Every now and again I like to treat my mother and attempt to broaden her horizons (I've covered her…read morefussiness before), and with this, in mind I decided I would take her to my favourite 'upmarket' restaurant in my local town of Nantwich.
Since 2007 Residence has occupied a striking and beautiful building in the heart of the town (built in the 17th century as a Georgian mansion house, and previously home to Lord Mayor of London, Edmund Wright).
I visited this very building in its previous incarnation as Peppers Restaurant and have also dined at Residence on numerous occasions since it changed hands. However, when it first opened I had some hit-and-miss experiences and felt that the food was not doing justice to the picturesque setting housing it. Fortunately, in the last year or two, the kitchen has improved. On my recent few visits, the food has been consistently good.
Could they achieve the ultimate feat and impress my mother?
We both decided to dine from the Market Menu which was great value at £15.95 for 2 courses or £18.95 for 3 courses.
I opted for the chicken and pancetta terrine with croutons to start. The smoky, salty pancetta complimented the chicken that had retained all of his moistness and flavour. The crispy toasted bread was a good accompaniment, as was the chutney. There were however a couple of issues; the portion size was intimidating (you could have halved everything and it still would have been enough), and also the green salad lacked any seasoning or dressing, therefore contributing very little to the dish (apart from making me feel a little healthier).
I was struggling to decide between the beef shin and fish of the day for main, but helpfully my mother chose the former so I went for the fish, which was salmon served with peas, samphire, crayfish, mashed potatoes and a lemon butter.
It was a delicious plate of food. The salmon tasted as fresh as it obviously was (albeit ever so slightly overcooked). The salty samphire worked harmoniously with the fish, the crayfish was sweet and juicy, and the mash creamy and flavoursome. Additionally, the lemon butter provided some fatty moisture goodness despite not tasting much of lemon. A particular highlight was the crispy salmon skin, I could have eaten a whole plate of this alone!
Admittedly, this was not an earth-shatteringly original dish, but the flavour combinations are classic and they were executed well. I ate it all with gusto.
I managed to also bag myself a small morsel of my mother's dish (beef shin with a carrot and swede puree, and honey roasted parsnips). I only tried a small bit of beef but the flavour was deep and intense, and the meat was cooked so that it melted in the mouth.My latest experience at Residence has re-enforced my view that this is the best all-around high-end restaurant in Nantwich. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients combined to great effect with obvious skill and passion from the kitchen, and for just north of £15 the value for money is genuinely excellent. I am proud to have this restaurant on my doorstep and for it to represent the culinary offerings of Nantwich.
If you live in Cheshire and haven't been yet, make some time, you won't be disappointed.
