Sometimes the best experiences happen in the oddest of places.
Not that I’m calling Westhoughton odd. I’ve not spent enough time there to really comment (I’ll leave that to the locals). But, a high street opposite a Wetherspoons was not where I expected to find the best dauphinoise potatoes that I can recall to mind. Probably the best I’ve had in the last couple of years. And I do rather like potatoes. Especially when there’s cream and butter involved.
But before I get off onto a poetic serenade to the floury tastiness of the humble spud, let’s rewind to the beginning. It’s Thursday night, I’ve negotiated a rush hour train from Manchester and actually managed to get a seat, met my date, headed in to Provenance.
Downstairs, is the food hall – featuring everything fresh and tasty your heart could desire (within reason) from fresh meat, to cheese, to tasty teas, I suspect that this is worth the visit to Westhoughton alone and suspect I’ll be dragging Mr GFB over at some point to spend a small fortune on good food.
Heading upstairs, it was solidly busy. I’m told the busiest nights, those booked up in advance by weeks at a time are their Steak Nights (Tuesday evenings) and Grill Nights (Wednesday evenings), and having sampled the food on offer, I’m not bloody surprised. They are ridiculously good value.
Comfortably settled upstairs, piano being played gently in the corner, my date and I eyed the menu. Making a decision on food is always hard, as usual, I wanted everything.
Nibbles helped sate our initial hunger while we decided. Crisp pork scratchings with sweet but sharp apple sauce, fresh olives, and perfectly fruity red pepper hummous with paprika pastry twists distracted our tummies, so our heads could really appreciate the menu.
Decisions were made.
My date opted for the duck ham Benedict. Duck ham topped with spinach, a runny poached duck egg and classic Hollandaise sauce, atop a lightly toasted muffin. It’s eggs benny, but not as you know it. Richer, meatier.
For me, it was all about the cheese. With a perfectly single portion sized baked Camembert, with more paprika pastry twists and fresh pickled vegetables. As expected, the cheese was deliciously warm and oozy, and whilst the twists were delicious, I am very partial to a little pickle and these with the cheese provided a gently sharp contrast to the richness.
Mains, and my date went classic again. With a little surf and turf. Medium rare steak, topped with fat king prawns, bearnaise sauce and all the trimmings. Provenance has an incredible reputation for it’s steak, utilising the skills of a local (retired) butcher with a fantastic reputation, and with the ability to age their own, it’s no surprise that my date didn’t share a bite.
Meanie.
I had gone to the ‘something different’ section of the menu for the crispy duck breast, creamed cavalo nero with smoked bacon and wild mushrooms, dotted with soft, creamy potato gnocchi. The duck was tender, rare and tasty, the cabbage rather addictive and the earthiness of the soft mushrooms just what I needed. But it was the side dish we shared that had us both make a quiet sigh of appreciation.
Yes, back to those potatoes. Here’s the thing, they weren’t drowning in cream. They weren’t soaked in butter. Both those, however, and the seasoning, merely emphasised the potatoeyness of the potato. And yes, I’m well aware that’s not a word, and if you have a better way of describing it, I’m open to suggestions.
Dessert. And we both should have been far too full to even contemplate it. But that’s never stopped us before.
My date went simple. Chocolate orange bread and butter pudding with blood orange sorbet, the sheer moisture of which made him a very happy chap. There was simply no need for cream, or custard, because this was the perfect texture.
I, of course to balance out the simplicity, went for one of chefs signature dishes. There are, I’m told, one or two per menu. And this was it. The white chocolate sphere, with pineapple upside down cake, passion fruit, and white chocolate ice cream. And it was presented like this.
Sweet, sharp, creamy, utterly indulgent.
Westhoughton, you’ve somehow gotten yourself a fantastic restaurant, slap bang in the centre of town. And I’m pretty sure I don’t need to say it, but I will anyway.
Don’t. Let. It. Go.
This meal and accompanying drinks were supplied for free by Provenance, Westhoughton. As ever, this doesn’t guarantee a positive review (if anything, I tend to be a harsher critic).
Yeah, we love this place. Already looking at booking myself and Mr GFB in soon!
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