.It’s not often that I am invited back to sample the delights of a restaurant for a second time, but thankfully after last years menu relaunch at the Monro on Liverpool’s Duke Street [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/the-monro-liverpool-menu-re-launch-august-2015] and an overtly positive experience I am back. 
 
The first time was due to combined efforts of owner Will, the kitchen staff and expert service and welcome from James, the second time the former and latter are taking a back seat for the proceedings.  On this occasion, the purpose of the evening was to experience a Rioja pairing with some of the best bits from the Monro’s menu, the wines were supplied by C.V.N.E. (Compania Vinicola del Norte de Espana [http://www.cvne.com/en/]) and Hatch Mansfield’s (also responsible for Errazuriz, Villa Maria and Louis Jadot) Sandy Greetham and C.V.N.E’s Carlos Delage, the latter of whom provided some guidance on the wines that were paired with the food.

Scallops, pea brulee and black pudding fritter (paired with Viña Real Rioja Blanco, Barrel Fermented)
 
A feast for both the eyes and for other senses, this combination of earth, meaty and fresh crisp flavours is an inviting herald for a spring menu.  The flavours married excellently with the wine pairing addition of an acidic but balanced white Rioja.  Sweet notes from the pea bruleé and the golden raisins set the dish up to deliver plenty of satisfaction through contrast with the intense savoury of the black pudding and fragrant scallops, solid and in no way jarring.  The presentation was also rather inviting, scattered and ornamental elements not out of place and the bruleé was particularly impressive.
 
The white Rioja, made with 100% Viura grapes brought a lot of fresh acidity and light fruitiness to the table, with the American oak aging affording a finish which is soft, cream-biscuity and lightly vanilla touches.  Definitely a complimentary pairing on this occasion, with no distracting contrasts.  Very well paired.
 
 
Stone bass, chorizo, potato chowder and samphire (paired with Contino Rioja Reserva)
 
This was another well-presented dish, balancing delicate white fish with the more rough-and-ready elements of chorizo with a buffer of potato and cream to produce something that was rather surprisingly robust enough to stand up to a superficially unlikely pairing.  By virtue of the chorizo, the strength and nature of the wine was tempered rather excellently, allowing yet more competent cooking to shine through and the flavours on offer to do their thing without interruption from a tannin-overload.  The only longing I experienced with this dish was a slightly more forgiving texture from the potato; perhaps the elasticity of gnocchi would have sated this, but I am splitting hairs and I am a sucker for good gnocchi.
 
The Contino Reserva benefits from aging in both French and American oak over two years before it is bottled, a vibrantly deep red wine is the result along with notes of berry fruit, especially blackberries and redcurrant along with some more tart edges to the finish.  Thick, rounded and full-bodied, this actually worked supremely well with the dairy, chorizo and bass.

Fillet of beef, fondant potato and truffled wild mushrooms (paired with Viña Real Rioja Gran Reserva)
 
The fillet was quite exceptional; often the cut can be wonderfully textured and beautifully succulent, but often lacking in flavour.  The textures were all there, along with perfect timing on the cooking, but there was plenty of flavour to bounce off the pairing set with this dish, completed with the ballast of a fondant potato and rich medley of wild mushrooms, looking like they had been foraged that same day.
 
The Gran Reserva was an excellent example of how well Spanish reds can perform with food and why they should never be discounted again their French and Italian cousins for food pairing.  This blend of Graciano and Tempranillo grapes presents some full on youthful fruitiness along with the depth of some older dried fruit tangled up with elements of tobacco, leather and spice.  A pretty powerful, deceptively coloured and complex wine, which paired as ever, particularly well with the kitchen’s output.
 
 
Vanilla Panacotta and raspberry espuma
 
The dessert was reminiscent of my last blog visit to the Monro, but it was as every bit as pleasing as the first time.  The balance of acidic and sweet raspberry along with the creamy pannacotta provided a simple and effective punctuation to the evening; an additional surprise was how well the Gran Reserva continued to work alongside this dish.  More contrast than compliment, but nevertheless, it worked.
 
The standard on display from this showing definitely builds on the menu revamp from last year and I was informed by the staff that the kitchen staff driving the event were the more junior members of staff; if this was the case, then the support available to the kitchen looks incredibly assured.

The wines provided by Hatch Mansfield and Cvne were all excellent and paired perfectly, with the red paired with white fish being a surprising and very welcome change.  From recent memory, these were some of the most enjoyable Riojas I have tasted for some time too, so much so that have had the odd daydream about a roast dinner and the Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja.
 
Salud!
 
Pedro.
 
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Disclaimer: This meal was offered to ElectroKemist Cuisine in return for feedback following an invite to review this restaurant, however, the review above remains an honest opinion of the experience.
 
