On a recent visit to ‘Casa BB and TBW’, the four of us fancied a ‘nice meal out’ and our destination of choice was a venue that we had visited previously, a few years ago. The Ropers Arms is a lovely restaurant that offers Italian cuisine to its customers in a relaxed, sociable setting which is why, on a Saturday evening, it was jam-packed! Top tip: definitely book ahead to secure a table; we saw several walk-ins be turned away as they simply couldn’t accommodate them.
Background music is at a level conducive to conversation and there was certainly plenty of laughter and chatter throughout the several dining areas. Groups of friends were out celebrating as well as couples enjoying a date-night meal. There’s a great selection of wines, spirits and beers to be had at The Ropers Arms though His Nibs and BB had to go for a bottle of Gavi (£35) as the Frascati had sold out/wasn’t available; TBW and myself were in luck though as the Montepulciano (£28) was in stock.
The Bolton Wanderer’s luck ran out when it came to his choice of starter; the Burrata wasn’t available, so he was offered Mozzarella as a substitute – which he accepted (£10.50). To be fair, there isn’t an awful lot of difference in taste between the two buffalo-milk made cheeses, and only a minor difference in texture. Mozzarella is solid throughout, whereas Burrata has a Mozzarella outer ‘shell’ that has a Stracciatella centre (a mixture of Cream and Curds). Bestie does love her Prawns, so she opted for the Gamberoni in Tempura Batter (£11). The Man and I showed our ability to play nicely and went for the Tagliere alla Italiana con Verdurine Marinate della Casa (a sharing platter of Italian cured Meats, Cheeses, Olives and Pickled Veg, £19).
All the food is cooked fresh-to-order at The Ropers Arms, so we sipped at our wine and chatted whilst we waited for our starters to arrive. As with our previous experience, the platter was more than ample for two to share, and the selection was certainly varied. The meats were delicious and I liked the contrast of textures between the chunks of Parmesan and Mozzarella. His Nibs left me to tuck into the bowl of Mixed Olives (yum!), whilst he busied himself with the tangy, crunchy pickles…though I was offered the Cornichons – funny that, eh?!
Bestie’s King Prawns were beautifully sweet and fragrant, their soft flesh surrounded by a wickedly crisp, light batter. Served simply with a piquant, spicy sauce this was a perfect example of not complicating a dish when it’s really not needed; props to Chef for having faith in the quality of his ingredients! TBW was happily ploughing his way through the mild, creamy Mozzarella and its partners of Marinated Aubergine, intensely flavoursome sun-dried Tomatoes, zingy Basil Oil and the salty twang of thinly sliced Parma Ham. If you want to encapsulate Italian flavours, this dish certainly does it…and then some.
The team at The Ropers Arms designates each table a ‘cooking slot’, so that Chef doesn’t suddenly find himself confronted with [figuratively] a thousand orders coming to the pass at once! On our last visit this system worked seamlessly, but this time around it wasn’t as smooth, probably because there were two large groups in as well as the other tables. At this point, our enjoyment of the evening dipped a little due to two factors: one large group had got very loud, (making the atmosphere more ‘local boozer’ than pleasant restaurant) and the distinctly long wait for our mains. I’m pleased to say that our dishes were delicious when we finally got to tuck into them, though.
His Nibs had gone for the dish I’d had last time, the Bisteca Al Pepe Verde (£29), BB opted for the Pollo Ropers Arms (£23), her hubby chose Pollo Provincale (£22), and I couldn’t resist the sound of the Teccia del Pescatore (£24). My fish stew came with slices of bread, the other three had chosen dishes from the ‘Carne’(meat) section of the menu, and these come with fresh vegetables and roast potatoes.
It isn’t often that I am overwhelmed by a dish, but my Stew could easily have fed an army! A thick sauce of Tomato, Butter, Fresh Chilli, Garlic and a splash of White Wine bathed the plentiful amounts of Clams, Mussels, Butterflied, in-shell King Prawns, pale rings of Calamari and huge Loin of Cod that was splendidly firm in texture and cooked to utter perfection. Despite my dogged determination, could I finish the stew? Could I heck as like! I did polish off all the Seafood and Fish, and saw off a good amount of that bewitching sauce by soaking my bread into it. I could happily eat this dish all day long – top marks!
Opposite me, The Man Bird was mightily happy with his medium/rare Sirloin Steak; tender to the bite and packed with taste this was a superb morsel to savour. Within the pastel hue of the cream-based sauce were lots of whole, Green Peppercorns; brace yourself, boy, heat incoming! In actuality, the sauce was a sublime ratio of cream-to-pepper, making it silky and subtly spicy on the palate.
Both Bestie and TBW had chosen chicken dishes, but both were distinctly different in their flavour profiles. The Pollo Ropers Arms had a mild, creamy sauce that contained Mushrooms, Asparagus and Smoked Provolone Cheese and the breast of Chicken was crumb-coated and cooked until a crispy crust had formed. In contrast, the Pollo Provincale saw the poultry breast being cut and stuffed with spicy Italian Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato and Provolone Cheese, then cooked and topped with a light Tomato Sauce. Certainly, dishes of different characters, and definitely ones that were equally appreciated by their consumers.
Throughout our time at The Ropers Arms, the service had been efficient and friendly and, as a final gesture of hospitality, the owner offered our group a shot of Limoncello to conclude our meals, compliments of the house. There’s no doubting the quality of the food served at The Ropers Arms in Boston and, on our last visit, the atmosphere had been quieter (though not lacking ambience), and it is on this reflection that Hot Wings are given again this time.
To book a table call 07572 456110 – and I would give yourself at least a couple of weeks ahead, due to the popularity of the venue! The Ropers Arms is closed Sun-Tues, open Weds-Thurs 6pm-10pm, and Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm. You can follow all the action over on their Facebook page, Ropers Arms Italian Bistro.
You might also enjoy:
