On a cold wet night in December it takes alot to tempt me 'outnabout', but this place gets me every time.
Underwhelming from the outside, hidden away down steep cellar steps, Grillade even smells French - they must import their cleaning products along with the wine and the President butter.
Pleasantly busy but not as frantic as the bar at Restaurant Bar & Grill had been half an hour earlier, we were greeted by a lovely French waitress, and seated quickly.
Our starters were lovely, my charcuterie platter was beautifully presented, with lots of crusty baguette on the side - ideal with the two rustic pates.
The wine was reasonably priced, from about £15 up, we went for a £20.50 red (forgive my not remembering the name...I had alot of it you see...), which went perfectly with my equally perfect entrecote - medium rare exactly as requested. The delicate frites and peerless house salad dressing completed the dish. Although I was genuinely full, I HAD to go for Grillades legendary cheese board - amazing.
You can probably sense that this is one of my favourite haunts, The French staff are so professional and welcoming, the food so simple but amazing, I just love it.
Long may it remain hard to find!
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Tuesday 13 December 2011
The Dyneley Arms, Pool Bank, Leeds
The last time we were here was about 2 years ago, and our experience was memorable for all the wrong reasons....CAN'T use a card, CAN'T sit there, CAN'T order that.....etc
But after 2 years we thought we'd give it a go for Sunday lunch. It was thankfully far more welcoming. The Landlord was holding court with the regulars, but managed to be quite friendly and attentive.
The decor is lovely, very smart, clean and cosy, complete with roaring log fire. Points for that.
The menu was huge with tons of choice, and extremely reasonable, mains for £5 and £6. We ordered the steak & kidney pie with veg, and it was with us in no time. The pie was piping hot, but the veg less so. It was perfectly acceptable fare, if a bit school dinnery, but the price reflected that. This meal wouldn't be a big 'treat meal' out, but would certainly do on the days you don't want to cook.
Being a Smiths pub, the beer brands were a little arcane, but the bitter was ok.....not many in for a Sunday lunchtime either, so a bit of atmosphere was lost. You could do alot worse than this, particularly if you're a family on a budget.
But after 2 years we thought we'd give it a go for Sunday lunch. It was thankfully far more welcoming. The Landlord was holding court with the regulars, but managed to be quite friendly and attentive.
The decor is lovely, very smart, clean and cosy, complete with roaring log fire. Points for that.
The menu was huge with tons of choice, and extremely reasonable, mains for £5 and £6. We ordered the steak & kidney pie with veg, and it was with us in no time. The pie was piping hot, but the veg less so. It was perfectly acceptable fare, if a bit school dinnery, but the price reflected that. This meal wouldn't be a big 'treat meal' out, but would certainly do on the days you don't want to cook.
Being a Smiths pub, the beer brands were a little arcane, but the bitter was ok.....not many in for a Sunday lunchtime either, so a bit of atmosphere was lost. You could do alot worse than this, particularly if you're a family on a budget.
Monday 5 December 2011
Home, Lincoln
We, along with 400 million (thats how it felt...) others, made the annual pilgrimage to Lincoln for the Christmas market on Saturday. They must have been planning it all year, so finely tuned was the level of organisation; pick up points, marshalls in fetching pink dayglo tabards, tannoys on every corners, metal fencing to corral you down the narrow lanes - a real feat. The crowds were VERY oppressive, and I'm sure on a few occasions I could have lifted my feet up off the ground and still have been carried along 100 yards! Imagine then what it was like trying to find somewhere for lunch! EVERYWHERE was full, queues out the door, standing room only in the pubs....put it this way, "Walkabout" and "Slug & Lettuce"were options at one point. Yes, we were that desperate, but even they were heaving.
So, when we glanced to our right up a narrow street off the main drag, and spotted a sign for "Home", it felt like fate had taken a grasp! The huge building hidden away had only been open since November, and billed itself outside as an 'entertainment venue', boasting several floors, bars and function rooms. We received a warm welcome at the door, and waited a few minutes whilst a table upstairs was cleared for us. I thought we might be stuck in some out of the way anteroom, but he area we were shown into was light, airy but cosy, with feature driftwood sculpture, a well stocked padded bar and the perfect level of music..... We were seated in a lovely suede booth, and were immediately attended to with speedily served chilled white wine. Always a good start. Our waiter was great, left us to chat awhile, no pressure to order, but kept his eye on us and spotted exactly when we paused for breath.
