Thursday 18 December 2014

Sticky Walnut, Chester.


"All is for the best in the best of all possible worlds." *

This quote popped into my head just as I was polishing off the tart at Sticky Walnut. It seems wholly appropriate as everything is as it should be here. The pork belly is the pork belly by which all others shall be judged and found wanting, usually. Gelatinous, rich and unctuous, oozing with lovely fat and with the satisfying crunch on the crackling. Like all sensible people, we're not scared of fat, we all know that's where the best flavour is. Large convivial Christmas groups all around us are tucking into turkey. (They have to put it on, people demand it in the festive season). I'm sure it's good here, as good as the naturally bland, dry bird can be but it can never in a million years touch the simple beauty of this pork belly. If there's a better example of this dish in the UK I'd love to know where it is. Answers on a postcard please.
The shin of beef is bloody gorgeous too. It's glossy and silky, luxuriously fatty. We saviour eat precious mouthful before we reluctantly swap plates.
Not everyone loves Sticky as we do, we leave them to write their bitter, poison pen letters via Tripadvisor. It's not perfect, nothing in life is. Most things here are as good as they can be, the warm friendly service, the charming uneven décor, the wonderful food of course (we ignore the self publicised giant air con whirring above our heads). Even so, we chose to look up not down.
For those that get it as we do, It's genius is it's simplicity. It's most definitely one of life's most enjoyable lunches.
Quote from Candide by Voltaire. Obviously I had to google it.
* Bill paid in full.

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2 comments:

  1. I really like your blog. But I think Voltaire had something rather different in mind when he used that quote to ridicule the idea that we really do live in the best of all possible worlds. Not trying to be a dick. If you haven't read Candide then I highly recommend it. It is a riot.

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