Image: Daisy Dickinson
Nicola Foley‘s top three things you need to eat in Cambridge right now
1. Nanna Mexico Heuvos Rancheros
As our national brunch obsession grows, so too do the variety of brekkie dishes gracing our menus. The seasoned bruncher may have picked up that Mexican recipes in particular are having something of a moment – Mexicans ace the first meal of the day and ever since I visited Mexico last year I’ve had a serious hankering for Huevos Rancheros. For delicious authenticity in spades, head to Nanna Mexico – their take on this breakfast of champions is spot on, with a pair of perfectly fried eggs, fresh, flavour-packed salsa, creamy home-made guacamole, corn tortillas and a wedge of lime for squeezing – it’s an instant breakfast fiesta which leaves you raring to go.
2.Smokeworks Pulled Pork Bun
There’s lots to get a local foodie fawning at SmokeWorks, from their bourbon-splashed milkshakes to their melt-in-the-mouth short ribs, dripping in lip-smackingly good marinade. For me though, the jewel in the crown is their pulled pork bun. Plenty of sticky, smoky, juicy meat – cooked low and slow for the perfect tender texture and marinaded in a fennel and garlic rub overnight, before being seasoned in its own smoking juices along with beef dripping butter and home-made barbecue sauce – is coupled with zingy pickled vegetables and crammed inside in a huge, doughy bun. It’s a joy to behold. Slather it in SmokeWorks’ own chipotle sauce and wash it down with a can of Pistonhead lager.
3. Limoncello Pesto Siciliano
Ever since I moved to Cambridge I’ve been slightly obsessed with Limoncello’s pesto. So insanely tasty it can elevate a humble, hastily grabbed penne and sauce dinner into an authentic Italian feast, it created an evangelist out of me from the first taste. Imported from an artisan producer in Sicily, my favourite is the Siciliano, with its strong, salty pecorino romano, fragrant basil and satisfying kick of chilli – it’s a symphony of big, punchy flavours which makes a perfect foil for simple pasta dishes but works equally well spread on crackers or with bread for a scrumptious snack. Don’t take my word for it – pop in and try for yourself before you buy (I guarantee you won’t leave this charming little deli empty-handed).
Image: Nicola Foley
