Date night at the Rupert Brooke
Where to go for a date night? Should it be romantic, posh or low key? None of these apply to me when I decide where to have a great night out with my husband. My first criteria is always good food for me, which doesn’t mean expensive. It just has to be good quality food!
New menu at the Rupert Brooke
Last year in September, Pascky Benedetto took over the Rupert Brooke in Grantchester, and we haven’t been back since then. Not for a specific reason. Life sometimes takes over, especially if your family doesn’t live nearby, so it was about time to head over to Pascky for dinner last Saturday.
It was great to be back, catch up with him, and enjoy the delicious food. There have been quite a few changes since last September. Mainly refurbishments, which looked fantastic. Pascky has some exciting plans for the near future, and I can’t wait to see this take shape.
Chilled plump oysters from Colchester
It was busy and there was a nice vibe. We are absolute suckers for oysters, and most of the time, we share a platter. These Colchester oysters were huge, plump, and served with a spicy sauce. I like them served at the right temperature, which means properly chilled. And they were! Although I love oysters in every shape and form, there is nothing better than delicious plump ones, just like the ones from South Africa, where I lived for a few years.
Excellent pub food and fine dining options
The new menu of the Rupert Brooke is nicely balanced, including pub favourites and fine dining options. Over the last few years, I have started making my own Pastrami. I make my spice mixtures, and the one for the Pastrami has a nice kick. So did the one of the Rupert Brooke, which they used to cure the salmon starter. The dill cream cheese and apple celery gel were a refreshing touch. My husband’s scallops were perfectly cooked and served with black pudding mousse, pea puree, and crisp pancetta.
Venison three ways
One of my other soft spots is game, as it is so versatile, and I love the flavour. One of the specials that evening was venison three ways. It included a roasted low filet of venison, pulled shoulder croquette, a mini venison and quail pie served with red cabbage, walnut puree, cherry jus, and crispy kale. I was in my element! My husband hesitated to have the same for a brief moment but liked the look of the braised short rib of beef served with Truffle mash, roasted root vegetables, jus, and fresh Horseradish.
The perfect finish to our dinner
We shared the sticky toffee pudding with Butterscotch sauce and salted caramel ice cream, which was a perfect end.
My favourite spot in a restaurant
We were sitting close to the pass, and I snapped a photo of herb crusted poached halibut, salmon, caper and dill fishcake, creamed spinach and chive beurre blanc. It’s pretty tempting, too, so I might have to come back for this.
Fine wine by the glass
A fine dinner is nothing without an excellent glass of wine. I am so pleased that more restaurants now offer wine by the glass. No, I am not talking about house wine! The more exclusive ones, which you could only order by the bottle in the past.
While studying their wine list, I spotted a nice selection of rose wines. One in particular caught my eye, the Pinot Noir Rose from Brun Valley in Norfolk, close to Burnham Market. It’s a dry-style Pinot Noir Rose with notes of strawberries and cream on the nose, raspberry, and hints of peach and watermelon. It was the first time I had an English rose wine; it certainly will not be the last time! It was a perfect match with both the oysters and my cured salmon starter.
So what to pair with my main? I didn’t want a heavy wine, but one with enough body and full aroma. All of a sudden, I spotted a memory of the past. Brouilly! A wine you do not come across that often, and I cannot remember when I had it for the last time. It was certainly a long time ago. So this had to be my choice, and I am glad I did, as it was a fantastic glass of wine and perfect with the venison and quail.
This Brouilly is from Cret des Garanches, the Beaujolais region in France. It has classic strawberry and raspberry fruit aromas on the palate and is marked by suppleness, fleshiness and finesse. It also has a peppery bite on the finish, which lifts it above the run-of-the-mill Gamay with its bright nose of fresh strawberry and summer fruits. Yes, I did have a second glass of this wine. Shame not to, don’t you agree?
Gerla
