Leeds Grub

Germany December 2011!

2012-01-29T10:31:00.000Z

I went to Germany to visit the Christmas markets two years ago and it was ace so this year I went again!

Liam and I set out on Friday (9th Dec) heading for Stuttgart. We stayed at Inter Hostel which was nice and very convenient for the city centre.

The Christmas markets here were HUGE and went on and on winding through the streets, through the old castle and town square. Plenty of food stalls, and really good for present shopping.
Food highlights:

Lots of wurst (to be expected) and ketchup that had to be squeezed out of an udder type contraption (looks strange but works).

And flammkuchen, like a pizza but served with sour cream instead of tomato sauce.

As it was the first night and we were tired, we ate at the first place that looked half decent. This was a little Italian cafe bar called La Vida, that had a take away and kebab counter at the front but a really cool little restaurant at the back. It was busy as it was Friday night but we still found somewhere to squeeze in and eat. Plates of pasta were about €8 each, the pasta was fresh and the sauces amazing. A really surprisingly good meal!

The thing that I loved most about Stuttgart was the carols in the Old Castle and the fact that the Town Hall was used as an advent calendar!

On Saturday we took a trip to Tubingen. It takes about an hour on the train from Stuttgart. We went because I had seen that the Christmas market here is only held at weekends and the stalls are all run by locals.

The town is really sweet, perched on the river, its full of old buildings and cobbled streets in the old town that survived WWII without too much trouble.

The stalls were much more hotch potch than in Stuttgart and you could see that a lot of the stalls were run by sports teams, schools and church groups. It had a really nice community feel to it, more like a village fete than a market. Local children were on every corner busking as hard as they could squeaking out Christmas carols on recorders and violins.

Things on the stalls included pottery, hand knitted items and hand made ornaments. Worth a trip out just to see the contrast and pick up some locally made items (surprisingly well priced too).

We didn't eat except for getting sausages at the market.

That night back in Stuttgart we tried to get into two traditional restaurants that had been recommended to us but they were both completely full, so a little bit tired and cold we gave up and stopped at the Konig kebab shop in the city centre. It looked a bit drab but it was all pretty clean inside.

We ordered falafel wraps which came loaded with salad and best of all we were served draught beer by a little lady in a tabard (yes they have draught beer in kebab shops in Germany- amazing!). We ended up having quite an enjoyable meal that cost us less than €10!

On Sunday morning we caught the train to Augsberg. This is a small conservative cathedral town just over the Bavarian boarder. The market was seriously pretty, quite uniform and toned down in appearance compared with the fun and novelty in Stuttgart market.

Here we tried snumphnodeln, sourkraut mixed with pasta like noodles and little bits of bacon. Seriously tasty. As another snack we had Dampf Noodle (steamed dumpling) covered in custard with sugar and poppy seeds sprinkled on the top, quite filling! This is real comfort food for cold winter evenings!

The market here had more Nativity scene items, household goods and decorations. We had a look around the cathedral and paid a quick visit to the Fuggeri.

We stayed in what appears to be pretty much the only youth hostel. Quiet but comfortable and a 10 minute walk into the city.

For dinner we ate at Konig von Flandern a traditional style pub that brewed its own beer. The bill was just €36 for loads of beer, big hearty meat dishes and a pudding. The service was great and the staff tried their best to speak some English and found us a translated menu.

On the train again on Monday morning we headed for Munich.

The hostel this time was Wombats, a really bright and spacious backpackers hostel, with nice bar and common room, very close to the station and a 10 min walk into town.

After a look around the centre of Munich we visited the Deutsches Museum, an incredibly large science and technology museum. Most of the information was in English as well as German so worth a visit if you like that kind of thing.

We then embarked on a beer tour. We were taken to a couple of historic brew houses in the city centre and then we visited the Paulener micro brewery. We were taken into the cellar of the brew house and shown the brewing process. Very interesting and we had the opportunity to try a few drinks along the way.

The tour ended in the world famous Hofbrauhaus were we decided to stop for dinner. It was everything we expected, staff in traditional costumes, oompah bands, beer in litre mugs (not the done thing, as according to local lore, in order for beer to remain 'fresh' it has to be consumed while the head is still intact- 20 minutes!).

We had some pretty traditional food, hearty meat dishes. The prices like in all brew houses more than reasonable. The food and beer was great but we were warned that the service here can sometimes be very slow.

Those customers considered regulars (having visited weekly for around 30 years) get allocated their own table and are allowed to keep their own personal stein in one of the specially designed lockers.

The next day we went on a 'free' walking tour around the city starting from the hostel. It lasted 4 hours and although the guide was not paid upfront we were expected to give a tip at the end, but this we did not mind as the guide was very knowledgeable and showed us lots of interesting things around the city.

As part of the tour we stopped in the food market area and had sausage and beer.

That evening we returned to the Schneider Weisse brew house for a meal. Cosy. Traditional (you have to sit on long tables with strangers) and the coleslaw had bacon fat in it rather than mayo!

Like in all brew houses, the food was served really quickly. We noticed that the foods offered tend to be meat stewed in gravy or cut from a joint meaning that once ordered the meals can be plated up and served without delay.

Our final day was spent shopping for last minute things, climbing a tower for the view (you can even see the alps) and taking a look around the food markets.

We then embarked on a self guided beer sampling tour. There are 6 official breweries in Munich, all with a number of pubs, so we decided to try to have a beer from each. We managed 5/6, stopping at an Augustina owned establishment- Marktwirt for lunch.

We were offered the lunch deal €10.50 for 2 courses. I had one of my favourite dishes- schnitzel!

The Christmas markets in Germany are well worth a visit if you enjoy the ones here in the UK as they are huge in Germany.

The markets are different in every city- Stuttgart was by far my favourite on this trip as there were well over a hundred stalls selling all kinds of things, some traditional, some modern and commercial.

Munich was much more traditional in terms of what was available to buy and limited to a lot of decorations and food stall so not quite so good for gift shopping. The food in Munich of course was great as this is after all the heart of Bavarian food and beer culture.

Dinner at the Manor

2012-01-28T07:46:00.000Z

When I first visited the Secret Tea Room, it was the only underground supper club/ restaurant in Leeds. Now there are a few popping up around the place, one being The Manor.

Meals are themed, with all the recipes for the evening taken from a single cook book. This time the meal was from 'Mexican Made Easy'.

I arrived at the Manor, from the front looking like an average back to back terrace, close to the city centre. Inside the house is amazing, Tardis like in size with grand rooms decorated in a modern but sympathetic style befitting the age of the house.

We were shown upstairs to the Library where we were given Margarita cocktails and canapes (the home made pork scratchings were AMAZING). This was the first chance we had to chat to the other guests and find out who we would be dining with.

Back downstairs we were sat around 2 large dining tables. I went alone, but that didn't matter because the nature of supper clubs mean that everyone is included in the conversation around the table.

The food was fantastic and very well thought out. I don't think I could do it justice here so take a look at the Manor's own blog for the in depth menu details.

We had an amuse bouche of a very spicy bean soup served in an espresso cup.

For the starter I had the fish option, a platter including a Mexican spicy prawn cocktail, sardines and ceviche.

The main course was pork belly with rice and re fried beans.

There was a surprise pudding course of a fantastic chocolate sorbet- this was one of my favourite parts of the whole meal! And then for the main pudding we were served a Mexican style flan, almost like a baked custard floating in a tequila syrup.

Finally we were given mini chocolate- chili cupcakes with our coffee. Phew.

What a fantastic evening- great food, company and surroundings, all for the sum of £25! Its such a shame its a one off thing, but that is part of what makes it so special.

Supper clubs are a growing phenomenon, more fun and social than going to a restaurant, worth checking out if you want to try something a little different.

You can book onto future events via the Manor's blog.

Rib Shakk

2012-01-21T09:14:00.000Z

The latest in the line of Anthony's ventures is the Rib Shakk, an American style fast food restaurant.

On first impressions, the uniforms, website, menu and logo look like they are aspiring to be something a bit like Nando's. As for decor, there has been no change from the cafe area that previously inhabited the Corn Exchange basement- all a bit plain and simple and no themed furniture or decorations.

The menu is all ribs, the burgers are even made from rib meat. We chose the ultimate platter, consisting of lots of different types of ribs, chicken wings, chips, baked butter beans, sweetcorn, coleslaw and salad.

There are a choice of barbecue sauces to go on the ribs, but for the platter they told us that they would recommend a selection of the sauces for us if we wanted.

The ribs were really tender, with sticky rich sauces, some with a bit of spice to them but none of them all that hot. I really enjoyed the baked beans too- it was nice to have some good vegetable choices to balance all of that meat.

The drinks menu made us very excited. They sell coke floats. THEY SELL COKE FLOATS. I haven't had one of those for years. And they do alcoholic versions, either with bourbon or vanilla vodka. Amazing. The other drinks were served old fashioned drinking jars which was good fun.

The platter was more than enough for two and would probably be adequate for 3 (or a gang of kids). Including drinks, the bill for 2 was £45.

Rib Shakk is not aiming to be anything fancy- its a family fast food restaurant, simple but done well. The food is reasonably priced, tasty and plentiful. With the drinks and food platters the eating experience is fun, its just a shame the room hasn't got some cheesy themed decor like waggon wheels and cattle horns nailed to the wall!

Rib Shakk
*Delicious ribs & sides
*Reasonable value
*Disappointing lack of themed decor

Rib Shakk Leeds
The Corn Exchange
Leeds
LS1 7BR

Website

Tasty! Sandwich Bar

2012-01-11T23:24:00.000Z

This little sandwich shop is tucked down a side street behind Boots in Headingley. After being recommended to me by a few friends I decided to take a look.

There is a huge range of sandwiches, with some really interesting fillings,including the signature of 'Hot chicken breast, bacon, mushrooms and blue Stilton served on a bed of lettuce, mayo and American mustard' and my choice of 'Brie, Lettuce and Choritzo'

There are a few seats inside and a few seats perched precariously on a traffic island outside but apart from that it is primarily a take away.

For £4.95 you can get a lunch deal consisting of a drink, sandwich and an amazing chocolate brownie.The sandwich had a reasonable amount of filling and tasted really good.

Tasty!
*Good lunch deal
*Really imaginative sandwich fillings
*Great brownies

2-4 Bennett Road
Headingley
LS6 3HN
0113 278 8248

Website

Shabab lunch deal

2011-12-22T09:36:00.000Z

Gev let me know about this one; Shabab underneath the rail station offers a £4.50 lunch deal. For this you get '3 courses' i.e an onion bhaji and poppadom with yogurt dip, a curry from a choice of chicken, meat or veg and a vegetable side dish, rice and a small pudding, in our case, a dish of whippy ice cream.

You cant see into the restaurant from the street and that is what had put me off in the past, as it doesn't look like much from the outside.

The interior of the restaurant is surprisingly spacious, with an Arabic theme to the decor.

The food portions were not huge but was plenty for lunch and for the price, and the lamb and chickpea curries were both really tasty, all nicely presented on a tray. A large glass of coke was another £1.90 but I hardly begrudged that when I had paid so little for the meal.

I have heard mixed things about the main menu dishes and the discrepancy in quality between the two branches. I cant comment on this- I just know that on this occasion (and the previous time Gev has visited) the lunch deal has been really good.

Shabab
*Surprisingly nice interior
*Fantastic value lunch deal

1 Bishopgate Street
Leeds
LS1 5DY
0113 242 7012

Website

Mill Farm Nursery Tea Gardens

2011-12-02T23:20:00.002Z

I was today treated to a trip to the Tea Gardens at Mill Farm Nursery in South Milford.

The entrance is up a little lane from the centre of the village, its a little bit hard to find as it it isn't very clearly signed. You approach the cottage containing the tea room through a lovely country garden. Even at the start of December it looked pretty, in the summer I bet this place is amazing.

As it was freezing cold we got a table inside. The tea room decor is total frippery. There are ribbons tied to the chairs and menus, mismatched vases and tea-light holders, twee pictures and ornaments and proper willow pattern teacups and saucers.

On the menu there is a choice of salads, jacket potatoes and plough mans lunches, but we had gone for the afternoon tea and that only!

The price is £12 (or £10 each if 2 of you order). For this you get bottomless tea or coffee, a selection of sandwiches, a scone with jam and cream and a piece of fruitcake and cheese.

The food was served on a proper tiered stand. Seeing this galvanised my feeling that tea served any other way is fundamentally just a little bit wrong.

We got extra sandwiches for free as it was fairly quiet and the waitress said we may as well have them to save them from going to waste. Bonus!

Sandwiches contained tuna, cream cheese and cucumber, roast chicken and ham. All really nice.

The scones were huge and came in a choice of plain, fruit or chocolate (controversial I know). James had the chocolate scone just to prove how good it was. It contained lumps of milk chocolate in place of the fruit and chocolate spread in place of the jam. To be fair it was bloomin delicious! The fruit scone was PERFECT and the jam tasted home made.

The were no fancy little cakes, instead a big slice of home made fruit cake topped with cheese. This I actually couldn't finish as there was so much food!

The service was really friendly and quite attentive.

This to me epitomises what afternoon tea should be: frivolous, quaint and completely lovely.

As you may have seen in the previous post, I have developed a new score for rating afternoon tea... the 'T factor':

Score out of 20/Price in £

The scores:
Ambiance: Frivolous and delightful (although apparently often very busy)5/5
Service: Very good 4/5
Presentation: 5/5
Food quality: Generally lovely with a perfect scone 5/5
Price £10 each (with 2 eating)

Total = 19 % 10 = T factor of 1.9
The Tea Gardens
(I love this address)
Off High Street,
Off Woodlands Lane,
Behind the Post Office,
South Milford
LS25 5AF

01977 682979

Website

Afternoon Tea at Flannels

2011-11-27T14:29:00.000Z

The afternoon tea saga continues. Where is the best place to go?

The newly opened Food Academy (review here from the other week) offers afternoon tea for £10 per person.

Again the service was very good, although the restaurant was fairly quiet at the time so we didn't have to fight for attention.

We ordered afternoon tea x2. This came with a large pot of tea. The request for extra hot water was met without challenge (I am a bit of an old lady about this... I would seriously mark down somewhere that grumbled about giving extra hot water).

The afternoon teas came served in a modern way laid out on a piece of slate. So its not a tiered cake stand, but it did look good and had the wow factor as it was served, which is what you want really.

The butter and jam pots came served on their own little slates which was nice too. I do love a proper china tea cup. Flannels have lovely stylish modern crockery which I really like, just not totally perfect for afternoon tea.

Sandwiches contained beef, cucumber & cream cheese and salmon. The mini lemon meringue was amazing as were the other little cakes. The scone was ok - which disappointingly seems to be the standard. I am yet to find a scone that matches what Grandma used to make!

Overall really good for £10

In order to start comparing afteroon teas I have developed a 'T factor' score which is:

Score out of 20/Price in £

The scores:
Ambience: Relaxed and quite smart 5/5
Service: Faultless 5/5
Presentation: Very good but not totally frivolous so marked down 4/5
Food quality: Marked down for scone 4/5
Price £10

Total 18 % 10 = T factor of 1.8

Third Floor, Flannels
Vicar Lane
Leeds
LS1 7JH

(0113) 243 4898

Website

The Maven

2011-11-25T16:47:00.000Z

ma·ven/ˈmāvən/
Noun: An expert or connoisseur

The Maven is a new bar that has been open a couple of months now, run by Nino a bartender with 15 years experience. Its been launched 'speakeasy' style that is, with little fanfare, an almost non existent website and not even a sign above the door.

As a result the bar is quiet and relaxed and feels almost like a private club.

It's a cocktail bar, the menu is concise but has something for everyone including 'Mothers Ruin' a £25 punch bowl of gin and 'other lovely things'.

One of my drinks came served in a vintage teacup attached to a wine glass stem and other drinks came served in thoughtful and fun ways to make each drink unique (as well as delicious, as all the ones we tried were).

The decor is quite simple but cosy and the staff are lovely. We were greeted as we arrived, chatted to as if we were old friends and we were impressed with the simple touches like glasses of water being poured for us as we were looking at the menu.

Worth checking out if you are fed up of the noise and crush of other cocktail bars in the city, and just want a civilised, relaxed drink in nice surroundings.

Cocktails start at £6.

The Maven
*Understated cool bar
*Amazing drinks
*Lovely staff & atmosphere

The Little Yorkshire Pie Company

2011-11-22T23:45:00.002Z

The latest venture to open in Leeds Kirkgate market is the Little Yorkshire Pie shop.

Its a little shop, that sells pies, made in Yorkshire.

It's not that flash at the moment, the shop consists of a couple of fridges in a previously vacant unit on butchers row. Pies are hand made locally. There is a huge rage of flavours, including venison, pork and Stilton and black pudding.Prices start at a quid. Can't say fairer than that.

At a time when there is a lot of hoo-ha about the threat of the market being over gentrified with upmarket fancy shops, this little pie shop proves that good food can be affordable and unpretentious.

