Sunday 28 August 2011

Anniversary Celebrations at Anthony's

Anthony's is renowned as being the best restaurant in Leeds, and one of the best in Yorkshire. Although there is no Michelin Star, it's been in The Good Food Guide's top 50 for the past three years and many will tell you The Good Food Guide is the new Michelin Star rating.

It's a family affair with dad, Anthony Flinn, running the show as managing director and son, Anthony Flinn Junior, running the kitchen as head chef. Both have worked in top restaurants across the world, including the much acclaimed El Bulli.

Now the pair are settled in Leeds and they're doing well at spreading their love of food. There's the flagship restaurant, Anthony's, on Boar Lane, Anthony's Patisserie in the Victoria Quarter and Piazza by Anthony on the lower ground floor of the Corn Exchange. In case this wasn't enough there is now Weddings by Anthony too!

Unfortunately they're a bit too late to sort out our wedding, but we managed to discover Anthony's on our first wedding anniversary where we fell in love all over again. Not with each other mind, this was all about the food.

And it's been all about the food ever since which is why we've been every year. Normally we'd pop over for lunch on the train, but this time we wanted a night away. So I booked us in for 8pm and sorted out the (very) near by Marriott Hotel.

After a quick drink in the hotel bar, we made our way across Trevelyan Square to the restaurant. I'll admit to being nervous as questions started running through my mind. Would it be as good as last time? Would they have our reservation? Would they let Gav in with his jeans and trainers?

No worries on all accounts. The waiter who is known as the one with Russell Brand hair welcomed us and seated us at one of the comfortable sofas in the bar area.

We were served some olives and left with the menus. We'd already decided that we would probably go the whole hog and go for the taster menu, so it really didn't take us long to decide. Keeping things easy we went for the wine flight too.

We ordered a glass of Deus (amazing beer produced the Champagne way) each and we waited to be taken to our table. The wait was excruciating; simply because we knew what was coming.

The wait wasn't actually that long; I even had a little of my drink left when Russell Brand told us that the kitchen was ready for us. We were then taken downstairs to the formal dinning room. Think stiff white table clothes, white walls, smart glassware and Sheffield cutlery.

However cutlery was not required for the first course, Sheffield or not. Russell Brand handed us a tub of straws and asked us to each take one. Noticing our raised eyebrows, he assured us that there was nothing untoward going on and we took our straws.

Our first course was an amuse bouche of mushroom veloute. It was served in a short necked round bottle, hence the need for a straw! We unscrewed the lid and inhaled. Mmmmm; there were some good mushrooms in there.


Straws dunked, we sucked up the mushroom froth. It was good; mushrooms were strong and the seasoning was right. However, all I could think of was cuppa soup. Oh my! How uncouth! Can I redeem myself by assuring you that I had images of the Waitrose wild mushroom cuppa soup rather than the Batchelor's variety? No? Ok.

Bread was then served.  Mini loaves of bread were very cute and the selection of butters were a really nice touch.  There was Parmesan, salted and my favourite; toast.  The bread was good, but it was the butters that made us work our way through the loaf.


Served up next was the first of 3 starters and I was pleased to hear that it was Anthony's signature dish; Risotto of White Onion, Espresso and Parmesan Air. I've had this on both my previous visits so it was only right that I had it again tonight.


Parmesan air packed a real punch. Does it have fewer calories than its solid form? If so, I need to learn how to produce this at home. Risotto was perfectly cooked with al dente rice and a delicate onion flavour. The espresso was hidden at the bottom of the dish. Of course it works with the subtly flavoured risotto, but the truly bizarre thing is that it also worked with the Parmesan. Two strong flavours, each amazing in their own right, probably shouldn't work together, but they do.

Wine was the 2009 Albarino Casal Caeiro Rias Baixas from Spain. Now, to be fair I'm no wine connoisseur. I know what I like and I can appreciate a nice wine, but I can't do an Olly Smith and report back on the bouquet or tell you how it complemented the dish. It was white and tasty, which in my books makes it a decent pairing for a white onion risotto.

