The Sugar Bar

I think I was born to be a pescetarian. I love my seafood, especially shellfishes and octopus. Say ‘oct-’ and I go nuts even before you can continue with ‘-topus’. Any other seafood enthusiasts in the house?

But sometimes a meatfest is just what you need. And with a particular friend I know and adore, meatfests are compulsory affairs. So when she decided to come riding down the mountain, trotting over from York with little more than an unending appetite, I remembered when Catty first introduced Goodman to me and how I impressed I was with it. Lunch at Goodman’s was truly necessary and just perfect for meatfest friend. In fact, not going would’ve been criminal.

I wanted a burger so there wasn’t much hmm-haaing over the menu. My friend V went for the set lunch menu which is very affordable and probably one of the most affordable ones I’ve come across. I’m going to let the pictures (courtesy of V and her wicked camera) do the talking.

V’s fish soup starter

So maybe Goodman’s not just for those red meat carnivores. This was extremely delicious served with flat croutons and garlic-will-blow-your-mind aioli.

Roast lamb with creamed spinach and potatoes

And of course…the Goodman burger.

There are many great (and more comprehensive) reviews of Goodman on the webosphere so I won’t really go into it. The pictures speak for themselves and all I’ve to say is, people go here to be fed properly. And I mean properly. You can simply judge by the generous servings that are nothing but quality quality quality. The burger patty is crazy good that it doesn’t even need the slightest drop of condiment. Good meat, good food and oh yes, that fish soup starter? Fucking amazing (excuse my French, I couldn’t think of any other modifier).

And so that’s how today’s story ends. Although it’s simply the beginning to more trips to Mayfair just for Goodman I reckon. Happy days.

Goodman Restaurant
26 Maddox Street
London
W1S 1QH

http://www.goodmanrestaurants.com

No matter how busy anyone is, there’s always time to eat. My number one rule in the book, never forget to eat. I mean, it’s physically impossible for me anyway when I’m thinking, planning and dreaming about food 24/7/365… Yea I truly am that disgusting and ridiculous. If I got thrown out of a plane, shipwrecked on some desert island, etc. I’d probably start Ray Mears-style finding ways to recreate a cheesy omelette on hot volcanic rock I can find, grill wild boar satays, etc. all by a shoddily set-up campfire (the question of actually being successful in setting one up of course is very controversial). Despite being one not to eat out often, I can never say no to a lunch or a dinner out and with some of my favourite ladies, even more reason to ditch the work and run, arms-stretched out, squealing to Byron.

Catty had told me so much about it. Suyin had raved about how good their burgers were. I, on the other hand, was clueless. I was going in blind. Can you imagine my anticipation.

10 minutes early. Tick tock tick tock. Sat there all by my lonely self, licking my lips and nursing a lone Diet Coke, with a massive grin on my face. Yes, I was well chipper. And all for burger and chips.

Basically, there’s not much of a story to tell this time round. The results were good, let’s just say that. A really good patty and I loved that the patty came very pink in the middle. Anyone who likes red meat well done is missing out on quite a lot, let’s put it that way. I had a really good lunch. They serve great chips, made from spuds or courgettes – both very scrummy. End of story. Yum yum yummyinmytummy so that’sitthankyoubye.

Byron
At the Intrepid Fox
97-99 Wardour Street
London
W1F 0UD

http://www.byronhamburgers.com

Picture from The Malthouse

Last weekend, I was in Shrewsbury visiting a friend and by the end of my visit, it had me purring like a cat (I’ll get to why I was purring later). When it comes to visiting friends I’ve not seen for a while or going countryside, there’s only two words on my mind. And that is: pub food. Somehow my brain immediately identifies the country with – not just the calming and beautiful landscape – pub grub. It doesn’t help that I probably think about food more than sex or shoes or clothes in the day. My whole nom nom obsession is simply exacerbated.

On the Saturday, we visited the first iron made structure ever constructed – the Ironbridge. The weather wasn’t too bad in the day but by the time we’d got there after a thorough walkabout through the Victorian town Blists Hill, the sky was just miserable. It was grey, it was freezing cold, the winds were so strong it was a real challenge to walk in a straight line and the rain was all pissy and furry – the type that was so thin and fine it soaked right through to your bones I bet. You couldn’t escape this sort of rain or you could die trying, really. Thankfully we had a bit of relief from the rain when we stopped at this lovely, comforting pub for lunch. It was one that appeared most welcoming to us (also because our car was parked very conveniently in their driveway) and called The Malthouse, beckoning us with these luscious, seductive interiors.

