Dinner With Friends At Kirton Cottage, Kirton, Lincolnshire
Published On Tuesday 22 Aug 2023 by Sticky Beak
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Bestie Bird (BB) and her hubby, The Bolton Wanderer (TBW), always comment on how many great eateries we have in our locale when they come to stay; and we really are blessed to have so much choice, something that becomes very obvious when we go to stay with them! Now, I’m not saying that there aren’t some fab places to dine where they live in Lincolnshire, there are, but nowhere near as many as we have here.
Luckily, we all love dining out together (and cooking in together), so TBW had made it his mission to book somewhere for us to eat on the Saturday evening. Back in our student days, BB and I used to while away the time with friends at Kirton social club, playing (and I use the word ‘playing’ loosely!) pool or snooker, so I knew where Kirton was when TBW mentioned it. What I didn’t know was that there’s a rather quirky little restaurant, Kirton Cottage, that is literally located in a house on a road, that prides itself on good food matched with equally good service.
For a small venue, the menu and drinks list were pretty impressive and not badly priced. We selected a bottle of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to drink, and our server went to get us some table water and glasses whilst we looked through the food choices. For each course there were 7 choices which, for a rural venue, isn’t shabby at all.
BB and The Man Bird both opted for the Tempura Battered Sole Fillets with Sweet Chilli Sauce (£7), I chose the Smoked Salmon with Caper Dressing and Salad Leaves (£7.95) and TBW fancied the Homemade Soup of the Day (Cream of Tomato on this occasion) with Warm Crusty Bread Roll (£6). Pan-fried Scallops were also on the starters (£8.95), but for some reason there’s a trend for serving them with Black Pudding at the moment, so I swerved them. Much as I love Black Pud in a fried breakfast, I really don’t get it with seafood; I just don’t, I’m sorry.
We never run out of conversation and were nattering away happily when our smartly attired servers (black skirts and white shirts) brought out the starters. Now, I just want to say that I love soup; it might not be the trendiest item on the planet, but when it’s done well, it’s comfort in a bowl 😊. As soon as the soup was placed before TBW you could see that this was the real deal, the gentle rose pink colour indicating the perfect marriage of tomato pulp and cream. Skilful seasoning really brought all the flavours to the fore on the palate, and in all honesty, all the accompaniment that was needed was the warm bread roll.
Sole is a fish that has a delicate, sweet flavour to its flesh, so we were intrigued to see how the combination of batter and Chilli dip would play out here. Thankfully, the batter was wickedly light and not at all greasy so there was no interference with the Sole’s taste at all. Logically, I got where the inspiration for using Sweet Chilli Dip came in: Tempura is a batter used in Thai and Chinese cuisine, and fried dishes are commonly served with this dip to cut through any richness. Whilst it wouldn’t be my first choice of dip to go with Sole, it actually worked quite nicely; evidently BB and His Nibs thought so, given their clean plates!
My own starter was plentiful, to say the least! The slices of Smoked Salmon had carefully been concertinaed and layered in a beautiful arrangement, then interspersed with salty Caper berries and laid upon a deep bed of dressed, mixed leaves. A squeeze of juice from the wedge of fresh lemon was a final flourish that brought the notes of sour, sharp and sweet together wonderfully in this classy starter.
The serving team kept a discreet eye on our table, refreshing wine and water as needed, checking we were happy with our food, and then clearing the empty plates away efficiently. Everything was done with a smile and a quietly confident professionalism that you would expect from a restaurant that serves food and drink according to silver service standards 😊.
For mains we’d ordered Pan-Fried Chicken Breast stuffed with Chorizo, wrapped in Bacon and served with a White Wine, Chorizo and Tarragon Sauce (TBW, £20.95), an 8oz Fillet Steak - requested medium - with Cherry Tomatoes, Flat Mushroom and Hand-cut Chips (His Nibs, £27), Mushroom Wellington with New Potatoes and Cheese Sauce (BB, £18.95), and Pan-Fried Tuna Loin - requested pink in the middle – with Red Wine Sauce (me, £20.95), and I also requested a side salad.
