New Tastes...

The Botanist, Alderley Edge

Today I arranged for all of the girls and their boyfriends to go to The Botanist in Alderley Edge for a Sunday roast. It is somewhere I've heard is really nice, and I knew after my cousin's twenty first birthday last night that I would be in need of hangover food!

We had booked a table for 3pm, and when we arrived it was pretty much full, and the atmosphere was warm and lively - they had a singer/ guitarist on in the background playing some decent tunes. We were in a corner around a big square table, which was a little bit of a squash but nothing we couldn't deal with.

We ordered our drinks and then food shortly after - we all went for the roast except Emily, who opted for sausage and mash. There was a choice of beef or chicken, and it came with a large Yorkshire pudding, potatoes, stuffing, lots of veg and gravy! 

Apart from a few hiccups with our orders (mainly as we asked two portions to be kept on the heat as Tasha and Tom were arriving later) the experience was a good one, and I think a roast of such quality for £11.95 was a real find, especially for Alderley Edge. I'd definitely go back again, and am tempted to try the food there on a normal night as well after it was so tasty!

New Tastes...

Oxford Road Cafe, Altrincham

Today I headed to a cute little eatery in Altrincham called the Oxford Road Cafe with Abi and Aum, as he is currently off school. It is tucked down a side street away from the main town centre, so you would think it would be relatively quiet, but I was surprised at how busy the place was when we walked in. 

We waited ten minutes for as table, which shows the cafe's popularity with it just being 1pm on a Tuesday, not a particularly busy time of the week. I ordered a skinny latte and Aum had a juice, whilst we waited for Abi to arrive. Our server was very pleasant, and assured us whilst we perused the menu that everything was made to order so anything could changed accordingly (always good to know with a child in tow).

Abi arrived and we ordered - I chose the 'Stu Special': smoked salmon, scrambled egg, asparagus spears, wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms. It looked very presentable on the plate, and was relatively cheap at £6.95. Aum stuck with his standard bacon sandwich, which I was told was 'Delicious!'.

I always enjoy visiting and trying out places I haven't been to before, especially if they are local and independent, and the Oxford Road Cafe is a great hidden gem with super service and well made, reasonable food. Check it out if you're ever in the area!

Hen Do!

Liverpool

This weekend I headed to Liverpool for Becky, one of Mo's university friend's Hen party. I have only been to one Hen do previously, in Edinburgh, so was excited to hit Liverpool for the second!

I caught the train at 12.33pm, and landed at the station just before 2pm, ready to meet a couple of the other girls before getting a taxi to the hotel. We stayed at 33 James Street, the place where the Titanic was registered, and the rooms were amazing! They had padded quilted walls, big black sleigh beds, roll top jacuzzi baths - probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in! There were 5 of us per room, and I was sharing with the bride's sister Siobhan, Paula her friend from school, the groom's work colleague Marion, and Mel, who is another uni friend of Mo's who I have been out with lots of times before.

We dumped our bags and went for a cocktail at All Bar One until we could check in. An hour later, we went to the rooms and everyone congregated in ours for some pre-drinks of prosecco, wine and jaegerbombs! We got ready at the same time as we were booked in for a meal at Bem Brasil at 8pm.

We got taxis to the restaurant and were sat on three tables which was a nice number to chat to everyone around us. I have never eaten at Bem Brasil before, but would definitely go back, I had two types of beef, lamb, chicken hearts, and a load of sides including sweet potato mash, olives, salad and condiments. I was good and stuck on water until the meal was over when I had an amazing cocktail before we headed to the next place, a bar called Slaters.

Slaters is a cheap and cheerful sort of place, downstairs and a bit of a dingy bar, but it plays good indie music and sells 'quad vods' for £5.40 so you can't complain! We had a couple of drinks in there before going to the club we were finishing the night in, PopWorld. As the name suggests, it plays pop and cheesy music, which isn't my cup of tea, but considering we were a large mixed age group it was lots of fun as we could all dance and knew the songs well. We got taxis back to the hotel at about 2.30am, and everyone had stayed out for the full duration which I thought was a pretty good turnout!

