For some time I made the mistake of thinking that no
group of restaurants in the region of 200 locations
could hope to maintain the quality for which I was looking.
Then one day I decided to put
my prejudices to the test, walked into Shrewsbury Ask!
and discovered that I could not have been more mistaken.
Their claim to serve freshly prepared quality food in
stylish and comfortable surroundings with friendly and
efficient service proved to be absolutely spot on.
Since then I have also discovered
that a degree of consistency seems to operate throughout
their restaurants, and that certainly does take some
achieving, implying a degree of management that is enviable.
They are perfect places for an impromptu snack, a bit
of culinary grazing, or the full works, and families
are catered for particularly well.
Their trendy décor usually
comprises tiled floors and black furniture with well
set tables that sparkle with glass, silver and spotless
linen. Ten starters include crostini and bruschetta,
followed by a range of salads, pasta and al forno, oven
baked pasta, some with chicken.
The pizzas are stone baked in
the oven, creating a crisp, authentic and delicious
flavour, and they all come topped with mozzarella and
tomato. Calzone introduce a touch of opulence with a
folded pizza baked in the oven and topped with garlic
butter and melted grana padano, whilst inside expect
to find chicken or a vegetarian mix.
Amongst the specials may I warmly,
in every sense, recommend the polpette al forno, a popular
Milanese dish of beef meatballs sautéed in garlic
with fire roasted peppers, caramelised onions, chilli
and pomodoro sauce, with penne pasta, topped with cheese
and oven baked.
An enticing selection of desserts
list banoffee pie and tiramisu amongst them, and the
coffee tastes like coffee, which may sound banal, but
I guess you know what I mean.
Thanks to a well selected
wine list speculative drinking can offer handsome dividends,
even with prices rarely crossing the £20 barrier.
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