BBQ Tuna, Smoked Duck and Carrot Purée was up next. As could be expected, it looked fantastic. There were two slices of tuna with squares of beetroot and smoked duck, all brought together by the carrot purée. The Tuna was seared on the outside and left with an almost sashimi state of rawness to the centre. It was packed with BBQ flavour, and given Anthony's reputation I'm guessing that our tuna had never seen a BBQ in its life. If I had to be critical, I would have to say that I would have preferred the outside of the tuna to have been a little less cooked, but that is more of a question of preference.


The additions of the beetroot and carrot puree were good with the tuna. But with only one small square of the smoked duck, it was difficult to decide whether to pair it up with something else on the dish or eat it on its own. In the end I popped the solitary square of duck into my mouth. It was good, but more would have been appreciated. Wine was the 2009 Riesling, Rene Mure, from Alsace, France and although I prefer drier wines, I still enjoyed this one.

Next was the last, and my favourite, of the starters; Chicken Wings, Chicken and Garlic Cannelloni and Lemon Cream. The chunks of deliciously moist chicken wing meat were packed full of all the flavours of a Sunday Roast; there was even crispy chicken skin to be had. The cannelloni was chicken meat stuffed with a soft and mild garlic purée.


The dish had crispy strips of lemon peel scattered over it. These were good; bursting with real zesty freshness with each small crispy bite. The lemon cream however was a lemon pith purée so it was very bitter and far from good. How it made its way onto the plate, I don't know. Thankfully there was very little of it, so it did not ruin the dish for me. Wine was the 2009 Pouilly Fume Les Chailloux, Jean-Claude Chatelin.

Mains began with Mackerel, Braised Ox Tongue and Escabeche Onion Purée. The Mackerel was beautifully cooked. The flesh was moist and melted in the mouth whilst the skin was perfectly crispy. It was easily the best bit of mackerel I have had, ever. Braised tongue was rich and tender. There was also a slice of pressed tongue lurking under a dollop of horseradish cream.


The passion fruit jelly was refreshing against the smokiness of the mackerel and the richness of the ox tongue and the horseradish cream was gorgeous with just the right level of horseradish heat. The shallot was an unusual one and aside from looking pretty, I don't really know what else it added to the dish. Wine was the 2007 Sancerre Rouge, Pinot Noir, Lucien Crochet, France.

The last of the two mains was Saddle of Rabbit, Deep Fried Whitebait and Confit of Duck Leg. Gav thought that the rabbit was a little dry, I didn't. Being a light meat, it was good with the whitebait and I was pleased to find a big fat croûton in amongst the salad of leaves and al dente crunchy strips of green beans.


Wine was the 2009 Urlar Pinot Noir, Gladstone, New Zealand and I think it's fair to say that by this point, I was starting to feel a little tiddly! So things were a little on the hazy side for the rest of the meal.

Our first dessert was stunning, that is very clear. Pumpkin Cake, Warm Cinnamon Espuma and Treacle Ice Cream was served with the 2009 Moscatel, Finca Antigua, Spain. As we dug into the bowl the waft of warm spices hit our noses. There's something really comforting about the smell of warm spices isn't there?


The pumpkin with the cinnamon reminded us both of carrot cake; something we both love. As we dug to the bottom of our bowls we hit the (melted) treacle ice cream. Using ice cream meant that the warming taste of treacle was there but the sugary sticky texture wasn't. Everything worked together in the bowl and it was my favourite dish of all which was strange for me as normally I'm all about the savoury.

The second dessert was Smoked Chocolate Brownie, Mascarpone Parfait and Pecan Brittle. We couldn't help but compare the brownie to those sold by Heavenlies of Sheffield and I have to say that Lorna's gooey chocolate brownies came out tops for us, but that is down to taste. The mascapone parfait was creamy and a good accompaniment to the brownie.


The absolute highlight for me however was the wine; Yalumba Muscat, Rutherglen, Australia. It tasted of Christmas; fruity and spicy. One that I'll be looking out for back at home.

Phew! That was the last of it! We'd originally planned to go for a few drinks afterwards, but as it was well after 11 by this point, we decided to round things off with a port before heading back to the hotel. And, although it was very late in the day, the waiter happily complied with our request.

