Starters - Menu of the month
The Alford Arms, Frithsden, near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire.
Style: Modern British cooking. An easygoing, informal style with an exciting menu, which dares to be different.
What's on offer: This menu has a sensibly headed section called small plates, which you could comfortably enjoy as a starter or a main course. The small plates include: smoked salmon blinis with crème fraîche and balsamic beetroot (£6.25); warm breakfast salad (£5.50); potted ham with apple chutney and toasted granary (£5.50); oaksmoked bacon on bubble and squeak with hollandaise sauce and poached egg (£5.75).
Main meals include: roast ham hock with maple syrup and wholegrain mustard glaze on creamy mash with parsley sauce (£11.50); seared scallops and black pudding on saffron mash (£13.50); salmon and herb fishcakes with celeriac rémoulade (£11.25); and confit duck leg on crispy risotto cake with mushroom jus (£11.50).
Just desserts: The puddings are not too traditional or flash. These include: blueberry crème brûlée; spiced apple and blackberry crumble; cinnamon roasted fruits with mascarpone; warm hazelnut praline tart; and British cheese plate with oaten biscuits.
Décor: This cream-painted pub has a stylish, modern interior with tiled and wooden floors. The old scrubbed pine tables add a cosy feel to it and customers can eat in either the bar or main restaurant area. It's family-run - and this shows by the warm atmosphere that prevails. And another thing… uses plenty of quality local free-range and organic produce.
Recommended: the oak-smoked bacon on bubble and squeak with hollandaise sauce and poached egg. You can have this as a small plate or go for the double bubble at £11. An excellent original.