The next morning after grabbing continental breakfast at the hotel and packing all our stuff up, we went for a wander along the docks and popped into The Tate Modern for a wander. I think it was a little over our (hungover) heads, so after a while we went for some lunch in a place called What's Cooking, where I had a gorgeous plate of fish, chips and mushy peas. Mel and I walked back to the hotel and caught a cab to the station as we both had earlier trains than the rest, and the hour trip went surprisingly quickly!

New Tastes...

Home Sweet Home, Northern Quarter

Today, Jasmine and I took a trip to one of our favourite cafes in Manchester - Home Sweet Home. We went at around 2pm, but didn't get there until 3pm as the traffic was awful. We decided to shop first (just a couple of quick trips to Primark and H&M) so eventually sat down to eat at 4pm.

As it was nearing tea time, we decided to have a full meal. We started with shakes - I had the Cookie Monster whilst Jasmine went for a nutella one that was really nutty and delicious, and surprisingly not too rich. For main course I chose chicken tenders in buttermilk batter served with seasoned fries, and Jas had a halloumi and falafel wrap. Mine was so huge I struggled and had to leave a couple of pieces, and though Jasmine wolfed hers down neither of us had enough room for dessert so we got our cake slices to take away.

I ordered the chocolate mud fest cake, a homage to Glastonbury taking place that weekend. It was multicoloured vanilla sponge with chocolate buttercream and decorated with chocolate 'rocks' which were basically super sized smarties! I was still so full later on that Mo ate most of mine, but I tried enough to know that it was amazing as usual, you can't beat Home Sweet Home for inventive looking cakes that taste great.

New Tastes...

The Moss Trooper, Timperley

Today I went to the Moss Trooper in Timperley for lunch with Mo, Kelly and James. It has been renovated many times and is currently very trendy, with leather chesterfield style sofas, wood panelling and open fires. It was a last minute decision to go but is a firm favourite with us all so was an easy choice.

There is a new menu since the last time I visited, and with so many amazing sounding dishes, it took us a while to decide! I eventually opted for the foot long hotdog, topped with pulled pork in a mustard mayonnaise sauce, onion rings and fries. It turned up and was an absolute beast! I had to skip the bun, but somehow managed to finish it all - the pulled pork was my favourite, so flavoursome and juicy. Mo and James both had gammon with egg (a safe bet but tasty nonetheless) and Kelly had beef brisket in a flat bread with salad and chips.

It is slightly more expensive than a typical local pub (food averages about £10 a meal) but the quality is much better than the microwaved rubbish you get at chain owned pubs, yet has a more relaxed vibe than going all out at a restaurant. Due to us venturing out on a day when both Mancunian teams were playing at home, it was fairly quiet, but usually the place is very popular with locals, and has lots of events on to entertain including two types of quizzes, Sunday roasts and a Curry Night. Worth a visit for fellow Cheshire residents.

New Tastes...

The Axe and Cleaver, Dunham Massey

Yesterday, I went out for lunch at The Axe and Cleaver in Dunham Massey with Lydia. She is just about to go and do her elective part of her medical degree in South Africa for 4 months, so this was our last opportunity to meet beforehand.

It was a gorgeous sunny day, so I suggested the venue as it has an outside sitting area, and is in the countryside so feels nice in the sunshine. I must admit, I was surprised at the cheapness of the menu; as it is one of just a handful of pubs in the area, so there is no need for them to lower prices to beat competitors. I got a J2O with lemonade to drink as I wanted something long to keep my thirst quenched.

I opted for scampi and chips, served with mushy peas, and Lydia went for a steak and onion sandwich. Hers was served with crisps, but for £1 extra they were happy to swap them for chips instead. The meals are cheap and cheerful, nothing gourmet just good, hearty grub. Portions are generous, and there are many sauces available to compliment the food. 

We were pretty full afterwards, but there was a decent looking dessert menu so next time I'd be tempted to try something off that. Altogether with our drinks it came to £18, so we made it a tenner each for ease, and then there was a little tip for the staff. We chose off the lunch time menu available Monday-Saturday before 5pm, where there are various groups of dishes priced at £4.95 (mine), £5.95 (Lydia's) or £6.95, and a starter or dessert can be added for just £2 each. I'd definitely recommend trying here if you're in the area, and it's especially nice as a stop off if you're doing one of the Dunham Massey walks.