In fact, service had been excellent throughout. We were served by 3 different people in all, but they kept service consistently good. It was professional, and yes it was formal, but it was friendly and easy too, especially with Russell Brand who was happy to engage in conversation.

So, did we enjoy? Oh yes! The food was excellent, the wine went down very well (too well?) and service was spot on. Portion sizes were just right, given the number of courses and we were satisfied, but not stuffed.

It was perfect for our anniversary celebrations and I hope to return again next year.

Greek Meze at Parthenonas, Sheffield

With all the fantastic eateries down London Road, Pathenonas can easily be missed. Indeed, I had missed it many, many times. With a dated feel and dark windows it's hardly welcoming and it's so easy to choose one of the more inviting neighbouring restaurants over this place.

So when I spotted a Groupon voucher offering a meal of meze with a glass of wine and a shot of ouzo thrown in I was sceptical but I thought it was worth a punt at around £14.

Gav and I decided to make this a mid week treat and one Tuesday evening arrived at the restaurant. I confirmed our reservation and handed over the voucher and the waiter showed us to our table. He then simply asked whether we wanted red or white wine (we went for white) and left.

As we waited for our wine I took in the décor of the place. My god. Dated is not the word. Pale blue walls adorned with decorative plates, tiled flooring & plastic table cloths. Nice!

The seat of my chair almost fell through when I sat on it (no not because of my fat arse, but because the damn thing was so old/broken). To the left of me were those huge floor to ceiling darkened windows, not that you could see through them due to the line of tall plants obstructing the view (not that there is much of a view actually).

There were a few other diners, a couple of friends enjoying a catch up, a lone male diner reading a book and a couple who looked like they were trying to relive a recent Greek holiday (he wore a light linen suit, she a floaty white cotton dress).

Wine arrived and I was instantly put about by the size of my glass. Maybe it was a wine to be sipped slowly; to be savoured. Wishful thinking I'm afraid. It was ok, nothing more, nothing less.

We waited for our food and wondered what exactly was going to be served up to us. The waiter had not given us any indication of what to expect and although there is a Meze menu on the restaurant's website, I didn't want to assume that was what we would be getting. One point to make here is that the waiter hadn't even asked if either of us were vegetarian, or whether we had any allergies. Given that we were in the hands of the chefs, I think these simple questions are essential.

Food started to arrive. Again there was little (no?) conversation with the waiter so we didn't know a) what was in front of us or b) whether this was all we were getting.

Meze is one of my favourite ways to eat. I love the fresh flavours of the typical Greek dishes and as I surveyed our food, I was happy to note that a few of the old favourites were there for the taking. I eagerly tucked in.....

…..only to be disappointed. A plate of dips looked fresh and inviting but houmous needed more garlic and lemon, taramasalata was bland and aubergine purée was a gloopy gluey mess. Tzatziki was harmless enough, but we were just talking yoghurt and cucumber.


Vine leaves served in a tomato and butter bean sauce was pretty dire. The vine leaves were stuffed with over cooked rice and had little flavour, but worst of all the tomato sauce looked and tasted bought in. It had that sickly sweet tang to it and it lacked the richness that comes from cooking tomatoes down for hours.


The red pepper stuffed with feta was ok. I like feta and it was a good job as there was a lot of the strong and salty cheese. It was a shame that the bottom of the pepper was burnt to black, but hey. There were two chunks of haloumi too. This is probably my least favourite cheese. To me, eating halloumi is like eating a salted rubber dinghy. However Gav likes the stuff so he wolfed down my portion.


The filo pastry parcels were fine. The pastry was good and light, but I can't actually remember what they were stuffed with.


We ate all that we wanted and as our plates were taken away the only sign to confirm there was more to come was the indication from the waiter that he would bring us clean cutlery out.

At this point the peaceful ambiance of the restaurant was disturbed as a group of 12 loud diners had chosen Parthenonas to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary (I have already established with Gav that I AM NOT celebrating my 25th anniversary at Parthenonas).

They were jovial and loud and although I have nothing against people having fun, I do like to be able to think whilst eating my dinner! So we asked the waiter if we could switch tables. The look on his face suggested not, but there was a bit of a smirk there too suggesting he was being sarcastic. Either way, it took him a while to answer our request and just as I was about to give him a bit of a what for, he smiled and showed us to another table.

