[Food] Restaurant thread 2021

Tom Hark Preston Park · Mar 1, 2021

I really think somebody needs to channel the lad into entering some masterchef kind of thing, or somebody with the michelin stars or the pirelli tyres or whatever, needs to take him under their wing before he disappears up his own bum. Clearly a very talented guy who would benefit highly from a bit of formal structure in his work. He's clearly WAY better than flipping burgers at the flipping Evening Star. As I say, I wish him well

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 1, 2021

Tom Hark said:
I really think somebody needs to channel the lad into entering some masterchef kind of thing, or somebody with the michelin stars or the pirelli tyres or whatever, needs to take him under their wing before he disappears up his own bum. Clearly a very talented guy who would benefit highly from a bit of formal structure in his work. He's clearly WAY better than flipping burgers at the flipping Evening Star. As I say, I wish him well

I get where you’re coming from but he’s very much his own person and seemingly happy working the way he does. To address your specific point, he has worked in a more formal way but it hasn’t suited him.

Bakero · Mar 1, 2021

Restaurants and bars are all open here but we're giving them a swerve for the time being. Thankfully, the stay at home tapas nights at Chez Bakero more than make up for it.

Saturday evening commenced with a bit of Ossau-Iraty cheese with toasted almonds and caper berries, which went down a treat with a nice glass of Oloroso. A bottle of local white was cracked open next to go with some obscenely garlicky, vermouth-steamed clams, followed by some quite frankly banging salt and pepper squid. Mankind has done some good things throughout history but that tasty little cephalopod was right up there.

As white turned to red, rabbit liver met toast. Splash of brandy, touch of cream, sprinkle of parsley. Lovely. Liver is always good but surely that of the rabbit is the king. The final savoury round had a lot to live up to but the solomillo al PX was a solid contender for dish of the night. Far pinker than you'd get away with in a British kitchen, the pork in sweet sherry glaze, served with a bit of charred cauliflower, was so good I wonder why I don't have it more often.

We rounded things off with, for want of better word, a deconstructed cheesecake- crumbled biscuits, berry compote, marscapone, pomegranate seeds. Very good it was along with a little glass of homemade arancello.

No doubt this makes me as pretentious as a burger-cooking troll but it was damn good. I'd give myself a solid 9/10

Machiavelli · Mar 1, 2021

CheeseRolls said:
I can't see this working well for either party. If the Troll moves inside, he will miss out on passing trade. The Evening Star only needs a couple of tables eating, but not drinking and their wet sales will be halved. Have they ever offered anything more sophisticated than a cheese and pickle sandwich?

Ahem. I think you mean unpretentious

Machiavelli · Mar 1, 2021

Bakero said:
Restaurants and bars are all open here but we're giving them a swerve for the time being. Thankfully, the stay at home tapas nights at Chez Bakero more than make up for it.

Saturday evening commenced with a bit of Ossau-Iraty cheese with toasted almonds and caper berries, which went down a treat with a nice glass of Oloroso. A bottle of local white was cracked open next to go with some obscenely garlicky, vermouth-steamed clams, followed by some quite frankly banging salt and pepper squid. Mankind has done some good things throughout history but that tasty little cephalopod was right up there.

As white turned to red, rabbit liver met toast. Splash of brandy, touch of cream, sprinkle of parsley. Lovely. Liver is always good but surely that of the rabbit is the king. The final savoury round had a lot to live up to but the solomillo al PX was a solid contender for dish of the night. Far pinker than you'd get away with in a British kitchen, the pork in sweet sherry glaze, served with a bit of charred cauliflower, was so good I wonder why I don't have it more often.

We rounded things off with, for want of better word, a deconstructed cheesecake- crumbled biscuits, berry compote, marscapone, pomegranate seeds. Very good it was along with a little glass of homemade arancello.

No doubt this makes me as pretentious as a burger-cooking troll but it was damn good. I'd give myself a solid 9/10

You'll probably tell me that you managed to whip up each dish/tapas in ten minutes too

Springal · Mar 1, 2021

Agree re: Trolls, he just one of those people that will flip flop one venture to another. And fair play its his business / choosing.

Reminds me of the other summer there was a guy selling 'artisan toasties' in Worthing - and to be fair they were banging. But he was so erratic with 'opening hours' where is 'pitch was', and then changed from toasties to something else to something else you just kind of gave up, despite everything they produced being really decent.

Bit like Cocks Kitchen in Worthing. Is a great rotisserie chicken / Sunday roast place a a few years back, now a cafe but less chicken focused, now back to winner winner chicken dinner doing banging chicken burgers, dippers, wings etc and no doubt be reinvented as someone else again soon. The owner is really nice but I get the feeling he gets a bit bored

Westdene Seagull · Mar 1, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
I get where you’re coming from but he’s very much his own person and seemingly happy working the way he does. To address your specific point, he has worked in a more formal way but it hasn’t suited him.

Which would explain the state of his flat where he does all his prep .... utter chaos, complete chaos !

Bakero · Mar 1, 2021

Machiavelli said:
You'll probably tell me that you managed to whip up each dish/tapas in ten minutes too

The pork is the only one that took close to 10 minutes.

Machiavelli · Mar 1, 2021

Bakero said:
The pork is the only one that took close to 10 minutes.

Now that response indicates that the other dishes took less than 10 minutes. I get that chucking some cheese, nuts and caperberries on a plate is rather rapid, but salt and pepper squid is always somewhat time-consuming when I've got a pinny on.

Bakero · Mar 1, 2021

Machiavelli said:
Now that response indicates that the other dishes took less than 10 minutes. I get that chucking some cheese, nuts and caperberries on a plate is rather rapid, but salt and pepper squid is always somewhat time-consuming when I've got a pinny on.

