hemispheres 2011

8/3/2019 Hemispheres 2011

1/4

HemisphepheresUNCOVERSTOCKHOLMIN THREEPERFECT DAYS

THE FIRST ANNUALFOOD ISSUEA FOODIES TOUROF SINGAPORE

FINDING (AND EATING)THE WORLDSHOTTEST PEPPER

THEHEMIQ&A WITH ALICEWATERS GODMOTHEROF ORGANIC FOOD

JEFF BRIDGES NEWALBUM THE OBAMASIN IRELAND ANDTHE BEST HOTELSFOR STARGAZING


2/4

COTSWOLDS, ENGLAN D

Country CookingRussells, an English country eatery, offersa heartfelt tribute to the comfort cuisine and thehearty souls of the Cotswolds region

BY MATTHEW WEXLER

FRESH HEIR

An appetizer withwatermelon saladfeta cheese and fig

IN AN AGED BUILDING set in the town of Broadway, amid the rolling

hills of west-central England, Russells feels a lile bit like the seing

of a pastoral novel from a century ago. The landscape is doed with

grazing sheep and honey-stoned co

ages, and the keys to each of thepropertys seven guest rooms are of the old-style skeleton variety. But

the main araction of this charming spot (the full name of which is actu-

ally Russells, a restaurant with rooms) is a dining experience, neither

historical nor modern, in which local ingredients are used to provide a

new perspective on countryside classics.

Russells is housed in the former workshop of one Sir Gordon

Russell, a furniture designer of the Arts and Cras school who

was raised in this Cotswolds town more than a century ago, and

who drew his aesthetic inspiration in part from his experi-

ences on the front lines during World War I. He opened

his workshop here in 1923. Years later, he recalled

HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST 2011 27

PHOTOGRAPHBTYWINFRIEDHEINZE

FOOD & DRINK

COTSWOLDS, ENGLAND

Russells, an English country eatery, offersa heartfelt tribute to the comfort cuisine and thehearty souls of the Cotswolds region

BY MATTHEW WEXLER

FRESH HEIR

An appetizer withwatermelon saladfeta cheese and fig

IN AN AGED BUILDING set in the town of Broadway, amid the rolling

ills of west-central England, Russells feels a lile bit like the seing

of a pastoral novel from a century ago. The landscape is doed with

razing sheep and honey-stoned co

ages, and the keys to each of thepropertys seven guest rooms are of the old-style skeleton variety. But

he main araction of this charming spot (the full name of which is act -

ally Russells, a restaurant with rooms) is a dining experience, neither

istorical nor modern, in which local ingredients are used to provide a

new perspective on countryside classics.

Russells is housed in the former workshop of one Sir Gordon

Russell, a furniture designer of the Arts and Cras school who

was raised in this Cotswolds town more than a century ago, and

who drew his aesthetic inspiration in part from his experi-

ences on the front lines during World War I. He opened

his workshop here in 1923. Years later, he recalled

HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM AUGUST 2011

T

HP

BH

T

Y

FINII

IIIEDIII

IIIIIIIIIH

FOOD & DRINK


3/4

CULTURE SHOCK

Dont miss out on thesecheesy attractions

The cheesemakers of

the Cotswolds despite

being few in number

have performedadmirably at the

annual British

Cheese Awards.

Charles Martell for

instance has ridden his Single

and Double Gloucester as well

as his Stinking Bishop (a well-

deserved name derived from the

type of pear liquor used to wash

the rind) to multiple honors.

Martell has been instrumental in

preserving the Gloucestershire

heritage cattle used to make

the cheeses with the Single

variety holding the

coveted European

Unions ProtectedDesignation of Origin.

Another local

favorite last years

Supreme Champion

is Golden Cenarth an organic

soft cows milk cheese. This

particular blend was an accident

discovered when cheesemaker

thinking that my generation, which

had destroyed so much lovely work,

had a constructive duty to hand on to

those coming aer us good things of our

own creation.

Its a charge Russells owner BarryHancox and his business partner

Andrew Riley took very

seriously when they

began refurbishing

Russells derelict show-

rooms, workshops and

offices in 2003. After

more than a year of

hard work, we had a

great feel for the prop-

erty, says Hancox. It had a great vibe.

Originally it was going to be a restau-

rant, but we had the rooms upstairs and

it evolved into something greater thanwe ever anticipated.

