FOOD REVIEW
Norton’s best kept secret?
T
Lyndsey McGeary reviews a relative newcomer to the Teesside
restaurant scene – and is not disappointed…
here’s always an anticipatory buzz
in the air when date night comes
around again. While the children are
busy plotting how best to take full advantage
of the babysitter’s relaxed behavioural
boundaries, I can generally be found
meticulously analysing the online menu of
the evening’s chosen restaurant.
We opted to visit The Violet Green on
this occasion. Nestled charmingly into a
corner of the picturesque Norton Green,
the restaurant is fast approaching its first
birthday. The brainchild of Anna Hand,
third-generation manager of the locally
venerated Blackwell’s Butchers, and her
husband Chris, the restaurant offers a casual
dining experience in a romantic and intimate
setting.
Within the lovingly restored basement
vault of an old bank, the charm and
contemporary industrial appeal of the place
are striking as you descend the staircase
to the restaurant. Clever lighting, velvet
furnishings and stripped-back brickwork
really give a clue to the promise of a very
special dining experience.
We were shown immediately to our table –
a smart looking booth – and offered a bottle
of perfectly-chilled tap water (which was
very welcome on a warm summer’s evening)
while we made our selection from the drinks
menu. Unanimous in our choice of a Joven
Tempranillo Spanish rioja, priced at £20.95
for a 75cl bottle, we then reviewed the menu
we had familiarised ourselves with earlier on
the restaurant’s website.
For my starter, I plumped for the
coronation chicken terrine with gem lettuce,
coronation mayonnaise, sultanas and seeds,
at £8. My husband picked the spring lamb
ribs (at £8.50) with mint glaze.
The portion sizes were generous on
both plates and we were so curious about
the other’s choice that we decided to eat
half, then swap dishes, to maximise the
experience! Both plates were delicate and
quite delicious, although I found the terrine
a little too chilled for my personal taste. My
husband disagreed with this and devoured
his half. The lamb ribs were perfectly cooked,
and the meat came easily off the bone.
Having previously given our trust and
custom to Blackwell’s Butchers, we felt that
a meaty main course was also very fitting.
Going underground - food at The
Violet Green's basement location.
I was lured by the Blackwell’s fillet of beef
with beef cheek croquette, Tokyo turnip,
baby carrot, pickled and roast fennel and
mustard leaf pesto, at £28. It certainly did not
disappoint. The beef was medium rare and so
tender, and it fulfilled the cliché of melting in
your mouth.
My husband chose his dish from the
Butcher’s Block section of the menu and was
presented with a 10oz sirloin with Hornley’s
sauce, at £25. This was accompanied by
new potatoes (served with salsa verde) and
cauliflower cheese croquettes. Now, I must
tell you, those cauliflower cheese croquettes
were a clever little hit of flavour. A stroke
of genius, perhaps. Together, we devoured
them in no time, with my husband declaring:
“It’s better than an onion bhaji, and I didn’t
believe I could ever say that!” (Trust me,
reader, you have to understand how much he
loves a bhaji).
As our empty plates were being cleared,
we enjoyed a relaxed chat with the attentive
waiting staff, who were efficient and helpful
from the moment we arrived at The Violet
Green.
I combined the two loves of my life, coffee
and ice-cream, and selected the Violet
Green affogato for dessert. It was priced at
£6.50 but, throwing caution to the wind on
a Saturday evening, I took up the option to
add a shot of amaretto for an extra £3. Wow,
it was delicious, and I was immersed in my
own little corner of Italy for a few moments.
My husband selected the tiramisu at £6.50.
It was served as a deconstructed dessert,
which wasn’t described in the menu, but
he certainly enjoyed it as we perused the
“night caps” menu. Deciding we’d sufficiently
over-indulged, we headed off out onto the
beautiful green to begin to make our way
home.
With an emphasis on locally sourced meat
and produce, coupled with a beautifully
romantic, contemporary interior, The Violet
Green is a gift of a restaurant to locals and
visitors alike. Who knows, maybe one day
they’ll reveal the recipe for their formidable
cauliflower cheese croquette to me? I can
dream… Until then, we’ll just have to pay
another visit.
tees-life.co.uk
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