Sonnet was one element of a short break in Alnwick, Northumberland. Both were highlights of our stay. And they DO like it a lot. So did we. Artichoke porridge? The sweet, earthy vegetable took centre stage once discovered under its toasty, savoury crumb. Fish course Cod brined? Almost too much for Mrs Cheoff but the foaming buttery parsley sauce pulled back things nicely for me.
Fish roe needed to be of the mild variety - and was. The crispy green garnish was gentle enough to have me asking whether it was seaweed or brassica. I only asked myself. Main course Plenty of questions were asked about the cooking and ingredients which produced the main event. Not initially presented on one plate but all came together as a big seasonal nod to traditional traditional English Christmas lunch.
Potatoes were very, very good. Crunch quality control would have no trouble sending these from any kitchen. P might be. Such enthusiasm was well-founded. Cauliflower, cheese sauce, and extra melting cheese in a dinky tart case pressed a lot of buttons which go ding. The discovery of a small dab of pickled-at-home vegetables think Branston at the base added a large dong to those dings.
Parsnip, Brussels sprouts - oh, yes, stuffing and turkey too - might have seemed almost over-generous steps but they were so well cooked that it would have been foolish to deny chef his opportunity to display control over his craft.
Gravy did not disappoint. It was sweet enough, meaty enough, and glossy enough to complete the furore of festive flavour fun gratuitousalliteration. The restaurant has a couple of steps up to the area where we sat. Wanderlust Wine help to create the wine offer here. Any fears that the rich chocolate might overwhelm the whole concoction were binned by its own creamy smoothness and that of the ice cream. Orange was tangy with enough citrus to provide further balance. Maybe there was candied orange in that shard supporting the ice cream.
