, and I pinched his biscuit because I am a common little oik.
The selection of food is not cheap and neither are the drinks - £2.75 for a coffee is a lot. We had sandwiches and a bowl of chips (I'm a pleb). The sandwich was ham and mustard and was reasonably generous. Three slices of bloomer bread, two slices of fairly thick ham. Not a lot of mustard but what was there was strong - there was a pleasant burn on the tongue as an aftertaste. The accompanying salad was leaves and the crisps were Walkers ready salted. Chips were fine, but nothing special. Thick cut, but inconsistent in colour and crunch. There were some golden, with crisp edges, but mixed with some anaemic-looking examples, with a less fluffy, light texture. Rather too many of them had dark spots and eyes. Although that at least defines them as fresh or pre-cut chips from potatoes rather than oven-ready style, it was a let down. Latte was good though. Served in a very large glass, Costa-style with a shortbread biscuit, hot with a decent foam. Drew's Americano was also served in a decent sized cup, with saucer and he was offered a very generous portion of milk. The largest milk accompaniment I have yet seen, in fact. Drew had a second cup as the first was so good, and I pinched his biscuit because I am a common little oik.
Friday, 4 January 2013
The Mary Arden Inn, Wilmcote, Stratford-upon-Avon
This is not full of the Tudorbethan olde-worlde ambience you might expect. It has a slightly shambolic, dusty atmosphere that does not reflect the artful nonchalance of the current vintage or retro trends. It just looks shabby. The furnishings in the bar area were a mismatch - tub chairs, tall backed padded dining chairs, large dining tables. The chairs were comfortable enough, but the table we chose was very sticky.
We were only there for a light lunch and were tempted by the sandwiches menu although the choice was limited. I opted for tuna mayonnaise. There being no bloomer loaves left I chose white bread. Drew went for a ham salad baguette. It was not that good. We waited over twenty minutes and it was not honestly worth the wait or the £5.50 cost per sandwich, even from menus that boast the use of local produce. For an establishment that announces itself as a brasserie, I expected a leaning toward the more artisan content and presentation. Instead, I was presented with two slices of white sliced bread with the slightly doughy, stretchy feel of the pre-packaged loaf, cut into four triangles with a tuna mayo that had the suspiciously creamy, too-smooth texture of the catering tub. The salad accompaniment was leaves, shards of red and yellow peppers and just over a quarter of a tomato*, heavily drizzled in balsamic vinegar. To be fair, Drew quite enjoyed his salad, but we both agreed that the accompanying Doritos were the size and shape of the generic, supermarket own brand. His ham salad baguette contained a thick slice of ham, plain tasting and not too salty with a few squashed rocket leaves.
In fairness, we may have missed a trick. There were four people on a table next to us having the soup, which seemed to be served in huge shallow bowls and they seemed to be enjoying it. Access is limited, but not impossible. There is a single step into most rooms, but the staff were friendly enough, so assistance would be forthcoming.
* Yes, faithful blogee, I'm afraid I measured it.
Access: *****
We were only there for a light lunch and were tempted by the sandwiches menu although the choice was limited. I opted for tuna mayonnaise. There being no bloomer loaves left I chose white bread. Drew went for a ham salad baguette. It was not that good. We waited over twenty minutes and it was not honestly worth the wait or the £5.50 cost per sandwich, even from menus that boast the use of local produce. For an establishment that announces itself as a brasserie, I expected a leaning toward the more artisan content and presentation. Instead, I was presented with two slices of white sliced bread with the slightly doughy, stretchy feel of the pre-packaged loaf, cut into four triangles with a tuna mayo that had the suspiciously creamy, too-smooth texture of the catering tub. The salad accompaniment was leaves, shards of red and yellow peppers and just over a quarter of a tomato*, heavily drizzled in balsamic vinegar. To be fair, Drew quite enjoyed his salad, but we both agreed that the accompanying Doritos were the size and shape of the generic, supermarket own brand. His ham salad baguette contained a thick slice of ham, plain tasting and not too salty with a few squashed rocket leaves.
In fairness, we may have missed a trick. There were four people on a table next to us having the soup, which seemed to be served in huge shallow bowls and they seemed to be enjoying it. Access is limited, but not impossible. There is a single step into most rooms, but the staff were friendly enough, so assistance would be forthcoming.
* Yes, faithful blogee, I'm afraid I measured it.
Access: *****
Cafe Creme, Broad Street, Oxford
Sadly, age and an oxygen tank means that I have lost the ability to drape myself casually over furniture as is the wont of all students. No matter how high the stool or unyielding the banquette, as an undergraduate, I could always find the slouching position; and be both comfortable and look unbelievably cool. For this establishment such an ability would be a distinct advantage. It is a long narrow place with steep steps down to the dining area and additional steps down to the toilet. Seating is the aforementioned high chairs/stools or a long, buttock-numbing low bench with small, round tables. Access with any accompanying wheels is impossible.
On the other hand if your budget is as meagre as a student's, then this is perfect. Two toasted baguettes and two drinks was just over a tenner. The offerings are standard lunch fare - paninis, baguettes, wraps, flapjacks, cakes. There are some amazing options for vegetarians. I had a ham and cheese toastie (because I lack imagination) which was just right. One full slice of ham per half portion and cheese completely melted, molten-hot, glutinous in texture, slightly chargrilled baguette but loud, satisfying crunch and tear. No salad accompaniment: in fact, no accompaniment at all, not even a few crisps. I thought that was delightful. Drew had the artichoke, sundried tomato, halloumi and pesto on his baguette and declared it 'beautiful'. It tasted like a pasta dish, felt summery and indulgent. Crinkled, silky tomato, with fragrant, creamy pesto, soft bite on the baguette, not too tough on the teeth. I had the latte, fairtrade, served in a decent sized mug, creamy foam (though no moustache).
It is a good spot to sit and watch the students. If this place is anything to go by, they are far more sensible about their eating habits than I ever was. I well remember nocturnal journeys to a supermarket to get cheap white bread, a can of beans and six eggs to see me through a couple of days. Then stuffed my face with Go Ahead bars all next day because I felt guilty I was not eating properly!
I'd do it all again. In a heartbeat.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
On the other hand if your budget is as meagre as a student's, then this is perfect. Two toasted baguettes and two drinks was just over a tenner. The offerings are standard lunch fare - paninis, baguettes, wraps, flapjacks, cakes. There are some amazing options for vegetarians. I had a ham and cheese toastie (because I lack imagination) which was just right. One full slice of ham per half portion and cheese completely melted, molten-hot, glutinous in texture, slightly chargrilled baguette but loud, satisfying crunch and tear. No salad accompaniment: in fact, no accompaniment at all, not even a few crisps. I thought that was delightful. Drew had the artichoke, sundried tomato, halloumi and pesto on his baguette and declared it 'beautiful'. It tasted like a pasta dish, felt summery and indulgent. Crinkled, silky tomato, with fragrant, creamy pesto, soft bite on the baguette, not too tough on the teeth. I had the latte, fairtrade, served in a decent sized mug, creamy foam (though no moustache).
It is a good spot to sit and watch the students. If this place is anything to go by, they are far more sensible about their eating habits than I ever was. I well remember nocturnal journeys to a supermarket to get cheap white bread, a can of beans and six eggs to see me through a couple of days. Then stuffed my face with Go Ahead bars all next day because I felt guilty I was not eating properly!
I'd do it all again. In a heartbeat.
Latte: *****
Access: *****
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