We shared a charcuterie platter with crusty bread and oil, served on a suitably gnarly wooden bread board, then I had the Smothered Chicken, and Compo had the Penne Pasta with Chorizo. The food was really good, and VERY reasonably priced. The service stood out a mile throughout, with a check back at just the right point - when we were also asked how we planned on paying! Odd, I thought, but it turned out the card machine system had crashed, and they were only able to take cash payments. With the nearest hole in the wall a 5 minute walk away AGAINST the throng, our waiter offered us a discount for the inconvenience.......25% inconvenience as it turned out.....very generous. So, for 5 glasses of wine, a shared starter and 2 mains, Compo paid £30. Impressed.
Discount aside, Home was a real oasis, a genteel, peacful,welcome sanctuary in the chaos, and well worth a revisit - any time other than December!!!!!
So, when we glanced to our right up a narrow street off the main drag, and spotted a sign for "Home", it felt like fate had taken a grasp! The huge building hidden away had only been open since November, and billed itself outside as an 'entertainment venue', boasting several floors, bars and function rooms. We received a warm welcome at the door, and waited a few minutes whilst a table upstairs was cleared for us. I thought we might be stuck in some out of the way anteroom, but he area we were shown into was light, airy but cosy, with feature driftwood sculpture, a well stocked padded bar and the perfect level of music..... We were seated in a lovely suede booth, and were immediately attended to with speedily served chilled white wine. Always a good start. Our waiter was great, left us to chat awhile, no pressure to order, but kept his eye on us and spotted exactly when we paused for breath.
We shared a charcuterie platter with crusty bread and oil, served on a suitably gnarly wooden bread board, then I had the Smothered Chicken, and Compo had the Penne Pasta with Chorizo. The food was really good, and VERY reasonably priced. The service stood out a mile throughout, with a check back at just the right point - when we were also asked how we planned on paying! Odd, I thought, but it turned out the card machine system had crashed, and they were only able to take cash payments. With the nearest hole in the wall a 5 minute walk away AGAINST the throng, our waiter offered us a discount for the inconvenience.......25% inconvenience as it turned out.....very generous. So, for 5 glasses of wine, a shared starter and 2 mains, Compo paid £30. Impressed.
Discount aside, Home was a real oasis, a genteel, peacful,welcome sanctuary in the chaos, and well worth a revisit - any time other than December!!!!!
Wednesday 30 November 2011
The Sun Inn, Coniston, Cumbria
Myself and the 'companion' were lucky enough to be up in The Lakes last week, and visited our very favourite pub, not once, but twice. 2 nights in a row. .....I know. Thats because the food is amazing! The Sun has got bags of atmosphere; log fire, old photos, stuffed fox (!!) the lot, just what you want in a Lakeland pub. The menu isn't particularly large, but whats on it is the real deal. SO - night 1 - venison & kidney pie for the companion, and roast lamb for me. Simply presented, piping hot, with garlicky green beans and broccoli side dish. Delicious. Night 2 - the Lancashire hotpot with the most stunning black pudding garnish for the compo, and the rack of lamb for me. Lamb? 2 nights in a row? Don't care. You know when you feel sad because you've finshed? That was me. Divine. Not the cheapest pub food in the world, but its 4 star restaurant quality, not just quick and tasty ramblers fare we're talking about. Book now.
Sunday 20 November 2011
Living Room, Town Hall Tavern, Zizzi
Living Room was busy early doors, the barman was very good, allowing us to "pay drinks on" so we could pay by card (£10 min spend). 2 halves of Estrella later, we ordered some olives, but I think he had to go all the way to Greece to get them as they took forever to come...and a stingy portion when they did. The beer was good though. Then the piano player started........the usual MOR Sadele stuff, Jessie J, Amy Winehouse etc, all very tuneful, but far TOO LOUD! Completely drowned what had been great conversation up to that point.
