A couple of weekends ago I was invited along to one of my favourite eateries, Miller and Carter in Talke, to enjoy a Saturday evening of good food, good drinks and good company. When asked to recommend somewhere to eat in Stoke-on-Trent I have to clamp my hands over my mouth to stop “MillerandCarterinTalkethefoodissofitithurts” from tumbling out due to the sheer slick of saliva which gathers beneath my tongue at the thought of their epic onion loaf and succulent steaks that would make even a caveman happy. As such, I figured it was time to put my review where my (watering) mouth was and give M&C a true test drive.

STARTER:

Black Pearl Scallops – Served with mango, chilli & coriander salsa and crispy pancetta – £7.95

Scallops are a delicacy that I’ve never tried, but being a lover of all things from the sea I adopted my “I’ll try anything once” mantra of food and ordered these.  The scallops were served on a bed of the the mango, chilli & coriander salsa which was zesty with a kick from the chilli which worked well with the saltiness of the pancetta.

MAIN:

T-Bone 14oz – This gives you both a sirloin and a fillet and is recommended at least medium rare to intensify the flavour – £21.95

I have to hold my hands up and be honest, I’ve never tried a meal at M&C which isn’t from their Steak Experience menu. Steak is my weakness and M&C cater for this weakness in abundance. All steaks on the grill menu come with some friends:  a steak sauce (bernaise is my poison) fries, the infamous onion loaf of dreams and a side “salad” – which is essentially a wedge of iceberg lettuce complete with your choice of topping (I went for blue cheese and stilton) which is an accompaniment to cleanse the palette.

As for the steak cut I chose T-Bone (a cut of fillet steak and sirlion seperated by a “T” shaped bone… hence the name) which is a cut I’ve never tried before as I’m not really a “meat on the bone” kinda gal. T-Bone is recommended served to be cooked medium rare which is how I usually take my steak, although when it came my steak was cooked a little more on the medium scale but it was mouth wateringly juicy all the same. My steak topper of a lobster tail was a little messy – I admitted cutlery defeat after a a couple of seconds of trying to look ladylike and got stuck in with my hands getting and striking lobster off my food bucket list (along with scallops from the starter!)

DESSERT:

Lemon Meringue Roulade – A handmade roulade with soft meringue, cream and a zesty Sicilian lemon sauce, served with berry compote and freshly whipped cream – £5.50

Ask me about my favourite dessert and lemon meringue will be top of the list everytime.  There’s something about the refreshing tang of lemon against the sweet and crumbly meringue.  This roulade was a nice twist on the classic meringue with all the most important factors – lemon = GOOD, merignue =GOOD, cream =GOOOOOD.  The berry compote complimented the roulade perfectly bringing an extra dimension of tang to the dish whilst not being overpowering.  Unsurprisingly the plate was practically licked clean.

& MY DATE HAD:

Bourbon Glazed Pork Belly Bites – Served with lightly dressed slaw – £5.95

Porterhouse 14oz – A sirloin left on the bone to add further flavour,  recommended medium – £21.95

Chocolate Pot & Coffee – A coffee of your choice and a tempting little chocolate treat – £3.95

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I’ve never been to Miller and Carter and it’s been quiet.  The tables are always taken and the booths are always bursting with happy steak eaters rubbing their over filled bellies and drinking glasses of wine or sampling a classic cocktail or another but this is just a sign of the quality of the food and the service – which is always impeccable.  Miller and Carter came up trumps yet again and has only further cemented its place in my “thefoodissofitithurts” recommendations of eateries in Stoke-on-Trent.