Infrasonic

Has your wallet got a padlock on it?.. I

Generally better to give any tips in cash rather than adding to your CC/DC bar tab final payment. At least that way you have half a chance of the staff seeing most of it (through the Tronc), rather than it all going into the wages/PAYE system with its inherent deductions In more upmarket bars you might get washroom attendants. I only tip (£1 seems to be standard) if I avail myself of their aftershave, not for turning the tap on.... I

Ithaca, just a few doors away from Restaurant bar and grill and Panacea. Was having trouble getting a late licence due to objections from local church bod and is well overdue on it's completion. I don't hold out much hope of it being a great place to eat...... Blingtastic more like. I hear on the grapevine that Cocoa Rooms is shut "for a refurb". Funny, it's only just over a year old, and it's website has been suspended ...... http://www.thecocoarooms.com/ I

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/6670923.stm Seems like there may be 20 or so going spare.... I

http://www.restaurantfraiche.com/ I

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/...viewId=23391482 Fay Maschler. <i>Meanwhile, a menu which looked as if composed from book research starting with Dorothy Hartley (author of the 1950s Food in England) and concluding with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, turns out not to be theme-park stuff but traditional dishes prepared with empathy and skill by chef John Collin, previously working for Mark Sargeant at Gordon Ramsay at Claridges .</i> I

http://www.msgtruth.org/allergy.htm It has been discussed lately in allergist office magazines that MSG is not an allergen. It was never considered one. What most people don't realize is the difference between food allergy and food intolerance or sensitivity. Probably not as harmfull as getting pissed on a friday night, but worth reading. I

I'd second Sunbeams caution, make sure you are very clear early on about what they can and can't do, as in my experience directors tend to have a rather cavalier attitude towards people and their pride and joys. I wouldn't let them into my flat again, even though the money was good. I

Having just discussed Bacchus with my mate who lives very nearby in Old Street, I thought I'd have a look at the website. Home page now has an option for Flash/HTML I checked out the HTML version on both the browsers on my P900 phone, load great (especially in Opera, dead quick even over GPRS link) All the info/links at the top of the page. C'mon, all those (including me) who bitched 'bout the site a while back, credit is due I think. Well done. Now if you can just have a word with Vodafone to sort out their appalling .net service, I'll be really happy I

Oh yes, that tatty market stall thingy at G-Mex you run once a year.... <running away very fast..> I

So chaps, how was it on Friday? I

"shocking prices" $20 Martinis... Hmmm, he doesn't seem to have grasped the concept of currency exchange rates very well... I think we should invade the NY board and gloat about how "cheap" their restos are currently. I

I notice the wine list part of the site is 'under construction'. Those tasting notes do take a while to compile I

Couldn't agree more on the fish front. One of the reasons I always look out for fish themed Tuesdays @ £30ish a head. If you've never been to Juniper, these events really do represent amazing value. I

I agree. I pointed this out to the chef via pm about a month ago before the onslaught of public comments. I'm not sure if there is an appreciation for how bad the style and grammar is in the text portions of the site and how it also de-legitimizes the other claims for excellence. It would certainly be worthwhile hiring an editor or a good writer to go over the text as Infrasonic suggests. ← but don't let infrasonic write it ← <flounces off> I

Hmmm. As the website is for the restaurant and not her personal webspace...... Waddya expect for free I

Simon. Well done on the changes, but please can someone sort the text out on the home page, it's embarrassingly inept still. Anyone with any form of English qualification is going to seriously wonder about your restaurant with what you currently have. Alexander’s at Limpsfield is located in a wonderfully idyllic setting in the quiet and enchanting village of Limpsfield, Surrey. Here, the innovative talents of proprietor Patricia A Douglas have brought together style, elegance and a gastronomic experience of the highest level. Could be; Located in the idyllic village setting of Limpsfield Surrey, