After being up until 2am worried about my daughter Amy giving birth, and finally having the news that a big ten and a half pounder baby Amber arrived in the world by caesarian at last, and then waking at 6, still thinking about them, I was in a pretty weird state for dinner at Culinaria! But, there was a great deal to celebrate, and we'd arranged this months ago, so I wasn't going to miss out on another great evening of dining! I haven't lost much weight recently though! July and August has just seen me go up and down and getting nowhere, but there has been a lot going on..... and I've been away.... and....
So with Scott and 3 friends from Gasworks, one of whom was celebrating early retirement with a great deal, and the other two just back from several weeks of wonderful holiday-making, we perused the menu and when the first bottle of wine came (Scott and I were sharing a taxi home this time!), we toasted each other.
John's fish soup looked fantastic and I wish I had ordered it. It was so very authentic French! But Scott and I had a wonderful seafood risotto that was bursting with white wine flavour. Joy's pidgeon breast and Paul's bruchetta looked very tasty too. For the main course, 3 of us had the special and very expensive whole roast grouse! None of us had ever had this before, and it was a bit fiddly with not much meat on the bones, cooked fairly rare with lovely vegetables. The other meals of lamb and salmon looked good but not spectacular.
The desert was also very good but not earth-shattering (am I getting a bit picky?). Highly seasonal damson, plum and frangipane tart with damson ice cream (mouth watering as I type)... sort of my favourite kind of thing! Scott had St Emilion au chocolat which was not too sweet and not too cloying... yum! I can't remember what the others had as I think I almost fell asleep!
We had a gentle evening of warm conversation and good wine. I was so tired that I think I was in a bit of a dream, but I enjoyed the evening very much and it was a great way to celebrate our birthdays and the birth of Amber too!
I believe Culinaria are closing after many years of good cuisine, and it will be missed as it was an affordable, seasonal, well-cooked, well-presented culinary evening. Just didn't knock my socks off!
Friday, 26 August 2011
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Juniper Restaurant, Cotham
Groupon and Living Social coupons... £48 for two, 8-course taster menu with champagne cocktail and a glass of wine. Not bad eh? I've been to Juniper before and liked the food, though found 3 courses a bit too much, so how will 8 courses be?
Our two friends who were sharing one of the coupons with us were already sipping their champagne (mixed with brandy and apple juice and cinnamon) when we arrived and it was quite pokey, if a bit sweet. We were all a bit mid-week-weary, but pepped up when the tasty first course of a crab cake, crab mayonnaise and crayfish and salmon cocktail in a sherry glass arrived. All very fresh and full of flavour.... mmm we were in for a treat! The smoked duck was quite nice with some delicious honeyhoi sin leg meat, ginger and garlic jelly and a port jus. Sweet but strong. The third starter was a thick pea and ham soup which felt really nourishing and full of body.
The fish dish was a tiny tender square of seabass with two lovely accompaniments - red pepper and tomato compote and creamy mushroom and pesto sauce. Our friend's partner has been a vegetarian for years but recently has started eating meat again, so she bravely cut into the lamb rump served on a circlet of smashed root vegetables with a redcurrant lamb jus. I loved it, but Scott found the meat a little tough for his delicate meat tolerance.
The cheese course was surprising because it let us to believe we were getting goats cheese, vintage cheddar and Exmoor blue.. but it came as a cheese-on-toast rarebit with chutney. Delicious though! For dessert each couple had a plate of tasters to share. The coffee cream dessert was scrumptious, as was the passion fruit mousse, the titchy witchy cinamon pastry and chocolate brownie but I could have left the little trifle.
Sad to say, I have put on half a pound this week, which is not surprising seeing as I have had 3 meals out, a party and a buffet lunch! This was a good night of lovely food and good value from the Groupon L/S people. We laughed a lot, put the world to rights, shared experiences and feelings and I loved the company of my old friend and his partner, whom I am enjoying getting to know. Let's do it again I say!
Our two friends who were sharing one of the coupons with us were already sipping their champagne (mixed with brandy and apple juice and cinnamon) when we arrived and it was quite pokey, if a bit sweet. We were all a bit mid-week-weary, but pepped up when the tasty first course of a crab cake, crab mayonnaise and crayfish and salmon cocktail in a sherry glass arrived. All very fresh and full of flavour.... mmm we were in for a treat! The smoked duck was quite nice with some delicious honeyhoi sin leg meat, ginger and garlic jelly and a port jus. Sweet but strong. The third starter was a thick pea and ham soup which felt really nourishing and full of body.
The fish dish was a tiny tender square of seabass with two lovely accompaniments - red pepper and tomato compote and creamy mushroom and pesto sauce. Our friend's partner has been a vegetarian for years but recently has started eating meat again, so she bravely cut into the lamb rump served on a circlet of smashed root vegetables with a redcurrant lamb jus. I loved it, but Scott found the meat a little tough for his delicate meat tolerance.
The cheese course was surprising because it let us to believe we were getting goats cheese, vintage cheddar and Exmoor blue.. but it came as a cheese-on-toast rarebit with chutney. Delicious though! For dessert each couple had a plate of tasters to share. The coffee cream dessert was scrumptious, as was the passion fruit mousse, the titchy witchy cinamon pastry and chocolate brownie but I could have left the little trifle.
Sad to say, I have put on half a pound this week, which is not surprising seeing as I have had 3 meals out, a party and a buffet lunch! This was a good night of lovely food and good value from the Groupon L/S people. We laughed a lot, put the world to rights, shared experiences and feelings and I loved the company of my old friend and his partner, whom I am enjoying getting to know. Let's do it again I say!
Friday, 22 July 2011
The Grange, Whatley, near Frome
I have been looking forward to this one, as it is not often that I have the company of my fellow singing and musician friends from Frome and also we booked in at The Cyder Barn B&B across the road. Scott and I were late as it took us longer for Scott to get back from work and for us to get there in rush hour, but we dumped our bags at the Cyder Barn, donned a dress and walked over through a little wooden gate in the wall to The Grange. This restaurant also serves as a cookery school, and is modern and bright with friendly young staff who were very helpful. Everyone was there before us, and I was spoiled with gifts of flowers and truffles and cards... With any luck I can spread this birthday for the entire year and gradually decorate my kitchen with cards!
The menu is simple and three courses without any extras from the chef. I started with a prawn salad which was fresh but lacked flavour... could it be that the prawns were frozen? Scott and Martin had a warm salad of boned quail (which turned out to mean that it had a bone in it!) delicious with caramelised onions, baby vegetables and a strong, tasty duck liver parfait. Bay's humus and babaganoush had a hot tomato chutney with it but the scallops were rather small but with a delicious mayonnaise.
For mains, Karine and I had spring chicken which was stuffed, moist and tender with slightly soggy roast new potatoes and morel mushrooms which looked and tasted as if they might have been dried and reconstituted as they had very little flavour. I realised there were no green vegetables and after a hasty order, they brought them very quickly. The zuppa di pescatore was the winning dish... full of flavour and much fish with a wonderful aioli dip and enjoyed by Nickomo, Rasullah and Scott. Nick and Bay had pizzas which they said were very good. The wine was fruity and warm and everyone relaxed into harmonious conversation.
Dessert was rose macaroons with raspberries, blueberries and raspberry icecream and looked very pretty, but was weak flavoured. The chocolate layered cake was a bit disappointing and was a bit tiramisu-like but the dessert wine was nectar sweet.
