The Grove Stafford – An Ecclesiastical Lunch

by Cedric | Aug 21, 2018 | Food and Drink, General

This gorgeous little niche is hidden in front of St Mary’s Church, Stafford. I have the misfortune of being employed. My work sends me across the country on various daily errands. Around lunchtime, I often enjoy eating. This particular lunchtime saw me dining at the Grove. This restaurant is unassuming yet really rather friendly.

The first thing which caught my eye were these homemade scones. Of course I ate savoury before sweet but these were in the back of my mind the entire meal. Make sure you take one before your meal. They will all be gone by the time you finish.

My first of many visits to the Grove consisted of a simple meal. I asked the waiter what his best panini was. He replied; brie and cranberry.

All the sandwiches are home made, hand cut and baked with only the freshest ingredients on the day. This transpires in the quality of each luscious bite. This may have been a humble sandwich, but it packed a punch. The salad was lovely too.

The atmosphere at the Grove is marvellous. You feel propelled back to the late 1940s. The Grove is welcoming, quiet and secluded. I was really impressed with it, and so too will you.

While you’re there, have a look around Stafford town. It is absolutely charming.

House of Chicken – True Meat Feast, Bletchley

by Cedric | Aug 15, 2018 | Food and Drink, General

Having visited Bletchley Park and absorbed as much information as we could bear, Adomas (formerly “The satanist with a small S”) and I felt a bit peckish. Little did we know that just around the corner from this intellectual powerhouse lay a house of a different ilk…

Finding the House of Chicken might be one of my greatest achievements. This Portuguese restaurant represented everything I love about dining. Situated on the fringes of Bletchley town, HoC is far away from famous monuments, and even further away from dreadful tourists. You’d really have to desire dining here to find it. Thankfully, Adomas and I were determined to feast on prime quality meat.

We started as we meant to go on with a delectable char-grilled chorizo sausage. HoC grilled the whole thing and presented it to us, simply, on a plate. This ticks another box on my ‘Best Restaurant’ list; namely that the food is presented in an unpretentious manner. I hate small non-comestible silly things littered across my plate. I want food as it was intended to be eaten: simply.

Though not presented pretentiously, this was a sausage with which to be reckoned. From the first morsel, we were in culinary nirvana. Crunchy on the outside and quite difficult to cut; the rewards from defeating this sausage were manifold. Waves of explosive flavour fill your every sinew. At £4.50 a piece, I could not recommend this enough. We also feasted on the meat risolles; deep fried concoction of mince, onion, garlic, herbs, egg and breadcrumbs. Again, sterling quality dish, presented simply.

Next we moved onto the main. I opted for the pork ribs. Since leaving Bletchley Park, I had an insatiable urge to eat ribs. HoC satisfied my urges in ways I could only dream of hitherto. Their ribs were succulent and full of flavour. One tends to feel like a Neanderthal when eating ribs but filthy fingers are a small price to pay for such well made ribs. Ogle at them in their glory in the picture below.

Being a man of the world; Adomas went for the chicken wings. He told me they were the greatest he had ever tasted, which is no small feat considering his advanced age. I had the honour of savouring one. I must say they were impressive. Normally I wouldn’t eat such things because of my beard and implacable snobbism, but I am glad I put my shortcomings aside. They were so delicious, I kept looking for more bits of chicken to separate from the bone. They fell with such ease. Each fry you see was hand peeled and cut in the restaurant on the day.

One thing which took me aback in HoC was their attention to detail. This is a family run Portuguese restaurant. They treat their guests like family. Miguel fully stayed with us 10 minutes to explain every aspect of the menu. This was in spite of the heaving masses surrounding us. I was impressed by the sensibility and kindness of the staff as well as their efficiency.

The home-made desserts were the last thing to truly amaze us. Chocolate mousse and Portuguese custard tart. Both clearly made freshly and by hand. Both thoroughly satisfying. They are pictured below.

It is impossible to not enjoy House of Chicken. The prices are so low they will make your head spin. And the quality is so high, you’ll think you’re flying. Trust me, I know.

The Old Mill – Quaint Traditional Pub Baginton

by Cedric | Jul 8, 2018 | Food and Drink, General

It amazes me that I’ve not yet written about the delightful gem that is the Old Mill. My own local pub is not exactly suggestible so I shopped around for something more suitable.

Lo and behold, not ten minutes’ drive from my humble Canley abode lay the most superb riverside pub. Entering from the car park, one would not immediately assume that this pub is as splendid a jewel as it is. But once you pass through the doors prepare to be mesmerised. Dated wooden beams stretch out as far the eye can see. Seating on three levels of exquisitely kept original oak floors. And to top it all off, a magnificent beer garden.

The view from it is pictured below:

On my latest visit, when these illustrious photographs were taken; the full extent of the view was obscured by two Frenchmen. Now if you don’t know already, prepare yourselves for a wicked bombshell: I am not English. No let me perfectly clear; I was born in France to British and Italian parents. I since moved to England and gained the Holy British Citizenship. But some modicum of patriotism remained and I could not bear to disrupt my countrymen.