Our mains then arrived and I was pleased to see some meat arrive in the form of chicken and pork kebabs. Both meats were cooked well, but there was a distinct lack of flavour. If the meats had been marinated, they needed a few hours longer!


A pasta and mince meat dish topped with bechamel sauce was packed with the flavour of nutmeg, but little else. Pasta was pulverised and meat was totally lost under the nutmeggy bechamel sauce.



Side order of potatoes was embarrassing. At first we didn't know what they were and initially I thought the dish was some form of dessert. But no, there were two chunks of roasted potatoes on the plate. Normally I love roast potatoes. Cooked until crisp with garlic and rosemary there is little better. These, however, were greasy, undercooked and free of flavour.


The highlight of the whole meal was the feta salad. Ok, so the tomatoes were standard and pretty insipid, but olives, red onion, pepper and cucumber were nice and fresh. There were two nice sized chunks of feta in there too.


Unfortunately the salad was too little too late. With poor food and off service we had long since decided that this trip was our first and last trip to Parthenonas. Although it is Turkish, Lokanta is a far better option for restaurant meze food. For takeaway and lunch, try The Greedy Greek Deli.




Sunday 21 August 2011

Gotta Love Leeds Too – Part One


Although I was born in Sheffield and have spent all of my adult life here, I was actually raised in a small town outside Wakefield. So, for a long time, Leeds was the only city I knew.

As kids, I & my friends would take the odd trip to Leeds. We didn't go too often; the bus took about an hour and it wasn't exactly the cheapest place to be. But I liked what I saw.

Moving to Sheffield in 1998 to go to uni, I had a bit of shock. I had expected another Leeds but I didn't find one.

I stuck it out, met my husband, graduated and started work. By 2003 I was settled here and although I appreciate what other cities have to offer, I have fallen in love with Sheffield. It's my home and always will be.

Anyway, it's our wedding anniversary on Tuesday and as I can't get the the time off work, we celebrated it this weekend.

Being obsessed with food, celebrations are always based around a meal. Of course, here in Sheffield there are a fair few decent restaurants to choose from. But, this being a special occasion, we fancied a night away. Also a return trip to Anthony's was long overdue.

I booked the Marriott (due to a variety of offers, I paid about £27; an excellent price for a 5 star hotel!) and, of course, I booked Anthony's for dinner.

Thanks to Twitter, and mainly thanks to @TheFoodNut, @NorthernFood & @ComeDineWiRach, I was armed with ideas of things to do and places to go.

We arrived in Leeds at 11am, too early to check in, but in time for a quick snack before lunch. So we dumped our bags at the hotel reception and made our way to Commercial Street to track down Andrew Critchett and his 'Fish &' hut. Tweeting under @NoFishyBusiness I've heard a fair bit about Andrew and his mackerel baps!

Andrew was working on the stall and, as we were early, we missed all the queues and there was time for a quick chat. I was surprised to hear that Fish & have only been on Commercial Street for a week; it seems that they built their name up by attending festivals and the like. Already things are going well and I know that they often sell out by the end of the day.



There were fish and chips on offer as well as Andrew's infamous mackerel baps (using rolls from top Leeds restaurant Anthony's). However, it was gonna have to be the calamari for me.


The calamari rings were sliced thickly, and although the batter was thicker than I normally have, it was light and tasty; especially with the addition of chilli. The squid was perfectly cooked too and as it was sliced thickly it wasn't lost under the batter. Garlic mayo is a favourite accompaniment and there was plenty of it.

A portion was ample for us to share for a snack and I know that I'll be going back for when next in Leeds!

We then attempted a bit of shopping but as I prefer to shop alone, we quickly gave up and decided to go for a coffee. I remembered hearing about La Bottega Milanese on Twitter and we hunted it down, via a stop off at the Corn Exchange where Gav picked up a yummy pistachio doughnut from one of Anthony's stalls dotted around the perimeter of his Piazza.


We then found La Bottega Milanese. I had a macchiato, Gav had an espresso. Served with a shot of water and a tiny (but delicious) amaretti style biscuit, it was one of the best coffees I've had; even when taking into account those gulped in Italy.

