Wildwood – Italian/International restaurant
Lunch at a family-friendly restaurant chain, serving burgers, ribs and steaks alongside pizzas, pasta and risotto.
It’s fair to say that there was plenty to choose from on the menu, and although the dishes all fell into the familiar categories (“Grill”, “Pizza”, “Pasta” etc), there were a lot of interesting variations on the traditional themes.
Wild boar and chorizo burger
As it was a flying visit, we skipped starters and I opted for the wild boar and chorizo burger, which came with jalapeños and relish on the side (both of which I added to my burger), along with a portion of fries with rosemary salt. The burger was served up on a lined metal tray (which gave the dish a sort of “diner-style” feel), with the fries in their own metal beaker.
Entrance to the restaurant
The presentation was a nice touch – although you could argue it added nothing to the food, it tied into the general ambience of the restaurant well, and gave the plate of food a bit more character. Having the fries in the metal beaker meant they retained their heat well (as opposed to dishes I’ve had with cold fries spread all over a large plate), and the rosemary salt gave them a bit more punch than bog-standard chips.
The burger itself was delicious. The wild boar and chorizo patty was moist and juicy (but without being too messy), and it made a very pleasant change from the usual beef burger option. The relish provided a bit of sharpness to balance the richness of the patty, and the (optional) jalapeños gave the burger an extra kick.
“…interesting spins on familiar dishes, and above all, a very tasty burger…”
Whilst you could argue there’s already a surplus of chain restaurants catering to the Italian/international market (and you probably wouldn’t be wrong), I felt that Wildwood did bring something new to the table (pun intended). Pleasant décor, good service, interesting spins on familiar dishes, and above all, a very tasty burger. I look forward to trying out more of the menu on future visits.
