i mentioned in a previous post that i've become quite addicted to mussels. a great sauce and some plump mussels is hard to beat. if you have a plate of chips too you're in the money!
on a recent sunny afternoon s.o. and i were wandering around leith, which has been quite a find for us. the atmosphere on a sunny day is hard to beat, as people cluster around the open doors of pubs and eateries. we had been meaning to go to the plumed horse, where the team from field originated from, but they were sadly (not for them) on holiday.
so we meandered along the sea banks. fishers caught my eye, i seemed to remember hearing something about it, and this usually means that it's a good choice. their lunch menu seemed a wonderful deal at two courses for £13, or three for £16.
s.o. and i settled down in thelovelydining room. it was quiet, we had come late in the service, but very peaceful. this was actually one of the most relaxing andlovelyenvironments i have eaten in. i ordered a fish soup to start and s.o. went for the brown shrimp rarebit.
my chowder was divine, and very reminiscent of the best ones i ate in new england. i could have eaten a big bowl of that and been quite happy. s.o. liked his rarebit but preferred my soup. it really was delicious! full of meaty fish sitting in a thick creamy broth. yum!
for our mains, i went for mussels (how could i not) in white wine, garlic and cream with chips, and s.o. went for the rather fancier 'fillet of coley, peas, broad beans, and pancetta'.
i'll begin with the coley. it was cooked to perfection. served with really perfect new potatoes that had a little crust around the outside, the flavors were clean and worked well together. it reminded me of my dish at wedgwood, and i think that the cooking was comparable. good stuff.
onto my mussels. a huge bowl was set down before me. i mean enormous! there must have been about fifty mussels in there. the sauce was expertly done, and showed great finesse. this is the finest bowl of mussels i have had yet in edinburgh. i tried my best but just couldn't manage the whole thing after a starter and large amounts of bread. but i was devastated to leave some behind. wow!
in sum, fishers does fish and does fish well. more than well in fact. the dining room is homely and has a great energy, and the food shows real care and love. at that price, it would be rude not to.