I ONCE read a book by a fellow food critic full of advice about How to Eat Out. A funny book by a funny man*.
Among his top tips about how to get best out of the, at times, expensive business of dining out was, rather puzzlingly perhaps, "don’t eat the bread".
His thesis was that, broadly speaking, if you are taking the time and trouble to go to a pub or restaurant to enjoy, hopefully, superb starters, main courses and desserts to sample the full range of skills in the kitchen, don’t scarf down the contents of the bread basket before you even start.
He also made the point that great chefs seldom prove to be great bakers – that’s even if the bread is made on the premises.
A controversial view perhaps, especially when value for money is particularly sought after. I mean, why would one turn one’s nose up at the ‘free’ bread?
EATING OUT: THE THREE HORSESHOES, BARNARD CASTLE
Well, I have tried. As someone with a sweet tooth I have found it increasingly difficult to find room for my heart’s desire – a dessert – if having three courses. So I have endeavoured to resist the lure of the sourdough, the breadsticks, the olives and any other freebies proffered with the menu.
Visiting the Aysgarth Falls Hotel, that was certainly the intention.
The chef here is Tristan Prudden who has form for his extensive career working in some of the finest hotels and pubs in North Yorkshire.
Hailing from just down the road in Bainbridge, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Tante Marie School of Cookery aged 18 and just a couple of years after working as the kitchen porter at the King’s Arms in Askrigg.
Over the years, we have eaten in many of the places Mr Prudden has been in the kitchen – at the Grantham Arms in Boroughbridge, at the Black Horse in Kirkby Fleetham and the Garden Rooms Restaurant at Tennants in Leyburn.
It’s a track record which demonstrates great cooking – and all the more reason to hold off on the bread to sample the Full Monty of three courses.
Except the bread – sourdough with sun-dried tomato, caramelised onion and flavoured butter made in the kitchen – was just too good to resist. It turns out Mr Prudden is as good a baker as he is a chef. And there was a lot of it too which quickly disappeared.
We were a party of four with Karin and Philip joining us. We ordered two starters, four mains and two desserts.
It was all pretty lovely – and lovely and pretty on the plate too. While the way a dish is presented may not be high on the list of most people’s priorities, without exception our dishes looked exceptional – particularly Philip’s spinach and ricotta tortellini with a white wine velouté sauce, herb oil, toasted pine nuts and a dusting of pecorino cheese (£19.95) (above).
My rump of Dales lamb with fondant potato, broccoli two ways (whole and puree), semi-dried tomato and a roasted garlic jus ((£26.95) was a visual feast too. The lamb was super-tender and the intensity of the flavour was almost gamey.
Karin was very happy with her roasted stone bass (the chunkier version of sea bass) served in a crayfish and summer vegetable broth with a potato and herb terrine and samphire (£26.95).
The only bum note was Sylvia’s cornfed chicken supreme (£24.95). Wonderfully complex flavours in the onion textures, asparagus, chorizo and chicken and thyme jus couldn’t make up for the dryness of the chicken breast meat.
EATING OUT: THE BAY HORSE AT RAVENSWORTH
The two starters we shared were top hole – a chunky ham hock terrine (£11.95) with crispy black pudding, crackling, apple, piccalilli and brioche (more bread!) and a super-smooth chicken liver parfait (£10.95) with pain d’epices (was it cake, or bread?)
I’m generally not a fan of ‘deconstructed’ desserts but the vanilla and passion fruit ‘cheesecake’ with pineapple, rum, mango sorbet worked well. The coriander was a fragrant finishing touch.
Finally, the Palmer’s sticky toffee pudding was considerably enlivened by the prune and Earl Grey puree and sea salt caramel sauce. Both desserts were £8.50.
Inside the restaurant at the Aysgarth Falls Hotel
We were well looked after by Adele and her team. Our table didn’t enjoy a Dales view which a select few do but the refurbished restaurant (carried out after a change of ownership in 2021) is a beautiful environment wherever you sit.
The bill for four was steep-ish at £172 for four but it did include a mid-range bottle of Picpoul at £29 and bowl of seasonal vegetables (£4.50) which we didn’t really need because the vegetable garnishes with the main courses were quite substantial.
And I’ll qualify that further with the observation that this was truly fine dining (thankfully without all that ten-course tasting menu and wine pairing palaver).
*Giles Coren of the London Times
Palmers Restaurant at Aysgarth Falls Hotel
Aysgarth, Leyburn DL8 3SR
Tel: 01969 663775
Web: aysgarthfallshotel.com
Open: 6-8pm Monday to Saturday; noon-8pm Sunday (a separate bar menu is available noon-8pm Monday to Saturday)
Ratings (out of ten):
Food quality 9
Service 10
Surroundings 9
Value 8
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