The Montpelier Basement
Happy New Year! Yes I know I'm late but I have decided not to acknowledge January this year due to wisdom tooth related trauma. Handily, going straight to February makes it easier for me to begin Sinead Nua 2011 with a FEAST! January is too riddled with Post Christmas Bloat for the experience to be comfortable. Having been on the mailing list for the Montpelier Basement for 3 months I managed to bag a coveted spot for their Anti Valentines meal. To my relief, there wasn't a musical card in earshot.
Elly and Dan host these underground dinner parties at their basement flat in Montpelier. Elly owns a cafe in the area and Dan is a food blogger. They both seemed very calm, collected and on top of the 7 courses (plus 2 veggie options) they were preparing on their humble domestic cooker. Once some 17 guests had settled, conversation started flowing along with the BYO wine. I was at a creative table comprising of a dressmaker, a magazine editor & a freelance photographer. The general atmosphere in the room was that of an intimate dinner party but the food that came out of that little kitchen was of the standard you'd expect at a pretty darn good restaurant. It made me suspect they were hiding a secret room full of massive flaming hobs and commis chefs. All the ingredients were locally sourced, including a delicately tender Old Spot pork belly & a rarebit made from Bristol Beer Factory Stout. Despite the room being full of strangers the evening trickled along with ease, dish after dish arrived effortlessly and the conversation continued to flow.
After the final course our accomplished hosts popped from table to table to chat with the guests. Astoundingly, I learned that the dishes served on their 'Basement' evenings are usually tried and tested on the night with the exception of their house speciality, Gorwydd Caerphilly and Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout Rarebit. Brave? Nope, these people KNOW how to cook and this was evident in each course. The flow of each dish after the other suggested a well planned dining experience. A palette cleansing boozy ice between the pork belly and the Baked Egg Custard Tart hit the spot, why keep the boozy course til last? It seems they're passionate enough about their craft and their venture that as soon as invites circulate the mailing list, they are confined to their computer for an evening just to answer the eager booking requests. These people must LOVE to cook!
Just before I left I was grilled (geddit?) by Dan with the most trying of questions - which was my favourite course. How could I answer that?! Cruel. At the risk of appearing too diplomatic, I choose all of the above.
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Image courtesy of The Montpelier Basement.
