I had a sturdy weekday lunch in Edinburgh's coolest hotel
There’s something new stirring in this hotel foyer
It always amazes me how long the human race survived without wheelie suitcases.
Apparently, they were invented in 1972, by Bernard Sadow. However, there wasn’t mass adoption until relatively recently.
That’s possibly because it didn’t seem very manly to not be able to lug your bags around. Whizzy luggage was a sign of weakness.
I can remember the days when I used to heft around a weekend bag or a rucksack, wishing that I hadn’t decided to pack a spare pair of shoes or a hairdryer.
Anyway, I was thinking about their ubiquitousness as we sat in the foyer of Edinburgh’s four-star, 10-month-old hotel The Hoxton. There were loads, trundling past with their owners, as we observed from a plush velvety seat along the flanks of this beautiful open plan space. How I love a hotel lobby - the liminal space where holidays start and finish.
It’s perfect for people watching, especially as we were there bang on the noon check-out time.
We were sandwiched between a Dutch couple and a mother and son from the US, both of whom were making city exploration plans.
And sandwiched is the operative word, as this place, along with its regular lobby menu of Caesar salads and wotnot, is currently offering sarnies that have been created by bap genius, Edinburgh chef, Rob Casson, aka King of Feasts. You may know him from his various residencies at places like Lothian Road pub The Hanging Bat and, before that, Polwarth Tavern. I am a fan, and have tried his creations before.
As part of his The Hoxton collaboration, for another couple of months at least, there are three varieties of sandwich that are available Monday to Friday from noon until sellout. Each is £10, including a soft drink and you can eat in or takeaway. Essentially, it’s Edinburgh’s most upmarket meal deal.
We went for the whole trio, and they arrived tout suite, as they only needed to be delivered from a nearby fridge to our table. It’s for that reason that this is not a made-to-order experience along the lines of Edinburgh’s epic sandwich purveyors Alby’s or Mootz in Stockbridge. These pieces are not made from focaccia or schiacciata.
Instead, the King has gone for a practical and sturdy workaday thickly sliced white bread, presumably to keep the sandwiches from going soggy.
That’s fine, you just have to switch your focus to the fillings. The bread is merely a vehicle. We unwrapped the pork shoulder number first.
Then, we opened our maws as wide as possible, like leopard seals tackling particularly chonky penguins. This option was very good, with a sweet mahogany-hued mixture of Korean barbecue sauce, lettuce, a lightly fizzingly spicy roast jalapeño relish, red onions, long strips of sesame cucumber and a kimchi mayo. I’d say that’s a tad fancier than my usual egg mayo.
At this point, I was glad that my husband and I have been together since the Upper Paleolithic era, as these are messy beasts. Not first date food. Unless you like seeing your beau with a bit of lettuce wedged up their nostril. I’d say that’s an ick.
Sandwich number two was the veggie option. It featured roasted heritage tomatoes with a thick layer of herby cream cheese, seeds, rocket and a sundried tomato dressing that intensified the overall sweet balsamicy-ness. This was my dining partner’s favourite.
Mine numero uno was probably the slow roasted chicken with blackened spring onion aioli, pickled jalapeño, shredded iceberg lettuce, and bread and butter pickles. It was super creamy and messy, with lots of chook, and I loved the zingy gherkins that cut through the richness.
We washed these down with a Blood Orange San Pellegrino and a Diet Coke. And, we had to take three sandwich halves home, to have for dinner that night. There was no way we could’ve managed even a whole one each. After all, this is the kind of sandwich to suit someone who has a manual job, rather than us sedentary keyboard warriors.
Despite this, if I worked nearer this destination, I’d definitely return for a Friday treat lunch. It does seem like something of a bargain. Subtract the price of the drinks and you’re only paying about £7 for a sarnie that’s the size of your head.
That’s got to be way better than any meal deal.
5-21 Grosvenor Street (0131-297 2840, www.thehoxton.com)
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