Rushtons Delicatessens

Reviews

• A jolly good idea!

  Rushton's the deli in Newark has expanded to the space next door and opened up a bistro/cafe/eatery, where I met a friend for lunch last week. They have an enticing menu (sort of a cross between Cafe Bleu and Gannets, which readers who know Newark will know is a good thing) and a specials board, which is always a good thing in terms of the assumption that it contains items made from produce bought and cooked fresh and preferably local. We both ate two courses from the menu, which costs £10.95/pp. You can of course pay less for just a main (around £8 or £9) or more for three courses (around £15-16). My friend had a starter and a main, choosing the butternut squash soup as her starter. This came with some lovely sliced crusty bread and pats of nice salty butter, and also a dressing to dip in which was garlicky and peppercorny and delicious. For the main course we both chose the vegetable gateau dish, not because we're vegetarians but because we're trying to stay sensible after Christmas excesses. It wasn't what I thought it would be, but it was utterly delicious, a tower of different and excellently prepared and cooked veg such as red pepper, butternut squash, aubergine, etc, with a lovely fresh pesto on the top layer, and a sort of rosti triangle on the side. Really tasty. But then came the big disappointment for me, and the reason why Rushton's doesn't get its full 5 star rating. I only opted for a pudding instead of a starter because my favourite pudding was available, which was a raspberry Pavlova. When it came, it was a sorry specimen, more like a frozen arctic roll, with soggy spongy so-called meringue coiled around some frozen and defrosted cream (I believe from the taste) and a couple of raspberries. I did give it a go, in case it tasted better than it looked, but it was just HORRIBLE. I had apologetically to ask the waitress to swap it for the apple and rhubarb crumble cake and cream and ask her not to be cross with me and spit in my food (always a fear!!). My only slight whinge about the replacement was that it was warm rather than hot, but perhaps that's how it's supposed to be served. Nonetheless, it was really rather good, sweet crumble and apple with more tangy rhubarb and much nicer cream than with the alleged Pavlova (and thereby undoing the good work of the vegetables as the calories mounted once again, but hey ho, life is a challenge).

  100

  Rebecca J.
  Review Date: 16/01/2009 Report review