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!
Thursday, 28 July 2011
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!
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