Traveller's Tales...

Oxfordshire & The Cotswolds

I have just returned from a lovely couple of days in Sibford Ferris and Kingham in Oxfordshire and the Cotwolds. As is practically tradition now I was staying with university friends, and arrived at Timna's in the early evening on Thursday. She had a couple of old school friends round, and we were originally intending to go out in Banbury, but the energy levels were low, so we decided to stay in and have some food and drinks at home instead. I got pretty drunk actually, and we went through some bizarre concoctions due to running out of booze, including brandy and lemonade, and ginger wine!

The following morning I had a pleasant lie in and then we lounged about for pretty much the whole day! It is really nice to chill out though, especially as Timna's house is a cottage with a lovely open fire, so it always feels nice and homely and cosy. We eventually got dressed and presentable, and I went with Timna, her brother Laurie and her friend Sam to her old school to play squash. After previous attempts at uni, I made the sensible decision to sit out the playing and partake in a bit of observation, which was definitely less tiring too!

I left at about half seven and drove to Daylesford, a gorgeous cafe/ deli/ farm shop that I have been to a couple of times before as it is a Laura Lane favourite (who I was meeting). This time was different though as it was for an evening meal, which they only serve on a Friday and Saturday, and it was a really nice experience. The menu is kept very simple with a minimal choice of starters and mains, and you have to book as at times it can get very busy due to its exclusivity. This night we were lucky as there weren't many people there, and because the clocks recently changed the lighting was dimmed which is really pretty in the main dining hall as it has huge windows and high ceilings with beams. 

We got a mixture of bread to share (I had one with dates and walnuts in, which was incredible!) and they were served with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I chose a steak for my main course so opted for red wine to accompany it, and the meat was served with broccoli, roast potatoes and a gorgeous creamy mushroom sauce on the side in a jug. Portions were very generous and staff attentive to our every need. I chose not to get a dessert as nothing took my fancy (although the Christmas pudding baked alaska did pique my curiousity) but Laura and her fiancé Dickon got an espresso each, and with a tip mine came to £28 which I thought was very reasonable for the quality of my meal. I was actually quite surprised as I had been warned it would be pricey.

Afterwards we went back to Laura's and watched a film accompanied by Dickon's famous Caipirinha's and sweet and salty popcorn (it's a revolution, try it!). The following morning we went for a nice stroll around the grounds of the boarding school that Laura's parents reside in, and then I set off at 2pm after some lunch in the sunshine. A lovely jaunt as usual!

New Tastes...

The Grill on New York Street, Manchester

As I am going away to Paris tomorrow for a few days, I met Mo for lunch today and we went to The Grill on New York Street in Manchester. He raves about the place as he goes all the time with work with it being nearby, so I was happy to try it when he suggested heading there. It is part of the Blackhouse grill chain, which locally also includes Grill on the Alley in the city centre, Grill on the Edge in Alderley Edge, Hale Bar and Grill in Hale and Grill on Newgate Street in Chester, as well as branches in London, Glasgow and Leeds.

As soon as we walked in I liked the atmosphere. It was all glass and dark wood, with low lighting and a choice of bar type high tables and ground level normal ones. To say it was just a normal Wednesday lunchtime, it was busy enough to feel slightly bustling, but not overcrowded. There was space to hang your coat, and we were greeted at the door and quickly led to our table by a very pleasant waitress.

I had already had a quick look at the menu online, so had spotted that they did a 'Posh Surf and Turf' which was a 230g sirloin steak served with prawns, crayfish and scallops, which I love. I opted for that, and I also ordered some chips as the dish didn't come with any side orders. Mo got a 330g ribeye (which came with chips) with garlic king prawns to start. I tried one when it arrived and they were delicious, though I did think for the £9 price tag, four king prawns and two little crustinis was a little meagre.

