Growing up with British
Culture in Monterey County by Savvy Mom Ruth Paget
Monterey’s
all-season foggy weather has encouraged the establishment of British-style pubs
where you can eat well, sample a beer from a variety of choices, and lunch with
children.
One
of the most affordable places to eat at one time in Carmel (California) was the
Sherlock Holmes Pub in Carmel’s Barnyard Shopping Center.
I
thought their menu was typical of the British pubs I had eaten in on vacation
in the UK that included a few American items on their menus in addition to
British ones.
When
I queried The Monterey County Weekly (Circulation:
200,000) about doing an article on the Sherlock Holmes Pub, they were very
interested. The review follows:
Think of England
Cold,
damp weather always makes me want to eat hearty British food. This thought propelled me, my husband
Laurent, and daughter Florence to the doors of the Sherlock Holmes Pub in the
Barnyard during a recent spate of winter storms.
One
of the owners greeted us as we walked in to the snug pub, which had a fire
going in a corner fireplace. The owners
opened the pub after visiting England over nineteen years.
The
menu features British and American favorites.
We started our meal by sharing an order of mozzarella bread. Our five slices of French toast topped off
with oozing mozzarella took the chill off our bones and whetted our appetites.
For
our main dishes, Laurent chose the Deer Stalker Fish and Chips, and I ordered
Bangers and Mash. Florence went with a
Dominion Burger to try out the American offerings.
The
fish and chips had a crunchy crust, which did not dry out the cod on the
inside. The fish tasted great with lemon
juice on it, but malt vinegar is the usual condiment. Fish and chips vies with roast beef as the
national dish of England.
Ale
certainly ranks as the national drink of England, which encouraged Laurent to
sample a Bass Ale on tap. Bass hails
from Burton-upon-Trent in the Midlands of England, and is Britain’s biggest
beer maker. Bass has a slight citrus
flavor, although no fruit is added to it.
My
hearty dish of bangers and mash warmed me up after the rain. “Bangers” refers to the two plump and juicy
sausages I had with my meal and “mash” refers to the hand-mashed potatoes and
gravy. Beans baked with brown sugar
rounded out my “best of the breakfast and dinner worlds platter.”
I
ordered an Irish Guiness on tap – foamy, sweet, and bitter all at once. You either love Guiness or hate it. It went well with the sausages.
Two
other English specialties that diners might want to try are the Prince of the
Pub Shepherd’s Pie and Soho Spectacular Steak and Kidney Pie. Minced meat such as lamb covered with onions,
topped with mashed potatoes, and baked till brown constitutes Shepherd’s Pie. In the Sherlock Holmes version, top sirloin
replaces lamb.
Florence’s
Dominion Burger came with Canadian bacon, Monterey Jack Cheese, and guacamole
with fries.
Potatoes
did not become popular in England until the latter part of the 18th
century, although other parts of Europe knew this New World product before then
according to Adrian Bailey in The
Cooking of the British Isles. The
English like potatoes and even have a chip sandwich according to Bailey.
For
dessert, Florence had a generous helping of creamy vanilla ice cream. Laurent had a slice of chocolate fudge layer
cake. British cakes are renowned for
being moist and delectable. Laurent’s
cake lived up to the reputation. The
creamy frosting melted in the mouth.
Sherlock
Holmes offers fair-weather items such as salads, soups, and a variety of
burgers. There is a “Little Detectives”
menu for children.
With
the variety on their menu, it is no wonder a diner would choose Sherlock Holmes
Pub as “my local” as the British say when describing their hangout.
End
of Article
Note:
Sherlock
Holmes closed has but, fortunately Monterey County has large
numbers of British pubs (Peter B’s and Crown and Anchor), California brew pubs (Alvarado Street Brewery), and German restaurants (Stammtisch) for an
afternoon family lunch.
