Terroirising in Town and Brewing in Blackheath

Back in England after a great trip to Portugal (stories to follow) I enjoyed a couple of meals in very good company.

Terroirs in all its glory

I revisited Terroirs for lunch with a friend I hadn’t seen for, oh, thirty seven years. Sue was in town for a few days and as she had been to see Les Miserables again, we thought that we would continue the French theme – without stealing the candle sticks.

The waiter was very patient as we had a lot of catching up to do, but he did manage to squeeze an order out of us when Sue and I had told each other of our families, children etc.

Dorset crab - work to be done

We started with the Dorset crab,  and were delighted when we were told that it was undressed and we would have to attack it ourselves. I had a glass of white Château Clément-Termes, Gaillac sec 2008 which went very well with the messy but delicious crustacean.

Vacherin Mont d'Or

As Sue and I had met in Geneva all those years ago we chose to relive our past by ordering a dish similar to the cheese fondue, many of which we’d enjoyed in Switzerland: Vacherin Mont d’Or. Served with charcuterie and pickles it was unctuous, gooey and very rich – a fine substitute for fondue. I plumped for a glass of red Marcillac, Philippe Teulier, whose berry fruitiness stood up well to the cheese.

To complete our lunch we indulged in the pear and almond tart, which we shared, like all our meal and our reminiscences.

Sue and Brett in Terroirs

I enjoyed Terroirs again and was delighted to share this lunch with my ‘old’ friend, who enjoyed discovering this great restaurant. We, of course, decided not to leave it another 37 years before getting together.

Terroirs Wine Bar & Restaurant‎
5 William IV St, London, WC2 4DW‎  tel: 020 7036 0660‎

Sunny day on the Heath

A couple of days later I delivered wine to a Wine Maestro Club member who lives in Blackheath. It was a sunny, crisp day, just right for the huge firework display on the Heath that evening and an opportunity for us to have a walk and, yes, lunch.

From a choice of restaurants and delis in the centre of the village we were enticed – well, I as the beer drinker was enticed – by the sight of the tanks of the microbrewery, Zerodegrees, which is also a restaurant. Once inside we realised that Zerodegrees is a restaurant with a microbrewery. In France it would be called a brasserie but I’ve yet to see a brasserie in France that brews its own beer – if you have, do tell me!

A pot of Creole mussels

From a good menu which offers pizzas (there’s an oven in full view), salads, pastas and mussels we chose a Caesar salad and Creole mussels, accompanied by a reasonable glass of Chilean Sauvignon (for the non beer lover) and a pint of Zerodegrees Pale Ale, which went well with the light spiciness of the plump mussels.

Busy, bustling and family friendly

No room for pudding, just coffee. There is a good buzz about the place with a decent menu, a short but good wine list and, of course, a list of their beers. We enjoyed our lunch at Zerodegrees, leaving as the international rugby was just starting on the huge TV – we were off to see if any kites were flying.

Oh, look at it fly!