No 8 Deli on Gordon Road is probably my favourite deli / cafe in West Bridgford. They have always sold really fantastic cobs, paninis and rolls filled with fresh and tasty meats and salads. My goto favourite has always been the panini filled with chorizo, cheese, and jalapeno. It used to have a spicy name something like the bullfighter?

I had been thinking that really I do not come here often enough, but now they have launched a new Brunch menu so I have found a new excuse to walk down Central Avenue to visit them 🙂 Over the last couple of weeks since they re-opened I have popped in early midweek to check out the new brunch options.

Smashed Avocado on Toast’

On my first brunch outing to the revamped No 8 Deli I had the urge to order the ‘Smashed Avocado on Toast‘. I really do not know what came over me, I mean I am basically a bacon buttie kind of guy and this was a real departure from my usual choices. But you know what?  it just seemed to be in keeping with the moment, after all I was dining out in Bridgford 🙂

This was however a most excellent choice, the menu described this as “Smashed avocado on sour dough – served with grilled cherry vine tomato & free range poached egg on toasted sourdough“.

I had never had this before and I found that it has a lot going for it as a snack for the middle of the day.

The sourdough toast was really nice with a good chewy crust and lots of flavour, I like the chunky bits of avocado in that green smashed up paste, if it was mashed potato I would moan about the lumps but with this mixture it seems to be a pretty good thing. I think that they mix stuff into the smash to add flavour, stuff like lemon juice and garlic seems to be the standard thing, whatever they added here it made it more interesting that just I expected 🙂

The three little roasted vine tomatoes on the top added a nice burst of flavour as I broke into them (once I pulled them off the stalks). The poached egg was really well cooked, nice bit of soft runny yolk to mix with each forkful after I cut into it. If I was being greedy I would have like another egg 🙂 having said that I had already been a bit piggy by adding a slice of bacon to my plateful. That was a good idea!

Now I am no smashed avocado expert, so I cannot give you any comparisons with anywhere else, but all I can say is that if this is the norm then I am up for trying this again.

Eggs Benedict

On my second visit to No 8 Deli for brunch I already had my eyes on sampling a plate of their ‘Eggs Benedict.’

This was two poached eggs, topped with a light and creamy hollandaise sauce, layered with slices of honey roasted ham on top of a sliced toasted muffin from Hambleton bakery.

I really quite enjoyed this not so little morsel somewhat immensely. I mean ‘Ooh’ there was that perfectly runny egg yolk just oozing out after I cut in. Two poached eggs cooked just right, nice bit of ham and a quite delicate hollandaise sauce really helped to create a rather delicious plateful of food.

There was just enough for a light brunch-time snack, yet it still left me wanting more, I could easily have eaten another muffin with another egg, but perhaps that says more about the size of my appetite than the size of the portion.

I think I would come back for another plateful of these eggs again, I wonder if I can get one with smoked salmon instead of the ham, just for a bit of extra excitement and variety 🙂

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Cream Cheese cob

My mate had one of the cobs from the chalkboard above the counter. These have always been good and this one filled with ‘Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Cream Cheese’  looked to be just the same.

For just £3.75,  What a bargain, especially considering the quality of the ingredients that they have used to put together this sandwich cob.

The Brunch menu at No 8 Deli is quite well set out, apart from the eggs benedict and the smashed avocado that I have already tried, I have other stuff I fancy getting

I was happy to see that they have one of those ‘posh’ cheese and ham toasties or ‘Croque Monsieur’ as the grown-ups call them. I do like that particular dish so might get that.

I also am thinking of grabbing one of the Bacon Rolls, if I am passing by early enough, perhaps a detour on my way into the office.

Oh so much to think about and get hungry over 🙂

Anyway enough already,  you can find Number 8 Deli at 8 Gordon Road in West Bridgford, check them out too on their Facebook Page, their Twitter Feed and on their Instagram profile