Anne Benson

Due to a freezer breakdown I am faced with a mound of defrosted frozen spinach. Any ideas of what to do with it?

I forgot to mention 3 Banks Road, West Kirby, had a pleasant lunch there one Saturday. And also Gorge'us in Bebington and Spital is an award-winning tearoom/lunch place and wonderful and Marc also likes it.

I was going to recommend the Wheatsheaf, otherwise pickings are slim. There is a Mexican/English cafe in Tranmere which is fun and does do good Mexican food. Not something we have much of round here, I will dig out the name. If it is still there and hasn't changed hands, there is Home Cafe in Oxton Village itself near Fraiche or a nice coffee shop/cafe Aubergine in West Kirby. The Devon Doorway pub in Heswall can be good for pizzas. If the Lady Lever art gallery has some good specials on it is worth a visit and you get a bit of culture as well. It is near my house so if you need a coffee, pop in. Hope that helps. Anne

Definitely Fraiche, also The London Carriage Works on Hope Street and 60 Hope Street. If you get as far as south Liverpool then check out Spire in Allerton. We also have Da Piero Italian on Wirral, which is a lovely almost hidden secret. www.dapiero.co.uk now becoming more well known, just made it to Good Food Guide. Panoramic restaurant has best views of Merseyside.

I think Fraiche in Wirral offers outstanding value.

I am completely gutted that Fraiche in Wirral did not get a star. He works incredibly hard and produces fantastic food and is a real asset to our region. I would rather eat there then certain other restaurants that do have a star! Do i detect a southern bias yet again?

I went to a Jewish school so all the cooking was dairy, I learnt to make Blancmange and scones but never a proper meal. I can still remember people rushing down the corridors to find the rabbi to see if this tin or that tin was acceptable. It was my mother that taught me cooking. But I agree with others, the real basics, a great vegetable soup, a minestrone or easy pasta dishes.

i wasn't that impressed with Anthony's but thought Anthony's at Flannels was very good, worth checking out for lunch

This is a great lively discussion. The Michelin thing is an issue for Merseyside as well and we probably suffer the same problems. I am looking forward to exploring more of Manchester's food at some point. If only I wasn't always stuck in traffic when I try to get there! as Thom well knows.

I really enjoyed a meal at the City Inn recently, though as has been pointed out as a hotel it can feel a bit empty. But it was vrey good. Heading for The Modenr soon I hope to meet Thom so looking forward to that.

RDB thanks for mentioning Fraiche, finally somebody does. It should have a star. I was very disappointed with Anthony's when I ate there and I don't think it deserves a star.

bummer, i can't believe that. I am always dying to get a table at yours and have trouble getting in! I have stayed in hotels where they insist on the credit card thing and I think you just accept it as part of life now, so maybe it should apply to restaurants.

I would be interested to hear more about fuddles, as this forum is about sharing information and discovering new things, isn't it? It is not a term I have heard about in the North West but it sounds fun.

just checked out the website and it looks lovely, but where did you find three courses for £18.95 when mains seem to be around the £20 mark?

I think you would want to include Fraiche on that list, I think it tops Juniper!

Have you tried Fraiche in Oxton Village, Wirral. I think it is on a par with those you mention and better than Anthony's.

A really nice deli selling local produce, beers, cheeses etc in Machnylleth, which is not far from Aber. I think it is called Blasau, but you can't miss it if you are driivng through. The butchers near the deli has won a few awards. The Wynnstay Arms also cooks wiht local produce, some of the dishes I've had are better than others but good cheeses. If they are still there, there are two nice delis in Aber itself one selling Spanish style food and The Old Cellar which sells local and imported. i just stayed at Ty Mawr, which was lovely, with its own microbrewery but it is probably a bit too much of a detour on the way to Aber. Gwinllan Fynnon Las is a vineyard producing some nice white wine

Sadly I used to live in rishworth, next door but two to the Old Bore but that was when it was a dodgy pub full of stuffed animals. I wish I still lived there especially now things are happening. There were some nice things in Ripponden. A little delicatessen, the Over the Bridge restaurant and Gimbals in Sowerby Bridge. Do any of these still exist? But i will definitely be heading back there soon.

sad to hear about Establishment but going back to a comment aobut Anthony's - I found this restaurant disappointing. The start was good with some interesting dishes but the mains disappointed. It seems to be a restaurant where people go to be seen.

Rosie's tearooms in Heswall, Wirral. They do a lot of local sourcing and serve gorgeous food including great teas for kids. Or check out this great blog, the guy who writes this knows his food. http://www.breakfastliverpool.blogspot.com/

As usual i am rooting for Fraiche in Oxton. He deserves it.

I'm off to Belfast in December adn we are booked into Cayenne and James Street South. I had a fantastic meal in Cayenne a couple of years ago and then we ate in Rain City, which was ok, but very good wiht small children, even ones who throw up on the table! Also even had a fantastic breakfast in a small cafe on the way to the Giants Causeway, wish I could remember the name now.

Where is the new Anthony's going to be?

I am getting married this year and I did the same, I got the chef then found a venue that would take outside catering. My only problem has been a dizzy chef who never gets back with quotes. We have about 120 but not a big budget so I have gone for quality food but quite laid back buffet style. The venue is near Llangollen, North Wales but that is probably no use to you.

fingers crossed you don't meet any footballers, I do enjoy the food there not the rest!