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!!!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
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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