A couple of years ago, we were invited to check out the somewhat labyrinthine Jamie’s Italian that’s tucked behind Lendal. With a bit of time having passed, we were asked back so thought that rather than repeating dinner we’d see what the fixed price lunch at Jamie’s Italian menu had to offer.
On our last visit, we commented that our server had phenomenal powers of recall as she related the specials of the day in forensic detail. Clearly there’s something in the water as this trick was repeated with great precision when we were seated. Hopefully the server wasn’t too deflated that those efforts were in vain as we put aside the main menu and concentrated our appetites on the shorter set menu and wondered if we would push through two or three courses.
To start with we picked off Truffle Tagliatelle and Silky Pate Bruschetta while enjoying a glass of Montepulciano. The very tempting headline price of just under twelve quid for two courses didn’t reveal any obvious compromises so we relaxed into the lunch and found the starters appear in very short order.
With generous shavings of truffle, the pasta dish didn’t scrimp on costly ingredients and it was obvious the pasta was rich and recently made. I had been concerned that a pasta starter would compromise my appetite for a main course, but this was unfounded, though the pasta would have benefited from a little more oil to loosen it. The chicken liver pate topping the bruschetta was silky smooth and light, shot through nicely with crispy pancetta and sprinkled with fresh parmesan. The meal was as smooth as that pate so far!
Main courses hit the table quickly enough in the form of Gennaro’s Chicken Club and Italian Steak & Fries along with extra chips to bulk out the Chicken Club. That indulgence and the steak supplement added just under a fiver to the headline price. The skirt steak was well trimmed and seasoned, if cooked beyond my preference (though my preference is as raw as the cut will allow), and sat next to a generous portion of fries. Garlic butter seasoning didn’t overface the rest of the dish while the excess slaw sat contentedly enough on the side of the plate. Chicken Club pitched up on a board with a Jamie’s flag holding it together and a slightly eccentric whole jalapeño broadside across the breast. The chicken had a good char and remained moist at the core, though could have done with a touch more crisping on the skin.
Between us we only had space for one dessert, so a Tiramisu Pavlova duly arrived. The dish comprised a chocolate ice cream and a good sized meringue that gave the coffee flavour needed to earn the dish’s title. Grace pronounced it thoroughly satisfying and a suitable way to end the meal that would be worthy of a repeat order on a subsequent visit.
Jamie’s Italian made a contribution to the cost of our meal, but accounting for that the damage was less than fifty pounds for the two of us; very reasonable for a decent extended mid-week lunch at Jamie’s Italian. You can check out the menu here https://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/restaurants/york/superlunch/
