Lunch Quest: Edinburgh

A day off with no plans prior to pub time! What to do, what to do? The excellent Emily and Georgia, of Total Food Geeks fame, soon offered a solution to my quandry, offering the prospect of lunch merriment to punctuate 15 mile "training" walk.

They suggested E:S:I (Englishman: Scotsman: Irishman), a place I'd spotted recently, but never ventured inside. I was delighted to go with this, as it looked intriguing.

I ventured forth on my coastal route, encompassing Cramond, Silverknowes, Granton and Newhaven, bringing me round to sunny Leith.

Even at a distance of 11 miles, I managed to maintain my new found meticulous promptness. I was warmly greeted and shown to a nice table on the upper level of the stylish triple-decker layout. The table came with good light from the large windows, and an excellent view of chef carefully preparing the starter, in the open kitchen.


Georgia and Emily soon arrived, and we swiftly turned our attention to the menu. Today was the first day of service for E:S:I's Christmas menu, which offered a nice blend of classics and originals.

We agreed that all options sounded good, but soon settled upon our choices. Georgia started with the salmon, on recommendation, and followed with the traditional turkey 'n' trimmings. This sounded way too good to Emily's ears, so she made it two for salmon and turkey. I opted for the intriguing Thai turkey soup, followed by gnocchi.

As the merry banter flowed, our dishes arrived. G and E's salmon looked excellent. It was served with a vibrant chutney, packed with fruity goodness, and oatcakes.


In terms of looks, I had a touch of food envy, as my soup looked a little underwhelming, by comparison.


But what it lacked in looks, it more than made up for in flavour. It was a beautifully subtle dish, full of lovely aromatics. I thought it one of the more imaginative attempts at a "festive" dish that didn't abandon the principles of what the restaurant is all about, the rest of the year.

It's a little too early in December for the turkey and trimming treatment, for me, but I must admit when G and E's dish arrived, it did look good.


The sprouts, which looked like they'd been stir-fried, stood out.

My gnocchi was extremely good. My good friend Mina, from LQ: Istanbul, is quite the connoisseur of gnocchi, and I have learnt a little from studying at her side. Of similar dishes that we've sampled across Edinburgh (and there have been quite a few, over the years) the only place that's served better gnocchi is The Bonham, which given our general adoration of that place, is high praise indeed.


It had a particularly pleasing marriage of different textures, with the use of chestnuts another example of a smart seasonal, festive twist.

The dreaded "lunch hour" meant that G and E had to fly back to the office, but I lingered and considered things a little further over a good cup of coffee, before hitting the trail homeward.


Overall, I was extremely impressed. The new festive menu was really nice, and will no doubt get better as the month goes on. The setting is cool, with the feel of a sharp, modern art gallery about it, a feel which is enhanced by the stylish art work, on the walls. I took the opportunity to look over their evening menu, so I'll definitely be back to sample their Steak Night, held every Thursday. I look forward to that visit, early in the new year, muchly.

Scores
Blythe scores E:S:I
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
4/5 for setting
giving an overall 15/20

Today lunch questers were: Emily, Georgia, Blythe

We ate: salmon, soup, turkey, gnocchi

We drank: ale, lager, cranberry juice, sparkly water, coffee

We wore: Emilian spectacles; Georgian blonde tresses, Blythian rosy cheeks

Total bill: c.£58

Freshly opened where Homes Bar used to be on Constitution Street, Leith Lynx promises locally sourced produce prepared with care by chef John Winnik. On Saturday, we heard via Twitter and Facebook that John had worked himself into the ground (almost literally) so we weren't entirely surprised to hear that he'd taken the day off (get well soon, John). So for the first day since they opened, they were without their head chef. What a perfect day for us to come and review!


The place is smartly decked out with intriguingly symmetrical artwork. The tables are simple and stylish, with a smart diner feel. The restaurant was very quiet, and bizarrely enough the only other folks there were friends of mine, recently moved to the neighbourhood.

I arrived a little early, on this occasion, as MJ was otherwise engaged (some lunatic notion of handing in her PhD thesis and creative bit on time, no less!), so I had the responsibility of taking the photos (hence the bad photos).

I was soon joined by Cake Quest's fabulous Sarah and my dear friend Janey Jane.

Our dedicated waitress soon took us through the dazzling array of menus. It being Sunday, they had both a lunch and an all-day breakfast menu, together with a specials board.


The specials board immediately won our hearts, with Sarah and I opting for the beef and Jane going for the home-smoked poussin.


