The Red Lion, Stretham

Pub #1:

Our local pub is gorgeous and has been in continuous operation since 1735 when the Ely-Cambridge Road opened (someone finally had built a bridge over the River Great Ouse); the road is now the A10.  The parking lot behind the beer garden is where horses and carriages used to park or be stabled.  There’s an inn involved in the building.  There’s a really nice dining room. And, you can get drinks (the important part) in the bar or the lounge. I’ve been working my way through the selection of bitters, but they even have pressurized taps with Fosters and Coors Light (bizarre).  The best deal in the house seems to be the large glass of wine which is about a pound more than a regular glass and easily twice as much…two of these is the better part of a whole bottle.

The Public Bar tends to be more lively, though smaller.  Here you’ll find folks, dogs, kids all crammed together.  The Lounge is much more roomy, with comfy chairs and such, and backs up to the restaurant dining room.  For my money, the bar is the better choice.

Update, for food this time (9 March 2009):

For the sake of running errands in the rented van, we missed our regular Friday drinks at the Red Lion but planned to make it there for Sunday lunch. The two course set meal for £12.95 was pretty good.

Jackie started with prawn cocktail, rich with shrimp and drenched in a pink, mayonaise based sauce and served atop some spring greens. I can’t abide mayo and opted for the farm house terrine, a loaf of offal with enough of it made up of liver to give it a pate like flavour.  Jackie’s came with some nice rye bread, mine with some crusty french bread, butter, and a chutney of leeks in reduced red wine and savory spices, plus a big handful of spring greens.  The terrine was yummy.

The main courses were similar.  Jackie got roast chicken (breast and leg), and I got roast leg of lamb with a delicate mint sauce on it.  Unfortunately, there was a pushy gravy poured over the whole plate which completely overpowered the mint but was tasty on its own.  Each plate had a big portion of rubbery Yorkshire pudding (I make an airy and fragile Yorkshire, so maybe I’m a snob), and a bigger portion of herbed potatoes roasted in goose fat.  We had a big bowl of crisp, steamed vegetables to share including cauliflour, broccoli, green beans, parsnips and carrots. Bottle of red wine was £10.45.

Too much food, but most of it makes me want to try it again.  Maybe in a month or two.