When traveling, you sometimes stumble upon the best places to eat without even trying.

This was our case with Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant on the corner of George and Gloucester Streets in Oxford. Moseying along, we noticed a long line of people coming out of this one particular restaurant – must be good, we thought. Soon enough we found ourselves in the crowd, not quite aware of what we were getting ourselves into (not necessarily recommended, but in this case it worked).

The line outside moved fairly quickly, as the place is rather large (two floors). Once through the doors, we were given a beeper and told the wait would be about 15 minutes. Not so bad, I’m thinking, as a young woman directs us to the bar and waiting area. As soon as we order some wine, the restaurant’s entire computer system crashes. That means no food orders, and no more seating until the problem is solved! This is where the impatient customers shout, “Pen and paper, pen and paper!” I agree, but I’m having fun sitting on a high stool overlooking the modern dining room with a glass of red wine in one hand and roasted almonds with chili and fennel salt in the other. These nuts were the only computer-independent food in the lot – lucky for Jamie, they were quite nice and tied us over until we were finally able to be seated.

The Oxford restaurant opened in 2008 and was the first in the line of Italian restaurants Jamie Oliver has opened around Britain. While the general atmosphere was contemporary, the smells coming from the kitchen (which you could peek into via a television screen) were reminiscent of old-fashioned Italian cooking. I think Jamie’s secret is garlic.

What we ordered: Monachelle Putanesca – a traditional sauce I have always been fond of. This version was excellent, slightly tangy with ripe Kalamata olives and juicy capers. I was disappointed with the pasta, though. A lighter noodle would have done better justice to such a delicate sauce. Instead, the putanesca was served with thick, heavy shells that were too overwhelming. Jamie’s Italian Spaghetti Bolognese – here, the chefs took a traditional dish and revisited it. My husband thoroughly enjoyed it, as there was a balanced combination of different meats, and the pasta was cooked just right – al dente. We continued drinking our wine (2003 Piemonte – Barbera d’asti superiore ‘Tere caude’, ca’ del matt), which was smooth and plumy -  highly recommend.

In sum, our experience wasn’t perfect, but the sauces, wines and smells were worth it.

Oh wait, I forgot to mention the Funky Chips with fresh garlic and parsley. These home-made fries were the tell-all and why I’m sure Jamie’s secret ingredient must be garlic.

Address:

Jamie’s Italian, Oxford

24-26 George Street

Oxford, OX1 2AE

Tel: 01865 83 83 83 (No reservations!)

This week, I checked out the two farmers’ markets at Gloucester Green in central Oxford.

Gloucester Green is a square surrounded by several stores, restaurants and some great coffee shops (Combibos Coffee and Caffe Nero both have excellent lattes). Located between Beaumont, St. George and Walton Streets, it comes alive during market times. Both markets are fairly small, but offer a nice alternative to the regular grocery store.

Oxford City Council Market

Every Wednesday, 9am-5pm

To be honest, this market wasn’t anything extraordinary (there were too many cheap clothing stands and not enough produce for my taste). This said, the foodie I am did manage to find a couple unique edibles. First, I stumbled upon some Turkish Delight – only the second time I’ve ever tasted it. I remember reading about this sweet delicacy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe as a child. What better place to rediscover it than Oxford (where C.S. Lewis spent most of his adult life)? Then, I came across some free-range duck eggs. As I approached the stand, I overheard a man with a very English accent asking his son if he’d “eat a duck egg for lunch,” as though it was nothing out of the ordinary! The vendor told me these particular eggs had been picked up that morning and that the chickens (I mean ducks) drank running water (instead of still water), which gave the eggs a finer taste. They’d be good for about 2 weeks (chicken eggs last 3 to 4) and are great in omelets, thanks to the consistency.

Sketts Farmers’ Market

1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, 9am-3pm

Sketts is a market and events organizer in the UK and has pretty strict trading criteria when it comes to farmers’ markets. Local produce, for example, must come from within 50 miles. I liked this small and friendly market. I spent time looking at old antiques, second-hand books, and, of course, the various food stands. Nearly every one caught my attention and had something enticing to sell. Fresh and smoked trout, vegetarian mushroom pâté, apple and pear juices, traditional Indian samosas (try the Mirch, filled with potatoes and chili- spicy!)… My favorite stall was the Windrush Valley Goat Dairy. They offer a handcrafted selection of soft goat cheeses (the pepper one is nice, and the fresh herb even better). I’d also recommend the pro-biotic yogurt (thin enough you can drink it or poor it over muesli) and the quite perfect cheese cake.

]]> http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/farmers-markets-at-gloucester-green-oxford/feed/ 0 http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/oxford-blue-and-marksbury-cheddar/ http://thetomatoknife.com/2010/07/oxford-blue-and-marksbury-cheddar/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:45:48 +0000 Joy Anna Becvarik http://thetomatoknife.com/?p=1391 It’s the Quatorze Juillet back in France. A good day to write about cheese, no?

