FOOD + DRINK
perfect balance of salt and richness. And then came Alex’ s‘ Pizza Dog’, a playful, utterly genius twist on a classic. A proper hotdog encased in pizza bread, layered with caramelised red onion and that gloriously milky fior di latte( obviously topped with American mustard and ketchup too), it was kidadulthood indulgence in its purest form, unapologetically delicious and impossible not to devour. Did we need a side of French fries? No. Did we absolutely devour the perfectly crisp and salty side so much so that we ordered another bowl with extra garlic dip? Yes, we unashamedly did. And you should too …
Just when we thought we couldn’ t top the choices, my‘ Dough Bowl’ arrived, stealing the show. A garlic-infused dough bread, which Chris carefully moulds and bakes into the shape of a bowl, my pick cradled a beautifully fresh Greek salad topped with their renowned slow-roasted lamb. The contrast of textures- crisp dough, tender lamb, the crunch of cucumber and the briny pop of olives- was nothing short of spectacular and was stolen by my envious fellow diners from every angle across our table. It’ s the kind of dish( which is also offered filed to the brim with house spaghetti bolognesenamed after Andrew’ s eldest daughter, Billie) that embodies everything the woodfire kitchen stands for: bold flavours, impeccable execution and a touch of creativity that makes you want to come back before you’ ve even left.
Now feeling like we were part of the furniture and happily devouring every avenue of the menu, the opportunity of dessert felt too good to miss. And boy were we rewarded when our table sharer pick of choc banana crunch pizza arrived … Fresh pizza dough, positively slathered in rich Belgium milk chocolate, topped with white chocolate chips, fresh banana and mini marshmallows that came out smoreishly-good from the open flames, it was then topped with caramelised pecans and crunchy cornflakes. Sweet, gooey and satisfyingly crisp in all the right places, it was the ultimate finale to an already outstanding meal.
There’ s an energy here that feels just right. It’ s relaxed but buzzing, stylish without trying too hard; the kind of place that we predict will quickly become a local institution. With a menu rooted in quality and a philosophy that puts flavour at the forefront, the woodfire kitchen has already carved out its space in Whitstable’ s thriving food scene. Safe to say, we’ ll be back for more.
thewoodfirekitchen. co. uk woodfirekitchenwhitstable
96 • www. insidekent. co. uk