FOOD&DRINK

Chances are, if you look out of the window right now, it will be cold, dark or both. And it’ll probably be raining. Rubbish. So what better way to stave off the wretched autumnal howl than to fill up on your favourite soul-nourishing, nostalgic comfort food? Helena Edwards and Joe Spurgeon kiss the diets goodbye and hungrily hunt out the best.

THE BEST… BURGER AND CHIPS

THE BURGER JOINT • Apparently, there’s an epicurean young man who goes to The Burger Joint every day religiously to scoff down his favourite handmade burger and fries with relish (pardon the pun). If that doesn’t prove the consistently good quality of their burgers, nothing will. From their star-spangled compact restaurant on Cotham Hill, owner Dan Bekhradnia says “the meat that we source is very important to us. It’s the key. We use as high-quality beef as possible... the butcher we use is a specialist – they sell three grades of beef mince and we obviously go for the best one.”

The burger recipes have been perfected over many years and while the exact ingredients remain under lock and key, Dan has some tips for homemade burgers: “It’s difficult without a chargrill. Obviously, we are coming up to winter now but you can always have a barbeque... in terms of ingredients to use: go to a local butcher, not a supermarket. You can throw quite a lot of things in, but don’t forget the fundamentals. You need something that will bind the meat, like egg. Once you have shaped them up, put them in the fridge for an hour which will help keep it all together. And don’t underestimate how much salt and pepper you need!”

TBJ clearly enjoy experimenting beyond the basic, however, and in addition to the standard beefburger you can get Welsh lamb and mint, peri chicken, venison, and mushroom, garlic and herb. Whatever you pick, as you chow down on your particular pattie (all served with chunky satisfying chips), know you can enjoy this most maligned of meals minus the usual ethical and health concerns surrounding fast food. Very comforting indeed. PRICES EAT IN: ALL BURGERS ARE £6.95 UNLESS STATED; 70P/TOPPING (3 FOR £1.80). TAKEAWAY: ALL BURGERS ARE £4.40 UNLESS STATED; 60P/TOPPING (3 FOR £1.50) THE BURGER JOINT 32 COTHAM HILL, BRISTOL, BS6 6LA, TEL: 0117 329 0887, WEB: WWW.THEBURGERJOINT.CO.UK

FOUR MORE

CIAO BURGER • Super shakes, patented ‘munchalicious’ sauces and nigh on 20 years’ experience of fabulous flippin’. 207A GLOUCESTER RD, BISHOPSTON, BRISTOL, BS7 8NN, TEL: 0117 942 6228, WEB: http://www.ciaoburger.co.uk/ 

GOURMET BURGER KITCHEN • Massive servings and imaginative combos with beef, buffalo, wild boar and toppings galore. 74 PARK ST, BRISTOL, BS1 5JX, TEL: 0117 316 9162; UNIT SU71, GLASS WALK, CABOT CIRCUS, BROADMEAD, BRISTOL, BS1 3BT, TEL: 0117 927 9997, WEB: http://www.gbk.co.uk/

ROCOTILLOS • 50s diner-style feasting with uber-stacked burgers and legendary triple X milkshakes. 1 QUEENS RD, BRISTOL, BS8 1EZ, TEL: 0117 929 7207

MURRAY’S • Bristol’s premier butcher blasts out organic burgers and hot dogs from their pavement fry pan with relishes to die for. 153 GLOUCESTER RD, HORFIELD, BRISTOL, BS7 8BA, TEL: 0117 942 4025

THE BEST… CAKES

 PASTÉIS DE NATA (PORTUGUESE EGG TARTS) AT PORTUGUESE TASTE • OK, so technically, Pastéis de Nata are pastries but from a tiny, dark kitchen deep in the labyrinthine passages of St Nicks Market the unfeasibly lovely Maria Papanca has, for the last two years, been making daily batches of Pastéis de Nata that shine blessed light on Bristol’s sweet-toothed foodies. The tarts are ubiquitous throughout Portugal but less common in the UK, although this may soon change as Maria single-handedly makes up to 100 a day, with sales booming – they are, quite literally, selling like hot cakes. She learnt the recipe from the previous Portuguese owner who made them for six years prior to that. When Venue visited, countless passers-by stopped to praise the silky cream filling and golden pastry, with secret nods, winks and smiles exchanged. It’s almost like a custard cult. Made from sugar, egg yolks, milk and cream, the exact recipe for the tarts is closely guarded, though Maria confides that the secret behind her success may have something do with the amount of double cream she uses in comparison with the original Portuguese recipe. Egg tart might not sound like much of a decadent treat but these cute little creamy puff pastry pots of joy are calorifically egg-stravagant and insanely delicious. Yummers. PORTUGUESE TASTE UNIT 28, ST NICHOLAS MARKET, BRISTOL, BS1 1LG, TEL: 0117 904 8485. PASTEL DE NATA £1.

