"Hoist a pint or two — perhaps a hand-drawn draught of Moreland's Old Speckled Hen or Fuller's E.S.B.," I wrote. "Settle back in a dimly lit authentic British tavern setting surrounded by dark wood, burnished brass and photo collages of The Royals. Chic, tropical Naples will seem a world away."
Then I added this caveat: "Eat lightly if dull food is not your cuppa."
Based on a recent revisit — my first since longtime restaurateur Derek Bennett bought the business — people are now flocking to the Linwood Avenue ale house for more than a liquid lunch.
Obviously the Portsmouth native wasn't kidding when he took over a few months back and promised to "seriously upgrade the bill of fare." In the old days, the only veggie I ever encountered was canned corn, presented without so much as a dab of butter or dash of salt. Bland is the kindest adjective that comes to mind.
The institutional mashed spuds suffered the same fate.
During last week's visit, however, my guest's steak pie ($11.65 at dinner, $8.95 at lunch) came with a medley of nicely seasoned fresh green beans, wax beans and baby carrots. And the creamy potatoes that accompanied the grilled sausages in my bangers and mash ($6.95) were livened up with a touch of horseradish.
After indulging in a multi-course meal, my guest and I agreed that the pub's food no longer lives up to English cuisine's less than sterling reputation. It's bloody good, as a matter of fact.
Here's what we sampled while sipping Boddington ale.
Although cock-a-leekie (chicken broth, chicken, leeks) is the signature soup, the daily special ($2.50/$4) sounded more interesting and lived up to our expectations. It was a delicious blend of artichokes, bacon and mushrooms.
We also shared an order of Cornish crab cakes ($5.25), which were made with Dungeness crab. The mild flavor was enhanced by an unexpected tangle of sweet onion strings. It was mild but tasty, bearing little resemblance to the average crab cake made with blue crab.
That aforementioned steak pie, incidentally, was a winner. The kitchen didn't skimp on the beef, and the dish was prettily presented in a ceramic crock topped with a herbed pastry topping.
What else is good? According to a recent e-mail from an Englishwoman, the cod and chips were "the best I've ever eaten." Her husband praised the curry, homemade honey-wheat bread and homemade salad dressing.
Yet another pubgoer recommended the shepherd's pie.
Bottom line: Owner Derek Bennett said he was a regular customer for 20 years. When the English Pub came on the market, he said his wife encouraged him to buy the place.
She said, "You might as well. You're there all the time anyway."
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