To kick off her review of Jamie's Italian at the 'Orrible, Reading, Hilary Scott ("Hills" to her friends) ... we'll refer to her as Hilary, for now at least ... oh yes ... Hilary kicked off her review of Jamie's Italian by imparting some gossip about her life - Hilary has been to Italy twice - once there was a train strike which cost her 300 Euro and a night in a hotel with (presumably) her 'not much cop, boyfriend' oh but what a night it could have been ... if only. Her second visit was the day after the relationship with "not much cop" ended. A noteworthy precedent and warning to any future (or current - we are not given this snippet) suitors for Hilary - check the trains first. However this is not merely a throw-away introduction to this review of Jamie's Italian by Hilary as it sets the scene - Hilary (it feels like we know her already) ... Hils is clearly a 'game bird', has money (pays 300E for a taxi), doesn't tolerate anyone 'not much cop' and is persistent and ravenous in her quest for Italian food. From Hils love of Italian food we can deduce she is a 'woman' and certainly a woman of taste, unfettered by trivial girlie diets - no one who craves 'Italian' would stoop to diet, surely? And from what we have seen - dieting is certainly not necessary.
Hils has us screeching to a dusty halt on an Italian roadside because we've just seen a porchetta van (we imagine a Citroen 'H' van with drop side). For those not knowing Italy it is useful to know the herbs in the pork 'de panino' would probably have been sage and parsley although this does differ from van to van. Jamie has a recipe on his website using a stuffing for this made from ingredients such as chicken livers, pork mince, pine nuts, raisins ... yes 'raisins' how mad is that? Apple maybe but raisins! We'd have picked them out as we detest raisins in savoury although at a pinch we'll tolerate them in a bobotie. Anyway and back to the A90 - eeuuw - not petrol fumes though as that is now 'colouring' our imagined scene.
No, we're not going to go through the whole review - Hils makes it all very appetising and we recommend you read her review and visit Jamie's Italian - brilliant location by the way and Jamie was apparently very happy to get the spot on the river in Readings restaurant quarter.
Jamie will not get a vulcanised gong from the rubber company for this [blatantly pinched that and paraphrased from someone infinitely more capable] although we shouldn't think he'll be disappointed and neither should you - well worth a visit or even two. The seating is a bit cramped for our liking and feels a bit like a noisy garden center cafe with so many round tables and silly chairs stuffed in. Every other table has a beard with braces taking photos of their grub and tweeting (or more probably FB'ing as it is Reading) but hey, forget that and eat.Choose the pork, you really really must.
We love Jamie's Italian and Hils review - we "thoroughly recommend".
Hils has set the bar with this delightful, informative and enticing review - we shall look out for more from Hilary Scott.
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