Little Yorkshire Pie shop
*Handmade Pies
*Inexpensive
*Great range of flavours

7 Butchers Row
Kirgate Market
Leeds
LS2 7HY

The Academy at Flannels

2011-11-16T11:24:00.001Z

There has been a restaurant upstairs in this luxury fashion shop for a long time. It was run by Anthony's previously but has been vacant in the months since that shut.

Last week the restaurant was relaunched as 'The Food Academy'.

I went to the press launch and that was all very nice as I got to try canape versions of all the main course dishes (have the lamb, its amazing).

I also had the signature pudding 'Duck eggs and soldiers with a taste of lemon' where a real duck egg shell is filled with soft meringue and lemon curd to make the egg, served with shortbread soldiers. This comes with a small scoop of lemon sorbet and a bite of lemon drizzle cake to finish the plate. Fun, imaginative and most of all delicious.

The restaurant is only open at the moment from 10 am - 4pm serving breakfast and brunches, sandwiches from £5, afternoon tea for £10 and a full A la Carte lunch menu.

I went back unannounced on Saturday morning for my birthday breakfast. We were warmly greeted and sat by a window that overlooks the shoppers on Vicar lane. The dining room is light and airy (it was light even on Wednesday when it was grey and overcast outside) and has a serene feel to it.

We were provided with drinks, orange juice and bucks fizz and chose from the varied breakfast menu. Pastries start at just £2 up to £7 for smoked salmon and scrambled eggs. I had my favourite, Eggs Benedict for £6.

The food was nicely presented on modern plates- good sized portion with 2 eggs, perfectly runny in the middle and plenty of hollandaise sauce. Fantastic.

The bill for our special breakfast was £20. Worth it for the lovely food and the added value of the classy surroundings and the fun feeling of sitting at the top of a fancy shop with a bucks fizz peering down at the masses below.

As a foot note, The Food Academy is run in conjunction with Leeds City College providing apprenticeships for the top graduates from the catering and hospitality courses. The bread is made in the college, the flower arrangements provided by the horticultural department. A section of the dining room is an art gallery that is soon to display works from the art students and there are plans for musical performances by the students too. As well as being a great restaurant, this Food Academy will hopefully develop into a showcase for the most talented young people that Leeds has to offer.

The Food Academy at Flannels
*Reasonably priced
*Serene surroundings
*Providing opportunities for talented young people

Third Floor, Flannels
Vicar Lane
Leeds
LS1 7JH

(0113) 243 4898

Website

River Plate

2011-11-14T11:44:00.002Z

Its almost two years to the day since I reviewed River Plate the last time. This weekend sees the restaurant's 5th anniversary. As it was 'Birthday Week' for Liam and I, we thought a steak dinner on a Wednesday was perfectly justified!

I really like the interior of this restaurant, its a mix of bare brick and scrubbed wooden tables with a few candles twinkling away on the tables. The interior of the old mill building is not disguised, making a feature of the old industrial strength pillars and beams. The pipes from the extractor fans running from the open fronted kitchen even run through the dining room but some how they manage to not look out of place.

The open kitchen also means that the tempting smell of charred meat permeates the room.

For starters Liam had the mussels which were a generous size and came in a rich cream sauce, tasty but not overpowered by garlic like some of these dishes can be.

I had the ribs which were so tender that they couldn't be picked up by the bone as the meat just came straight away and I was left with a clean bone in my hand! These were smothered in BBQ sauce. Just perfect.

I ordered a rib eye steak cooked medium rare on the advice of the waitress. (any less cooking than this doesn't give the fat a chance to melt). Liam had the full rack of ribs that were just the same as mine but in a caveman sized portion.

The steak was very thick and as a result was still rare right in the middle meaning that there were some fatty sinews still present in the cut. Disappointing but not disastrous as it was only in one small part of the steak that I just cut away and left. The fries, peppercorn sauce and sweet potato mash that we had as sides were all spot on (and probably a bit excessive given the size of the main courses).

We skipped pudding as we were stuffed.

The service was really friendly and attentive and the food arrived fairly quickly.

This place was busy even though it was early on a Wednesday night, which I think is testament to the fact that this is a quality steak house with a great atmosphere. It wasn't cheap - steak never is, but the bill was comparable to other similar places- £65 for the both of us, with drinks too.

*UPDATE: My friend Gev attended the restaurants 5th Birthday party last night, where she got to take a sneaky peak at the new menu, apparently there are some amazing new dishes on their way- keep an eye on the restaurant's website for details.*

River Plate
*Amazing ribs
*Averagely priced for steak
*Good service

36-38 The Calls
Leeds,
West Yorkshire
LS2 7EW

0113 391 2792

iCandy

2011-11-09T01:57:00.000Z

Having opened in the past couple of months iCandy is probably the only dessert/ ice cream parlour in the city centre.

The target is obviously at the youth market with the trendy hot pink, black gloss and mirrored interior looking like the life-sized version of a Barbie Doll set. The menu is all puddings: ice creams, cakes, waffles, sundaes, crepes, milkshakes and mocktails (and proper coffee too).

Prices are reasonable, I got 2 slices of cake and a coffee for £7.80. Most of the things on the menu were between £2 and £4 and the portions were a decent size.

The cakes are from 'a supplier' (they were not any more specific than that) so not made in house but this is not trying to be an artisan patisserie. It's a novelty destination, the kind of place a teenager would go on a date or somewhere you could take the kids after school for a birthday treat. (Or somewhere a grown up goes for a sneaky bit of cake on a Tuesday night).

Nevertheless the cakes look impressive, topped with profiteroles, Oreo cookies, chocolate shavings and glitter. There is a full range of ice cream flavours with e-number laden sprinkles to go on top. I can vouch for the fact that the Oreo cheesecake and peanut stack are immense (and VERY sweet).

Novelty, fun, fantastic for a treat for kids aged 6 to 26 (and the rest). Open until at least 8pm (possibly later at the weekends, but they don't have a website for me to check).

iCandy
*Novelty dessert parlour
*Reasonably prices
*Amazing array of cakes and puddings

14 New Briggate
Leeds
LS1 6NU

Street food at the Source

2011-11-08T19:16:00.000Z

The latest business person to set up shop at the Source stall in Kirkgate Market is Mr Peshwari (AKA Harvi). He is making classic meat and vegetarian curries combining his Indian and Ugandan heritage in the dishes.

Simple, healthy home made curries, with rice for a fiver. Available every Monday and Tuesday for the next month.

If this venture goes well Harvi hopes to take away another stall on a permanent basis.

For the rest of the week at the source you will find Dean and his Caribbean food. Again all home cooked to traditional Creole recipes I tried some melt in the mouth goat curry with rice.

Both worth checking out for lunch as a fresh tasty alternative to a Gregg's meal deal!

The source website

Riveresque

2011-11-08T10:38:00.000Z

This cafe is a favourite for me, bright and bustling, its only small but you can usually find a table. The big windows over look the river, bridge and the sides of the old industrial buildings you cant usually see from the street.

The menu is all classic cafe stuff, sandwiches and jacket potatoes, most less than £3 and huge fry ups. It was Liam's birthday so we went for a celebratory breakfast.

I ordered two breakfasts with tea and accepted the extra hash browns and black pudding when offered and was charged £14. It was late in the morning and the lunch rush had started so we had to wait a little while for the food to arrive.

We were presented with huge platters of food (it was only then I looked at the menu and realised that we should have ordered the 'small breakfast'). The meat for that price was obviously not going to be of a great quality but the sausages and bacon were reasonable and you cant go far wrong with beans/ mushrooms/ tinned tomatoes, and the hash browns were great.

A classic greasy spoon cafe doing it well.

Riveresque
*Cheap and cheerful
*Classic cafe
*Enormous fry ups

15 Bridge End
City Centre,
Leeds
LS1 7HG
0113 244 5846

Website

Leeds Ceilidh

2011-11-02T10:55:00.001Z

This is a plug for an event I am hosting. A ceilidh... (pronounced kay-lee). Its a social dance event and loads of fun.

Thursday 10th November, 7.30pm-10.30pm, Left Bank Leeds, Cardigan road, LS6 1LJ

You might have been to a ceilidh before at a wedding reception or you may have never even heard of one before. Its a bit like a barn dance, but its not line dancing, or morris dancing (so don't panic!).

But I can't dance/ won't know what to do....
It's ok, the band has a caller, a guy who teaches each dance and then shouts out the moves as you dance. The steps are really simple.

If I come I will be forced to dance...
Maybe by your mates but not by us, if you want to sit at the side with a beer that is fine, you wont be picked out by the band or pressured to get up and dance.

But I will look stupid if I get it wrong...
Everyone gets it wrong at some point- I do all of the time, its part of the fun.

Its only £6 a ticket, there is a bar, £2-£2.50 a drink. The band are the awesome Blackbeard's Tea Party, a really young, lively fun band, worth coming to listen to even if you don't want to dance.

Great as a work or club social, and also enjoyed by older kids (who are welcome 1/2 price).

Any profits will be donated to 'Life for African Mothers' a fantastic worthwhile charity that provides life saving medications to pregnant women in sub Saharan Africa.

Join the facebook group, message, text, phone or email me if you want a ticket or just to ask more questions.

1875 Restaurant, Menston

2011-11-02T10:30:00.001Z

I was invited, along with a group of other food bloggers to visit 1875 in Menston.

Located conveniently on the top floor of the Menston railway station building this restaurant, although a bit out of the way out benefits from a large car park and direct bus and rail links!

The owner who invited us was keen to stress 'This is not your usual curry house'. This is an Indian restaurant where the chefs have been hand picked from the best restaurants and hotels in India.

The menu is a range of traditional dishes from all regions of India.

scarily hot tandoori oven

As this was a bloggers event we were allowed to have a tour of the kitchen. After putting on aprons and hairnets, the chef showed us the spices he used and how he rolled chapatti put them in the searing hot tandoori oven.

the aftermath- scraped plates!

We were then sat down in the restaurant for a meal, we were given a mixture of dishes, starters of samosas, Murg Tikka (tandoori chicken) which were really tasty, a couple of vegetable curries, a beef masala and pork vindaloo. Yes beef and pork in a curry (apparently this is not that unusual in Christian areas of India, we are just used to curries cooked by Muslims in the UK).

The prices are more than a usual curry... but that is ok as this is more than a usual curry. I will be going back to have a proper meal there.

Website

Good food good mood

2011-10-31T22:31:00.000Z

Healthy Living Network Leeds presents: Good Food, Good Mood!

12.00pm to 5.00pm, 3 November, Test Space Leeds

A fun and interactive drop-in session for anyone wanting to find out how eating a healthy diet can improve your mental wellbeing. Suitable for all ages. Flyer

Brasserie at West Park

2011-10-29T14:42:00.000+01:00

Emma has been here a couple of times now to this little brasserie at the far end of Headingley, and suggested we go for an early tea. As the first guests of the evening we were warmly welcomed.

As well as the main menu, there is also a gourmet burger menu, a comprehensive kids menu priced at £4.50 a dish and a number of specials up on a board.

The specials were explained to us and we were given the main menu. Em had gone for the early bird menu before but this time there was no detail of the offer on the menu, it's not mentioned on the website and so we were left a bit unsure and guessing what we were allowed to have or how much things would end up costing.

The starter from the specials board was fig wrapped in parma ham. It came out very quickly so it had obviously been made in advanced and then just stuck under the grill to melt the cheese in it. It was very nice and the salad had a tasty dressing but maybe I would have liked it to have been grilled for a bit longer as it wasn't quite warm enough for my liking.

My main course was a huge piece of blackened miso cod. This was fantastic, the blackened crust not tasting burnt but adding an interesting twist to the flavour. This came with pieces of chorizo, new potatoes and a rocket salad.

Emma had chicken with a grape and Stilton sauce and sweet potatoes. Again a mountainous portion with plenty of flavour and interesting things going on.

For pudding we both had the chocolate brownie, home made with the also home made banana and ginger ice cream. Simple but spot on.

We also shared a bottle of house wine.

When the bill came it was all a bit confusing. Just over £10 deduction each had been made for the early bird dishes, one main dish had a £2.50 supplement added and a 10% service charge had also been stuck on the end bringing the total bill with wine to £54. Not bad considering we had the wine too, but not a bargain for an early midweek tea either. (And added service charges REALLY annoy me).

The restaurant is really nice inside, the decor is fairly simple and neutral but feels warm and inviting. The addition of candles on the table makes it feel really quite special and romantic, even on a damp Wednesday teatime.

What I would really like to see, is if they are going to offer and early bird, a separate menu done for the purpose detailing what exactly can be had and for what price. I wasn't the only one this would have been of use for, I also heard another couple debating the same while we were there, and I think one of them decided not to go with a dish from the specials board that he wanted because he wasn't sure if it was included or not.

Brasserie at West Park
*Relaxed, romantic atmosphere
*Good sized portions & interesting dishes
*Early bird menu needs clarifying

269 Otley Road,
West Park,
Leeds,
LS16 5LN

Website

Grub excursion: Lytham

2011-10-25T11:48:00.000+01:00

I was in Lytham last week to see my friend James Butcher to play in a concert. I stopped for a quick snack at Seniors fish shop after getting off the train.

I noticed that as well as the usual cod and haddock they also had sea bass and calamari on the take away menu. The staff were super polite and helpful to me and all of the customers that were served while I was in the shop . I ordered a fish butty, they charged about £3. Fish butty was not on the menu but he sorted one out for me anyway. (It sounds daft but I have encountered problems with this in the past in other chippies).

I wasn't going to bother mentioning it and I wouldn't have thought much else about it except that this fish butty was AMAZING! The fish was really delicate and the batter was really light and crisp- some of the best fish batter I have ever tasted. I just wish that I had the time to sit down properly and eat a full meal there.

I have since noticed on their website that they were voted 2nd best chippie in the UK this year, looks like this is a well deserved award.

Seniors fish and chips
*Good value
*Really light crisp batter
*Award winning

97-99 Clifton Street,
Lytham
Lancashire,
FY8 5EH
Tel: 01253 734445
Website

Cornucopia

2011-10-22T19:16:00.000+01:00

I visited this new food event in the Corn Exchange today. Its a bit like a farmers market, with lots of fantastic independent food producers selling their wares under the cover of the Corn Exchange's lovely roof!

Stalls included Swillington Organic Farm, Dough Bistro, Yummy Yank, Fayre by Alley and all sorts of other treats.

The event carries on tomorrow 10am - 4pm cornucopia-leeds.co.uk

This Weekend...

2011-10-19T19:10:00.002+01:00

News

2011-10-19T17:55:00.000+01:00

I don't know what has happened to October, sorry about the lack of reviews, but I seem to keep going to the same old places.

Had another fantastic meal with my sister at Saffran which is at the bottom of Kirkgate. We took our own wine and then had three courses (pudding was a shared plate of baklava as we were stuffed!) The bill was about £35, and to be honest, there was so much food left over, another person could have eaten with us for that price!

I have been behind the scenes at Salts Deli for Culture Vulture. You can read about it here. I am doing another behind the scenes later in the week at another favourite place of mine, so look out for that.

I have had lunch at the Fish& van on Commercial Street a couple of times. They have a facebook page if you want to look. In essence its a fish and chip takeaway van, but the fish is all sustainable sourced. They sell the Hughs fish fight MacBap and they also do interesting flavoured batters as well as the traditional.

They new Bottega Milanese in the Light is going from strength to strength. I have been in there a few times this week to try all manner of speciality cakes and treats that are now being stocked.

Leeds Women's Aid Fundraiser

2011-10-17T13:24:00.000+01:00

Early Bird and Deals Round Up...

2011-10-17T12:20:00.002+01:00

These lists are always popular and its been ages since my last update of the best early bird and midweek deals around Leeds. All these details are correct at time of writing, but please check with the restaurant before you go that the offer is still running. Also I have not eaten at all of these places yet so I cant vouch for quality either...

Please comment if you know of any others and I will add them to the list.

Early Birds

Sams Chop House: Hearty traditional food, in a great Victorian themed dining room. Market menu is £11.99 for 2, 13.99 for 3 courses Monday to Saturday, lunchtimes and early evenings Website (Get the corned beef hash, its immense).

