......MY ST JOHN EXPERIENCE!!!!!!!
Those of you who are veggies, almost veggies, and squirrel-lovers might want to give this a miss... After months of salivating over just what strange animal organs I would be tucking into, in one of the more well known meat and offal focused restaurants in the world (there was a whole chapter in Anthony Bourdain's 'A Cook's Tour' which featured St John and its signature dish- which I'll talk about later).
March 15, Matt and I walk there from my work. We went to the St John Bar & Restautant, located in Smithfield- A rather cleanish, hip area of London. Nice pubs, a fewcafe/restaurant places, but we... well, I only have eyes for the white painted entrance leading into nirvana.
We walk in, and there's wooden floors, benches and tables, a white-painted bar and loaves of bread on a display stand. The walls are all white as well- and there are plain lamps hanging down from the ceiling. Rather plain and clinical. We realise that this is just the 'bar' area and walk up a few steps into the dining room. More white painted... everything. Even the floorboards are whitewashed.
We're seated at a table for two, against the wall and have a pretty good view of the rest of the dining area. They've set up tables close together in the middle of the room. We're lucky we're early eaters. Come any later and we'd be elbow to elbow with other diners.
I take the menu with barely contained eagerness- Entrees- grilled oysters, razor clams, pollock (what's that? was it supposed to be spelled with a 'b' p'raps?) with egg and toast, squid,some boring veggie options (heehee) andthe world famous MARROW BONE AND PARSLEY SALAD! I'd been dying to try this for yonks. Ever since I read Bourdain's description in his book... yum.
However, the waiter (clad all in white- what is it with white?) comes back to take our order and tells us the specials of the day. At the entree of 'Squirrel Livers'...I'm hooked. Who knows when they'd be able to catch more of the nimble little critters again? I go for the squirrel. Matt picks squid. Waiter comes right back to tell me that all the squirrels had beenordered by diners quicker than I was. Bugger. Oh well, I guess I'll go the marrow bones.
We have our entrees! Mine's this place with 4 tubes, standing upright, two slices of grilled rye bread, a mound of glistening parsley, sliced onion and capers. The waiter scoops some celery salt onto my place.
Matt has a beige medley of cold squid pieces (no tentacles) and some sort of pale vegetable and beige sauce.
Anyway, I pick up the crab-pick that they've given me and put it into the first marrowbone. You swirl it allaround to loosen the stuff, then scoop it out onto your toastie. It's weird. Like that layer of fat you get, when you refrigerate stock- it's gelatinous, fatty and 'essense of meat' - doesn't taste like pate, blood or what you'd expect. Sprinkle the celery salt, then pile on some parsley/caper stuff. Bite. Yuuuuuummmmmm. The crunchy bread, oily(?) marrow, salt and sour of the rest of the stuff just makes it SO good! I offer Matt some. He likes it more than his entree, too. He helps me finish mine :).
Main courses. Had a look through the menu. Apart from what I ordered, it seems that there isn't all that much strangness on the menu. there's fish,there's chicken, there's middlewhite and some veggie accompaniemant (we foundout middlewhite is the species of rare-breed british porker, that they serve,roasted- why not just say roast pork?).
For all you veggies out there,there were a few mains, including whole main sized serve, of cauliflower and cheese. hmmm. maybe it would have been nice cheese, but I'd have been a bit bored by the 5th mouthful, I think. Chicken necks were the main course special of the day, but that isn't something I think I'd ever have. (that and chicken feet are where I draw the line at)
So. I'm served my main of lamb tongue. NO. It's not a plated version of the rolling stones motive. It had been confitted (braised slowly in fat- ooh. Idon't think I'm doing it any favours here), then warmed under the grill, sliced and served with turnips and lambs lettuce and drizzled with anchovy mayo. I thought that it was pretty cheeky that they put lambs lettuce in with the salad. Or would it be more tongue in cheek???? (sorry,I amuse myself, sometimes)
Regardless, every bite was deeelightful. The meat was melt-in-your-mouth (SORRY!), and each mouthful was packed full of flavour.
Matt got the veal neck- which was a yummy irish stew with greatbig serves of tender meat. However, after having bites of my meal and trying his, I couldn't wait to get back to mine.
We had a nice bottle of bordeaux between us. Then had desert. I went a date loaf with butterscotch sauce and spice icecream. Matt did a buttermilk pudding with prunes and something else thatI forget (had quite a bit of that bottle of wine by then).
We got out of the now very packed restaurant, cabbed it home and I went to bed with a smile on my face.
Next- heading up to Chamonix to learn how to snow-board(translation: flounder inelegantly in the snow) for bout 5 days! Will write about that when I'm back.
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