Bestie Bird and Ginger Ninja came to stay for the weekend with His Nibs and I whilst The Bolton Wanderer wandered further than Bolton to Florida to see his favourite band! Our best-laid plans were slightly scuppered by the weather - come back, sunshine – so we’d channelled our inner sloths for most of Saturday, although we did go over to the brilliant BBQ our neighbours had. Sunday was the day that BB and GN had to go back to their home (I need to win the lottery so that BB can retire and hang-out 24/7!), but we were determined to end on a high note.
One positive about dismal weather is that you can pretty much guarantee Matlock being quieter than usual, so The Man got on the blower to Emily at Cool River Café and booked us a table for a late breakfast. As predicted, the town was saner than the norm in tourist season, and we snagged a parking spot right beside the venue; perhaps as well, as it was still raining.
A member of the Cool River team escorted us over to our table (Emily and Chef Chris gave us a wave as they were busy with other ‘stuff’) and we ordered drinks to shake off the gloom outside: His Nibs and I had the Hot Chocolates (Belgian for me, White for Him), GN fancied the Peach Iced Tea, and BB had a Strawberry fruit Smoothie. With drinks ordered, it was time to turn our attention to the food menu.
Just recently, His Nibs has been throwing a few curve-balls my way with his choice of food, but I staked everything on him going for a good old Full English brekkie…and that’s exactly what he did; breakfast is not the meal to get experimental with, apparently! Costing £13, the Cool River Full English is comprised of Herb Sausage, two thick rashers of Bacon, 2 fried Eggs, Roasted on-the-vine Tomatoes, a whole Field Mushroom, Baked Beans (thankfully in a separate pot), and artisan Toast. His Nibs also added some White Pudding (you can also have Black Pudding) for £2.40 extra. All the food is cooked fresh-to-order, so all the items were lovely and hot, and the Sausage and Bacon were ‘proper’ farmhouse/butcher items, sourced from Maycocks of Holloway (just down the road), so they were bursting with flavour. The small Tomatoes were super sweet and tasty, and the eggs’ yolks were gloriously rich and creamy. Each of the two slices of White Pudding were pleasingly thick, as was the slice of toasted grained bread that The Man chomped into. A rather good breakfast was the verdict from His Nibs.
Ginger Ninja had chosen to have the Muffin with Scrambled Egg (£8), adding on two rashers of the scrummy Bacon (£3), and BB fancied the Eggs on Toast - usually fried or poached, but Chris kindly scrambled them for her – with a Field Mushroom (£1.50) AND some Bacon on the side. I went for the Eggs Royale (£11) as I do love a soft Muffin at breakfast time; knowing that His Nibs would pass the ‘shrooms on his plate over, I didn’t pimp my dish up with anything.
Both GN and I agreed that the Muffins were delicious, and her and BB both commented on the softness of the Scrambled Egg – no rubbery microwaved pretenders here! Instead, you get those irresistible, pan-done morsels that are rich and buttery with a cocooning softness in the mouth. Our lass has got a fab appetite on her, and in no time at all, her plate was squeaky clean and she sat back with a contented sigh.
Between the four of us, we’d had fried, scrambled and poached Eggs – all we needed was soft-boiled with bread soldiers for the full breakfast set. My pair of poached Eggs were superb, and certainly tidier than ones I do at home! Paired with their creaminess was a silky Hollandaise sauce; now, I know not everyone likes Hollandaise, but I do; I love the duality of its mildness that is punctuated by a hint of citrus sour. Paired with the rich egg, this sauce brought a marvellous balance to the flavour profile and also cut through the oiliness of the Smoked Salmon that had been placed between the muffin and the Eggs.
Finding things to talk about has never been a problem for our extended family flock, and this day was no different; we ordered more drinks to keep our vocal chords lubricated (!): Ginger and I had the Peach Smoothie, His Nibs had a black coffee, and BB had a pot of Breakfast Tea. Whilst we yapped and supped, we made plans to have some of the incredible pastries that Chris makes…and then we spotted the ‘Book Hub’, tucked in the far corner of the café. As well as being a dab hand culinary-wise, Emily has a degree in Publishing and champions authors of many genres in this fab little nook. The Book Hub is one of the few places in the area where you can buy new books, as opposed to used/second-hand ones. GN bought two new books, I bought one – which I have already finished! Personally, I can’t think of a nicer place to read a new book and savour a nibble and/or drink.
Hot Wings very happily awarded to Chris, Emily and their team at Cool River Café in Matlock – we’ll have to return and sample lunch soon; I think that’s the only time of day when we haven’t visited.
To book a table call 01629 580467. You can also head over to www.coolrivercafe.co.uk to view current menus. Cool River Café is closed on Monday, but then opens Tuesday-Sunday from 9.30am-4pm. As well as eating in, there is always a huge selection of breads and patisserie to buy and enjoy at home.
