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DOS HERMANOS: GO EVERYWHERE, EAT EVERYTHING

"It's not much but it's ours"

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS: DOWN AT THE OLD BULL & LAST







































When we started Dos Hermanos nearly four years ago, neither HP nor myself ever imagined that it would be read by anyone but a handful of relatives and friends. It is both heartening and slightly scary to see how it has grown in that time and even more to note that we are rapidly approaching the 1000 post mark.

Just as unlikely has been the rapid growth of the food orgies that occur every couple of months under the banner DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS. The first one at Hawksmoor, nearly three years ago, attracted twelve hardy souls, the next a year or so later at New Tayyabs brought twenty people out of the woodwork. Earlier this year we had thirty people crammed into the small but perfectly formed dining room at Vinoteca and in June forty like-minded people ate more Jamon than Brindisa could have possibly bargained for.

Last night saw the latest DINE WITH DOS HERMANOS take place at the splendid Bull & Last in Highgate, recently nominated for the Time Out Gastropub of the Year 2009. The numbers were kept at forty, but with approaching 300 requests for places, it proved to be the most popular event to date.

There is a reason why these events seem to work so well and it ain’t nothing to do with DH. It’s to do with the generosity of the restaurants involved, the people who are kind enough to donate wine and other drinks and, of course the companies who offer up samples to fill the now legendary goody bags. Without their incredible good will none of these events would happen.

Ollie Pudney and his team at The Bull & Last came up trumps. The menu was ostensibly a “Best of British” to celebrate the end of my journey EATING FOR BRITAIN and from the moment we arrived to be greeted by Martinis care of Plymouth Gin, to the moment we left with the taste of Lancashire cheese and Compass Box Whisky lingering on our palates, I was reminded over and over again why DH rate The Bull & last so very highly.

We began with some superb canapés; Calves brains, Skate cheeks, Razor Clams and, best of all, steak tartare topped with a golden yellow quail egg yolk. Once we sat down, each course just topped the last. A starter of roast loin of hare came in a salad with sweet pumpkin sauce. It was matched by bottles of Original Ale donated by Badger in Dorset.

Next up, the main courses, Roast Mutton with a mashed potatoes and black cabbage and huge hands of pork with layers of crackling. Both seemed to be enjoyed by everyone and in the end, Joe and Zoe who looked after us so well had only bones to collect. We matched this with bottles of ESB donated by London’s finest, Fuller’s Brewery.Desserts were matched with award winning Jaipur IPA from Thornbridge Brewery in Derbyshire and both mini trifles and plates of gloriously chewy Eton Mess soon disappeared.

Those of you who read the blog regularly may recall that, earlier in the year, I headed up to The Ribble Valley to meet Bob Kitchen and his daughter Faye at Leagram Organic Dairy where, not only did I discover that there were three types of Lancashire Cheese, but that they also made a soft curd cheese that will change your life. Faye had been kind enough to send down slabs of “Tasty” Lancashire and enough curd cheese to feed an army and while we sipped on glasses of Peat Monster from Compass Box, Ollie contributed to the feast with oatcakes, damson jam and pickled grapes making it a stunning end to a stunning meal. Not bad value for £40 a head.

All I can tell you is that everyone seemed to have a great time and contributed to my belief that DINE WITH DH is something worthwhile and something we might just keep going for a while.

Oh, and of course, people left with those goody bags, stuffed to the gunwhales with all sorts of amazing stuff courtesy of the incredibly kind brands listed below (I hope I have not missed anyone out, but if I have forgotten anyone, please let me know)

The next event is at Bentley's on the 9th November. If you would like to come along, please join our group on Facebook.

P.S: All of the good photographs are courtesy of Niamh Shields at EAT LIKE A GIRL

Dos Hermanos would like to thank the following for making the latest event possible and such a huge success.

THE BULL & LAST

PLYMOUTH GIN

HALL WOODHOUSE BREWERY

FULLERS BREWERY


THORNBRIDGE BREWERY

COMPASS BOX WHISKY

LEAGRAM ORGANIC DAIRY

and, of course, we would also like to recognise the incredible generosity of the PR's and companies who supplied the following for the goody bags

ENCONA SAUCES
LUSCOMBE ORGANIC DRINKS
GALAXY CHOCOLATE
JUICE BREWERY
TILDA BASMATI RICE
JORDAN'S CEREALS
PENDERYN WELSH WHISKY
WHITWORTH FRUITS
SHERE KHAN SAUCES
HALEN MON SALT
MAKE MINE A BUILDER'S
CHARLIE BIGHAM'S

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8 Comments:

Anonymous Ben said...

Really was a cracking evening. Thanks for organising, Simon, and particular thanks to the chef and staff at the Bull and Last who did a fantastic job bringing amazing food to a raucous rabble of greedy bastards.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:00:00 am  
Anonymous Niamh said...

Great night, a great display of the Best of British. Thanks again to you for organising, the producers for such excellent produce and goody bag loveliness and The Bull & Last staff for a superb evening!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:11:00 am  
Blogger Kavey said...

Fabulous evening of fabulous food and wonderful company! Thank you to DH for organising and to all those who contributed to the evening (and to the goodie bags), most especially the team at Bull and Last. FANTASTIC!

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:15:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

An amazing evening in such a relaxing and friendly atmosphere. Congratulation to you Simon to have managed to gather the London foodies around a big table with great food and beers.
For a couple of hours, the world stops running and the food become the main leitmotiv..
Well done

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:26:00 am  
Anonymous Helen said...

I agree, it was a fantastic evening. So much great food and the company wasn't bad either. The mutton! I could drool thinking about it. Those mini steak tartares were also a highlight for me. I am disappointed in myself for not liking the brains but the fact I was eating the thing I was thinking about eating the thing with twisted my er, brain inside out.

The goody bags were indeed legendary, mine was so full it split on the way home.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 10:43:00 am  
Blogger Hermano 1 said...

Looks fantastic. Really disappointed to have missed it.

Wouldn't it be great though if we didn't have to rely on the few great places like the B&L.

Although, there's a lot of skill on show here and at other joints like Vinoteca, PoW etc. it's a shame that's there's so many places which don't seem to give a shit.

HP

Wednesday, September 09, 2009 3:47:00 pm  
Anonymous C.S. said...

Bentley's?
Are DH going all poncey on us?
You used to be "new tayyabs" or "mangal" guys from Rotherham!
Get back to your roots before it's too late.

Thursday, September 10, 2009 1:54:00 pm  
Anonymous Harters said...

Simon

Get Leagram's to send you a sample of "Bob's Knob".

This is his "tastiest" cheese - usually aged 2 years, but he does have 3 year old stuff. A bit good!

John

Friday, September 11, 2009 6:51:00 pm  

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