According to our neighbours at the Thames & Kennet Marina, near the English town of Reading, the Bird in Hand, “just up the road”, is one of the best places to eat in the neighbourhood. That’s not surprising – the chef and proprietor is a Sicilian, Santino Busciglio, who cooked at several Michelin-starred restaurants in London before taking over proprietorship of this reportedly 13th-century country inn.
It certainly looked the part when we popped in last Sunday, partly for a half of cider but mainly to check things out. Having done lunchtime duty, Santino came in with his dog to commune with a table of diners and their own dog, who’d been slumbering under the table. We introduced ourselves, and then followed a delicious discussion with this delightfully charming man about the benefits of brining pork for several days; that day’s Sunday roast had been a gorgeous belly, and the diner who was finishing off his portion of it had such a look of glazed contentment that I could hardly wait to return for a meal.
So we were back the very next Wednesday evening, this time with daughter Wendy, who was visiting from France. It was the Bird in Hand’s weekly pizza night: From 5pm until sunset (around 10pm now, it being mid-summer), Santino creates his own authentic, slow-rising sourdough pizzas in the wood-fired alfresco oven out back, next to a verdant expanse of beer-garden. Pizza is not generally my first choice, nor Roy’s, but the signature Leggero (£12), thin of crust and topped with mozzarella, fresh tomato polpa, anchovies and just a hint of chilli, was everything we’d hoped for.
All our neighbours had recommended the Bird in Hand’s beef, and Wendy polished off her grilled fillet of aged Herefordshire (225g; 24); it came with a “divine” peppercorn sauce, mixed vegetables and fat golden chips that had been thrice-cooked in beef dripping (!).
From a mostly Italian wine list, we chose a nice Bordeaux (£28). The service was good – especially when you think that the chef was having to run between the alfresco pizza oven and the indoor kitchen; and did I mention what a lovely, picturesque old place this is to linger in? (It offers rooms, too, by the way.)
We’ll be back before long. The Châteaubriand for two (560g; 28 per person) is calling, and so are the various small sharing dishes – especially the grilled Galician octopus and the salt cod fishcakes. Who thought there’d be such a place in the heart of the English countryside?
www.birdinhand.co.uk
