Midweek Specials At The School House, South Normanton
Published On Sunday 11 Sep 2022 by Sticky Beak
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Aaand he’s done it again; The Man Bird has spotted a fab deal! Even better was the fact that it was at The School House restaurant in South Normanton, so only up the road from us. Every Wednesday and Thursday you can bag yourself a midweek special dish for a tenner, and when we visited there was a great selection to choose from: a Peach, Beetroot and Blue Cheese summer salad, a couple of Pies, Ham, Egg and Chips, Chicken Katsu Burger, Pulled BBQ Pork Stromboli, Roast Tomato, Feta, Mozzarella and Pesto Pizza, and Fish, Chips and Peas.
We managed to grab a spot on the main road (the one big drawback is that The School House car park is extremely small) and walked down to the venue. As soon as we stepped inside we were greeted warmly and asked what we’d like to drink, before being directed to take a seat in the bar area whilst our table was prepared. After a couple of minutes we were following one of the team to our table in the far corner of the restaurant; I love being this end of the restaurant as you get a fabulous view of the huge portrait of Helen Mirren, adorned with a teachers’ cap and cane for decoration!
I fancied the Pulled BBQ Pork Stromboli with ‘slaw and fries, but swapped the fries for salad as I’m not the world’s biggest ‘tater fan. His Nibs couldn’t decide between the Steak n Ale Pie with Triple-cooked Chips/Mash and fresh Greens or the Crispy Chicken Katsu Burger with Chilli-spiced Fries, but he eventually settled on the Burger.
Martin and Sophie head up the tight-knit team at The School House, and whenever we’ve visited we’ve never had any complaints about the service or food. Every time we’ve dined, the staff have been friendly and the food well cooked and beautifully presented, and it was exactly the same on this occasion. The food is cooked fresh-to-order but, even so, we weren’t waiting overly long for our meals to arrive, and when they did they were a feast for the eyes to behold. As The Man and I cut into our respective choices (yes, the burger was so big it needed to be handled with cutlery!) clouds of steam rose from the plates, so you could instantly tell that the food was piping hot.
A trio of super-crispy chicken breast fillets were artfully piled on top of one another, accompanied by crunchy Lettuce and slices of fresh Tomato, all housed in a toasted bun. The chicken was still nice and juicy, contrasting well against the crunchy coating, and its mild taste allowed the spicy Katsu sauce to pop in the mouth. More spice came courtesy of the crisp, golden toned Fries; they had been liberally bathed in a tangy Chilli spice powder that danced with abandon over the palate.
I wasn’t disappointed when I cut into my Stromboli; not only did it look good, the smells coming from it were mouth-watering and, oh my days, that first bite was heavenly! The combination of smoky, sweet BBQ pulled Pork and melted Mozzarella was a match made in gastro heaven and my taste buds were doing a little dance of happiness. If I was being picky, I would’ve said it was more Calzone shaped (single fold to create a half-moon) than true Stromboli (rolled)style, but to be honest, I didn’t care cos it was so yummy! The Red Cabbage ‘slaw was wonderfully crunchy and tasty with just enough Mayo in it to give a nice wetness in the mouth without rendering it too bland, and the salad was deliciously cool and crisp.
Normally I wouldn’t elaborate too much on a side salad but the one here at The School House in South Normanton does warrant extra praise. Mixed salad leaves had been joined by plenty of crunchy Pea Shoots and some beautiful fresh Herbs, which really got the juices flowing so to speak! Fresh Red, Yellow and Green Tomatoes had been cut into rounds and wedges and the differing tastes of each variety gave amazing layers of flavour in the mouth that really were the epitomes of joyous summer dining. Finely shredded Carrot and sliced Peppers provided even more texture, making this a veritable smorgasbord of tastes and textures. Needless to say, there was nothing at all left on my plate!
Our original intention had been to just have a drink and main course; it was a midweek treat and we’d got a celebration meal planned at the weekend, so we were trying to behave and not be gluttons. All was going swimmingly, but then I remembered that Martin and Sophie do the most incredible desserts and before we could stop ourselves we had ordered Millionaire’s Tart (£7.95) and Peach Compote (£6.95). Can I just say that I really do envy folks with willpower!
His Nibs’ morsel was gorgeous, the simple presentation somehow enhancing its appeal. A Shortbread case was filled to the brim with a bottom layer of rich Caramel that clung seductively to the insides of the cheeks and a top layer of wickedly indulgent dark chocolate that melted on the tongue, leaving The Man in raptures. This layer of chocolate was so thick that it gave a rather pleasing ‘crack’ when being initially cut into with a dessert fork. A scoop of Clotted Cream Ice Cream was the sole partner (other than a sprig of fresh Mint) to this minx, and to be truthful, it was all that was needed.
I love Peaches anyhow, so the thought of them being all soft, sweet(er), squidgy and warm was getting all me all giddy. The compote lived up to my expectation – although it was hotter than I was expecting, so I burned my tongue as I gobbled the first mouthful up greedily. Serves me right I suppose!! The soft fruit was partnered by a marvellous crumble crisp that had a Ginger note to it, and this textural element was most welcome in what would’ve been an otherwise soft pudding, coming as it did with a quenelle of Ginger Cream. Talking of the cream, it was exactly as stated: Ginger and Cream. The ginger note came through superbly on the palate and the cream coated the tongue in silkiness, both playing very nicely with the sweeter character of the peach. This was one of the nicest desserts I’ve had in a while; not the most complicated or ambitious, but I often say that sometimes it’s the simple things that are the best.
Throughout our meal, several check-backs were done to ascertain our happiness with the meals and also to see if we needed more drinks. Yet again The School House at South Normanton has come up trumps and I’m more than happy to award Hot Wings to Martin and Sophie and their team.
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