Gary Marshall

(jealous) you bastard... it's hard to eat out often on a chef's wages... :( (/jealous) I'm seeing a lot of Tatins kicking about these days, and rightly so. ← i think you mean fat bastard ! yes, it all lived up to expectations, especially the tatin. if you fancy a trip over the pennines to god's country...... can't promise to buy lunch but i'll certainly buy a few beers! cheers gary

enjoy !

There is a reason for this. i had a drink with denis the night before the results were due and he was certain they weren't going to get one this year so that wasn't such a shock on the day! however, i think it is nothing to do with the the operation or standards at the restaurant it is more to do with its background. Michelin gave it a star very quickly when simon gueller opened it, and took it back the next year when the restaurant went bankrupt. They hate to have to withdraw stars. Although front of house and kitchen has been constant for around 2 years the ownership has changed several times, now owned by denis and chef martel. consistency is a virtue prized by michelin and both leeds players , both deserving of a star have fallen victim to this i believe. They obviously want to see to tony flinn can keep up the standards we have become used to and make sure number 3 is on a sound financial basis. harsh in both cases but fully expect them to get the rewards they deserve next year. as for the lack of reviews that suprises me too! i do tend to go every couple of weeks or so, i apologise for my lack of writing though i am going today edit i know what i'm having too....Ravioli of Quail, Creamed Savoy Cabbage, Fried Quail’s Egg, Velouté of Thyme to start, main tbc and to finish Tarte Tatin of Cox’s Apples, Vanila Ice cream, Caramel Sauce cheers gary

a lot of these questions are answered on a faq from the michelin website, i posted a link. somewhere. cheers gary

me too.

bet they're pleased he came now cheers gary

it is - in march. get grovelling for that green card mate. cheers gary

i would say margot's is exactly the sort of place that should have a bib gourmand. good ingredients, soundly prepared and properly cooked with a decent value wine list. cheers gary

did gary

when does the Q & A start? i think i need to put forward myself as an inspector, the current lot have quite patently lost the plot. michelin only looks at what's on the plate, not the surroundings? the phrase 'my arse' springs to mind. cheers gary

i am genuinely staggered. i was in the box tree last night and they weren't expecting this! lost for words. gary

It was a big plate, and the shot was taken before the addition of baked beans and toast, so it was quite a lot of food in the end. Slowly roasted tomatoes work really well and I have successfully fried them in the pan, you just have to do it on a gentle enough heat that allows them to cook through with out burning. I agree though, much easier in the oven. ← I know some purists shun baked beans, but I'm with you on that front. Lots of toast is essential (I'm not really a fried slice man). And a mug (not a cup!) of strong slightly oversweet tea. But did you have the essential hangover? ← no baked beans, no tomatoes can't be doing with the juices making everything soggy and interfering with the egg yolk/bacon interface! i am a fan of bubble and squeak though, that'll fox our overseas visitors! (a dish made traditionally from the leftover mashed potaotes/veg fromthe sunday lunch then shallow fried to give a crunchy texture. I cheat and buy 'aunt bessies from sainsbury's) cheers gary

i hope you're right otherwise i can think of several kitchens i wouldn't want to be in tonight! cheers gary

other than us? cheers gary

two of the places i've spoken to today genuinely appear not to know. cheers gary

i don't know, and think an outside bet seeing germain is lessening his day to day involvement, but it would be nice to see winteringham fields get a 3rd. it certainly wouldn't be undeserved and it has all the trappings you would associate with a true 3 * cheers gary

leaky these michelin results aren't they! cheers gary

martin blunos is the manoir a award for contribution to british cooking? others sound sensible enough. cheers gary edit: ps do i get a prize if i guess your source? (not that i would disclose it publically).

