With blatant outrightness, The Alliance is an Old Man's Pub with no frills or thrills. The only reason the Boy frequents this blast from the past is because they show the footie on Sky.
How-ever!
The above picture is my witness to a very decent Roast Leg of Lamb, accompanied by parsnips, carrots, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, carrot puree (bonus!), all crowned with a homemade Yorkshire Pudding. Oh my!
Succulent lamb, and deep gravy. Could it be bordering gastro-pub?! Gasp, what a thought. I certainly rate the carrot puree on gastro standards for it's sweet, buttery and mash-potato-consistency. Potatoes have crunchy skin and yield nicely with a soft nudge. And that Yorkshire is rather passable, with a crackly top and soft inside.
Don't judge a pub by it's cover. For £9.90 on average for a well-cooked and handsome looking roast, I can deal with the grandpa sweaters.
4 comments:
If all the food was prepared from fresh, including the gravy, that is nice to see. I've often seen the menu board outside while walking past and wondered about it. So hard to tell with some pubs, you might have a decent chef in the kitchen, or alternatively, someone simply heating up packets of "catering pack gloop" as my mum calls it.
Hi Ghoul - It's impossible to tell from the outside with this one. If you do try it out please let me know I wasn't dreaming! HF
No self respecting Old Man's Pub would serve food like that. OMP food rules are
1. Hot food must be pie/pastry based
2. Said food can only be served from the glass hot cabinet behind the bar
3. "Starters" KP Peanuts, Scampi or Bacon Fries must be served from a cardboard cut out that slowly reveals a bikini clad women
4. Under no circumstances must food require a knife and fork or indeed plate.
5. Hot food only available on match days.
Sorry but what you have there is an aspiring Gastro Pub.
Also, your Yorkshire looks way better, go have a word
PaulieV, you have outlined the rules but this is one rule-breaker on our hands. Here are my gastro-pub ones:-
1. Has a lick of mushroom coloured paint/avant garde wallpaper on the walls.
2. At least one menu option is "Organic", "Home-Grown", "Local", or has a "Local-Sounding-Name" like Vousden Farm Chicken.
3. Has carrot puree.
4. Serves Prosecco.
5. Has serving staff that describe the menu to you with great gusto.
Do you see what I mean? There is a clear identity crises, as The Alliance only fulfils one of my five key rules. But hey, I can't knock the food.
HF xx
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