Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 10 December 2018

"There is no such organisation as Chocoholics Anonymous because no one wants to quit." 

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 3 December 2018

"I only eat in three places: here, there and everywhere." 

Daniel L Worona

Albert's Schloss

Peter Street, Manchester

Albert’s Schloss is ‘Manchester’s first Bohemian bier palace, cook haus and bakery’. The home of the Bavarian beer and the curried bratwurst, it’s an open-all-hours entertainment hub in the middle of one of the city centre’s most bustling hotspots. Serving breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, with nightly entertainment into the early hours, it’s one of the busiest and most sought-after venues.

Situated next door to Revolution du Cuba and opposite the Great Northern Warehouse, it’s in the middle of a choc-a-bloc entertainment district. I frequently walk past after a night at the theatre. By 10:00pm, the music’s blaring and the punters are spilling out onto the pavements. Unbelievably, on a Monday lunchtime, it’s just as busy, with most tables in the restaurant occupied with business folk having power lunches and friends meeting for a catch up.

For many of us Northerners, Christmas officially begins when you’re wrapped up, walking around Manchester’s gorgeous markets munching on a German sausage slathered in tomato and mustard. Well, Albert’s Schloss is the home of the bratwurst.

The menus change across the day. On the ‘Luncheon Service’, alongside the ‘Wurst & Wiener’, where you can choose your sausage, your toppings and your sides, are a selection of sandwiches, burgers, kebabs and traditional German dishes including Schnitzel, Bavarian pasta and pork knuckle.

Keeping it light yet traditional, I had the Classic Reuben sandwich, a meat and cheese feast which actually originated in the United States but is thought to have been invented by a German Jewish delicatessen owner, although its exact roots remain unclear. It consists of pastrami, pickles, sauerkraut (shredded, fermented raw cabbage), Emmental cheese and Russian dressing on grilled rye bread. It’s flavoursome and, as part of a £10 deal which entitles you to any sandwich, burger or pizza with a choice of salad or fries for ‘ten English pounds’, as the menu states, the price is just as tasty. It makes for an enjoyable lunchtime snack, although without the dressing for dipping it would have been a little dry. The fries were deliciously seasoned, though.

Classic Reuben Sandwich

The rest of the menu is reasonable enough. The sausages are all £13 and variations include pork, beef and mustard; chicken, tarragon and salsa verde mayo; and lamb, pork, cumin and curried ketchup. Given the size of them, it’s really not bad at all. They seem the post popular choice when I tried to casually nosey at the diners around us.

The sandwiches and fries are enough for lunchtime, but when presented with a dessert menu it’s almost impossible to resist. There’s all the standard fayre, including sticky toffee pudding and apple and blackberry strudel, which would have been my top choices, had I not caught a glimpse of the bakery.

The breakfast menu features an array of pastry based treats, including cronuts, a cross between a croissant and a doughnut. Think the pastry of a croissant containing the filling of a doughnut. They’re probably a little too sweet for first thing of a morning, but when in Rome, as they say, you have to try their specialities, so I decided to have one for pudding.  

We all love a cake and patisserie display. Window shopping is big business when it comes to selling cakes. Whilst we can appreciate that, the cronuts were all out on show without cover, which is unhygienic, especially when they’re placed near the bar, where all the staff are working. Not to mention the hundreds of sweet-toothed customers like me too-ing and fro-ing, drooling all over them, though I hope not literally. They should at least be under a Perspex dome.

I had a key lime pie cronut: sugar crusted pastry topped with zingy lime curd and refreshing cream, sprinkled with the zest of a lime. The lime complemented the sweet pastry deliciously, ensuring that it wasn’t overly sweet. Slightly disappointing, however, was the fact that, inside, it was plain pastry. I think it was in need of some filling in the middle, even if it was just a little splodge.

Key Lime Pie Cronut

I was impressed with the service. Considering it was so busy, our sandwiches arrived quickly, so if you work in the city centre you could pop in with colleagues on your lunch hour.

It was perfectly acceptable, but I wouldn’t rave about it. Perhaps it’s more about the entertainment when the joint comes to life at night.

All menus can be viewed online at: https://www.albertsschloss.co.uk/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 26 November 2018

"The key to my heart looks a whole lot like a plate of pasta."

Anon

Afternoon Tea at Bartisserie 2

2 Market Place, Ramsbottom, Bury, BL0 9HT

We all know how I’m partial to a decadent Afternoon Tea. My latest indulgence came courtesy of Bartisserie², a restaurant, bar and patisserie in the heart of the idyllic countrified village of Ramsbottom, which is now a foodie heaven.

