RDB

"Perhaps you are, but if this does not please you, you are wasting your money going to Heston,s new place (if you have not already been that is)". Not sure about that Dave. I was not expecting Dinner to be like the Fat Duck by any means, and I know that has been HB's tag line since Dinner's inception i.e. it is not Fat Duck PT 2. I enjoyed Dinner for what it was. Thank you for showing concern about me wasting my money anyway. "We have now eaten about eighteen dishes here on our two visits, and hand on heart, not one has disappointed. Having said that, we are not looking for groundbreaking food, and nor should anyone else". Good, it seems like you are more versed and experienced in the food of PSS than I am by vitue of the fact that you have tried so many dishes. At the same time David, and I hope you do not take this the wrong way, you can be slightly over enthusiastic in your reviews and being such a positive individual maybe see the good in everything. I am always looking for groundbreaking food and ground breaking food experiences, and I am unsure why you feel nobody else should? That would be a little boring? "Do you not think that the "social" element refers to the relaxed "drop in when you like to the bar". Have some tapas. Have a dessert or two, or even see if a table is available in the restaurant for something a bit more substantial and a more ordered dining experience"?Well firstly, I would expect a bar to be the kind of place you could drop into when you like, I always find bars tend to accomodat this idea, indeed it is not really that original? Having some tapas again requires one to pop in and order, not new or original. The last bit seems to refer to seeing if the restaurant has a table free and then booking that table and eating, again sure it is social, but not new. My point is the restaurant is really fine dining and not akin to anything different from that. "Btw on our two visits we did not get "the golden key" I'm a bit disappointed now, not to be treated the same as everyone else. I shall take it up with the management on our return " Well Dave as any good behaviourist knows, rewards aim to change and shape behaviours however as you are already sold you do not need the reinforcement.I am sure you get your rewards in other ways. I have only been to PSS once I wasn't bowled over, maybe next time it could be a different experience?

Went here last week, and overall I think Gary and Scott got it spot on. Overall thought it wasn't bad but for some reason found it lacking the flavours and excitement that Maze offered. I kind of though that PSS would be even more adventuress and clever, however it almost seemed more tame and traditional. Strangely I found it more Ramseyesque than Maze. Not sure if the whole concept works, and at times it feels as if it is confused over what it is trying to achieve. Is it fine dining or is it relaxed laid back (social) eating? I feel more the former than the latter, certainly evident in the service. Not a fair comparison maybe, but somewhere like Polpo I would see capturing the social concept. Fowey oysters "hot and cold" was an ok dish. The cold being an oyster sorbet, the warm being, hmm, can't remember. A dish that was not an improvement on the raw product. Salad Lyonnaise, roasted quail, creamed egg & onion: Actually one of the best dishes, quaill delicious. Loch Duart salmon, Jersey Royals, avocado: This was nothing more than salmon and Jersey royals really. Nothing wrong with it except just very samey. Roast Holly Farm chicken, gravy, sage, nuts & herbs, bread mousse: Bread mousse very good, but again very Sunday dinner. Spiced braised pork cheeks, turnips, onions, celeriac & coffee purée: Good pork cheeks, again a bit tame. Eton Mess: Was ok. Smoked foie gras, black sesame, smoked golden raisin: Again, ingredients good, but did not blow me away. Gave the golden key on the way in and received a little bag with some scones and teabags in them, and that summed up the food experience. Service was quite intrusive at times to the point of staff being confused on who was doing what, maybe need to relax. Maybe I had expectations that JA once on his "own" would take his cooking up a notch and let that do the talking. However I think he has slipped down a gear and is maybe over relying upon "concepts" to enhance the experience. Or maybe I was expecting too much.

....and thus is the state of chef worship at the moment, and the groupies that follow. Whereby the illusion of being "friends" with a chef, based upon TV personna, is all too common. Don't get me wrong many chef's are inspiring and I have had meals that have reduced me to tears, but to become sycophantic about every experience bar none and a chef's TV pesonna, is somewhat deluded and narissistic ( a bit like James Martin himself).

I always find the size of a dish insignificant, in fact prefer it smaller, providing it delivers on flavour. I believe satiation is better achieved through small impact dishes. Now if they are small dishes and bland that is much more of an issue.

That is good news about the prices, I have had my finger on the cancel button all week, after some less than positive reviews, but that may have swung it!! I always enjoyed Maze as I have mentioned on its thread and my young daughter still eulogises over Jason's mash potato, which he never revealed to us how much butter it contained?? May have to engage in some empirical research

..this is were I get worried. Your reviews are usually spot on Gary, and I think you give a very balanced view and can certainly see through the hype. I am in both Pollen Street in a few weeks and as mentioned Hestons as well, the latter I am really not looking forward too at all. Think I may take Mat Grant's reco and go for a Hot Dog.

