Where the salami fails, the Orkney Scallop crudo leads the way, dissolving in the mouth with sweetness-intensified roasted grapes, soft caramelly crunch from toasted pine nuts and aromatics from herb-intensified EVOO… Sicilian no doubt READ MORE
All tagged Pasta
Stu Deeley at Laghi's
The onglet with salsa verde splits the table. I’m OK with it, cooked just right and the accompanying salsa verde gets a real sweet and fatty lift from bone marrow… across the table—a cook-on-fire master—the verdict is “no seasoning; no taste; no caramelisation”… READ MORE
Tropea
By sight alone I know it’ll delight and it does exactly that; with perfect on the bite, caramelised grilled octopus, crispy potatoes, and a decent dollop of ‘nduja aioli providing a light kick of heat, and with sweetness coming from roasted Calabrian peppers and Sicilian datterini tomatoes… READ MORE
Laghi's
I’ve no plate envy whatsoever, with my herb flecked pappardelle, topped with a white ragú of slow braised shreds of lamb. It’s surprisingly light and fresh, allowing the sweetness of the lamb to rightly do all the hard work, although there’s a third too much pasta than the sauce requires… READ MORE
Bocca di Lupo
Squid, so perfectly fried it’s tender as butter, in a light, almost crumbly batter and thinly sliced, crisp-fried pin wheels of lemon providing a delightful sour crunch. Calamari is a dish that’s fallen so horribly into disrepute, I rarely order it elsewhere, but here it demonstrates the Bocca way of simple perfection… READ MORE
Franzina Trattoria
The girls have both gone for the tagliatelle ammuttunata—predominantly baby aubergines and a tomato sauce. They are big plates of pasta and Katrina throws the towel in at the halfway point. Whilst it’s got one foot firmly in the Norma camp, I’m not getting any of the promised smokiness, nor mint in the mix… READ MORE