Our mains arrived and my steak was amazing, cooked medium exactly how I like it, and had the seafood on the top with some garlic butter, so no sauce was needed. The steak was juicy enough that even without the scallops, prawns and crayfish it would have been sufficient plain. I managed to finish it all despite the huge portion of chips, which arrived in a lovely little metal fryer type basket, (I think a half portion would have sufficed) and was very full afterwards, I didn't have any tea this evening!

The bill would have come to £51 without a tip, but as Mo had managed to borrow a Hi-Life card from a friend at work (another reason why they always go!), we got the main courses BOGOF so it was £34, which was brilliant, and I would definitely go back, perhaps trying the one in Hale or Alderley next time for a change of scene.

New Tastes...

Dukes Grill, Manchester

Last night it was my friend Charlotte's birthday, so a group of us went to Dukes 92 in Castlefield, Manchester. There were ten of us, so we had to choose what to eat off a special party menu, which was a shame as it limited what we could have when there was some seriously tasty sounding mains on the normal menu. 

We shared a load of varieties of garlic bread for starters, a normal one, cheese and tomato, plain cheese and a rosemary and chilli one, that were all really good - we could have polished more of them off I think! I didn't really fancy anything off the mains section, so I had haddock and gruyere fishcakes off the starter menu, with some herb crusted skinny chips to create my own main. It was gorgeous, the haddock was perfectly cooked and went really well with the melted gruyere, and the rosemary on the herby chips complimented the dish. I was undecided about whether to get a dessert, but gave in eventually and ordered the sticky toffee pudding. It was a really treacle tasting one, with pecans in and served with vanilla bean ice cream, I definitely didn't regret choosing it!

Because there were so many of us, we had each paid a ten pound deposit which softened the blow of the bill, but I thought it was fairly reasonable anyway - after the reduction mine came to £18.10 including a tip and five bottles of wine between seven of us, which you can't complain at for a three course meal in a nice restaurant in the city centre. I had eaten there before, but it was about five years ago; hopefully it won't be that length of time until I eat there again!

Weekly Update!

Looper, Leeds, Lancaster & Lounging!

This week has gone really quickly, mainly because I had a lovely long weekend to look forward to at the end of it. I worked on Monday, and on Tuesday I went for a few drinks with Tasha and Charlotte, and then we went to the cinema to see Looper (see next week's Candid article). Wednesday I stayed in, and then on Thursday I picked Aum up early from school at 1.30pm and drove him to his grandparents in Pontefract for the weekend. Once I'd done that, my weekend could begin! 

On the way home I stopped off in Leeds to see Jasmine and after having some tea we got ready for a night on the town! We went to Lipstick Jungle, a night at Warehouse, which I have been to before and really enjoyed. This night didn't disappoint, and Jasmine stayed at her boyfriends so I got a full room to myself - bonus! (even if it was a little messy!)

On Friday I set off back home at 2pm, and had just enough time to finish my latest article before setting off for Lancaster at 6pm. I picked my friend Amanda up on the way as she lives in Stretford, and despite the traffic we made it there for half 7, which wasn't too bad. I drove onto campus for a drink in County Bar and to see a few old friends, and then we went back to where we were staying to get ready for a night out. We went straight to Sugarhouse as we had been told it would be busy with it being Lancaster's Freshers week, but there was no queue at all so we had a sly one in The Yorkshire House before heading in.

As the night progressed it got really busy, and it ended up being such a good night out, I saw loads of people I knew which made me feel slightly less old! The following day I was lucky enough to experience my first ever McDonald's breakfast; even if I cheated by having a bacon sandwich and pancakes with maple syrup, it was gorgeous all the same. Just a shame I had to get up at 9.30am to have it!

I spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon vegging out/ napping on my friend's sofa, before setting off at 2pm for home. I arrived back just after 4pm after a slight detour, and had a very chilled Saturday night in spent on the sofa watching garbage on TV. I needed it after two nights out on the trot, don't know how I used to do four or five nights in a row at uni! Sunday I went for a walk (see next post) and had a lovely roast dinner - yum!

My Birthday Part 2!

