Tag Archives: Islington

Trullo restaurant, Islington

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Our trip to Trullo was wonderfully simple with delicious, no-fuss food in a relaxed intimate venue. What more could you want from a leisurely lunch in London?

Trullo restaurant is a small eatery steps away from Highbury and Islington Station. They opened their doors in 2009, specialising in humble, seasonally focused Italian food. Apparently the handmade pasta is a highlight of the experience at Trullo so I was sad not to try it… I guess it is a good reason to return!

The set Sunday menu is the perfect way to experience the best of this restaurant. A well rounded and balanced selection with four courses, each more tasty than the last, costing £30 per person.

On Sunday 27th May in the blazing sunshine we visited Trullo. Sitting down at the paper covered table overlooking St Paul’s Road, we admired the light and pretty restaurant and the jovial atmosphere. We ordered two glasses of refreshing light prosecco to accompany our meal.

There is something very enjoyable about not having to choose what to eat whilst dining out, especially for an indecisive foodie who wants to try a bit of every dish. First we were presented with a colourful antipasti platter to share comprising modest portions of Finocchiona (a fennel and pepper salami) that was highly flavoursome and very moreish, plump Puglian green olives, hot and comforting pea and ricotta fritters and sweet Silician tomato crostini. It was a perfect array of Mediterrean goodies.

Then pre main small plates arrived: Asparagus with Gorgonzola fonduta and pangrattato. I shouldn’t have liked this recipe… I’m not a massive fan of asparagus or blue cheese and yet it worked spectacularly well. A light vegetable course with a rich and creamy sauce with just a hint of Gorgonzola, all cooked to perfection. Asparagus is great this time of year and using it in season ensures high quality and sustainability of the ingredient.

Each course at Trullo was perfectly timed – the discreet and friendly waiter giving us appropriate breaks for digestion and chatting! I was also amazed with the water top ups service, we must have finished our carafe of tap water ten times (it was a very hot day!) and every time it was replaced within seconds of being drained. We treated ourselves to a second glass of the delicious prosecco.

Soon enough it was time for the main event, which we were eagerly anticipating after reading the description on the menu: Black Hampshire Pork Shoulder cooked in milk, sage and Amalfi lemon with Swiss chard, roast potatoes, anchovy and chilli. Being a bit pathetic about fishy fish and anchovies in particular, the staff at Trullo kindly indicated to the chef that I would prefer mine without the anchovies which seemed to be no problem. The dish was rustic and not fancy at all in presentation, however the taste and mix of flavours was full and faultless with very well compiled ingredients. The meat was divine, so soft with a salty crispy skin, it fell off the bone effortlessly; a lovely suggestion of lemon and sage contributing to the meat’s flavour. It was quite a lean cut without too much fat. We both loved the Swiss Chard and roast potatoes which were garlicky and had a slight kick from the chilli, the ideal accompaniment to the pork.

Dessert was exceptional, homemade Cherry and almond tart with crème fraiche. The pastry was very naughty and buttery, flaky and wonderful, with a sweet almondy filling that avoided being overly sugary. I initially thought the small dollop of crème fraiche would not suffice but in fact even this seemed to be measured perfectly, a lovely creamy addition to the pudding. We finished as I end most meals with a cleansing cup of fresh mint tea.

My only slight nag is that perhaps linen tablecloths would be nice, making the appearance of the restaurant slightly smarter to match the very high calibre of food. Other than that, Trullo is beyond criticism, a truly lovely restaurant.

Visit the Trullo website here for more information.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Spinach, King’s Head

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The programme for Spinach promises “thrills, abductions, pills, attraction [and] prescriptions”.  For this (along with the cover art) you might be expecting a raw, gritty piece exploring a dark, seedy underworld of rave culture.

Yet, as a musical, Spinach turns your expectations on their head – not only of what the production entails but what a musical should be.  As soon as the music starts comedy ensues, though distinctly of the black variety.

Kate (Cassandra Compton) and Tom (Ben Gerrard) wake up with amnesia, tied to each other, with no idea where they are or how they got there.  As the plot unfolds, their memories return as they piece together the preceding events – with a little help from Maureen (Claire Greenway) and Darren (Craig Whittaker) who take part in alternative scenes out of the narrative time frame.  The plot is absurd, its twists and turns as unexpected as they are unlikely, but it’s no less enjoyable for it.  After all, musicals often require an element of suspending disbelief.

The musical style does not have the typical musical structure.  Instead, it takes the form of speech-song, like an extended recitative.  This is the source of much amusement (“the repetition of haloumi kebab” in song never gets old), though accompanied solely by piano, the music does become a little repetitive.

In keeping with the speech-song style, the fragmented melodies didn’t allow for long lyrical phrases to show off the voices of the performers.  However, Compton certainly stood out for her vocal ability as the cutesy Kate, whilst the chiselled looks of Gerrard, best known for his work in Hollyoaks, made a suitable partner.  Whittaker’s laddish Darren had plenty of comedy moments with Greenway’s Maureen – Greenway especially shone in hilarious fashion for both her singing and saxophone playing.

The cast as a whole should be commended for their sheer effort in singing constantly for eighty minutes without an interval.  Yet Spinach is moreover impressive simply for confounding expectations – a musical-play filled with comedy and thrills in equal measure.

Continues at The Kings Head Theatre until 7 July, book here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Ed Nightingale. Check out Ed’s blog, The Gizzle Review here.

Maison d’etre, Islington

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Discovering quirky independent coffee houses in London thrills me every time and I always like to support them, even if I’m not particularly thirsty! Last weekend in Islington, while wandering in the sunshine I stumbled across Maison d’etre, a tiny pretty little café serving Nude Espresso finely brewed coffee, chilled iced coffees and homemade ravishing looking cakes.

The décor like many one-off cafes is stylish retro with embroidered cushions and mismatch crockery and little vases of colourful handpicked flowers on each table. Located on the main road moments away from Highbury and Islington station, it is a convenient and bright venue and I’m sure supplies many early morning commuters with their caffeine kick.

Hip youngsters glug coffee at the tables while clicking away on their Mac laptops and listening to music. We sauntered in after a lunch at a restaurant nearby, grabbing coffee for our stroll in Highbury Fields. We tried a classic cappuccino and an iced-coffee (which seemed to be flying off the counter in the unusually hot weather). The friendly barista handed us two delicious looking beverages: the cappuccino was light and fluffy with a rich but sweet taste to the coffee… I usually spend hours drinking a cup of coffee but I couldn’t make the Maison d’etre cappuccino last more than five minutes despite wanting to savour every mouthful. The iced coffee was great too, a lovely white and brown marbled effect which tasted as good as it looked, milky and cooling with a strong espresso flavour a brilliant option for summer afternoons.

On a quest to supply Islington with the best brewed coffee and home baked cakes, Maison d’etre are succeeding. Round the back they have a garden where you can listen to records and relax while sipping the perfect cappuccino.

Visit the website here.