A gloomy Sunday, but Emma Johnson won’t let rain stop play

IT HAD been what could only be described as a rubbish Sunday. The rain had been pouring for so long I was contemplating building an ark. I had intended to spend the day doing important Sunday things like washing the car – you know the stuff.

Instead, I had spent most of it watching the sideways rain turn our road into a veritable stream. By early evening, there was only one thing that could lift the gloom and that was braving the rain and venturing out for some hearty grub.

Tom at 101, in Warrington’s affluent suburb of Stockton Heath, seemed the obvious choice. Not too far from home, and somewhere to be relied upon for what Gordon Ramsay – in his Kitchen Nightmares series – “good, honest, English fare”.

Back when Stockton Heath was little more than a small village with big potential, as opposed to the wannabe Wilmslow it is now with its glut of restaurants, 101 London Road (as it was known in the days before current chef patron Tom Rogers took it over) was the first up-market dining establishment to set up stall there.

My husband and I have eaten there numerous times, particularly during our days spent living on that side of the water in nearby Grappenhall. We even had a most enjoyable Christmas Day dinner there a few years back.

However, we had sort of fallen out of love with the place of late, following one disappointing visit with a large group of friends where it had taken an age to be served. It was definitely time to give the place another chance, though.

Arriving at around 7pm, we found the restaurant half full. The Sunday lunch rush was over and the evening sitting just starting to filter in.

Tom offers an all-day Sunday menu with 11 starters and 10 main courses, in addition to the all-day Sunday roasts of chicken, rib-eye of beef, pork and turkey, “served from noon until 9.31pm”, the menu states.

Apart from a few “foreign” flavours like Thai fishcakes, penne pasta and crispy duck, the menu is largely British. Starters are simple, too – smoked salmon, homemade “cuppa” soup. The menu even pokes fun at using fancy names for what is essentially a prawn cocktail.

Main courses include two types of steak, a slow-braised lamb, vegetarian pasta and risotto, and three fish dishes. This is another place where Tom seems to parallel the great Gordon’s thinking. Rather than get caught up in creating adventurous dishes that no-one understands or wants, his philosophy is to keep food simple and good.

Where possible, all food is sourced from local farmers, fishmongers and suppliers, with Tom insisting he only accepts the freshest produce and all dishes are freshly prepared to order.

That certainly seemed the case on our visit. My homemade chicken liver paté starter (£5.95) was excellent, a thick layer of fat on top was skimmed away to reveal a light, fluffy and moist paté which tasted great paired with the slightly tangy Cumberland marmalade and the bread. Just one niggle and this goes out to all chefs – if you’re gonna give us that much paté, we need more bread!

My husband’s Thai fishcakes (£6.45) were similarly well-received, though devoured much quicker. Full of flavour, nicely crispy and moist inside was the verdict.

The main courses were winners, too. My slow-braised lamb was stunning. The shoulder, which sat atop a rich sea of vegetables and thick creamy, sticky mash, with minted gravy, was tender and streaming with flavour. It was hearty and moreish, the sort of comfort food to make the hardest man melt.

My husband had unusually chosen a pie as his main course. Not just any old pie, but one described on the menu as “steak, steak, steak, mushroom and Guinness pie”.

It came with chunky chips and with no prompting a side order of carrots and sprouts.

My husband refers to the green fellas as the Devil’s vegetable, but I think sprouts get a bad rap and helped myself to a couple.

It all looked amazing across from me, but the presentation was a little odd. The pie came in its own dish, the chips in paper, and both were placed on a mini butcher’s block. That was fine, but sort of ruled out you pouring the accompanying boat of gravy over the whole lot.

My husband got round that by dipping his chips in it. He declared his dinner nothing short of excellent and the pie certainly lived up to its triple-steak billing, which was just as well because, at £12.95, it was one of the most expensive pies I have seen.

With two winners in the bag, it seemed an opportune time to go for broke and throw in dessert. The decision was confirmed when I saw the menu. For the first time in a long time, this was a dessert list where I would have been happy to have any one delivered to my table.

In the end I opted for the “Bachas” (£4.95) – a rich, hot, chocolate fondant which would take 10 minutes to prepare, thus giving me time to make room in my stomach. My husband went for the incredible-sounding Mars bar and Snickers cheesecake (£4.95).

Both dishes were insanely brilliant, perfect gut-busting-throw-calorie-counting-to-the-wind treats.

It all goes to prove everyone deserves a second chance.

emmajohnson

Tom At 101, 101 London Road, Stockton Heath, Cheshire. Tel: 01925 212 660.

Bill: £72.50 with tip, two large glasses of Chardonnay and a Peroni.

Value: Not the cheapest when we dined, but there are loads of special offers on weekdays and the food is great.

Service: Swift and silent.

Style: Contemporary, laid back but warm and friendly.

Children’s menu: Yes.