The bill was moderate and reflected the moderation of our response to the food. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening though with my lovely singing tribe. Scott and I had a hysterical run back to our barn in pouring rain, lit by my iphone torch app! The Cyder Barn had everything you could possibly want in a B&B... fruit, flowers, every sort of tea and coffee, thick towels and rugs, even a remote controlled gas fire! Breakfast was also full and English and so were we!
Oh, and by the way, I got my one and a half stone award last week, and this week am on my way to the Club 10 award, which means in 2lb time I will have lost one tenth of my body weight! However, this may not happen this week as tomorrow night I am eating out again in the Watersky Chinese restaurant with my Gasworks Singers! Help!
The menu is simple and three courses without any extras from the chef. I started with a prawn salad which was fresh but lacked flavour... could it be that the prawns were frozen? Scott and Martin had a warm salad of boned quail (which turned out to mean that it had a bone in it!) delicious with caramelised onions, baby vegetables and a strong, tasty duck liver parfait. Bay's humus and babaganoush had a hot tomato chutney with it but the scallops were rather small but with a delicious mayonnaise.
For mains, Karine and I had spring chicken which was stuffed, moist and tender with slightly soggy roast new potatoes and morel mushrooms which looked and tasted as if they might have been dried and reconstituted as they had very little flavour. I realised there were no green vegetables and after a hasty order, they brought them very quickly. The zuppa di pescatore was the winning dish... full of flavour and much fish with a wonderful aioli dip and enjoyed by Nickomo, Rasullah and Scott. Nick and Bay had pizzas which they said were very good. The wine was fruity and warm and everyone relaxed into harmonious conversation.
Dessert was rose macaroons with raspberries, blueberries and raspberry icecream and looked very pretty, but was weak flavoured. The chocolate layered cake was a bit disappointing and was a bit tiramisu-like but the dessert wine was nectar sweet.
The bill was moderate and reflected the moderation of our response to the food. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening though with my lovely singing tribe. Scott and I had a hysterical run back to our barn in pouring rain, lit by my iphone torch app! The Cyder Barn had everything you could possibly want in a B&B... fruit, flowers, every sort of tea and coffee, thick towels and rugs, even a remote controlled gas fire! Breakfast was also full and English and so were we!
Oh, and by the way, I got my one and a half stone award last week, and this week am on my way to the Club 10 award, which means in 2lb time I will have lost one tenth of my body weight! However, this may not happen this week as tomorrow night I am eating out again in the Watersky Chinese restaurant with my Gasworks Singers! Help!
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Friday, 8 July 2011
The Muset by Ronnie
Apparently The Muset round behind the student's union building in Clifton, was THE place to go once... maybe it will be again! Ronnie Faulkner, the owner/chef, has recently acquired this restaurant to add to his already acclaimed Thornbury "Ronnies". Scott and I needed an evening out by ourselves to catch up, and thought we'd fine dine rather than pop to our favourite Indian, for the sake of the slimming part of my 60th birthday year! By the way I got my ONE AND A HALF STONE AWARD this week! That's since November... so an average of a pound a week... slowly...slowly!
The restaurant is larger than you think as you walk in. 1960s retro hanging orange lamps, cream and brown colours with shiny tables and quite posh Clifton clientelle. But we were warmly welcomed, even though I hadn't bothered to dress up at all! We decided to go for the £30 taster menu to see what they had on offer. The spanish waiter, who was really funny and difficult to understand and probably the son of Manuel, brought a couple of large soup bowls with a cluster of chopped eel, bacon and sweetcorn in the centre and said "'ere's the soooop". We looked surprised because it didn't look like soup, so he grabbed a silver jug and poured the sweetcorn veloute over the top with a flourish... "eet looks gooowd if I pour it at the table!" It was good! The next plate was a flat oblong platter with a quenelle of smoked aubergine pate with little balls of goats cheese, squash puree and pea shoots. The dressing was lovely, the plate was pretty and the textures went well together.
The fish dish was a small oblong of delicious sea bass, with perfectly cooked asparagus and chopped and roasted hazelnuts. Also really tasty and delicious. The next plate was chicken, pot roasted in an italian style, tender with crispy skin and served with bread soaked in the liquor called panzanella! The attentive and helpful waitress told us that it was traditional Italian, to fill you up.. like yorkshire pudding! After a bit of a wait (there was an apology because of the busy kitchen, so we didn't mind), the meal was rounded off with a platter of beetroot cake... like a soft slightly choc/orange tasting brownie, with a quenelle of slightly tasteless but cold sorbet, and little chunks of beetroot, which Scott liked but i didn't. We felt absolutely satisfied and really enjoyed the whole feast.
The place was full, the service attentive and I'd definately go back here. I noticed that the table next door had plates from the a la carte which were very generous - the same dishes were about 3 times the size. Three courses would be a very large meal.
The restaurant is larger than you think as you walk in. 1960s retro hanging orange lamps, cream and brown colours with shiny tables and quite posh Clifton clientelle. But we were warmly welcomed, even though I hadn't bothered to dress up at all! We decided to go for the £30 taster menu to see what they had on offer. The spanish waiter, who was really funny and difficult to understand and probably the son of Manuel, brought a couple of large soup bowls with a cluster of chopped eel, bacon and sweetcorn in the centre and said "'ere's the soooop". We looked surprised because it didn't look like soup, so he grabbed a silver jug and poured the sweetcorn veloute over the top with a flourish... "eet looks gooowd if I pour it at the table!" It was good! The next plate was a flat oblong platter with a quenelle of smoked aubergine pate with little balls of goats cheese, squash puree and pea shoots. The dressing was lovely, the plate was pretty and the textures went well together.
The fish dish was a small oblong of delicious sea bass, with perfectly cooked asparagus and chopped and roasted hazelnuts. Also really tasty and delicious. The next plate was chicken, pot roasted in an italian style, tender with crispy skin and served with bread soaked in the liquor called panzanella! The attentive and helpful waitress told us that it was traditional Italian, to fill you up.. like yorkshire pudding! After a bit of a wait (there was an apology because of the busy kitchen, so we didn't mind), the meal was rounded off with a platter of beetroot cake... like a soft slightly choc/orange tasting brownie, with a quenelle of slightly tasteless but cold sorbet, and little chunks of beetroot, which Scott liked but i didn't. We felt absolutely satisfied and really enjoyed the whole feast.
The place was full, the service attentive and I'd definately go back here. I noticed that the table next door had plates from the a la carte which were very generous - the same dishes were about 3 times the size. Three courses would be a very large meal.
Sunday, 3 July 2011
Casamia, Westbury on Trym, Bristol
They won Gordon Ramsey's "Best Restaurant Award" last year, and Scott and I have been there before - about 2 years ago. Last time, our 10th wedding anniversary, we had the 10 course taster menu, one course for each year of our marriage. We tried to remember each year with each course, but the wine befuddled our memory and we just laughed a lot! We especially laughed because the china was great, but the food was so small in the middle of it, that Scott couldn't find it!
This time was a whole lot better and we were celebrating a 100th birthday... the combined ages of myself and Ali, my singing friend.... Gasworks Choir/Naked Voices/old Sweet Soul Sister partnership. We also had the company of Ben, my No.1 son, and Sarah, another friend of many years who loves food but who's partner is a wheat-free vegan and is not that interested in gastronomy. Casamia is tucked away behind a wrought iron gate and you walk past the kitchen and can see the chefs working as you go in. I was a bit disappointed to be given a rather large oblong table, so we were far apart and talking to each other was a bit difficult for the three opposite who were in rather a line!