So we moved on to The Town Hall Tavern, against my wishes I have to say, but hey, anything for the blog.
What a gem!!!! Fab interior, lots to look at, I'm still thinking about the fantastic cup and saucer / teapot lampshades today! We didn't eat, but the blackboards were sorely tempting- I'll be back for their brown bread ice cream thats for sure. And the toilets - well, amazing. Chintzy large scale patterned laminates, quirky wall art,and spotless from coving to skirting, VERY impressed. The bottle of Merlot we had was great too, and at a sensible pub price. Cashews in a bowl, perfect.
Popped into Browns, but full to capacity, and nothing available for an hour and a half, so we looked upward and spotted a new venue, Zizzis, up on the balcony of The Light......
It was busy, but we waited 5 mins and were seated by the manager. As you walk in theres a coffee table with a great set of weird but wonderful multi coloured stools, each covered in what I can only describe as knitted doughnuts - a real talking point and very striking. Unfortunately, thats where 'striking' ended. We were seated at a grey laminate table on grey painted wooden chairs, with glaring strip lighting reminiscent of my garage making the whole place feel like an airport hangar or office canteen. The open plan kitchen allowed you to watch the numerous chefs scuttling about behind a curtain of cured meats, and the pce was full so they were kept on their toes. Our waiter was good looking and very muscular, characteristics which were obviously at the forefront of his mind as he gazed off into the middle distance as we placed our order, we flet lucky he managed to connect pen to paper as he scanned the place for adoring attention and for far more interesting customers than us. Our Italian bread arrived, but with an empty bowl where we had expected the oil & balsamic to be....'Shouldn't this have something in it?' I asked our blank faced Adonis...he gestured with a well exercised finger to the bottles already on our table....'YOU put in what you want' he said, and stalked off, buttocks chafing as he attended a table less problematic than we were obviously being. The bread was was OK, crusts a bit fossilised, but the oil was good, and I poured it rather well, and mixed by balsamic proficiently..... The wine was OK too, a decent Merlot - no offer of a taste first, but thats not the end of the world. My 'Penne Alla Vodka' was delicious, but owed nothing to vodka and was an effective hiding place for the 3 prawns I eventually tracked down. The Rigatoni was tasty too apparently and the portions were decent. As we'd finished our wine, and my 'companion' didn't want another drink, I asked for a glass of house white and the bill, but only the bill was forthcoming, although the wine had been charged despite never appearing. This was rectified before we left. We paid £28 each but left no tip. With good service and a dimmer switch, Zizzis would have been worth another go, bet its better for lunch.
So we moved on to The Town Hall Tavern, against my wishes I have to say, but hey, anything for the blog.
What a gem!!!! Fab interior, lots to look at, I'm still thinking about the fantastic cup and saucer / teapot lampshades today! We didn't eat, but the blackboards were sorely tempting- I'll be back for their brown bread ice cream thats for sure. And the toilets - well, amazing. Chintzy large scale patterned laminates, quirky wall art,and spotless from coving to skirting, VERY impressed. The bottle of Merlot we had was great too, and at a sensible pub price. Cashews in a bowl, perfect.
Popped into Browns, but full to capacity, and nothing available for an hour and a half, so we looked upward and spotted a new venue, Zizzis, up on the balcony of The Light......