Their website boasts 'At La Bottega Milanese we are crazy passionate about what we do, and we want to show what a real Italian Espresso bar has to offer. Our plan is very simple, give the exact experience as if you stepped into a bar in Milan.'

I think they've got it spot on; they even charge Italian prices as our bill came to £2!

We then took a wonder down by Brewery Wharf and built up an appetite for lunch. We had planned on going to Little Tokyo, but on passing Arts Cafe Bar (an old favourite) we decided to lunch there instead.

We've been here a fair few times, with friends or just as a couple. It has a really nice vibe about it and it's the kind of place that you could easily spend all afternoon in. The food has always been good and I like that they offer a light lunch menu alongside their a la carte dishes.


Gav went for the Yorkshire Plate; Wilson’s pork pie, ‘Yorkshire tasty’ cheese, ham hock & rabbit terrine, pickles & chutney, served with salad & bread (£6.95). Wilson's are well known for their pork pies round this end. They even make celebratory large pork pies, including wedding cakes. Knowing I'm a lover of the pie, it won't surprise you to know that I had one of these for my 30th birthday do!

Yorkshire tasty is often on our shopping list as it's available at Castle Market, so this was already a firm favourite. Ham hock & rabbit terrine was tasty and Gav was happy with his lot. The only criticism he had was the lack of any butter served with the enormous chunks of bread.


I had the chorizo & potato salad, baby spinach, poached egg & red pepper aioli (£6.50). It looked lovely and I eagerly tucked in. Heading for the egg first, I was disappointed to find that, although the yolk wasn't solid, it wasn't all that runny either. Shame. I love a runny yolk; don't you?


Despite the egg, I was really enjoying it as the chorizo was good and worked well with the egg and potato. Unfortunately, as I delved deeper into the dish, I discovered an absolute mass of aioli (sans red pepper). There was FAR too much; to the point that I was scrapping it off items of food before eating them. Unfortunately I lost most of my spinach thanks to this aioli.

I ate what I could and left a good dollop of aioli in the dish along with some sad looking, aioli wilted, spinach leaves. Gav and I joked that I'd had enough for the whole restaurant to share!

As the waitress took my plate, she asked how it was but unfortunately she didn't seem to care to hear the answer. I told her quite clearly that the gallons of aioli had not been appreciated and she muttered a quick apology, whisked up our plates and tottered off. No tip there then!

It's a good job that I've been here many times and this is the first time I've left unsatisfied; it means that I haven't been completely put off.

We then went for a quick wander around Kirkgate Market which is a nice space to be. Thanks to the glass roof and the floor of paving slabs, it feels like you're outside, especially as some of the stalls have shop fronts to them. I'm a real fan of our own Castle Market though; the layout of the stalls in Kirkgate was very confusing with food and non-food stalls all mixed up and all over the place.

Of course, no trip to Leeds could be without a visit to Harvey Nicks. It's pricey but I'm happy to buy the odd foodie item. This time it was Estrella Damm Inedit.

According to the website 'Inedit is the first beer specifically created to accompany food. It is born from the conviction that a beer that could be paired with the utmost respect to the best cuisine was necessary. That is its aim and its virtue, and that is what makes Inedit different, special and unique. Has (sic) been created by Damm brewmasters, heirs to a century-old tradition, and developers of highly appreciated beers, and by Ferran Adrià, Juli Soler and El Bulli’s sommeliers’ team.

We also picked up some Thai Green Curry Crickets.......

After nipping back to the hotel to check in, we went off to do what we do best and went for a couple of drinks at Blackhouse and Norman Bar. It was my first time at Norman and I was very impressed. Staff were friendly, as were the regulars (most of whom were sat at the bar chatting amongst themselves and with the staff). It was kind of like an old man pub, but in a contemporary setting and with fewer oldies. The vibe was great and we stayed here for a couple before heading back to the hotel for a snooze before dinner.

More on dinner later as that deserves a whole post to itself.....

The next morning we had a quick wander around the Farmers Market on Briggate. It's on the 3rd Sunday of every months, so we were pretty lucky to catch this. There was a decent number of producers out.