Located opposite the landmark earn, Bartisserie² serves meals across the day using the finest and freshest local ingredients. It’s local, Northern fine dining at its best.

Chef and founder Ethan Ballan, born and bred in Bury, set up the local bistro with the aim of bringing together the best of both worlds from French and British cuisine.

At the age of just 26, Ethan already boasts an impressive CV. After studying cookery at Bury College, he discovered he had a passion for patisserie whilst undertaking a culinary diploma at the Ashburton Chef’s Academy. Ethan went on to put his passion to good use working at Michael Caine’s Abode Restaurant in Manchester. For over two years, he worked as a pastry chef and prepared afternoon teas as London’s prestigious Dorchester Hotel and, in 2016, was part of the team who catered for The Queen’s 90^th Birthday Party. Now that’s the ultimate high tea.  

Bringing his expertise of all things patisserie back up North, after spending time working with the San Carlo group, he fulfilled his ultimate career ambition of opening his own Bistro and Bartisserie² was born.

It only opened earlier this year but I’ve read and heard great things about it. When you walk past the shop front, you’ll see the artistically constructed cakes and pastries delicately placed in full view in the front window and if that doesn’t tempt you to add it to your ‘to dine’ list, I don’t know what will.

Afternoon tea at Bartisserie² is a unique experience. Gone are the towering cake stands with your sandwiches on the bottom, scones in the middle and the cakes on top. Instead, it’s served in three courses: sandwiches and quiche first, scones second and a selection of desserts to finish. This is a genius idea. You’re much more likely to take your time as you’re not overwhelmed by what’s in front of you. Each course is delivered to your table by Ethan himself. He talks you through what he’s prepared for you, which is a nice personal touch; the kind of thing that makes an experience special.

Arriving first were four fresh finger sandwiches and two mini quiches. The sandwiches were decent sizes, the bread wasn’t dry and there was plentiful filling. There was smoked salmon, sliced chicken with pea puree, tomato and mozzarella and cucumber and cream cheese. Often, on an afternoon tea, the flavours can be a little bit boring and the bread is somewhere along the scale of dry to going stale. These, however, were beautiful. The quiches were creamy goats cheese and caramelised red onion in a buttery pastry. They were a welcome addition to the savoury course and helped set you up nicely for the sweet.

Sandwiches and Quiches

On the second course were two small but perfectly formed scones – one plain, one fruit – served warm with homemade chunky raspberry jam and whipped cream. Clotted cream may be more traditional, but, personally, I prefer the lighter, fluffier texture that comes with the whipped alternative. This is where serving the afternoon tea in courses proves to be a good idea, as we could tuck into the scones whilst they were still warm. Naturally, I made sure they were laden with copious amounts of jam and cream.

Scones

The third and final course, the spectacular finale, was a selection of four miniature patisseries from the cake fridge. With nothing too sweet for my palate, this is really what an afternoon tea is all about. We had a passionfruit tart topped with zingy Italian meringue, a raspberry macaron, a chocolate mousse encased in a solid chocolate and hazelnut coat and a millionaire’s shortbread topped with chocolate orange piping. Half fruity, half chocolate, it was the perfect mix and all four were faultless. Presentation was equally superb; they looked almost too good to eat. With every mouthful, you could taste the passion that had gone into its creation.

Cakes

Millionaire’s Shortbread is one of my favourite sweet treats, and this was the best one I’ve ever had. With a thick, crunchy shortbread base and a generous layer of caramel, the ratios were on point and the chocolate topping was elegantly decorated with a stave and musical notes. Finished off with chocolate orange piping – one of my very favourite combinations – it made me wonder why every slice of Millionaire’s shortbread can’t taste like this.

With hot drinks of your choice to wash it all down, it’s well worth the £20 per person. The quality of the food, the attention to detail in the cakes, the friendly attentive staff and the sophisticated playlist make for an impeccable experience.

With different menus available at all times of the day, I look forward to returning to Bartisserie² for another dining experience soon.

If you’re looking to treat someone special for their birthday, an afternoon of indulgence at Bartisserie² would make the perfect present.

All menus are available online at: http://bartisserie2.co.uk/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 19 November 2018

"Bacon: the main reason you are not a vegetarian." 

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 12 November 2018

"You can't live a full life on an empty stomach." 

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 5 November 2018

"There should be a calorie refund for things that didn't taste as good as you expected." 

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 29 October 2018

"I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon." 

Ellen DeGeneres

Sunday Lunch at The Vine Brasserie

Bury New Road, Whitefield

Twelve months ago, The Vine Brasserie opened its doors for the first time, bringing a unique blend of fine dining and Mediterranean cuisine to Whitefield.