Kendells Bistro: Classic French bistro. The pre theatre menu is available Tuesday – Saturday 5.30 – 7.00 pm £24.95 for 3 courses and 1/2 bottle of house wine (Less without the wine) Website

Brasserie 44: Another traditional restaurant with a classic menu. £23.95 for 3 courses and 1/2 bottle of wine every day from 5pm-7pm Website

River Plate: Great Argentine steak house, currently offering a 20% discount before 7pm Mon-Thurs, book over the phone and quote 'Tango' .Website

Sous Le Nez: French bistro style food. 3 courses and 1/2 bottle of wine £24.95 Mon-Thurs 6-7:30pm Fri&Sat 6-7pm Website

Create: All day set menu 3 courses £13.95 at lunch, £16.95 for dinner. Website

Brasserie Blanc: Three courses for £13.95 Website

Lounge: Pre theatre menu, £14.95 for three courses with wine before 7pm Website

Tampopo: Eastern express menu, £7.95 for a main with a side dish from 12pm- 7pm Website

Salvos, Headingley: Voted by The F Word as best Local Italian. 3 courses with coffee for £16.50 Mon-Fri before 7pm Website

Olive Tree: Greek restaurant, 3 locations through the city. 3 courses for £14.95 Mon-Sat 6-7pm, all evening Sunday. Website The restaurants Italian cousin Giorgios in Headingley does a similar deal Website

Thai Sabai (also in Headingley) does 2 courses and a drink for £9.95 before 7pm. Website

Hummingbird Kitchen and Bar, Chapel Allerton: Three courses for £15.95 6pm-7.30pm Mon- Thurs Website
Wasabi TeppanYaki: 6pm-7pm £22 for 3 courses Website

Amaan's, Morley: 3 courses for £10 before 8pm on weekdays Website

Bistrot Pierre, Ilkley: 2 courses before 7pm for £13.90 Website

Happy Mondays... (And some Tuesdays too)

Oracle: This trendy riverside bar is offering all of its menu at 1/2 price on Mondays Website

Box: Headingley Student bar, 40% off food on Mondays (all off the Arc inspiration bars- Arc, Trio, Zed, Hub, Napa, Kobe etc-have similar offers) Website

Azucar: Half price tapas on a Tuesday Website

The Crescent, Ilkley

2011-10-02T05:51:00.000+01:00

Just so you know, I was invited along to write this post and they paid for my meal and drinks.

The Crescent Inn is a fairly new refurbishment. It consists of a cosy country pub, an 11 bed boutique hotel and a large bistro.

We decided to eat in the Le Bistrot Pierre rather than the pub area (which offers dishes such as fish and chips, burgers and steak).

We ordered from the bistro lunch menu priced at £11.95 for three courses. Each course has at least five dishes to choose from, all fairly simple classic French dishes with classic combinations of flavours.

We chose an additional aperitif of honey glazed chorizo £2.75 for five little sausages, they were tasty enough to justify the price.

Emma had a salad of grilled goats cheese and beetroot, beautifully presented, the dash of raspberry dressing provided enough sweetness to contrast with the acidity of the cheese.

I had a fricassee of mushrooms and bacon on toasted brioche, this was simple but really good, proper comfort food.

Emma for her main course had pork cooked firstly sous- vide and then pan fried. A piece of smoked garlic sausage added extra succulence and flavour. The meat was really tender due to its slow cooking. This came with seasonal veg and herby potatoes.

I had a eggs benedict type dish made with smoked haddock, spinach, a perfect runny free range egg and a big blob of rich hollandaise sauce. This sauce looked like it had suffered a bit from waiting too long under a heat lamp but actually the flavour was not affected. I opted for the salad accompaniment. Eggs Benedict is my favourite breakfast and I found this smoked haddock version as equally as pleasing for a lunch.

We were stuffed but it was free so we persisted on with pudding. A lovely lemon tart was topped with raspberry sorbet. The only other fault that I could find with the cooking was that the dense chocolate mousse that was laced with grand manier had a very slight, unusual grainy texture (although I still finished all of it and the piece of shortbread that came with it).

Our service of course was very good but I noticed that everyone in our part of the restaurant was receiving a level of attention and treatment equal to us.

The decor varied in the different parts of the restaurant. We were sat in an area where powder pink couches lined the room, and there were mirrors, glass lampshades and lime waxed wood fixtures. All that was missing from this French boudoir scheme was a white toy poodle. I loved it and would like to imagine that if Marie Antoinette were alive today, her salons and boudoirs might look a little like this too. Other parts of the restaurant are decorated more conservatively, so maybe sit there if you are eating out with the lads.

I think with the extra appetiser, a glass of wine and coffee each the bill for the two of us would have been around the £40 mark. Not bad for a lavish lunch that left me so full that I couldn't eat any tea that night. This lunch menu per head is a whole fiver less than afternoon tea at Betty's, and even with a glass of wine its probably still cheaper! This to me is good value for money.

We got to take a little sneak peak around the lovely boutique hotel. Rooms cost £55-£120 depending on room/ date. This includes all you can eat from the breakfast menu in the morning. Bargain.

This is a small group of family run restaurants, with other ventures across Yorkshire and the Midlands. The attention to detail and the close involvement of the owners in every venue means that this still has the passion of an independent but with the slick organisation of a chain. Worth checking out if you are in Ilkley or are looking for a destination for a day trip.

Le Bistrot Pierre
*Simple dishes well done
*Great value lunch menu
*Lovely surroundings

Brook Street,
Ilkley,
West Yorkshire,
LS29 8DG.

01943 811 255
Website

Auchentoshan tasting at Nation of Shopkeepers

2011-09-29T13:19:00.001+01:00

I was invited along by Auchentoshan (ock-un-tosh-un), a single malt Scotch company to have a tasting of their range. They provided us with a few delicious refreshing cocktails of the 'Classic' mixed with orange and ginger.

We were than sat down at the table while the expert from the company who talked us through the blends. Established in 1823 Auchentoshan is located near to Glasgow and is the only distillery of single malt to triple distill.

I am not a whisky expert but I can still tell the difference between something that is nice to sip and something that makes your face crumple when your drink it.

The classic was a bit harsh for me to drink straight but with the vanilla flavours from being matured in bourbon casks it went perfectly well mixed with ginger ale.

The 12 year old was obviously an improvement hand had noticeable honey notes.

The Three Wood like the name suggests has been matured in three different types of wood. After starting in the bourbon casks, it's moved to Oloroso sherry casks and then finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry barrels. This was easily my favourite and as a non whisky drinker I would happily sit and sip this straight. The tasting notes suggest butterscotch, toffee, fruit and syrup. Lovely.

What has this got to do with Leeds? Not much really except that as I said, the event was hosted at Nation of Shopkeepers. I like Nation as a concept, the interior is cool and the bar is often more a destination, like today where along side the whisky tasting there were stalls and arty things going on.

Unfortunately I have on several occasions been disappointed by this place. Bar staff are often slow- even on a weekend night when the place is packed and they often seem more concerned with parading their ultra cool haircuts and ironic-chic ~~second hand~~ I mean vintage clothing to bother with things like giving a shit about thirsty customers.

Anyway Rachel and I arrived separately. When Rachel asked for the organiser Lucy she was told 'stand there, they will come and find you' and was left there to wait. When I asked for the same from someone who looked like he was in charge he replied brusquely 'who?' so I said 'Lucy, she is in charge of the whisky tasting'... 'WHO?...WHAT?' then someone from the Auchentoshan team overheard and intercepted with a polite greeting and a handshake.

As part of the deal the people from Auchenonsahn shouted us lunch at Nation.We decided on beef roast dinner that the menu claimed 'would shame your mother' priced at £8.95 each.

The meals arrived and Rachel's Yorkshire pudding looked sadly deflated. I did finish my dish because I was starving but it wasn't great. The meat varied from ok to tough and the roast potatoes were soggy on the outside and hard in the middle. Like I said, we didn't pay but if we had, we all agreed that we would have been aggrieved to part with £8.95 for it.

Its a shame that it all seems a bit complacent, they make their money because people like to go and hang out there but as a restaurant its poor and a bar its OK as long as someone else goes to get the drinks in so that you don't have to personally contend with the staff.

So in summary, Hooray to Auchentoshan, Boooo to Nation. Drink the whisky, but not in there.

Auchentoshan
Nation of Shopkeepers

Deli Central, Wakefield

2011-09-28T21:15:00.001+01:00

I popped over to Wakefield last week to meet up with a friend for lunch and shopping.

She recommended we go to Deli Central. It was too windy to sit outside, which was a shame as there are plenty of seating looking over the pedestrianised area and fountain at the Bullring.

Inside the cafe, there are shelves packed with lovely deli goods such as jars of pickles and bottles of wine. The refrigerated counters run up the other side of the room. In there was a selection of salads, cakes and a fantastic array of cheeses.

We ordered a pot of tea and two portions of the homemade quiche, and then sat back and had a lovely chat and a cuppa while we waited. And waited. After 15 minutes we wondered what was taking so long and asked for our food.

The person at the till went to investigate. A very apologetic waitress came out to speak to us- she had forgotten to pass the order the kitchen. We then watched as she and another member of staff scurried away to the kitchen double time with the quiche. Our meals came out a minute later.

The quiche itself was a really good home made home made job and the salads that came with it were varied with nice dressings.

When we got up to the pay, the man who looked to be the manager dashed over to the till and then without prompting apologised for the delay in food and offered to knock the price of the drinks off the bill as a gesture of good will. At £6.45 a portion (including salad) its not the cheapest, but you get what you pay for- and this was all freshly prepared, home made stuff.

So the meal was not ideal due to the delay but everyone makes mistakes and I was impressed at the way the waitress straight up confessed the mistake and then everyone pulled in together to get it fixed. It shows that the place has a great attitude towards customer service and as a result I would happily go back.

Deli Central
*Comfortable surroundings
*Great customer service
*Tasty light meals

20 Northgate
The Bull Ring
Wakefield
WF1 3AA

01924 365 102
Wakefield

Leeds House Cafe

2011-09-26T14:23:00.000+01:00

This is a little cafe on the edge of the market square in the centre of Otley.

I was in a bit of a rush and told the lady at the counter this when I arrived and asked if I could place my order. She told us to sit down and someone would be over. After 5 minutes no one had arrived so I went back to the counter and asked again to order. The lady looked a tad peeved and said someone would be over to take the order so I did as I was told and sat back down.

The girl who came to take the order was much more polite and took the orders and bought the bill back over so we could pay straight away. She warned us that there could be a 20 min wait for the food which we accepted as by this time I was probably going to be late anyway.

The menu was all pretty simple toasties and sandwiches. All priced reasonably and all coming with a nice amount of salad and coleslaw.

I can only assume the presentation of the club toastie was in honour of the Rugby World Cup, as otherwise the skewers poking from the top would be ludicrous... and we weren't entirely sure what had taken 20 minutes to prepare.

Anyway, the food was all very nice and as I say priced quite reasonably (About £16 for the total bill). The location is nice with views over the market square. The buildings old character and charm is marred a bit by the 'trendy' interior but I wasn't too bothered by this.

All in all I have mixed feelings, as the food was cheap and cheerful and it was nice to sit with a drink and watch people go by, but the terse greeting and the long wait for what was a simple dish put a dampener on things a little.

Leeds House Cafe
*Simple cafe menu
*Pleasant surroundings
*Service needs improvement

Market Place,
Otley,
LS21 3AQ

The Fleece, Otley

2011-09-26T11:48:00.000+01:00

This is one of a number of pubs that has been newly refurbished in Otley.

A 5 minute walk out of the centre of Otley, the effort to get there is worth it as the pub is modern but retains a comfortable country pub feel.

The menu is an interesting mix of British classics presented in tapas and sharing platter form.

We ordered at the bar and enjoyed a pint of the Wharfebank hand pulled ale as we waited for the food to arrive.

I ordered 'The Big Pig' which when it came consisted of 2 sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, pork belly and pork loin, crackling, apple sauce, stuffing and huge chunky chips (that were more the size of roast potatoes).Oh yep and some gravy too.

In all honesty this would have been more than sufficient for two to share for lunch or as a mega drinking snack between a table.

It was all pretty simple, the main feature of the dish being the decent quality of the meat used.

Liam had an impressive looking steak and ale pie, with home made pastry and green veg.

Both dishes were £9.95 each which are the most expensive dishes- lunch plates start at just £4. The food was simple but of such a good standard I want to go back to try all of the other things on the menu.

On the subject of recently refurbished pubs... The Bowling Green has been taken over by Weatherspoons, its standard of the chain- comfortable interior, nice toilets and a decent selection of ales at a good price. The Old Cock is old and quaint and cosy. They are a free house with 8 hand pumps that they use to showcase and champion ales from local micro breweries.

The Fleece
*Comfortable and modern
*Delicious food
*Good value tapas concept

Westgate,
Otley,
LS21 3DT

01943 465 034
Website

Yorkshire food and drink fair

2011-09-25T12:55:00.001+01:00

Bit of a lazy post- this looks to be an interesting event on Tuesday, see the flyer and a cut and past from the press release!

"The Yorkshire Food & Drink Fair takes place in its second year at Leeds Met, a fantastic venue for a fun day out full of scrumptious tastings and an opportunity to buy some of the fantastic produce that Yorkshire has to offer.

What’s more, Mark Dale and his Circus of Food will be demonstrating throughout the day to show you how you can make some mouth-watering recipes with some of Yorkshire’s most talented chefs including Stephanie Moon from BBC’s Great British Menu 2011, Terry Quinn from Malham’s Lister Arms and Ashley McCarthy from Colton’s Ye Old Sun Inn.

If you love food and drink, you’ll love the Yorkshire Food & Drink Fair and entry is completely FREE!"

Pinche Pinche

2011-09-17T00:55:00.003+01:00

This is a brand shiny new restaurant in Chapel Allerton, in the same location as the much loved (by me at least) Salsa Mexicana. Its the same owner/ chef as it happens. The menu has been streamlined and re jigged and now is focused towards Mexican street food- more like tapas if you will.

There is also a fantastic new tequila menu, something I know not much about but the staff were more than happy to describe the types of tequila on offer. This is not the type of tequila you chuck back with a bite of lime to finish- good tequila has as many nuances as a fine whisky and should be enjoyed in the same way- sipped and savoured from a specially shaped glass. All of the tequilas here are 100% blue agave (poor quality tequilas can be made with as little as 51% of this).

Dan and I decided that instead of choosing from the menu that owner Simon should just send out from the kitchen dishes that he thought that we should have.

First up we shared Tostadas, crispy corn tortillas, one topped with Ceviche (fish 'cooked' by being marinaded in citrus juices) and the other with Nopales- cactus leaf. I have had a version of the civeche before from the old menu- light and delicate and complimented by the fresh herbs and citrus juices. The cactus leaf had a tangy flavour from being marinaded in lime juice and had a firm but juicy texture a little bit like roasted peppers- absolutely delicious and worth a consideration if you like to try new things.

We then tried two varieties of street tacos. These are served in traditional soft tortillas (as opposed to the crisp taco shells which are an American invention) We had the Carne Asada (£4.50) Char-grilled steak in a chili marinade and the Cameron (£5.50) King prawns sautéed with chipotle and lime juice topped with mango salsa. The steak was still a bit on the rare side and really tender. The mango salsa was a fantastic compliment to the plump prawns.

We were then served slow cooked belly ribs (Costillas) (£6.00) in an orange and roasted tomato marinade and served with tomatillo rib sauce. The sauce was delicious but sadly didn't permeate that far into the meat, however the slow cooking meant that the meat was melt in the mouth tender.

A dish of guacamole followed with tortillas. This was a refreshing interlude before we went on to try the wild card dish of Mole Poblano (£8.00) consisting of poached chicken breast with a mole sauce made from chiles, nuts and a hint of Mexican chocolate. This was served with toasted sesame seeds and topped with sliced radishes and coriander served with refried black beans.

The black beans were fantastic, however the sauce was not to my liking, I think because the flavour of the toasted sesame seeds (which I don't really like) was overpowering the more subtle savory chocolate sauce.

For pudding we had a light bite option of churros- fried pieces of donut like batter, served with a fantastic toffee sauce. Great with hot chocolate and great if like us you want something sweet to end the meal but cant face anything too substantial.

I washed all of this down with a couple of tequila cocktails (£6 each) and a measure of the sipping tequila to finish.

The bill for all this feast for 2 including drinks was £65. We were totally stuffed after this six course banquet- it wouldn't be necessary to order this much for a normal meal, Dan and I just got over excited!

As part of the new look, there has been a total redecoration inside. Contrasting citrus hues on the walls and textiles bring a fresh modern look to the restaurant, and the relocation of the bar to the back of the room means that a lot more light is coming in through the window now.

If you liked Salsa Mexicana before, you will love Pinche Pinche, and if for what ever reason you weren't a fan of Salsa Mex, I think you need to give Pinche Pinche the benefit of the doubt and go to take a look at the fresh decor and revised menu.

*Bight and modern
*Fresh, authentic Mexican street food
*Great Tequila menu

116a Harrogate Road
Chapel Allerton
Leeds
LS7 4NY

0113 2681110

Website

Cattle Grid

2011-09-07T19:00:00.004+01:00

Post first published 04/07/2011

This restaurant has only just opened last week. A small mainly London based chain until now, the selling point of this restaurant is good steak, sourced directly from suppliers to cut down on price. Prices are honest, there are no hidden cover/ service charges (more of a problem in London I guess) and they are family friendly by the look of the children's menu and changing table in the loos.

