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FRANKFURT: STIRCHLEY BRANCH
Only the most hardened German Market cynic will be thrilled to see absolutely no trace of the annual city-splitter, this year. Cast your eye to Stirchley's Loaf, however, and food nerd, cook and consultant Lap-Fai Lee is giving you the chance to get your festive bratwurst fill, with pop-up event 'Wurst-Käse Scenario'. From 4pm, Saturday November 28, just turn up for a menu of käsekrainer (smoked pork and beef sausage stuffed with cheese — £7 — pictured), bratwurst or krakauer all in pretzel buns, with optional roasties, garlicky mushrooms and donuts. Takeaway only, obviously, more details here. And if you don't fancy waiting for November 28 for Lap's scran, he's leaping into action at The Early Bird Bakery, Kings Heath, tomorrow (November 20) and Saturday with 'Fire & Rice'. Choose from beef or jackfruit rendang, Assam prawns and Malaysian fried chicken. From 5pm, takeaway only, no need to book.
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PABLO
KICKASS, YO
Please don't hold this terrible headline against Brummie design partners Ally Standing and Jane Anderson — they had nothing to do with it. What they had everything to do with is Lucky Pablo, their new joyful brand. What you're looking at is a tray, and I've fallen in love with it. But they do more than just trays — they do jumpers, coasters, prints, t-shirts, throws, face masks and more. The company came about at the beginning of the first lockdown when, in Ally's words "the news was getting weird. We spent hours drawing to take our minds off it. Music on loud, Sharpies in hand — plus a beer or four — we doodled compulsively until our table was covered. Symbols, shapes, grids; there was something almost primordial about the forms we were summoning. There was no plan — just a strange and slightly trancelike focus and a cathartic release of drawing". Use code SHOPLOCAL on this site (until Nov 20) for 20% off. Follow
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CAKES AND COFFEES AND COLLABORATIONS, OH MY!
A brace of (sort of) new cake-based ventures are live and lovely and looking for support. Shall we talk about them? Let's. Ticking the vegan ✓, no gluten ✓, no nuts ✓ and to-your-door ✓ boxes is Big Fat Slab a subsidiary of Amy Clarkson's Brutally Honest Bakery. Now, I'll be brutally honest, Brutally Honest Bakery isn't new, but since its wholesale business hit the mother of all virus-shaped hiccups they've launched Big Fat Slab, their home delivery option, and it's a gem. To get the full body experience I went for 'Something For All The Family' (£19.99) which includes a frankly offensive amount of treats. There's three sponges (Gingerbread Latte, Tangy Lemon, Carrot Cake) as well as Salted Caramel Crisp, Fruity Flapjack, Choco Orange Brownie, Choco Orange Rocky Road and the masterpiece that is the Dark Chocolate Tiffin. They also include ace coffee or tea. You can order here — the branding and boxing alone is almost worth the money so do consider it as a gift. However, if getting the hell out of your godforsaken home for just one bleeding minute is more your current MO, head for Verbena in Stirchley. Verbena was the planed launch of Caneat alum and food wizard, Chloe Qureshi, but it too has taken a Rona-shaped kick to the shins for the time being. While we await the modern British delights it promises, Chloe is doing take-out breakfasts and hot lunches alongside stupendous cakes from Glaze and coffee from delightful barista, Rory McGhie. Now, I think I've got this right, the team of Verbena, Glaze and Rory are known collectively as Pause and you can find them here. The baked goodies pleased a four-year-old and a forty-year-old in equal measure and I'll be back for that hot lunch next week. It's open 10am to 4pm, Monday to Wednesday at 1474 Pershore Road, B30 2NT.
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Venue: Burnt Comal, roaming; Instagram
Choice: Oaxacan Mole Negro (£25 for two) Chooser: It was the only dish
It's been three years since Birmingham's bravest restaurant, Two Cats Kitchen, closed. Run by chef Niki Astley, the 'New Baltic' menu was gung-ho, inventive and batshit in equal measure, gaining national broadsheet plaudits from its charming JQ home. Since the doors closed (and were re-opened as Alex Claridge's The Wilderness) Niki's been running a consultancy and private party service but, with private parties now Prohibition-era levels of illegal, Niki has launched a food collection service, the first was at Eat Vietnam (Stirchley). The beauty of this particular offering remains in its charming out-there-ness. The first iteration was Mexican focused, Astley's son and extended family being Mexican, with Niki making many a trip that way. But basic DIY burritos, this ain't. Incredibly easy to put together the Wonka-esque hard work has been done for you in the thick seven-chilli and chocolate mole sauce that you'll drizzle over your chicken. Reader, you should try this. Doubtless it'll split opinion but combined with spicy salsa borracho and frijoles (beans), the slightly sweet, smoky, earthy and bitter sauce sings like a mariachi leadman. Unlike Niki, I've never been to Mexico, so I don't know what authentic is, but I'd bet my bottom dollar this is it. Bone sucking, finger-around-bowlingly beautiful, Niki's commitment to the different makes our city's dining scene a significantly more interesting place to explore. And in a world where you can spend £25 for two at Nandos, this was real value for money and a talking point to lighten a lousy lockdown. Shame I live alone. May bricks and mortar be his once more — follow on Instagram for his next shake-up.
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