I wrote favourably about this gorgeous place last November, before the official launch had even taken place. I loved everything about The Vine, its atmosphere and its food. I don’t know why it took me so long to return. Life, as they say, simply got in the way.

Since I made my dining debut at The Vine last year, they’ve undergone several menu changes, as is often the case with high-end fine dining. They cook with fresh, local, seasonal produce and the periodic menu changes reflect that. However, it seems the website hasn’t been updated for quite some time, so we were aghast to be presented with a Sunday Lunch menu upon arrival; a wide-ranging set menu which offers up one course for £13, two £18 or three for £23.

The choices change each week. As the very helpful waiting staff explained to us, a handful of starters, main courses and desserts are selected from the larger, a la carte menu and expertly crafted into this sensational Sunday special. The main course includes the option of a roast dinner, with a choice of meats.

To start, I had King Prawns nestled on a bed of orzo pasta in a tomato ragu. The prawns, complete with all their shells, tails and tentacles, were a little intimidating but I didn’t let that put me off. There were three giant, juicy prawns and a generous portion of pasta. For a starter, it was mightily impressive. Doubled in size, it would easily have been satisfying enough to pass for a main course.

King Prawns on Orzo Pasta with Tomato Ragu

For the main event, it had to be a roast. Despite preferring white meat to red, chicken is generally the run-of-the-mill meat we eat at home on a weekly basis, so instead I opted for beef. I was presented with five thinly sliced pieces of beef, layered over all the trimmings. The beef was perfectly cooked, still slightly pink and topped with a gargantuan Yorkshire pudding, crispy to the touch but light and fluffy inside.

Excited to get stuck in, I peeled back the layers of beef to reveal three roast crisp, golden roast potatoes, creamy, herb-infused mashed potatoes, Chantenay carrots and buttered greens, all drizzled in red wine gravy. It was, frankly, sensational; one of the finest roast dinners I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.

Roast Beef Dinner

The stars of the show are always the meat and potatoes. In this production, they deserve their own curtain call. It was lacking on the gravy – I personally like my plate to be drowning – but I asked for some more and they were happy to oblige.

Unless you’re a vegetarian, please do yourself a favour and don’t go for anything other than the roast dinner for your main course.

I’m a firm believer in cleaning my plate, forever failing to understand people who leave so much of a scrap of potato or a drizzle of gravy. However, these humongous roast dinners are not for the faint hearted and will satisfy those with the biggest of appetites.  

Desserts often let down a set menu: ice cream and tiramisu are generally the two staples. That’s not the case here. There was fine selection of proper puddings, including crumble, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate brownie and lemon posset.

I had the apple and cinnamon crumble. It was a bowlful of chunky apples topped with an abundant layer of crunchy crumble and wasn’t so hot that it tore a strip of the roof of your mouth. Topped with vanilla ice cream, which softened the biscuits and oats as it melted over the top, it was the perfect end to a perfect meal.

Apple and Cinnamon Crumble

Admittedly, I couldn’t help but get a little bit of food envy over my friend’s sticky toffee pudding: a hefty cube of toffee sponge topped with salted caramel ice cream.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

I was so thoroughly impressed with The Vine’s Sunday offering that I rushed back the following week to enjoy another spectacular Sunday Roast. My starter this time was the orzo pasta again, but this topped with two beef croquettes and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Delicious but very filling and, sadly, it meant that by the time I’d finished my main, I couldn’t quite muster up the strength to face the sticky toffee pudding.

Round two: Beef Croquettes with Orzo Pasta

So here’s to the next time.

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 22 October 2018

"What could be more important than a little something to eat?" 

Winnie the Pooh 

Northern Soul Grilled Cheese

Manchester Piccadilly Station Approach

Warning: If you’re on a diet or trying to avoid carbs, you should probably stop reading now. For what you’re about to experience is the definition of carb overload.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a stringy, gooey, cheesy toastie? Northern Soul Grilled Cheese is the UK’s first restaurant dedicated to the ultimate lunchtime comfort snack, serving up nothing but grilled cheese sandwiches.

In its original location on Church Street, on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter, it’s literally a wooden shed with a kitchen area and a few seats. I’ve seen people queuing on the pavements and round the block to experience the cheesy goodness.

Such was the success of the original shop that they’ve recently opened a second unit on the approach to Piccadilly Station. This is a much nicer, quieter space that is in keeping with the quirkiness of the original.

