This time, unlike the last time recorded at reference 2, I did ask the Lamb for a bacon sandwich for breakfast twice and a sausage sandwich once - with a much better result than DIY. Either the bread had improved or the sandwich was the better for being assembled hot. But a good result; much better than the full English, a bit strong these days for the older stomach - and indeed the older needs. Don't do ten miles a day on the bicycle any more.
The first evening was a Saturday and Ely was set to throb. Prezzo could not accommodate us. Wildwood had just taken in a large party. TaBouche was full of young people. The Clipper Inn could not do us before 2030, it then being about 1900. We did not fancy Chinese takeaway down by the river. But Grand Central could squeeze us in amid another lot of young people, the northern outpost of what appears to be a small Essex based chain featuring US styled grub. Were they started up by one of the many US airmen in the area who married local girls?
Enthusiastic young service and a very meaty menu. Plus exotica like chips made of sweet potatoes. Started off with some excellent corn cakes - they tasted very fresh - served with a few bits and bobs like crisps made out of thin slices of root vegetables other than potatoes. BH then moved onto something involving prawns and coconut and labelled Virginian something, while I played safe with a beefburger. All very satisfactory and washed down with a bottle of something from Marlborough, a place which might not be big in square miles, but does seem to be big in wine. Maybe they produce cubic miles of the stuff. Maybe I will get to do the necessary sums over breakfast.
The next evening things had calmed down a bit and we did make it to Wildwood, a place which we visited but do not appear to have noticed on our last visit. A rather bigger chain than Grand Central and one which might use the same interior design consultant as Prezzo. Staff even more enthusiastic than Grand Central, with the star of the evening being a mixed race girl from High Wycombe, whom we suspected of having attended some kind of drama or dance school, perhaps somewhere like our own Laine Theatre Arts. A little hyper perhaps, but very good at her work. A good meal, all washed down with a bottle of piquepoul blanc, a wine which seems to have suddenly arrived in the UK, or at least the part of the UK which I touch, but which is already well known to google.
Last but not least, Edis the Butcher. Bad start in that I assumed that any butcher worth his salt would be open by 0800 on a working day, but in the event we had to hang around until 0900, to be served by a forward & well presented lady, no longer very young, but just right for the trade. She sold us eight plain sausages and two pork pies. The former, being taken later that very day with mashed potato and cabbage, were very good indeed. No need for that brown syrupy stuff they call gravy in public houses. The latter taken the following day, also very good: not too spicy, as is sometimes the case - as indeed was the case last time around. See reference 2 again. Perhaps the older palette is not registering the pepper as strongly as it was.
PS: I made one mistake during our visit, taking a slice of hot treacle tart without cream at the Almonry. They had several entire tarts at their counter, so I assumed that it must be good stuff, which it probably was, but taking it hot by itself was a mistake, as hot it was far too sweet and gooey. I should have taken it cold, as it came.
Reference 1: http://psmv3.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/just-back-from-short-break-at-lamb-at.html.
Reference 2: http://psmv2.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/eline-epicures.html.
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