WILMSLOW hasn’t the bling of Alderley Edge, nor the poshness of Prestbury. Aside from tripping over Premier League footballers, soap actors or the Chancellor of the Exchequer every so often, or dodging the odd supercar, it’s a pretty regular, down to earth suburb.
So far, I haven’t heard a single bad word said about CAU
Over the last couple of years there’s been a positive shake up in the independent Wilmslow dining scene with the excellent family run Stolen Lamb, Chilli Banana and Cook & Baker. The new kid on the butcher’s block is CAU, an acronym for Carne Argentina Unica, and they mostly serve Argentinian beef, see what they did there? Being the younger cousin of the Gaucho restaurant chain, gives them the buying power to sell their steaks at a slightly lower cost.
CAU Wilmslow is the eleventh in the brand and the first to open in the North. They think Wilmslow fits in with their collection of ‘posh-towns’ which includes Guildford, Cambridge, Henley, Kingston and Wimbledon.
CAU, WilmslowThe menu is strong, making choosing difficult, so I went twice to be sure; once without the children and once with, as they have an excellent kid’s menu. Gone are the days of colouring books and crayons, CAU offers minors the loan of Apple products pre-loaded with various games. Juniors tranquilised by technology allow grown-ups to take their time over the menu and sink a bottle of something to support the Argentinian economy (don’t judge unless you have reproduced). The highly trained staff tend to push the home grown Malbec, but we found it a bit like cough linctus, so opted for the Paula Syrah (£22.50) instead.
Menu choices are as predominantly carnivorous as you’d expect, with some excellent fish options and a couple of designated vegetarian dishes. If I was of the vegiferous persuasion, I would be more than happy to make a meal of the fantastic side orders.
Between visits I managed to go through a number of the starters, so particularly recommend Picada (£7.95) –Argentinian charcuterie served with grilled sourdough and pickles, and Yerba Smoked Beef (£6.95) with soy and watercress. They also offer Tuna Carpaccio, a selection of empanadas and bruscettas, so if I was there for lunch, I probably wouldn’t even make it past the starters.
Tuna Carpaccio
LomitoAs well as salads, ‘big plates’ and, of course, burgers, there are eight steaks on offer for mains, with three being ‘classic cuts’ and the rest being Argentinian variations. After recent meat-related dining experiences, my husband thinks it’s current culinary vogue to over-season, but the manager happily explained (to our enquiry, rather than any argy-bargy) that CAU steaks go through some kind of process where “they’re lovingly marinated in their own juices, blah, blah…Malton salt”, so husband might be onto something.
He had ordered a Lomito (£29.50) which is the tenderloin, combining the flavour of rump with the tenderness of a fillet. It’s a cut that’s best served on the rarer side of medium. CAU usually serve it with blue cheese sauce on the side, but were happy to swap it out for chipotle butter on request. Seasoning issues aside, husband declared it one of the nicest steaks he’d had for ages.
When I took my mother the week CAU opened, she managed to slowly masticate through a whole Tira De Ancho, which at £33.50 for 500g is a whacking great load of rib-eye and the biggest steak on the menu. Marinated in chimichurri, a piquant Argentinian green sauce, and grilled slowly on the Inka Grill, an indoor charcoal barbecue, this spiral cut of beef was a bit chewy in places but packed with flavour. By the time she’d finished, she’d given her teeth the equivalent of an Insanity workout.
Grilled Half Spatchcock Chicken (£11.95) might seem an overly simple choice for a restaurant review but bear with me. This classic is easy to get wrong by over or under cooking and lack of flavour. Marinated in orange, lemon, and garlic, and a grilling on the Inka, this chuck transported my tastebuds to the lush foothills of the Andes on a balmy day.
Spatchcock chicken
Brownie pudBack to those side orders I mentioned, among which spicy CAUslaw (£2.95) is a must, there are three kinds of chips, and baked sweet potatoes with butter and sage (£2.95) are the edible equivalent of a duvet day.
I recommend you save room for dessert; chocolate fondant is worth the fifteen minute wait and my son had no problem turning away from his beloved games device to devour a chocolate brownie with marshmallows.
CAU have got the vibe exactly right. They’ve stayed with the clean black, white and chrome Gaucho palette but countrified touches of cloudy skies and green grass soften it. The staff couldn’t be more helpful and I’m going out on a limb to suggest that this isn’t just because they’re new; I reckon I’d still find the same in a year’s time. So far, I haven’t heard a single bad word said about CAU and I’m planning my third visit. Miller & Carter down the road must be cacking it.
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CAU WILMSLOW, 22-24 Water Lane,Wilmslow, SK9 5AA. 01625 535 195
All scored reviews are unannounced, impartial, paid for by Confidential and completely independent of any commerical relationship.
Good for: remembering what teeth are for.
Avoid: not visiting.
Rating: 16/20
Food: 8/10 (Picada 8, Yerba Smoked Beef 8, Lomito 8, Chicken 8, CAUslaw 8, Brownie 7)
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
