» Plotting
Andrew Kay is digging in to a feast at Terre á Terre
I know it’s not long since I was waxing lyrical about the joys of Terre á Terre but I find myself there again in mind, body and in print. You can call it favouritism if you wish, I really don’t care. They are genuinely favourites of mine and right now they are doing so much to create great food that is also affordable they deserve yet another pat on the back, or should I say standing ovation.
Their Credit Crunch Munch menu was inspired, delicious and cheap as chips. Now they have Plot to Plate in celebration of National Gardens Week. Mr L and I were off to see Anthony and the Johnsons and decided that we would dine first and Terre á Terre was the place to be.
Already busy at 6.45pm, we were shown to a table and offered the new short menu which comprises three courses for a sensible £13.99. There were two courses at every stage so we just said bring the lot and we will decide on arrival.
Our first glass of wine was delicious but hefty, a lovely oily mouth-feel and a hint of petrol too. I liked it, but would not want more than one glass and after we settled on a bottle of a much lighter white.
“Custard wrapped in filo then deep fried had me whimpering with delight”
I returned a week later for a wine tasting of English sparkling wines that was both entertaining and informative. Out of a good selection I was pleased to say that Breaky Bottom still hits all the right notes, as it has been doing for some years. We tried three, the final one being a Kir Royal which the owner balances himself using blackcurrant liqueur grown and made at the Breaky Bottom estate. An English red was met with far less enthusiasm, heavy in price and light in body, flavour and length. We almost all felt that English reds are for now a bit unsound and that the ‘Terre’ could be put to more profitable and enjoyable use making good whites and fizz.
The wine events are thoroughly enjoyable, educational, inexpensive and there is no meanness either – I hate tasting thimbles of wine – here they pour a decent slosh for you to swirl, snort and swallow. I refuse to spit, my mum would hate that. There are also plenty of tasty nibble too to whet your thirst.
Back to our Plot to Table dinner. I grabbed the potato latkes with cheese and beets, a fabulous dish of contrasting colours and flavours and a big dish too, very satisfying indeed. I loved a frozen horseradish cream and an apple crisp on top. Mr L had the peashooter with flax crackers and lemon thyme cream. He loved it but I felt for him as it looked small compared to my plate. He explained that size was not everything.
Next he chose the five-a-day bruschetta which really hit the spot with a mountain of tasty and crunchy raw vegetables that put a genuine smile on his face. I was equally enamoured with a pasta dish basking in a creamy new season garlic sauce and tempura wild garlic atop.
Puds were epic; a rhubarb and rosehip sorbet, rhubarb compote, custard wrapped in filo then deep fried had me whimpering with delight whilst Mr L went silent as he he devoured gooseberries in ice cream form with digestive biscuits and elder flower syrup.
Once again corr, yummy, how do they do it? Simply delicious food that looks good and tastes great too. And satisfying in almost every sense, I never ever leave hungry but also leave wanting more. There is a book in the making and I can’t wait to see it but for now get down there and feast on these extraordinary price-beating menus while they last.
Terre à Terre, The Vegetarian Restaurant, 71 East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ, 01273 729051 www.terreaterre.co.uk