The chalkboard menu is based around ‘the soul’. The most basic of their sandwiches, it’s a three-cheese blend, featuring cheddar and mozzarella alongside a secret cheese, around which all their creations are based. After that, it’s up to you what else you want on there, from caramelised onion chutney to gammon and Dijon and tandoori chicken.

As well as sandwiches, there are Mac & Cheese boards: 20 ounces of creamy pasta served with garlic and rosemary bread for scooping up every last bit.

Can’t decide? Well, here’s the thing. You don’t have to choose. You can have the best of both worlds in the form of a mac and cheese on a toasted sandwich. I had the Mac Attack: the signature soul sandwich with added mac and cheese. Three layers of soft, gooey macaroni cheese oozing out of the toast, complemented with homemade Asian style coleslaw.

The Mac Attack

You might need a jaw of steel to get your mouth round it and you’ll struggle to hold it all together after a couple of bites.  Prepare to get very messy and, be warned, if you take a seat inside the Piccadilly venue along the window, throw away all your inhibitions, as there is no elegant way to tackle this beast. It’s truly special and a very modest £6.00 – a cheap and fulfilling lunch that will keep you satisfied for the rest of the day.

There’s an even-more deluxe version which features BBQ pulled pork. In truth, this is the sandwich I had my heart set on, but in a daze of excitement, a slip of the tongue at the till led to me ordering the wrong thing. Clearly the anticipation was too much for me to handle. Still, it gives me an excuse to go back a second time. And trust me, once you’ve demolished the Mac Attack, you’ll feel you need to justify round two.

As the weather (hopefully) turns chillier and the autumn nights draw in, head to Northern Soul Grilled Cheese for the ultimate winter warmer. The playlist, choc-full of Northern Soul classics, is almost as impressive as the food.

Catch them at the Christmas Markets from Friday 9 November.

See the full fromage selection at: http://www.northernsoulmcr.com/#our-story

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 15 October 2018

"I spend a lot of time holding the refrigerator door open looking for answers." 

Anon

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 8 October 2018

"I think my soulmate might be carbs."

Rosie Mulligan

Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again

Afternoon Tea at Cloud 23

The Hilton Hotel, Deansgate

Manchester’s Hilton Hotel, housed inside the 47-storey Beetham Tower, can be seen for miles, towering above Manchester’s skyline. Tucked away up high on the 23^rd floor is a unique cocktail bar in the sky.

The aptly named Cloud 23 is the highest point in the city. This stylish bar serves up the finest champagnes and decadent cocktails as well as elegant afternoon teas in plush surroundings with the most stunning backdrop.

Inside Cloud 23

The floor-to-ceiling windows provide panoramic views of the magnificent city which is the beating heart of the North. If you’re afraid of heights, you may have to give this a swerve, as it’s certainly not for the fainthearted. Entering from the ground floor, you hop into a specially constructed lift which catapults up to the 23^rd floor at record speed. I could feel my ears about to pop in the way they do when you’re taking off on an aeroplane.

When you reach the top, you enter a different world. Make sure you dress to impress, for it doesn’t matter what hour of the day it is, this is the highest end of nights out. We were seated in front of the all-encompassing windows, on a low table in comfortable, white leather seats, facing outwards.

Panoramic Views

There’s a theatrical and innovative cocktail menu, including a fine selection of non-alcoholic alternatives in the imaginatively titled ‘Blue Sky Drinking’ section. If a drop of the hard stuff is strictly on your agenda, there’s the Signature Cocktails, all with detailed descriptions painting a picture in the mind as well as the mouth, and the Cloud Classics, as well as an extensive selection of wines, beers, champagnes and spirits.

By day, it’s all about the decadent afternoon tea.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: afternoon tea truly is one of life’s greatest pleasures. There is no better way to spend an afternoon. The experience is only heightened when you’re taking your tea in surroundings of grandeur.

Cloud 23 offers a range of different afternoon tea experiences, from a basic Cream Tea (£14) to the full traditional fare (£25), and even an option with free-flowing champagne (£49). We purchased a special offer from the recently launched ‘itison’ app, bagging ourselves a Traditional Afternoon Tea and any cocktail from the menu up to the value of £14 – a truly superb deal.

As a non-drinker, it was refreshing to have some thoroughly decent mocktails to choose from. I had a ‘Cherry Blossom Skies’, a light and fluffy cream fizz flavoured with cherry, almond and citrus. Reminiscent of a cherry bakewell with added zing, it was refreshing and delicious, although very indulgent. It wasn’t the kind of beverage to quench your thirst, but that didn’t matter, as the afternoon tea comes with an unlimited supply of hot drinks – tea, coffee or hot chocolate. We’re not just talking filter coffee either: you can have a cappuccino, a latte, whatever takes your fancy.