The spale bone beef was first class. Two nice hefty chunks of it (none of this dainty slice malarkey) were accompanied by roast potatoes, glazed carrots, and a good sized Yorkshire, all combined with a measured amount of gravy. Sarah is northern so would have liked at least another dozen Yorkshires with it (as would LQ: Istanbul's Mina!) and perhaps a smidge more gravy. I thought the gravy was about right, and brought things together really well, but I agree that the beef to Yorkshire ratio wasn't quite right.


Jane did an excellent job with the poussin, picking the little blighter clean with considerable relish. She had nice stuffing and chipolatas, rather than Yorkshires. She felt that the smoking of the bird was a little too subtle, but was very happy with the dish, overall.

Dessert menus were soon forthcoming. Now, I'm not sure whether you've heard but I don't really do dessert, so I opted for the cheeseboard. Jane joined me in the pursuit of cheesy excellence, while Sarah, with her sweet tooth, opted for the sticky toffee pudding.


I was well-impressed with the look of the toffee stickiness. It looked very tempting and was delightfully plentiful. It certainly precipitated all the right noises, nodding, and smiling from Sarah.


The cheese board was good, with the cumin-laced chutney working particularly well with the Dunsyre blue.

We're usually a fairly abstemious bunch of Lunch Questers (we should get a collective noun for Lunch Questers, almost immediately. Perhaps a "crusade" or a "slaughter"?) mainly due to the fact that we tend to lunch during the working week. It being a Sunday, though, we thought we'd a have a little wine with lunch.

On the recommendation of our attentive waitress, we went for a Chilean pinot noir, which turned out to be a very good choice, and was made all the more enjoyable by the fact that Sarah had to watch on in sober anguish as she'd wrong-headedly decided to travel by self-steered automobile. The chaps at Vino, who supply the wines, seem to be doing a very nice job.


Overall, Leith Lynx is very good. You should definitely pay it a visit, soon. It provided us with an excellent start to our Sunday Roast side quest (onwards to , in a couple of weeks time) and I'd gladly go back to sample from their other menus.

Scores

Out of 20, Blythe scores Leith Lynx
4/5 for food
3/5 for presentation
4/5 for service
3/5 for setting
giving an overall 14/20

Leith Lynx
102 Constitution Street
Leith
Edinburgh EH6 6AW
www.leithlynx.co.uk

I've already spoken at length about my appreciation for Domenico's. I popped down there to pick up sandwiches, this lunchtime, and thought I'd share the pictures.

This one is a long prosciutto, parmesan, sun-dried tomato, and truffle pesto roll:

This one is a round prosciutto, parmesan, sun-dried tomato, and truffle pesto roll:

They were up to their usual excellent standard, with top quality ingredients coming together in rich mouthfuls of gutsy flavour. The lightly smoked prosciutto was particularly tasty, and boy have I missed the generous helping of rocket that typically tops a Domenico's roll. It seems an odd thing to miss, but its subtle pepperiness really adds to the overall enjoyment.

I'm off for more Italian fare this evening, at Amore Dogs, so will write about that (as a Late, Late Lunch Quest), tomorrow :-)


Today’s Lunch Questers were: Gary, Blythe

We wore: Wednesday suits

We ate: Prosciutto, parmesan, sun-dried tomato, and truffle pesto rolls

We drank: Nothing

Total Bill: £5.20

Domenico's
30 Sandport St
Edinburgh EH6 6EP
www.cafedomenico.co.uk

To be helpful to our visiting friends, here to sample the joys of the Festival City, we thought we’d put together a bumper blast of likely lunch spots, to help you out when hunger strikes.

These are the collated thoughts of some of our readers, based on their experiences over recent times. Full reviews of a couple of these places will appear on the site, over the next couple of months.

Here’s a brilliant recommendation from Raqui – The Baked Potato Shop, in Cockburn Street. Raqui, a friend from Israel (we’re keen for the Huerta sisters to get Cake Quest: Jerusalem up and running!), says that it does excellent kosher vegan haggis. And, MJ vouches for it as well! She used to grab a ‘small’ potato on her way to the station to catch the train south. What more can I add to that!

We’ve always enjoyed Chez Jules on Hanover Street. We went there for a truly epic Christmas lobster feast, last year, and we were there for Bastille Day, this year. It offers excellent value, well-executed dishes, in a really friendly atmosphere.

Frauke extols the virtues of Harvey Nichols’ Forth Floor, which promises stunning views across the city and the River Forth, and food that never disappoints.

Mel is a fan of the Buffalo Grill on Chapel Street, which offers a small, affordable lunchtime menu, always served to a high standard.

Peter’s Yard is a perennial favourite with our merry little band of creative types. I have to admit that I’ve not yet managed to get along to it, but I hear it offers sumptuous soups, excellent coffee and cakes, and delicious crispbread aplenty. MJ swears by the place – it’s one of her go-to places to eat if she is anywhere near the university…or not. She has been known to travel across the city to buy a loaf of freshly baked bread from their selection.