I think this is the major gripe with the place, i think a genuine 3 star should change its menu more frequently, it must be over three years since i went and i recognise most of the dishes still. the salmon and liquorice looked good on tv the other week but wild horses couldn't drag me to eat another bite of cauliflower and cocoa -yuck. i can't believe they have that many regulars on that basis, as you say the shock is in the new and unexpected. cheers gary

difficult call! downstairs in betty's is less touristy, most people want to see and be seen in the top room, i prefer the oak panelled downstairs. tasting room on swinegate (near the mulberry shop) does light lunches. i used to like cafe concerto near the minster but haven't been for years. masons bistro on fossgate looks quite casual also meltons too on walmgate, just over foss bridge does everything from light tapas-y dishes to full dishes. cheers gary

i happened to be on the phone to anthony's making a reservation for Feb when i uttered these words, knowing in my heart i was just looking for a pathetic excuse to go for a lunch i really didn't need after a weeks worth of dining out, 'don't suppose tony's got round to changing the a la carte yet has he?' 'Oh yes' said holly ' and he's got some really interesting new things on'. so that was that, a few days later i was in for lunch! first up was a new 'shot' this one was cranberry with beer, a cranberry mousse with beer in the bottom. The mousse was fine, as predictably for me was the beer, but i didn't quite get the connection. Maybe i ate it wrongly as two seperate items? next was a cauliflower trifle, again in a little shot, but this time with explicit instructions from olga to go right to the bottom first with the spoon. This was a great amuse. A light, well trifle, but slightly savory with- i think caramelised cauliflower pieces at the bottom. i could eat a bowl of this quite happily. then a tuna dish, a chunk of seared tuna with rectangles of avocado and 'fuerte' i think, a spanish spicy sausage laid in strips with the avocado and shallot dressing/ vinaigrette,a perfectly cooked dish with a nice contrast between the avocado and sausage, lifted by the dressing, why can't i make dressings as piquant as this?! to follow the usual bread with parmesan, salted and 'nut' ie browned butters. As usual i scoffed the lot. Eventually the starter arrived! I had ordered a veloute with salt cod and kikos but tony said i should have a different dish, roast quail with foie gras and jambugo. Experience tells me that the chef knows more than i do about what's the best dishes on the menu so i happily switched! The roast quail was cut in tony's usual diagonal fashion and the foie in a disc sat upon the jambugo, also in a disc. There were peanut shoots on top of these as well which i'd never had before. the foie and jambguo was a great combination and even better with a bit of quail on top too, a bit of crunchy sea salt on the foie really tieing in well with the salty jambugo. For main i had another new one, roast duck breast with malt loaf cannelloni ! As soon as i saw this i had to have it, i love malt loaf! Then when tony senior described the dish as confit duck rolled in malt loaf (panned out thinly) with confit potatoes and a malt foam i was signing on the dotted line. It didn't disappoint, the sticky malt loaf and unctous confit duck was sticky ducky heaven, the breast and potatoes mere sideshows to the main attraction! With a dinner to follow that evening i skipped on desert but wouldn't have got passed the black olive tatin had i had any space. There's a few new deserts too, Chocaholics will love the 'journey of chocolate' and i'm pleased to say my favourite venison dish also remains on the alc, for a few more weeks. however, i think that will be my last meal. in an unstarred anthony's as hopefully thursday will see them get the award they richly deserve and have worked their 'bits' off for. if you are thinking about a trip, friday nights are booking up into march, and saturday's into april. cheers gary

having had the pleasure of sitting next to me at dinner recently i'm suprised you want to repeat the experience! cheers gary

Yes, imagine someone now calling a restaurant 'Threesome', or 'Trio',... ... hang on a second, 'Trio', hmmm... ← named so as he was having an affair with his business partners missus. gary

Duran Duran, The Reflex. What do I win? Dinner at one of the places at which you ate during your four free days!? ← correct! glad to see another 80's kid out there, just watching simple minds from live aid at the minute, they ROCK! and yes! cheers gary

i managed 4 restaurant free days at the begining of the year, i have not been as successful since friday 6th st vincents arms saturday 7th (no restaurant but dinner at friends) sunday 8th star at harome monday 9th maxis chinese tuesday 10th el gaucho- new argentinian steak joint in york wednesay 11th tootsies thursday 12th at home! friday 13th lunch anthony's, tonight pub for dinner saturday 14th dinner at el gaucho! diet starts.... there's a song in my head 'i'm on a ride and i want to get off but they won't slow down the roundabout'!! bonus points for artist and name. Clue big in the 80's and beyond. cheers gary