The Lodge Hotel in Putney, south London, is a sandwich building, a modern section linking two traditional parts, two houses. The arrival was welcomingly easy. Free parking at the front and more free parking at the back.
The Lodge Hotel's Delightful Decor
Reception is a bit dull. The best part is the library style lounge at the back. A row of bookshelves, floor to ceiling, on your right, represented cosy almost cluttered indoors. On the opposite wall it faces a giant wallpaper mural of trees and scenery. The great outdoors and spaciousness. Very restful. So, whatever your mood, cosy indoors or countryside, the setting is suitable.
The barman was friendly and had a selection of so-called sandwiches. But not sandwich snacks. More like meals.
We wanted a quick sandwich. I was the passenger and standby driver for my husband who was booked into a wine tasting.
Downstairs in a modern private room, the array of red wines were accompanied by a few slices of salami and crackers. My husband needed proper protein to set himself up for the evening of liquid, and the subsequent drive home.
Up at the bar, the sandwich options, all at over ten pounds, included shellfish or tuna or vegetables. The real meaty protein was the steak sandwich.
I was outraged. A bar with no simple sandwich for five pounds. Any pub, or newsagent or Deli, Starbucks or Boots, anywhere, could sell me a simple sandwich for two pounds fifty and a a fancy sandwich of smoked salmon and cream cheese for a fiver.
We had to wait ten to fifteen minutes. The sandwich came accompanied by chips. Hm. Steak sandwich is odd. Steak and chips is more like it. My hungry, grumpy mood was modified.
Steak Sandwich Success
I had never had a steak sandwich. I was suspicious. What was it?
To my amazement, the steak sandwich was a great success. Not just a one off success. Not just a success for one evening. A life-changing success. An introduction to a new dish.
The steak was thin. The bread was 'buttered' with caramelised onion, sweet like mango chutney. I loved it. Not just good enough, but never enough! More-ish! Yummy. Lip-smacking good!
I am now addicted to caramelised onion. I shall dream of it sunk into the brown bread. Luscious.
Is it similar to Branston pickle? Was this like the first sandwich, steak served to Lord Sandwich, who demanded not just meat on bread, which served as a platter as well as an absorber of meat juiced or gravy. Lord Sandwich wanted a piece of bread on top to keep his hands clean as he played cards. He gave his grand, double-syllabled name to the humble, quick snack, made from meat in not one but two slides of bread.
I remember vividly my first Indian meal. My first yogurt. I can now eat pickled cucumber (gherkins), and olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. I add to my palate of delights caramelised onion spread on bread around a flat steak, sliced into strips. Delicious.
I shall always think fondly of The Lodge Hotel, dark black upstairs, grey in the basement (with a surprise high level window viewing a green slope like a cliff).
The ladies toilets were also good. Moisturizer always makes me happy. Especially if it is a good brand with a distinctive aroma.
In case my husband and I were both too tired to drive, I asked the price of a room. The price I was quoted was over 150, wor a basic room, with another up to thirty pounds more for the better rooms, larger with amenities such as coffee makers. The day of the week and number of rooms already sold affects the price. That explains why, when I looked on a sales website next day, I found a third party offering rooms at a lower price than what was available at the front desk.
Where is this hotel? We drove back into London across the Kew bridge.
Maids Of Honour
We reminisced about buying /maids of honour' custard tarts from the original shop. Those custard tarts came from Portugal, made for the Portuguese Queen of England by her maids of honour when she was homesick for the cuisine of her homeland. I was introduced to them by a Portuguese au pair girl who came to stay with us in London. I was astonished to find the story about the Portuguese queen was authentic. If you travel to Portugal you will find custard tarts are still a local food.
Wikipedia attributes the name to Maids of Honour at the court of Henry VIII, but the name coming from Anne Boleyn or Henry VIII himself.
Custard tarts sounds pretty basic, as well as easy to make. Maids of honour, much grander and more complicated.
How delightful it is to add a new dish to one's repertoire. Mine is steak sandwich. Thank you to the Lodge Hotel in Putney.
The Inventor of The Sandwich
Incidentally, the supposed inventor of the Sandwich, was the 4th Earl of Sandwich, John Montague. His name was also given to the Sandwich islands by explorer Cook in honour of his sponsor, Sandwich, who was First Lord of the Admiralty.
Over in America the Americans have their own versions of the steak sandwich, and a steak sandwich with cheese. The Lodge hotel serves steak with both bread and chips. The Americans double the ingredients, the calorie count and no doubt the price. I never said anything was healthy. I will say that steak sandwiches and custard tarts are filling and delicious.
Useful Websites
The Hotel
Nearest station, East Putney tube station.
52-54 Upper Richmond Road, Wandsworth, London SW15 2RN.
Tel:
https://www.thelodgehotellondon.com/
https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/bestwesternlodge.en-gb
The Sandwich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Montagu,_4th_Earl_of_Sandwich#The_sandwich
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steak_sandwich
English Maids of Honour Tarts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maids_of_honour_tart
https://www.asda.com/good-living/recipe/maids-of-honour
http://www.theoriginalmaidsofhonour.co.uk/cateringservices/occasion-cakes/
Portuguese Custard Tarts
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastel_de_nata
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