The menu had a definite Italian flavour - campari sodas, homemade focacia bread with rosemary and bread sticks flavoured with star anise with a creamy creme fraiche dip, olives, and nuts rolled in stuff. The staff were really friendly and a smiley girl remembered us from 2 years ago, and the twinkly eyed house manager remembered us from the Crown at Whitebrook where he was working before!
We started with a neatly decapitated duck's egg on a cardboard egg tray complete with straw. The chef who made it came to explain that you should dip the tiny spoon to the bottom and eat all the layers at once to get the full effect. Scrambled ducks egg with tiny pieces of smoked duck with thyme air... delicious. A fresh white wine heralded the next plate which was very pretty and bright with textures of carrot... puree and sliced with paper thin slices of tasty wild boar salami and soft little balls of fresh sheeps curd and dots of pesto. Yum!
I remember the beetroot and barley risotto from before and I believe this is now a signature dish. Flavoursome, deep red with a crunch of something like pistachio and served in china that had a rich ringy resonation when tapped. I liked it very much but it didn't go down well with everyone. The next plate of poached salmon cooked slowly in a waterbath which keeps it's raw texture (must be fashionable, we had that last Friday!) with my favourite horseradish garnished with a flourish afterwards. A delicious fruity red wine accomanied the meat dish, Iberico pork sliced in small salty rounds, sitting on a bed of mushroom and celery root puree, with a matchstick of white celery root and the jus poured on with a flourish by the waitor.
A dramatic bowl of Amalfi lemons were brought in, liquid nitrogen poured on and much to our amused gasps... a lemon fog surrounded us! The dessert was a tiny but delicious pine nut pannacotta with lemon sorbet which went very well with the sweet muscatel served in tiny glasses. Ali liked it so much she asked the waitor to perform the lemon mist again... and he did! The very last dish was a retro tiramisu from the old Italian restaurant days... amusingly served in lidded foil takeaway dishes with jars of "aroma of Renato's Numero Uno" coffee beans which we sniffed and with nostalgic "aahhh"s.
But it wasn't the end.... Some juniper and lemon chocolates, and an ornate silver box of "Narnia inspired" homemade turkish delight were produced. "Is this torrent of tit-bits ever going to end?" exclaimed Scott as they brought yet another tasty morcel..... dehyrated chocolate digestives that you had to pick out of a lidded jar and put in your mouth really quickly and they made your tongue all cold!
We got a taxi home and I got up with Ben at 7.30 to pick up my car, fresh as a daisy! A delightful evening, well worth the £100 per head!
This time was a whole lot better and we were celebrating a 100th birthday... the combined ages of myself and Ali, my singing friend.... Gasworks Choir/Naked Voices/old Sweet Soul Sister partnership. We also had the company of Ben, my No.1 son, and Sarah, another friend of many years who loves food but who's partner is a wheat-free vegan and is not that interested in gastronomy. Casamia is tucked away behind a wrought iron gate and you walk past the kitchen and can see the chefs working as you go in. I was a bit disappointed to be given a rather large oblong table, so we were far apart and talking to each other was a bit difficult for the three opposite who were in rather a line!
The menu had a definite Italian flavour - campari sodas, homemade focacia bread with rosemary and bread sticks flavoured with star anise with a creamy creme fraiche dip, olives, and nuts rolled in stuff. The staff were really friendly and a smiley girl remembered us from 2 years ago, and the twinkly eyed house manager remembered us from the Crown at Whitebrook where he was working before!
We started with a neatly decapitated duck's egg on a cardboard egg tray complete with straw. The chef who made it came to explain that you should dip the tiny spoon to the bottom and eat all the layers at once to get the full effect. Scrambled ducks egg with tiny pieces of smoked duck with thyme air... delicious. A fresh white wine heralded the next plate which was very pretty and bright with textures of carrot... puree and sliced with paper thin slices of tasty wild boar salami and soft little balls of fresh sheeps curd and dots of pesto. Yum!
I remember the beetroot and barley risotto from before and I believe this is now a signature dish. Flavoursome, deep red with a crunch of something like pistachio and served in china that had a rich ringy resonation when tapped. I liked it very much but it didn't go down well with everyone. The next plate of poached salmon cooked slowly in a waterbath which keeps it's raw texture (must be fashionable, we had that last Friday!) with my favourite horseradish garnished with a flourish afterwards. A delicious fruity red wine accomanied the meat dish, Iberico pork sliced in small salty rounds, sitting on a bed of mushroom and celery root puree, with a matchstick of white celery root and the jus poured on with a flourish by the waitor.
A dramatic bowl of Amalfi lemons were brought in, liquid nitrogen poured on and much to our amused gasps... a lemon fog surrounded us! The dessert was a tiny but delicious pine nut pannacotta with lemon sorbet which went very well with the sweet muscatel served in tiny glasses. Ali liked it so much she asked the waitor to perform the lemon mist again... and he did! The very last dish was a retro tiramisu from the old Italian restaurant days... amusingly served in lidded foil takeaway dishes with jars of "aroma of Renato's Numero Uno" coffee beans which we sniffed and with nostalgic "aahhh"s.
But it wasn't the end.... Some juniper and lemon chocolates, and an ornate silver box of "Narnia inspired" homemade turkish delight were produced. "Is this torrent of tit-bits ever going to end?" exclaimed Scott as they brought yet another tasty morcel..... dehyrated chocolate digestives that you had to pick out of a lidded jar and put in your mouth really quickly and they made your tongue all cold!
We got a taxi home and I got up with Ben at 7.30 to pick up my car, fresh as a daisy! A delightful evening, well worth the £100 per head!
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Berwick Lodge, country mansion between 2 motorways.
Well, this meal was elegant.. or was it minimalistic? It certainly won't put any weight on! I lost 2 pounds last week, which nearly brings me back to where I was before I went to Scotland.... only 2 more pounds to get to my one and a half stone!
The situation is weird.... an old redbrick manor house, approached by a lovely country single track lane.... and then you go over 6 lanes of the M5, and then you're in lovely woods... Ros and Andrew saw a deer! It sits in a Y shape between the M5 and the M49, with Cribbs Causeway in the wide top. On arrival, we walked past lion fountains and over the red carpet to the big front door, and joined the others on sofas for a drink, a tiny canape and olives perusing the menu in the sitting room. The day being wet and windy, we would have liked a roaring fire in the large fireplace.
After a forgettable amuse bouche, I started with diver-caught scallops... well, scallop actually... with a tiny square of pork belly and 1mm squares of chorizo jelly (I think), some strange cocoa beans and a smear of gaszpacho which was hardly worth mentioning. Scott had a Snail Garden... 3 garlic snails on a mushroom soil with tiny vegetables growing in it! Julie's duck egg looked really tasty. We all had different mains. Elmslie's fish looked well cooked and Lee and Ros's lamb was chunky but had us in hysterics as they searched in vain for the ratatouille! My tiny cylinders of rather tough duck wrapped in a leaf with blobs of apricot puree (and other blobby things) was so small, it looked like a taster dish. None of the main courses has enough to satisfy our hunger, so we had to go for the extra cheese board. Good variety and tasty cheeses helped to fill the hole, and by the time we had the chef's refresher of strawberry with balsamic jelly with cream (yummy) and the excellent but again, small, desserts, we had probably had just enough food. Scott's 8 textures chocolate looked the most interesting desert... very dark and thick with the chocolatiest chocolate, but the Sauternes verrine with creme caramel, caramel cream and William pear was absolutely delicious. The meal was pretty and tasty but a tiny bit mean and worked out around £70 per head.
