Plaquemine Lock

139 Graham Street, Angel, London N1 8LB

You may be wondering, as we did, where the unusual name of this establishment in Islington hails from. Things become a little clearer once you step inside this pub. From the outside, it resembles a traditional British pub, on the inside two large murals depicting scenes from the Mississippi and the Bayou in America’s Deep South are the clues that this is something different. The menu, offering Cajun and Creole cuisine (think Gumbo, Jambalaya and fried chicken) is confirmation that this is something very different - a refreshing change from the Gastro pub fayre on offer in most London public houses. But why? Obviously, there is a story to uncover here...

At the turn of the twentieth century, Jacob Hortenstein went to Bayou Plaquemine, Louisiana, to build a series of locks to enable heavy cargoes of Louisiana timber (from the Schwing Lumber & Shingle Corporation), and later sugar cane and oil, to transfer safely from the Bayou onto the mighty Mississipi. Carrie B Schwing opened Plaquemine Lock in 1909, swooshing a champagne bottle against the lock house as the family steamer (also called Carrie B Schwing) passed through the lock gates. Carrie B Schwing and Jacob Hortenstein’s great-grandson Jacob Kenedy (chef patron of Soho’s revered Italian restaurant Bocca di Lupo) opened Plaquemine Lock in London on the Regents Canal in 2017, as a tribute to his great grandmother and his heritage.

The Venue & To Commence ...

The walls are adorned with pictures of Kenedy’s Great Grandmother, Carrie B Schwing, along with the steamboat owned by the Schwing family lumber company that was named after her, maps of the land the family owned in Louisiana, and memora- bilia relating to Mr Kenedy’s grandmother, the late actress, painter, marionette artiste and socialite Virginia Campbell. Indeed, the murals themselves are the work of Jacob’s mother, Haidee Becker, making Plaquemine Lock the culmination of this family’s story.

On the night we visited, the pub was bursting with life. We happened to visit on one of their regular Jazz nights, and were treated to an hour of excellent music, along with the party atmosphere it created. We were determined to fully embrace the Deep South traditional cuisine, and made our selections with the help of a cocktail: a Plaquemine Sour for me (rum, rhum sour, red wine float) and Gin Fizz for my partner.

To start, I selected the Cured Salmon with Black Lemon Dressing and Creole Potato Salad (£10). My partner bravely stepped outside her comfort zone and chose the Shrimp & Grits with Bacon Gravy (£9.50). Grits is one of those foodstuffs that sounds pretty unappealing (in my opinion), but turns out to be surprisingly comforting - and when teamed with shrimp and gravy is a really tasty dish. Perfect for a cold winter’s evening.

The Wines

The wine list focuses on the regions that contributed to Louisian culture – namely Canada, USA, Mexico, Spain, Italy, France, Portugal & UK. The list is quite small but carefully curated, and is very reasonably priced. We enjoyed a bottle of Californian Zinfandel (£36).

Main Courses

When it came to the main course, it was my turn to be ‘brave’. I chose the classic regional ‘house special’, Crawfish Boil, which was a bowl full of Crawfish, sausages, new potatoes, corn, andouille and Cajun Spices (£26). In the Mississippi Delta, they call them mud bugs, but apparently, Crawfish are an excellent source of high-quality protein and low in calories, fat and saturated fat. They also are a good source of vitamin B12, niacin, iron, copper and selenium. I had never eaten Crawfish before, it has a sweet taste with a hint of salt, not unlike shrimp or crab. The meat is not in any way chewy, but the fun is definitely in picking the meat out of them!

My partner chose the Shrimp Tail & Smoked Eggplant Gumbo Green Onion Rice (£16.50). I’m told that Gumbo is the official cuisine of Louisiana, and we could see why. It has a really rich, earthy flavour with plenty of spice - a quite delicious dish, and unlike anything I’ve tasted before. Other main courses include Cajun Fritto Misto (£20), Andouille & Chicken Jambalaya (this would have been my second choice, as I love Jambalaya; £15), and Chestnut & Porcini Mushroom Pot Pie (£15.50). There are also Oysters on the menu and a good snack and a Po-boy sandwich menu for lighter meals.

We enjoyed a side of Spinach Rockafella Gratin (£6.50) with our mains, and there’s plenty of other delicious alternatives when it comes to accompaniments such as Candy Yam (£5), French Quarter Fries (£3.50) Grilled Cornbread with Corn Relish (£4) and fried Green tomato remoulade (£5).

Happy Endings

The ‘Happy Ending’ made us both very happy indeed. We shared Pecan Pie with Cane Sugar Ice Cream (£7), and Pumpkin Pie with Bourbon Cream (£6.50) – both spot on, and a delicious, sweet conclusion.

Louisiana has some of the strongest food heritage in the USA, and also lays claim to the invention of the cocktail, so Plaquemine Lock has a lot to live up to. In our humble opinion, it is doing a great job in paying tribute to the state’s food scene. I would certainly head back for some more live jazz, cocktails and Creole cuisine with a group of friends, as this pub brings something unexpected and excitingly different to this part of town.

Beat The January Blues

Plaquemine Lock is beating the January gloom with the launch of ‘Blues Mondays’ - weekly jazz nights throughout the month of January that will serve as an antidote to Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year. Guests will enjoy weekly instalments of raucous jazz from some of the best musicians in town, while they feast on a specially created Blue Menu. Dishes include wild rice, pecan and blueberry; duck with cornbread and blueberries, and a classic blueberry pie to finish. Everything will be washed down by the Blueberry Fizz cocktail, made with Vodka, Ginger beer, Angostura bitters, fresh blueberries and topped with a basil sprig.

Visit plaqlock.com

Tel:

Email