Earth and Stars

Roast dinner: £10.95
Avg drinks prices: Draught cider £3.90; orange juice £1.95

The Earth and Stars always caught my eye because of the awesome notice boards on the walls outside. Cutesy anecdotes from the point of view of the bored board itself, they're small things that always made me chuckle. It's obviously advertising that works (on some) as when I was at a loose end one Sunday, I decided I was going to give it a go.

It's not the cheapest of pubs - it certainly pays for its excellent location (the pub is on a corner just off Queen's Road; close to the station and The North Laine). The beers are slightly pricier than average and the food is priced to reflect the central area.  However, on entering I found it to be choc-full of people who evidently appreciate what it has to offer.  All types of people, too - couples; groups of young adults; older people - they're all here.  I think it has something to do with the staff - patient, friendly, unassuming - and the general atmosphere of the place.  In the winter, it has a cosy feel to it as it's quite small, but in the spring and summer months the place is bright and airy.  The artwork on the walls is unique and the decor isn't too flashy.  There's plenty to read adorning the walls and even the chalkboards have an attitude.

The choice is quite limited - the standard beef, chicken or lamb - with a veggie option I didn't catch (sorry).  Just the one veggie option, though, which I thought was a bit mean, but hey - it's a small place.  I opted for beef, my friend Chris for the chicken.  There's a myth that The Earth and Stars is an organic pub, but that's not been the case for a while.  I was disappointed, as I love organic beef, plus for nigh on £11 I expected something special.  However, it was still local and you can't argue with that.  There were some absolutely awesome aromas coming from the kitchen - I was quite excited from the off, despite the meal and drink costing me a whopping £16.  I watched as plate after plate came out of the kitchen piled high with goodies, and when mine came (after only a fifteen minue wait), I wasn't disappointed.  

It was a mountain.  An actual food mountain.  Yes, it costs £11, but you get a lot for that money.  Potatoes nudged for space alongside carrots, cabbage, parsnips and swede; gravy threatened to spill off the edge at the slightest nudge of the table.  The yorkie sat tentatively on top, as if it knew it was about to fall.  The beef was completely hidden at the base of the plate.  However, I found this appealing - it was like an adventure to find the prize amongst the melee.

The spuds were lovely - a little dry, perhaps, but the ample amount of gravy made up for that, and at least you get more than two.  The parsnips were proper parsnips (no parsnip crisps here - hurrah!), roasted to perfection - burned at the edges and soft in the centre. However, they juxtaposed the carrots, which in turn were actually quite boring and would have benefited from a little more seasoning.  The cabbage was slightly salty and could have done with a sprinkle of cinnamon, or apple - the gravy provides enough salt in itself and I didn't need any more.  After a while I found it to be too thirst-inducing to eat and so after a couple of mouthfuls I left it.  But the beef.

Oh, the beef.

Great big wads of roughly-carved, pink-in-the-centre beef.

It melted on the tongue, even if it was slightly fatty.  Crisp at the edges and smooth in the centre, it complemented the rest of the food perfectly, especially the homemade yorkie (which itself was not at all small - more monstrous!).  The chicken, however, was not so good.  Chris looked insanely jealous of my beef, and in a turnaround from my experience at The Farm Tavern, it seemed I had chosen the best roast on offer.  He summed it up in one sentence thus: "this chicken is all about the skin. The meat - not so good."  He proclaimed it to be rather dry - like the potatoes - and that he was lucky they didn't scrimp on the gravy.  A real sad twist to the story, because had the chicken been good, this place would have definitely scored higher.

In the end, I was beaten by the mountain - it was far too huge for me to finish.  Definitely one for the big eaters.  I was disappointed - I have a frugal mind and I'm all about eating what you've paid for - especially when it costs as pretty a penny as this one did.  I just couldn't, though, so I pushed my plate away and tried not to think of starving children in Africa.  I can't help but recommend this one idea - maybe next time, charge a little less and put a little less on the plate.

6/10

46 Windsor Street, Brighton BN1 1RJ
Tel: 01273 722879
Credit/debit cards accepted (over £10)
Booking recommended
http://www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk/earth-and-stars

The Farm Tavern

Roast dinner: £7.95
Avg drinks prices: Bottle cider £3.85; pint lager £3.70; orange juice £1.75

The Farm Tavern is a small, minds-its-own-business establishment set back from busy Western Road on the tiny Farm Road just by Palmeira Square.  In competition with the yet-to-be-rated Cooper's Cask, we opted for The Farm simply because there were 11 of us and we were able to book.  Granted, I've heard amazing things about Cooper's but it wasn't a risk any of us were ready to take when we knew we were going to be so very hungry.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the smiliest and friendliest barman I think I've ever had the pleasure of conversing with.  An older and evidently more chilled-out guy, he was happy to sit and chat with us before we went upstairs to our table.  We ordered some drinks, caught a glance at the newspapers and then headed up to wait for the others.  This is a bar that truly loves its hippie clientele - I saw more piercings, dreadlocks and amateur tattoos in this place than I saw the entire afternoon afterwards - so if you're not a fan of that brigade, this place might not be for you.  There are also lots of children, so if you're the sweary type, it's best to keep away on a Sunday avo.

