offcentre

I was going to try L'eglise but its closed on Mondays, I can't bring myself to pay the Arrogant Frog prices and the walk to The Meadow wasn't on for my 38 week pregnant partner. Its actually next door to the chippie, across the road from Otello foodhall.

I returned to Riddle and Finns in Hove last night. We ate in the dining room upstairs a couple of weeks ago but downstairs last night. I really like the style of this place - the dining room is oak panelled and carpeted, whist downstairs is stark white butchers tiles on the walls, barstools to high white marble tables with a candelabra on each. I ordered better last night, sharing several starters and things - the best being big fat juicy monkfish cheeks in a beatuiful thin, crisp herbed batter; a big crab and mayo which we attacked without mercy and a good clam chowder. Fries were a little limp and the chocolate tart straight out of the fridge, but the bread served with lovely pots of mackeral pate, mayo, horseradish cream and a good butter was so nice we demanded a second. Both meals have been good - a lovely dish of downlands rabbit with monkfish tail and a really good lobster amuse are fondly remembered from our visit upstairs. I fancy almost everything on the menu. Also been back to the Ginger Pig recently and had another good meal there - a starter of calves liver, pancetta and potato, seared and crisp on the outside and almost raw in the middle was a revelation and has converted me, after several attempts to like liver. And if you find yourself near Ditchling, a couple of miles north of Brighton in the Downs, then you could do worse than The Bull. Standard gastropub fare, but if their dish of local lamb and confit fennel is anything to go by, worth a return to investigate further.

People seem to like Coriander on Sackville Road - ever been there Andy?

I think Hugh might have.

I don't think this particular issue is part of a liberal manifesto to change the world. I think it is about respect for other living creatures. The point about how its cooked is the most important. People on a tight budget can afford an extra 3 quid if they know what to do with leftovers and the carcass - and not throw it away once you've eaten the breasts as one person said on the show. HFW has long been advocating eating less but better quality meat. I saw him at the Brighton Festival when his Meat book came out very passionately discussing this issue. Its the way to go for your own personal health, the welfare of the animals involved and the environment.

I made the chestnut and chorizo soup at the weekend actually - with fresh chestnuts and brindisa chorizo. It was absolutely marvellous. Just thought I'd tell you that.

Doesn't sound like a lot of enjoyment there - raw egg and muddy tatty, gloopy fois gras with rice crispies, nothing worth mentioning about courses 2 to 4 and a lousy pud. And its still worth £100. Wow.

review from Jan Moir has a different opinion on this...."He is a culinary daredevil, whose food combinations often look absurd and even ridiculous in print, but somehow make perfect sense when you eat them."

Tried watching this on saturday to see what I'd been missing but 5 minutes of MPW proved just too painful to watch - he is so completely lacking a tv personality. Almost as bad as watching the england rugby team. Just embarrassing. Come back Gordon, all is forgiven.

um... you are aware of the point of the show? given that this is hardly the first series, I wonder why you're so offended? ← I watched it because I thought MPW would bring something to the show, some class, some food interest...something. Unfortunately I just don't revere him enough to get past his attitude and ego and enjoy it as entertainment. At least GR was amusing (this was, admittedly, before GR become so overexposed). I know he's a food god in this country - although this all happened before I became interested in good food. It is simply my opinion that this fact does not excuse his behaviour - or that of his sous chefs - on last nights show. For gods sake, at least try to prepare them for the task of serving 80 people instead of cussing and laughing at them. Yes, MPW is in the kitchen. And if he does something on the program that shows his skill as a cook and a leader then it might be worth watching. I hope it improves because on last nights evidence it has fallen into the worst category of celeb obsessed tv.

He disappointed me. I was cringeing throughout this embarrassment of a program. No entertainment value at all in the show for me. I felt sorry for everyone concerned, from the celebs right through to Angus Deayton. If MPW wants to act like a drunken has-been I guess thats his role, but the sous chefs were disgusting too. What is the point of this program - embarrass the celebs and abuse the diners. Is this entertainment?

BNFS is good. As is La Poissonnerie at Fishermans Wharf Brighton Road, SHOREHAM-BY-SEA, West Sussex, BN43 6RN. Big selection plus tanks for live crab and lobster. Also Sea Haze on Brighton seafront - Kings Road Arches in the fishing quarter not far from Palace Pier. Small place but fantastically fresh mostly locally caught by his partner out of Newhaven. He also supplies local restaurants. Once you've found them you won't be disappointed with the selection or quality on offer in the Brighton area.

