Sunset in the dining room
Tables in
The door was a bit of a drama but it’s up now
Even though the kitchen is not yet done (that’s a whole different story altogether) and various other bits and pieces are still to arrive, I’ve been raiding Ebay and all manner of second-hand stores for crockery of a certain type to fit the style of food we’ll be doing at the bar. Here and there we’ve found some beautiful pieces that must been someone’s dear grandma’s treasure once, all to the benefit of the general look of the venue.
Suitable receptacles
The wooden tables have finally arrived, and the stained glass front door is up. We, and quite a few helpful friends spent a weekend on the floors of the bar, cleaning the grooves in the wood meticulously, and by now the floors have been finished with a natural oil.
Most importantly, we’re down to the wine ordering stage – as that is what we’re about, right?
Slowly cooking the pork, note the crackling!
An opening menu has been written, sporting some classics from bygone days to start, and below are a few pictures of a pork dish I’ve played around with for dinner one night which would probably feature on the menu at one stage. The cut is slowly cooked entirely on stovetop – a good method for home but done different a la restaurant, and then served with melted leeks, sage and soft polenta. Simple.
The finished dish
This reflects most of the food we’ll be doing. Rustic that really means rustic, cooking without any smarty-pants tricks, with an emphasis on old-school technique and skill. It’s time that got en vogue again! We’re counting down a week and a half until opening, so its all getting quite real now!
Awwww maaaaaaaaaaan I want to eat that