Poli
ALL ABOARD THE GRAVY TRAIN
It’s hard to beat a Sunday walk that ends in a country pub with a plate piled high of medium rare roast beef and all the trimmings, but more often than not, I want something lazier and closer to home. Whilst, it’s fair to say Birmingham has significantly upped its Sunday roast game of late, even a trip into town is a step too far with a hangover.
But, outside the city centre, it’s mostly beef that only comes well done, alongside pre-frozen, brittle polystyrene Yorkshires with bottomless gravy, that just means it’s made from a packet. Even with a hangover conjured by Beelzebub himself, I’d much rather do it myself and do it properly.
Sunday Wood Fired Roast Menu 17/03/2024
It’s already two months since Poli—Brum’s best pizzeria—announced the return of their wood-fired Sunday roasts and photos on social media have been gnawing away at my resolve to just do it myself. And so, it is we’re here on my wife’s birthday and we’re a crew of five out to celebrate.
Bernardi Refrontolo Prosecco
On arrival, they’re a bit behind, but who I am to complain when we can get stuck into some expertly curated wines at Grace + James (next door but one). Given they’re under the same ownership, as soon as they’re ready we bring with us what remains from our bottle of lightly sparkling, slightly off-dry and delightful Bernardi Refrontolo Prosecco.
Poli - interior
I can’t remember the last time I was in any restaurant with such an expectant or contented buzz from the whole room and its bustling atmosphere makes it easy to forget we’re in a no-frills pizza restaurant. Our appetites are now stoked and we just want to get onto the main action, so unanimously decide to skip on the appetisers of olives, bread or burrata, instead opting to order more wine.
There are two meat options at £25 each… roast beef and Yorkshire; or porchetta; and a veggie option of roasted squash, brown butter and sage for £18. All are served with dauphinoise potatoes, spiced red cabbage, seasonal veg and gravy.
Cauliflower cheese
We’re told the cauliflower cheese is a decent portion for two (£7), so erring on the side of caution, we end up splitting three between five. Given its key ingredient—come on, it’s not the cauliflower—comes from one of the city’s finest purveyors of all things fromage (the very same Grace + James) it might ordinarily be all the elevation required, but its wood-fired, heat-intensified crust just adds another layer of amazing, awesome or perfection… you can take your pick on your preferred superlative; I’m happy with all three.
Roast beef, Yorkshire pudding
The plate lands with just the holy trinity of perfectly cooked, pink meat; a huge, billowing Yorkshire pudding that initially looks a tad overdone, but its heart is pure pancake; and a glossy gravy that’s way, way more than just a pretty face. As gravies go this is like a grand cru; with a fine bouquet, then releasing its layers of complexity in the mouth with a finish to savour.
Fully loaded
So… breaking down my plate of food against all the dine out roasts I can recall, the deliciously tender, aged beef, with an added sensual whisper of smoke, is amongst the very best; the cream-lite Dauphinoise is a pavé hybrid with a kiss of mustard and it’s quite possibly the very best; the cauliflower cheese—as you might’ve guessed—is also amongst the very best; the pickled cabbage is a blast of Christmas; and whilst the ‘seasonal veg’ is just perfectly satisfactory; the gravy is lordy, lordy, lordy… the absolute best ever. By the time I’m finished there’s barely any glaze left on my plate, I’ve scraped it so hard.
Dauphinoise
As for puds, there’s just a single option that changes week to week, but we’ve clearly done something to please the Sunday lunch gods and today it’s not just a thick slab of moist, sticky toffee pudding, but it’s served under a big dollop of clotted cream that’s slowly melting into a generous puddle of buttery toffee sauce. It rounds off a near-perfect Sunday roast lunch… for us meat eaters at least.
Sticky toffee pudding, clotted cream
The only quibble comes from the vegetarian, who declares his roasted squash a little too underdone. I’d asked jokingly, on arrival, if he was having his squash medium-rare and unfortunately that’s turned out to be the case.
Roasted squash, brown butter, sage
As for the booze (all from Grace + James) we’ve motored through a bottle (plus an extra glass) of Schlehe Gruner Veltliner that’s the perfect easy drinking gateway to the world of orange wine; a bottle of Cuvee des Galets, a juicy and ripe Carignan, Grenache and Syrah blend; and to finish off, two glasses for the biggest lushes—yes, I am one—of Judith Beck Blaufrankish, with fruit loaded softness that makes it very child-friendly (parental guidance advised).
Schlehe Grüner Veltliner
The bill for five comes in at £295+tip (£171 food / £124 booze) and there’s now nothing holding me back from ambling here, on hungover Sundays, to enjoy what’s my new holder of the title ‘best roast in Birmingham’ and probably some way beyond, with truly excellent service too.
As far as I can see, there’s just one potential problem with something this good and my advice to you is, hangover or not, don’t take a chance and book ahead.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
21 York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham B14 7SA
