Explore And Eat More…Especially On Your Doorstep

Explore and eat more is a simple philosophy, but one that is often overlooked. I grew up in a small village called Brookmans Park, which happens to have several restaurants. Despite growing up in the village, I had only visited a handful of the present restaurants, favoring those further afield. Being a creature of habit was something I wanted to break free from through The Edison Project, thus Item #48 was to try every restaurant in my village.

There are seven restaurants in total spread across the village. You have Bengal Paradise, China Red, Cock of the North, Methi, Miller and Carter, Raj Tandoori and The Brookmans. The final one I ticked off was the Methi. Completed on mine and Hana’s first date night since Isla’s birth. It was the only restaurant left on the list, a surprising status given how many recommendations I have received over the years. The good news was, the Methi did not disappoint. I would potentially go as far as to say it is one of my favorite restaurants in the village. As you are probably aware, I am no restaurant or food critic, but I think it is only right that I give a short summary of each of the restaurants.

There are three restaurants specialising in Indian cuisine. You have Bengal Paradise, Methi, and Raj Tandoori. It is neck and neck between the Methi and Bengal Paradise as to my favorite restaurant in the village, but all three serve great food. In Bengal Paradise, I recall seeing a newspaper clipping about a man who ordered a takeaway all the way from Australia. I doubt you would go this far unless it was genuinely good.

China Red is the only Chinese option. Growing up this was our go-to option for Chinese delivery, so to actually eat in the restaurant was a little odd initially. I love the crispy duck there. Highly recommended.

Then we have two pub based restaurants in The Brookmans and Cock of the North. The latter wins it for me in terms of quality and ambiance. The Brookmans has changed hands a number of times and left me feeling over-charged on each occasion.

The final restaurant is Miller and Carter. My opinion on this restaurant is quite decisive. They specialise in steaks and large blocks of lettuce. I still can’t get my head around the latter. In my opinion, the quality of the steaks does not match the costs or the hype.

This is a really fun and simple item on The Edison Project. It is accessible to everyone and can be easily replicated to suit multiple scenarios. I will be replicating this in Welwyn Garden City, and potentially exploring the top ten restaurants in London. I am also all ears to restaurant recommendations from any readers of this article.