I haven’t given much thought to what I will do for my 78th birthday. My grandpa chose to spend his at a restaurant called The Blue Bridge in a town called Writtle near Chelmsford. We went in the evening, but the glassy exterior and large aquarium would make it a pleasant lunch spot. We had a large round table which made it easy for the eight of us to talk to each other.
I’d like to give special mention to the “bread while you wait”; warm thick slices of a white bloomer and a rye-type bread which provided a comforting and hearty warm up act. We chose a Rioja from the shortened wine list-but were offered a longer list if required. To start I had the smoked mackerel paté, which was deliciously creamy and lightly peppery on a warm slice of toast. I could’ve done with a bit more toast, but luckily we still had the aforementioned bread.
I was so intrigued by the chicken breast with tomato fondue that I had no choice but to order it for my main. I was expecting some sort of cauldron of hot tomatoes featuring either ham or marshmallows (the classic accompaniments to cheese and chocolate fondue respectively.) As it turns out, fondue was a bit of a misnomer, as it was actually a very good tomato sauce. This was served beneath three slices of succulent chicken with crispy skin. Garlic gnocchi completed the dish. It’s hard to keep these potatoey morsels from becoming rubbery, but these were well cooked with a lightly crispy and garlicky exterior. It may even have been the best gnocchi I have had.
My main was a fairly modest size which left me with plenty of room for dessert. Others, such as the beautifully pink Beef Wellington and the beer battered cod and chips were much bigger. I found the staff very attentive. The waitresses apologised every time they had to lean across me slightly to serve the person next to me. It was a bit like having to thank someone every time they hold open the next in a series of doors you both have to go through. I would thank them the first and last time and I think the same principle applies here, otherwise it feels just a little bit overboard. Still, better too much than too little.
My dessert was the chocolate fondant with salted caramel and pistachio ice cream. I was expecting two scoops of ice cream but the flavours were combined into one and they made a great match. I was a little worried when I took a spoonful of the fondant and nothing happened, but relaxed when a second spoonful unleashed a hot puddle of chocolate onto the plate. There were no complaints about the (rather deep) vanilla crème brûlée, although there were murmurings that the brownie could have done with a bit more goo.
I know there are many good restaurants in the area but I don’t think I have eaten like this in Essex before. I was impressed not only by the variety of food, but also by how hard it was to choose, as there were so many appealing options. If I end up spending my 78th birthday somewhere like this, I will consider myself lucky.
8/10
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