Bistro 156, Didsbury

It was my actual birthday yesterday, and so I went with Sam and four friends to Bistro 156 in Didsbury for a meal in the evening. It was somewhere Sam had suggested, and I literally knew nothing about it, and have never been to Didsbury, so was majorly trusting him!

When we walked in I instantly liked the atmosphere. It is quite small and quaint, but is decorated in deep purples and olive green and gold, so it has a more luxurious, plush feel to it. There is probably space for 26 people to eat in there, so it is quite cosy, and I liked that you could see into the kitchen so you could watch the chef at work.

They had a set menu on, where it was £18 for two courses, or £20 for three, and the variety was good - there were five choices for each course, plus a couple of specials for each. I chose the pate with bread and chutney for a starter, it was gorgeous, and the portion was very generous, I could have had that as a main! Following that I had prawn, mussel and chorizo paella, which was served with a whole chicken breast on top. It was very flavoursome, you could tell it had been bubbling away for a while. I couldn't finish it all, as to be honest I don't think the chicken was needed as well as the paella, perhaps if you were just opting for the two courses it would be less daunting!

To finish I had a trio of desserts; there was a raspberry crème brulee (my absolute favourite!), amaretto ice cream and a Spanish style orange cake. It was served in little tea cups on a platter which looked so sweet, and was the perfect size to end a lovely meal. We had a couple of bottles of wine and with a generous tip it was £80 for the two of us, so was a bit more than usual but still not too extravagant. It was my birthday after all!

Weekly Update!

Meals Out, & Meals In!

There's not a great deal to say about this week, having already done posts on my trips to Wales and Chester, which have taken up the majority of my week apart from working at the pub. From Wednesday I was off work from nannying as they were on holiday, but Monday and Tuesday I had Aum all day as he was off school, and with the weather being nice we spent Monday in Stamford park and had a picnic. We were there for a couple of hours and then he had a football lesson so I got some time to sunbathe back at his house. On Tuesday we went into Hale and had a coffee and cake in Costa Coffee which was nice, and then I babysat until 9.30pm.

I got back from Wales on Friday (see previous post) and that evening Sam and I went into Hale for a meal and some drinks. We started in Piccolinos, and then ate at Earle, which was amazing! I had black pudding bites with mustard for a starter, followed by ham, pea and mint risotto topped with a breadcrumbed poached egg and a parmesan crisp. I have wanted to eat there for a while as I had heard good things, and I wasn't disappointed! We went to La Vina afterwards for a couple of drinks, and Lydia joined us after she had finished work.

On Saturday after I had finished work I went round to Sam's and he cooked a meal for me and all my friends, there were nine of us! Abi was visiting from New York, so it was cool to all get together and have some good food and drink. We had bread, salamis and olives with balsamic vinegar as nibbles to start with, with mojitos to drink, and then went and sat in the dining room for the main course - chicken stuffed with basil and mozzerella, wrapped in parma ham, with crushed new potatoes, green beans and broccoli. It was delicious! Emily made some cute little jubilee cupcakes for dessert as well which was great, and then we went downstairs to continue drinking. People left at around midnight, and we went to bed as we are going to Chester at lunchtime today - a great weekend so far!

Weekly Update!

Work, Work, Work, Pool Party!

This week was my second of two crazy weeks, working twelve hours a day, but at least its all over now.

On Wednesday night I went to see Midnight in Paris with a couple of friends and Chris (see next week's post) and on my day off on Thursday I went for a wander around TK Maxx and the retail park, but unfortunately didn't buy anything.

On Friday to celebrate finishing work, I went with Charlotte and Tasha to The House restaurant in Goose Green, Altrincham. It's somewhere I've always wanted to go, and so suggested it when we were deciding on a venue. We had bread on the table to start with, and for main I had scallop, king prawn and

chorizo skewers, which were amazing (if a little pricey at £15.90). They were served with rice and a peppery rocket salad, which went well with the flavours from the seafood, and the spiciness of the chorizo. For dessert I had a caramel and pecan tart, which I gladly would have eaten all night, as it was gorgeous. It was served with rich vanilla ice cream, and raspberry coulis. I shared a bottle of nice wine with Charlotte, and with a 25% off voucher we had, my part of the bill came to £24, which I thought very reasonable for the quality of the food. I would definitely go again, and for anyone local - try it!