Cherry Blossom Skies

Food wise, the sandwiches and sweet treats were served on a decadent three-tiered cake stand. In my mind, there are three distinct courses to an afternoon tea: you start with the sandwiches and end with the cakes, whilst the scones are a nice bridge between savoury and sweet.

There was a roast ham sandwich on brown fingers, prawn mayonnaise and bistro salad served in a tortilla wrap, a goats cheese and beetroot wrap and a Croque Monsieur.  The ham on brown was a little bit plain and simple for my taste, I prefer my sandwiches a little more exciting, but it meant there was something to suit all tastes. The wraps were my favourites, full of filling and flavour.

The scones were filled with dried apricots, and served with strawberry jam and clotted cream. Although they were served warm, by the time we’d finished the sandwiches they’d gone cold. It would be a good idea to serve them covered to keep the heat in. After all, afternoon tea is supposed to be leisurely and a simple scone is significantly more enjoyable when warm and crunchy. The dried apricots didn’t bring much in terms of flavour either. The more traditional sultana scones are definitely preferable.

Sitting aboard the top tier in all their delicious glory were a vanilla and chocolate sponge cake, a strawberry and white chocolate tart and a cheesecake shot glass. Surprisingly, the vanilla and chocolate sponge was my favourite. Chocolate desserts are normally my last choice, but this wasn’t at all rich and was very more-ish. The tart was equally excellent, but the cheesecake was disappointing. The texture was wrong. It was very airy, more like a moose, and the lack of biscuit base meant it wasn’t really a cheesecake at all. It was a refreshing, palate-cleansing end to the experience, without being overly sweet, but just wouldn’t what it was supposed to be.

Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two

If you’re an afternoon tea lover, Cloud 23 is an experience you can’t afford to miss. Relaxing in stylish and sophisticated surroundings with unparalleled views, freshly prepared sandwiches and cakes and decadent cocktails, I can’t think of a better way to spend an afternoon. Whatever the occasion, it’ll be the perfect celebration.

Pre-booking is essential. If you’re brainstorming ideas for Christmas presents, vouchers can be purchased online.  

Website: https://www.cloud23bar.com/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 1 October 2018

"Diet day 1: I have removed all the bad food from the house. It was delicious." 

Anon

Istanbul Grill

Bury New Road, Prestwich

Istanbul Grill is a modern and casual restaurant serving classic Turkish cuisine in the heart of Prestwich village. Having recently been crowned the Best Turkish Restaurant in the UK at the 2018 Asian Restaurant Awards, expectations were high.

We were greeted by ever-so-friendly front of house staff and, at seven o’clock on a Friday evening, it was already over half-full, an immediate sign that the restaurant has earned and, more importantly, maintained its reputation.

They boast one of the biggest a la carte menus I’ve ever seen, with a vast array of hot and cold starters and traditional meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. If you prefer a more select choice, there’s a set menu available, with a generous pick of starters and main courses for varying prices across the week, ranging from £8.95 on weekday lunchtimes to £12.95 at the weekend.

Turkish isn’t a cuisine I’m overly familiar with, nor am I very adventurous, as I can’t afford to gamble with spices. It’s the kind of place where I have to play it safe and order what I know and love. So I broke the foodie code of conduct and opted for a la carte rather than the set price menu. Yes, it’s more expensive, but there’s little point in going for the cheaper option when it’s not really what you want.

I was all set for going for the Turkish classic Muska Borek to start - feta cheese deep fried in filo pastry - until another heavenly combination caught my eye: creamy garlic mushrooms with king prawns. They may be two of my very favourite things in the world, but I wasn’t sure how they would combine. I didn’t have anything to worry about, as it was delicious. It was a huge bowl full of garlic mushrooms and four huge, juicy king prawns in a rich cream sauce: quite heavy for a starter, but for me, there are few things too creamy. It was accompanied by sliced pitta bread, so you could mop up the sauce, making sure none went to waste. £6.75 for a starter featuring king prawns is sensationally good value.

Garlic Mushrooms and King Prawns

My friend had garlic bread with a Turkish twist. Garlic-coated pitta bread served with a sun-blushed tomato dip. It was refreshing to see garlic bread served as a portion for one. In Italian restaurants, they’re generally designed to be shared, making you feel a little awkward if you’re tucking into one on your own.

Garlic Bread

Muska Borek

Our main courses were three vegetarian options. I’m a meat eater, but can be perfectly satisfied by a tasty veggie dish. I had Mousakka, a traditional dish which needs little explanation: an assortment of courgettes, potato, mushrooms, peppers and tomatoes sandwiched between layers of aubergine, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and melted cheese. It was deliciously tasty and didn’t have the oily texture I’ve experienced with the dish previously.

