Monday, June 05, 2006

Gardens and Vaults, Oxford UK


I enjoyed a lovely dinner with my team mates from Career Innovation this evening at the Gardens and Vaults restaurant in Oxford UK. We dined in what I was told is a former crypt in a 500 plus year old church on the campus of Oxford University.

Needless to say the facility was an architecturally fascinating place to visit.

I am also happy to say that the food was quite good - they use only natural and organic ingredients. The dishes were well constructed, presented with flair and of course, delicious to consume.

We began with a starterplate of assorted little nibbles - featuring chick pea cake with roasted yellow pepper, hummus, pickled zucchini, goat cheese and olive. Quite tasty. Each table had a basket of freshly baked white and dark bread.

Then on to a chicken and shrimp paella with a side salad. It had a North African touch - perhaps more tumeric than saffron but it was very well done.

We finished with a lovely pear and pistachio tart with a side of sour cream. Heavenly.

All washed down with a pleasant semillon/chardonnay blend from Australia (which reminds me why can't we easily find pure semillons anywhere in the US these days? They are an absolute delight when young and intense and sophisticated when aged. Either way I would love to drink them more but have not seen a bottle of wine made from pure semillon in any wine shop in the States in several years!)

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