Pommelers Rest

Somewhere on this blog I posted about my mother's family having come from the Azores. My father's family, on the other hand, are all of English decent, most of them having come to the United States in the 1870's and 1880's from Manchester to work in the cotton mills that once operated where I grew up.

That said, my fascination with London has nothing to do with any of that. London is one of the greatest and most important cities in the world and my wife and I have been planning a trip for a couple of years. The big snowstorm last week managed to delay, but not cancel, our plans and right now I am sitting in our hotel room watching the BBC morning news report on the world darts championship. Being half English, I can say this - only a Brit would find a darts' match newsworthy.

We got to England yesterday and after a nap, we took a long walk around and over London Bridge and then down to the Tower of London and back across the Tower Bridge (which is the bridge with two turrets you see in all those pictures of London). London is just amazing; the history, the architecture, the people, blah, blah, blah. Seriously, it should tell you something when a city erects a 228 foot monument to the architect (Christopher Wren) who designed a lot of the city after the great fire of 1666 burned much of London to the ground and then puts that monument on a side street, because it is just one of a thousand monuments to important people and events in its long, long, history.

After our walk, we were hungry and thirsty and I insisted that we find a traditional English pub for fish and chips. One of the few decent pieces of English cuisine (if it can be called that) is hot fried fish with equally hot french fries (called "chips" by the English). When I was growing up, there were still enough immigrants from England and their children (by then all my grandparents' age) living in my hometown to support 2 or 3 little places that were open 4 days a week (Wednesday through Saturday) and served up hot fried fish wrapped in either newspaper, wax paper, or the like and stuffed into brown paper bags; a legacy, I am told, from places here in England that catered to workingmen who needed a fast meal they could take with them.

London is studded with neighborhood pubs (there are at least 2 within a couple of blocks of our hotel) and we settled on a place called the Pommelers Rest, which is on the Tower Bridge Road just a block or so south of the Thames River. The word pommeler dates back to the 15th century and refers to men who worked in the leather trade, which apparently was once strong in the area just south of the Tower Bridge.

This was a straight-up neighborhood pub, with old-fashioned dark wood (non-matching) furniture and paneling, and dark green carpets and walls; think a Cockney Cheers. The taps were so old-fashioned that they literally had to be repeatedly pulled to generate the pressure needed to pour the beer.

The crowd was mixed, with tourists from England, eastern Europe, and the US, as well as many locals who spoke with thick, but friendly, accents. My wife and I each ordered a plate of fish and chips (which also came with a serving of peas) and we each had a pint of locally-brewed ale; a dark "Bishop's Finger" for my wife and a slightly lighter "London Pride" for me, both of which were served the Anglo/Irish way, i.e. just slightly below room temperature.

Our fish plates were, OK, but not great. The portion was generous and of decent quality, but it could have been fried a bit longer. The peas were dreadfully overcooked, but the chips were perfectly fried, nice and hot, and plentiful. Our pints were both good. The service was prompt and friendly ("cheers!" when the pints had been pulled and the fish quickly brought out to our table with a smile). For just over 13 Pounds (about $20), not too shabby.

An interesting note about the menu is in order. Although it was studded with traditional English pub food (kidney pie, chicken pot pie, fish and chips, etc.), there were other items that speak of the maturation of the British pallet and the diversification of British cuisine; a couple of different curry dishes, several kabobs, and chicken fingers and a few other "American" pub specialties.

I suspect there are probably at least 200 or so places like the Pommelers Rest in London, and any of them would have served up a similar experience. Still, it was a great respite from a long walk and an important taste of local flavor and cuisine and I am glad we stopped in

Here's the link to the Pommelers Rest - http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-pommelers-rest