Mousakka

My friend had an intriguing Halloumi Bake: chunks of halloumi fried with mushrooms, peppers and onions in a tomato ragu, topped with cream and finished off with melted mozzarella and rosemary. With halloumi and mozerella, you’d have to be a real cheese lover to enjoy this double dose of dairy delight.

Halloumi Bake

The third main course, from the set menu, was falafel: fried balls of chickpeas, wheat and coriander, accompanied by a refreshing yoghurt dip.

Falafel

All three main courses were beautifully presented, well balanced and generous in size.

I was already on the way to being suitably stuffed after two courses, but there was one final hurdle to be jumped before the finish line: baklava. It’s an authentic dessert which you don’t see very often and therefore has to be enjoyed at every available opportunity.

They serve it with a range of toppings: ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, cream, even with Turkish milk pudding.

We all tucked into it: I with ice cream, my friends with cream and chocolate sauce. It wasn’t the best baklava I’ve had. It wasn’t sweet or sticky enough, the layers of pastry fell apart and it was rather dry. However, with was greatly enhanced by the hot chocolate sauce. This was definitely the winning topping, so if you fancy it, the chocolate version is the way to go.

Baklava with Ice Cream

Baklava with Hot Chocolate Sauce

Istanbul Grill is a local gem. It’s a change from the ever-popular Italian restaurants and American diners and offers excellent food in relaxed yet sophisticated surroundings. There’s a very lively atmosphere too, and the staff are friendly and attentive. We sent our waiter away on a number of occasions as we were too busy talking we forgot to read the menu, but they didn’t mind and still served our food quickly.

So, congratulations to the team at Istanbul Grill on your award. It seems you’ve earned it.

See the huge menu in full online: http://www.istanbulgrills.co.uk/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 24 September 2018

"Remove this pudding. It has no theme."

Sir Winston Churchill to a chef in the South of France

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 17 September 2018

"So long as you have food in your mouth you have solved all questions for the time being." 

Franz Kafka

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 10 September 2018

"The most powerful social media...it is not the internet, it is not Facebook - it is food. This connects all human beings."

Alex Atala

Brazilian chef

The Swan and Cemetery

Manchester Road, Bury

A pub lunch used to be something of a regular occurrence when I was growing up. As kids, we frequently popped to country alehouses for a roast dinner on a Sunday or scampi and chips midweek, but back then, my palate was much more limited, and so we couldn’t afford to be as adventurous with our choice of cuisine.

Recently, I met some friends at The Swan & Cemetery, a multi-award winning pub and restaurant which has received recognition for the quality of its fare on numerous occasions. Considering it’s so local, I’m not entirely sure why it took me so long to pay a visit.

It has that traditional country pub vibe to it, with its wooden beams and ornamental cabinets, which are full of a very impressive collection of swans. The spacious tables and comfortable leather chairs are complemented by opulent table settings and proper napkins. Plus, the restaurant is separate from the pub, even having its own entrance, so there are no sticky tables or cutlery in baskets.

The Swan & Cemetery are all about local produce, sourcing meat from local butchers, fresh vegetables and Black Pudding from the original and best source, Bury’s ever-popular market.

Food is served everyday from 12 noon until 9.00pm. It’s a vast menu which changes seasonally to reflect the availability of produce. To start, I had the Asian Duck Spring Rolls, a recent addition to the menu; shredded Cantonese-style duck fried in batter to a lovely golden brown crisp and served with a rich plum and hoisin sauce. They weren’t too greasy and didn’t blow the inside of your mouth off when you bit into them – always a bonus!

Asian Duck Spring Rolls

It was a tough choice for main course, given that they have every classic you could possibly think of. Pies, curries, lamb shank, steaks, sea bass, burgers, gammon, pasta and risotto, there’s such a vast array it’s almost overwhelming to a foodie such as myself, with eyes twice the size of his stomach. It’s not a cheap menu, and as it was the middle of the working week I was conscious of over-indulging the wallet. However, to quote the old adage, ‘you get what you pay for’, so I opted for the Beef Wellington, and the quality made the slightly bigger dent worthwhile.

A hunk of prime fillet steak was topped with the chef’s homemade pâté and wild mushrooms, encased in puff pastry, cooked to the right level of crispiness and served with red wine gravy, vegetables and sweet potato chips. It was a real treat. The steak was deliciously lean, tender and juicy, with not an ounce of fat in sight. The creamy pâté and wild mushrooms added flavour and texture whilst preventing the pastry from turning soggy. Drowned in the rich red wine gravy, it melted away in the mouth and was a luxurious midweek treat, accompanied by some crispy sweet potato chips – my favourite - and a little heap of seasonal vegetables.