As you can see, even inadvertently, I have protected my fellow Frenchmen’s identities. Their English compatriots, however, did not fare so well.

Moving on, the Old Mill is a former watermill dating back to the 1600’s. It’s located on the river Sowe, which is tranquil at this point. While conversing about utterly compelling topics such as the Football World Cup, you’ll be regaled by the relaxing running river. The Sowe sets the scene for serene speech.

I’ve tried a few things on the menu now, and I can’t for the life of me find the photographs. But I am sure you’ll cope. If you have the strength to read this far, a socking revelation such as the one aforementioned should not shake you.

I thoroughly enjoyed my burger and the beautiful pork belly but the dish which really stood out for me culinarily was the chicken liver pate with homemade red onion relish. Every mouthful truly felt divine. I was bowled over. Empty plate. Not a spec left.

Did I mention the Old Mill doubles as a hotel? The above is not one of the rooms, however it forms part of the building and looks quite lovely to be honest.

So if you’re in Coventry and are tired of running from your life from a hooded menace, come down to the Old Mill. It is quaint; traditional and safe. I have never left without a smile on my face.

And above all, don’t forget to tell lovely Linda I say hello.

The Old Bakery – Stylish Pub Kenilworth

by Cedric | Jun 26, 2018 | Food and Drink, General

Picture the scene: it’s  bank holiday Monday in early May. I find myself in Kenilworth revising by the lovely body of water in Abbey Fields Park. Trusts law is not the most interesting and I was somewhat disturbed by a family outnumbered by their mangy hounds in close proximity.

It was high time for a break. I go to a gardening shop and I ask Linda, the shopkeeper, where the locals drink their cider. Immediately she looks left and right, then whispers in my ear “The Old Bakery”.

Of course none of the preceding events were as dramatic as depicted. I’m just trying to hook you in so you find this description of an exceptional pub even more interesting. That was a half truth, there really was a family outnumbered by their dogs. They frightened me. I wanted to sit in nearby shade but their dogs started barking. I asked them whether it would disturb them if I sat within barking distance. All I got in response were a few primordial grunts. One of them managed, to my surprise, to produce a sentence: “who does he think he is?”. Thoroughly confused, my revision did not at all go well.

Two things became immediately apparent. The first was the litany of awards on the wall. This pub has won best pub in Warwickshire, although the co-owner intimated to me that the boundaries of the awarding body excluded Leamington Spa from their ‘Warwickshire region’.

Nonetheless, the second thing I notices was a resplendent blue carpet with matching chair covers. This is quite rare in pubs and certainly inspires confidence in the clientele. The hotel owners have enough confidence in their customers to not spill various extremely well kept beers all over the place. The Old Bakery must be a pub of exceptional repute. It is also famed for its daily homemade fresh food, which I have yet to sample.

It came as no surprise that this pub doubles as a fine hotel. Indeed this will be where I send my family when they come down to Warwick from Yorkshire for my graduation at the end of July.

The Old Bakery’s excellent location means my family will be ten minutes from my home in Canley. Thankfully I have an expansive driveway so finding room for three or four cars won’t be a problem. Why does this matter? Allow me to elucidate: no faffing around with the exhausting park and ride scheme the university utilises every year! While I admire the work which goes into this scheme and have indeed worked there myself on occasion, it is much easier for me to walk into university.

In summation, the Old Bakery is outstanding, not only for the quality of its ales and ciders but also for its location and fabulous hotel facilities. I recommend it highly.

by Daniel Smith of the Coventry Telegraph.

Panineria By Luk, Rome – My Local Burger Joint

by Cedric | Jun 20, 2018 | Food and Drink, General

Whenever I plot a journey to Rome, I like to look though TripAdvisor to get an idea of where I can eat. Lo and behold, Luk, one of my most frequented restaurants in Rome, was #3. Out of 10,000+ restaurants!

Naturally, I had to return. When I studied at Roma Tre, I would eat at Luk at least three times a week. Everything about this place is appealing. The understated outward appearance; family run; few tables. While Luk is not situated in the friendliest area of Rome, it provides an air of exclusivity. Each time I went at a conventional dining hour, the queue stretched out the door. Even Romans are willing to wait for this perfect panini!

Of course, Panineria Luk does not sell only paninis, they are famed for their burgers. Priced at a modest £5, these double as the best and cheapest burgers in the Eternal City. It brings me great joy to be able to recommend Luk to you personally. He and his brother came to know me so well, I would not even need to order when I entered, they would make my usual right away!

Now without further ado; photographic evidence of the culinary masterpiece that is a Luk Burger:

Oh yes, the dangling pancetta; top quality beef burger cooked perfectly; homemade caccio e pepe mayonnaise and sun dried tomatoes in olive oil… This  is Luk’s burger.

Luk makes all his own condiments. These include my two favourites; mayonnaise caccio e pepe and his truffle mayonnaise. But there are about 16 potential toppings and none of them are extra. It is 4.50€ for a burger. £5 with a drink at lunch. There is a 50c surcharge at night.

In all, you won’t find a better burger in Rome for this price. Have a look at my old Roma Tre law school while you’re there, it’s quite impressive.