The company of 7 Singers was fabulous, and funny, and we spent quite a few hours in the sumptuous dining room, admired the over-the-top luxury toilet, wondered at the French accents of the waitor and sipped the three £45-a-bottle wines very slowly indeed! With 6 of us being almost the same age, I felt very close to these people and enjoyed the evening immensely! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWqJOSHO7GI
The situation is weird.... an old redbrick manor house, approached by a lovely country single track lane.... and then you go over 6 lanes of the M5, and then you're in lovely woods... Ros and Andrew saw a deer! It sits in a Y shape between the M5 and the M49, with Cribbs Causeway in the wide top. On arrival, we walked past lion fountains and over the red carpet to the big front door, and joined the others on sofas for a drink, a tiny canape and olives perusing the menu in the sitting room. The day being wet and windy, we would have liked a roaring fire in the large fireplace.
After a forgettable amuse bouche, I started with diver-caught scallops... well, scallop actually... with a tiny square of pork belly and 1mm squares of chorizo jelly (I think), some strange cocoa beans and a smear of gaszpacho which was hardly worth mentioning. Scott had a Snail Garden... 3 garlic snails on a mushroom soil with tiny vegetables growing in it! Julie's duck egg looked really tasty. We all had different mains. Elmslie's fish looked well cooked and Lee and Ros's lamb was chunky but had us in hysterics as they searched in vain for the ratatouille! My tiny cylinders of rather tough duck wrapped in a leaf with blobs of apricot puree (and other blobby things) was so small, it looked like a taster dish. None of the main courses has enough to satisfy our hunger, so we had to go for the extra cheese board. Good variety and tasty cheeses helped to fill the hole, and by the time we had the chef's refresher of strawberry with balsamic jelly with cream (yummy) and the excellent but again, small, desserts, we had probably had just enough food. Scott's 8 textures chocolate looked the most interesting desert... very dark and thick with the chocolatiest chocolate, but the Sauternes verrine with creme caramel, caramel cream and William pear was absolutely delicious. The meal was pretty and tasty but a tiny bit mean and worked out around £70 per head.
The company of 7 Singers was fabulous, and funny, and we spent quite a few hours in the sumptuous dining room, admired the over-the-top luxury toilet, wondered at the French accents of the waitor and sipped the three £45-a-bottle wines very slowly indeed! With 6 of us being almost the same age, I felt very close to these people and enjoyed the evening immensely! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWqJOSHO7GI
Thursday, 16 June 2011
North East Scotland! Boath House, near Forres, Moray
After an "Experience Week" at Cluny Hill College, part of the Findhorn Foundation, my friend and I decided we should treat ourselves to a special celebration meal. We had been living on mounds of salads and vegetables all week, which left me feeling healthy but vaguely dissatisfied and rather yin and light headed. When we booked they asked if we had any dietary requirements. My friend listed wheat, dairy, cod, shellfish, meat and they didn't bat an eyelid. A special menu would be created!
We walked from the carpark up the impressive sweeping drive of this small and beautiful Georgian mansion, which along with it's 20 acres of lawn, marshland and woods, had been bought derelict and restored by the owners. We were welcomed with a drink and canapes and our own individual and different menus. Our table was a little bit disappointing, in a small sideroom and not looking out onto the glorious gardens.
We started with expresso cups of soup, mine celeriac and truffle, my friend's was butternut squash. Both were very tasty and warming. I gulped at my foie gras rolled in crushed pistachio with a sliver of pear (don't usually eat this!), whilst my friend ate an artistic gathering of tiny wild asparagus and shavings of celery decorated with flowers. We both ate the salmon which was cooked slowly in a waterbath to give a strange raw texture. It came with wafers of beetroot, beetroot jelly and a tiny stuffed quail's egg. I had duck breast with delicious pak choi and rather horrid warm radish. My friend had a rather hilarious heap of weeds and tiny viola flowers which made us laugh. The Morangie brie with wafers of crispbread and grapes was delicious, as was the trio of deserts... hot chocolate fondant, cool chocolate coil and cold salty buttercotch ice cream. My friend gave me her strawberries and kiwi as she doesn't eat them which went very well too!
At nearly 11pm when we finished eating, there was still enough light up in those northern climes for us to explore the garden, getting wet feet in the marsh walk, and seeing all the vegetables we had eaten grown in the superb walled garden. A great evening!
Oh... and the sad news is, that in spite of the mounds of vegetables and salads I have eaten, and the fine dining, I have put on two and a half pounds this week! A vegetarian diet obviously doesn't suit me!
We walked from the carpark up the impressive sweeping drive of this small and beautiful Georgian mansion, which along with it's 20 acres of lawn, marshland and woods, had been bought derelict and restored by the owners. We were welcomed with a drink and canapes and our own individual and different menus. Our table was a little bit disappointing, in a small sideroom and not looking out onto the glorious gardens.
We started with expresso cups of soup, mine celeriac and truffle, my friend's was butternut squash. Both were very tasty and warming. I gulped at my foie gras rolled in crushed pistachio with a sliver of pear (don't usually eat this!), whilst my friend ate an artistic gathering of tiny wild asparagus and shavings of celery decorated with flowers. We both ate the salmon which was cooked slowly in a waterbath to give a strange raw texture. It came with wafers of beetroot, beetroot jelly and a tiny stuffed quail's egg. I had duck breast with delicious pak choi and rather horrid warm radish. My friend had a rather hilarious heap of weeds and tiny viola flowers which made us laugh. The Morangie brie with wafers of crispbread and grapes was delicious, as was the trio of deserts... hot chocolate fondant, cool chocolate coil and cold salty buttercotch ice cream. My friend gave me her strawberries and kiwi as she doesn't eat them which went very well too!
At nearly 11pm when we finished eating, there was still enough light up in those northern climes for us to explore the garden, getting wet feet in the marsh walk, and seeing all the vegetables we had eaten grown in the superb walled garden. A great evening!
Oh... and the sad news is, that in spite of the mounds of vegetables and salads I have eaten, and the fine dining, I have put on two and a half pounds this week! A vegetarian diet obviously doesn't suit me!
Sunday, 22 May 2011
The Pony and Trap, Chew Magna
Oh, this is going so well.... I'm so enjoying going out to dinner with different groups of my friends. This time my builder friend and used-to-be neighbour who has converted my loft bedroom, beautifully extended the studio, made a roof space into the spare bedroom, choreographed the next door refurbishment and many many more little helpful things over the fifteen years that I have lived in my house. I remember one day shortly after I moved in, I was nailing down loose floorboards and punctured a water pipe and he came down and rescued me from fountains of water when I didn't even know where the stopcock was! His partner came too, and our next door neighbour carpenter/builder who has also done loads of work on my house.
After an exciting rally drive down little country lanes much too fast, we arrived at the highly acclaimed, recent Michelin star winner country pub with a great view. It was informal and relaxing and there was no amuse bouche, just a menu. The portions were generous but with a good impression of fine dining. Scott had mussels (he always does) which were tasty and had the finger bowl and bowl for the shells, the rare beef carpaccio was good and my rather gory-sounding duck's liver and heart on toast was actually incredibly delicious.
The main courses were also admirable - pork belly with crackling and lumps of loin with black pudding and smears of this and that, lamb tagine with chops and deep fried sweetbreads, whilst Scott and I had the rabbit. Picturesque galantine with a stuffing and asparagus in the middle, roasted leg and some tasty puree with a great gravy. The roasted new potatoes (waste of time roasting new pots!) and fresh green vegetables were abundant and we were not sure we could manage a dessert. We did though, and the trio of lemon was divine.
