Pub review - Pitcher & Piano,
Pitcher and Piano's new menu hit the right notes for me. Fresh, fast, food with flair, our meal was finger-lickin' good without breaking the bank.
Wolverhampton & Dudley, which owns the bar chain, is shouting about the freshness of its dishes with this latest menu, and that was certainly what was delivered during my lunch.
The menu, which includes sandwiches, salads, light bites, pizzas and hamburgers, offers something for everyone and appeals to the female pound, with its healthier salads section and lighter dishes.
Dishes include mains of Somerset chicken (£9.25), red snapper in Thai broth (£9.95), tender lean belly pork (£8.75), butternut squash risotto (£7.95) and Moroccan lamb (£9.25). Open sandwiches include Cajun chicken (£5.95), ham, Wensleydale and beetroot (£5.95) and crayfish tails (£6.25), with salad options of duck and blueberry (£9.25) red mullet and crayfish (£8.95) and chicken Caesar salad (£8.25). Among the starters and light bites on offer were whitebait (£4.95), spicy mussels (£5.50) and portobello mushroom (£4.95).
I went for the flavour-trendy beetroot, blueberry and pear salad. The jammy beetroot glaze was delicious and the lamb's lettuce and baby spinach leaves as fresh as a January morning. The only problem was the pear. It was like a search for weapons of mass destruction - no pear anywhere. As one of the key menu descriptors this was a little disappointing and at £7.95 wasn't a steal of a deal.
My friend went for the alpha-male option of burger - available as 5oz or 8oz. He opted for the big boy and chose an accompanying sauce of smoke and fire and an extra of cheese. Other burger extras available included guacamole, bacon, mozzarella or fried egg.
Served on a floured bun, with Jenga chips and salad this dish offered many a mouthful. The juicy, well-cooked burger oozed quality and the tower of chips and generous dish of sauce helped elevate this classic to new heights. With all the extras the burger added up to £10.60, but was worth every penny.
Service was friendly and speedy and it was great to see staff personally endorsing dishes.
The imaginative desserts on offer included summer berry charlotte, peach Melba pudding, St Clement's tart and hot chocolate truffle brownie, all at £4.25.
The hot chocolate truffle brownie was sex on a spoon. The lake of chocolate in the centre and melting quality vanilla ice cream combining to make a heavenly combination. The zesty St Clement's tart was also delicious, with a pastry base as light as Winona Ryder's fingers.
Jo Bruce
PubChef rating (out of 10)
Ambience 8, Value for money 9, Flavour factor 8, Overall impression 8.5
Wines on list: 11 white, 11 red, 3 rosé
Another thing: There are 27 Pitcher & Piano bars, with a new opening in Brighton later this year. The new menu drew on the knowledge of all chefs working for the group.
