It has always been a lifelong dream of mine to travel to England. But at Cook’s Kitchen, they brought England to me, and it was bloody brilliant. If customers haven’t had an opportunity to stay at someone’s home in England and have a home-cooked meal, then this is the perfect chance to experience what it’s like.
This gem is located just two blocks from Bayshore Blvd and is worth stopping inside. Cook’s Kitchen is sure to impress anyone who has an appetite for a wholesome and authentic meal.
Located on 2902 W. Gandy Blvd., Cook’s Kitchen first opened in February of 2010. This quaint European-styled restaurant serves home cooked British cuisine for breakfast and lunch. The owners, James and Sally Nichols, left England and moved to Tampa in October 2009 to take care of James’ sick father. Shortly after he passed away, the couple decided to stay and open up their own restaurant.
Sally Nichols has extensive culinary experience and has helped cook for British royalty, including Prince Andrew. “My wife has always been an excellent cook, so I really thought it was a great idea,” James Nichols said, who handles everything behind the scenes (shopping, finances).
Creating the menu and choosing a theme for Cook’s seemed like a no-brainer for the Nichols. “It’s what we know best. Anything on the menu is what we would have at home,” Nichols said. “Everything is real and fresh. The turkey in the sandwiches is real turkey, like what you would have on Thanksgiving.”
Cook’s Kitchen has quite an extensive menu, along with several daily specials. For breakfast, some of their offerings include homemade pancakes and cream cheese bagels with smoked salmon. For lunch, you can choose from a wide selection of sandwiches, soups, and salads. Some of these include the brie with cranberry sandwich, parsnip and apple soup, and coronation chicken salad. A few of their most popular dishes are the egg salad sandwich, turkey sandwich, and the quiche. Customers can also order dessert, such as classic English scones with mascarpone and jam, and sticky toffee pudding.
Lisa Hatch is a UT sophomore who has been working at Cooks for over a year. When asked what she usually recommends to students Hatch said, “The sticky toffee pudding is definitely my favorite. It’s life changing.”
For families that don’t have a ton of time to make dinner, Cook’s Kitchen even offers pre-made meals to go, like cottage pie and chicken curry. The prices are pretty cheap too, with meals ranging from eight to thirteen dollars and soups and sides going as low as five.
Although lunch hour is the busiest time of day at Cook’s Kitchen, the restaurant still maintained a cozy and rustic “mom and pop” atmosphere inside. This is partially due to the English, homelike decor. Union Jack flags hang from the ceiling and images of the Queen and the royal family cover the walls. Each small table in the seating area is draped in red checkered tablecloths. Cook’s also offers a variety of candies and snacks imported from England next to the counter that customers can purchase, as well.
When it was time to order, the egg salad sandwich with arugula was a my best bet. Customers get a choice of two breads: a french baguette or multigrain; the latter option being a popular choice. The meal also came with a side of either cole slaw, potato salad or pasta salad. Rather than serving a mere two halves of a sandwich customers are pleasantly surprised when given three. The taste was exquisite. I use to love egg salad sandwiches as a kid and the taste of this one definitely brought me back.
The sandwich was loaded with egg salad and had just the perfect amount of mayo. The arugula added a nice consistency, as well. The texture of the bread was very soft, which complemented the whole thing perfectly. All in all, the sandwich was simple, yet elegant and full of flavor. The cole slaw, however, was my least favorite of the three. I like coleslaw, but this serving had too much pepper and not enough mayo.
Nevertheless, I did really enjoy the side salad. The spinach and carrots were so fresh and the homemade dressing, which is a mix of mayo, dijon, olive oil and garlic, was stellar. Cook’s Kitchen is totally worth the long bike ride there and I will definitely be making another appearance at some point. Overall, I give this perfect casual lunch spot four stars.
Madison Irwin can be reached at Madison.irwin@spartans.ut.edu