We grabbed our breakfast of sausage sandwiches and, not wanting to get weighed down with too much produce, we just picked up some pumpkin and Parmesan bread to take home with us (and I'm glad that we did; it's beautiful).


What a fantastic (albeit short) break! There was lots of foodie delights to be had and I know that I've only just touched the surface of what Leeds has to offer.

Look out for my Blogpost on our meal of Anthony's. It will be up in the next couple of days.

Friday 19 August 2011

Can a Foodie Like a Pizza?

Of course.  Providing said Foodie is standing in some Italian square snacking on the real deal before nipping into the next wine bar.

Ha! 

We're still human and I don't know about others, but I like a drink.  And when I have a drink (rather when I have a few) I get peckish.

Living in town, a lot of nights out with friends end up with everyone back at ours and the lads being sent out to fetch pizza.

Normally it's Murdoch's.  They're cheap and cheerful and around the corner; perfect for that 3am pizza fest. 

And I tell you what, at 3am after a night on the town, these pizzas taste truly amazing.  With that in mind, Gav and I tried them sober once.  Urgh!  Not good.  Not good.  At all.

So my experience of pizzas is rather limited, and poor.  If we ever have them for dinner at home, we will either make them from scratch or buy them from Waitrose (bar far the best supermarket for pizzas).  The takeaway pizza is reserved for drunken nights only.

So when Domino's asked me if I would like a voucher for a free pizza in return for a blogpost, I wasn't too sure.  I like to keep things honest and although I'm not scared of writing a bad review, I don't like to kick a gift horse in the mouth either.

Hmmmm.  In the end I decided to just do it.  After all Domino's approached me and I didn't owe them anything.  Free pizza or no free pizza!

So one sober(ish) Friday night I and my voucher popped out to the West Street, Sheffield branch.  Gav and I had already perused the pizza menu set our minds on the Firenze which is new to Domino's thanks to their Gourmet Range.  It's described as 'Ventricina Salami, Pepperoni and Peruvian Roquito Peppers on a thin crust base'.  We like a bit of heat, it was free of chicken (I'm funny about non-free range chicken) and, let's face it, it sounded a bit posh.

The thin crust base did it for me too.  I hate deep pan (it ruins the cheese to dough ratio) and after a rather bad experience of Domino's Double Decadence, an attempt to sandwich the bases of a pizza with some vile cheesy sauce (my first and last Domino's pizza before tonight), I know not to mess with the crust, so there was no stuffing either.

As I entered the shop (which is still relatively new) I was immediately welcomed by about 16 members of staff.  I handed over my voucher and mass confusion ensued.  Eventually we got there and my order was processed.  A large Firenze.

Immediately the production line got to work.  I swear, at one point there were about 5 different people working on my toppings!

When I made the order I was told it would take 8 minutes.  Now I didn't time it, but I reckon 8 minutes was about right.

Back home, I opened the box.



It looked good.

I took a slice and went for it...... and you know what?  It was alright! 

The crust was thin, as promised, and light.  And, I'm not sure, but there may have been some panko breadcrumbs in there too (at least I saw one of the 16 in the store roll the dough in some crumb like stuff, and it would explain the crisp, but not crunchy texture).  Edit - Quick thanks to @GazzamatazzZ who can confirm that it's actually semolina, not panko breadcrumbs that are used.  Panko breadcrumbs?  Whatever was I thinking?!

The meat was tasty and the peppers were sweet and all in all it was a good pizza.  In fact, if we'd have put the heating on and shut our eyes we could have been back in that Italian square.

Ok, maybe it wasn't that good, but it was way better than I thought it would be and I enjoyed it.

The only hurdle for me is the price.  My God.  It was good, but £15.99 for a pizza?  Really?

Now this is where the offers come in.  Under their Carryout Special offer you could pick up one of these for £10.99.  There's also a buy one, get one half price deal which is pretty good if there's a few of you eating.  Ok, it's never gonna be as cheap as Murdoch's, but that's probably for the best really.

Will I eat there again?  Maybe.  But I will stick to the cheap and cheerful for those drunken moments when quantity is top priority, not quality. 

