In February 2024, some changes took place at Laghi’s (see Blog ) with Leo Kattou making way for Smoke’s Stuart Deeley who took on the role of Executive Chef and a Smoke sous chef, Patrick Hukins, taking on the role of Head Chef. While Deeley remained in his role of Chef Director at Smoke he worked with Laghi’s to develop new dishes and a new approach. The changes at Laghi’s received some attention in the local and catering press particularly of course because of Deeley’s achievement of winning Masterchef The Professionals in 2019.
Here’s how The Caterer announced Deeley’s latest venture -
And Birmingham Live featured a photograph of Deeley and Hukins (though the reporter did spell Hukins’ name incorrectly) -
Needless to say, and bearing in mind I had been intending to revisit Laghi’s recently regardless of any new chef appointments there, I made reservations for lunch for just three days or so after the introduction of the new menus. Stuart Deeley was in the kitchen at this lunchtime and so what was served was certainly under his direct guidance.
The menu certainly had the air of Deeley about with of thedishes reminiscent of when he was at The Wilderness while others featured his renderings of Italian dishes as we have come to expect and look forward to at Laghi’s. There were small plates but there were also larger ‘plates from the barbecue’ which brought Deeley’s other venture at Smoke to mind.
My companion and I settled on sharing the polenta panisses with pecorino which were delicious and beautifully crispy exteriorly but served as a plate of three which is irritating when there are two diners. We also chose - and enjoyed - the accurately barbecued Queenies with a good Espelette pepper sauce which nicely partnered the scallops and also found the courgette and ricotta fritters to our liking.
Small plates, it seems, are served as and when they come out. I do so dislike it when the table is flooded with plates not necessarily all compatible with each other and much of the food hastily chilling while the diner picks first at one dish then another, then another and then back again to the first. I like a semblance of order in my meal. Fortunately Deeley seemed to appreciate this too so that while we were having a veritable macedoine of dishes we were at least getting them in a logical order. I suspect Deeley is too good a chef to allow chaos on one of his diners’ tables. So next, quite rationally, came two half dishes of pasta for us to share - a very al dente and silky coated spaghetti carbonara with pieces of guanciale, an excellent Italian cured pork jowl ingredient and a frighteningly delicious ‘nduja campanelli - the ‘nduja giving the dish a pleasing but not excessive spiciness to it and the campanelli having a texture more pleasing to me than that of the spaghetti.
Neither my companion nor I could resist the whole plaice with warm tartare sauce. I felt that the fish, very pleasingly sized and very nicely cooked, was a great pleasure and also good value. I think I have liked a greater hit of citrus and perhaps a plain butter sauce; the parsley sauce seemed to have some sweetness in it and I should have preferred quite the opposite.
We had eaten well but not excessively and we felt quite able to indulge ourselves with dessert. My companion enjoyed Deeley’s tiramisu (‘tirami-Stu’) and I wallowed in the pleasure of a fine buttermilk pannacotta which was accompanied by the lively sweetness of a cold blood orange soup.
Laghi’s has obviously changed. It felt more like ‘Deeley’s’. Regardless, I had very much enjoyed the large part of what had been served to me. I hope the Italian element remains dominant because the city needs one or two fine Italian-style dining establishments. The wine list has just one Italian wine on it. I hope they think about that. On my last visit under the old style I had a very pleasing Primitivo and had been looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with it. Laghi’s’ journey has definitely taken a new branch in the road.
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