We were all dead by ten o'clock so headed home to bed, and I very much enjoyed the novelty of a lie-in on Saturday. When I got up the sun was shining, so I went on a lovely run near my house, along some back roads that passed fields with cows and horses in, which was nicer scenery than sweaty men at the gym! That evening I headed to a friend's house for a pool party. I had a really good night, and we spontaneously decided to venture into Manchester at 2am, so that was an interesting outcome. I went back to bed after getting home on the Sunday, as my head was feeling the 2 bottles of wine I had consumed, and the severe lack of sleep - we got in at 6am! It was something different though I guess, and totally suitable as a celebration of finishing working crazy hours for the time being!

Weekly Update!

Girly Talks, Photo-shoots and an Amazing 21st!

So, first week back at uni. I was surprised how quickly I got into the swing of early mornings and working again, I actually feel like I'm putting effort in for the first time in my university career! On Monday after I'd had my first seminar, my two friends came round for a catch up and some tea. We ended up talking for ages, and by the time they left it was dark outside, but it was great to meet up to hear everyone's gossip from over the holidays.

Tuesday was spent doing work and planning an outfit for my friend's 21st on Friday. She said to dress up, so I had to make sure it was suitably formal! I

decided on my punky style River Island dress that I got in the sale for £10 (see previous post) and a pair of grey and fluorescent pink cut out heels that I adore. On Wednesday I went to my friend's house to do some photo-shoots for Tattered Lace. We had two themes, 'The 7 Deadly Sins' and 'Alice In Wonderland' and I was chosen to depict lust for the former. I wore my new corset of course, with some teal coloured silk knickers I have, and my hold ups. Despite it sounding quite raunchy, I posed on the bed reading a magazine, so it looked understated, which was my aim!

On Thursday morning I headed home for a few days, as I had work on my dissertation to do, and obviously the party to attend! I also had an informal interview at Masquerade Magazine for a potential internship. The company is based in Wilmslow which is relatively near my house, and despite being pretty nervous it all went smoothly, and I plan to go in for a few days a week over

Easter- exciting!

Friday dawned, and after spending what seemed like days writing my lit review, I put the laptop away and started getting ready. There were 13 of us going, some of Abi's friends from uni and some from home, and we all went round to her house for 8pm for champagne and nibbles. After taking a few photographs, we then jumped in a minibus and went into Manchester to Lounge 10, where we were eating. I'd never heard of the restaurant before, but it was gorgeous. It is very French chic, so had deep magenta silk curtains hanging from the ceiling, and ornate pillars in the corners. They had decorated the table with balloons and sequins, and had a singer for the night who was lovely. They also had a fortune teller on the top floor, so a few of the girls clubbed together and paid for Abi to have her fortune read- which was surprisingly accurate apparently!

We had a set menu, which was £14.50 for three courses, so very reasonable. I started with button mushrooms with pancetta and spring onion with a cheese crust, which tasted amazing. The portion was a good size for a starter and there was a good range of dishes on the menu. For main I had seafood medley linguine, which had a lot of seafood in, and the sauce, which had white

wine and cream in complimented it nicely. For dessert I had Eton mess, and it was by far my favourite course; meringue, cream and chocolate covered fruit- What more could you want in a dessert?!

After we had eaten (which was gone midnight- we must have got carried away!) we walked around the corner to Panacea. It is a club well known for attracting a select clientèle, that normally consists of footballers and those seeking them! We had a private table booked, and had chance to try a couple of the cocktails, as Abi's parents had very generously put some money behind the bar,

as well as paying for our meals and minibus. Unfortunately we didn't see any famous faces, just quite a lot of unattractive older men! It shut at 2am which was a shame as we wanted to get up and dance, but that didn't stop me falling asleep as soon as I got home.

New Tastes...

Merchants, Lancaster

Last night a group of the LUFS girls went to The Merchants in Lancaster for our first Christmas meal as

a society- woo! We agreed on a formal dress code (everyone loves gett

ing dressed up) and so at 7pm I tottered out of the house

dolled up and ready

to devour a lovely three course dinner.

