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Bistrot Eleven
Article Posted: Friday July 3rd
Article last updated on: Friday July 3rd
Bistrot Eleven 11 Abingdon Road
London W8 6AH
0207 937 0120 You may remember 11 Abingdon Road as an Italian job well hold hard it has changed to a French restaurant. So now you can have frogs legs and other delights from La Belle France. The room is bright, clean and airy with a fresh feel, so no change there; I first ate in the place in its previous guise and loved it. Now to visit the same premises was another delight altogether. Helpful staff, excellent food and a good wine list, what more can you ask for? Dancing girls, no not good for the digestion. I was lunching with my first forth wife, Carole, who was looking prettier than ever, her red hair and bronzed arms, boy she looked good enough to eat. Shame she is engaged to another, futher shame that we can't fight duels in this so called civilized age. Carole was not very hungry, aren't actresses always watching their figures, so she poor lass did not order a starter. Whereas I plunged in with the Crisp Lamb Sweetbreads with sauce *Gribiche and parsely.
A delcious delight, I am mad about sweetbreads and cannot find them very often. When I lived in Wiltshire I found a butcher in Salisbury who kept them all year round by freezing some. I wonder if he still does, its worth a trip from Bonny London to stock up with sheeps panceas not as some say, sheeps testies. Carole must have been peckish by the time I had savoured my starter, she was awaiting a salad of red mullet, with fennel, celery and apple, sounds yummy does it not. I was assured it was delicious and offered some. I refused not wanting to spoil my appetite. My rump of lamb came rare served with beans, aubergine, fondant potato and Confit Garlic
I am dribbling as I write the thoughts of the garlic and the very tender lamb are making me hungry, dash it. We shared and Eton Mess for pud. Delightful delirious and de-naughty, crumbs what it is to be a big boy. The whole lot was washed down by a good Cote du Rhone. A perfect lunch with a perfect lady, thank you Carole. *Attributed to early Roman times, this sauce, which was more commonly referred to as "Sauce Gribiche", was made as a condiment or dressing for salad greens, fish, poultry, and eggs. Very similar to tartare sauce, Gribiche is made with shallots, parsley, cornichons, capers, eggs, oil, vinegar, and seasonings. However, other ingredients are often added such as chives, other herbs and prepared mustard. A key difference between Sauce Gribiche and tartare sauce is that the oil, vinegar and seasonings are not emulsified (fully blended) into the Sauce Gribiche as they are with tartare sauce.
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