The slow braised steak pizzaiola ($14.95) hit the bulls-eye:, slabs of soft beef simmering in a dark liquid studded with plum tomatoes, roasted garlic and oregano atop a risotto cake that will appeal to pot roast and stew aficionados.
Because the cooks seem to avoid any sort of fancy presentation, the plates can have all the charm of cafeteria fare; but, while pale burritos set adrift on white plates may look unappetizingly monochromatic, the flavors inside them — braised steak, pork-belly chorizo, or a savory mixture of mushrooms — are indisputably topnotch.
It features entrée selections of orzo stew; seared hake with lentils; and braised flatiron steak with cabernet sauvignon jus.
It starts with a braised flank steak with pickled green tomatoes and does not shrink from tripe, tail or marrow bone.
5/10 £25 for full meal service on long-haul economy You could pile half a dozen shoe-leathery in-flight steaks on top of each other and they still wouldn't be as thick as this hefty wedge of braised chuck steak – undoubtedly the fattest hunk of meat I've ever seen in an airline meal (which, admittedly, isn't saying much).
This thought occurs to me as I'm hoisting the bodyboard-sized caramel twirl off the top of the chocolate fondant shortly after polishing off a 40-hour-braised rump steak, cancelling all the benefits of a day's wave-riding in one calorific wipeout.
Main courses include salmon, puy lentils, pea and horseradish sauce; roast cod with braised cocoa beans; steak and chips with sauce Moelle.
RECOMMENDED DISHES Egg mayo; lobster bisque; asparagus with mousseline sauce; duck foie gras confit; veal tongue; braised halibut; sirloin steak; duck à l'orange; profiteroles; nougat glacé.
Other tasty small plates include braised short ribs, steak tartare, endive salad, choucroute garnie, octopus and fried potatoes in squid-ink vinaigrette.
Dinner entrees, $19 to $38; burgers start at $16. WHAT WE LIKED Empanadas, escargots, Gorgonzola chopped salad, Arctic sea bass, filet mignon with shrimp, center cut T-bone steak, braised pork shank (a special), loin pork chop Rossini.
With a few exceptions (notably an excellent foie gras burger), ingredients are those that any budget-minded home cook would approve: cod, chicken, hanger steak, braised beef and trout.