As there were seventeen of us, we had been given a full bay to ourselves, and with Merchants being based inside a historic wine cellar, it was the perfect place for a Christmas meal. All the stonework looked gorgeous bathed in twinkly lights, and the table was dressed beautifully with crackers and candles, providing the perfect festive atmosphere.

I am always greedy at Christmas time and so had pre-ordered the three course meal for £19.50. For my starter I chose parsnip and pancetta soup served with fresh bread. It was nice, although I couldn't taste the pancetta very much which was slightly disappointing as I love i

t; and thought it would compliment the parsnip flavour really well. The ho

me-made granary bread more than made up for it though as it was s

o soft and I got two chunky slices!

For main I wa

s supposed

to

be having goose, but a couple of days before I was informed that they were no longer serving it, so I opted for the roast beef instead- and I'm so glad I did! I really enjoy beef, but don't have it very often as I'm quite picky about it, but it was s

erved perfectly for my liking, and the roast and boiled p

otatoes

that came with it were delicious. It also came with broccoli and a huge Yorkshire pudding on top, however it was a little overdone in my opinion, as I prefer them slightly stodgy rather than fully crisp.

For dessert, rather than going straight for the Christmas pudding as I normally wo

uld,

I

decided to get something a little lighter so as not to have to roll home! I went for the

p

anettone, served with fresh mascarpone. It seemed to bridge the gap between a dessert and a c

heeseboard really well, as the Italian cake was soft and sweet, yet the vanilla mascarpone added a sub

tle savoury flavour.

I shared a bott

le of re

d wine with one of the other girls, which seemed to complim

ent my menu

choices. Considering

a glass was £4.50, a bottle was reaso

nably priced at £9.90, so it was definitely worth going for the larger

option!

Once we had all finished (and had given ourselves so

me time to

rest!) we all left Merchants after a thoroughly festive evening, and it confirmed that I am definitely now in the spirit for

Christmas!

New Tastes...

Quite Simply Food, Lancaster

This evening, my boyfriend and I headed to Quite Simply Food in Lancaster for a meal out. We visited Quite Simply French, its sister restaurant, for my birthday last June and it was fantastic, so thought we'd sample the English equivalent.

The restaurant has a lovely ambience when you walk in; low lighting, plush sofas and inviting colours on the walls, it is hard to imagine that it is a simple cafe and deli during the day. We went quite early to take advantage of an offer that is available during the week where you pay different amounts for a main course depending on the time you order it (at 6pm it's £6, 6.30pm it's £6.50 etc) which considering the main courses are normally £11 a go, is a really reasonable deal.

As we were saving money on the main course, we decided to have a starter to begin with, and both chose the fishcake. It was served with a little salad with balsamic vinegar, and was absolutely gorgeous. You could tell that the fish was good quality, as it melted in the mouth and was deliciously fresh, and there were bits of pepper and onion in it that complimented the flavour well. For the main course, I had the beef bourguignon, while my boyfriend opted for the monkfish cheeks. My dish had huge chunks of steak in it, in a lovely mushroomy bourguignon sauce, and the portion was a very healthy size! I was quite dubious about the monkfish, as I have had it before and not enjoyed it, but it was cooked to perfection. The main courses don't come with any side dishes unless specified on the menu, but as we both had starters, it was ample food to fill us up.

Being a fan of desserts, and spotting the long menu, I pushed the boat out and had a third course. I got the almond creme brulee, a personal favourite, and the french roots behind the restaurant were apparent in the dish, as it was very traditionally made. I love hearing the crack on breaking through the caramelised sugar coating!

Overall I couldn't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Not only does it have a good variety of food, but there are a number of different offers available throughout the week, so there really is something for every budget. The service is timed exactly right so you don't feel rushed, but are not sat around hungry waiting to be served. The only thing I would say is that alcoholic drinks are quite pricey, but then it's not the kind of place you would go to get hammered. A small glass of wine is around £4.50, which easily lasted me for my meal, and you can tell that they have chosen to serve quality wines rather than compromise to make it cheaper. I shall be returning at some point I'm sure!