23 April 2017

Carver's

Bob Carver's minus an apostrophe and an ampersand
Condemned prisoners are sometimes asked to select the final meal of their lives before execution takes place. What would you pick if you were in that position?

For me there's no question about it. It would be cod, chips and mushy peas with a slice of bread and butter and a pot of tea. Manna from heaven. Ambrosia of the gods.

Yesterday, before watching ten man Hull City beat Watford by two goals to nil. I went into the centre of Hull to visit The Ferens Art Gallery. Hull is currently Britain's "City of Culture" and The Ferens has some excellent work on show.

Afterwards, I wandered down Whitefriargate towards the fruit market and upon a whim I decided to have an early lunch in Hull's most famous fish and chip restaurant - the legendary Bob Carver's. And this was the beautiful scene that greeted my eyes before I picked up my knife and fork:-

37 comments:

  1. I'll ask for a big bottle of vinegar....to preserve myself. That should do it!

    The fish and chips (minus the mushy peas) would be a good choice, too. I love mushy peas, but not with fish and chips. A good, hearty meat pie with mushy peas is my preference.

    Just the battered fish and chips sprinkled with vinegar (I love vinegar) would suit me just fine. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An afterthought....with a name like "Carver" one would think/expect the establishment prepared a variety of roast meats, not fish and chips.

      I bet this is not the first time anyone has made mention of the anomaly! :)

      Delete
    2. Carver's? Because old Bob would carve up picky customers who said stuff like, "I only like mushy peas with meat pies".

      Delete
  2. I think I'd be too nervous to be able to eat a last meal :)

    Mushy peas sounded intriguing (I figured it wasn't just peas that were overcooked) and when I checked on the internet it seems there are two ways to make them, one with mature dried peas (what we call split peas here) and one with fresh peas. Which do you make/prefer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A true connoisseur picks the dried peas - soaked overnight - every time... but in England tins of mushy peas are available in all supermarkets.

      Delete
  3. Looks like good stuff for any day .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You wouldn't want that every day or your would soon look like Marshmallow Man in "Ghostbusters"!

      Delete
  4. Mmmm...that looks delicious although to be honest "mushy peas" doesn't sound very appealing. But they probably taste good. I wish you could sample the fried flounder at my favorite local restaurant, Tubbs. I was never a fan of fried fish until I had their flounder. With good fries (pardon me, "chips") and coleslaw and sweet iced tea, it's a meal fit for a king. Or a queen. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As you know Tubbs is the top restaurant in Florence - according to Trip Advisor reviewers. Could you mail me a fried flounder?

      Delete
  5. It has to be a cup of tea with fish and chips. Wine doesn't work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wine before and afterwards perhaps but not during - as the actress said to the bishop.

      Delete
  6. Not keen on the mushy peas ......they give me wind.....but the fish looks lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. An old wine cork might help Frances.

      Delete
  7. I can always go for fish & chips, but I usually pull off the breading and discard it, which is probably heresy to an Englishman. I heard that mushy peas were created so they could be served to workmen on a paper fish & chips wrapper without rolling away! Any truth to that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's a good theory. Ordinary garden peas can be devilish - evading forks like prison escapees.

      Delete
    2. What's "breading"? Did you mean batter? Christ Almighty Steve! You can't have cod without batter! That would be heresy.

      Delete
  8. Quality. We spend summer in Italy, guess what our first meal is when we get home. Here's a clue, it's not pasta.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Err.. A traditional chicken bhuna with rice and nan bread?

      Delete
    2. Actually that is the second meal

      Delete
  9. I love mushy peas but I wouldn't have thought to put them with fish & chips.
    Our fish & chip shop does a family pack deal including a bottle of soft drink so we have Coke. It's the only time we do!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Coke!!!!! Coke with fish and chips!!!! I knew you Aussies were crazy people!!!

      Delete
  10. When I was a bery young boy in New England (Rhode Island), "fish and chips with vinegar" was a favorite dish but when we moved to Texas the people there thought we meant potato chips (crisps to you) and everyone put catsup/ketchup on their fish. Arthur Treacher's shops introduced vinegar with fish to most Americans, which option is still carried on today by Captain D's. My last meal, though, would have to be Greek; avgolemono, spanakopita, dolmathes, galactabourikos -- the whole gamut of Greek deliciousness. Unless it was Southern fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and a big glass of sweet iced tea. I can't decide.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I prefer the idea of your second option and I think the chefs at your prison would agree as the Greek option seems to require a busload of Greek chefs and Greek ingredients.

      Delete
  11. Fish and chips would be my choice too – without the pumpy peas (much as I love’m), for one would need to go with dignity…

    This fare would be from my (near) local fish’n’chippy for they do indeed produce manna from heaven. Worth dying for – well, maybe not…

    Anna :o]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It would be a good way of saying farewell to the world - an almighty trumpet blast powered by mushy peas.

      Delete
  12. The fish looks like a flap of the tail and it will take off. lol
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, take off right into my big gob Briony!

      Delete
  13. I shall ignore that yummy, calorific lunch photo!
    As to your wicked first installment of the story - we all know what happens next thank you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have heard that even Yellowbellies like fish and chip lunches so you can't fool me Mrs W.

      Delete
  14. As soon as I'm off the train in Paragon, its straight to Carvers! They are the best.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are clearly a woman with exquisite and sophisticated taste Caz.

      Delete
  15. Yorkie...in answer to your question of Steve above..."breading" means crumbing...breadcrumbs.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeuk! Breadcrumbs on fish? Disgusting! It has to be batter.

      Delete
    2. I agree...I much prefer battered fish!

      Delete
  16. Oh dear, impossible to decide on a "last meal"! I'm actually glad I do not know which one will be my last meal - could be any, really, couldn't it!
    If last night's dinner with O.K. were to have been my last meal, it would not have been the worst choice: Green asparagus, roast spuds and ham, not all drowned in Sauce Hollandaise but instead generously dabbed with herb-spiced butter, and a glass of chilled cider. Dessert was caramel ice cream with macadamia nuts and chocolate.
    The main course was cooked by yours truly.

    I'll have fish & chips in July, when my sister and I will be staying in Ripon again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The meal you prepared for your master was too sophisticated for a prison kitchen. How about bratwurst and sauerkraut instead?

      Delete

Mr Pudding welcomes all genuine comments - even those with which he disagrees. However, puerile or abusive comments from anonymous contributors will continue to be given the short shrift they deserve. Any spam comments that get through Google/Blogger defences will also be quickly deleted.

Most Visits