Jack Stein and Rick Stein Fish and Seafood

Rick Stein Fish and Seafood: Will the same happen to Winchestein? Or is Rick Stein Fish and Seafood the name on the sign over the door the start of a chain to be rolled out across the country? It certainly looks part of a brand a vision of grey-blue understated chic, created by Rick interior-designer ex-wife Jill. And that the second thing of note: the Stein family are everywhere. Their middle son, Jack Stein, is executive chef, their youngest, Charlie, chooses the restaurant wine. The eldest son, Ed, has some group role as design guru. I'm reminded of that limerick: "There a very odd family called Stein/ There Gert, and there Ep, and there Ein/ Gert novels are bunk/ Ep statues are junk/ And nobody understands Ein", according to The Independent. The menu is small by comparison with Stein flagship Padstow restaurant, but promises lots of comfort eating on this chilly November lunchtime. Only a fool or a madman could fail to order the fish and shellfish soup with rouille and Parmesan, a Stein classic. It cooked la Proven al using 'gurnard and whatever fish is good at Newlyn market', the rasp of fish stock attacking your throat, the tomato-and-cayenne-spiced broth warming your insides, the garlicky rouille fresh and lively. My salt and pepper squid was also delicious, the squid cooked in long prehensile fingers and alarmingly wobbly starfish tendrils. Spinach leaves, soft cucumber, red chillis and beansprouts made a terrific backing group and How Rick failed to open a mocked-up German bierkeller, featuring outsize beer jugs served by bosomy wenches, and call it Stein, I'll never understand. How he neglected to invest in a Gothic-themed restaurant selling 50 brands of frankfurter sausage and call it Frank'n tein we can only guess. Anyway, the d cor is pleasingly simple, the tables are no-nonsense, no-napery, white-topped MDF, there are cushiony banquettes and Cornish sea scenes on display, while copper lamps hang over the long, grey, marble-topped pass coastal chic for ladies who lunch in this posh county town. The waiting staff are notably bright-eyed and welcoming, and rush to bring you menus, water and bread though I was surprised to find the butter was slicked with truffle; surely not everyone likes truffle on their sourdough, its immense flavour coating your tongue right from the word go. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.