Yup.... the conversation was excellent, the red wine flowed for two people and the other three of us sipped a cold rose, and a very good evening was had by all. I drove sedately home and enjoyed the country roads and the sparkling lights of Bristol as we came over the heights of Dundry.
I fear that this was not "petit plats" and taking my 81-year old aunt for a cream tea at Tart yesterday, followed by a party and a Gaswork Singer's singing and feasting day today is not going to help my slimming this week! We'll see on Wednesday!
After an exciting rally drive down little country lanes much too fast, we arrived at the highly acclaimed, recent Michelin star winner country pub with a great view. It was informal and relaxing and there was no amuse bouche, just a menu. The portions were generous but with a good impression of fine dining. Scott had mussels (he always does) which were tasty and had the finger bowl and bowl for the shells, the rare beef carpaccio was good and my rather gory-sounding duck's liver and heart on toast was actually incredibly delicious.
The main courses were also admirable - pork belly with crackling and lumps of loin with black pudding and smears of this and that, lamb tagine with chops and deep fried sweetbreads, whilst Scott and I had the rabbit. Picturesque galantine with a stuffing and asparagus in the middle, roasted leg and some tasty puree with a great gravy. The roasted new potatoes (waste of time roasting new pots!) and fresh green vegetables were abundant and we were not sure we could manage a dessert. We did though, and the trio of lemon was divine.
Yup.... the conversation was excellent, the red wine flowed for two people and the other three of us sipped a cold rose, and a very good evening was had by all. I drove sedately home and enjoyed the country roads and the sparkling lights of Bristol as we came over the heights of Dundry.
I fear that this was not "petit plats" and taking my 81-year old aunt for a cream tea at Tart yesterday, followed by a party and a Gaswork Singer's singing and feasting day today is not going to help my slimming this week! We'll see on Wednesday!
Thursday, 19 May 2011
The Primrose Cafe
The Primrose Cafe tucked away in the cud-de-sac Boyces Avenue in Clifton turns up the jazz and puts on the pearls to elevate itself for evening dining. A very special mid-week evening with very special women.... who each brought an aromatic rose from their gardens which tumbled into a central jug. The atmosphere really takes me back to my student days... dark wood, reclaimed tables and chairs, homely with friendly helpful motherly waitresses.
The food was fresh and good value. We had a delightful fruity rose wine and with after work hunger, were raring to go. We were brough a surprising amuse bouche of leek and potato soup in expresso cups which I followed with deep fried cod cheeks with tartare sauce. My friends starters were beautiful deep red beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish cream (reported as being not hot enough) and a veggie filled puff pastry.
Three of us had mains of succulent slices of venison in a mushroom sauce with creamy mash and fresh, well cooked mixed vegetables. The other visually appealing main was a the vegetarian omelette pancake with halloumi and deserts were orange pancakes, walnut cake, brulee, chocolate parfait and I had an affogato which is italian for "drowned" and is simply delicious expresso coffee poured over ice cream.... and yes, Ilse, it did keep me awake!
We talked of childhood, loss, motherhood and music. I felt so close and warm with my liberated, intuitive, fun-loving, singing, dancing and swimming women friends. Thank you all for joining me in my slimming and dining year! Another half a pound down!
The food was fresh and good value. We had a delightful fruity rose wine and with after work hunger, were raring to go. We were brough a surprising amuse bouche of leek and potato soup in expresso cups which I followed with deep fried cod cheeks with tartare sauce. My friends starters were beautiful deep red beetroot-cured salmon with horseradish cream (reported as being not hot enough) and a veggie filled puff pastry.
Three of us had mains of succulent slices of venison in a mushroom sauce with creamy mash and fresh, well cooked mixed vegetables. The other visually appealing main was a the vegetarian omelette pancake with halloumi and deserts were orange pancakes, walnut cake, brulee, chocolate parfait and I had an affogato which is italian for "drowned" and is simply delicious expresso coffee poured over ice cream.... and yes, Ilse, it did keep me awake!
We talked of childhood, loss, motherhood and music. I felt so close and warm with my liberated, intuitive, fun-loving, singing, dancing and swimming women friends. Thank you all for joining me in my slimming and dining year! Another half a pound down!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
At last! Up There with The Crown... Restaurant Patrick Jeffroy, Carantec, Brittany!
An unexpected weekend away with 7 other women from the Gasworks Choir to Brittany... near Morlais. A lovely old house in the countryside with log burning stove, well equipped kitchen, garden, sauna, owl box, barns and attics. We talked... ah how we talked... laughed....shopped... and ATE! We went to escape the Royal Wedding, but the sitting room was arrayed with bunting, we toasted the happy couple with champagne to strains of the Wedding March and we translated from French newspapers to see what Posh was wearing. We shared stories funny and sad, life experiences, worries and heartaches. We cooked mussels, artichokes and ate salads, fruits and cheeses.
The market at Morlais offered the finest of French produce! Chestnut honey, fish, vegetables, cheeses, street food, baskets, plants, clothes. As we were so squashed into the car that we had to have our bags on our laps and our hats on our heads, we were not able to bring loads of stuff back to England.
The highlight of the weekend was dinner at the 2 Michelin Starred, 3 Bottin Gourmand Patrick Jeffroy's L'Hotel de Carantec. Our 8-seater round table looked out onto the sea dotted with islands, and it was friendly and not too formal. The amuse bouche was a little preserving jar of rhubarb puree with turnip and a ceramic spoon with octapus. My starter was a little hill of delicious langoustine, asparagus, morelles, foam and parmesan crisps. The main course that most of us had, was local duck sliced with tiny potatoes on an asparagus puree, with buttered vegetables, a separate salad and chicken jus in a tiny shiny copper saucepan. One person had fillets of John Dory with white asparagus and a tiny quails egg in a nest of fried bread that looked gorgeous too. The cheese plate was tiny pieces of tasty local cheeses with a fantastic sliver of sweet and savoury toffee brittle! The other cheese dish was fresh new white cottage cheese mousse served with sugar, salt or herbs! My desert was a strip of chocolate ganache on sponge, with myrtle, black and raspberries, a brittle and a surprisingly good strawberry and basil sorbet. I wish I'd chosen the other dessert which was the local Kouign Amann - sort of butter yeast-risen lardy cake, with strawberries, lemon ice cream and rhubarb puree. The chef sent out champagne for us all as he heard we were English, to celebrate the Wedding!
We sang Peace in the Valley as we paid the bill, and then Heh Me Lo, and Ide Were whilst the guests who were going to leave, came back to listen and Patrick himself came out of the kitchen and shook hands with us. On the way home, the most intense thunder and lightening storm raged around us, providing us God's Fireworks to finish the day off with a bit of terror and excitement. An evening I will never forget as long as I live! And.... I lost half a pound!!!
The market at Morlais offered the finest of French produce! Chestnut honey, fish, vegetables, cheeses, street food, baskets, plants, clothes. As we were so squashed into the car that we had to have our bags on our laps and our hats on our heads, we were not able to bring loads of stuff back to England.
