The American
of flavour in the mouth. My risotto with vegetables (£7.75) came looking as if it should be pictured on the front of a food magazine and was as delicious in taste as appearance. After the genius of the pasta dishes, I’m afraid I was let down by the main course. My neck of lamb, apple sauce, braised onions and lemons (£17.50) was far too rich for me. Jennifer, however, wasn’t quite in agreement, although she did say she preferred her calves shank with bone marrow and garlic flavoured mashed potatoes. Our head waiter, who knew me from a tasting dinner I went to several years before, insisted we had a selection of cheese (£8.50). As a cheese addict, I couldn’t resist and thankfully, I didn’t. Cheese is sometimes best forgotten in Italian restaurants but not that evening. The Blu del moncenisio made with cow’s milk and a tint of goat’s milk and aged for two to three months was pure magic on the palate. Having eaten long and well, dessert was almost difficult to comprehend. Still, we both managed to finish ours down to the last scraping. Osteria is where one goes for great Italian wine. Thanks to our sommelier, we had wonderful wines for each of our dishes, most affordable, unless you choose the Barolo 1986 Bartolo Marcarcello which will set you back £931. Service is more than efficient and helpful and thankfully the tables are far enough apart so that you can have a conversation without anyone sharing your conversation. H
47 Marsham Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3DR. Tel. 020 3268 1077 Email: osteriadellangolo@btconnect.com
Cheyne Walk Brasserie Ladies Luncheon Club Calling all Chelsea ladies. The Cheyne Walk Brasserie is starting a Luncheon Club in April with an interesting programme of events to interest, inspire and entertain you. Once a month there will be a talk and presentation in the Salon followed by an informal and friendly lunch downstairs in the restaurant. Subjects will include: Hot tips and latest ideas in Interior Design and Home Projects; The Season’s best Hats, Bags, Shoes... those essential recession-proof ‘must haves’; Chefs’ specials – learn how to produce some of the Brasserie’s tasty French classics; Death by Chocolate; Beauty – the feel good factors. You can get involved by calling Helene Roy at 020 7960 4143 or register at www.cheynewalkbrasserie.com/luncheonclub.php
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hen I was growing up, the owners of an Italian grocery store lived next door to me. I was a tall, skinny child and the mother who ran the house did her best to put some “fat on your bones so some man will look at you” as she would tell me. With a mother whose table settings could have been photographed for a gourmet magazine but whose food was best forgotten, I managed to sneak in supper there at least twice a week. Unusually for her age and background, Mama as I called her, was an experimental cook and some of the food she served was not what one might call classic Italian. On Saturdays my father would often take her with him to the farmer’s market and I would watch fascinated as she talked to the Amish farmers in a mixture of Italian and English while they responded in a blend of German and English. Considering both had strong accents in English, I don’t know how they understood each other. Later that week, she would design a dish that my father described as part Italian opera and part German symphony. I’m not exactly certain why I thought of her when I enjoyed dinner recently at The River Cafe with friends from Puerto Rico, Shirley and Ivan Rodriquez. Perhaps it’s because like Mama, the owner-chefs Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers have always insisted on the pure quality of their food and ingredients since they first opened in 1987. In the many times I’ve eaten there, and the first experience was two weeks after they opened, I can’t remember having a meal that wasn’t close to perfect. Among the four cook books I keep in my kitchen for handy reference, there is always one of Gray and Roger’s. The decor has changed since a fire in 2008 – they now have an open