I wanted to have a steak because that is what the restaurant is known for however I saw the burgers and I couldn't resist. I went for the brie and caramelised onion topping and had to order chips separately (but they come included if you get a steak).

The food came out quickly. The burger was huge, the cocktail stick holding it together had got lost in the bun, loads of nice salad and loads of cheese.

The twice fried skin on fries were good and crispy. I was slightly disappointed at first with the burger as it was well cooked and I really like rare meat but as soon as I tasted it my doubts were dispelled- the meat was really tasty and juicy and I realised that this was a really flippin good burger.

The bill with chips and a coke was £12.95. I think that was a fair price. As for the steaks, they only sell one size in each cut- 10oz. With chips included they are very competitively priced in comparison with the other steak houses in the vicinity.

No reinventing of the wheel here, just a basic done well at a good price.

Cattle Grid
*Tasty food
*Competitive prices
*Laid back environment.

Unit 1,
Waterloo House,
Assembly Street,
LS2 7DE

0113 242 1872 ‎

Website

*UPDATED 07/09/2011* Last night I was lucky enough to go along with Culture Vultures for a free blogger dinner at Cattle Grid.

As I had already done this recent review I felt a bit 'off duty' and didn't pay as much attention as others who were going for the first time.

We shared the regular and piri piri ribs for a starter which I can honestly say were the best I have ever had and my steak was great although there were mixed reviews on this.

Here are some other accounts of the night that give a more rounded view.

Just for the record, I think the chips must have been done in batches as my chips were crispy in comparison to others on the table.

Dave from Northern Food
Penny from Bronchia

Grub Excursion #25 Whitby: Humble Pie 'n' Mash

2011-08-27T23:50:00.001+01:00

Recommended by @katie_buffalo the Humble Pie shop in Whitby is a cute little 40's themed cafe where the menu consists almost exclusively of home made pies.

Its all pretty simple stuff, all dishes are £4.99 including mash, peas and gravy and the meals come served on old fashioned tin plates.

I had the corned beef and potato pie. Like the menu stated, there was more meat than potato and was really delicious. The website says that they get the flour for the pastry milled to their own specifications and the meat is sourced from a local butchers. The mash was really smooth and buttery, the gravy however tasted as if it had been made from granules (but actually I didn't mind this- it was sort of nostalgic).

All this was served with a mug of tea. Because of the simple menu the service was all pretty quick. The only problem, like anywhere in Whitby this time of year, it was crazy busy, but we did find some space to sit upstairs away from the hustle and bustle of the main area downstairs.

We enjoyed this meal even though it was a warm August day. I could imagine this place really coming into its own on a cold dark rainy winters day as this is really good comfort food.

Humble Pie 'n' Mash
*Traditional home made pies
*Good value
*Cute but busy restaurant

163 Church Street,
Whitby,
North Yorkshire
YO22 4AS

Website

LS6 Cafe

2011-08-15T21:12:00.000+01:00

Located on Hyde Park cafe, this is a large and rather cool cafe previously known as Clock Cafe. There are a few tables on the pavement if you want to breath in the exhaust from the number 1 as it sits waiting for the traffic lights to change, otherwise you can sit inside and enjoy the retro decor of 70's wall paper and collections of clocks and mirrors on the walls.

I went with Emma who has been there a few times. She had been served at the table in the past. On this occasion we took the menus and showed ourselves to the table. Once we had decided on our meal we had to go back to the till to find a member of staff to order.

There seemed to be a bit of a tense atmosphere and staff were muttering dashing in and out of the back rooms so I wonder if they had had a bit of an emergency that they were frantically trying to sort. Regardless, the lady at the counter put on a brave smile and politely took the orders.

Drinks were followed swiftly by the food. Portions were huge for the price. I ordered a smoothie which came in a pint glass and my Eggs Benedict (made with salmon at my request) came with two runny poached eggs, lots of salmon and plenty of home made hollandaise sauce.

Emma's salad had plenty of bacon and two huge pieces of pesto bread on the side.

The bill was just under £10 each.

Looking at the menu there was a good range of breakfasts (served until 4pm) and some interesting looking salads and sandwiches including a fair few veggie options.

The lack of service was a bit disappointing but Em reassured me that this was not the norm. Otherwise we had a great meal. A cool little cafe, quiet at the moment due to the absence of the students- take advantage while you can.

*Huge portions
*Funky surroundings
*Fair prices

16A Headingley Lane
Hyde Park
LS6 2AS Leeds
0113 294 5464

Facebook Page

Wasabi Tappanyaki

2011-08-14T15:05:00.000+01:00

Located in the Dark Arches, this restaurant has to be benefiting from the regeneration of Granary Wharf. I have avoided Wasabi in the past as I have perceived it as being quite expensive in relation to other oriental restaurants in the city. On this occasion we took advantage of the lunch set menu which costs a rather more reasonable £10-£15 for 3 courses depending on what dish you choose.

Tappanyaki is Japanese style food, were your meal is cooked by a chef in front of you at a hotplate set into the table. Tappanyaki always combines an entertainment element with the cooking - we saw alcohol being set alight on the grill and eggs being juggled along with other acts of showboating. This is great for large group meals and children love it. We went as a group of 5 which included a 10 year old who had never been to such a restaurant before.

We picked our meals at the bar before being shown to the table. A bowl of miso soup was provided by way of a starter which we sipped on as the chef began his routine of flame and food throwing. We then watched as the chef made egg fried rice, cooked the meat that we had chosen and then finished with a vegetable stir fry which we were given as a side order.

I had sea bass option for around £10. Other choices included teriyaki chicken, steak and lamb fillet.

The meal was rounded of with a bowl of rather good chocolate ice cream.

Although tasty, in essence this was only quite a basic stir fry, with any great deal of variation being restricted by the style of cooking at the table- tappanyaki is more about the entertainment and total experience rather than exceptional food.

Including the two glasses of coke that I had, my share of the bill totalled £15, not bad for lunch especially with the inclusion of the novelty entertainment element. A great idea for a birthday party for teenagers or a family summer holiday treat- I would recommend going with a group or in the evening when it is busy to make the best of the atmosphere and the show.

Wasabi Tappanyaki
*Japanese food with a difference
*Good value lunch menu
*Novel and entertaining

Granary Wharf
Leeds
LS1 4BR
0113 245 1856

Website

Viva Pizzeria

2011-08-14T13:51:00.000+01:00

This is another place that I have been meaning to go to for ages and I don't know why I haven't been before. It looks from the outside to be a little cozy family restaurant and on the inside we found that is exactly what it is.

The decor is a little bit old fashioned but has an authentic charm to it. Sorry if if the descriptions of the food in this post are a bit loose, but I never take notes when I dine and usually refer back to a restaurants menu online for details and prices - Viva doesn't have a website. (So OK, we had come from North Bar so I might have been a bit tiddly and I had only had 3 1/2 hours sleep after a night shift the day before and that is also why I can't really remember a lot of the details).

We shared a starter of calamari which was what I would call 'continental style' i.e. all the little tentacles still attached. It was a simple dish but it was spot on, crisp batter, soft squid, nice garlicky dipping sauce.

For the main course I had a chicken Calazone pizza- this is a pizza folded up like a Cornish pasty and stuffed with cheese, meat and veg. Again pretty simple but done exceptionally well, with a big pool of tomato sauce on the side.

The triumph was Liam's 'surf n turf' type meal, huge prawns and a big piece of steak, all cooked perfectly, it was a few quid more than the other dishes from what I remember but we thought at the time worth every penny as it was delicious.

There was a traditional list of puddings. I had the affogato- a scoop of ice cream 'drowned' in espresso and amaretto, Liam went for the vanilla ice cream - nothing ground breaking but all really nice.

The bill with two large glasses of wine was £54. Not the cheapest, but we did have three good courses and everything including the service was spot on so more than worth the price. (They did have a very reasonable looking early bird menu that would be worth checking out too).

*Traditional family style Italian restaurant
*Delicious food
*Great service and atmosphere

9-11 Bridge End,
Leeds,
LS1 7HG
01132 420185

New York Fish and Chips

2011-08-10T11:26:00.000+01:00

I have noticed that in recent weeks the sister venture to Little Oven on New York street has changed from deli to chippy.

Little oven is great, not the peak of gastronomic excellence, but decent and cheap- perfect for a late night snack on the way home from town.

I can't say that I was overly confident about the chippy- and I was right. The prices are really cheap £3.80 for a decent sized portion of fish and chips. The fish was alright- quite firm and obviously not haddock or cod (which I actually don't mind as I would rather have something more sustainable like pollack or coley anyway). The batter was nice too.

The let down came with the chips. They were really dry and flavourless. It wasn't that busy when I went and I think they had been sat around too long. They were pretty much inedible which was a shame. Maybe on a busier night they would have been fine and this would have been a good value meal, but it wasn't even worth the bargain price on this occasion.

NY Chippy
*Very cheap prices
*Reasonable portions for the price
*Poor quality food

48 New York Street,
Leeds,
LS2 7DY

Cafe 164

2011-08-10T00:44:00.002+01:00

This is the younger sibling to the established Bakery 164 sandwich shop opposite the university on Woodhouse Lane.

Located in Munro house near the bus station, this looks like the start of some very exciting happenings for the building.

The cafe is in very early days- it only opened last Monday so they are still finding their feet. Sandwiches are prepared at the Woodhouse lane shop with their own bread baked in house with the usual imaginative fillings.

This does mean that you have to choose from what is there as they are not making things to order and the menu is limited to sandwiches and salads with coffee or a canned/ bottled drink.

They had nearly sold out when I went (they had been doubling stock every day) so I had a limited choice. I went for a sandwich of hummous, olives, jalapino and salad. Apart from being a little on the hot side, it was really enjoyable and the bread was amazing.

There was no plate and the coffee was in a paper cup. I personally prefer a proper cup if sitting in but as I have said before, its early days so this might come about later.

The surroundings are really cool and arty and there was a range of hand made Tshirts up on the wall available to buy. This is a really nice addition to the independent Leeds cafe scene.

*UPDATED 15/08/2011* Today was the official launch of the cafe. They now have proper cups and plates.

Cafe 164
*Cool cafe
*Great tasting sandwiches
*Still finding its feet

Munro House

Duke St,
Leeds,
LS9 8AG

Sunday Lunch in a Bag

2011-08-06T12:52:00.001+01:00

Taken directly from the Source Leeds Website, because its a fantastic idea and I couldn't explain it any better...

Ever wondered how many spuds you need for 4 people, what a pound / kilo of carrots looks like, what kind of beef joint to order?

Now The Source makes it simple with the Sunday Lunch in a Bag.

1. Simply download and print the PDF – take it down to Leeds Kirkgate Market (with a sturdy bag) and look for the participating traders – you’ll see the ‘Sunday Lunch in a Bag’ signs.

2. Show the PDF to a veg trader, tell them how many people you are feeding and they’ll give you the right amount of spuds and veg – they’ll also give you a 10% discount!

3. Pop along to one of the participating butchers and ask for beef, lamb, chicken or pork, tell them how many people you are cooking for, and they’ll give you a superb roasting joint – and another 10% discount!

You get a great deal on seasonal food with no need to worry about how to order…

Tasty! Easy! Great value!

Click here now! Sunday Lunch in a Bag

Afternoon Tea at Bettys Ilkley

2011-08-04T12:10:00.000+01:00

After a morning of visiting a vintage fair and the lovely homeware shops in Ilkley Emma and I dropped into Betty's for afternoon tea.

Its a classic and you get everything you expect to find... from the queue to be seated (only 5 mins on this occasion) to the super polite staff in their old fashioned blouses.

We had the full afternoon tea at £16.50 with choice of sandwiches, scone with cream and jam and mini cake selection.

Silver tea pot, lovely leaf tea, little strainer, tiered cake plate, grannies dressed up to the nines, Betty's is the bench mark for this kind of thing.

Service was a bit slow and its so busy that you feel like you are on a bit of a conveyor belt but the staff didn't make us feel rushed and all in all it was a very nice experience.

Betty's Tea Room

*Traditional cream tea
*Lovely presentation
*Pricey but nice

32 The Grove
Ilkley,
LS29 9EE

01943 608 029

Website

Sunday Lunch at Midnight Bell

2011-08-04T11:54:00.000+01:00

We took advantage of the weekend sunshine and sat in the Bell's lovely large patio area to have our lunch. There is a reasonably large menu available on a Sunday but we went straight for the roasts.

I had beef at £10.95 which came with all the trimmings. Loads of meat still a bit pink and a mild horseradish cream sauce to accompany it.

The summer veg was cooked nicely so that they still retained their flavour and texture and the potatoes were nice and crispy. Faultless.

The lavender scented creme brulee was served with some stewed berries and a short bread biscuit. A perfect combination of flavours and textures.

Not the cheapest but really enjoyable and only a few quid more than a Sunday carvery- worth it in my opinion.

Service was friendly but a but over zealous with three members of staff visiting the table in 5 minutes to check if everything was ok... this drives me mad as it can be quite disruptive to the meal and is so easily solved with a bit of organisation. This was the only irk in an otherwise fantastic meal.

The Midnight Bell
*Lovely pub garden
*Proper roast with all the trimmings
*Good ale selection

101 Water Lane
Holbeck
LS11 5QN

0113 2445044

Website

The Yorkshire Sausage

2011-08-03T11:43:00.001+01:00

On Monday (AKA Yorkhsire Day) Lishman’s butchers of Ilkley announced their winning formula for the Yorkshire sausage

As previously reported on Culture Vulture, David Lishman has been touring around the county with 6 possible contenders of his own invention. In the end, over 3000 members of the public at food festivals, sporting events and the Yorkshire show tried and then voted for their favourite recipe.

TV chef Rosemary Shrager was there to announce the winner as variety A, described as a simple all rounder seasoned with salt, pepper, mace, ground coriander, nutmeg and parsley

David will share this recipe with other butchers with the idea that the Yorkshire sausage will become as common place on the dining table as the Lincolnshire and Cumberland varieties.

If you want to try the Yorkshire sausage for yourself they will be available to buy from the Lishman's shop in Ilkley and from Morrisons in Keighley, Bradford Victoria, Enterprise 5 Bradford, Guiseley, Yeadon, Heckmondwike, Huddersfield Waterloo, Kirkstall and Morley.or why don’t you ask your local butcher to get the recipe and make a batch?

Lishman's of Ilkley Website

Pink Gorilla

2011-07-29T19:35:00.000+01:00

Like discounts? Have an iphone? There is a free app available from Pink Gorilla where you can access all sorts of discounts in Leeds shops, restaurants, bars and entertainment venues.

If you don't have an iphone you can still have the vouchers emailed to your phone- just show the voucher on your screen to the participating business to get your discount.

Pink Gorilla Website

The Agora

2011-07-29T18:02:00.000+01:00

Emma suggested this fairly new cafe after vising last week for dinner. The lunch menu is £8.50 for two courses and £11.50 for three.

The inside of the cafe is fairly simple decorated, feeling more like an up market cafe than a formal restaurant.
The menu was concise but authentic sounding.

I chose the filo pastry stuffed with feta and Emma had the mixed dips. The hummus was obviously home made as were the breads and dressing. The salad was a little past it but not to the point of being a problem.

We both had meatballs for main, served in a miniature casserole dish, the meat balls came in a richly seasoned sauce with sliced potatoes, veg and melted cheese. The side order of chips was probably an unnecessary addition, only there to appease the English customer as the potatoes in the stew were enough on their own. The food was all fairly simple but delicious in a hearty/ rustic kind of way.

For pudding we shared some fantastic baklava

The bill with a couple of soft drinks each was £24. Fantastic value in my opinion for a huge delicious lunch. Service was attentive and polite. There are nice big booth seats in the restaurant and I think this could be a really great place in the evenings for a relaxed informal meal with friends.

*Concise authentic menu
*Delicious food
*Well priced lunch deal

55a Otley Road
Leeds
LS6 2

A tribute

2011-07-28T18:39:00.001+01:00

May Jones

AKA Grandma

29th March 1922 - 12th July 2011

Born 29th March 1922 in Hackney, London, May was number ten of eleven children in Charles and Lydia Sayers’ family.

May always spoke fondly of her childhood and family life, telling stories of her older siblings, large family gatherings, playing with their Old English sheep dog and her allocated chore of scrubbing the steps of the house.

May was always bright and academic. School life for her was enjoyable and by her own admission she smugly recalled being a bit of a teachers pet, being allowed to ring the school bell and getting to sit in the Headmistresses office.

She would of stayed longer in her studies but as was common at that time she left school at 16 and entered the world of work. She joined the insurance company Liverpool Victoria in Holborn as an insurance clerk.

After WWII broke out May decided that she wanted to contribute to war work but did not want to join the military as she already had 3 brothers abroad in active service and did not want to upset her mother by also putting herself at risk.

She instead moved to Furgusson radio in Enfield, who were involved in the manufacture of military radio equipment. This move also meant that she was away from central London and the worst of the Blitz.