Cleaning, cutting and scoring - 2 mins max
Dredging in flour, salt, pepper and cornmeal - 30 seconds
In the pan - 2 mins

Guinness Boy · Mar 1, 2021

Bakero said:
Cleaning, cutting and scoring - 2 mins max
Dredging in flour, salt, pepper and cornmeal - 30 seconds
In the pan - 2 mins

Half pissed?

You can go off people you know......

:lolol:

Bakero · Mar 1, 2021

Guinness Boy said:
Half pissed?

You can go off people you know......

Oh, I was definitely full pissed

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 1, 2021

Westdene Seagull said:
Which would explain the state of his flat where he does all his prep .... utter chaos, complete chaos !

Being nosey and aware of previous posts you have made, do you know him personally? Just curious.

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 1, 2021

Bakero said:
Restaurants and bars are all open here but we're giving them a swerve for the time being. Thankfully, the stay at home tapas nights at Chez Bakero more than make up for it.

Saturday evening commenced with a bit of Ossau-Iraty cheese with toasted almonds and caper berries, which went down a treat with a nice glass of Oloroso. A bottle of local white was cracked open next to go with some obscenely garlicky, vermouth-steamed clams, followed by some quite frankly banging salt and pepper squid. Mankind has done some good things throughout history but that tasty little cephalopod was right up there.

As white turned to red, rabbit liver met toast. Splash of brandy, touch of cream, sprinkle of parsley. Lovely. Liver is always good but surely that of the rabbit is the king. The final savoury round had a lot to live up to but the solomillo al PX was a solid contender for dish of the night. Far pinker than you'd get away with in a British kitchen, the pork in sweet sherry glaze, served with a bit of charred cauliflower, was so good I wonder why I don't have it more often.

We rounded things off with, for want of better word, a deconstructed cheesecake- crumbled biscuits, berry compote, marscapone, pomegranate seeds. Very good it was along with a little glass of homemade arancello.

No doubt this makes me as pretentious as a burger-cooking troll but it was damn good. I'd give myself a solid 9/10

You’ve spoken about some of your cooking before...as a fan of seafood/shell fish and a lover of Spanish cooking it made me envious then as well.

Bakero · Mar 1, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
You’ve spoken about some of your cooking before...as a fan of seafood/shell fish and a lover of Spanish cooking it made me envious then as well.

As a fan of Spanish food, you'd have loved tonight's bacalao con tomate.

5 minute job [MENTION=28490]Machiavelli[/MENTION] (not including soaking the salt cod overnight and the ~2 hours making the tomato sauce last month before freezing)

Machiavelli · Mar 1, 2021

I think you've mentioned your Rachel Roddy tomato sauce before. Is the bacalao easy to preserve?

thedonkeycentrehalf · Mar 1, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
I get where you’re coming from but he’s very much his own person and seemingly happy working the way he does. To address your specific point, he has worked in a more formal way but it hasn’t suited him.

This is why I am surprised he has gone back to working in a kitchen. He has previously said that he likes to be able to talk to the customers and hates being shut away. He also has a great mistrust of others so won't hand over to others after he felt his reputation for quality was being lost during the Brunswick openings.

Unless the Evening Star has turned into a tardis, there is no way he can have an open kitchen that gives him this contact so I'm afraid he will last six to twelve months before moving on again. I also don't see any kitchen working in the Star - it has always been a drinkers pub and it doesn't have the space to have people sitting down and eating proper meals.

Westdene Seagull · Mar 2, 2021

Herr Tubthumper said:
Being nosey and aware of previous posts you have made, do you know him personally? Just curious.

For about six months I used to deliver him his fruit and veg for his business to his flat twice a week. Flat always smelt amazing - looked like a witches cavern with all the pots everywhere on the go. Very nice guy.

Bakero · Mar 2, 2021

Machiavelli said:
I think you've mentioned your Rachel Roddy tomato sauce before. Is the bacalao easy to preserve?

I buy the cod salted, which is how it generally comes in Spain. Though I am a big fan of Roddy's writing, I'm pretty sure my standard tomato sauce predates her rise to fame. Hers is probably quite similar as I often go down the typical Italian route with a celery, carrot and onion soffritto. (Apologies to RR if I have previously said she gave me the inspiration)

Herr Tubthumper · Mar 2, 2021

thedonkeycentrehalf said:
This is why I am surprised he has gone back to working in a kitchen. He has previously said that he likes to be able to talk to the customers and hates being shut away. He also has a great mistrust of others so won't hand over to others after he felt his reputation for quality was being lost during the Brunswick openings.

Unless the Evening Star has turned into a tardis, there is no way he can have an open kitchen that gives him this contact so I'm afraid he will last six to twelve months before moving on again.....even Mr Troll. I also don't see any kitchen working in the Star - it has always been a drinkers pub and it doesn't have the space to have people sitting down and eating proper meals.

I guess one difference with the Star is he’s worked with them for a long time before this move inside i.e. he knows exactly who and what he’s working with. I appreciate his previous standpoints but he obviously feels this can work....people do compromise and people do change.....even Mr Troll. I’m guessing the kitchen will be out of sight; don’t they have a large redundant space in the basement where they once brewed beer?

As for table space, I guess he will serve food in a format similar to what he currently does and folk will eat it at the current tables or on-the-hoof. I can’t see them putting out table cloths and cutlery. But who knows, the past year has provided an opportunity for businesses to reassess and adapt or change and it’s something I’m seeing elsewhere...maybe there will be a surprise and a significant change to the pub?

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[Food] Restaurant thread 2021

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