As I said, The Farm is a small pub, but they've made good use of the available space.  The stairs are not the greatest idea if you've got elderly relatives or a pram to carry, but for us the only obstacle they posed would have been evident only after alcohol had been consumed.  Once you make it upstairs, you're greeted by a bright, airy room that's neither too overcrowded nor too sparse.  On the wall is a huge chalk menu regaling you with the various roast choices - and boy, are there choices.  One of The Farm's strongest points is that it caters for vegetarians, and it does so well.  Alternating between veggie and vegan options, meat-haters actually get a choice of decadent dishes ranging from pie to casserole, all served with their own veggie gravy and with all the trimmings as standard.  No lazy nut roasts in this joint.  However, being the carnivore I am I opted for the Old Faithful (aka the beef), whilst Dan went for his usual of pork belly.  Others went for the chicken and we did indeed have a few take up the veggie options.  We really did not know what to expect - after all, these are roasts that cost less than £8.00, which, let's be fair, is something of a rarity in Brighton (with the obvious exception of Wetherspoons).  I honestly believed we'd be dished up an average roast with average veg - maybe a presence of boiled carrots and peas - but no.  What we got was very different indeed.

The potatoes were by far the most striking part of this roast.  Huge, crispy and light as a cloud in the centre, they melted off the fork - and we got a substantial amount of them, too.  The Farm don't scrimp on the good stuff, that's for sure.  My good friend Ray believes that potatoes can make or break a roast, and yes, they were what lost The Connaught points in my last post - but if that's your measure of greatness, then these are something special.  However, one cannot dwell on one part of the plate, so as for the rest...

The usual veg was present - carrots, broccoli, cabbage and parsnips. However, the carrots weren't lazily boiled as I'd assumed they would be; they were roasted to perfection and served in moreish bite-sized chunks.  The broccoli was al dente and a vivid green; there was no hint of soggy school dinners as is the problem suffered by some.  The cabbage was spicy and tangy with a nice crunch, too.  However, if there is one think I am coming to despise in the roasting world it is the parsnip crisp.  I mean, come on - they are by far the laziest of garnishes.  I love my parsnips, especially roasted with honey, and to get them sprinkled nonchalantly on top of my food - with gravy, which only serves to send them into a state of soggy oblivion - is just cruelty.  I wanted substance, and I got something totally different.  Please guys, just stop.  There was also a creamy concoction of unidentifiable appearance which despite our apprehension was sweet and delicious and set off the carrots perfectly.  Which leads me to the gravy.

Thank the sweet lord!  We finally have on our hands an establishment that knows what a decent portion of gravy looks like.  The plate wasn't swimming, nor was it bare - there was just the right amount.  It was also perfectly executed - not too thick, not too runny and a slight tang of red wine running through it without being overbearing.  It was delicious.  My veggie friends stated that their equivalent did not suffer from lack of meat juices and fats - apparently theirs was fragrant, herby and very nice indeed.

Which leads me to the biggest part of the meal - the meat.  I hate to say it, but I felt let down by my beef.  Considering the rest of the plate was so perfectly and artistically put together, the beef was fatty, overcooked and a little limp and soggy - as if it had been sat out a while after being carved. A huge shame, as it really is such an important part - although I may just be spoiled after my wonderful experience at The Connaught.  The others were more complimentary, though - according to Dan, the pork belly was 'truly awesome' - a thick, bubbly layer of crackling sat atop a pink, juicy slab of meat - no Foragers-style farty child-size portions here - it did look divine, and part of me was insanely jealous of them.  I was kicking myself that I'd played it safe.  The veggie options were also met with approval, with various party members claiming them to be 'light', 'not at all stodgy' and 'full of flavour'.  The chicken also looked excellent - again, a huge portion sat atop the vegetables, resplendent in a coat of herbs and spices, one of which I assumed must have been saffron, from the appearance and distinct smell.  Not bad for £7.95.

All meals come with a yorkie - the veggies get their own, meat-free version - and these are pretty standard.  Average-sized, there is a distinct packaged-food quality to them - if they are home-made, they certainly don't taste it. However, they soaked up the gravy well and added some stodge to the dish - as the veggies were so well-cooked, there wasn't a lot of heaviness in the roast at all.

I found it hard to rate The Farm.  Whilst in my mind the disappointing beef and yorkie led me to a certain 6, the others, with their excellent selection of meats and veggie concoctions were sure it should be an 8.  We decided to compromise, on the sole basis of the whole thing costing £7.95. Come on - that's outstanding.

7/10


13 Farm Road, Hove BN3 1FB
Tel: 01273 325902
Credit/debit cards accepted
Bookings taken and recommended for larger parties
www.farmtavern.designextreme.com