The morning after hits. There’s nothing in the fridge and that’s if you can even manage to open the fridge and smell food without looking at little green.
You need coffee, juice, fresh air. And after a wash and stumble into something clean and vaguely presentable you head out the door.
This may have been me after a little too much Rioja at Wine & Wallop. Mr GFB may not have been very sympathetic, but then we were heading out to sample the new brunch menu at The Beagle and so he was relatively forgiving of my wobbly stumble through the front door after promising I wasn’t going to be late.
Oops.
We arrived within seconds of The Beagle opening at 10am – my thirst for coffee spurring me on. And this alone is where The Beagle gain brownie points – unlimited refills of filter coffee.
Salvation.
With no such hangover in effect, Mr GFB went for a Bloody Mary – I still had the Liquor Market as part of MFDF 2014 to go and so wanted at least a small break from booze, even if it was only a matter of hours.
Extra brownie points to The Beagle for asking about spice levels – a sip after my first mug of coffee proved I was still alive, as were my tastebuds.
Feeling infinitely more human the food menu beckoned. As well as a classic English breakfast (sometimes you just have to) there are American style pancakes, portable muffin options, Eggs Benedict, Florentine and Royale, as well as fabulously carb heavy pastries and granola.
Mr GFB fancied the breakfast burrito with it’s filling of chorizo and omelette and side serving of Existential hot sauce.
For me and my current obsession of eggs with avocado, the vegetarian breakfast called with a combination of Glamorgan sausage, house baked beans and (the decider for me) home made hash brown.
The burrito was a thing of beauty. Stuffed full of rich meat, eggs, salsa and beans, this really is a hangover cure in a tortilla. Dunk it in hot sauce and you really will have chased that booze fuelled fug into oblivion.
The veggie breakfast is, to be honest, stonking. House beans are smoky and soft – about as far removed from a certain household name as you can get. Don’t expect that slightly metallic taste from a tin here. You won’t get it. Perfectly fried egg, griddled avocado, a big pile of mushrooms and a Glamorgan sausage that’s got a good crisp outer and soft cheesy inner.
And then there’s the hash brown. This is a thing of beauty, crispy fried potato, well seasoned, and with a texture that made it moreish. Very moreish.
Bye bye hangover.
As we lingered over coffee, I won’t deny the idea of a lazy day in The Beagle with beer and Mr GFB was incredibly tempting. There is, after all a new cocktail menu there that needs testing out.
But I’d promised to meet friends and drink spirits – and so we had to go.
However, in a matter of weeks, my Manchester Marathon training kicks in properly and I’ll need recovery food.
Right?
The food and drink consumed at The Beagle was paid for by the restaurant.
As ever, a meal supplied, doesn’t ensure a positive review. In this case we were more than happy with our meals and service – and will be returning in the near future.