Thanks to two of my closest friends, who are trustees of the Museum of Abernethy, I’ve spent more time in the village in the past few years than I have during the rest of my life.
And although the museum is closed for the winter season, they are preparing to mark its 25th anniversary so the work continues. So I offered to meet them for a bite to eat at The Nook, which is just up the lane from the museum.
Located in the former Clootie McToot building, The Nook is exactly what Abernethy needs – a cafe that offers breakfast, lunch or coffee and cake and is welcoming to both locals and visitors to the area.
Before opening in November they transformed the space, so that when you walk in you are met by a front counter with displays of their yummy goodies that you can eat in the restaurant or take home with you. Going through the building there’s a small gift shop area and then the seating.
The decor gives that homely, full feeling without it verging on tacky or twee. It’s a contrast to those stark, minimalist eateries in that you feel comfortable and welcome as you dine (plus if the conversation gets boring you have something interesting to look at!).
The Nook is also happily dog friendly, which means my trusty sidekick Mijo also joined us in Abernethy for lunch.
The food at the Nook
The menu at The Nook could be described as traditional meets bistro meets coffee house, with a few curveballs thrown in. You can get a soup and a sandwich, or dirty fries and pretty much anything in between.
What instantly caught my eye as I sat trying to decide what I fancied was a massive sandwich being delivered to a nearby table. Looking on the menu I chose for a sandwich filled with Dunkeld smoked salmon, cream cheese and rocket (£6.95). The chef tries to use locally sourced food where possible, which is a great way for customers to sample the best of Tayside and Fife.
The real star of this sandwich, perhaps surprisingly, was the bread. The sandwiches are made using focaccia from a baker in Anstruther and this was the lightest fluffiest bread I’ve ever eaten. It makes the sandwich look huge but because of its lightness it wasn’t hard to finish and didn’t leave me feeling bloated afterwards.
There was just enough salmon and cream cheese filling, with the rocket coming in for a peppery hit. Served with the sandwich was some incredibly tasty homemade coleslaw, crisps and a side of pickled vegetables, including cucumber and carrot. It was a great way to bring in a bit of crunch, some sharpness, some salt and a little bit of creaminess from the coleslaw.
My friends went for the mac and cheese (£8.95) and the Korean BBQ hot dog (£9.50), respectively.
The mac and cheese was served with a side of skinny fries and salad. It is a blend of three cheeses and the sauce is quite runny, which made it perfect for dunking in a chip or two. My friend said that the mix of cheeses in the sauce was good (there is nothing worse than an insipid cheese sauce) and the portion size was perfect for a person with a smaller appetite – or someone leaving room for a cake!
A spin on a classic
The Korean BBQ hot dog – which was one of the specials on the day we visited – also came with skinny fries, but also a jalapeno popper! The hot dog was topped with an Asian-spiced barbecue sauce, sour cream and an Asian slaw, which took to a completely different flavour profile than a normal hot dog.
It was extremely tasty, I was assured, although the masses of toppings meant perhaps the hot dog itself seemed a bit small in comparison. And again, the size of the portion was ideal for my friend, who had her eye on a cake.
After devouring our mains it was decision time. I chose to have the chocolate cake (£3.75). It was soft and rich and everything a good wedge of chocolate cake is for me. I could have used something to cut the richness – a bit of cream or ice cream maybe – but when you order cake you get cake.
One of my friends had the chocolate brownie (£3.50), which was absolutely perfect and had the crispy exterior and gooey interior that you want in a brownie.
And my other friend didn’t join us in Chocolate-land, choosing instead the almond and raspberry loaf (£3.50). It was a decent sized slice of the loaf, with the raspberry almost marbled through the sponge and sliced almonds on the top. It was the ideal consistency – not too dense but not too light that it can’t be picked up and bitten without it crumbling everywhere.
The Verdict
If The Nook is already at this high a level of food and service after just a few months in business, I can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future.
If you are looking for somewhere to meet friends for lunch or a catch up over a coffee, put this at the top of your “must visit” list. You won’t be sorry.
Information
Address: 59 Main Street, Perth PH2 9JB
Price: £52.20 for three mains, three cakes, a soft drink and four coffees.
Scores:
Food: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Surrounding: 4.5/5
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