The Monro
92 Duke Street
Liverpool
L1 5AG

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMonro 
Web: http://www.themonro.com/
Tel: 0151 707 9933
 
CVNE
Web: http://www.cvne.com/en/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cvne
 
Hatch Mansfield WinesNew Bank House
1 Brockenhurst Road
Ascot
Berkshire SL5 9DJ
 
Web: http://www.hatchmansfield.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HatchMansfield

Will Lyons sits relatively calmly and centrally at the table with some esteemed local company from social media, print media and including a former master chef entrant.  He is looking to reboot the Monro and in hiring new head chef Alex (who was no doubt industrious in the kitchen) has enabled development a new tasting menu for the evening.  Although the master in the kitchen is still relatively young, he has built some valuable experience into his portfolio before this new adventure at The Monro.

The Monro is looking to reboot their menu, although their reputation is a complex one, as one of the forerunners of the Liverpool Gastropub scene, they somehow straddled between high-end pub dining and being a bit of a local boozer without ever really sitting comfortably in either camp or as a true hybrid.  Now The Monro is looking to really push their reputation along using a foundation of talent and experience along with a new menu excellent front of house staff and judging by the evening’s progression, in the kitchen along with some promising promotions from within their existing ranks.

James Campbell has done the rounds; Fraiche (which still holds its Michelin star), the Art School with Paul Askew (one of Marina O’Loughin’s high points of her visit in an otherwise disappointing review [http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/dec/12/art-school-restaurant-liverpool-review-marina-o-loughlin] and Wirral’s Thornton Hall (where Great British Menu entrant, Matthew Worswick resides as head chef) and is now settled at The Monro; although this event was only his first night, it was a calm and experienced show from him, giving the impression of an easy symbiosis to come.

The tasting menu was well put together and for the most part, well executed and very well presented.  Bearing in mind the pressures of the evening, a relatively experimental menu and some testing techniques required, there was plenty to enjoy and little to concern thus far.

The Beetroot and Strawberry consommé was a jolt and a bit of a rewire for the senses; somewhat sweet on the nose, it was intensely savoury with a meaty buzz to it; which is interesting, not entirely unpleasant and meets with mixed responses from the table.  The temperature also provided a somewhat uneasy edge to the amuseé bouche, being served cold with such an earthy and savoury flavour set wasn’t altogether accessible.

The first foray proper into the menu was wood pigeon served alongside pickled carrot and a brioche crumb, the plate was also scattered with a speckling of puree and some salad leaves to bring some colour forth.  The pigeon was cooked almost perfectly, although there was possibly a little too much resistance in the texture for perfection, but the partners for this dish worked excellently, aside from a slightly redundant note from the crumb.

I’ve never been a huge fan of razor clams, but this dish certainly piqued my interest once again; good ideas aplenty, sorrel ice was an interesting and pleasant touch on the plate.  The clams themselves were tasty and seasoned well, although some toughness at the ends was evidence they were possibly a little overdone and the tomato lacked a little acidity to punch above its meagre weight. Going back to the sorrel ice and use of sea aster, these touches make a clever yet simple dish, which with a little refinement will be welcome in any tasting menu.

Next we moved to lamb rump, which judging by the flavours and response to solid cooking technique is sourcing of some good cuts.  The black olive caramel sauce served with the lamb was intensely umami rich and other elements were spot on for bringing total balance to the dish, including a potato wrapped feta parcel and pea shoots.

Pre dessert required something a little lighter than the incredibly intense olive caramel and lamb, this was delivered in the form of a gin and tonic granita palate cleanser; citric, clean and crisp. This then set the stage for the blue cheese beignet, served with a green apple puree.  The beignet was flavoured well but on this occasion needs more acidity and sweetness from the apple element to counterbalance the slightly stodgey but flavoursome cheese; that said, the beignet was very moreish and eating the course could have easily been repeated.

Finally a raspberry sauce hiding a vanilla pannacotta beneath in a kilner jar, dotted with raspberries, lemon balm microherbs and biscuit crumb – deliciously sweet, acidic, palate cleansing and supremely balanced.  This is how to get a dessert to sing; well thought out elements, kept relatively simple but put together with skill and care.

The Monro’s intent was pretty clear on the night, up the game for the food and retain the charm of the surroundings to push forward as a place more focussed on its menu, whilst nurturing some of the pub sensibilities it is known for. The Monro is certainly not just a pub that does good food if they build some sort of positive trajectory, based on this showing.

Pedro.

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Disclaimer: This meal was offered to ElectroKemist Cuisine in return for feedback following an invite to review this restaurant, however, the review above remains an honest opinion of the experience.
  
Thanks to Charlie Hooson-Sykes for the use of a couple of images in this piece.
You can follow her on Twitter under @The_Lady_Sybil


The Monro
92 Duke Street
Liverpool
L1 5AG

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMonro 
Web: http://www.themonro.com/
Tel: 0151 707 9933