Sunday 15 February 2009

the angelic


sunday afternoon found o and i at a gastro-pub in islington. the plan was for us to sit and read…o for leisure and me for this consultancy that is biting into my weekend relaxation time. a comfortable leather sofa bearing distress lines occasioned by frequent usage instantly invited us to it.  the angelic isn't a classic pub. to start with it is bright and airy with high ceilings and substantial windows. the furniture is light rather than a dark wood and the menu is a mélange of classic pub fare and creative tapas and entrees.

our order was preceded by a bread board – three slices of thick brown bread studded with olives and poppy seeds and a small bowl with olive oil with a centre of balsamic. o ordered the soup of the day – a heavy creamy broccoli soup that came served in a big bowl with a flourish of olive oil and a well dressed salad made up of  baby spinach, quails eggs with slightly quivery yolks and flakes of a firm white fish (i cannot recall the name).

i had mackerel fish cakes which were far from conventional and very good. the fish cake was a combination of mackerel, some butternut squash and mashed egg encased in a crisp skin of bread crumbs. it was fired to a golden brown crispness and arrived on a bed of seasoned boiled vegetables. the broccoli was fresh spring green and retained its shape showing that it had been thoughtfully boiled. there were carrots cut on a slant and some boiled radishes – a very welcome change from potatoes. to add a tangy sweet flavor there was beetroot relish that left wonderful deep pink-red streaks on the white ceramic plate. a squiggle of horseradish cause ran along one side of the plate. combined together, the flavors were excellent. 

after a while a refreshing kiwi daiquiri appeared which turned out to be a surprise order for me. i couldn't resist stealing bites of o's steamed pudding with orange sauce. elsewhere around the pub people were tucking into sunday roasts that looked as tempting as they smelled. i take we will have to return to sample the sunday menu, perhaps on a day when i can just relax and not work.