It was busy, but we waited 5 mins and were seated by the manager. As you walk in theres a coffee table with a great set of weird but wonderful multi coloured stools, each covered in what I can only describe as knitted doughnuts - a real talking point and very striking. Unfortunately, thats where 'striking' ended. We were seated at a grey laminate table on grey painted wooden chairs, with glaring strip lighting reminiscent of my garage making the whole place feel like an airport hangar or office canteen. The open plan kitchen allowed you to watch the numerous chefs scuttling about behind a curtain of cured meats, and the pce was full so they were kept on their toes. Our waiter was good looking and very muscular, characteristics which were obviously at the forefront of his mind as he gazed off into the middle distance as we placed our order, we flet lucky he managed to connect pen to paper as he scanned the place for adoring attention and for far more interesting customers than us. Our Italian bread arrived, but with an empty bowl where we had expected the oil & balsamic to be....'Shouldn't this have something in it?' I asked our blank faced Adonis...he gestured with a well exercised finger to the bottles already on our table....'YOU put in what you want' he said, and stalked off, buttocks chafing as he attended a table less problematic than we were obviously being. The bread was was OK, crusts a bit fossilised, but the oil was good, and I poured it rather well, and mixed by balsamic proficiently..... The wine was OK too, a decent Merlot - no offer of a taste first, but thats not the end of the world. My 'Penne Alla Vodka' was delicious, but owed nothing to vodka and was an effective hiding place for the 3 prawns I eventually tracked down. The Rigatoni was tasty too apparently and the portions were decent. As we'd finished our wine, and my 'companion' didn't want another drink, I asked for a glass of house white and the bill, but only the bill was forthcoming, although the wine had been charged despite never appearing. This was rectified before we left. We paid £28 each but left no tip. With good service and a dimmer switch, Zizzis would have been worth another go, bet its better for lunch.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Truly Scrummy, Horsforth
Have driven past this little cafe countless times, but never found a parking space! My luck changed, and so I got to try it out.
Light, bright and airy, it has a bustling, clattery feel to it thats quite pleasant. The decor is simple but clean and bright.I was there at lunchtime and there were 4 staff on, so why it took half an hour to get my cup of coffee (delicious once it came) is beyond me. (If my 'companion' had been there we'd have left ) My pannini took another 10 minutes on top of that, and was beautifully presented with lots of garnish, for a really good price. Except it wasn't a pannini. It was a bread roll that had been squashed flat in a pannini press....the goats cheese and vegetable filling was really good, hot and tasty, but the bread was a real let down. And when a place is as open plan as this, you can't avoid seeing that staff are doing a myriad of other things - other than serving you. And when someone arrives 15 minutes after you, but gets served straight away while you're sat waiting, well, it narks you off.
I might give this another go.......no I probably won't....don't like my OJ put on my table in its plastic bottle thank you.
Light, bright and airy, it has a bustling, clattery feel to it thats quite pleasant. The decor is simple but clean and bright.I was there at lunchtime and there were 4 staff on, so why it took half an hour to get my cup of coffee (delicious once it came) is beyond me. (If my 'companion' had been there we'd have left ) My pannini took another 10 minutes on top of that, and was beautifully presented with lots of garnish, for a really good price. Except it wasn't a pannini. It was a bread roll that had been squashed flat in a pannini press....the goats cheese and vegetable filling was really good, hot and tasty, but the bread was a real let down. And when a place is as open plan as this, you can't avoid seeing that staff are doing a myriad of other things - other than serving you. And when someone arrives 15 minutes after you, but gets served straight away while you're sat waiting, well, it narks you off.
I might give this another go.......no I probably won't....don't like my OJ put on my table in its plastic bottle thank you.
Monday 14 November 2011
The White Hart, Pool in Wharfedale
It was gorgeous on Saturday, so after a bracing yomp ont chevin, we wound up down at The White Hart, a contemporary classic pub/bar and eatery. It has a great atmosphere, gets the music right, and the food is pretty reliable too. The clientele tends to be a bit more 'mature' than average (ahem), but theres always a few family groups, the '3 generations' type of gathering, getting together for lunch and a catch up.
My 'companion' had the classic burger, and I asked for a main size portion of the smoked haddock kedgeree starter, and we both had a beer, Peroni and Landlord. The staff here always look the part in their branded T shirts, and I lust after the battered leather aprons every time I come - although the inside word is that they're a bit hot in Summer! The 2 women in charge were rather less well dressed than the bar staff, but service was attentive ( I LOVE table service for drinks!) The burger arrived and was fabulous, and my dish got the award for the prettiest presentation I've seen in a while; colourful and decorative, with a scattering of what looked like seeds and petals - such a shame to tuck in ....but I did.....lovely.
The only little gripe I had was, that in the bright sunshine that was flooding in through the windows, every dirty stain and grubby smudge on the backs of the leather armchairs really leapt out at you, and made the place look less than pristine.....Mr Sheen does the trick I understand.....
