WHY did I promise to go out for dinner on one of the worst nights of the year?
With pavements like ice rinks and sub-zero temperatures I haven’t felt the like of since I got my wife cutlery for Christmas, this was shaping up to be a terrible idea.
But we steeled ourselves for the journey ahead and stepped out into the blizzard.
Gritting our teeth – the only things that were gritted, incidentally – we shuffled along the pavements and finally reached Bonne Brasserie. Its steamed-up windows screamed one thing: warmth.
Within seconds of stepping inside, our polar trek was a distant memory.
We were able to take advantage of the very reasonable deal Bonne Brasserie runs every Thursday and Friday night when diners can get three courses for just £15.95.
To start, I went for the trademarked winter warmer – parsnip soup.
Thick (but not too thick) and sweet, this was as hearty as it gets.
It’d be terrible on a balmy summer’s evening, but on a night like this – just perfect.
My wife tried a different tack to beat the January chills – ordering something you’d normally have on a summer’s day – poached king prawns, chilli and noodle salad, with a lime and coriander dressing.
The fresh zingy flavours certainly brought a splash of summer to the night.
My wife’s only quibble was that she wished the prawns had been served warm. The next course was another one that seemed custom-made to warm me up.
An island of mashed potatoes surrounded by a moat of rich lamb stew, it tasted divine.
The mash was soft and creamy while the chunks of tender lamb melted in the mouth.
Dotted throughout the stew were chunks of root veg, so eating it all made me very full, very fast.
Still, that’s the price I paid for something so delicious.
My wife ordered the chicken supreme, which came with caramelised red onions, a slightly stingey helping of parsnip puree and a wonderfully smoky bacon jus (or gravy for the non-pretentious amongst us).
She was also mightily impressed with the dish, and its crispy skin, which had a salty bite that helped balance out the sweet onion flavour.
Along with a bottle of wine and a final course of cheese and biscuits, our Friday night out came to brilliant £45 – a price that really warmed the cockles of my heart.