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PATISSERIE VALERIE • A morphing breakfast, lunch and dinner menu hides the real stars of the show, 20+ sweet treats including millefeuilles, éclairs and tarte aux framboises. UNIT SU 56, CABOT CIRCUS, GEORGE WHITE ST, BRISTOL, BS1 3BA, TEL: 0117 927 3101; RESTAURANT 3, THE MALL, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL, BS34 5UR, TEL: 0117 959 0804; 57 QUEENS RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 1QL, TEL: 0117 929 7486, WEB: http://www.patisserie-valerie.co.uk/

BEN’S COOKIES • Founded by sweet-wizard Helge Rubenstein, everything is fresh baked and melt-in-the-mouth delicious. 21 UNION PASSAGE, BATH, BA1 1RD, TEL: 0122 546 0983, WEB: WWW.BENSCOOKIES.COM

TART • Family-run English-style tea shop with a nod to the elegance and traditions of yesteryear – cream teas, triangular corner-cut sarnies and mini-cakes to make men weep. 16 GLOUCESTER ROAD, BRISTOL, BS7 8AE, TEL: 0117 924 7628, WEB: WWW.LOVELYTART.COM

CLIFTON CAKES • Scrummy bespoke cakes for occasions, workshops and exquisite cupcakes handmade by proprietor Frances Cooley. 3 GLENTWORTH RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 4TB, TEL: 0117 927 7693, WEB: WWW.CLIFTONCAKES.CO.UK

THE BEST… CURRY

THE EASTERN EYE • As a nation, we just can’t get enough curry. Perhaps it’s the juxtaposition of vibrant flavours, textures and colours with our somewhat be-greyed landscape – a nod to the exotic from a concrete jungle. Perhaps it is the social, divide-and-share style of eating en masse or perhaps it’s because we want to look as tough as coconuts by enduring Bengal Benny’s Extra Hot Bowel Buster and sweating our troubles away. For whatever reason, there’s comfort in those warming spices. Physiologically, there are countless reasons why a curry is comforting – it’s incredibly beneficial to our health, chillies are undeniably expectorant (which, when you are ill and are seeking remedy, is just what’s required to beat off the bugs), and black pepper is febrifugal (fever-fighting). Moreover, eating a chilli also releases endorphins (those feelgood chemicals again).

Bath’s multi-award winning The Eastern Eye does it all better than most. This kitchen apothecary has been run by the same people since 1984 and their expertise and talents have not gone unnoticed – everyone from Matt and Jen Macdonald from Luton to Johnny Depp have dined and delighted there. Owner Sean Choudhury explains how: “The chefs are well trained and from back home. The recipes are from all over Asia: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and also from different regions. The spices and the ingredients we get for our food are the most top quality in the market – we get the best there is. If you use those, and cook properly I don’t see where you can go wrong. Our chef has been cooking for the last 30 years! There is a lot of experience in our business.” The restaurant itself is decadent, expansive and unusual – with three large domes over-arching the eating area making dining at The Eastern Eye even more of an experience. Fresh food – like the super-succulent, tongue-zapping jalfrezi (pictured) – that’s healthy and makes you feel good while you eat it? Long live the curry. PRICES TANDOORI CHICKEN £3.95; CHICKEN JALFREZI (PICTURED) £8.95 THE EASTERN EYE 8A QUIET ST, BATH, BA1 2JS, TEL: 01225 422 323, WEB: WWW.EASTERNEYE.COM 

FOUR MORE

Krishna’s Inn • A lighter, zingier and healthier take on high street Indian cooking. 4 BYRON PL, TRIANGLE SOUTH, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 1JT, TEL: 0117 927 6864, WEB: http://www.keralagroup.co.uk/

Old India • High-class, contemporary, avant-garde cooking in a grade II-listed building. 34 ST NICHOLAS ST, BRISTOL, BS1 1TG, TEL: 0117 922 1136, WEB: WWW.OLDINDIA.CO.UK

Myristica • New(ish) home for this boundary-pushing Indian serving everything from traditional street food to top-ranking Raj cuisine. 51 WELSH BACK, BRISTOL, BS1 4AN, TEL: 0117 927 2277, WEB: WWW.MYRISTICA.CO.UK 

Rajpoot • Almost three decades on and still one of Bath’s most elegant, dignified restaraunts. 4 ARGYLE ST, BATH, BA2 4BA, TEL: 01225 466833/464758, WEB: WWW.RAJPOOT.COM

THE BEST… FISH AND CHIPS

FISHMINSTER • Fish and chips. Good, honest, working-class food with no frills save for the odd pickled egg (and pickled eggs are odd). But then came Fishminster. Taking a more sophisticated, grease-slick-free approach to our national dish – the fish (encased in a sleeping bag of crispy golden batter) is beautifully white and flaky in the middle, and their golden chips are reassuringly chunky and fluffy. They also sell a decent selection of fresh fish from the premises, all bright eyed and slippery tailed. And as it’s always cooked to order you can guarantee its freshness. Unsurprisingly, Nadim Narimani, manager of the Bedminster branch (shop number two has just popped up on Whiteladies Road), places great importance on the quality of ingredients and explains that they only ever use “good fish. Our potatoes are always fresh and our oil is always nice and clean and filtered daily.”

