Invest in something a little bit unexpected...

WHEN it comes to eating places I usually like to play it safe and keep on going back to the tried and trusted places I have visited before.

For instance, although I have often walked past The Bank wine bar and bistro in High Street, Wrexham, for some reason, I’ve never been in there for a meal.

But I needn’t have worried because when my wife and I popped in there for lunch while out shopping in town recently, The Bank gave a very good account of itself.

Frankly, I wasn’t expecting too much of a gourmet experience, perhaps just the usual offerings such as burgers and chips and various kinds of sandwiches.

However, when I opened the menu I was pleasantly surprised.

Of course, there was all the standard stuff like a long list of panninis and filled baked potatoes.

But then I came upon what sounded like something a bit different – the Deli Boards.

There was a whole selection, including British, Welsh, French, Italian and Greek – all giving a taste of what the respective countries are famous for, such as Camembert from France and feta from Greece.

We almost went for a different one each but then at the bottom of the list we saw the Global Platter, incorporating a little bit from each one.

At £9.99 it is intended for two to share while the individual platters are £5.99. It sounded like good value, so away we went.

And we were delighted we chose it because what turned up at the table looked and tasted great.

Attractively presented on a large wooden board, it included goodies like a couple of generous slices of Welsh oggie jam packed with lamb, a dinky pork pie, cooked meats and a goodly hunk of French bread – all garnished with salad.

But best of all was a sizeable portion of the best cheese I’ve tasted on a long time.

So good was it that I asked a staff member what it was and was told it was a variety known as Chorlton Cheese, made by a small specialist dairy in Malpas – basically a mature cheddar with delicious things added, in this case caramelised onion.

On a small side dish came accompaniments of pickled onions, olives in oil and some fiery little peppers stuffed with soft cheese.

An excellent lunchtime’s withdrawal from The Bank was rounded off with a generous pot of tea for me and a coffee for my wife.

I reckon we’ll be back there soon because she spotted some other specials on the menu she liked the look of, such as butternut squash risotto.