À la carte dinner for four - Thursday 19 January 2023

The first night after returning from their post-Christmas R&R for Gavin Aitkenhead, Samantha Tomkins and the team. Back with a bang? Well, a controlled explosion at the very least. Things are done well, but calmly, here.

Mrs Cheoff and I have enjoyed an evening tasting menu and a previously reviewed lunch already. This third visit was our treat for two great friends and was financially supported by a birthday gift voucher from generous family.

Appetiser
Smoked Eel, Leek and Avruga
All the ingredients for success but this was a surprisingly understated introduction. Leeks were under-seasoned and if they had been blitzed and passed they would have given the caviar substitute a chance to assert more of its texture.

Right. Please stay seated. That drop of negativity will now be discarded and replaced with mild delight veering towards huge enjoyment for all that followed.

Read on.

Wine
Samantha continues to build on her extensive wine knowledge and will direct you to informed choices if you want. I did my usual thing of studying her list before travelling to Lincoln. Having picked a red and white which looked interesting, Samantha massaged my ego by confirming their suitability. She provided lovely information as they were opened. Interesting enough to add to our appreciation but not so technical as to threaten our enjoyment.

Samantha joked as she said she would open the red to “let it start breathing” before the arrival of our main courses. I hope she caught my raised eyebrow in recognition of her mischievous but, let’s face it, rather weak attempt at humour!

Rest assured, a wine aerating pourer lay in wait for the appropriate time.

Bread
Two bakes on offer. Shallot and thyme, and apricot and fennel. Both very successful as far as we were concerned. No-fuss butter available to please the anti-whipped or -flavoured dairy protesters.
We didn’t feel the need to ask for extra slices which I know some diners might demand. Too much of a good thing and all that, eh.

Starter
Seared Wild Seabass, Fricassee of Ham Hock, Morteau Sausage and Shallots, with a Salsa Verdi (sic) Butter Sauce
Chosen by all of us, the sea bass provided well-considered ‘surf 'n' turf’ elements. A lovely finish on the skin can create over-firm cooked flesh. There was no danger of complaint on that score. Smoky sausage complemented rather than overpowered things. And don’t fret about that salsa. Not the Mexican variety - but it’s European version. And this Italian sauce actually contained no trace whatsoever of one of that country’s famous composers!

Main
Roast Lavinton Lamb Baked with a Herb Crumb, Cannelloni of Shoulder, Nduja and Aubergine, with Whipped Aged Feta
I had to appreciate this dish second-hand as the rest of the table tucked in. Gavin takes the wonderful local produce of Lavinton* from Lincolnshire to the Ionian Sea and grabs flavours from Italy and Greece. To quiet roars of approval.
*I am already planning to put choices from the online shop onto our menus for home cooking.

Roast Lincolnshire Venison, Beetroot and Liquorice Purée, Venison Sausage Roll, Stilton Dauphinoise
Lovely. No need for me to be jealous of my fellow diners. My main relied on locked-down classic flavour combinations. The kitchen made sure that confidence didn’t lead to complacency and delivered every element wonderfully well. I shouldn’t pick highlights but you might know that I will. The flaky, livery sausage roll and a deep glossy sauce were particularly memorable. Beetroot and liquorice as well… Mmmm.

Yes, all right. I know when to stop!

Dessert
Warm Gingerbread, Cassis Berries, Coconut Sorbet
We all feared a little too much richness from the chocolate alternative and three of us - including me - settled upon this balanced end to our meal. Gingerbread? Parkin? Pain d'épice? This was closer to the latter with its accent on star anise. Coconut, toasted and infusing the sorbet, could have brought thoughts of more intense tropical heat but everything here resolved itself into a pleasingly light and gently warming end to our meal.

Cheese
Plate of Cheese, Celery and Apple, Walnut and Raisin Bread
This was very nicely presented with accompanying notes for the six(?) cheeses. It added a little more determination to my hopes of pacing meals better to include a supplementary tuck-in to cheeses.

The Wine List

The main list covers most bases. Markups seem to be relatively generous to guests. A bottle retailing around £10 (our red) will cost approximately £30. Anything above £25 retail is likely to attract even less profit for the restaurant and cost roughly double at table. Perhaps do your own research to find potential ‘bargains’.

The opportunity to try single glasses from the Coravin list is a very attractive one and wines matched to the tasting menu are available to add, perhaps with further input from one of Samantha’s free-to-diners ‘wine seminars’. Be as adventurous as you please.

We had teas and coffees before settling our bill. Our friends had shared a recent experience of eating out in ‘darkness’. The cosiness of the Jews House room had surrounded us immediately but we chuckled over the rather low night visibility. No matter. Long before the end of the meal our eyes had grown accustomed to the subdued lighting. Not an environment for the amateur food photographer. Better to discard your lens and concentrate on enjoying the food through other apertures!

Our menu was the same as that offered at the end of 2022. Relying on undoubted talents at the stove is a sure way to please but runs the risk of both cooks and guests losing excitement. I hope to see that seasons and ingredients inspire Gavin and his team to change the dishes regularly.

Final thoughts
Food, including a coffee, came to just under £70 per person and we drank a bottle each of red and white wine, costing a moderate £65 all together.

As ever, I am aware that we are privileged to be able to afford to book a table at such venues. But, whatever the prices of food on offer, it is important to come away from a meal with little or no resentment about the experience. I can’t imagine anyone but the horribly pernickety leaving with any qualms about food or service at The Jews House.

I recommend a visit. Choose a relaxed moment to chew the fat - maybe not literally! - with Gavin at the kitchen door. Enjoy his small brigade’s lovely food and be prepared to feel very much at home in the care of Samantha and her front of house team. Thank you so much Katie and Gemma for adding to our experience (and apologies if it’s Jemma!).

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THE JEWS HOUSE Lincoln