The Lunch That Went Long

Hark! Herald! The final Friday of January. The fast is over, the feast upon us. We’ve got news of next week’s menu, Dukes’ style martinis & a Saturday Set Lunch, for taking a bit more time and drinking more wine. Welcome to weekend and the Quality Wines newsletter.

An Apennine tour begins in Tuscany with ribollita. A soup of yesterday’s bread, cavolo nero & cannellini. Something substantial for taking stock on a solo lunch or a hearty start to a meal with friends, an excuse to get the good soup spoons out either way. Sardinian Camone tomatoes are dressed with an oregano invigorated salmoriglio & juicy blood oranges. The energy of the fruits and snap of the sauce belieing a Winter season spent ensconced in Cannonau & Cagliari Calcio. Amalfi lemon & picked white crab meet egg-yolk tagliatelle, bird’s eye chilli & parsley in a further celebration of citrus.

The Francophiles amongst us prefer butter, braise & brandy. A Gascon chou farcie of pork, veal & foie gras provides a comedy of depth & flavour, and appeals to the glutton in yours truly. Well, if the shoe fits. Elsewhere veal shins are slow roasted and accompanied by boiled potatoes & a Jurassic Vin Jaune sauce. Shin City.

Tuesday to Friday next week an ‘Express Lunch’ of hand-excavated cavatelli with cime de rapa, anchovies & pangratatto is available for £15 with a wine, beer or soft.

Next Saturday we introduce a new set lunch alongside the a la carte. Unbound by the structures of the working week, something to be taken slowly (or quick). £29 for 3 courses, week one includes: that ribollita, (care to add a truffled croque, go wild!) a main course ox cheek ragu & polenta, cannoli of your choice.

Finally, after 7 years of being a ‘one cocktail only’ bar (save for the festive delights of a snowball) we’ve added a martini to the menu. A vermouth rinse, gin or vodka served from the freezer, a twist of lemon or olives & brine if you must. To signal the start, end, beginning of the end of your lunch, dinner, afternoon.

Hope to see you all soon.

Marcos, Nick & the Team.