The highlight of the weekend was dinner at the 2 Michelin Starred, 3 Bottin Gourmand Patrick Jeffroy's L'Hotel de Carantec. Our 8-seater round table looked out onto the sea dotted with islands, and it was friendly and not too formal. The amuse bouche was a little preserving jar of rhubarb puree with turnip and a ceramic spoon with octapus. My starter was a little hill of delicious langoustine, asparagus, morelles, foam and parmesan crisps. The main course that most of us had, was local duck sliced with tiny potatoes on an asparagus puree, with buttered vegetables, a separate salad and chicken jus in a tiny shiny copper saucepan. One person had fillets of John Dory with white asparagus and a tiny quails egg in a nest of fried bread that looked gorgeous too. The cheese plate was tiny pieces of tasty local cheeses with a fantastic sliver of sweet and savoury toffee brittle! The other cheese dish was fresh new white cottage cheese mousse served with sugar, salt or herbs! My desert was a strip of chocolate ganache on sponge, with myrtle, black and raspberries, a brittle and a surprisingly good strawberry and basil sorbet. I wish I'd chosen the other dessert which was the local Kouign Amann - sort of butter yeast-risen lardy cake, with strawberries, lemon ice cream and rhubarb puree. The chef sent out champagne for us all as he heard we were English, to celebrate the Wedding!
We sang Peace in the Valley as we paid the bill, and then Heh Me Lo, and Ide Were whilst the guests who were going to leave, came back to listen and Patrick himself came out of the kitchen and shook hands with us. On the way home, the most intense thunder and lightening storm raged around us, providing us God's Fireworks to finish the day off with a bit of terror and excitement. An evening I will never forget as long as I live! And.... I lost half a pound!!!
Easter at The Falcondale
Another Groupon bargain, but this time a very pleasant one. The hotel was a lovely old white house set in a beautiful green Welsh valley. It used to be owned by the man who owned most of Lampeter and there were stone fireplaces, warm wood panelling, stone verandahs with beautiful views. Our room was welcoming and homely with a four poster bed and big bow french doors with the same wonderful view of trees, meadows and sheep.
We were welcomed with a full afternoon tea and champagne on the verandah which was a little chilly by then, but very peaceful. The trouble was I could not resist the little sandwiches, cakes and cream scones and then couldn't imagine eating a meal later! However, later, after a glass of prosecco and some little appetiser olives, tiny biscuits on the verandah, we moved into the dining room where the laughing friendly waitress brought us the first course of a piece of melon cut into a rose shape with a quarter of a strawberry. I was slightly relieved that this taster menu was not going to be too large!
I'm writing this rather a long time after we stayed on Good Friday, and that has made me realise that this meal was rather unmemorable. I remember the portions were tiny, tasty but rather unimaginative and contained tiny slices of home smoked chicken, asparagus, chocolate... but can't actually remember it much. I remember the breakfast better the next morning! The creamiest porridge I'd ever tasted and a full English that was comparable with my favourite Bristol cafe "Tart".
A lovely break though, and we spent the next night in a humble campsite at Llandovery, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons with dinner in the local Indian, which wasn't at all bad!
We were welcomed with a full afternoon tea and champagne on the verandah which was a little chilly by then, but very peaceful. The trouble was I could not resist the little sandwiches, cakes and cream scones and then couldn't imagine eating a meal later! However, later, after a glass of prosecco and some little appetiser olives, tiny biscuits on the verandah, we moved into the dining room where the laughing friendly waitress brought us the first course of a piece of melon cut into a rose shape with a quarter of a strawberry. I was slightly relieved that this taster menu was not going to be too large!
I'm writing this rather a long time after we stayed on Good Friday, and that has made me realise that this meal was rather unmemorable. I remember the portions were tiny, tasty but rather unimaginative and contained tiny slices of home smoked chicken, asparagus, chocolate... but can't actually remember it much. I remember the breakfast better the next morning! The creamiest porridge I'd ever tasted and a full English that was comparable with my favourite Bristol cafe "Tart".
A lovely break though, and we spent the next night in a humble campsite at Llandovery, on the edge of the Brecon Beacons with dinner in the local Indian, which wasn't at all bad!
Thursday, 14 April 2011
A Groupon Coupon to The Lockhouse in Portishead
A deal where you can dine looking out at the river Severn and the twinkling lights of Bristol whilst sampling a tasting menu (worth £145.50) for just £48 for two people at The Lockhouse Bar and Restaurant in Portishead. Sounded brilliant, so Scott and I drove into the sunset, negotiated the harbourside newbuild and descended the steps into the old lockhouse that looked out one way onto a blue metal warehouse that looked like Ikea, and the other way towards the Severn. We were given a table in the conservatory which unfortunately was the furthest possible away from the sparkling view but if I stretched my neck I could see it. After quite a long wait (it was full and there was only one waitress who seemed to fly all around the room on a constant mission to bring and clear away food) we were given a menu and a glass of prosecco. The tasting menu turned out to be 3 starters, a main and a dessert from the a la carte menu with no choice. In other words, just a set menu.
First came a tiny tiny expresso cup of fairly tasty soup which did nothing for my grumbling stomach and there was no bread in sight to comfort the growl. After a long wait, the second dish was a boiled egg! This surprised me because we were expecting an asparagus salad with a soft boiled duck egg. What arrived was a chicken's egg in an egg cup with some green bits. Unfortunately, we had already had 2 poached eggs for lunch that day! The tiny bit of rocket and 2 crunchy (I thought raw) asparagus spears still did nothing to help with the emptiness. Third was a cubic inch of haddock in a reasonably tasty tomato sauce, and still nothing to satisfy the hunger. Looking around the room I realised that everybody except one table was having exactly the same food... probably all signed up for the Groupon coupon! So we were able to work out how long we had to wait between courses.. which seemed a very long time. We also saw how small the portions were before they arrived!
The main was a chunk of blade of beef... nicely falling to bits, but sadly the stuff of which nightmares are made for Scott who hates anything remotely like a school dinner stew! It came with carrot puree and kale and the most unpleasant piece of potato cut into a round shape that I have ever tasted. It was watery and strangely textured and I can only surmise that it had been cooked previously and warmed in a microwave. I was still hungry but actually couldn't eat it! I had asked for some tap water at the start of the meal and had to ask again. Dessert was a single strawberry dipped in a sweet substance, with a shaving of chocolate and two tiny cubes of chocolate truffle.
There's no such thing as a free lunch! We went home feeling we had only just had enough food to quench our hunger, but very glad we hadn't paid £145 for such disappointment! Looking on the bright side, apart from the chocolate (which was probably only big enough to be a couple of syns), the whole meal was Slimming World friendly so I will hopefully lose weight this week! By the way I lost the pound I put on in Spain, and another one as well! Wish me luck this week!
First came a tiny tiny expresso cup of fairly tasty soup which did nothing for my grumbling stomach and there was no bread in sight to comfort the growl. After a long wait, the second dish was a boiled egg! This surprised me because we were expecting an asparagus salad with a soft boiled duck egg. What arrived was a chicken's egg in an egg cup with some green bits. Unfortunately, we had already had 2 poached eggs for lunch that day! The tiny bit of rocket and 2 crunchy (I thought raw) asparagus spears still did nothing to help with the emptiness. Third was a cubic inch of haddock in a reasonably tasty tomato sauce, and still nothing to satisfy the hunger. Looking around the room I realised that everybody except one table was having exactly the same food... probably all signed up for the Groupon coupon! So we were able to work out how long we had to wait between courses.. which seemed a very long time. We also saw how small the portions were before they arrived!