If you’ve seen the first picture, you’ve probably already gotten a general idea of what this was like and why I say it provided us our much sought-after escape from the outside icky weather. Think lush interiors, like really lush, bordering on decadent. Velvety surroundings and a boudoir-ish ambience, Victorian style furniture with animal print or flocked upholstery and lots of red candles and carpeting. Sounds tacky and a bit cheap? On a sunny day when I’m happy, dry and well-fed I might think just that. When I’m a sodding drowned rat, shoulders aching from hunching against the wind and ankles so cold they’d literally failed the rest of my body and stiffened into ice blocks, I think this was like coming home to a warm hearth and a plate of hot food after a long trek in the woods. The Malthouse was seriously like the light at the end of the tunnel for us. And I was nearly moved to tears when they sat us down at our table, all friendly and smiley and attentive to their windswept customers who’d arrived before the dinner crowd.

Like a cat, perfectly comfy in her skin, and luxuriously stretching its limbs, I did a nice big stretch after chucking aside my wet brolly and removing my coat still icy from the wind. Then, I took another look around and I think my face just lit up and glowed from being warm and dry and sat down. I was utterly comforted by the fact that we were about to be fed. And I simply couldn’t help being appreciative of the quirky bits in this pub house like, the day’s menu written on long panels of chalkboard, pictures of hearts framed and stuck on the walls and oh, this bit I thought was so cool – black chandeliers with opaque black beads dangling very sexily from the bulbs. I know I know…that’s not to everyone taste and it’s so flashy contemporary it kind of hurts your eyeballs. But I could have just thrown myself into the interiors, sinking into it like a waterbed with a sort of post-erh-hum satisfaction, so sue me.

Smoked Salmon Baguette

If I’ve made you quite jealous of our experience, then I’ve been quite successful. If I haven’t, don’t worry I won’t try again. Instead, I’ll change my tactic and move on to Plan B. The food.

Chicken & Onion Rings Stacked Burger & Chips

S’s mum had a nice smoked salmon baguette and the rest of us ordered some hot food – dramatic pause here – some hot proper pub food. It was real nice to see the menu being separated out into starters, pub food, mains, soups, salads, desserts (I think that was how it was for the last 3). What I’m trying to stress is the separate category the humble pub fare was given and that really brought a smile to us. I think we all privately reminisced the cheap student pub food from our undergrad years (which ended only just last year) and anyway, I think everyone has a special place in their heart and stomach for the simple yet very much loved pub grub. We’ve all had good pub food, and bad pub food. Even if at that point of time it was a real torture to swallow that plate of pure grease and cheap butter, I can only say that general entity known as ‘pub food’ is always quite fondly thought of. Of course there wasn’t much to worry about here because the food was excellent!

Bangers and Mash

My food was the last to arrive. Although the last, it was definitely not the least by miles! The picture of it might explain why. It was huge! The portion of chips was generous and the battered fish about the length of my forearm. My lunch partners were a little worried and all ready to ask for doggy bag to take home the leftovers.

Fish and Chips

I think my reaction to that was a big ‘errr…there’s no need’. I ate it all. It didn’t defeat me.

Am I disgusting or just a real trooper with a bottomless pit for a stomach? The fish was fab and so fresh. And thankfully it wasn’t just all made up of batter. The chips were nicely seasoned and real yum with a good bite to it. I quite dislike mushy peas. I think the look of it and the texture just puts me off completely so I never ask for it. If it’s on my plate, I push it away as far from my chips and fish as possible (and I really ain’t that kind of fussy eater. Just mushy peas, paté and black pudding I can’t stand). I don’t know if it was the red candle induced happiness or boudoir ambience that had gone to my head, I ate mushy peas.

Yes I really did. And I liked it. I normally don’t. But this one was good. And it had whole peas in it too. Maybe that’s what made it worked. I didn’t have it all, thank goodness. But I had some. And that’s progress. The Malthouse was a real success and I take the mushy peas as proof of that.

Even though the rain had let up and we were getting sleepy from being so well-fed, we were sad to leave and drive away from Ironbridge. Good times though. Great weekend.

The Malthouse
The Wharfage
Ironbridge
Shropshire
TF8 7NH
Bar-Lounge-Rooms-Live Music
Tel.: 01952 433712