MANGAL: NO MORE

It is a pretty sad thing when any restaurant closes.

Even when it is a bad one, it still means people have lost their jobs and someone’s hopes and dreams are laying in tatters.

It is even worse when the restaurant is “ your” restaurant.

The Angel Mangal is closed and I am beside myself with woe. It truly was Dos Hermanos’ restaurant. The place that we would go when we were fed up of eating at crappy new places that were all style over substance and the place we knew we could get fantastic food at a reasonable price with out any muss or fuss.

Other people thought of it as our restaurant too. On the various food boards, we eulogized about it to such an extent that people asked us to organize events there ( which we did any number of times ) People from out of town begged us to take them there when we visited and, even portly restaurant critics insisted on being part of the Dos Hermanos Mangal experience.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,958178,00.html

We had not been as many times as usual last year, what with trying lots of new places for the blog. Heaven forfend, we also tried another Okabasi place for which I think, we were never quite forgiven.

But, last time we paid Mustapha a visit, all seemed right with the world. The food was great, as always, the wine suitably rough and Mustapha suitably taciturn. Our father, for whom it was the first visit, loved every moment.

After Christmas, I saw it was shuttered an feared the worst. I tried to persuade myself that perhaps Mustapha was on holiday. But, the longer it remained closed the less hopeful it became.

Recently, I saw the sign in the picture. “DIPS & SKEWERS” By all that is holy somebody stop them.

I don’t want your fricking dips and skewers. I want a proper mixed grill with the obligatory side order of sweet breads. I don’t want your namby pamby Islington interpretation on a Turkish theme, I want a bottle of Buzbag that will send me reeling into the night. I don’t want tiny portions and a fancy menu. I want Mustapha to grin ever so slightly when we mention his beloved Besiktas and to bring us extra large dishes of garlic sauce.

I want my Mangal back. Bugger.