The main was a chunk of blade of beef... nicely falling to bits, but sadly the stuff of which nightmares are made for Scott who hates anything remotely like a school dinner stew! It came with carrot puree and kale and the most unpleasant piece of potato cut into a round shape that I have ever tasted. It was watery and strangely textured and I can only surmise that it had been cooked previously and warmed in a microwave. I was still hungry but actually couldn't eat it! I had asked for some tap water at the start of the meal and had to ask again. Dessert was a single strawberry dipped in a sweet substance, with a shaving of chocolate and two tiny cubes of chocolate truffle.
There's no such thing as a free lunch! We went home feeling we had only just had enough food to quench our hunger, but very glad we hadn't paid £145 for such disappointment! Looking on the bright side, apart from the chocolate (which was probably only big enough to be a couple of syns), the whole meal was Slimming World friendly so I will hopefully lose weight this week! By the way I lost the pound I put on in Spain, and another one as well! Wish me luck this week!
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
To Spain and the Return to Bristol
Teaching singing with Chris and Ali for the Holiday Property Bond takes us to lovely castles in Scotland and Angelsey, a place outside Paris and now to the South of Spain near Almeria. The complex is built like a white toppled hill-top village amongst the barren folded soft green hills. Unfortunately, the food in most of the restaurants we patronised (with one exception), whilst edible, sometimes tasty and always filling was unremarkable and mostly hotel catering food from the freezer pack. A bit "Brits in Spain". So I'm not going to comment any more than that. It was a very enjoyable week with lovely singing people, our own huge villa to rehearse in (including our own pool) and some gorgeous warm sunshine toasting our sun-starved bodies as we relaxed at the end of the week!
My weight, however, unlike the last Theme week in Scotland where I did not put any weight on, has risen by a whole pound! That'll be the potato wedges and the packet of pastries that I ate during the last two days!
Tonight Scott and I went to Green's Dining Rooms on Zetland Rd, where it was enjoyably, and unusually quiet. The food was delicious, tasty and not too large portions. The service was light-hearted, quick and good. Lovely juicy little crisp parcels of crab wontons with a cucumber relish and avocado,calves liver and chocolate torte with a crispy thing and a coffee sauce. Scott had a langoustine bisque that was OK, and a very strong flavoured sticky toffee pudding. I have heard that the brothers who run Green's are selling up. That will be a loss to Bristol!
Mmmm.... Now I've got to make sure I lose a pound by next Wednesday to return to my stone loss since I started going to Slimming World!
My weight, however, unlike the last Theme week in Scotland where I did not put any weight on, has risen by a whole pound! That'll be the potato wedges and the packet of pastries that I ate during the last two days!
Tonight Scott and I went to Green's Dining Rooms on Zetland Rd, where it was enjoyably, and unusually quiet. The food was delicious, tasty and not too large portions. The service was light-hearted, quick and good. Lovely juicy little crisp parcels of crab wontons with a cucumber relish and avocado,calves liver and chocolate torte with a crispy thing and a coffee sauce. Scott had a langoustine bisque that was OK, and a very strong flavoured sticky toffee pudding. I have heard that the brothers who run Green's are selling up. That will be a loss to Bristol!
Mmmm.... Now I've got to make sure I lose a pound by next Wednesday to return to my stone loss since I started going to Slimming World!
Saturday, 12 March 2011
The Crown at Whitebrook
Mid March and Scott, Danny and I headed up the Wye Valley, through dense woodland of winter-bare trees with the hint of bursting buds in a purple haze of promise. Past Tintern and then left, up a valley of picturesque houses and babbling brooks to find The Crown, an old coaching inn way off the beaten track run by chef James Sommerin, a Masterchef finalist with a Michelin star. Our friends Chris and Martha were already there, and we added our battered old Zaphira car next to their Astra followed by my daughter Amy's Corsa - a trio of faded old Vauxhalls amongst the Jags and Porches. The staff and the room was welcoming - especially the cup of tea and hot welsh cake.
We chose the nine-course taster menu. With our aperitif we were presented with an appetiser on a slate - a freshly baked cheese choux pastry, a savoury lollipop, a strange ceramic spoon of tomato tapioca and some crispy snacks. We marvelled at the price of some of the wine and ordered various glasses and were shown to my favourite shaped table... round with serviettes on little wooden platters!
I won't bore you with the details, but I think this was the best meal that I have ever had. Highlights were the amuse bouche where amongst a creamy langoustine mousse, tiny crisp individual cells of lime exploded in the mouth as you bit them; a strongly flavoured roast chicken crunched inside pasta with egg and wild mushroom; tasty barbecued mackerel cuddled up to beetroot and horseradish; a tiny square of delicious soft pork belly with a sliver of crackling nestled beside a piece of turbot, tiny slices of venison were served on a cushion of pureed carrot with a wonderful jus, an entertaining waitor described and served two wonderful slates of soft and hard Welsh and English cheeses before desserts - one of which contained a delicious sharp blackcurrent sorbet, another chocolate together with cinnamon and fig. The wonderfully curvy wooden platter made a reappearance with the final dessert to round off the meal with a smile. Danny and Amy went home and the remaining four of us were happy to go upstairs to our comfortable beds.
I loved the way Amy, who is pregnant, was cared for, with separate dishes where things were not suitable, and the meat and eggs never undercooked. The wine was fabulous and company was excellent. Chris and Danny are both professional cooks and were excited by each course and we all took pleasure in discussing the flavours and the artistic presentation which was beautiful. We had a great night with lots of conversation and fun. The breakfast was a treat, with freshly baked raspberry and white chocolate muffins alongside creamy porridge. I had a full English whilst Scott and Martha had french toast with maple syrup and Chris had smoked salmon. We rounded it off with toast and unlimited coffee and tea. As we paid the bill, we gulped a bit at the expense, but it was definitely good value and much cheaper than some of the other restaurants I plan to visit this year. And I want to go back to The Crown again... please...
We chose the nine-course taster menu. With our aperitif we were presented with an appetiser on a slate - a freshly baked cheese choux pastry, a savoury lollipop, a strange ceramic spoon of tomato tapioca and some crispy snacks. We marvelled at the price of some of the wine and ordered various glasses and were shown to my favourite shaped table... round with serviettes on little wooden platters!
I won't bore you with the details, but I think this was the best meal that I have ever had. Highlights were the amuse bouche where amongst a creamy langoustine mousse, tiny crisp individual cells of lime exploded in the mouth as you bit them; a strongly flavoured roast chicken crunched inside pasta with egg and wild mushroom; tasty barbecued mackerel cuddled up to beetroot and horseradish; a tiny square of delicious soft pork belly with a sliver of crackling nestled beside a piece of turbot, tiny slices of venison were served on a cushion of pureed carrot with a wonderful jus, an entertaining waitor described and served two wonderful slates of soft and hard Welsh and English cheeses before desserts - one of which contained a delicious sharp blackcurrent sorbet, another chocolate together with cinnamon and fig. The wonderfully curvy wooden platter made a reappearance with the final dessert to round off the meal with a smile. Danny and Amy went home and the remaining four of us were happy to go upstairs to our comfortable beds.
I loved the way Amy, who is pregnant, was cared for, with separate dishes where things were not suitable, and the meat and eggs never undercooked. The wine was fabulous and company was excellent. Chris and Danny are both professional cooks and were excited by each course and we all took pleasure in discussing the flavours and the artistic presentation which was beautiful. We had a great night with lots of conversation and fun. The breakfast was a treat, with freshly baked raspberry and white chocolate muffins alongside creamy porridge. I had a full English whilst Scott and Martha had french toast with maple syrup and Chris had smoked salmon. We rounded it off with toast and unlimited coffee and tea. As we paid the bill, we gulped a bit at the expense, but it was definitely good value and much cheaper than some of the other restaurants I plan to visit this year. And I want to go back to The Crown again... please...
