Chris Johnson has established a fine reputation for his Italian restaurant in Ramsbottom. Located in stone-bound rooms at the top of the hill, Ramsons has a cellar of extraordinary wines and something unusual up its sleeve.
The restaurantâs new Italian menu is inspired by the region of Piedmont, which lies on the border with France and Switzerland. Far from the frozen lasagnes we know and love, cooking in this region pivots on starched table clothes and just-plucked flavours.
Recalling a recent tour with new head chef, Babak Masoudi, Chris tells me that the pair âgot really immersed in the style of cooking out there". So it is a real thrill when his first dish, an amuse bouche of tomato and basil oil soup, makes a flawless debut.
Sip after sip, I canât work it out. Itâs magically rich, impossible to pin down. The carpaccio of tuna starter is another blinder, with deceptively simple presentation.
Discs of seared steak are drizzled with local honey and piled on top of a simple âcastelfrancoâ leaf. An unusual, bitter lettuce that grows near Treviso, it looks almost blood-splattered, tiny red marks breaking up the creamy mint expanse. Paired with line-caught fish, however, the combination is something else. Fresh lemonade, crisp, sea air.
Italian boom
The flavours get me thinking about the regionâs many Italian restaurants, and why this stands out. At Jamieâs Italian in the city centre, for example, things shout at you, one by one from the plate. But at Ramsons, ingredients meld in ways I find hard to unpick. For me, this is what makes cooking worth paying for - and pay for it you do.
Diners are encouraged to order an antipasto course (or starter) followed by pasta or rice, as you would in Rome or Pisa. A meat course (secondi piatti) follows, then cheese (formaggi) and dessert (dolci). Itâs not cheap â the tasting menu, which includes all these courses will set you back around £54 per head.
Chris reckons that Babak, who is from a family of millers in Iran, has an affinity with flour. Tucking into thick, twisty fronds of saffron primavera, Iâm inclined to agree with him.
Mains of hake with sauteed spinach and parsley sauce are cooked well. A trio of St Asaph spring lamb, meanwhile, includes cuts of loin, kidney and âlambs friesâ or testicles. I found the slice of fries, balanced on top of the loin a bit of a challenge. âThis might put the ladies offâ, a rowdy companion suggests. It does put me off. But it also works as a dish.
Over 28 years in the business, Chris has earned a reputation for honesty. This extends to comments on customersâ choices of wine, even handling of cutlery. He is first to admit that the dessert course is a work in progress. But the lemoniest of lemon tarts, made by his new, 19-year old pastry chef stands out. It doesnât work with the sorbet (thick, local, Jersey cream would be better) and the deconstructed tiramisu is missing a trick by separating the coffee from the sponge (oozy is the winner).
There is plenty of promise though. Who knows if 2012 is the Michelin star year. But one thing is for sure. There has been a sea change at Ramsons and itâs (almost) all good. Go discover.
Ramsons 16-18 Market Place Ramsbottom, Bury BL0 9HT. Tel: 01706 825 070