Our Cake Quest chum Sarah, upon reading our Mosque Kitchen review, wished to highlight the charms of nearby Kebab Mahal It’s not a million miles away from the Mosque, both in terms of location and culinary approach, and has been a favourite for many a year.

Mina and Emir recommend The Bonham. We have eaten there on countless occasions, and keep going back for more. Their risotto is a particular favourite, but their overall consistency of extremely high quality is to be relied upon.

No list like this would be complete without a mention of The King’s Wark on The Shore. If you’re looking for a top quality meal in an informal, homely pub setting, this is the place to go. I ate mushroom and brown bread soup there once, and I don’t think I’ve been served a better bowl of soup since. Their mussels are always a winner, too.

Two Thin Laddies is recognizable by its bright yellow exterior right on the main junction in Tollcross. Also a perennial favourite of MJ and friends, this café offers freshly made sandwiches, baked potatoes, delicious soups, salads, and daily changing specials like mac and cheese and chorizo pasta dishes. And, they do a mean brunch too.

One cannot forget the lovely Earthy Foods in Newington. Not only do they do a fantastic selection of locally grown produce, fresh baked goods, plants, holistic household items, and gardening supplies, they recently installed a butcher upstairs and have extended the café downstairs. MJ regularly pays homage, and each time the food is just as good as she remembered. Wholesome salads, quiches, interesting sandwiches and an array of teas and coffees make this a café/shop worth the trip out to EH9.

And remember, we’ve already talked at length about the Mosque Kitchen, Tapa, Loudons, and Domenico’s all of which may lay claim to your lunchtime affections.

Cafe Domenico's

Even though Miriam and I only started this blog yesterday, we have been eating lunch for some time. In my case, for at least as long as I can remember, and as far as I am aware Miriam can tell a similar story.

For the past five years, I've mainly been eating lunch at Domenico's in Leith, and over the past few months, Miriam and I have eaten there on four or five occasions.

So, when starting on this quest, one of our first considerations was "what do we do about Domenico's?" Well, I've just been mowing the grass in my garden and during that joyous process I hit upon an idea.

Well, maybe I should start from a bit before that...

Domenico's is currently my favourite place to eat lunch in Edinburgh. The little family-run Italian is a perfect jewel set in the starry sky of Leith's restaurant district.

For years, the major motivating factor for me deigning to pitch-up at work has been the thought that come noon I could head over to the hallowed little place and avail myself of their unparalleled delights. The selection of produce from their sandwich counter is truly spectacular. Will today be a chorizo, goat's cheese, mushroom and pesto rosso day, or will it be pastrami, brie, sundried tomatoes, and truffle pesto? But wait a minute - I really like the look of that homemade pate, maybe with some grilled vegetables - yes, the aubergine, courgettes and peppers, please ;-) The taste and flavour combinations are only limited by your ambition and imagination.

And then we come to their sit-in lunches. More often than not, a simple plate of pasta is the order of the day. The range is ever changing, with a few favourites anchoring things. Specials provide you with further temptation - Nicola's alla Parmegiana, the other day, was simply the best I've ever eaten.

I introduced Miriam to the joys of place, earlier this year. She might be able to offer a more balanced view than my unabashed adoration.

So, what do we do about Domenico's? My suggestion is that we're upfront about it, and give it it's own separate category, which it deserves. I'd propose that we make Domenico's the founder restaurant in our Lunch Quest Hall of Fame.

What the criteria are for election of additional places is up for debate, but I'm minded to keep the bar pretty high.

MJ's view
Whoa. Easy tiger. I think you may be jumping ahead of yourself there with the crowning glory of the 'best restaurant in Edinburgh' bestowed upon Domenico's. Don't get me wrong, I have thoroughly enjoyed every meal I've had there, and there are few places I trust to make me authentic and even custom made pasta dishes as much as I'd trust the staff at Domenico's, but I think you may have a well-biased opinion and that might need to be tempered to give a fair review.

That being said, I propose that we go again for lunch, you and I and take a like-minded, non-biased member of the public with us and have them give their verdict.

B's attempt at balance
Yeah, I know I'm going overboard, so I've tempered things slightly by amending my verbiage to say that Domenico's is "currently my favourite", rather than handing it the rosette for "best" before we even get things started.

Whilst my aim is to remain objective with our regular reviews, I thought it useful to include a brief rant about where my lascivious luncheon impulses currently reside. Which place currently tops your list, at the start of our mighty quest?

I'm completely delighted with the notion of going back to Domenico's with this lucky like-minded, non-biased member of the public. I wonder who they are? I look forward to meeting them :-)