In December 1941 conscription for women was announced. As hers was a reserved occupation May could have stayed at Fergusson’s, but she decided that she wanted to enlist in the W.A.A.F.

She was posted to Melksham where she took a technical training course learning, amongst other things, soldering and milling. After obtaining her “props” which was the equivalent of Leading Aircraft Woman, she completed a course on cameras used in aerial photography.

She was then transferred to Boscombe Down as an instrument repairer. One of her jobs was to prepare instrument panels which were taken up in aircraft for the purpose of testing and calibrating instruments.

May thoroughly enjoyed her time in the W.A.A.F. At Boscombe Down they were removed from the war and she felt that it opened out her life for her. She learned totally new skills and met people from all parts of the country and while on the camera course she even trained alongside Canadians. She also enjoyed an active social life on the base. This was very different to the sheltered life she had been leading in London before the war.

In 1944 May met a flight engineer called Alan, while playing bingo in the officer's mess. They were married in November of that year.

Alan and May's first daughter Patricia was born in August 1945. For the confinement May went to Brocket Hall, near Welwyn Garden City, which had been taken over by the City of London Hospital. May and Pat returned in recent years for a reunion event which for May brought back many happy memories.

Their second daughter Frances was born in May 1949

Immediately after the war, the family were living in Alan’s home city of Liverpool. In 1953 they moved back to Wembly in London.

She got a job in the Nat West bank, reaching the position of branch Sub manager before retiring in 1979 to rural Northamptonshire.

In retired life she enjoyed bowling and cross stitching and played an active role in the upbringing of her 4 grand children, Jonathan, Stacy, Katie and Sarah. She loved children and was delighted at the arrival of her great grand daughters, currently numbering 4.

As a person Grandma had many fine, admirable qualities. Initially quite unassuming, she loved her family and cared for us in a nurturing, firm but fair way.

Pat recalled this particular conversation from her child hood that demonstrated this fact:

Pat, do you want ice cream for lunch?

Yes please Mummy

Well go to the shop and buy some

Oh, I don't want to go

OK never mind.

And that was that, no ice cream and lesson learnt.

Jonathan remembers being supervised by Grandma at the age of 18 spending the summer sitting his parents house. Observing from home at the end of the street she gave Jonathan the free range to have his friends over and enjoy the experience but he was well aware that she was about, and pushing the limits too far and serious misbehaviours would have not been an option.

Highly intelligent she was a firm believer in education. Her games were fun but often covertly contained a lesson, from humble beginnings of plastic counting eggs and making us recite times tables in the bath, progressing to the adding up of the bill and calculating the change in the mock up corner shop in the back bedroom.

Later on she helped with our university studies, but she could never resist an opportunity to remind us of her own mental agility, ruining Stacy’s psychology degree project by far out performing her age group in a test designed to show how memory declined with age.

In many ways she was ahead of her time, open minded and forgiving, strong willed and independent. She lived and worked in a male dominated world but did not let this get in her way, holding down an unusually powerful job for a woman at that time, even arguing (and eventually winning) with a sales assistant over the need for credit on a washing machine to be secured by her lower salaried husband.

Her nurturing side and emotional fortitude were tested to their limit when Pat was diagnosed with cancer. Despite being in her late 70’s Grandma moved in with Pat to care for her and ‘held the fort’ until she was better. It is felt by everyone in the family that Grandmas help at this time was invaluable and she exceeded anything that was ever expected of her.

I don’t think anyone who knew her could say that they were not changed in some way by Grandma, whether it be a strong work ethic, being good with money, self respect, or a insatiable taste for a G&T. I know for a fact my Lemon Drizzle cake wouldn’t be what it is today without her tutoring in the kitchen.

I will miss her but I am grateful for the enormous influence that she has had on my life.

Win a £50 voucher for Tampopo

2011-07-22T23:13:00.000+01:00

I have been asked to tell you about an ace competition currently running on the Gopher Deals website where you could win one of two £50 vouchers to use in Tampopo Leeds. All you have to do to enter is answer a simple question. Go to the competition on the Gopher Deals website. The competition closes on the 7th August 2011.

If you can't wait for the competition to be drawn or you don't win you can still take advantage of a 40% off main courses with a voucher also on the Gopher Deals website.

I have been to Tampopo before a few times. Here is a review from January.

I went last night with 'Gary the Gopher' to check out the deal. We had the mixed starter which like when I had it before was a fantastic selection of the different starter dishes served with a tray of dips and sauces.

I decided on the Malaysian dish of Daging Lembu Goren for the main course. It consisted of rump steak, shallots and ginger in oyster sauce. Simple and delicious.

The coconut and rum ice cream had quite a subtle flavour. It was nice but could have done with having a stronger flavour.

Tampopo as I have said before is a solid favourite of mine, light, fragrant dishes, good value and well worth a visit, especially with a discount.

Leeds Farmers Market on Briggate

2011-07-17T13:10:00.000+01:00

The third Sunday of the month farmers market has always been a bit quiet and disappointing in comparison to the one on the first weekend. In an apparent bid to increase trade the market has been moved to Briggate on the 3rd Sunday.

I went to have a look today and was glad to see a good amount of customers browsing the 30 or so stalls selling a range of fresh meats, chocolate, jewellery, craft and bakery products.

Speaking to stall holders, there was a mixture of views, mostly positive about the prime location and increased footfall. The more sceptical were worried that once the shops opened all the trade would be siphoned away and there were also grumbles about the enforced 10am -4pm trading hours.

I hope the new location brings the farmers market to a new audience and increases the range of stalls.

Market Stall of the Week: B & M Fabrics

2011-07-07T18:29:00.000+01:00

A brilliant fabric stall in the middle of the lower part of the market. They have a huge selection of fabrics, the stock is ever changing and they always have in fashionable colours and patterns so good for clothes making and interior design.

Look out for Easter/ Halloween/ Christmas fabrics for seasonal costumes and projects and useful things like black out fabric and plastic coated table covers.

They also sell foam that they can cut to size. My friend had her sofa cushions re done for half the price quoted in an interior design shop and they were ready within a week.

Prices are really good and the staff are really knowledgeable about their stock and will spend the time helping you to find what you need for your project.

Town Hall Tavern

2011-06-24T17:48:00.001+01:00

I went to the launch night of this newly refurbished Timothy Taylor's pub a few weeks ago and was impressed by the decoration and the look of the new classically British menu. We went back last night to try the food for ourselves.

The decor on the inside keeps the feel of an old fashioned pub but has a contemporary edge with modern floral fabrics on the cushions and lamps shaped like teapots!

For starters Em had the chicken liver parfait, which came with fresh apple and some rhubarb chutney. I had a ball shaped Whitby crab fish cake filled with brown shrimp. This came with a sweet pepper sauce and chorizo. The presentation was fantastic and the flavours great.

I ordered the black pudding hash, which came with an amazing fruity home made brown sauce a slice of crispy bacon and a super runny fried egg. The 'hash' was a slightly anticlimax as it was essentially black pudding mixed in with mash. It was nice but I suppose I compare all such dishes with the corned beef hash produced by Sam's chop house, and this sadly just didn't stand up.

Emma's pie was a total hit, huge, topped with super smooth mash and accompanied by a lovely rich gravy. Fantastic.

The chocolate tart pudding tasted like chocolate brownie in a sweet pastry case. It came with nougatine parfait which was a great compliment and the presentation again was excellent.

The bill with 2 drinks each (served in old man mugs) was £51 which was reduced by 20% as an opening offer for signing up for the loyalty card. Definitely more gastro pub than pub grub, but worth the extra cost as the quality is there.

Town Hall Tavern
*Traditional food with a modern twist
*Excellent presentation
*Real Ales

17 Westgate
Leeds LS1 2RA

0113 244 0765

Website

Ilkley Beer Society

2011-06-21T00:02:00.001+01:00

Billed as an event to allow you to see the brewery and try the beer at source, Friday night was basically the proverbial piss up in a brewery. Thankfully unlike the cliché it was very well organised.

As well as a marquee in case of wet weather there were 2 bars, a raffle and a BBQ run by Lishmans butchers.

Beer was £2 a pint and you got to keep the branded glass. Something different to do on a Friday night. Well worth a visit if you like real ale and are interested in seeing where it comes from.
The next one is on the 15th July. Ilkley Brewery Website

Read my behind the scenes look at Ilkley brewery here.

Patisserie Valerie

2011-06-17T17:23:00.000+01:00

Due to a sad lack of anywhere independent in the city centre that does truly amazing patisserie products I thought I would try out Patisserie Valerie. Its a chain, and the guy on the till confessed that they cakes are delivered every 2 days from a production kitchen in Birmingham.

Nevertheless the place was rammed full (and its really small inside, tables packed in with only a narrow walkway) and the cakes looked gorgeous.

Its a bit more to sit in, but to take out fancy cake slices were about £3 each- so not cheap but everything screamed fancy/luxury/pampering from the staffs smart uniforms, being called 'Madam' by the man behind the till and the nice box and bag the cakes came in.

I had my cakes at home shared with a friend with a gossip and a bottle of wine. They were lovely.

As much as it pains me to say as it is a big chain, I would go back and enjoy a meal there because as it stands at the moment there isn't an independent in Leeds city centre that is able to compete.

Patisserie Valerie
*Fancy French style patisserie
*Lovely cakes
*Premium prices

50 Albion Street
Leeds,
LS1 6AD
0113 242 4739
Website

Market Stall of the Week: Present Times

2011-06-16T17:28:00.000+01:00

This stall used to be in what is now the Jamie's food kitchen and has since moved to a smaller spot in the centre of the market just up from the pet stall.

There is no way to describe this outlet apart from... completely potty. Circus bookmark for 2p next to a Celtic design tie pin for a quid? Present times has it, as well as note books and diaries from about 10p, and probably most usefully a large selection of gift bags, normally starting around 50p which is much less than in the high street card shops.

I always look here first if I want a note book, marker pen, comedy fridge magnet or naff Christmas ornament... I genuinely love this stall!

Afternoon Tea at Anthonys Patisserie

2011-06-16T10:32:00.001+01:00

For a birthday treat for my friend Sarah we visited the Anthony's Patisserie in the Victoria Quarter for afternoon tea. For £10.95 you get sandwiches, a scone, cake and fancies and a pot of tea.

The location is lovely under the cover of the stained glass roof of the Victoria Quarter. The big leather seats give everything a sense of luxury.

I love Anthony's brand and I had an amazing meal at the main restaurant the other week, however it frustrates me that sometimes standards are allowed to slip at the other establishments, and the commitment to the idea of a luxury brand isn't quite there.

In the case of Patisserie it was that the little plastic box used to carry the cutlery was really grubby and the teapot was chipped and stained around the lid and the spout.

Also all of the food was served on a single plate rather than a serving dish/ cake stand and the tea cups were huge coffee mugs, which detracted from the ceremony of things a little.

Its these little attentions to detail that are so easy to fix, and they annoyed me because if it had not been for these glitches I would have had a perfect experience.

The service was fine and the food was lovely! Soft little finger sandwiches had a variety of traditional fillings, the scone was still warm and there was a good variety of home made cakes and biscuits. There was plenty of food and we *almost* didn't finish!

The total bill with an extra pot of tea and service already added was £26.51. Not bad for a treat, shame it wasn't delightfully perfect!

Anthony's Patisserie
*Lovely afternoon tea
*Glam surroundings
*Slight lack of attention to detail

37 Queen Victoria Street,
Victoria Quarter,
LS1 6BD

0113 2444 222
Website

Laynes Espresso

2011-06-09T14:28:00.000+01:00

Hooorah, there is another new independent coffee shop in Leeds- Laynes Espresso. Its conveniently located on Station St (near to the train station).

The coffee is at the moment single estate Ethiopian coffee sourced directly from the grower (although this will change periodically as each harvest runs out and new beans sourced). The owner Dave explained that by sourcing his coffee in this way he is able to pay a fair price directly to the farmers.

The coffee I tried had an amazingly rich deep flavour, really unique. It will be a shame when this runs out but I am excited to see what the next batch of coffee is like.

The interior is smart and minimalist. There is a small amount of seating at the moment which is due to increase slightly in the near future.

Food includes porridge in the morning and sandwich choices which change daily. Another bonus is that the shop is open every day, 7am-7pm on weekdays. Worth checking out anyway but if you are a coffee geek, you will love this place.

Laynes Espresso
*Premium single estate coffees
*Great location and opening hours
*Small amount of seating available

16 New Station St
Leeds,
LS1 5DL

07828 823 189

Website

Market Stall of the Week: Bennett's Butchers

2011-06-08T09:34:00.000+01:00

Bennett's is quite a new contender in the butchery ~~steaks~~ stakes, set on its own near to the top of fish row.

They make their own sausages which are really good, they sell huge Desperate Dan sized steaks and the customer service is ace.

Prices are as good as, if a little better than the supermarket but there is much more choice (they even sell pigs heads if you like that kind of thing).

Anthony's Restaurant

2011-06-08T00:04:00.001+01:00

It is for good reason that Anthony's is regarded as one of the top restaurants in Leeds. Well known for being part of the 'Molecular Gastronomy' school of cooking- this was never going to be a regular restaurant experience.

I have wanted to eat here since before starting this blog and I am so fortunate to have finally been able to go.

The feeling in the restaurant was serene due to the simple, sophisticated decor and the team of unobtrusive staff who choreographed the experience from start to finish. They had a wonderful trick of appearing just at the right moment with the answer to our questions seemingly before we had even asked, and they were able to discuss the menu and wine choices with obvious knowledge.

We of course went for the tasting menu. Seven courses with portions apparently half that of the standard dishes, although after about 4 courses we were already feeling full.

This post has taken ages to write as I have been away and working so unfortunately I have forgotten all of the minute details of each dish so sorry if some of the descriptions are a bit brief.

The amuse bouche was a mushroom veloute served with a straw, drank from a little bottle. The way it was served was novel and we pondered as we got to the bottom whether it was appropriate to slurp the dregs through our straws in such an establishment. As for flavour, it tasted like a really really good home made mushroom soup.Maybe a little OTT and unnecessary but a fun start to the meal all the same.

This was accompanied by a mini loaf of bread and a selection of flavoured butters- a novel way to serve such a staple.

The first of the three starters was the signature dish of white onion risotto with Parmesan air and espresso. There was a strong onion taste in the risotto which was light and creamy and the foam was amazingly cheesy. The coffee wasn't apparent at first but once it was all stirred in together the coffee blended in and made a really surprising compliment to the dish.This was one of my favourites to the meal, and I love the way the foam resisted collapse even once it had been stirred in to the rest of the dish.

Another one of my favourite dishes was the pan seared scallop with chorizo and a tomato jelly. The flavours and textures all combined together into a rich, spicy, meaty broth. The tomato jelly melted on the tongue in a burst of flavour. Amazing.

The next dish was orzo in black squid ink with a huge prawn cracker like crisp. The flavours in this dish reminded me of the traditional cuttlefish I had eaten on my recent trip to Venice. Quite simple in terms of flavour compared to the previous courses, but very striking in its presentation.

Monkfish cheeks were served with a creamy sauce and butter beans and I think almonds. Much more subtle than the previous dishes, it was enjoyable but not a highlight. We also found that the firmness of the fish sadly bordered on tough.

Pork served five ways was fantastic and came with a mini cider poached apple. Each of the different elements was cooked perfectly and really demonstrated how different cuts of meat can vary in flavour and texture.

I have to be honest completely forgotten what this first pudding contained, but I think it was a spiced sponge with I think a white chocolate sauce... I do remember that is was really good and that I scraped the bowl.

Pudding number two was chocolate brownie with a parfait and fudge chunks. It tasted as good as it looked and the multiple combinations of chocolate flavours and nuts just got better and better the more I had.

Coffee and petits fours rounded off the meal.The truffle and poppy seed ones were amazing, really delicate and unusual compared to their other sweeter, more traditional companions.

As for cost, the tasting menu is £65 a head without wine, and the coffees were extra, we had a glass of white wine and a pudding wine each. I don't know what the total bill was as Rebecca treated me to this most amazing and enjoyable of mid week lunches- for which I am forever indebted to her!

Anthony's Restaurant
*Premier food with a premier price
*Fantastic tasting menu
*Great service

19 Boar Lane,
Leeds,
LS1 6EA

0113 2455922
Website

Grub Excursion #24 Bridlington: Captain Scott's Cafe

2011-06-06T12:49:00.000+01:00

This week Emma and I went on a bit of a road trip to the coast. After going puffin spotting at Bempton Cliffs we drove into Bridlington to look for some lunch. As it was quite windy we decided to find somewhere we could sit inside to eat.

We stumbled across this chippy with signs for a cafe upstairs. What we found was a charming cafe stuck in a time warp. The fixtures are fittings are so old that they could now be considered 'retro chic'.

We had a quick look at the menu but all we wanted was fish and chips. For £5.75 you can get fish and chips with bread and butter and a pot of tea. We decided to pay an extra 75p each for beans/ peas bringing the total bill to a whole £13!

