By Jill Blair
As fans of Café St Honoré's steak and their fabulous dark chocolate fondant, we were over the moon when the 'Café at Home' menu included both beef feather blade and a brownie. Little did I realise it though it would be a starter of Isle of Wight organic tomato soup that had me emotional.
Fresh, tomato flavour whisked me off to happy summer childhood's playing in my Uncle Norman's greenhouse in the Hilltown in Dundee. There I munched delicious tomatoes straight from the vine. Heaven! Topped with some fresh basil pesto and tortellini filled with Katy Rodgers crowdie, the soup was a lovely
start to the meal.
This was followed by beef feather blade which was tender and indulgently gelatinous, falling apart with a gentle nudge of my fork into a rich, deep-flavoured Bordelaise sauce. Mash was the buttery treat I love at 'Café', and the greens were bright, al dente, and perfectly seasoned; a beautifully balanced dish. The combination of the chocolate brownie and honeycomb for dessert was a little on the toothsome side for me, but no less delicious for it. The dark, decadent brownie oozed when warmed in the oven. Unable to do them justice in one sitting, creamy Clava brie with oatcakes, and the coffee and flapjack provided a tasty Sunday morning treat in the garden. For a very reasonable price of £67.50 for 2 of us, which included a bottle of Le P'tit Roubie organic red wine, we were well fed and enjoyed playing with the presentation of the dishes. The packaging was all recyclable, compostable, or reusable underlining the restaurant's commitment to sustainability. Values haven't been compromised for the sake of adapting the business to suit the current climate. (J. Blair) Café St Honoré, 34 North West Thistle Street Lane, Edinburgh, EH2 1EA 0131 226 2211 www.cafesthonore.com
