Moosic To Your Ears – Fine Dining At Pearly Cow

“I’m studying fine art at the University,” said our genial waitress at one of York’s newest up-market dining venues, Pearly Cow, just down the road from Eton rugby rival, St Peter’s School, at number No1, York.

We talked about a few paintings and the myriad of galleries that she had yet to visit, whilst her equally pleasant Romanian colleague regaled us about aspects of her homeland’s capital, Bucharest. “It is still a big city, like London I suppose but York’s nicer!”

She grinned and left us to distil our thoughts and ponder the menu. Praise the Lord, conversation in the youth of today was alive and well: I had just turned into my father!

Pearly Cow has only been open a few months and sits in the Georgian shadow of ‘No.1’ a boutique hotel whose home is a Grade II Listed Regency townhouse.

Inside the welcome is distinctly more modern with smiles and refreshing personalities effortlessly easing you to your table.

Marinated Nocellara olives (£4) and freshly baked sourdough for two (£4.50) initially tantalised our palates and, as usual, me and Mrs H were quiet, listening to our surrounds.

There was a table of four to my right: two Northern Irish accents regaled an American couple about the joys of York. There was a well-heeled young couples straight ahead. He was wearing a Rolex and a shirt with cufflinks. They chatted. We watched surreptitiously.

The olives and sourdough were beautifully fresh, slipped down easily and left us baying for more. My ears were doing overtime, my eyes at maximum capacity. I ordered an orange juice and my wife a glass of Sauvignon blanc: I was driving but my senses also needed to be on full alert!

Earlier I had read Pearly Cow’s website which waxed lyrical: “Yorkshire is rightly proud of its produce.

“Farming has been its talent for thousands of years. There’s something about the lay of its land that demands it. And the skills passed down are as simple as they are supreme. And then there are the more than 90 miles of famously rich fishing waters lining its dramatic coastline.”

For a moment I almost stood and shouted: ‘I was born in God’s Own Country’. I resisted, preferring instead to order a duo of starters. Filipinos love fish so the Tiger prawns with horseradish, orange and pickled beetroot (£10) were a no brainer for Mrs H, along with Charred mackerel with pomegranate and fennel (£10) for myself.

In the event Mrs Hopkins had polished off most of the mackerel before I had had chance to say: ‘….and I hope you don’t work at that speed in Manila otherwise the family will starve to death when YOU visit!’

“That was gorgeous,” she said. I was unable to concur, because I’d barely had a taste, although understatement had just become one of her new strengths! The prawns were absolutely cracking!

Pearly Cow says it looks for ‘ethical greatness’ in its food suppliers, investing in quality and ensuring, wherever possible, that produce is sourced locally, although I spotted the odd interloper!

Summer Wine country’s, Longley Farm, in Holmfirth, still an ‘independent’ and home to one of Europe’s finest Jersey herds, supplies dairy products, whilst Hartlepool’s Hodgson Fish – smoking sea products in its 19th century smokehouse since 1850 – is the preferred fishmonger. ‘Exceptional freshness’ are the restaurant’s bywords.

With ‘Ice’ and ‘Fire’ to choose from, I opted for the Rack of Yorkshire lamb with heritage tomato and broad beans (£32) for my main, whilst Mrs H chose the 12oz Ribeye, a 45-day salt-aged steak, along with seasonal greens, fried bread and confit shallot (£5). A mixed lettuce, cox apple and puffed quinoa with avocado dressed the lamb on my plate (£5).