I haven’t been in Oxford very long, but I’ve already noticed quite an admiration for France – in culinary terms at any rate. Walk down the streets in the city center and you’ll come across many French-style bakeries selling croissants, crepes, baguettes…. Since I’m only in England for two weeks, I’m trying to avoid anything that I can find back home (except Dijon mustard – just couldn’t convince myself otherwise when it came to making salad dressing). This friendly “boycott” goes for cheese, too.

Thus, I headed to the Oxford Cheese Company (located in the Covered Market) to pick up some local cheeses. They have a wonderful selection and the young woman behind the counter was more than happy to point out her favorites. I ended up with five different types, and these two stood out as being especially worth trying:

Oxford Blue

This is an award winning blue cheese made from cow’s milk – and not nearly as strong as French Roquefort. It’s soft, creamy and has a salty tang. This is a fairly new cheese, created in 1993 as an alternative to stilton – and still made in a Stilton dairy.

Marksbury Cheddar

The first cheddar originated in Cheddar Village in the county of Somerset, England. There is record that it was being made (and purchased by the King) back in the 12^th century. Check out the British Cheese website for some interesting history – including the fact that Henry II once purchased 10,240 lbs. of it!

Marksbury Cheddar (from Somerset) is among the best cheddars I’ve ever tasted. It’s fairly strong and sharp. Although it’s a hard cheese, it seems to melt in your mouth. It really tastes like it came directly off a farm in England!

The cheddar was especially nice with the malt bread I picked up (a common find here in England).

Address:

Oxford Cheese Company

17 The Market
Oxford OX1 3DU
Tel: 01865 721 420

Two weeks of exploring and getting to know this city. This is the first time I’ve actually had Internet access while traveling. That’s exciting since I’ll be able to share my adventures and discoveries along the way. I’ll most definitely be checking out the food scene – as well as delving into some history, of course. We’ve already had quite a culinary welcome – from a modern British pub,  to a full English breakfast and my very first Russian meal. Here are some great spots to eat while visiting Oxford:

The Oxford Retreat is a “boutique pub” located on the Oxford Canal. If you check out their website, you’ll see this restaurant/bar prides themselves on using fresh, seasonal produce from local vendors. We didn’t know this when we stumbled in just after arriving last Saturday evening. Since the restaurant was full, we enjoyed our drinks and meal in the bar, on a comfy sofa. For drinks, we tried: Staropramen, a golden lager from Prague. Brothers Pear Cider, a slightly sweet hard cider from the UK – made from pear, obviously!  We ended up going tapas style and ordering several “starters”: scallops (maybe the best I’ve ever had), calamari, and creamy mushroom bruschetta. The food was excellent and the service very friendly.

Address: 1-2 Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, OX1 2EW

Tel: 01865 250309  (Reserve for the restaurant)

Combibos Coffee is a great place to go for breakfast. It’s a coffee house that also serves such delights as eggs benedict and a “full English breakfast” (a veggie version is available). I also noticed they have scones with clotted cream, jam and tea for £2.99 – will have to go back for that! What’s an English breakfast by-the-way? Eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, (veggie) sausages, mushrooms, beans, toast. Yum, yum. Nice, relaxed atmosphere and great choice of music. Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is displayed on the wall, along with other famous quotations.

Address: 93 Gloucester Green, Oxford, OX1 2BU (near the bus station)

Arbat is an authentic Russian restaurant located a short walk from the Magdalen Bridge.  I can’t compare to other Russian food, but this was a fun discovery. Drinks to try: Baltika, a beer from Saint Petersburg. The house red wine, from near Makhachkala, the capital of the Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus region. I just learned this is an important wine growing region due to the mountainous terrain. What did we eat? Starter: Grenki, fried garlic rye bread (had never seen such dark rye before). Mains: Kartoshechka s gribami, a vegetarian potato and mushroom dish served with a very fresh mix of raw veggies on the side. Shashlyk, a combination of marinated meats (served on skewers) and veggies. This restaurant has a whole slew of traditional dishes, from Borsh (soup) and Plov (slowly cooked meat and rice) to Medovik (honey cake) – too bad we were too full for dessert!

Address: 84 Cowley Road, oxford, OX4 1JB

Tel: 01865 236376

Parking hint: parking is difficult in Oxford. I’d recommend going straight to one of the outdoor parking lots. During the day you pay by the hour, but from 8pm-8am there is a flat rate (a few pounds max). Come with change to put in the machine and then display your ticket in the window of the car. You can also easily get around by foot, bicycle or bus.

Why I’m happy: tea is always served with a side of milk – you don’t even have to ask!