Urban Cafe has long been the answer of where should anyone go for breakfast whilst in the Jewellery Quarter. It’s the place for details; excellent coffee, friendly staff, and high quality ingredients treated simply. It’s unfussy, yet confident. Consistently consistent, which is all anyone could hope for at breakfast. Order the Lashford sausage and bacon bap. Add a fried Clarence Court egg. If you’re knocking about at lunch, get the Rueben sandwich. See, I did tell you the ingredients were high quality.

They do evenings now. Well Carla does Wednesday to Saturday, whoever Carla may be. I’m guessing she is the chef. It’s a simple offering under the guise of ‘Carla’s Wings and Skins‘, which is the Ronseal of descriptions and so idiot-proof even I knew what I signed-up for. Chicken or cauliflower wings, loaded potato skins, and a couple of other bits. Some wings and some skins with a beer or wine come in at £17.50. Get there before 7pm and its 2-4-1 on the cocktails, which you really need to in order to double-up on the spicy marg and espresso martini. The spicy marg would be a reason to come back if the wings weren’t so damm good.

Carla knows how to cook them wings, which, whisper it quietly, might be as good as any in the city. The chicken is free-range and carefully sourced to not only be meaty like things, but full of flavour, too. In the effort of research, we try almost all of them, universally concurring that the Lebanese influenced Jaweneh is King. It pops with loads of garlic, a little smoked paprika, black pepper, and cumin. We find the table dredging the underside of the potato skin through the last of the marinade to not waste a spot. Elsewhere the buffalo is a well-executed amalgamation of vinegar and heat – as it should be – and the Thai is a fiery little beast in it’s own right. They have lemon and herb but I would argue that anyone who orders lemon and herb anything should be at home protecting themselves from a common cold or Y2K or life itself. I’ll redeem that flavour by saying it works extremely well with the cauliflower.

The skins’ part might not be as strong as the wings bit, but they are still more fun than the option of just fries. Generous on filling, the spud has been scooped out down to the last few centimetres and then deep fried so that skin blisters and crisps. The bacon, jalepeno, and cheddar one is jam-packed with bacon, jalepeno, and cheddar, whilst the three cheese one is a hefty blend of, well done, three cheeses. I think you get the point. They do a whipped feta option and one for the vegans, which I never tried, but would guess are similarly generous. From the dips I particularly liked the bourbon bbq, though by this point I was on spicy marg numero four. 

Rumour has it that the evening menu came about when they asked Carla what she enjoyed cooking and she responded with quinoa and blanquette de veau. I jest. She loves the wings and skins and it shows. The evening menu here is a simple option for more basic times. Take two things and do them both well, make sure the veggies and vegans get as much respect as the meat lovers. Make it affordable, and throw in a few banging drinks. It’s as good a simple dinner as you’ll find in that part of Brum.

8/10