Put it this way, it won't stop me going back ....the sharing platter with extra roast garlic is next!
My 'companion' had the classic burger, and I asked for a main size portion of the smoked haddock kedgeree starter, and we both had a beer, Peroni and Landlord. The staff here always look the part in their branded T shirts, and I lust after the battered leather aprons every time I come - although the inside word is that they're a bit hot in Summer! The 2 women in charge were rather less well dressed than the bar staff, but service was attentive ( I LOVE table service for drinks!) The burger arrived and was fabulous, and my dish got the award for the prettiest presentation I've seen in a while; colourful and decorative, with a scattering of what looked like seeds and petals - such a shame to tuck in ....but I did.....lovely.
The only little gripe I had was, that in the bright sunshine that was flooding in through the windows, every dirty stain and grubby smudge on the backs of the leather armchairs really leapt out at you, and made the place look less than pristine.....Mr Sheen does the trick I understand.....
Put it this way, it won't stop me going back ....the sharing platter with extra roast garlic is next!
Friday 11 November 2011
Bagel Nash - the little one in the arcade
I've a lot of time for this tiny place, the one in the arcade in Leeds, the one that feels a bit Londony. It's like they've hit on a formula at BN, kept it simple, not strayed far from the original plan and made it work. My spinach bagel with spinach (ok so I like spinach) hummous and sliced tomato was just gorgeous; no frills, no garnish, no leftovers. The coffee was good, and "my companion"s ( thats what you say when you take a mate for company so you don't look sad sat on your own) Tex Mex soup was truly delicious, and his apple juice was thick enough to stand your spoon up in. My seat was a bit cramped up against the window because it was busy but I'm being picky now.
It was bustling and lively, so table service is welcome as it can be a bit of an obstacle course to get around, but all in all, this little Bagel Nash is the perfect place for a quick snack on the run.
It was bustling and lively, so table service is welcome as it can be a bit of an obstacle course to get around, but all in all, this little Bagel Nash is the perfect place for a quick snack on the run.
Thursday 10 November 2011
Salvo's, Headingley
Been a fan of Salvo's since it was tiny - as was I. The hours I stood in the tiny lobby waiting for a table, the singing (sic) chef serenading us all whether we liked it or not...and the fantastic food that was always worth the wait. How times have changed. The addition of a bar was a brainwave, somewhere to wait AND drink (and additionally spend of course, clever boys), then the bar upstairs, then the Salumeria, and now, the all singing all dancing, groovy new Salvo's. Its like Monopoly, buy a unit, buy another, put a bar upstairs, add a cafe....all good. My opinion on the latest incarnation?
The food is as good as its always been. The service is still bustling, efficient and attentive. Its still busy and vibrant, great for all ages. But it HAS lost a bit of that salty, genuine, gritty Italian atmosphere. If you'd never been before you'd just enjoy it for what it is, a really great Italian with lots of atmos and great music as a bonus. The wallpaper is kitsch and cool, the owner brothers still flit about keeping a beady one on things, but its slick. Slick and quick. If thats your bag, fine. I like a bit of grit in my pizza. Not literally, but if you've known Salvo's as long as me...well, its a bit Benjamin Button - it started off feeling established and interesting with something to say, now its fresh faced and eager, keen to impress. No need.
The food is as good as its always been. The service is still bustling, efficient and attentive. Its still busy and vibrant, great for all ages. But it HAS lost a bit of that salty, genuine, gritty Italian atmosphere. If you'd never been before you'd just enjoy it for what it is, a really great Italian with lots of atmos and great music as a bonus. The wallpaper is kitsch and cool, the owner brothers still flit about keeping a beady one on things, but its slick. Slick and quick. If thats your bag, fine. I like a bit of grit in my pizza. Not literally, but if you've known Salvo's as long as me...well, its a bit Benjamin Button - it started off feeling established and interesting with something to say, now its fresh faced and eager, keen to impress. No need.
Blog 1 !!!!!
I spend all my time verbally reviewing, rating and commenting on places I've eaten, places I've been, people I've met and generally stuffI I enjoy (or don't) in and around Leeds. Time to blog I thought.
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