I have a table booked here next month and for the first time I cannot get excited at all about the menu. In fact the only thing that is really grabbing me is the dessert menu, which is even more strange. I think Heston's crusade to outdo Jamie in the delusional " food will save mankind and all its woes", is kinda tainting my impression as well. Now the hype has died down, and the bravado of stating "I have been to Heston's new place"; is it really as good as the critics etc make out??

Me too. Although hot on the heels of the producer of Midsomer Murders living many years in the past, it crossed my mind....... Saying that Richard Corrigan was not from Northern Ireland. Good to Chris Bell ex White Bull representing "Ireland" interesting to see competition.

The wine list of which you speak may have been when Ian Martin (ex Red Cat Crank) ran it, and it was exceptionally good value, and a longer list than present. The food then was good but not on the same level as it is at present, as good as many starred places I have been to this year. The Ribble valley has long been one of if not the best food destinations in the UK, with Byrnes,Cheesie Tchaikovsky, Wellgate Fisheries, Exchange Coffee, etc. The other recent Bib was La Locanda in near by Gisburn, which is a fantasic Italian

Deanes may be due to the flood and closure it experienced early in the year. Shame though. Good to see the Ribble Valley growing as a foodie destination with both La Locanda and The Freemasons getting a bib both well deserved!!

I am really unsure what point you are making. Your assessment of the Picasso analogy seems to be more akin to the Waterside Inn than anything else. Also what was your purpose in offering a photo of how MPW's "chefs" treat a piece of prime venison?? What is special about it? What are you trying to show? Again it is meat and a few veg.

Pam you really do come across as meat and two veg in large portions served on dodgy plates type of diner. Maybe you just don't get the style of cooking served in places like Hibiscus.

Brilliant show, fantastic the way they blur reality with fiction with no clear distinction. About the bread David do you think it really was hard work or was it acting ?

Was it the chip hut?

People used to travel miles and pay loads of money to have the honour of being verbally abused by a chef. I think you should consider yourself lucky to have experienced an old fashion art which is sadly in decline. Maybe you could use this experience to draw attention to your blog. Contact a tabloid paper, they might be interested to run a story regaring "Mad Marcus's patience Wareing thin"!

Excellent comparison!! I knew those pesky critics and Michelin got it wrong. Either FD not a 3 star or AB at HB is 3 star. Love to know which it is???

"The only downside was having to listen to the endless high volume gibberings of the most important person ever to have eaten anything, ever, anywhere. The racket became more noticable as time passed and other diners presumably gave in and made a run for it. A mute button would have been good" It wasn't any of the fellows that post on egullet?

Hi Marc Who is the new hot chef in Modena??? Sounds exciting. I was aiming to spend some time in Bologna where there seems to be a plethora of good traditional places. I will be based in Rimini so looking to find some jewels so to speak. Does this guy in Modena cook in the modern style that you do ?? Would be interesting to try some modern Italian.

Hi All Anyone got any good recs for restaurants in Rimini. All suggestions welcome. Many thanks

I am down in this part of the country soon so look forward to following the amazing reviews this place is getting, it looks great.

Excellent review Adam, makes me want to go now!!

To me Anthony Demetre was by far the funniest chef I have ever seen on Tv. He had me in stitches throughout, always loved his food but never realised he had such a sharp sense of humour. Poor Tom Kerridge did not know what to make of him.

In honour of the world cup I will be aiming to drink in some good pubs and match the beers with countries playing. Saying that Ivory coast and Korea will be a tough one. Looking forward to England / Usa where I will be watching in my very good local pub The Crown Inn Worthington. Bourbon county stout vs a pint of "Rooney Juice".

Hi Jean If you are reffering to County Antrim, Belfast is within this county and there is a detailed thread on this page. Hope this helps.

Had a good few meals in Belfast a few weeks ago, albeit can't remember full details. Deanes was excellent delicious squab dish and some very good lamb. Interestingly there was no dessert menu instead they wheel a trolley which you chose from. James Street South, was a great experience. Sunday night our table could not decide which dishes we fancied, so requested a tasting menu from the kitchen, which was gracefully accomodated even though Sunday night is not a tasting menu night. Excellent smoked salmon dish with beetroot, little melon balls and other such things. Other dishes included belly pork, foie gras and John Dory on one plate which was interesting, more mini tasting menu within a tasting menu. Fine Rabbit and Truffle dish. Masses of aspargus everywhere. Highlight where the desserts, four different offerings given to each of us and asked to taste and rotate, a very interactive assiette. Great british menu offering not on the menu when we were there. Thorntons at the Fitzwilliam was Thornton only in name, albeit service had all the miserableness you associate with Kevin. Hotel quite good though, albeit I enjoyed the Merchant Hotel slightly better, had a very good breakfast in the Great Room. I think Belfast has greatly improved food wise.