YOWIEHUB

Our first host for the series and what a bar to set. Squid has really set the standard with drinks, food and company the likes of which I can scarcely believe.

Entree – Chicken Ceasar Salad

Oscar – I thought the salad was bloody delicious, a perfect start to the meal. Light and tangy, with some lovely sour tastes (which I love). I think I had 4 servings.

Joe – Very tasty, good texture. liked the slightly grainy texture to it. Good flavour on the chicken.

Honky – In the Roaring 20s, Caesar salad was invented in Mexico catering to ritzy Americans fleeing prohibition. Since then, the dish has been degraded to kitsch American cuisine, suitable for Starbucks and tourist’ traps. Squids Come yow-ith me starter was a callback to the dish’s elegant and exciting past. Caesar salad has been restored to its former imperial glory. Tangy dressing with complex anchovy umami met the fresh bite of lettuce perfectly. The toasted Panko crumbs were the perfect addition of texture. The chicken thigh pieces topping the salad were juicy and seasoned beautifully with the strong taste of paprika. The slight pepper flavour of the chicken was considered to match the tartness of the salad very well.

Liv – The Ceasar Salad Starter was delicious, fresh and light and the perfect dish to start the night off with. Paired beautifully with the white wine.

Main – Shallot Pasta

Oscar – Again it was delectable, really, really nice. Had anchovies in it and I hadn’t really had that kind of pasta much. was fantastic. Some of the sauce from the salad remained in my bowl and mixed with the pasta in a very delightful way. Had some sort of interesting scoop shaped pasta that I liked. I wonder if it’s shaped like that to catch all the flavours? I don’t know but it was doing just that, clever person if they invented that.

Joe – It had a salty, savoury flavour with some depth. The pasta were shaped liked little ears, didn’t put me off though. Absolutely delicious, and you know I went back for seconds!

Honky – The lunchtime sun was beating overhead, the old Italian woman who owned the house was pouring wine into small square glasses. In the distance, there was the faint call of waves against a cliff wall. As I stared out across the valley, a giant pot of pasta is brought out steaming, filled with orc rich onyx coloured orecchiette. It was delicious. This dish is a Squid signature, which I have had the pleasure of enjoying multiple times. The version made on this evening was the best I have ever had. The sweetness of the shallots meets the palate accompanied by deep tomato umami. A slight kick of chili adds a vibrant touch to this dish.

Liv – The main tomato and anchovy pasta dish was incredible. Indulgent but not heavy and it was cooked to perfection.

Desert – Chocolate almond Torte

Oscar – Don’t really eat deserts but maybe I should get back into it based on this. Added a few strawberries and some dollop cream and my goodness it was just divine. Very chocolatey and moist Torte. A tortally fantastic experience. based on my meal, I would judge that Squids soul is as light as the Caesar salad, as indulgent as the pasta and as exuberant as her Torte.

Joe – what is there to say? Delicious. I enjoyed the flavour of almonds in my mouth! A delicious feast. Very tasty, enjoyed it all thoroughly. A good feed, no fussy business. I don’t like it when places put stuff on the plate that you can’t eat – like a flower or some sort of plant stalky thing. Pretentious. Nothing like that with this meal though.

Honky – The chocolate torte was served, and before I could finish my sentence it had disappeared. The elegant desert was the perfect end to the meal, not too sweet and suited for those without sweet tooths. The complex bitterness of the chocolate matched the fine richness of the cake very well. The almond meal used provided the torte with a beautifully moist and chewy texture. Serving it with fresh berries and cream was a great choice as the tartness of the fruit cut through the rich chocolate to create an excellent balance. Delicious.

Liv – Dessert was absolutely divine and I had seconds (maybe thirds). Deliciously chocolatey and such a wonderful texture. presentation was beautiful with almonds and icing sugar. A lovely end to a lovely night, could have eaten the whole thing.