Oxford News
Dirty Bones at Oxford Westgate is a ‘decadent delight’
The American theme proved popular amongst London crowds, as did the cocktails and the Brooklyn-centric soundscape, and so the brand quickly grew.
This saw several other restaurants open, including in Oxford, which can be found on the top floor of the Westgate shopping centre.
Although part of a franchise, it does have an air of individuality that most establishments which might belong to a group struggle to bring to the table.
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I do believe wait-staff and management have a major impact on a restaurant’s image and the customer experience.
It’s difficult to find places to have a meal out as a treat – whether you’re solo dining, with your significant other, getting the kids out of the house or meeting friends – where not only the vibe is good, but the staff are everything you’d imagine when you think of the word hospitality.
We had the pleasure of being served by Raff, who not only has a very impressive hairstyle but also guided us through our evening expertly.
He gave fantastic recommendations, speedy service, attentiveness, and an easy-going yet also incredibly hard-working attitude.
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The perfect mix of welcoming while not being overbearing, he made us feel like real people, and not just a task to tick off during a busy evening.
To kick off our evening, we began with cocktails.
I had the Gentleman Ice-T, which was a spin on a classic American peach iced tea, containing Gentleman Jack and Peach Liquor, Rooibos and orange tea syrup.
The best way to describe this drink is what I imagine to be a late afternoon on a Tennessee ranch, watching the sunset with your family- not too sweet and the perfect accompaniment to a warm summer’s day.
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My boyfriend had the Cherry On Top, which was a perfect addition to the evening ahead, with JD No.7 shaken with banana, cherry amaretto, ice cream with whipped cream and of course, a cherry on top.
It wasn’t as sickly as we feared, which was a bit of a relief, but it added an extra spot of fun to the experience.
For starters, we had the Jack Daniel’s BBQ chicken wings, which were tender as well as sticky and sweet in perfect balance.
We felt it was more than enough to share between two, but we had also ordered the cheeseburger gyozas, which had a lot to boast about in their own way.
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The beef was Wagyu, which certainly added an air of luxury, along with melted cheese, which added even more moisture to an already succulent dish.
These gyozas went well with the cheese and sriracha sauce, and the spring onions introduced a lovely lift to the indulgent starter.
For mains, I opted for the decadent Wagyu-Tang double beef burger, with American-style cheese and truffle mayo on a brioche bun.
I was very impressed with the portion size and (almost) regretted ordering crispy lamb loaded fries as a side.
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The beef was juicy and tender, and perfectly seasoned and well-respected by the chefs.
It was absolutely jam-packed full of flavour and felt like a one-million-pound bite.
The loaded fries were crispy, and garnished with perfectly braised lamb pieces, miso, jalapeno and chilli dressing, which balanced the richness of the meat out well.
My partner had the Koji Chicken and freshly baked waffles, served with maple syrup and cool ranch sauce.
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The chicken was audibly crispy and was cooked well on the inside, making it both wonderfully tender and moist.
It worked well with the waffle, which soaked up the hot maple, allowing each bite to sing with a sweet and savoury flavour.
The meal was a melt-in-the-mouth experience and felt like a perfect blend of all good things in the world.
For dessert, we had the delightful chocolate and salted caramel doughnut, which again was a more than generous portion.
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It consisted of an airy and delicate doughnut, with a scoop of salted caramel ice cream and proper chocolate sauce.
The ice cream slowly melted into the middle of the freshly made ringed doughnut, which in itself carried memories of seaside stalls.
Thankfully, unlike Brighton or Scarborough, there were no insistent seagulls trying to pinch the food, so we got to enjoy every last bite.
This was the best meal I’ve had in a very long time, in an establishment that clearly takes great pride in all aspects.
Dirty Dones has taken the time to hire a fantastic team of staff who I say deserve all the credit for what was a wonderful midweek treat.
For some, it might have seemed like history repeating itself – Botley was part of Berkshire until its switch to Oxfordshire in 1974.
But before and after this date, it has always been part of the Oxford Mail’s ‘territory’, with photographers regularly covering events ‘over the county border’.
Picture 1 dates from 1986 when pupils at Botley Primary School got an important message – building sites were not adventure playgrounds.
They were taken on a tour of a construction site at Seacourt Tower to see how accidents can occur.
Site manager David Dibben told them: “There are all sorts of things on a building site which can harm young children. Playing on scaffolding and with plant machinery is especially dangerous.”
Botley housewives in Picture 2 carried out an all-day traffic count on a dual carriageway they called ‘death road’.
Sitting on both sides of West Way, they counted every car, lorry and cycle that passed and every pedestrian who crossed the road.
The traffic count was the latest move in a campaign to get an underpass.
Service with a smile earned staff at Bishop’s store in Picture 3 a silver cup and prizes worth more than £3,000 in 1983.
The good manners of the 45 workers put the supermarket in the top six in a competition between the company’s 63 stores.
There was great excitement among youngsters when it was announced that a discotheque would be opening at Elms Court in 1969.
Disc jockey Mick Murphy is seen in Picture 4 with some of the girls who enjoyed the first evening.
There was more excitement in Picture 5 when young footballers – boys and girls – celebrated the opening of their new pavilion in 1998.
They are seen with two football managers, Malcolm Shotton and Malcolm Crosby, who both had spells at Oxford United.
Picture 6 was taken in 2000 when Botley joined thousands of other communities to celebrate the Queen Mother’s 100th birthday. Lena Tyrrell, 86, is seen with seven-month-old Frances Shearan in the shopping precinct.
Sam Layne, formerly of Albert Street, Banbury, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on June 10.
The 41-year-old had pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, said to have been committed in Banbury in the early hours of February 15, 2023.
However he was found guilty by a jury during a trial earlier this year.
The court heard the incident took place at Layne’s flat after a night out in Banbury.
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On Valentine’s Day, the complainant had been playing darts at the Dog and Gun, and pool at the Horse and Jockey.
The woman ended up at Layne’s flat in the early hours of the morning and fell asleep. When she woke up, she accused Layne of having raped her.
Prosecution barrister Edward Lucas said: “The defendant is a high risk of serious harm to females. There was a clear abuse of trust.
“The rape occurred when she was asleep, so she was unable to defend herself. This has had a profound impact on the complainant.”
Layne was jailed for seven years.
He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years and notification requirements indefinitely.
He was also given a restraining order to not contact the victim until further order.
Life on the Thames was their latest weekly theme and they posted lots of photos of rowers, narrowboats and bridges.
Snaps of scenes along the Thames featured a number of well-known bridges and locks in Oxford, Abingdon and beyond.
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Some photographers timed their visits to the river to coincide with sunrise or sunset so they could capture an atmospheric scene.
It was difficult to pick a winner for photo of the week, but in the end we selected Eric Denton’s shot of a relaxed rower moving through the water.
Each week, camera club members post their photos on the club’s Facebook page and a selection of images are featured in the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times. The next theme is ‘village life’.
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