Hancox and Reilly enlisted the

services of chef Matthew Laughton,

described by Hancox as a family chap

who really loves food, to oversee the

menu, which features dishes like a

roast Cornish pollock with clams and

samphire emulsion, and beef and horse-

radish sausages with mustard mash and

red onion gravy. Laughton also oversees

the newly launched Workshop, a more

casual venue offering decidedly throw-

back British culinary experiences. Menu

items include a retro-style Canteenroast lunch, featuring a fish or meat

of the day, a filet of haddock baered

and fried and served on a bed of crispy

chips, and vintage throwbacks like beef

drippings and parsley on toasta nod

to resourceful men and women making

the best of hard times. Laughton uses

produce from nearby farms to create

his dishes, along with tasty house-made

condiments like spiced-apple chutney

and chili jam presented plainly along-

side local cheeses like Shropshire Blue

and St. Oswald.

While the menu is stocked withnostalgic creations, the point of this

so-called comeback cuisine goes well

beyond the food itself. Russell once

said of the Cotswolds, I never cease

to be grateful to the builders of these

lile towns and villages. They taught

me to try to apply the searching test of

honesty to all work and actions. Thats

a philosophy worthy of a comeback.

Rhapsodyin BrewLocal beermakers concoct really real ale

CASK ALEor real ale, as its come to be known, thanks in part tothe U.K.-wide Campaign for Real Aleis brewed from traditional

ingredients, conditioned in casks, unpasteurized and free from added

bubble-producing carbon dioxide. Unsurprisingly, few places have

CHELTENHAM

SEVERN VALE

BREWING CO.

COTSWOLD SPRING

BREWERY

FESTIVAL BREWERY

STANWAY BREWERY

NORTH COTSWOLD

BREWERY

GLOUCESTER

M5

NAILSWORTH

BREWERY

STROUD BREWERY

BATTLEDOWN

BREWERY

THE STINKING BISHOP

PHOTOGRAPHBYMATTHEWW

EXLER(STINKINGBISHOP)heritag

the

28 AUGUST 2011 HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM

THE WORLD || Food & Drink


4/4

adopted the Real Ale ethos as avidly as

the Cotswolds.

In Gloucestershire, a push by an

alliance of brewers to get pubs to serve

local beer made in small batches from

organic, local ingredients has paid off,

resulting in what is now known as the

Gloucestershire Ale Trail (see map).

Visitors looking to get real can swing by

Baledown Brewery, Cotswold Spring

Brewery, Festival Brewery, Nailsworth

Brewery, North Cotswold Brewery,Severn Vale Brewing Company, Stan-

way Brewery and/or Stroud Brewery

to sample the good stuff. Booms up!

a mysterious culture growing on a

wheel of Caerli a recipe passed

down from his great-grandmother.

Seductively pungent the cheese

ranges from soft in the summer

months to firmer and more robust in

the winter.

While these stinky newcomers

are gaining ground cheddar remainsking and visitors would be remiss

not to try any of the local varieties

such as the Extra Mature Cheddar

from JA & E Montgomery.

Wherever you go make sure to

bring sealable bags if you plan on

taking some home or the Bishop

wont be the only thing stinking.

RAISE A GLASSAbove the brewhouse

at Stroud Breweryopposite Jon Kemp of

Nailsworth Brewery

www.GreatSteakofNA.com

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED

The Ultimate Steak Experience!

St. Elmo Steak Housestelmos.com

INDIANAPOLIS, IN317.635.0636PROPRIETORS: Steve Huse & Craig Huse

III Forksiiiforks.com

DALLAS, TX972.267.1776PROPRIETOR: Chris Vogeli

HOUSTON, TX713.658.9457PROPRIETOR: Oz Rogers

Mannysmannyssteakhouse.com

MINNEAPOLIS, MN612.339.9900PROPRIETORS: Phil Roberts, Peter Mihajlov

& Kevin Kuester

Grill 225grill225.com

CHARLESTON, SC843.266.4222PROPRIETOR: Nick PalassisEXECUTIVE CHEF: Demetre Castanas

Benjamin Steak Housebenjaminsteakhouse.com

NEW YORK, NY

212.297.9177PROPRIETOR: Benjamin PrelvukajCHEF: Arturo McLeod

McKendricksSteak Housemckendricks.com

ATLANTA, GA770.512.8888PROPRIETORS: Claudia & Doug McKendrick,

Rick Crowe

Malonesmalonesrestaurant.com

LEXINGTON, KY859.335.6500PROPRIETORS: Brian McCarty & Bruce Drake

Metropolitan Grillthemetropolitangrill.com

SEATTLE, WA206.624.3287PROPRIETOR: Ron Cohn

RingSide SteakhouseRingSideSteakhouse.com

PORTLAND, OR503.223.1513PROPRIETORS: Jan, Scott & Craig Peterson

Gene & Georgettigeneandgeorgetti.com

CHICAGO, IL

312.527.3718PROPRIETORS: Tony & Marion Durpetti

hemispheres 2011

Documents