Food was served quickly, the waitresses were friendly. It was shabby but clean and most of all dirt cheap. Bellies full and giddy with nostalgia we went off and bought Mr Whippy 99's from the kiosk on the sea front (just a quid with flake, sprinkles and sauce... not many places where you can still get that) and then had a flutter on the 2p machines in the arcade.

Captain Scott's
*Classic fish and chip cafe
*Very cheap
*Very shabby and retro

14 Prince Street
Bridlington,
YO15 2NW
01262 672 764

Krispy Kreme in Leeds

2011-06-03T23:00:00.000+01:00

There has been a lot of talk about this and I have noticed people are already searching the blog for it so for the benefit of those people I can announce that there WILL be a new Krispy Kreme store opening in Leeds this summer.

The store will be at the Centre 27 business park (near IKEA at Birstall) and will open on Tuesday 5th of July.

I only usually eat doughnuts at the seaside and I had never tried Krispy Kreme before, so the company sent me a few to try. The colours and varieties all looked fun and interesting. They were very very sweet and some of the flavours a tad synthetic but overall I enjoyed them. Probably not worth a special trip out to Birstall, but if you are already there shopping, good for a cheeky treat!

Box Pizza Discount

2011-06-02T11:24:00.000+01:00

Box Pizza are offering all Leeds Grub readers a 10% discount if you mention that you read the blog when ordering. If you don't know, box pizza is a take away that offers restaurant style pizzas, made with quality ingredients, delivered to your door. There is quite an old review here but I have ordered recently and it is still good!

Market Stall of the Week: Flower stalls

2011-05-31T08:11:00.012+01:00

There are actually 3 or 4 flower stalls on the market, they are all equally as good, all located in the top hall of the market.

Prices are really good- competitive with the supermarkets. For £20 you can get something quite special. The advantage over the supermarkets is that the stalls are manned by experienced florists who will make up a bouquet to your specifications or you can pick one up ready made.

I like to pick up seasonal items such as bunches of daffodils in the spring and poinsettias at Christmas to brighten up the flat- these are often just a couple of quid- the bargain prices mean that you can justify treating yourself more than once in a while.

Bird at Alea £15 Gopher Deal Offer.

2011-05-27T13:24:00.000+01:00

Most people will have heard about James Martin's 'Leeds Kitchen' newly opened on the ground floor of the Alea Casino in Clarence Dock, but did you know that the casino also has an Indian restaurant called The Bird?

I reviewed the restaurant when it opened almost 3 years ago and have been back a couple of times since.

I visited this time to try the Gopher Deals offer where for £15 you can choose 2 courses from a special menu and you can also have a bottle of beer or a glass of house wine included in the price.

I chose the spinach and onion bhaji which were nicely presented with a dip. Simple classic done well.

The main course was a tarka dhal, which was nice but not exceptional. The lamb rogan josh looked really good. Both came served with rice and a small naan bread. The nice thing about this restaurant is that the food is served in smaller than usual portions for a curry restaurant making the meal much more manageable. The smart presentation helps the meal feel a bit more special.

We decided to have an additional pudding from the main menu for £4.50 each. I had an orange and ginger sponge pudding with cardamom custard and cinnamon ice cream which was a really fantastic spicy twist on a classic combination.

As a bonus with the deal you are given a free £5 chip to use in the casino. The cynic in me says that this is a ploy to make you gamble where you wouldn't normally, but I cant be too judgemental as I did end up winning the fiver that funded our after meal drinks.

Anyway, its a great midweek deal- a complete meal and a little bit of entertainment for £15. Visit Gopher Deals to print off the voucher.

The Bird
*Upmarket surroundings
*Traditional dishes served with style
*Good value all in deal

Alea Leeds
4 The Boulevard
Clarence Dock
Leeds
LS10 1PZ

0113 341 3200

Website

Market Stall of the Week: Ramsdens

2011-05-24T08:00:00.001+01:00

Ramsdens is my favourite fishmonger on fish row. They always have a massive choice available of all different species of fish.

The fishmongers know their stuff and will help you to find what you need. Just ask and they will gut/debone/skin anything you buy so that it is ready to cook. Use their knowledge to your advantage to find similar tasting but cheaper alternatives to the cod/ haddock asked for in recipes and ask them to tell you about the more unusual varieties.

While you are there take a look at the still live and fighting fit lobsters that are often at the end of the counter.

Prices are generally much better than the supermarkets- for example the chalkboard in the photo says 'Fresh Sea Bass 400g-600g £3 each. Its £3.60 in Tesco for 210g of frozen fillets.

You also have much more choice about the portion sizes so you can buy what you really want. I know I put these photos up the other week, but I want to post them again because I cant get over how amazing the prawns and crabs look.

A few fancy freebies

2011-05-23T12:54:00.001+01:00

I do get invited to the odd free dinner, event and launch party because of the blog, and in the past few weeks I have been to a few places...

Revolution invited me along to sample their revamped summer menu. I know I can be a but unnecessarily anti chain and I will admit that wasn't expecting much. The restaurant manager was very excited about the quality of the ingredients and the skills and passion of her kitchen staff.

It didn't quite translate into the food- I had a the summer mezze board which was nice but I thought a bit steep at £7.95 and then the peppercorn burger (£8.95), it was a good standard but nothing more than average. Would I go out of my way to visit? Probably not, but if you are in there having the (rather decent) cocktails and want some food then you could do worse.

Last week saw the official launch in Greek Street of Carluccios, an Italian chain restaurant. It was a glitzy affair with plenty of prosecco and some really good canapes including prosciutto wrapped bread sicks (elegantly described as meat lollipops by @d_foley) and some delicious carpaccio beef.

There was an authentic singing accordion player and I even got to meet Jane McDonald! Jane told me that she was there because was very enthusiastic about supporting ventures in Yorkshire. Anyway, she was very slim compared to how she looks on telly and lovely to chat to!

This week was the relaunch of Town Hall Tavern opposite the law courts. It has been taken over by Timothy Taylors and has a fresh modern look which still retains an traditional pub aesthetic. The new chef aims to cook modern British food, with some dishes designed to be prepared and served quickly for working lunches, and others that can be savoured with a drink at the end of the day. There is real ale on tap as well as a revamped cocktail menu. We loved the teapot lampshades!

Anyway back to real life... I'm off to clean the bathroom.

Red Chilli Revisited

2011-05-22T13:02:00.000+01:00

This place continues to be for me a fail safe favourite. My original review from a couple of years ago is here.

The restaurant is perfect for groups of all sizes- the huge round tables and sectioned off booths lend themselves to large parties. I have been no end of times with work and other groups of more than 10. You can take advantage of the big portion sizes by ordering just a few dishes to share helping to really reduce the price.

This time it was just me and Em. We noticed that the menu has been streamlined ever so slightly which is probably a good thing as the choice even now is still overwhelming. We decided on a hotch potch meal of favourites.

We shared 1/2 crispy duck and a great chicken and cucumber dish, served in hoi sin sauce, and instead of rice we had pork buns as an accompaniment. As we only had Chinese tea to drink the total bill was about £28! We couldn't finish all of the food, which is fine as the staff happily boxed up the left overs so that Em could take them to work for lunch the next day.

I have noticed that the infamously surly service has relaxed a little in recent times, and as I mentioned before, I totally love the décor- shiny red tiles on the ceiling? What's there not to love.

Red Chilli
*Lavish themed decor
*Excellent food with lots of choice
*Always good value- especially for groups

6 Great George Street,
Leeds,
LS1 3DW

0113 2429688
Website

Market Stall of the Week: Whitaker's Eggs

2011-05-17T08:00:00.002+01:00

Located somewhere in the middle, one row in from Butchers Row, Whitaker's Farmhouse Eggs, sells erm... eggs. All shapes and sizes from quails to goose, they also have extra large and double yolkers (I used to *love* these when I was a kid).

All of the eggs come from local farms and the prices are fantastic. 6 large free range here are £1.20 compared to about £1.70 in the supermarkets. You can also by eggs by the tray for large catering jobs.

Local, affordable, brilliant.

Merkato revisited

2011-05-13T21:52:00.000+01:00

Merkato is an Ethiopian cafe, located in the almost derelict, and slightly surreal Merrion Market (round the back of the Merrion Centre).

It remains to be one of my favourite restaurants in Leeds for a number of reasons. Firstly, the place is completely potty, the cafe, like all of the stalls in the market is basically a plywood box, housed within the larger market hall. Inside it feels like you have gone into some ones house with traditional fabrics, wall hangings and ornaments covering the walls and basic hotchpotch furniture.

It is obviously a hub for the Ethiopian community, there are often men sat playing board games in the corner and there are Ethiopian magazines and news papers in a rack on the wall. I have never had anything but the warmest of welcomes, just adding to the feeling of being a guest in some ones home.

Most importantly, the food is AMAZING. The menu is a concise selection of about a dozen traditional stews, half vegetable based and half meat. For £6.50 you can have a selection of either meat or veg dishes served with unending piles of traditional Injera flat bread which you use to scoop up the stews instead of using cutlery.

The stews are intensely flavoured and moderately spicy, the flavours unique and delicious. Injera is made from a fermented dough meaning it has a light bubbly texture and a slightly sour taste. Its a perfect contrast for the spicy flavours and the bubbles help it to soak up all of the gravy from the meat.

The only negative point is that is it always a little bit too quiet- and that is why you should all go and make it busy, its a true hidden gem. If you like quirky/underground/alternative and good home style food you will LOVE Merkato.

Open Mon- Sat, 10am-6pm for eat in or takeaway.

Merkato
*Great family run cafe
*Amazing, traditional dishes
*Crazy location with a warm welcome

79 Merrion Market
Merrion Centre
LS2 8NJ

Market Stall of the Week: Shoecare

2011-05-10T09:30:00.001+01:00

This brilliant shoe and key bar at the bottom of fish row is a one stop shop for all key cutting, shoe repairs and engraving type things.

Much cheaper than Timpsons ( £5.99 vs £8.99 for replacement heels on ladies shoes) they provide a while you wait service- they have sorted me out plenty of times late on a Saturday afternoon when I have realised that the shoes I want to wear that night have worn out.

They also cut keys for £4-£6 (second key half price) and engraving starts at £9.50 for 10 letters- again while you wait, or an hour for engraving.

The Greedy Pig

2011-05-09T15:19:00.001+01:00

Thanks to Dave Rushton for the new banner!

The Greedy Pig is a little greasy spoon/ sandwich shop on North Street just outside of the city centre. It has recently been taken over by new owners- a husband and wife team, who have revamped the menu.

It still has a core focus of cheap and cheerful sandwiches and fry ups but with the added passion and flair of a professional chef in the kitchen. This means that the mayo in the sandwiches and stock in the soup are home made, as are the Glamorgan sausages in the veggie breakfast and the amazing looking cakes on the counter.

A lot of the sandwich fillings are refreshingly different. I had roasted salmon and beetroot (£2.50). I was also tempted by the offer of twice cooked chips for £1.50 a bowl (just £1 with a sandwich). I took a seat in the small, basic seating area and had a read of the complimentary tabloid newspaper.

The food came quickly, the chips were amazing and the sandwich had a good amount of filling, lots of salad and it came in a nice brown roll. With the addition of a can of coke, the total bill was £4.10.

I also on the way out bought a piece of rocky road cake for £1. Nice size, freshly made, delicious.

They are open early for breakfast Monday - Sat and offer a take away service if you prefer lunch at your desk.

As this is a new venture for the owners things are still evolving- I look forward to seeing what they do with the place. For the time being take it for what it is, a basic cafe but run by people who care about getting the basics right- good ingredients (eggs are free range, coffee is fair trade) cooked well and all served with a smile.

The Greedy Pig
*Cheap and cheerful
*Many things made from scratch
*Decent ingredients

58 North Street
Leeds
LS2 7PN

0113 245 3596

Website

Shop at the Market Week #4

2011-05-06T08:00:00.001+01:00

Today I want to share with you some of the stall that I love in the market which help to make it such a unique resource.

Haberdasheries: The market has several good haberdashers, fabric and wool shops which I use frequently. The range available is brilliant and the staff are always willing to offer some good advice. Between them you can find almost anything you need for dress making/ craft/ interior design projects. I also bought a reconditioned Singer sewing machine for £50 from the sewing machine shop.

B&M Fabrics: An excellent stall with all types of fabric styles and patterns. Great for seasonal crafts as they always get Easter/Halloween/Christmas fabrics in. Really helpful staff. They also cut foam for sofa cushions at brilliant prices.

Pet shops: To my knowledge, the market now has the only pet shop left in the city centre. Although places like Wilkinsons do sell pet supplies, the range isn't quite as comprehensive as this little Aladdin's cave of hide chews and flea collars!

Key cutting/ Shoe repairs: This stall is also one I use frequently mostly because they have a very fast turn around, either while you wait or within a couple of hours on a busy day (unlike Timpsons who I have know to keep a pair of shoes for a couple of days in the past).

Alterations: I have had curtains and clothing altered a few times, prices are very good (I think it was £20 for a huge pair of curtains to be taken up) and it was done in 3 days.

Butchers, fishmongers and green grocers: The biggest selection of all these can be found in the market, between them stocking a huge range of cuts/ species/ varieties. Prices are very good, as cheap or cheaper than the super markets with the added bonus of expert stall holders. Fruit and veg doesn't seem to last quite as long but I find that encourages me to buy just what I need.

Unusual ingredients: there a few really good Asian, Caribbean and Eastern European grocers on the market who will happily supply you with all manner of weird and wonderful ingredients, spices and vegetables often for a fraction of the prices found in the supermarket 'World food' aisles.

Flowers and Plants: There are a huge variety of florists and plant sellers in the top portion of the market and prices are extremely competitive.

Bits n bats n other tat: The market is also great if you just need other 'stuff' random items for projects such as craft and DIY and things for the home that you are struggling to find elsewhere. Always worth a look if you want to find something unusual or a bit specialist.

Shop at the Market Week #3

2011-05-05T20:35:00.001+01:00

More shopping done today and this time I managed to get into both Tesco Metro at Bond St and Express at Clarence dock to check prices actually available to those of us living in the city centre without cars rather than the best online prices.

Market Tesco Online Metro Express

500g Beef Mince
£2.07 £2.00 £2.00 £2.34

Back bacon
£5.72/kg £6.00/kg £6.56/kg £6.66/kg
(best price per kg as pack sizes vary- at Tesco you have to buy 2 packs to get this best price)

Leeks
£2.20/kg £2.49/kg £3.98/kg £3.98/kg

Salmon (fresh fillets)
£12.09/kg £10/kg (on offer) £16.67/kg £15.91/kg (for 2x 220g packs)

6 large free range eggs
£1.20 £1.68 £1.68 £1.76

Total
£23.28 £22.17 £30.89 £30.56

Difference
0 -£1.11 +£7.61 +£7.28

So a big difference, especially on fish and meat. It is also worth remembering that on the market you can ask for any quantity, where as the supermarkets encourage you to buy multiple packs to get the best price. This is great for families but for single people and students with small/ shared kitchens in the city centre this is far from ideal. Today on the market I saw a lady buying just a single slice of ham- no waste, just what she wanted.

Also whilst looking at the fish row on the market I saw plenty of things that you could never imagine finding in the supermarket, all fresh (and some still alive) from the wholesalers this morning...

Shop at the Market Week #2

2011-05-05T09:30:00.000+01:00

This week is Shop at Leeds Market Week. They have an excellent blog here, check it out. Also get down the market and see what fantastic events are going on. Anyway, here is part 2 of my price comparison shopping challenge...

On this occasion I popped into the market to buy the ingredients for a chilli.

From Neil's fruit and veg I bought Mushrooms, peppers, an onion and some bananas (for breakfast, not for the chilli!) I was charged £2.50. For the same items by weight, mysupermarket.co.uk told me that I could get them for £2.43 from Tesco (again main store prices, this may have been more at the Metro store).

A can of own brand kidney beans was 45p (48p in Tesco)

Beef on the market ranged from £4.15 a kg for standard, £4.84 a kg for steak mince which compares with Tesco £4 a kg - £5 for the better stuff (all as parts of various discounts)

So for 500g Market price £2.07, Tesco £2.00

Totals for the shop Market £5.02 and Tesco £4.91 a difference of just 11p

More Excursions

2011-05-02T23:09:00.000+01:00

Over the past couple of weeks there have been a lack of posts due to the fact I have been elsewhere other than Leeds. Here is where I ate/ drank out:

I found a great bar in Manchester on a night out thanks to a twitter tip off from @gilly_dc. Font bar is in a back street behind Oxford Rd station. It serves ace cocktails for £2 ALL OF THE TIME and the decor is really arty/ interesting. Similar to Nation of Shopkeepers in Leeds but a bit less up itself (always a good thing)

We also on that day went to the Museum of Science and Industry. It was free and we learnt about binary code from an actor pretending to be Alan Turing. Brilliant.

