Rita's (Hackney)

• I'd already been to Rita's when it was just a little residency at Birthdays
• The green chili mac n cheese is still on the menu
• They have instead a half chicken with warm honey and gravy
• There were several vegetable dishes that we were torn between
• The asparagus special with duck egg yolk (cooked in a water bath) and miso butter
• The tokyo turnips with soy butter
• The one we did go for poached calcots with szechuan minced pork
• The calcots were like mini leeks and came with dry fried crumbled pork all over it
• Stephen then overcame his aversion to ordering a vegetarian dish to get the mushrooms with burnt onions
• Lest we start taking ourselves too seriously with all these 'adult' plates
• The beignets came with a large puddle of dulce de leche
• Stephen and I both came away in awe a little bit with what they are doing here
• The restaurant is unassuming from the outside
• Yet warm interior it might look like a typical new hipster joint but what Rita's doing here is that little bit extra special
• S a bar menu with some of the more snacky things
• Fried until the bread is crisp on the outside
• 4.50) comes with green chilli and guacamole
• Ll return for the crispy duck with mooli slaw and pig&rsquo
• The cocktails are excellent &ndash
• The Patty Melt with its bone marrow butter and pink middle made my eyes roll back while its juices run down my chin
• These are the people who were hanging around here
• ) However we were here for the food which I&rsquo
• D got so fed up with reading about and not trying for ourselves
• A short menu with a sprinkling of specials
• Short menus are always welcome when we&rsquo
• The dining area was unfortunately next to the open door
• Creating a chill that meant I had to eat with my coat on
• 6.50 came in a paper cup adorned with the Rita&rsquo
• The addition of rosemary was possibly a step too far though
• Ade popped the rest in his pocket to irritate his work colleagues with the following day
• 5 all to himself as he was amongst not one
• He said the best bit was not having to share it&hellip
• This has gone into my list of the best things I&rsquo
• Luckily Keith is a gent and let me have the bigger ones
• The chicken roll was generously fried with a great chunky crumb surrounding tender moist chicken
• The fish roll was the equivalent a posh fish finger sandwich made with a battered fillet of haddock with a squid ink aioli
• The Cuban sandwich was a bit too &lsquo
• D hoped but it was juicy and moist
• Only one dessert was on offer &ndash
• As we left the downstairs gig area was filling up
• S toilets are shared with the music goers
• Felt like I was 21 again and back at The Forum in Kentish Town
• The restaurant was quiet and it did get busier during the evening
• Some might say it was the perfect location
• Our waitress helped me finally decide on the Patty Melt Deluxe (a firm favourite at Rita's) with a side of fried cheese
• The fried cheese was soft with a crunchy outer
• Was seasoned well with a mixture of salt and herbs
• When my PMD arrived I was a little confused as to how such a casual looking dish could be so popular
• The beignets were light and crispy
• I fell in love with Rita&rsquo
• When the mere thought of walking into your kitchen and fixing yourself dinner is enough to send you into a state of despair
• If your guilt feelings are resilient buggers like mine
• S because the starters and sides are all extremely attractive
• I was craving the Sicilian meatballs with currants and pine nuts
• Kicking off with strong notes of soy sauce that leave way to a pleasant ginger aftertaste
• Its sheer size is enough to satisfy your wildest comfort food cravings
• Skipping dessert was not an option
• You can order an extra helping of grated foie gras with your beignets
• Both the doughnuts and the cream are flawless as they are
• While my vegetarian friends opted for some mac and cheese on recommendation with a side of roasted potatoes
• S chicken and waffles are niiiiiiice
• This unassuming place was initially a pop up which then turned into a permanent fixture in the ever evolving East London food scene
• By the 3rd photo I was literally drooling
• A regular meet up with a group of friends was coming up and I knew exactly where I wanted to go
• Everything on their menu is worth eating
• Who can go wrong with an Oreo Pie
• I know it was going to be a little salty but it was TOO salty for my taste
• Ve been here twice with two different group of friends but the verdict is still the same AMAZING
• The wine list could do with a serious revamp

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