As a child a stop at the little chef was a treat. A real treat. Pancakes with lemon and sugar - loads of sugar. I'm not quite sure what my usually sane parents were thinking, letting us eat our own body weight in sugar before bouncing us back into the car for the remainder of the journey. I'm sure if it wasn't for our intolerable nagging it would have been a loo only stop - none of the excitement of the pancake stack and complimentary colour in placemat.
These days though as a parent myself I have only ever stepped under the red and white stripy canopy and in through those heavy doors once - and it was an absolutely necessity. It was do or die. A short time after departing from a successful days shopping in Milton Keynes with another mummy friend, our two adorable, hungry, tired, cranky babies demanded food, and it was stop or be stopped - more than likely by the local bobbies for driving without due care and attention.
So when I heard that the almighty Heston himself is set to revamp the over priced, outdated motorway diner-cum-dive that is The Little Chef I had mixed feelings.
Fantastic challenge, can't wait for the next instalment. But, really do I want one of my favourite childhood memories to be turned from the sickly sweet to something more sinister? Because there is no doubt that if I did ever return to peruse the menu, the fluffy yumminess that was pancakes with lemon and sugar would more likely be pancakes with swede ice cream and snails on the side.
Blumenthal of 'the world's best place to eat' The Fat Duck at Bray will be bringing the wierd and wonderful world of his culinary craziness to our screens from this Monday (19th January) in Channel 4 series Big Chef Takes on Little Chef.
I'll be eager to tune in - especially to find out why LC's chief executives turned down Heston's first menu for lacking the wow factor.
I'm also keen to see how Heston brings his scientific approach into the kitchen of a service station eatery - personally the science part for me was calculating the maximum amount of crunchy white hyper inducing goodness it was possible to spread on the surface of one pancake.
Don't miss it - Channel 4, Monday 19th January at 9pm. Even if I never visit a Little Chef again, I still don't want it to close, that would be a sad, sad day…
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Saturday, 17 January 2009
The Mission - One burrito leads to another
Opened at the beginning of 2008 and serving 1000 burritos a week just a month later, The Mission is getting ready to open six more eateries, and is leading the burrito boom!
When you’re just about to serve your 10,000th burrito, you’re using four kilometers of tin foil, and 2,500 avocados for the all important guacamole each month, it’s no surprise that the talk is of expansion at this taqueria.
The Mission Mexican Grill opened its doors to a waiting crowd buzzing excitedly with anticipation and rumbling bellies; eager to sample California-Mexican food at its best. And they weren’t disappointed.
This was the start of a revolution; the sweet smell of salsa and success began drifting down the cobbled streets in no time. The success that is, of bringing the fresh, wholesome flavours of the burrito to Oxford, all the way from the Mission District in San Francisco.
“Since we turned the open sign around for the very first time, we haven’t stopped to take a breath. Most days we are making burritos non stop – it’s hectic but fantastic! Our chef Victor is amazing – so when you serve great food and you can’t stop to grab a bite yourself, what do you do – you start thinking about the bigger burrito!”
Jan Rasmussen, Owner.
The first step will be a further addition to the Oxford high street to keep up with local demand. A following big enough for an impressive Mexican Wave has established itself, especially amongst American students studying in the town. This new outlet will also cater for private parties and functions, as well as serving the late night snacker on the way to or from nearby bars and clubs.
But is it possible to replicate the success of The Mission? Jan believes the popularity is down to a rapidly increasing demand for wholesome, filling and good value for money food to go. And, having a chef who knows his pico de gallo from his pinto beans, as well as expert burrito-makers upfront is essential. Chef Victor will be instrumental in the successful launch of each new outlet, and asking him if he knows about Cal-Mex food is like asking Jamie if he knows much about school dinners.
So where next? London? Bristol? Birmingham? All are names on the table – and you heard it here first. The Mission team are hard at work planning out the expansion of what started as one little burrito joint in Oxford, and is now set be the beginning of the burrito revolution.
When you’re just about to serve your 10,000th burrito, you’re using four kilometers of tin foil, and 2,500 avocados for the all important guacamole each month, it’s no surprise that the talk is of expansion at this taqueria.
The Mission Mexican Grill opened its doors to a waiting crowd buzzing excitedly with anticipation and rumbling bellies; eager to sample California-Mexican food at its best. And they weren’t disappointed.
This was the start of a revolution; the sweet smell of salsa and success began drifting down the cobbled streets in no time. The success that is, of bringing the fresh, wholesome flavours of the burrito to Oxford, all the way from the Mission District in San Francisco.
“Since we turned the open sign around for the very first time, we haven’t stopped to take a breath. Most days we are making burritos non stop – it’s hectic but fantastic! Our chef Victor is amazing – so when you serve great food and you can’t stop to grab a bite yourself, what do you do – you start thinking about the bigger burrito!”
Jan Rasmussen, Owner.
The first step will be a further addition to the Oxford high street to keep up with local demand. A following big enough for an impressive Mexican Wave has established itself, especially amongst American students studying in the town. This new outlet will also cater for private parties and functions, as well as serving the late night snacker on the way to or from nearby bars and clubs.
But is it possible to replicate the success of The Mission? Jan believes the popularity is down to a rapidly increasing demand for wholesome, filling and good value for money food to go. And, having a chef who knows his pico de gallo from his pinto beans, as well as expert burrito-makers upfront is essential. Chef Victor will be instrumental in the successful launch of each new outlet, and asking him if he knows about Cal-Mex food is like asking Jamie if he knows much about school dinners.
So where next? London? Bristol? Birmingham? All are names on the table – and you heard it here first. The Mission team are hard at work planning out the expansion of what started as one little burrito joint in Oxford, and is now set be the beginning of the burrito revolution.
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