All our dishes came out in quick succession, so no-one was left enviously watching the others tuck in, and we all smiled appreciatively at the wonderful aromas wafting over our table. After the first couple of mouthfuls had been savoured, it was clear that everything was cooked as requested and that the fish, meat and poultry were all still beautifully moist and succulent. Size-wise, the portions were generous and both His Nibs and I remarked at the value of the Fillet Steak over in Lincolnshire; we doubted very much whether you’d get a comparative Fillet in Derbyshire (of the same quality) for under £30.
A platter of mixed vegetables had been placed in the centre for us all to help ourselves to, and they were all superbly fresh and still crunchy; unfortunately, my side salad had a bit too much dressing on it and was a bit soggy as I dug further down the bowl. BB was also a bit gob-smacked at the amount of Cheese Sauce that had been larruped all over her Mushroom Wellington, the New Potatoes, and the rest of the plate! Those who have a bit of a ‘thing’ about their wet food touching their dry food would positively wig-out at Kirton Cottage; they like their sauces, to say the least! My Tuna had plenty of sauce over it, as did TBW’s Chicken Breast; in fact, the only sauce that came in a separate jug was His Nibs’ Peppercorn sauce that he’d ordered to go with his Fillet. Please, guys, offer all sauces in separate vessels, so that diners can add it to their own preference – it was really the only criticism we had, but it was a big one.
Bestie Bird and I both ordered the Cheesecake of the Week (£6): White Chocolate and Limoncello; I had mine without the Ice Cream, BB had hers with. TBW declined a third course, but you might know that The Man was in the market for pudding, ordering the Ginger Sponge Pudding with Hazelnut Custard (£7).
When the lovely young lass brought out the Sponge Pudding, you could see the plumes of steam rising from it and His Nibs smiled appreciatively at the smell carried on them. There’s something unrivalled about the joy that a well-executed Sponge can bring; I don’t know whether it’s the familiarity of it being something made by mums or grannies, or if it ignites memories of a hot pud on cold days at school, but it never fails to please. The one at Kirton Cottage was a dream with its light but substantial texture, and its Ginger certainly developed a warmth in the tummy 😊. It’s the first time we’ve had Hazelnut Custard (and I know it sounds odd) and it was surprisingly good; its taste was gentle rather than robustly nutty, and its roundedness brought balance to the swagger of the Ginger in the Sponge.
The White Chocolate and Limoncello Cheesecake was nothing short of amazing! Neither BB or I struggled to cut through the base, equally relieved that it didn’t crumble into a million crumbs either. The body was marvellously light and airy, its rich indulgence tempered by the zing of citrussy Limoncello that was threaded through its white chocolate creaminess. Bestie said that the good quality Vanilla Ice Cream went well with it, but I don’t think I could’ve had another morsel pass my lips! This was perhaps one of the nicest Cheesecakes I’ve had the pleasure to eat…and I’ve eaten a few in my time 😊!
As with the previous courses, our servers whisked the empty plates away with minimal fuss and intrusion, leaving us to reflect on our meals before we settled the bill and headed for home. Other than the obvious talking point (the food!!), we nattered about the brilliant quirkiness of this bijoux venue: the structure of the cottage remained, providing several dining areas that, funnily enough, had a superbly homely feel. I’d definitely revisit here, though I’d request that sauces are on the side!!
Bostonians, you’ve got a little bobby dazzler here 😊. Kirton Cottage is open 7 days-a-week, for lunch ONLY on Monday, 11.30am-3pm; for lunch Tues-Thurs 11.30am-3pm, and then for dinner 5.30pm -11pm; Fri-Sat lunch 11.30am-3pm, then dinner 5.30pm -Midnight, and on Sunday 11.30am – 4pm.
To book a table call 01205 722311 or visit the website for menu details and online booking, www.kirton-cottage.co.uk
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