Good Enough for Caesar

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

Lunch in Whitstable ahead of a family birthday gathering in a remote farmyard somewhere.

With a marquee.

That's how my clan rolls.

Time first to see my bestest & it's been a few months so there's a lot to talk about & to catch up on.

Here's the venue which neither of us have been to before in this gorgeous seaside Kent town ..
https://www.samphirewhitstable.co.uk

On the first of two Bank Holiday weekends, thankfully I had booked us in. We saw numerous hungry hopefuls turned away at the door & optimistic phone callers being told: "Sorry, we're fully booked."

Before we turn to menus & choices, let’s talk Whitstable native oysters. I'm a fan of the bivalve, Robert is not. Here's a thing. Apparently the oysters in Whitstable have been harvested since the days of the Romans who then exported them back home to Italy. Presumably this happened once they realised it was just too cold & wet in Blighty in the winter months. One lad who was particularly partial to this local favourite was ..

***FANFARE***

Caesar.

Presumably someone shucked them for him. 

Then there's Carry On Cleo with Kenneth Williams as the Emperor & .. well, you know .. 

"Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me."

Genius line.

So to our choices ..

No oysters for me today, chum is not keen & I'm of the school which says only eat the bivalve when there's an 'r' in the month.

Photo © Anne-Marie Minhall

Rosemary & Roast Garlic Focaccia 

Creole Mussels with Holy Trinity Sauce, Smoked Prawn Butter

Samphire's Fish Pie

Hispi Cabbage

Plus a bottle of homegrown bubbles ..

Silver Reign Charmat, Luddesdown, Kent

The mussels, to share, were absolutely delicious and we were both greedy when mopping up the juices with the bread. 

A fish pie each with the cabbage - comfort food - but the two of us agreed more sauce was needed for the pie. 

No room for pud & anyway we had a birthday party to get ready for that night.

AMM