My companion and I visited this rural pub restaurant in the surprisingly-named hamlet of Little Scotland near Bolton yesterday. Called The Goose And Gander and proudly advertising "Country Kitchen", it sounded and looked like the perfect choice for our late lunch.
The dining area was roomy and comfortable. COVID precations of course had been taken, but one felt that they hadn't had need to move tables any further apart than they already were: plenty of room, and the whole had a very relaxed and easy feel to it. My companion rightly remarked that it was the sort of place you wouldn't feel out of place in whether in formal evening wear or jeans and a t-shirt. The lighting was good, no annoying background musak, and the bar area was separated just enough to make the two areas distinct and allowing neither to overpower the other.
We both had extremely good thoughts about this venue - and after being pleasantly greeted in a very unrushed manner, and read the comprehensive menu; all of which seemed very appetising, we agreed on sharing a starter of scallops, and we would then follow this with roast rump of lamb for my companion and pan-fried duck breast for myself.
The two wairesses in attendance were unfussy, polite, happy to help and also happy to leave us alone too. And although I did feel the hairs on the back of neck rise when one of them addressed us, on a few occasions, as "you guys!", it did not bother my companion, so I let it pass.
My observation though is this: the food we were served was in no way "country kitchen". It was this exact phrase emblazoned on the side of the building which caught our attention and why we patronised the venue. However, they seem to employ (award-winning according to their website) chefs who like the cordon bleu fine dining experience just a little too much. Both dishes had sqush puree. (tiny - and I mean tiny) globules of orange dotted around the plate. One had a similar effect in green (pea puree), and the scallops were served on top of yet another odd looking mulch (brown shrimp and shellfish bisque). The presentation of the dishes looked like an entrance exam for 'Master Chef' more than the country kitchen cousine we were hoping for.
There is a huge tendecy amongst chefs in general these days to not want to actually cook anything. The rawer the better it seems. I know a few decades ago, the British were ridiculed wordwide (and with good reason) for overcooking absolutely everything, but sadly the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction now, and 'al dente' is more likely to mean 'to the dentist' (with a broken tooth from trying to eat a sprig of broccoli!). Yes, sad to report, but the vegetables which weren't liquidised beyond recognition were almost raw and inedible.
When we ordered the main course our waitress said to my companion, "The lamb is served medium-rare, is that OK?", rather than asking her how she would like the meat to be cooked. And in fact, I never got a choice.. it was chef's decision seemingly. The lamb when it arrived was much closer to rare than medium, and I had to send my duck back to the kitchen to be cooked. And even after it came back from a second cooking, I really ought to have sent it back again or better still just gone into the kitchen myself and put it back in the frying pan for another 10 minutes!
The chef's choices of accompanying sauces and potatoes was also a little ill-advised too. Gratin potatoes seemed to be the order of the day, and were served with both mains. Dauphinoise would have been excellent, but the addition of cheese - especially when paired with duck - simply was not a flavour combination which worked, and the cheese was strong and overpowering. Also, whose idea it was to mix both redcurrant jelly and mint sauce together I have no idea, but again, a combination which simply doesn't compliment itself let alone what it is suppsoed to be a condiment to.
However, food concerns aside, the ambience and atmosphere of the estamina is lovely, and the staff were smiling, helpful and curteous. It's just a shame that their current chefs seem to have more than just honest-to-goodness home-cooking "country kitchen" in mind.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
We both had extremely good thoughts about this venue - and after being pleasantly greeted in a very unrushed manner, and read the comprehensive menu; all of which seemed very appetising, we agreed on sharing a starter of scallops, and we would then follow this with roast rump of lamb for my companion and pan-fried duck breast for myself.
The two wairesses in attendance were unfussy, polite, happy to help and also happy to leave us alone too. And although I did feel the hairs on the back of neck rise when one of them addressed us, on a few occasions, as "you guys!", it did not bother my companion, so I let it pass.
My observation though is this: the food we were served was in no way "country kitchen". It was this exact phrase emblazoned on the side of the building which caught our attention and why we patronised the venue. However, they seem to employ (award-winning according to their website) chefs who like the cordon bleu fine dining experience just a little too much. Both dishes had sqush puree. (tiny - and I mean tiny) globules of orange dotted around the plate. One had a similar effect in green (pea puree), and the scallops were served on top of yet another odd looking mulch (brown shrimp and shellfish bisque). The presentation of the dishes looked like an entrance exam for 'Master Chef' more than the country kitchen cousine we were hoping for.
There is a huge tendecy amongst chefs in general these days to not want to actually cook anything. The rawer the better it seems. I know a few decades ago, the British were ridiculed wordwide (and with good reason) for overcooking absolutely everything, but sadly the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction now, and 'al dente' is more likely to mean 'to the dentist' (with a broken tooth from trying to eat a sprig of broccoli!). Yes, sad to report, but the vegetables which weren't liquidised beyond recognition were almost raw and inedible.
When we ordered the main course our waitress said to my companion, "The lamb is served medium-rare, is that OK?", rather than asking her how she would like the meat to be cooked. And in fact, I never got a choice.. it was chef's decision seemingly. The lamb when it arrived was much closer to rare than medium, and I had to send my duck back to the kitchen to be cooked. And even after it came back from a second cooking, I really ought to have sent it back again or better still just gone into the kitchen myself and put it back in the frying pan for another 10 minutes!
The chef's choices of accompanying sauces and potatoes was also a little ill-advised too. Gratin potatoes seemed to be the order of the day, and were served with both mains. Dauphinoise would have been excellent, but the addition of cheese - especially when paired with duck - simply was not a flavour combination which worked, and the cheese was strong and overpowering. Also, whose idea it was to mix both redcurrant jelly and mint sauce together I have no idea, but again, a combination which simply doesn't compliment itself let alone what it is suppsoed to be a condiment to.
However, food concerns aside, the ambience and atmosphere of the estamina is lovely, and the staff were smiling, helpful and curteous. It's just a shame that their current chefs seem to have more than just honest-to-goodness home-cooking "country kitchen" in mind.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 18.6.21
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