I popped back to my tiny little home town of Towcester and had lunch in the Towcester Tea Rooms with my sister. Its small and twee and its full of novelty tea pots and local history books. All home made stuff, basic menu but reasonable value (Jacket potatoes from £3, quiche and a salad £5) in a town where there isn't much choice or competition.

I also spent a couple of nights in London hanging out with friends and trying to watch the Royal Wedding (Can you see them???)

We basically survived on pizza and beer, but we did manage one sit down meal.

We made an unplanned stop at @siam on Frith St in Soho for lunch. Its a smart little Thai restaurant. I went for the lunch deal which was a bargain at £8.95 for 2 courses. My friends chose from the main menu. The portions were huge and the food was all freshly cooked and of a decent standard.

Dishes from the main menu were £10-£15 each, which is really what you would expect for the location. The bill for 3 people having 2 courses and 2 beers each ended up being just under £80 (including service).

Service was polite but a little slow as there was only one waiter on his own. He was very sweet so we forgave him when he told us that my meal included lice!!! (Fortunately the kitchen had run out of these so I was given a bowl of rice instead). Anyway, worth going for the lunch deal as that really is good value.

That is it for now. Normal service to resume soon. I hope.

Shop at the market week

2011-05-02T22:28:00.000+01:00

This week is shop at Leeds Market Week. There are tonnes of events going on, culminating on Saturday. Starting from Tuesday at 11am where there will be a tour of the market to help you find out about the produce on sale and where to find it. There will also be the opportunity to talk to some of the traders. Shop at Leeds Market blog is HERE

Anyway, as part of all this I have for the past couple of weeks been attempting to do as much of my shopping as possible at the market. I will let you know how I got on over the next week on the blog and on Saturday I will actually be at the market giving a talk on my experiences (details TBC).

I did a bit of a price comparison exercise on a few groceries I needed. After shopping at the market I have made a comparison with the main supermarkets from the best available prices on www.mysupermarket.co.uk. This website scans the prices across Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury and Occado (Waitrose). It is worth remembering that the main supermarkets do increase prices in their town centre convenience stores so I might have got a slightly different result if I had gone to Co-Op, Tesco Metro or Sainsbury Local (the nearest supermarkets to the Market) and checked the prices on the shelves there.

1) Hair dye

The hair care shop only stocked Schwarzkopf brands but I found the colour I wanted.

Market price £3.99. Tesco £4.48

2) Baking ingredients

I got three items from the baking stall, all cost more than the supermarket equivalent. Despite this I really like the baking stall, there is an amazing range of nuts, dried fruits and other ingredients that you wouldn't find elsewhere, plus the staff are really knowledgeable and will happily give advice, something that you don't get in the supermarket.

Strong flour: £1.80 vs just 68p from Tesco (this was very cheap, other supermarkets ranged from £1.24- £2)

Muscovado sugar: £1.30 vs 99p from Tesco

Mixed peel 70p for 100g vs 59p for 200g (I halved this to 30p for like for like comparison by weight)

3) Pet care

1kg of hamster food £1.80 on the market vs £1.93 from Tesco (plus the market have more choice and will weigh out less if you need it)

Fish food from market 20g for £2.40, Tesco 25g for £2.55

4) Dairy

6 large free range eggs from the market just £1! Tesco £1.68

Lurpack butter £1.69 vs £1.50 in most of the supermarkets

5) Store cupboard items- this is probably the hardest thing to shop for as there is not one stall with a big range of cans and packets. Ranges available are inconsistent and choice of brands is limited. Its ok for convenience but I would probably do a big stock up of cans and packets elsewhere.

Sun-pat peanut butter 224g £1.59 vs £1.59 in Sainsburys for the same item (I would however have gone for own brand if it was available for about 50p less in the supermarket)

Total spend: Market £16.27 vs supermarkets combined best price £15.70 a difference of 57p (It would be interested to see how the prices would have compared if I had done all of this shopping somewhere like Tesco Metro)

The only thing on my list that I didn't get was toilet paper. There was some available in Britain's Best Prices, 4 rolls for £1.04 but this contained a fragrance and lotion, so for the sake of my sensitive skin I decided to spend a bit more and buy plain stuff from the co-op.

Not bad as a start. Keep checking back in the week for more updates and details!

The Source Leeds

2011-04-25T14:27:00.000+01:00

On Thursday I attended the launch of The Source, a new kind of market stall in Leeds Kirkgate Market. The stall is dedicated to helping you make the best of the produce available in the market. As well as providing handy maps to help you navigate your way around, there will be regular events such as food tasting, cooking demonstrations and promotions.

On Saturday the stall was taken over by the NFU to promote National Beef Week. As well as samples of beef to try there were recipe books and information being given out as well as talks and a mock livestock auction, to explain about how much it costs farmers to rear beef.

If you have ever been interested in using the market but feel a bit to daunted and confused as to where to find things, try visiting the source for a bit of information and directions, its the first stall you see as you walk in to the top doors of the market (Opposite Size and French Connection).

Twitter: @TheSourceLeeds
Website

Deli 59

2011-04-21T11:24:00.000+01:00

Deli 59 is one of a few sandwich shops along Gt George St. I am trying to work my way along them all eventually...

The set up is fairly no frills, simple modern interior, a few stools and tables to sit down at, but the trade is mostly for take out. There was a big list of fillings available, a lot of them were ready made in the fridge on a variety of breads.

The cheapest sandwich started at £1.80 and most were under the £2.50 mark. With a bottle of pop and a bag of crisps the total I paid was £3.80. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes even though it was the hight of lunchtime and although they were pushing the service to be quick and efficient, I still got a smile and a thank you.

The sandwich was basic but good, tonnes of filling, good fresh bread, what more do you want for that price?

Deli 59
*Good value traditional sarnies
*Fast service
*Friendly staff

59 Great George Street
Leeds
LS1 3BB
0113 245 4629

Website

Curry and Quiz at Midnight Bell

2011-04-15T14:24:00.000+01:00

Wednesday night is Quiz and Curry night at the Midnight Bell. The quiz is free, the teams this time got provided with a bowl of sweet potato wedges each for free and the prize is a £20 bar tab.

I joined my friends a bit late once the quiz was under way. Being a Leeds Brewery pub (like Pin and Brewery Tap) there is plenty of good beer on tap and the interior is modern and comfortable.

The curries were priced at £5.99 each with rice. The choices change each week. This weeks theme was Caribbean, so I chose the goat curry. Good portion, hot but not unbearable and really tasty. A quick review for a quick meal.

N.B in case you are interested, we didn't win, despite me knowing that a ukulele has in fact got 4 strings.

Midnight Bell Website

Grub Excursion #23 Venice

2011-04-15T11:24:00.000+01:00

I have just come back from a very sunny long weekend in Venice, Italy. I managed to take a photo of everything I ate, here are the high lights!

After checking into the very sweet and homely Locanda Giovanni e Paolo, we asked the staff where they liked to eat. We were directed across the square to Osteria al Ponte. Make sure you find the right place as there are a few restaurants about with 'Al Ponte' in the name. Best thing to do is follow the blue signs to the Hospital 'Ospedale S.S. Giovanni e Paolo' and the Osteria is just over the bridge to the right of the hospital door.

We were the only non Italians in there and most of the visitors seemed to be local. The osteria serves traditional Venetian 'Cicchetti' tapas. We asked in broken Italian for a mix of everything and a carafe of house red. We sat in the corner and watched as friends came in had a small glass of wine, stayed for a quick chat, a bite to eat and left. We were apparently a bit of a novelty to the staff as this was obviously not a tourist place (even though Venice is totally packed all of the time with tourists) and felt very well looked after.

The food was all fish based with prawns, clams, mussels, a crab pate with toast and sarde in saor, sardines in vinegar marinaded onions.

After asking for the bill we were left with an open bottle of fizzy sweet rose wine and were encouraged to help ourselves. We were charged a flat €20 each which included a bottle opener with the restaurant logo on it by way of a souvenir.

We walked past later on at night and the place was full of locals who had spilled out into the street and were sat on the steps sipping wine and chatting. Amazing atmosphere and well worth finding.

On the same street, over the next bridge as you walk away from the hospital we visited Osteria da Alberto. This was a little bigger, a little more organised and obviously more used to tourists than 'Al Ponte'. Probably best to book for dinner as we were only just squeezed in on the last available table when we arrived at 7.30pm. As well as the traditional Cicchetti there were more recognisable dishes such as lasagna, gnocchi and spaghetti. Still heavily seafood based and with the Venetian staples of polenta and black cuttlefish ink sauces.

The total bill here for a shared starter of Sarde in Saor, two plates of wonderful, super cheesy gnocchi, 2 puddings and lots of lovely house wine was just under €50.

The other place we ate was Trattoria al Calinetto (I think the address was Castello 3803 on Calle del Dose, however the problem with Venice is that the street names don't match the maps and in some places the restaurant name has been written with an 'S' at the start).

It was definitely touristy with the menu written in 6 languages and slightly more pricey at €28 for the set menu but still good value as it included a full meal and coffee. The menu contained all of the mainstay Venetian dishes and everything was good. It was here I had more Sarde in Saor (seriously addicted to it), gnocchi in ragu and then Seppia di nero (black cuttlefish ink) with polenta. It looked awful but the texture of the cuttlefish was really soft and it had a delicate fishy taste. The polenta was really light and fluffy (apparently it goes like rubber if cooked badly).

Due to a ban on wood fire ovens in Venice the pizzas are not as amazing as what I have had in other places in Italy, but the two I had were both still better than anything I have had in the UK. Prices were €5- €10 pretty much everywhere we looked so good for a cheap lunch/ light tea option to share. We got this pizza in the little cafe between the 2 osterias mentioned above.

Of course being Italy it was cafee/ gelato at every opportunity. You would be pretty unfortunate to find a naff coffee or ice cream anywhere in Italy.

Seeing as they were invented in Venice we thought it appropriate to try a Bellini and we also had a few Campari spritzers.

Another thing we saw a lot of were super large meringues, in bakeries across the city.

On the go snacks were readily available in the form of rolled up sandwiches, some in usual bread, some in pizza bread ranging from €1-€4 depending on size, type of filling and location of the outlet.

The best thing is that due to all of the steps and walking, I actually came home half an lb lighter than when I left. Bonus!

Oracle

2011-04-06T14:00:00.003+01:00

The Oracle is a super trendy bar in Brewery Wharf. Its not really my scene, its all a bit footballers wives, fake tan and making sure you look the part as you sip your champagne cocktail, which is fine if you like that kind of thing, but I find it a bit too pretentious for my liking.

I have always been tempted by the food menu, and the smell coming from the kitchen as I have walked past on the canal tow path, but until today I haven't been in for anything more than drinks.

On Mondays I discovered that all of the food is 50% normal price so Em and I went for lunch. It was fairly quiet but there was dance music playing on a low level so there was a bit of atmosphere. The interior is a trendy minimalist theme. We found a comfortable booth seat and picked from the menu whose main feature was the burger selection. There was an interesting range, with chicken, beef, pork and lamb to choose from as well as a couple of really appetising veggie options.

The service was really efficient, drinks brought straight over after we had ordered them and the burgers were served in what felt like just over 10 minutes. This is really to be commended as I often find that if places are quiet, there is a tendency for the staff to feel they don't have to rush and you end up waiting a frustratingly (and most unnecessary) long time for service.

The portions sizes were great. I had a spicy lamb burger, tasty but not hot- it came with some tzatziki dressing. The meat was juicy and the chips were crisp, but fluffy in the middle- just what I wanted. The pork burger came with an apple chutney and sweet potato wedges. Each burger was very diferent and looked like it had been constructed with thought.

I had a simple but delicious chocolate brownie for pudding, served warm with a milk chocolate sauce.

The bill for the 2 burgers, 1 pudding (all at 50%) and 1 1/2 pints of cola each was a few pence over £20- bargain!

The quality is really good and as the portion sizes are generous too I would happily come back and pay the full price of £8.95 a burger. If the weather had been nicer we would have sat on the large terrace that over looks the river.

Oracle
*Super trendy bar
*Tasty, good quality burgers
*Bargain 50% food discount on Mondays

3 Brewery Place,
Brewery Wharf
LS10 1NE

0113 246 9912

Website

Cakes for Japan

2011-03-24T23:51:00.000Z

Next Saturday, 2nd April there will be an excellent event at Dock St Market raising money for the Japanese Red Cross. Donate cakes and come along and spend lots of money. Its for a good cause, and you get to eat cake. See the Facebook page for details.

El Bareto

2011-03-24T23:15:00.001Z

I was invited for a free dinner at El Bareto for the purpose of the review. Although my meal was paid for I went unannounced 'secret shopper' style so the staff there on the day didn't know I was there to review until the end.

We hadn't booked with it being a Wednesday and were slightly alarmed when we were told that the restaurant had unusually for the mid week been fully booked. The bar man apologised and said he could seat us if we didn't mind waiting in the bar for another table to finish eating.

We didn't mind at all as the bar is amazing, its decorated to look like a rustic Spanish shack, we really felt like we were abroad. We drank Spanish lager and took a look at the menu. We were called to our table after about 15 minutes, for which most of the time the bar man chatted to us and showed us the specials menu handwritten on a piece of paper.

Due to the full restaurant we had to sit up on stools by the bar in the basement dining area, but it wasn't really a problem as there were only two of us.

The menu is a large list of tapas and paella dishes, some I recognised but plenty I didn't, including Montaditos- home made bread with various toppings.

The waitress gave us a paper version of the menu and a pen and asked us to tick against the dishes that we wanted- I thought this was a really good idea as ordering tapas often gets complicated, especially in large groups.

Our food came out in the order it was cooked, with the first cold dishes such as olives arriving almost immediately. As we ate we watched in anticipation as some musicians set up their kit (we found out later that the violinist is the managers wife and plays in the restaurant regularly) but unfortunately due to a technical problem the couldn't get the speakers to work so packed up again.

We had: good quality olives and classic very crispy patatas bravas,

delicious cheese stuffed jalapeños and the most juicy chorizo cooked in cider,

tender meatballs and lambs liver served with a delicious, thick, sticky caramelised onion sauce and a vegetable and goats cheese topped montadito.

I was pleased that there were things we recognised but even more pleased that there were dishes like the liver that were completely new to me.

We were stuffed after all this but sat with our drinks for a while letting our food settle before we asked for the pudding menu. Emma had the classic crème caramel and I chose the Baileys cheesecake . Both the dishes were home made, and the cheesecake was so think and rich I could feel it clogging my arteries as I ate it. Amazing.

The service was friendly and efficient and the place had a really lively atmosphere with staff running up and down the stairs with plates of food and chatting to each other in Spanish.

The bill that we would have paid for this was just under £50 for the both of us- well within the realms of reasonable especially when you consider that everything is made from scratch from the owners grannies recipes. The bustling candlelit atmosphere only added to the experience and we loved the way that with all of the authentic looks and sounds we felt like we had been transported to rural Spain. I just wish that the musicians had been able to play as that would have made the experience perfect.

The location is a bit out of the way, El Bareto is on a little parade of shops on Gledhow Valley Rd off Harrogate Road just outside Chapel Allerton. There is plenty of space outside to park and it is just a 2 minute walk from the 2 & 3 bus routes. Really worth the effort to get to- just book ahead as we found space can be limited!

El Bareto

*Authentic Spanish Tapas
*Great decor and atmosphere
*Reasonably priced

120 Gledhow Valley Rd,
Chapel Allerton
LS17 6LX

0113 266 6946

Website

Diva Italiana, Pudsey

2011-03-22T16:32:00.001Z

Except for the beer festival I have never been to Pudsey before, so last week along with Gilly I decided to make the special effort and go. The purpose was to visit Diva Italiana, a restaurant I had heard lots of good things about mostly from The Globe Troffers.

We had gone with the intention of getting the early bird menu which the website says runs from Tuesday to Sunday but when we got there we were told there was no early bird as it was actually 'Tuscan Tuesday' where for £15 you could get a 4 course set menu of traditional Tuscan dishes.

Our initial disappointment at not getting to choose from the early bird soon was forgotten when we heard what dishes were on the menu.

After the fresh bred with balsamic and olive oil had been nibbled through, we were given a tomato soup with crostini. The soup was rustic and chunky, I really enjoyed it.

The next course was fish ravioli. This had to be my favourite dish, the pasta was home made and the sauce was a lovely thick bisque type thing. Full of flavour and nothing like anything I had eaten before.

Main course was suckling pig. We had managed to between us imagine this dish to consist of a big slab of crackling, so the lack of skin was slightly disappointing when it arrived. The meat however was very tender and came with a delicious herb stuffing.

The pudding was a bitter sweet custard and walnut flan- something I wouldn't have chosen from a menu but I was glad I had it!

We were offered a bin end bottle of Frascati for the price of the house wine so with that the total bill came to just £44 for both of us.

