May 2000 Volume 81 Number 5 "serving the protectors"
Dining
By Jason Squire

The Charm of an Old Inn

y partner and I were looking for somewhere different to catch up with friends over a long lunch on an unseasonably wintry day recently. My choice was the Three Brothers Arms at Macclesfield.

The Three Brothers Arms building was built in 1841 and has the feel of an old English pub. This place has had no cosmetic overhaul which, down the hill, is all the rage at the moment.

Entering the saloon bar and dining room is like stepping back in time. The exposed beams and white-washed walls give an immediate feeling of warmth and belonging. As I requested a tankard of the inn keeper’s finest ale, I slouched on the bar and felt all I needed to make the scene complete was a couple of freshly-trapped rabbits over my shoulder and a pipe.

As we waited for our friends we drained a couple of tankards and were kept entertained by the owner’s tales of the inn. These included an explanation of how pennies - with which the saloon bar is inlaid - had been retrieved from the well in the dining room while being renovated.

The menu has old favourites like crumbed lambs brains with bacon, and steak and kidney pie, but also has modern additions like tofu and cashew salad and Cajun spiced chicken Caesar salad.

I needed to satisfy my penchant for offal and decided on the brains for entree and the steak and kidney pie for main course. Surprisingly, I was joined in these choices by my male dining companion. We were comrades in offal. A fine place to be in my opinion.

The ladies both chose smoked salmon for entree but split over their main courses. One chose pan-fried breast of chicken with a creamy bacon, onion, mushroom and garlic sauce, while the other had spinach and ricotta terrine.

The brains were accompanied by crispy bacon and a dijon and tarragon cream sauce. This was perfect. The sauce was fantastic and worked superbly with the creamy walnut taste of the brains. Due to the size of the entrees, our female companions struggled to eat their smoked salmon.

Our choice of wine was a ’98 Richard Hamilton Merlot. This was fantastic to slurp through as the driving rain continued.

Given our intention to have a long lunch, the timing of the second course was spot-on. The meals were served with fresh, steamed vegetables, which were just what I needed with my steak and kidney pie. As I slid the knife into the pastry top a lingering trail of aromatic steam floated into my nostrils.

Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals, especially we offal comrades. The serves were big and filling.

With the prompting of the excellent staff, we chose a cheese platter for dessert. This was consistent in size with the other meals and was filled with dried fruits and nuts. It kept us happy as we finished the wine and had coffee.

The Three Brothers Arms at Macclesfield is the perfect spot for a long lunch on a wintry Sunday afternoon. My dining companions and I all commented on the attentive, friendly service.

Where:		The Three Brothers Arms, Venables St, Macclesfield (45 minutes from the city). Phone 8388 9265.
Entrees:		$5.50 - $9.90.
Main course:		$13.90 - $15.90.
Dessert:		$4.90 - $10.90.
Wine List:		$20 - $45.
Children’s menu available for $5.50.

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