Beef Wellington

Despite having already comfortably surpassed the ‘full and satisfied’ stage, the extensive list of traditional puddings proved too tempting to resist. They have every home cooked classic you could possibly ask for, including apple pie, jam roly poly, crème brûlée, eton mess, key lime pie and banoffee pie.

The Billionaire’s Cheesecake, something a little more contemporary and a recent addition to the menu, was a genius hybrid of millionaire’s shortbread and cheesecake, two of my very favourite things. A layer of caramel was sandwiched between the biscuit base and the caramel flavoured cheesecake, which was topped with chocolate ganache (love that word) and topped off with honeycomb pieces and a dusting of edible gold. Sweet, sticky and delightful all-round, served with a scoop of ice cream.

Billionaire's Cheesecake

It’s easy to see why The Swan and Cemetery was awarded Thwaites’ ‘Best Pub Dining’ award in 2017, for the food is something special and certainly not what you’d categorise as pub grub. It may be expensive, but it’s well worth pushing the boat out every now and again.

Over the last few years, in Whitefield, we’ve gained all the major cuisines - Italian, Indian, Chinese, American and Thai – but a meal at The Swan and Cemetery serves to remind you that nothing beats some quality, home-cooked, traditional English food.

Website: https://swanandcemetery.co.uk/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 3 September 2018

"The two biggest sellers in bookstores are the cookbooks and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food and the diet books tell you how not to eat any of it." 

Andy Rooney

American radio and television writer

The Pavilion Bistro

Elbut Lane, Birtle, Bury

Situated in the Lancastrian countryside village of Birtle is The Pavilion Bistro, a refined restaurant and bar which serves traditional British cuisine with a contemporary twist. Set amongst stunning scenery, The Pavilion is situated in its own picturesque grounds, which feature a waterfall and a seven acre lake, ideal for a tranquil walk before or after your meal. There’s also a bowling green which you can gaze across from the outdoor dining terrace.

Inside, the restaurant’s centre piece is a tree adorned with miniature gin bottles and cocktail glasses, hanging from the leaves in the way that baubles fill a Christmas tree. It’s sophisticated yet casual, formal yet unpretentious.

The Pavilion’s ethos is focused around seasonal, home-cooked fare produced by traditional methods of cooking. Seasonal, local produce make up the majority of the extensive menu. Breakfast is served from 10am until noon and thereafter there are complete daytime and evening menus. There’s also a Blackboard menu, which changes monthly, offering two courses for £16 or three for £18 at certain times on certain days.

The Blackboard menu is well worth doing, especially on a Sunday when you can have a roast dinner for your main course, but I was fancying something lighter this particular lunchtime. The regular daytime menu features hot and cold sandwiches, salads and a few comfort favourites including fish and chips, cheese and onion pie and steak frites.

I had the Cheese Savoury Sandwich. I know, I thought it might be a little bit boring too. Thankfully, it wasn’t. It was grated smoked applewood cheese mixed with mayonnaise, diced red pepper, diced red onion and cucumber served on six fingers of brown bread (or white, the choice is there).

Grated cheese is far superior to slices on a sandwich; it seems to alter both the taste and the texture completely, making it far easier to digest. The onions, peppers and cucumber added a satisfying crunch. I didn’t think I could enjoy something as basic as a cheese sandwich so much, proving that that lunch doesn’t need to be fancy in order for it to be enjoyable. It was served with a bowl of fries, making it complete, although the limp salad could have been livened up a bit more. Served on a long wooden board with a gingham paper napkin, it looked like a mini picnic and was a quirk which suited the venue.

Cheese Savoury Sandwich

My dining companion had the cod fillet sandwich: two big pieces of ‘freshly caught Atlantic cod’, battered, with homemade tartar sauce in a brioche bun. It too was accompanied by a bowl of fries and some extra tartar sauce because, let’s be honest, you can never have too much, can you? There was an impressive amount of fish and the batter was delightfully crispy, although I think the bun could have done with a bit of lettuce on it.

Warm Fillet of Cod Sandwich

Desserts are written on the specials board, so must change regularly. There was a fine selection, including a couple that had been supplied by Whitefield-based patisserie, Slattery’s. I had honey comb cheesecake, an individual no-bake cheesecake (the superior form) topped with chocolate and honey comb malt balls with swirls of caramel running through the middle of it - tasty, light and just enough. Although I’m not sure it was worth £6, given that I’d only paid £8 for my generous sandwich and fries.