For a quick and easy tea, Domino's ain't a bad takeaway option.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

The Great Gatsby, Sheffield


When Olive first opened, I was unsure. With the stripy seating it looked more coffee shop than city bar to me. However, it did become a firm favourite. Its cocktails and beer garden ensured that it was often included in any night out.

Along with the coffee shop feel, it had a menu that was neither reliable nor consistent and Olive shut its doors for the last time on Christmas Eve 2010.

Thanks to the owners of the Bowery, life was soon re-injected into the place around April this year. Living very close by, I watched carefully as the unit transformed from coffee shop-esque bar to the cool and funky space that it now is.  The Great Gatsby was born!

Seating is much more eclectic with the odd dining table in there along with comfy sofas and a rather elegant chaise lounge. And it's not just the furniture that will catch your eye. Drinks are served in beautiful glassware, thanks to a few shopping trips to various Oxfam shops, I am told.

Check out the till too. Forget the swanky electronic touch screen, this is a proper traditional till. Rather than simply point at drinks on a screen, staff have to remember the prices of drinks and calculate the bill themselves. Rather them than me!

Already, The Great Gatsby is establishing itself as a place to be. The beer (or beard) garden is still there, the cocktails are as excellent as ever and they are experimenting with the food side of things too.

Gav and I managed to give their New World menu a whirl over the weekend. On first sight the menu, which is chalked up on a blackboard rather than printed up as they 'change the menus daily', looks disappointingly short. But upon closer inspection, I spotted about 4/5 dishes I would have been quite happy with.

In the end I went for a lamb wrap with mini jacket potatoes (£6 I think) and a carrot salad (£2). Gav went for mackerel fish cakes and baked eggs with peppers (£4 each).

Dishes arrived and we were instantly wowed by the presentation. Ok slates as plates is probably a dated concept (and one that highly annoys Gav as the sound of cutlery against the slate really goes through him) but there was clearly some effort put into the presentation of each dish.

My lamb wrap was delicious; packed with spicy (but not hot) flavours and juicy, succulent lamb. I was especially pleased to see that the wrap looked home made; something I wouldn't expect at lunch in a city bar, certainly not at the prices we were paying anyway. Mini jackets were topped with crème fraiche and were a nice addition to the dish, making a change to the standard chunky chips often served with wraps.



However the carrot salad was a triumph! Grated carrot with sliced dried apricots (who'd have thought it?!), black mustard seeds and herbs (possibly mint). Fresh and tasty and full of healthy goodness it was amazing; truly amazing!

Gav was equally happy with his lot. Mackerel fish cakes were packed full of smoked fish. The casing was a fine breadcrumb crust; golden brown and free of any oil or grease. There were three nicely sized cakes too, so a decent serving at £4 a pop.



Baked eggs was an interesting one. The dish was served in a little frying pan and the two eggs appeared to have simply been baked away with the selection of peppers which surrounded them. Some salad had also been added to the cooked dish before serving.



I liked the simplicity of it and having this dish served in a frying pan added to the easy feel of both the food and the bar itself.

Service was good. Staff are friendly and welcoming; chatty without being interfering or annoying. The chap behind the bar was especially keen to see that we enjoyed our food and looked rather pleased with himself when I told him that the salad was bloody gorgeous.

Well, they should be pleased with themselves. Good food, good cocktails and a good vibe to the place will keep me and many others coming back. Just keep it up guys!

P.s Apologies for the pics - we were using Gav's camera phone.

Sunday 14 August 2011

Hangover Food - Eggy bread with cheese

We've all been there haven't we?  The banging headache, the queasy stomach and the burning desire to eat everything in sight.  All thanks to too many glasses (bottles) of vino the night before.

Today I woke up with a stinker, but some eggy bread with cheese and blackcurrant cordial made with lemonade is helping me through it.



So, what's your favourite hangover cure?  Bacon sandwich?  Scrambled egg on toast?  Or do you like to try and replenish your body and get some fresh fruit goodness down you?

Use the comments box to tell me your favourite hangover cure.  After each new comment I'll add another cure too (I have a lot of experience in dealing with hangovers!).  Let's see how many we can get! 

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Feast and Glory

Times are a changing!

New Blog and Twitter name - Feast And Glory.

Bet you can hardly contain your excitement, can you?!