daw

Other residents of West Yorkshire have covered the out of town eateries pretty well. I would agree that Horsforth is not the best for good food. Two more suggestions for restaurants: 1.Haleys Hotel - actually in Headingley - good food if a bit trad, very pleasant dining room. See: Haley's 2. Quantro on Street Lane and also in Harrogate. Modern and very reasonable at lunchtime. See: Quantro

If we're doing normal stuff you buy in a supermarket rather than the afore mentioned baby birds on sticks etc, then my vote goes for rice pudding which I cannot stomach. I also don't do coffee in any way, shape or form be that to drink, coffee cake etc. David

I like both. There seems to be more enthusiasm for Indian than Japanese. Why? Is it just that Indian is more widely available - thats certainly true in the UK. The art in Japanese food is an added dimension which is not something I've ever seen in Indian. I find the subtlety of Japanese fascinating. Of course there are hot and spicy elements in Japanese too. David

Baby birds on sticks - grilled whole at street food stalls in China. I looked closely at one in Beijing but just couldn't do - my Chinese friend assured me they were excellent! I guess I'd be passing on the embryonic chicks too... David

Gary Based on your extensive experience of No 3 how long do you think this menu will run for? There are things on here that shout eat me! eat me! just how soon do I have to get down there? David

Been there, done that - see the chicken sashimi topic David

This might not be as much of a fantasy as we think. Apparently both Edinburgh and Dublin restaurants are smoke-free zones. If Ken seriously proposes it, its enough to make me vote for him again. Norway has gone down this route too with a nationwide ban on smoking in restuaurants and bars - anyone know any good restaurants in Oslo David

While 3 York PLace and Anthony's are the pinnacle of Leeds dining at present we have plenty of other place we can fell smug about - Quantro, Casa Mia, Pool Court at 42 etc etc etc But perhaps this list belongs in the Leeds guide suggested in the Anthony's topic. <SMUG> David </SMUG>

I would ban the practice of collecting "tips" via credit card payment entirely. I don't want part of my tip which is intended for the staff being taken by the credit card company or the restaurant. I always put a line through such a section and make a point of completing the final total carefully and then leaving the tip in cash. What grounds do restaurants have for a service charge anyway - is this an indication that they have their pricing wrong! David

Although both have been mentioned already I thought I'd just add my votes for 1. Gjetost - thin slices on crackers or in little cubes on its own. I think its really a savoury fudge. 2. Crottin de Chavignol with a good Sancerre

Yes and I was only passing through Kyoto. Luckily I had the chance to stay with a Japanese friend (Ito) and he took me to his local yakitori-ya where we had the usual range of things and finally we graduated to slices of raw chicken breast served with a rich plum sauce. On this trip Ito had also taken me to a wide variety of of restaurants too, but that's another story. Thankyou Ito!!

This variation in types of Pizza Express is nationwide, we have a neighbourhood one here in North Leeds which is a nice friendly relaxed sort of place and a city centre one that is so different. In Sheffield the Meadhow one is another to steer clear of, but then come to think of it so is Meadowhall. David

Sunday's (2nd May) Sunday Telegraph Magazine includes a review of Anthony's by Elfreda Pownall. The score is 8.5/10 and the following quotes are typical: "For forward looking cooking, head straight for Leeds" "Eat and remember every mouthful" "Wear a gratified smile" Clealy impressed the review concludes "This is confident, delicious and interesting food from a brilliant young chef who will surely be making his way up the Michelin ladder." David

I think non-rinsing is more common than this topic might suggest. We have a dishwasher, but the stuff that does not go in that does not get rinsed and I can't say it has ever made us ill to my knowledge. I certainly know many people who don't rinse - well educated, healthy types who appreciate good food! The one exception is stemware which I rinse with real zeal because I know I don't want soap film in my next glass of wine. David

Les Arcenaulx is an excellent inexpensive place that operates withinin a bookshop - used to be a trendy intellectual hangout but I haven't been for a while. The atmosphere sitting among the books eating good food was interesting. Its still on the web... David

Betty's are also in Harrogate and Northallerton and in general I would avoid the York outlets as they tend to be full of tourists, the Ilkley branch with its beautiful marquetry is my favourite. and a Fat Rascal has to be the thing to accompany your beverage of choice. David

The big plus with the Wine Society is their tastings which are generally well worth the effort to attend. Typically 20 wines at an informal tasting, usually organised around a theme.

I came across eGullet while searching for info about Anthony's. Went last night for my birthday and was generally impressed by the setup. Two odd things, one the bar didn't seem to understand a kir - it had to be explained and stirred! and two we had overlong waits between amuse starters and main courses. I'm pleased to say that the staff knew this and offered us a complimentary champagne after the main course as compensation. Gary has already described many of the menu items - I had the black sesame icecream with warm chocolate fondant dessert and it was amazing, imagine sesame oil turned into icecream. Generally a great addition to dining in Leeds and somewhere that I expect is going to generate interest from around the region (at least). David