Adam and Eve’s food

Nobody told Me That there Was a Dorset Cuisine!
(Adam & Eves 7 Holdenhurst Road Bournemouth)
The very ordinary frontage of Adam and Eves does not really give much anticipation for the goodies that lie within the little shop.
Situated as they are, pretty much next door to the ghastly and yet somehow required Subways, they meet the challenge very well with a good variety of take out lunches for the surrounding offices, but this is small beans when you inspect closer.
Adam & Eves, although they may not realise it fully yet, are, actually at the cutting edge of regional cooking.
They create Dorset food.
Dorset has not really been heralded as a ground breaker in cuisine, merely a flag waver to the ubiquitous cream tea,(Oh perleeeese!) but the county does have fantastic produce and this café represents it superbly.
I watched as, superb dropped and poached local eggs came out, drooled at the amazing array of breakfasts, including the incredible Breakfast Trifle, sipped local Dorset ale and knew that unexpectedly, this was going to be a treat.
I was spoilt for choice really on the menu, but opted for the rib eye steak sandwich. It is no mean a feat cooking rib eye, so often, especially when you put it between bread, one takes a bite and a large glutinous piece of meat hits your chin.
Not in this case at all, the meat was immaculately cut, and nobody bored me with the how would like it done sir? routine.
Well, I‘m sorry but any decent cook should know what the meat he is cooking will or will not take and Adam & Eves spared me the blushes of my usual retort. (the bread, although taken for granted by so many is also superb)
The salads? Well blow me down with a proverbial feather, The Dorset leaves used are fantastic, furthermore, the diner is offered a choice of Dorset dressings, courtesy of the Dorset Cove company.
I simply wanted to eat it all again, but the best was yet to come.
Now, I hate cakes, they were part of a long Sunday afternoon in which you could not wait for Monday to begin, but Adam & Eves baking may well have changed this view for me, if only for one day.
Are we all not fed up of the stickiest of Grannies sponges, the goo of Aunt Maudes tarts?
Faith restored in the old puds.
This is the best and most sincerely dedicated baking I have ever experienced, absolutely perfect in weight and balance on every cake I tried. (Three in all!)
I don‘t demand you to try Adam & Eves, but I will say that if you do not give it a go, you are missing out on the next generation of cuisine at it‘s very roots.
And that is Dorset.
Martin K © RFTS 2008