A Lovely Meal at Jamie's Italian

It's hard being a food blogger these days. Restaurant lighting makes photography virtually impossible, and when you do use a flash, you risk ruining the mood for diners who are usually very close by indeed. You can usually manage a couple of pictures before they start to glare daggers at you. And I do understand, because if you don't actually write about it as a profession, photographing food seems like a very weird thing to do. 


The ambient lighting, for all it makes your own wrinkles disappear, also makes food which you want to wax lyrical about look absolutely rubbish. The colours look garish, and you wonder how you can possibly convey how delicious something that looks so bad really was. But I will persevere!


We've eaten at Jamie's Italian in Reading a couple times now, and it has always been very nice, although not necessarily remarkable. This time was different. The food was just incredible, and the service was so good I honestly could have been in North America. (I'm not being rude, just honest. If you travel as much as I do you will know, in many cases there is a difference in service country to country. It's just the way it is.)


It helped that the timing was perfect. After a very pleasant afternoon Christmas shopping (don't hate me because I'm organised - it's the first time!), my husband put our name in for a table just as he headed to the car park to put our bags in the car. I was waiting for some parcels to be wrapped, and by the time we had got them in the car and wondered if we'd be able to have a drink while we were waiting, the pager he had been given was going off. 


We were given a nice table upstairs, although you are always very close to fellow diners, in part to replicate the European experience, and in part because real estate this close to London is expensive. We started off with a drink and the meat antipasti - which this photograph does not do justice to.

It arrived on a long plank of wood, and featured gorgeous meats, including Parma ham and pistachio salami, root vegetable salad made with raw vegetables including celeriac and beetroot in vinaigrette, mozzarella balls with basil and chillis, olives and pecorino cheese topped with a gorgeous chilli jam. 


We lingered over this for some time, and our main courses arrived just as we were finishing. After such a meaty starter, I went vegetarian for my main course and enjoyed a wonderful Eggplant Parmigiana. 

I had to use a flash for this photograph, which made the colours look very garish indeed, but believe me it looked beautiful. I had to make every shot count, as the couple next to us were not terribly impressed with the flashes of the camera - understandably as they were spending quite a lot of time gazing into each other's eyes. It was so cute.


My husband enjoyed a beautifully seasoned grilled pork chop on a bed of roasted potatoes. It was fresh, simple and delicious. 

Oh, and I just had to order some of these.

Chips that were crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, drizzled with truffle oil and shredded Parmesan cheese. I know some people feel truffle oil is over-rated, but I'm not one of them. I did share some of these with my husband, but not very many!


It will come as no surprise to you that we were way too full for dessert, as tempting as the selection was. All the desserts that came out of the kitchen looked wonderful, and I think the one I saw coming out the most was affogato - good vanilla ice cream served with a shot of espresso alongside. You pour the espresso over the ice cream before you eat it. It's simple, but gorgeous. Perhaps next time. 


I've only ever been to this branch of Jamie's Italian in Reading, but based on my experience I would not hesitate to visit the others. And if you do find yourself in Reading, it is well worth a visit. It's competitively priced for this area and the food is consistently delicious, and often even outstanding. 

A Lovely Saturday Morning Breakfast

We needed to drop our son off at the train station in Reading this morning, so my husband and I decided to go into town and run a few errands while we were there. As it was an early start, we had not had time for breakfast, so I suggested we visit the new place in town, Bill's. 

This new Reading branch is one of three. The first restaurant, in Lewes, was started back in 2001 by a greengrocer named Bill Collison in the shop he had run for over twenty years. As you would expect of a greengrocer, the focus in Bill's restaurants is on fresh food and produce, and the ethos is really wonderful - customers sit amongst the fresh produce and other goods for sale, eating freshly prepared dishes and also being able to take the ingredients away with them to make them at home. In fact, if you fill out your shopping list, the staff will do your shopping for you while you eat and add the items to your bill. What a fantastic way to shop!


The restaurant is bright and welcoming.

As well as specials on the chalk boards, there are recipes for both dishes offered on the menu and also for the individual items of fresh produce. It's a great place for the avid foodie! 