Honeycomb Cheesecake

I can’t complain about the service being slow, but it wasn’t the fastest either. We weren’t in a rush, so it didn’t matter, but I was glad we were at dessert stage before the big party at the next table came in, as the acoustics don’t lend themselves way to a huddle of noisy children.

Still, I was thoroughly impressed with the food and, overall, the atmosphere. I spotted a couple of tables behind us being laid for afternoon tea, complete with draping table cloths and champagne glasses. The afternoon tea menu looks promising, so I’m planning to return later in the year to give it a go.

Debbie Higgins, the Bistro Manager at the Pavillion, claims ‘we feel we have got the balance right with casual dining that is not ‘overly-dressed’ to camouflage quality; instead, we rely on our dishes to speak for themselves, neatly presented in comfortable surroundings’. Mission is most definitely accomplished. I look forward to returning to The Pavilion in the future to dine from a different menu in a different style.

All menus are available at: http://www.pavilionrestaurant.co.uk/index.html

Owen's Restaurant and Bar

Railway Street, Ramsbottom

Owen’s Restaurant and Bar is an elegant and modern restaurant in the charming market town of Ramsbottom. Situated on the aptly named Railway Street, it overlooks the old train station, where you can hop on and off the East Lancashire Railway.

Owen’s has been on my dining wish list for a very long time. I’ve heard nothing but favourable reports about the place. So, once we’d organised a trip on the East Lancs, there was only one thing I knew I had to do once I arrived in Ramsbottom.

On a Thursday lunchtime, we hadn’t booked and we arrived just in the nick of time, nabbing the last table, though there were more spaces available in the bar, where you can also dine, should you wish to. The restaurant has a very modern feel to it, with silvery grey furnishings and comfortable, spacious tables.

By day, they have a lunch menu, which offers three courses for £13.95, which is good value but your choices are very limited. I feel it doesn’t fairly represent the kind of food on offer, so I decided to stick with the a la carte. I love a set price menu as much as the next person, but if it doesn’t offer what you fancy then it’s false economy.

We ordered two starters and had a dip into each. Firstly, we had the pan-fried garlic mushrooms with bacon and stilton cheese. Garlic mushrooms are my go-to when they appear on any menu. They’re one of my all-time favourite starters. For me, you just can’t go wrong with them. That said, some are always better than others, and these were spectacular. They were creamy, cheesy and the crispy bacon really added depth in terms of both flavour and texture. Plus, they were served with warm bread and butter, so you could mop up all the sauce.

Garlic and Stilton Mushrooms

Our other starter was from this month’s specials board: cheese and bacon potato croquettes with garlic mayonnaise. Three huge croquettes, oozing with melted cheese and pieces of bacon were nestled on top of peaked garlic mayonnaise. It was a case of garlic overload, although, in my humble opinion, there’s no such thing as too much garlic.

Cheese and Bacon Croquettes

Appetite well and truly whetted, the starters set us up for a hearty main course of vegetable stroganoff. Stroganoff is not something I’ve eaten loads of, and previously I’ve only ever had it with meat. During the festive season, we frequently use up the leftover turkey in a stroganoff, but beef is the meat traditionally used.

Here, you can add chicken to the vegetable version, but it’s certainly not necessary, as the combination of onions, mushrooms, courgettes, peppers and gherkins in a mushroom and sour cream sauce makes for a truly scrumptious dish. It’s served with a neat little heap of rice and a handful of home-cooked chunky chips. Rice is the more traditional accompaniment, but who could turn their nose up at some proper chips? It can only be a bonus.

Vegetable Stroganoff

My mum has dined at Owen’s on a number of occasions and has so frequently spoken about their Bakewell Tart that it’s become the stuff of legend in our household. Having sampled the goods, for research purposes, obviously, I can confirm that this was, indeed, the king of all bakewell tarts. A soft, pastry base topped with a thick layer of zingy raspberry jam and moist almond sponge, sprinkled with almonds and served with a jug of warm custard, it was the perfect pudding. Despite being full, I certainly need to think twice about squeezing down every single mouthful.

Bakewell Tart

Bakewell Tart

Owen’s proves that you don’t need to be a fancy gastropub to excel at honest English cuisine. There’s nothing more satisfying than top quality, home-cooked food, served up in generous portions at reasonable prices. The staff are friendly and attentive, the service is fast and the atmosphere is relaxed and sophisticated. Owen’s is one of my new favourites.

Website: http://www.owensramsbottom.co.uk/Owens/Welcome_to_Owens.html