Great stuff people, thanks very much. Sorry, I should have said he eats fish. That should open it up a bit. He's on his own as well. Not sure if that will make any difference. If anyone feels like taking him for an authentic NY night out....?

A friend is spending 6 weeks living and working in NY 10014. He is a vegetarian. Any receommendations for great places to eat would be much appreciated. Not high-class dining, I'm thinking great local eateries. Is there anything he really should not leave without eating?

Quick update on the Ginger Pig, mentioned above. Large pub that is now 1/3 bar and 2/3 dining room minimally decorated with glam gold and red touches. No booking policy. Good big decked back yard with little playground for the kids. Seats maybe 35 inside and 25 out back. Can't comment on wine list but about 10 available in 350ml (I think) caraffe. Lunch on saturday was pretty good - steak tartare for me was tasty, came in a round on the plate with mustard-dressed red endive, croutons and quite fantastic chunky chips. Minced rather than chopped steak gave it a slightly mushy texture, but taste was good. Nicely balanced. Others had good bangers and mash and red onion gravy, line-caught (that morning according to waiter) sea bass fillet with black olives and french beans. Good childrens menu of 4 choices including fishcakes, pasta and bangers and mash, with a smoothie and dessert for a fiver. My daughter loved the vanilla ice-cream with space dust - her first taste of such a thing. In fact we all dug in, it being so long since I've had that. Very efficient service. Overall above-average (certainly for Brighton) pub-dining food at a good price.

I can't explain why I have been so interested in this restaurant having never been, or likely to go in the forseeable future, but I have followed this thread with interest. Perhaps because it seems like Daniel is living the dream - having his own restaurant on his own terms and doing such a grand job of it. Anyway, its obviously interested a few others in the UK as Terry Durack has reviewed it in the Independent. See here.

just choose a few nice places in your local area cooking the type of food you are interested in and offer them your services for a weekend, or a few evenings a week. And don't expect the progression to be structured - if you are eager, a quick learner and capable you will be given the opportunity to take on additional responsibility. I quickly went from prepping to cooking main course vegetables to order to starters. This was after a few months working evenings and weekends in a respected country dining pub whilst doing my normal job. No kit needed, they'll have it all.

he seems like a bit of a pussy. Can't kill what you eat. Retches at eating a bulls ball. Doesn't sound like a hard-man to me.

thank you Julles and Michael - that is reassuring. "NZ is a foodies paradise"...I like the sound of that. I have an allotment here in the UK and can't wait to get to grips with some of the more exotic things I may be able to grow in NZ. I also have these fantasies at the moment of being able to go diving for lobster and collecting bugs from the rivers. thanks

lots of questions for you good folk in new zealand... I love foraging - whats it like in NZ? Do you have similar species of mushroom and fungi as us over here? Organic vegetables - is there much supply in NZ? Is it mostly from supermarkets or do you have farmers markets? Can you buy direct from farms ie farm shops? Availability of things like italian cured meats and french cheeses - do you have them and are they prohibitively expensive. I am expecting fantastic fresh fish at low price, will I be disappointed? Whats the quality and availability of meat like, preferably organic? Can I pick up the occassional rabbit, pigeon, wild boar etc? Can this be bought direct from the producer? I am moving to the Auckland region btw...probably Waitakere area. Any info, related to above or not, will be gratefully received. Ross

wtf is wrong with a term that means the application of science to the art of cooking. I can't see that it is silly or inaccurate. It may well be a term the media have adopted (they didn't invent the term) but it gives meaning to what these chefs ARE doing. If this term did not exist, and reports emerged of HB cooking a steak for 48 hours at 50 degrees or whatever the hell he does, most laypeople wouldn't go within 50 miles of the place.

I'm sure it will be a roaring success here. As long as the store looks nice and has all the right buzzwords stuck in your face it can't go wrong. People don't have the time to worry about where their organic produce is coming from and whether it's sourcing is to the detriment of local producers. Life is too bloody complicated to work out if your half pound of peas is directly contributing to global warming and putting old farmer brown down the road out of business.

"but its going to be great TV!!" - this kinda makes me think it would be a mistake to go!

thank you insomniac.

my daughters nursery will not heat rice if we give it her for lunch. They are scared of something. Anyone know what?