FEEDBACK
Coffee , take-away , curry … in each issue , we ask the good people of West Hill and Seven Dials for their shout outs for the finest finds in town . And they ’ re a discerning lot ; check out their haul at https :// westhillwhistler . com / feedback , and have your say on the Facebook West Hill Whistler page .
And so as the sun begins to shine , this month we ’ re looking for the best SALADS in West Hill , Seven Dials or a walk or a bike away . Now , the editor of The Whistler may think that salads are dull ( and he does ), the garnish , not the main story , but once you ’ ve watched a saladista in action anywhere from Toronto to Turin , Lebanon to LA , you know that it ’ s so not a bit on the side . And the neighbourhood nods in agreement . So here ’ s the best Buddha bowls and mezze in town , the Vietnamese , octopus and beetroot salads , all tried and tested by our very own locavores .
Kate Langdale votes for Tutti Fruti at the Dials ; ‘ they do amazing salads and they ’ re open again !’ she says . Paula Beesty agrees . ‘ Can I give a shout out to Tutti Fruti who inspired me to love beetroot in a goats cheese salad ? It ’ s yummy . The lady that makes them is a genius salad maker , I even like her broccoli salad ; she must have a secret ingredient because I usually dislike broccoli !’ Jo Shakey takes hers on the bus to the Dyke . ‘ The selection is amazing and full of flavour .’
Tom Ormeroddly was so compelling about the octopus salad from Latina that the editor commissioned a profile piece about this Portugeuse treasure of the Dials ( below ). ‘ JJ Waller agrees . The salads at the Portuguese are tasty , plentiful and reasonably priced .’ Kate Langdale and Maxine Lambert are with them . ‘ Latina at the Dials does a delicious mixed salad box and amazing squid salad with choice of tortilla ’ said Kate . ‘ All home-made and prices are really reasonable too !’
But life doesn ’ t stop at the Station for Westie Diallers , and heading into the North Laine is where you ’ ll find Rebekah Kortokraks ’ favourite . ‘ Helm Ston on Pelham St does amazing salads ’ she told us .’ It ’ s Brighton ’ s best secret cafe . The food is made by the chef who originally created Bills ’ menu He does delicious healthy cakes too . He created the Lewes Bills ’ menu , and those amazing cakes they had . His cafe is less stodgy and carby than Bills ’ food though .
Louise Gasparelli was so persuasive about the salads at Gardener Café ( other dishes are available ) that the ever-hungry Gull About Town was even alerted . ‘ It offers a fabulous range of Buddha bowls ’ said Lou , ‘ and it ’ s pay as you feel and saving food from being thrown way , so a win win with so much great feedback . You have to try it !’
Joe Murray led the food march down to London Road and into the Open Market for some of the best international selections you can find . ‘ Sunbirds ’ veggie mezze is one of the finest and best value meals in town ’, he said . Kirsty Hewitt says ‘ Kouzina in the Open Market does brilliant salads and mezze .’ Deb Bee voted Smorls in the Open Market the ‘ Best Salad Plate in Town ’.
Even the centre of town got a nod with Foodilic a local favourite . And on the beach , Zest , the Vietnamese at the recently opened Shelter Hall , has loads of salad options according to Kristy Hall . ‘ It looks great !’
What ’ s your favourite restaurant , cafe or bar ? Write and tell us about it . Every review published gets a free copy of The Whistler and a red Triumph Herald Vitesse *
( subject to availability )
“ You drink , you eat . That ’ s it ”
It ’ s a mid-May Monday and we ’ re watching the world go by , an espresso in one hand and couple of pastels de nata on our rickety pavement table .
Latina is a little bit of Lisbon on the Dials , and has been serving up much more than coffee and cake in its five years as one of only two Portuguese cafes in town .
Its bacalhau and suckling pig de Negrais are , according to expats , as close to the real thing as you ’ ll get around here . When The Whistler put a shout out for the best salads in town for this month ’ s Feedback ( above ), the most popular was Latina ’ s marinaded octopus .
It ’ s an unlikely success story . When Adelia Pereira moved from Lisbon to London nearly 30 years ago , and to Brighton 14 years later , she couldn ’ t even cook . “ I loved food , but I never really cooked it ,” she admitted . “ But now every morning I come in and say ‘ OK ,
I ’ m going to cook this .’ But I never know what I ’ m going to do the day before .” Yet the menu is reassuringly familiar . “ It feels like home ,” said Nino as he waited for his salt cod croquettes take-away .
Adelia says it ’ s been business as usual during lockdown with take-aways doing a “ good enough ” trade . But it ’ s on the street that this food is meant to be . “ We have a thing in Portugal . You drink , you eat . You just get some croquettes and a beer or a glass of wine . That ’ s it .”
Gilly Smith
GROCER AND GRAIN
REUSE & SAVE PLASTIC AT OUR REFILL STATION
1 SURREY STREET , BRIGHTON BN1 3PA
Here at Grocer and Grain we offer four different types of Ecover refills : All-Purpose Cleaner , Fabric Softener , Washing Up Liquid and Laundry Liquid .
We also stock refills for Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Rapeseed Oil from Kent .
Discounted free-range eggs and coffee when you use your own containers .
Deli Produce * Free Range Eggs
* Coffee and Teas * Freshly Baked Bread * Cakes , Pastries & Sandwiches