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Harvey Nicks on Friday March 4th 2011
Scott had a day off work, so I took a day off too and we trundled off to Cabot Circus - the cathedral of retail, with it's high vaulted glass ceilings. As I'm writing this I am still indulging...sitting by a log fire with Scott playing the guitar and a glass of red wine. Danny has brought round some very salty roquefort and has spread it on thin hot toast.
Lunch in Harvey Nichols was not a disappointment. With gold sofas, ceilings, pillars and carpet it was very 60s in style. The staff were very helpful and friendly, the toilets were wonderful (with an accessible toilet for Scott which wasn't locked!), the acoustics were wonderfully dampened by the soft walls and the music was exactly the volume that I like with Leftfield playing loud enough to recognise the music but not too loud that it curtailed conversation.
They brought a variety of breads made in the kitchen... soda, focacia and sweet rolls. To start, Scott had a round of kipper pate with lightly toasted soda bread and I had a fresh beetroot, orange and curd goats cheese salad with crispy leaves. I followed with a compact square of belly of pork with a tiny flake of crunchy crackling with freshly cooked butterbeans whilst Scott had delicious willow-leaf shaped lambs liver on carrot mash and we shared sides of purple sprouting brocolli and potatoes. We ended the meal with moist hazelnut polenta cake with bitter-sweet lemon curd and a couple of expresso coffees before going off to see the heart-warming film West is West at the Showcase. Strong and delicious flavours and combinations.
Cost-wise, the £18 for 3 courses increased somewhat with the side dishes, wine (Scott only), coffees and service.We want to go back to Harvey Nicks for an evening meal sometime!
I forgot to mention that Scott bought a Macbook Air between lunch and watching a film! Going to the Apple shop is dangerous! On Sunday we are going to the first Michelin star restaurant on my tour! Watch this space......
Lunch in Harvey Nichols was not a disappointment. With gold sofas, ceilings, pillars and carpet it was very 60s in style. The staff were very helpful and friendly, the toilets were wonderful (with an accessible toilet for Scott which wasn't locked!), the acoustics were wonderfully dampened by the soft walls and the music was exactly the volume that I like with Leftfield playing loud enough to recognise the music but not too loud that it curtailed conversation.
They brought a variety of breads made in the kitchen... soda, focacia and sweet rolls. To start, Scott had a round of kipper pate with lightly toasted soda bread and I had a fresh beetroot, orange and curd goats cheese salad with crispy leaves. I followed with a compact square of belly of pork with a tiny flake of crunchy crackling with freshly cooked butterbeans whilst Scott had delicious willow-leaf shaped lambs liver on carrot mash and we shared sides of purple sprouting brocolli and potatoes. We ended the meal with moist hazelnut polenta cake with bitter-sweet lemon curd and a couple of expresso coffees before going off to see the heart-warming film West is West at the Showcase. Strong and delicious flavours and combinations.
Cost-wise, the £18 for 3 courses increased somewhat with the side dishes, wine (Scott only), coffees and service.We want to go back to Harvey Nicks for an evening meal sometime!
I forgot to mention that Scott bought a Macbook Air between lunch and watching a film! Going to the Apple shop is dangerous! On Sunday we are going to the first Michelin star restaurant on my tour! Watch this space......
Friday, 4 March 2011
A Bad Start and Marktplatz, Mittenwald
By the way, I must mention that I am not trying to write "well" in this blog.... I spend enough time trying to do things properly and right... this is just a thing I'm doing when I have a minute, and if you're reading it, read without judgement! It's a pouring out of my fingers.... nothing else.
I put on a pound this week... bad start to my blog eh? So didn't go out to eat tonight, but had pasta and salad and.... I'm afraid I have to report that I then had sticky toffee pudding, shared 4 ways with Scott, my husband, Amy my daughter and her husband Mark. So a just tiny portion!
I forgot to mention the restaurant in Germany. In January, which after all is the start of my year of fine dining, Scott, my son Ben and I went to Austria, but ended up over the border in a little Bavarian town of Mittenwald. Lovely little cobbled, painted and historical place if a tiny bit run down. However, it does posses the best restaurant I have eaten at for a very long time - Marktplatz.... if you are ever there. We had three tastes for three courses.. each delicately placed and artistically put together. And the flavours!!!! We are going to be hard-put to beat this restaurant during my year. We also had some incredibly wonderful saunas in Seefeld and Leutash in Austria. The sauna in Mittenwald was not so spectacular but quite old and sweet. And the B&B we stayed at was fab too.... Hotel Garni Edlehuber, with Angelica as the friendly host. Great breakfasts!
I put on a pound this week... bad start to my blog eh? So didn't go out to eat tonight, but had pasta and salad and.... I'm afraid I have to report that I then had sticky toffee pudding, shared 4 ways with Scott, my husband, Amy my daughter and her husband Mark. So a just tiny portion!
I forgot to mention the restaurant in Germany. In January, which after all is the start of my year of fine dining, Scott, my son Ben and I went to Austria, but ended up over the border in a little Bavarian town of Mittenwald. Lovely little cobbled, painted and historical place if a tiny bit run down. However, it does posses the best restaurant I have eaten at for a very long time - Marktplatz.... if you are ever there. We had three tastes for three courses.. each delicately placed and artistically put together. And the flavours!!!! We are going to be hard-put to beat this restaurant during my year. We also had some incredibly wonderful saunas in Seefeld and Leutash in Austria. The sauna in Mittenwald was not so spectacular but quite old and sweet. And the B&B we stayed at was fab too.... Hotel Garni Edlehuber, with Angelica as the friendly host. Great breakfasts!
Monday, 28 February 2011
Beginning the tour - Hotel du Vin
This is the year that I am 60 years old. My work is leading choirs and running singing workshops and arranging songs for choirs to sing. I have lived in Bristol most of my adult life. I am overweight and before Christmas I joined Slimming World without thinking too much about it. After 15 weeks I am 15lb lighter, with a certificate saying I have lost a whole stone and a round of applause to prove it. In this same year that I seem to have decided to lose a few stone, I have apparently also decided to celebrate my 60 years of living, healthy, and hungry, and am going to treat myself to a year of fabulous eating. This might seem to be a strange clash of occupations, but I believe that fine dining does not put on weight, and I am going to prove that I can become lighter as I enjoy my gastronomic delights!
I have alread dined at several restaurants this year and will just mention them without going into detail. The Robin Hood's retreat is one of my favourite places to go for a midweek meal. An informal atmosphere, friendly staff and carefully cooked and presented food with surprising little extras on the plate. Not cheap for a gastropub, but good food.
I have alread dined at several restaurants this year and will just mention them without going into detail. The Robin Hood's retreat is one of my favourite places to go for a midweek meal. An informal atmosphere, friendly staff and carefully cooked and presented food with surprising little extras on the plate. Not cheap for a gastropub, but good food.
The Hotel du Vin was a disappointment. It looks great when you go in with a roaring fire in reception, old panelled walls and gleaming glass. The £35 voucher for a meal for two is laughable. With extras of water, bread, veg, a dessert, service and then VAT of £10 on top of all that, it came to £60. I could not believe that the voucher did not include VAT, or that they would put a service charge on the end and then VAT on that too! The food was unremarkable and forgettable. A chain with no heart in the kitchen.
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