Just a little bit of positivity to end the year on.
This year, I’ve deliberately tried to spend more time (and money) visiting the neighbourhood faves, and the local big hitters. Eschewing the latest shite restaurant openings in Newcastle (of which there were many). Less Michelin star-chasing, too. When outside of the North East, we only managed one in 2023 (I know, right). These were simply the most memorable things I ate this year.
The ‘caesar’ at Bawn
I like a salty Caesar as much as anyone else but I never would have thought it would stay in the mind for so long. Bawn’s pimped-up salad adds a comical amount of cheese, stacks of umami, and balances it with lemon and anchovy breadcrumbs. Delicious to the last morsel.
Soft-shell crab at Opheem, Birmingham
‘As seen on Great British Menu’, this soft-shell crab dish — as did every other dish at the gorgeous Opheem — blended delicate flavours with subtle Indian spicing to fulfil the Michelin brief and then some. It really could have been anything from what was a stellar menu, but this feels like a classic for all the right reasons.
Triple-cooked chips made with potatoes from the allotment
Of course it’s true what they say, it does taste better when you made it. In this case, grown from some chitted mangy potatoes that were rotten to the core, these sprouted and a few weeks later made it to the fryer, twice. Lots of salt and vinegar, and I’m yet to be a full farm to fork convert, but these were as satisfying as it gets.
Strawberries from the ground at Brocksbushes
Similarly, we’ve missed the optimum strawberry picking time for the past few years so made a concerted effort to get up to get some of my faves direct from the field. Whether it’s spending a little time doing the backbreaking picking itself, harvesting through the insane and frankly heart-breaking wasted ones that rot to the ground, or enjoying these fresh from the sun (not straight from the fridge), these were truly ‘what fruit is supposed to taste like’. The most vibrant red, juicy, fresh and sweet, and a case of a single ingredient managing to be better than any dessert in 2023.
Bolognese in Bologna
Great food is everywhere in Milan, for sure. But in terms of plates that stick in the memory, trekking to Bologna to try the eponymous, and cited as one of the best-ever Bolognese/ragus beats everything else. I’ve had a lot of ragus so it’s not like this was shockingly good, but a perfect version of one of the world’s most cherished dishes. Could have easily smashed in a kilo of this.
The Patty Melt
I’m often asked ‘where does the best burger in Newcastle’ and it’s a pretty moot point. People like different things, some like a smash burger, others like a more refined high-quality beef affair, etc. But one thing I do know for sure is there aren’t enough places doing patty melts. A vendor serving (temporarily?) out of ro. in Heaton (also very much worth your time) – Patty Melts does what it says on the tin – the burgers are also fantastic, but this patty melt for me was just 🤌🏻 everything done with that little deft care that just delivers.
Mole blanco at La Mesa
One of the standout dishes I’ve maybe ever had – a simple unassuming piece of fish on a white sauce. Mole is kinda available in the UK these days if you look for it, but I’d not encountered a white version of it. Insane depth of flavour, deeply unfamiliar, exotic and accomplished in equal measure. Some dishes make you wonder how much you’ve really failed to yet even start to comprehend a culture & its cuisine – this was one of them.
Lamb at Seaham Hall
Covered this previously when we stayed over for Kate’s birthday this year, this was just one of those dishes that’s perfectly executed. Lamb is always a favourite of ours, and paired classically with mint and anchovy, it doesn’t get much better than this. When eating out is expensive, it has to be something significantly better than what I can prepare at home — and these two dishes absolutely smashed that.
Oeuf a la anchois at Ophelia
Ophelia opened its doors this year and landed straight on the ‘best restaurants in Newcastle’ list, thanks in part to dishes like this. Admittedly, it’s more of a bite than a dish, but the addition of anchovy to devilled eggs has got to be one of the most indulgent things you can eat in Newcastle in 2024. Really, pornographically good.
Small Canteen
Not the singular most stunning dish on the list, but moreso a ‘greater than the sum of its parts’. Knew it was going to be good, but our first and long overdue meal at tiny neighbourhood gaff The Small Canteen blew away already high expectations. It’s since gone on to a great Guardian review, but I hope when we can next finally land a table it’s half as good as this was. In a world where trends and social media dishes get all the attention, this was just ‘food that you want to eat’.
Fried seafood in Malaga
Could be anything really – but I’ve picked these little boquerones. Salty, savoury, alongside a very cold bottle of generic local white wine, the ultimate expression of moreish-ness and proof that less is more when it comes to ingredients. If you’re in the area, be sure to also try tortillitas des camarones, essentially baby prawn fritters. Malaga is a cracking little city with plenty to keep those keep to eat and drink happy.
Bonus chapter: the best things I drank in 2023
Dread to think of the number of units I’ve put away this year, but these were the ones that were more than worth it:
Sottorivo Malibran at St. Vincent
I’ve been more into by the glass over the past few years, preferring to try a load of different wines rather than decide on a single bottle. But when this was free pouring at the reopening of St. Vincent this year, it got me in its grasp. Tank Prosecco has gotten a terrible reputation since it became the poster child for cheap bottomless brunches, but this is everything you want in the sparkling Italian white. Hazy, lively, and above all, delicious.
Mezcal Negronis at Barrio Comida
I’m not a massive fan of a flavoured negroni or straying too far from a classic formula but the smoky notes of mezcal make this for me, an improvement on the famous bitter orange tipple. Go during 12-5 for what must be the best happy hour in the NE and get 2 for £12 😵
Aperol Spritz x100 in Milan
When in Milan… They weren’t cheap and cheerful (still would recommend the €19 spritz at the Aperol terrace by the Duomo), but aperitivos soften the blow. Sunny afternoons with some European crisps, a few olives, and a couple of spritzes and all is good in the world. Strolling around Navigli and stopping for a few when you get thirsty, also highly recommended.
Jakehead on cask at Wylam Brewery
Need I say any more? One of the seminal beers of the last ten years, served at its sofest and fluffiest, sitting on a bar seat at the Palace of the Arts, with the fire on. It’s the little things.
Hot chocolate at Sweet Patisserie
Ever since visiting Paris, hot chocolate in the UK has been one watery disappointment after another. Too sweet, too liquid, and generally not really hot chocolate, this stands out as one of the best I’ve had in the UK. So thick and rich that the (homemade and very good) marshmallow doesn’t float, it sits on top of the viscous, intense chocolate.
A simple glass of Prosecco
What does hospitality mean to you? For me, it was the end result of hours of train delays, a missed lunchtime reservation, and the general stress of getting to Birmingham culminating in these two glasses. The restaurant manager recognised our challenging journey, and welcomed us, pouring a couple of glasses of fizz while we gathered ourselves. Cost them very little, but made such a wonderful impression that just shouts ‘we look after our customers’. A class act, at Plates by Purnells.
Honorable mentions: I’ve been trying to support English growers where possible and one of the best I’ve had recently was this Cottonworth Classic Cuvée, England at 22 Yards Wine Bar in York. A first visit to The Marble Arch in Manchester yielded the most perfect pint of cask you could imagine. And working my way down the ever-increasingly spendy Pedro Ximenez list at Anyway Wines in Malaga, with a plate of Jamon Iberico is right up there with the top reasons to be alive.
Happy New Year x
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