He advises similar conditions for those wanting to replicate their food at home: “Buy a nice quality, decent cod – you could buy a piece of fish from the counter here! – use nice batter, or if you’ve got a chip fryer use that. But you won’t get it exactly the same...” This may be in part due to the fact that Nadim is pretty fierce when it comes to guarding the secret ingredients in their batter. Still, they’re so unfalteringly friendly in their Bedminster shop there’s no reason why you’d want to make it at home anyway. PRICES STANDARD COD £3.70, LARGE £4.70, CHIPS SMALL £1.30, LARGE £2 FISHMINSTER 267 NORTH ST, BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL, BS3 1JN, TEL: 0117 966 2226; 133 WHITELADIES RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL, BS8 2PL, WEB: WWW.FISHMINISTER.CO.UK 

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SEAFOODS • Proper sit down (seats 60) award-winning chippie restaurant with a ‘posh’ salmon option for the well-heeled. 38 KINGSMEAD ST, BATH, BA1 2AA, TEL: 01225 465 190, WEB: WWW.FISHANDCHIPSBATH.CO.UK

MAGNET • Badly Drawn Boy played a gig there once, you know. 55 DEAN LANE, BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL, BS3 1BS, TEL: 0117 963 6444

KELLAWAY FISH BAR • Seriously fat cod, eye-poppingly huge portions of chips and walls stuffed with certificates and awards… justifiably so, too. 4 KELLAWAY AVE, BRISTOL, BS6 7XR, TEL: 0117 944 5220

PELLEGRINO’S • Charming chippie underneath criss-crossing Christmas Steps architecture offering sustainable cod alternatives including hake, pollock or whiting. 17 CHRISTMAS STEPS, BRISTOL, BS1 5BT, TEL: 0117 927 0580

THE BEST… PIES

PIEMINISTER • It has to be. A real Bristol success story and staple of any local gourmand. The family-run Pieminister not only makes one of the most quintessential types of English comfort foods, they do so with love, care and frighteningly precise attention to detail from their main café/shop on Stokes Croft – which is so homely you almost find yourself looking round for your slippers. Romany Simon, wife and sister to owners Jon and Tristan respectively, explains the power of Pieminister: “We always use very fresh ingredients and we try and source everything as locally to Bristol as possible, which is where we make them. All the pies are handmade and all the herbs that go into the pies are fresh – as everything is: we don’t put any nasty additives into the pies, we use free-range chicken and the best British meat we can get our hands on.”

Most popular flavours include the Moo and Blue (steak, red wine gravy and stilton); Chicken of Aragon (chicken, smoky bacon, roast garlic, vermouth and fresh tarragon) and Heidi Pie (goats’ cheese, sweet potato, spinach, red onion and roast garlic), which Romany describes as “really popular with everybody, not just vegetarians”.

Hot off the pie press: Pieminister have just launched their first ever sweet pie, Toffee Apple Pie, which is made with British Bramley and Cox apples and sticky toffee sauce in pastry topped with a cinnamon sugar crust. A perfect wintery indulgence. PRICES ONE PIE £3.50 EAT IN/£3 TAKEAWAY (PIE, MASH & GRAVY IS £5.50), TOFFEE APPLE PIE £2 COLD/£2.50 HOT PIEMINISTER 24 STOKES CROFT, BRISTOL, BS1 3PR, TEL: 0117 942 9372; GLASS ARCADE, CORN ST, CORN EXCHANGE, BRISTOL, BS1 1JQ, TEL: 0117 302 0070, WEB: WWW.PIEMINISTER.CO.UK

SOME MORE

CLARK’S PIES • Pastry so thick there’s no foil tray required. Pies available in small and large varities. 259 NORTH ST, BEDMINSTER, BRISTOL, BS3 1JN, TEL: 0117 966 3894

TOM’S PIES • Dartmoor farmer makes award-winning pies including Teign Valley venison with butternut squash, caramelised red onion and juniper berries. 35A QUEENS RD, BRISTOL, BS8 1QE, TEL: 0117 934 9891, WEB: WWW.TOMS-WEBSITE.CO.UK

PIESCREAM • Is it a pie? An ice-cream? Who cares? Food on the move from UWE grads James Purslow and Alex Tristram. WEB: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PIESCREAM

FOR LOADS MORE OF THE BEST COMFORT FOOD CLASSICS SEE THIS WEEk'S VENUE MAGAZINE (OUT WED 10 NOV)
 

Copyright Venue Publishing 2010

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