Devouring Cambridge

My quest to try and review all of Cambridge's restuarants, bites, and bits over the next year. 

[devouringcambridge]

Sunday Roast at The Brook

I'm not an expert, but to me, the concept of a Sunday Roast is as British as afternoon tea or adding 'innit' to the end of all your sentences. There are so many pubs that offer this quintessential British cuisine, but today, I'm reviewing the Sunday Roast offered at The Brook. Located on Mill Road, The Brook is a cozy-sized pub with a warm atmosphere and some delicious ciders available...but how does their Sunday Roast hold up?

British Top Side Roast Beef with Horseradish Sauce (15 pounds)

I had such MIXED FEELINGS about this Sunday Roast. It was a roller coaster of emotions served up with a half-vat of gravy on the side. Some bites had my eyes rolling back in my head with ecstasy. Other bites belonged in the frozen aisle of a discount grocery store. Because of this, I'll rank each item, individually, from worst to best.

6. The Vegetables

I adore roasted veggies. Throw some broccoli, carrots, onions, and cloves of garlic on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, toss some salt and pepper on top, and chuck that baby into the oven and I am more than happy. But these veggies had no tales to tell - they were bland, flavorless, steamed, and unhappy. Just like me after eating the lifeless carrots.

5. Top Side Beef

Seeing as it's called a Sunday ROAST, you'd think the meat would be the star of the show. And while it looks quite nice in the picture, the beef was so dry that I had to resort to dunking it into the gravy in order to make it palatable. It also didn't have much flavor beyond the gravy itself, which leads me to...

4. The Gravy

Solidly fine, and served with a generous portion. However, could do with more of a flavor PUNCH. As it was, I used it mostly as a moist-maker.

3. The Stuffing

And all of a sudden we jump from 'solidly fine' to 'oh my god, I wish I could ask for seconds.' The stuffing is invisible in this picture, and was a surprise to me. In fact, now that I'm writing this, I'm wondering if I got a different roast than the one on the menu...perhaps a holiday offering? Because stuffing isn't mentioned in the description, and I'm just realizing that there was no horseradish sauce in sight, either...hmm, well, all's well that ends well, because I'm glad for the swap. This stuffing was moist and packed with flavor - it tasted of salt, herbs, and garlic, and had a dense, crumbly texture. My only complaint was that there was such a small amount - it hid beneath the potatoes, a noble treasure.

2. The Yorkshire Pudding

My first bite of the Sunday Roast was a chunk of the fluffy, soft Yorkshire Pudding - and I can't be certain I didn't moan. It's been six months since the last time I had a Yorkshire Pudding, and I now realize that that is far too long. Honestly, I know a lot of people rag on British food, but the Yorkshire Pudding deserves to be appreciated internationally. I just wish I could describe it better, for those who've never tried one. It's almost like...the love child of a souffle, a pancake, and pita bread...but also different from all of those things. The texture is NEXT LEVEL. So freaking fluffy. And the perfect vessel for soaking up pan sauces and gravy. Ugh, I would have traded the beef for another Yorkshire Pudding with no hesitation. And honestly, the Yorkshire Pudding was probably THE best thing on the plate...but, they're also pretty hard to get wrong. Put a Yorkie P on my plate, and I'll be happy almost always. Although, I won't take away from The Brook here - they do a particularly good one.

The Roast Potatoes

After tasting the sad veg, I feared the potatoes would also be steamed and unseasoned. Instead, The Brook said 'try the best fucking roasted potatoes you've ever had, ye of little fucking faith.'

Crispy on the outside but fluffy on the inside, these taters were perfectly cooked. Flavorful on their own, they verged on orgasmic when slathered in gravy. And I don't even usually LIKE roast potatoes!

So, now, hopefully, you see why this Sunday Roast is hard to rate. How do you compare the worst steamed veggies I've ever had - even the ones in elementary school had salt on them - to the fucking best roast potatoes I've ever had?! It's madness. Madness! While the stuffing and the Yorkshire puddings also pull their own weight, I will say, because the meat is supposed to be the focal point of a Sunday Roast, I'm going to have to give this particular roast at The Brook a...

Rating: 6 out of 10 Gravy Boats

Honestly, if I had just been handed a plate of Yorkshire Pudding and Roast Potatoes, the score would have been much higher...although I'd be eating nothing but carbs. Still. Some things in life are worth every bite, while other things - like the dry beef - are barely worth chewing.

[devouringcambridge]

Breakfast at Cafe Blue Sage

I have a conundrum. I absolutely loooove breakfast food - but I rarely wake up in time for it! Luckily, there are plenty of spots around Cambridge that serve breakfast well into the afternoon. I am on a mission to try the best of the best of them - and today, I'll start with breakfast at Cafe Blue Sage on Mill Road.

"Blue Sage Special Breakfast"

Blue Sage Cafe offers three different breakfast plates, but I chose their 'Special Breakfast' because who can resist a little something special?

The Special Breakfast includes: grilled halloumi cheese (something I rarely saw offered in the states, but is eveeerywhere here), spiced sausage, 2 eggs (scrambled or fried), kisir, tomato, cucumber, olives, and bread with butter and jam - all for less than 10 pounds! Of course, a fair price means nothing if the food isn't delicious...

...and luckily, it was! The scrambled eggs were incredibly light and fluffy - like if chickens laid eggs in the clouds. Although a humble staple, they were the star of my brekkie experience. A close runner up? The soft, warm bread. Lathered with butter, they were the perfect compliment to the garlicky slices of sausage.