The restaurant itself is in a little stone built cottage in a yard set back from the road. It has a cosy intimate atmosphere. There is also a cocktail bar downstairs if you want to stay for drinks after your meal.

The service was good from (who I presume was) the manager. They had a young Italian lad working too who was very polite but he didn't speak much English so struggled to fully answer our foodie interrogation about ingredients etc, but I wouldn't fault him on that as we were being pedantic and annoying!

The dishes weren't what I have come to expect from an Italian restaurant which is refreshing, and I think suggests that the menu is a bit more traditional instead of catering to the expected norm of stodgy carbonaras and mozerella salads. Well worth the bus trip out of town.

Diva Italiana
*Excellent authentic Italian food
*Lovely building/ atmosphere
*Good value early/ weekday menus

8-10 Booths Yard
Pudsey,
LS28 7AD

0113 255 5810
Website

Lishman's Butchers, Ilkley

2011-03-10T12:11:00.002Z

Lishman's have got a good reputation and I have seen them a few times at foodie type events but today was the first time I had visited their Ilkley shop.

I wasn't disappointed. There was what you would expect from a butcher- the various cuts of meat, bacon and homemade sausages, many with labels saying that the meat was from local farms.

There were also a lot of delicious looking pre prepared dishes such as chicken Kievs and meat in stir fry marinades- a good compromise between convenience food and cooking from scratch.

At the end of the counter there was a lovely looking selection of home made pies and other savouries.

As it is pie week I bought a couple of pies to take home with me: the steak pie had really good chunks of tender meat and a nicely glazed pasty. The sausage roll was fantastic, unusually for a sausage roll the meat content was in a greater proportion to the flaky pastry, and the sausage meat you could tell actually had some texture and taste to it. I will definitely get one of these again!

I am yet to try my black pudding sausages but the bacon was cut in decent thick slices and retained its shape and size under the grill- a good sign of quality.

The customer service was excellent and the charge for 2 pies, an excellent sausage roll, 6 rashers of thick bacon (160g) and 4 large sausages (340g) - £7.85. Reasonable I think and competitive with the supermarket 'finest' ranges, and all the better knowing that the meat is locally reared and the items are freshly produced in store.

Lishman's

*Traditional butches
*Locally reared meat
*Excellent pies and sausage rolls

25 Leeds Road
Ilkley
LS29 8DP

01943 609436
Website

Donuts at Anthonys

2011-03-08T00:35:00.000Z

It appears that Anthonys have opened a little American style donut concession in the ground floor Piazza in the Corn Exchange.

There was a massive range of flavours and all were colourfully decorated. 99p each or £10 a dozen. I had the pistachio and a chocolate crispie variety which were both pretty tasty.

A great treat and a nice alternative to frosting loaded (and dare I say it, slightly passé) cupcakes.

Wakefield festival of food, drink and rhubarb

2011-02-27T17:15:00.004Z

This weekend Wakefield celebrated one of its most important exports, with a festival dedicated to Rhubarb. As well as cookery demonstrations there was a large market featuring number of local food producers selling products such as cheeses, pies, pickles and meat.

There were also street entertainers and outside of the city centre, farm tours and special events at Nostell Priory. Tours of the rhubarb forcing sheds can still be booked until March. Details can be found on the Experience Wakefield Website.

As well as showing you what I bought on the market stalls, I also have for you another one of Leeds Grub's amazing celebrity interviews!

Following in the footsteps of Cheggers and James Martin, Sean Wilson (AKA Martin Platt in Coronation Street) begged me to be allowed on the blog, so here he is. (Note: I have no idea who he is as I don't watch Corrie, but my Dad sounded moderately impressed for a moment, before going off on a tangent about a cheese market on a narrow boat that he has seen).

(I didn't notice at the time but his mate looks a tad angry!)

Sean now is an artisan cheese producer and his company is called the Saddleworth Cheese Co. He told me that they only use milk from the postcode area around the cheese factory- the milk literally travels only yards from the milking sheds to their premises.

The curds are cut and processed by hand and in the traditional, and very careful way and then the cheese is passed through a milling machine twice to obtain the ultra crumbly texture.

I was impressed by the cheese, it was really light and fresh. As well as having a crumbly texture it was also creamy with a good level of acidity too. Sean explained that 'Muldoons Picnic' a traditional Lancashire Crumbly cheese is best eaten within 8 weeks of being made. I personally preferred the 'Mouth Almighty' as it had been left to mature and had a better flavour for it.

I also bought some Venison from Round Green Farm and I discovered a new company called 'The Yorkshire Forager' who make sauce from Hawthorn berries. I chose the slightly spicier variety as I felt it had a bit more flavour to it. The sauce is really fruity and so far I have tried it with cheese, but I think it could be used like HP sauce and put on meat/ eggs too. Delicious!

I also got to sample lots of rhubarb too! More photos here

Sandinista

2011-02-27T16:18:00.001Z

I have been to Sandinista a few times for drinks and the odd bit of tapas but never for a sit down meal until this week.

Sarah and I decided to share a number of dishes between us and were really pleased when we were told that as it was Tuesday the tapas was buy one get one free!

The bar has a cool South American theme and a relaxed atmosphere. We enjoyed a cocktail and the music while waiting for our food to arrive.

The food was maybe not the most exceptional but all certainly very good. We felt that many of the dishes lacked spice. The cheese stuffed jalapenos and jerk chicken that were really quite mild despite being marked as hot on the menu.

The cod cakes were probably my favourite dish of the meal along with the chorizo tortilla. With the discount, the meal with a cocktail came to less than £15 each so a real bargain.

Sandinista
*Cool bar
*Excellent cocktails
*Nice tapas

5/5a Cross Belgrave Street
LS2 8JP

0113 305 0372

Website

Distrikt Lunch Deal

2011-02-17T00:22:00.000Z

A quick post about a quick lunch:

Ace basement bar Distrikt has been doing its £5 lunch deal for a while. For the price you get a sandwich and a soft drink.

The bar is a low lit, low ceilinged cavern and feels more like a night spot than somewhere for lunch but its pretty cool nevertheless.

The lunch menu was read from a notebook by the waitress so I can't recall what was on offer but they all sounded great.

Gev and I both chose the Mackerel sandwich which came with figs among other things and a little side order of fries. The bread was soft and fresh and although the filling sounded a little bizarre it worked. Hooray for the chefs continued boldness!

As usual for Distrikt we had attentive table service. Great.

Distrikt
*Cool basement bar
*Adventurous menu
*Reasonable £5 lunch deal

7 Duncan Street
Leeds
LS1 6DQ

Website

Dough

2011-02-16T20:50:00.001Z

This is yet another place I have wanted to go to for ages but never had anyone to go with, until Gilly suggested that he wanted to try it too.

In the interests to being adventurous we opted for the 7 course tasting menu priced at £40 each. We brought our own wine as the restaurant allows BYO wine. They do sell some wine along with beers and spirits too.

Its a very small place split into two rooms and the tables are quite tightly packed in, which makes it feel cosy but sometimes a little intrusive as you do at times get swamped by the conversations of others.

He is what we ate:

The meal opened with an amuse bouche of Artichoke and cream cheese mousse served on charred flatbread with shaved black truffle. It was a bit tricky to eat- too big to eat in one go, too small to be cut up. Once dismantled and reconstructed into a manageable configuration, the balance of the flavours were lovely and delicate.

The fish course was Smoked haddock and crayfish chowder, served with potatoes, onion, garden peas and a creamy saffron, white wine and parsley sauce. There were huge chunks of fish in this and the dish was quite a generous size considering the amount of courses we were expecting. The sauce had a beautifully rich flavour.

Kiwi, lime, mint and cucumber sorbet was a simple but perfect palate cleanser.

Seared fillet of ostrich served on a bed of crunchy vegetables with balsamic syrup, caramelised
onion chutney, coriander oil and pea puree was sadly just a bit disappointing. The meat was rare but verged on being cold and the meat lacked any serious flavour and had a feeble texture. The accompanying vegetables and dressing were however fantastic. We wondered if the same dish would be better with duck or beef.

The overwhelming favorite dish was the Confit of Yorkshire lamb breast served in a filo basket on a bed of creamed leek with apple compote,Yorkshire blue cheese and crispy onion. The lamb was incredibly tender and every element stood up well on its own but combined perfectly with the others to create a fantastic dish.

Lemon and black pepper posset served with tarragon biscuit was perfectly nice, just a little tricky to eat from the champagne flute.

The last dish was Sticky toffee bread and butter pudding with Cointreau soaked fruit, crème Anglais and toffee ice cream. It nearly defeated me but I pretty much finished it. It was sticky and sweet and a delightful finale to the meal.

Because we follow Dough on Twitter we were given free coffees to finish the meal- mention you follow them on twitter to get a discount/ freebie.

The atmosphere was lovely, cozy and quite informal. The food was with the exception of the ostrich excellent and the service was attentive and relaxed. Our only irk was the fact that the CD was left to repeat about 4 times before the music was changed!

Dough Bistro
*Excellent food
*Bring your own wine
*Informal atmosphere

293 Spen Lane
West Park
LS16 5BD

0113 278 7255

Website

Giorgios Italian

2011-02-09T13:39:00.001Z

I visited Giorgio's for lunch last summer and had a great meal- read about it here. Today I went with Gev to have the 3 course for £10 deal that you can get with a voucher from Gopher Deals.

The interior is modern and fresh with striking red accents. Tables are well spaced apart and there is plenty of light from the windows that run the length of the room.

The gopher deals menu has to be asked for separately and contains a good range of dishes, including salads, pate and soup for starter, pizza, pasta and fish dishes for main and home made desserts.

I had the chicken liver pate, which came in a huge portion with salad garnish. It had a lovely fresh flavour. Gev had the brushetta which was enormous and was dressed with what tasted like a home made pesto.

Main courses were a lasagna and peperoni pizza. Both huge portions, both pretty tasty, and we were also given mixed veg for the table.

We chose the puddings from the chiller cupboard. I had a classic tiramisu and Gev had a limoncello soaked, raspberry topped cake. I thought the puddings were delicious, and even Gev who is a self proclaimed tiramisu snob (due to having an Italian aunt who makes amazing tiramasu) gave it 8/10.

Service was really friendly and efficient and the total bill with drinks and service was well under £15 a head!

For the £10 price tag you expect maybe to have to put up with slightly substandard food, but we were genuinely surprised at how good everything was. Portions were super generous bordering on being silly- we both had to reluctantly leave some pudding on our plates! All of the dishes were cooked to a good standard and were well presented.

The Gopher deals offer runs until the end of Feb but Giorgio's do a permanent lunch deal of £8.95 for 2 courses / £10.95 for 3. Great for a bargain lunch with friends or even a decent dinner date for students on a budget.

Giorgio's Italian
*Excellent value deals (with voucher)
*Great food and service
*Generous portions

72 Otley Road
Leeds
LS6 4BA

0113 278 2030
Website

Graze

2011-02-08T11:30:00.001Z

Graze is a fairly new little sandwich shop that has opened up at the bottom of Call Lane. I popped in yesterday to check it out.

Inside it is fairly small, there is a small bench seat and coffee table to sit at, but mainly this place is a take away. The the decor has a modern but rustic feel about it, the walls are a fresh green and the furniture is chunky farmhouse style wooden stuff.

The range of sandwiches is fairly standard, with a few fancy variations. The main selling point however is this:

I am really pleased to see that Graze has seen the importance in sourcing decent, ethical ingredients for their products. A lot of restaurants do it already but I think it is something that really lacks in the cafe/ take away market.

Service was super quick. My sandwich was pre made from the fridge (bacon, avocado and Brie), but even the made to order sandwiches were done promptly. I watched probably 20 people come and go in the time it took me to sit and eat my lunch.

The sandwich was great, with generous amounts of filling and beautifully fresh bread. There were also some amazing looking homemade cake although I was well behaved this time and didn't try anything.

I also had a coffee which was nice but nothing special and everything was served in disposables even though I sat in to eat which disappointed me slightly.

I would definitely recommended Graze for good quality sandwiches if you want to take away, its just a shame that there is not more space for proper tables to sit in.

Graze
*Locally sourced free range ingredients
*Quick friendly service
*Only really a take away

43 Call Ln
Leeds,
LS1 7BT
0113 245 0295
Website

Blackhouse

2011-02-08T10:56:00.003Z

Last week I got to try Blackhouse grill for the first time after having loads of recommendations made to me. I went with twitter friend @commodoredan (AKA Dan).

It was only a lunchtime but the restaurant still had a relaxed buzz and a luxurious feel. Our waiter was efficient and also had quite a lot of flare and personality.

I ordered the Calamari (£6) and Dan had the portobello mushroom with poached egg, asparagus and tarragon butter sauce (£5.75) for starters. We both had steak for main. (I had ribeye £14.25).

The calamari came including tentacles. They were light and crisp and came with a deliciously fresh lemon mayonnaise. Perfectly cooked and really enjoyable.

The steak was melt in the mouth tender, full of flavour and came with some really good chunky chips included with the price ( I hate when steak houses charge only for the steak and make you pay more for necessary sides).

We were by this time too stuffed for pudding, but we did enjoy some of the cocktails which were great, if a little pricey!

Price wise, Blackhouse is not cheap but we had a 50% discount voucher for the food which made it really good value. At full price I think it would still be worth the money as they food quality, serve and atmosphere were all spot on.

Blackhouse Grill

*Modern stylish restaurant
*Perfectly cooked steaks
*Great service

31-33 East Parade
Leeds
LS1 5PS

0113 246 0669
Website

Cutting Cake Patisserie and Prizes

2011-02-03T23:03:00.000Z

My latest 'behind the scenes' feature can be found on Culture Vulture and this time I have been to visit Cutting Cake Patisserie. As well as seeing how the gorgeous chocolates are made you can have a chance of winning a Valentines gift box made by Cutting Cake, just by leaving a comment on the post! Find it here!

Fish&

2011-01-28T22:58:00.000Z

Fish& is a fish and chip shop with a difference. Based within the new Dock St Market venture, the canteen style take away sells sustainably sourced fish served in an imaginative way. As well as the more conventional beer battered fish and chips, the menu contains dishes such as 'sourdough breadcrumb, fresh lemon thyme and rosemary encrusted' fish with chips and 'salmon, sweet potato and coriander' fishcakes.

I chose the pan fried massala rubbed fish, served with sweet potato wedges. The piquancy of the spices balanced well with the sweetness of the wedges and although the portion wasn't huge, it was more than enough (lets face it, who can realistically manage a 'standard' portion of fish and chips).

A range of sauces are available including the most amazing garlic mayo, antisocial yet delicious. As dock street is more a take away than a restaurant, the food is served in disposable boxes, which I am assured will be changed to card soon (I *hate* polystyrene with a passion). The seating area is basic but comfortable.

As well as serving food that is tasty and a little different, Fish& only use fish from sustainable sources and are supporting the Fish Fight campaign by serving the MackBap (see previous post). Prices are a little bit more than at a normal chippie but I think Fish& provides a little bit more than a normal chippie.

Fish& is open Fridays and Saturdays from lunchtime onwards. Worth a visit.

*Interesting take on fish and chips
*Sustainably sourced fish
*Comfortable eat in area

Dock St Market
Dock St
Leeds
LS10 1JF

Mackerel Mission #2

2011-01-21T15:55:00.000Z

I have today found another place selling Mackbaps. Fish& at Dock St Market are selling them for £3.50.

The bap comes served with tartare sauce and a portion of chips. The bun is freshly baked by in house bakers Riverside Sourdough Bakery and the boneless fish is supplied by fishmongers at Leeds Market. Check out the Channel 4 fish fight website here. More to come about Fish& at a later date.

If you know of any other chippies selling Mackbaps let me know!

Mackerel Mission

2011-01-20T16:41:00.002Z

I like most people have been watching the channel 4 'Fish fight' programs in the past few weeks with great interest. If you don't know what I am talking about, check out the website.

Anyway, since seeing Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall introduce the Mackerel Bap into chippies in Weymouth I have been wanting to try one for myself. Rich from Them Apples cooked his own, but I am too lazy to do this. After a bit of research I found out Nash's on Merrion St have put mackerel on the menu so I went today to have a try.

I went to the downstairs take away counter. The baps are £2.50 each and come with 2 enormous pieces of fish. I had to purchase a sachet of tartare sauce separately for 25p as this was not included, although I was offered some home made ketchup.

I was not disappointed- the mackbap is as good as all they hype. The fish was beautifully soft and the flavour actually milder than I expected and not too oily like some people had suggested. The nice freshly baked bread cake only improved the meal further. There was so much fish that the breadcake actually disintegrated under the strain half way through so I finished it with a fork. Despite this, I really enjoyed this as an alternative to traditional fish and chips. I am keen to see this get onto the menu in a few more chippies around Leeds.

This campaign is something I really believe in and want to support. Add your name to the petition and let me know if you find any more chippies selling the mackbap so I can get them featured on the blog.