The menu offers a great selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, all sounding absolutely mouthwatering and causing us to decide almost immediately that we definitely needed to return as soon as possible. My husband ordered Bill's breakfast, which arrived beautifully presented and was absolutely delicious.

I had a bacon sandwich that tasted wonderful with lovely crisp bacon encased in fresh homemade bread. Our tea arrived in a nice big traditional pot, and we were given proper teacups, something I always feel is a really nice touch.  


The attention to detail at Bill's is outstanding, and the atmosphere is really convivial. They have been sensitive in their restoration of their historic location and the decor is very effective. There are two more dining rooms upstairs for use when the ones downstairs get full - and they do - one of the ladies sitting next to us said she had eaten upstairs the previous Sunday - and also for private functions, which Bill's are happy to cater on site. 

The service is quick and efficient, but we never, ever felt rushed. Bill's menu offers good value for money and servings are generous without being overwhelming. I'm looking forward to returning again soon - and this time, I'll bring my shopping list with me!






Bill's is located in St Mary's Church House on Chain Street in Reading, RG1 2HX. 
Phone +44 (0) 118 939 1365


The 21st Century Housewife was not paid for this post. 

Jamie's Italian

Located on the riverside overlooking the canal in the Oracle Centre in Reading, the newest branch of Jamie's Italian is really striking. Spread over two floors, the centrepiece is a beautiful bubble chandelier. Decorated in casual Italian style, there are open kitchens on each floor, where you can see the chefs hard at work. They don't take reservations as their ethos is casual food when you want it. This does mean that at busy times you may have to queue up outside, but there are staff on hand and it is all very organised.



We were lucky when we visited yesterday as we managed to get in just before the rush. We had a very warm welcome and the efficient table allocation system and the friendly and smiling staff do everything they can to make your visit an enjoyable one. You are offered water the moment you arrive, and it comes from the tap in a carafe with ice. There is none of this nonsense about £4 bottles of water offered from a menu, something which I find very irritating in a country where the tap water is perfectly safe to drink and bottled water retails for so much less than that. I found the rest of the menu offered good value for money as well. The glass of house white I ordered turned out to be a very tasty unoaked Chardonnay. There is a good wine list, with something at all price points and a really good selection of soft drinks as well.

I was impressed by how knowledgeable the waiting staff are about the very extensive menu. From gorgeous antipasti to hearty pasta and intriguing and delicious main courses, there is truly something for everyone. There is also a good selection of specials displayed on boards throughout the restaurant. Although clearly a place that wants to serve as many covers as they can, there is never any feeling of being rushed, and those who want to linger over several courses are just as welcome as those who only want a quick bite to eat. I was particularly taken by a a scene at the table behind us, where the parents and friends enjoyed tapas while their little one sat fascinated, his back to the table and his chin in his hands as he watched the cooks in the kitchen.

The food is amazing - really inventive dishes freshly cooked and beautifully presented. I had the Chicken Caesar Salad, the salad served separately from the chicken which was laid on a wooden board. It was well cooked, tender and absolutely delicious.



I was also impressed by how the menu emphasised the traceability of the food. My chicken was free range, much of the seafood was from Cornwall and producers and sources were highlighted. This is clearly an operation that prides itself on ethical, traceable food sources, something which is so important in these days of intensive farming.

My husband chose one of the daily specials, a breast of lamb served on a bed of lentils which he said was amazing. I don't eat lamb, but I tasted the lentils and frankly I could have just eaten them by themselves, with a spoon!



Even the side dishes are intriguing. We chose the strangely coloured thyme roasted heirloom potatoes which were really interesting, and once I got over the idea of eating a purple potato, I really enjoyed them. It's nice to see a restaurant seeking out heirloom vegetable varieties and using them creatively.



This is casual, elegant dining for the 21st century, a fantastic marriage of Italian cafe society with well prepared, delicious value for money food in England. Well done to Jamie Oliver for his excellent concept, and well done to his staff for making it work so very well. This wonderful new venue is somewhere I definitely plan to become a regular customer.