27 Nov 2023
James Cameron laments the loss of the legendary pizza cone at the city centre pub…
It is possibly slightly unfair to the Blacksmiths Arms, but they were already on the back foot on my recent visit there due to the absence of what had previously been their defining achievement. Two words: Pizza Cone. For those who missed this phenomenon, and who must be kicking themselves now, this was a pizza, wrapped into a cone shape then filled with chips covered in cheese sauce and bacon. I include a photo for informational purpose only, not to rub your nose in it.
Now you could of course still buy a pizza here, with a side order of chips, then wrestle it into some form of workable vessel but I think the effort would outweigh the reward and lead to some curious glances.
Instead, I dusted myself down and faced the future by ordering a sharing platter. This was optimistically called the ‘Crowd Pleaser’, but the crowd-satisfier would possibly be nearer the mark.
There was a fair range of food on the platter, but nothing that really sang. The centrepiece was a bowl of nachos, these were slightly soggy and with a mere smattering of cheese sauce and burnt ends looked rather forlorn.
Around this were a number of beige items including some nicely sticky wings, oddly chewy garlic bread and halloumi skewers that could have done with a bit more coating (and also some actual skewers).
Theoretical greenery should have been provided by cucumber slices and dips, but these were inexplicably absent. It wasn’t an unpleasant offering, but there was definitely something of the bowling alley catering about it.
For the vegan half of the family there were a range of options, though a number of these potentially had nuts in and we had an allergy in the party. They definitely took this seriously, possibly a bit too seriously. As it’s a mild allergy we are normally happy to take a chance on things where nuts are not an actual ingredient but there is the possibility of cross-contamination but they were having none of it.
This left the fake chicken burger as the only option, A decent offering but no different to those that you would find as the vegan option at a number of mid-price eateries across the land.
If you are unrestricted by dietary requirements the landscape was much cheerier, with the other vegan burger being the Indian-style ‘Bollywood’, complete with onion bhaji and Bombay sauce. This was a really fun and well balanced dish, although it did suffer structural collapse during consumption. The chips were also to be commended, being crispy and well-seasoned.
Absolute star of the show, though, was the kilogram of BBQ Cauliflower Wings that we had to share.
These were definitely superior to their chicken brethren, being sweet and sticky with a great level of flavouring that kept you coming back for more (and there was a lot to come back to) without getting overwhelmed.
It wasn’t quite at pizza cone levels but it was exactly where the Blacksmiths should be pitching themselves, fun and simple sharing food that goes great with beer and looks vaguely monstrous on arrival.
I think perhaps we visited the Blacksmiths Arms on a bad day. The staff seemed vaguely harassed and were constantly spending their time shooing people off the tables that had been set aside for one of their many bottomless brunch options (and they do look like very enticing options). There was also about an hour wait for the food, which undercuts their cheap and cheerful vibe. It’s very definitely a football pub, so when the game starts and the music stops it becomes difficult to ignore, and if you are in a party where any members have an interest in our national sport you might find the conversation drying up. It’s a lively place, though, with a good selection of beers and some great value deals.
Also, if you happen to be out on one of the handful of nice days in the year the garden is superb. It’s rare to find that much space in central St Albans, and they’ve definitely made the most of it with beach-hut style booths in jolly colours, and St Peter’s tower sitting serenely in the background.
I have heard from people who have had really positive culinary experiences there, so I would definitely be happy to revisit the Blacksmiths to give them another go as the menu, decor and location are all spot on. If they bring the pizza cone back, of course, I would be there before the menu finishes printing.
