La Caverna Hotel & Restaurant * * *
2327 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham B26 3PG
Tel: 0121 743 7917
On hearing the sad news of the death of Luciano Pavarotti, I immediately remembered a wonderful story about the great tenor once told to me by the former manager of Birmingham's Hyatt Regency.
Clifford Grauers was - along with a long line of managers at Birmingham's swankiest hotel - suspicious of journalists snooping for stories about celebrities.
Everyone from the Gallagher brothers to Britney has stayed at the Hyatt, usually before they walk across the bridge to the NIA and Symphony Hall.
But Mr Grauers couldn't resist telling me about Pavarotti, who, after finishing his concert in Birmingham, returned to his room to get involved with his other passion - food.
The opera star had carted up to his room ingredients for a pasta feast, and with sleeves rolled up, made a dish (or dishes) which probably could have fed his entire orchestra.
Makes you think doesn't it? Booking the presidential suite at a hotel next time you are on holiday, you could save cash on restaurants and not have to do the washing up afterwards.
Maybe I should go to Florence and cook up bangers and mash at the Savoy. But anyway, as Pavarotti's three passions mirrored my own (football, music and food) I decided that I should do something in his honour.
Well, during the course of the month I had already attended the Reading Rock Festival and watched Aston Villa hammer Chelsea.
In order to complete the circle, it was time to feast like the rotund Italian who had volleyed opera to the uncultured masses (only for them to kick the ball out of play soon after).
I had heard that the grandest of Italian feasts was to be had at La Caverna, on the Solihull side of the Coventry Road in Sheldon.
This restaurant, formally owned by the family of home-grown Villa player Riccardo Scimeca (currently playing for Cardiff City) attracts plenty of business visitors because of its close proximity to the NEC.
However, it has also grown in reputation among diners in Birmingham since it underwent a revamp internally three years ago. It is now less like an eatery in leafy Sienna, with criss-crossed tablecloths and napkins, and more like a trendy London apartment with its creams and browns.
The revamp has obviously gone down well with the clientele, as many return week after week, usually ordering the same dishes.
However, the lighting did seem a little Gestapo-like, which can intrude on a romantic evening for two.
On entering La Caverna, I had expected to be welcomed by an Italian bloke called Roberto or Gianfranco. However, sitting down in the waiting area, I was instead positioned in front of a seafood counter, on which a giant lobster was peering out at me from the top.
I thought this was a nice touch; a window into the fresh quality of the food that was to come.
However, maybe the lobster was staring towards the customers because he wanted to see their faces when they opened the menu and saw the prices.
La Caverna is not cheap, with most non-pasta main courses on or around the #20 mark, and starters for little under #10.
The menu also referred to a service charge of 10 per cent being "applicable", which could, and should be transcribed as "compulsory".
The lobster was in hysterics when I got to that part of the menu. And it did feel a bit like walking up an alley way when you know you are about to be mugged.
For starters we chose the spaghetti con polipo (#7.95) with fresh crab meat, cream, garlic, basil, tomato and brandy, and the lasagne (#5.95).
With the spaghetti, much of the taste was lost with so many ingredients, but the lasagne oozed with fresh tomato. A bolognese sauce that was undoubtedly cooked long and slow.
For the main course, the snapper (#19.95) was as fresh as any you would find on the back streets of Sorrento, clearly underlining La Caverna's reputation as a specialist in seafood.
But the Beef Bourguignon surpassed expectations. This French dish has become one of many examples of older recipes being slowly refined into haute cuisine.
The beef was heavily marinated with full bodied wine, revealing again the time-consuming, but effective style of Mediterranean cooking at La Caverna.
With side orders of vegetables and garlic bread, and the house wine at #13.95 a litre, the bill came to just over #70.
However, that was bumped up by the "applicable" charge, which is simply put on your bill.
The service warranted a decent tip anyway, but these sneaky London restaurant techniques are not needed in the Midlands, particularly when the food is this good.
But being too full to have a coffee, let alone a dessert, I decided against remonstrating in case my trousers split as I stood to make a point.
However, it was certainly a pleasant experience raising a glass to one of Italy's finest singers, despite having to pay nearly a "tenor" thanks to a service charge policy that had more to do with Italy under the Corleones than during the Renaissance period.