I had never heard of kisir before, but essentially, it's a Turkish salad with bulgar, tomato paste, and parsley. It was served cold, and tasted very fresh...despite the buttered-slathered bread, eating the kisir made me feel like this was a healthy-ish breakfast haha - especially when paired with the crunchy cucumbers and ripe tomatoes. I will say the kisir wasn't my favorite, but that's mostly because I've never been a fan of bulgar's texture.

And last but not least...the halloumi cheese. Oh, the tragedy. When the waiter brought out this dish, the halloumi was hot and delightfully malleable - the perfect time to eat halloumi. Alas, I got so distracted devouring the scrambled eggs and buttering my bread that I NEGLECTED my poor halloumi. By the time I made my way to that corner of the dish, it had cooled. It was still satisfyingly squeaky, but it had the potential to be heavenly...if only I hadn't messed up the order of eating!

Overall, eating this breakfast was so FUN. It might be my ADHD popping out, but I'm enamored by any breakfast with multiple different, preferably colorful, components - and in that regard, Blue Stone Cafe satisfied all my cravings.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 Breakfast Club Points

2. Turkish Delight

In addition to breakfast, I was also tempted by a pack of beautiful Turkish Delight. It's strange. I'm not a fan of rose flavored things - and I know this! - but once in a blue moon, I'll get an insatiable craving for it. And even while I'm eating my rose-flavored confectionary, I don't really...enjoy it?? But it's still what I'm craving?? It's absurd.

Anyways, if I enjoyed rose - and didn't just *crave* it wtf - these would have delighted me. The texture was perfect - chewy yet light - and they rained powdered sugar onto my clothes with every bite. Mmmm.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10 (ignoring my distaste for floral flavors)

Verdict: If there's space in this small, cozy little shop - take the opportunity and start out your day the right way...no matter how late in the afternoon it might be!

[devouringcambridge]

Black Rice in Cambridge

Located in Cambridge's Market Square, Black Rice is easily identifiable by the two huge paella pans that are the staple of this stall. Their menu is concise and perfect for someone who doesn't like making decisions - on the day I visited, they offered seafood paella and chicken paella, as well as a combination of the two.

Combination Paella - 6.5 out of 10 Market Stalls

I opted for the combination paella, which cost around 10 pounds. I took a seat on the fountain in the middle of the square, and tucked in. Although I was eating it fresh from the pan, the larger chunks of chicken seemed a tad lukewarm...perhaps because I visited the stall toward the later half of the evening. Also, there was only a couple chicken chunks throughout...and yes, that does remind me of that one quote about life being miserable and suffering and over much too quickly.

Anyways, the rice was definitely hot, and the flavor was rich and tasty - the seasoning of the dish was on point, and I loved the bits of vegetables mixed throughout. Honestly, forget the chicken - I would have traded those bites in for more of the delicious rice!

Verdict: If you're in the mood for paella, this will definitely satisfy that craving. I could see myself visiting again. I also hear they occasionally offer a vegan paella, which I would love to try.

[devouringcambridge]

Carluccio's in Cambridge

Located steps away from Cambridge's Grand Arcade, Carluccio's is an Italian chain restaurant boasting more than 30 locations spread out across the UK. It has a mediocre rating online, but when I came across it, I hadn't eaten yet that day (despite it being 4:30 pm) and it was pouring buckets outside. So, I ducked inside to avoid the rain.

Inside, it was cozy and spacious, with lots of fun confectionaries and baked goods to purchase. I lingered a little bit awkwardly near the Seating Sign for a bit, but once I did snag a seat in the mostly empty restaurant, the service was nice and efficient. So, what did I eat in Cambridge today?

Zuppa di Funghi - 7 out of 10 Chef Hats

Admittedly, this was my first time trying this style of mushroom soup, so I don't have much to compare to - but it tasted delicious! A blend of porcini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms, this soup was thick and comforting. Plus, it was really well seasoned...which is not something I can say about all the food I've tasted in Cambridge. It was salty and garlicky, with little bits of chewy mushrooms that made it fun to eat. It also came with a side of focaccia, which was decent - salty and light, but very middle-of-the-road.

I would have rated it even higher, but the soup had a slightly gritty texture. Again, I haven't tried other mushroom soups, so let me know if that's inevitable with this type of dish!

2. Chicken Milanese - 3 out of 10 Chef Hats

After the triumph of the mushroom soup, I was excited for my main - Chicken Milanese, which is a pan-fried, breaded chicken breast, accompanied by seasoned tomatoes and a side salad. Unfortunately, my tastebuds were disappointed.

While the chicken was hot and crispy, it lacked seasoning - or any flavor in general, really. I sprinkled some salt on top, but it couldn't save this dish from being bland and sad. The tomatoes, on the other hand, were definitely seasoned...but also tasted a bit like cleaning products? The tomatoes themselves were fresh and had a nice, soft - but not mushy - texture, and I can't say they were disgusting...but something was off there lol. I kept nibbling at them, wondering what combination of herbs was creating that artificial cleaner taste, but eventually abandoned the last tomato, confused yet somewhat intrigued.

Verdict: At 15 pounds for the Set Menu, Carluccio's is solidly...fine. I wasn't disappointed that I ate there, but if I found myself there again, I'd be more likely to test out their pastries and a coffee!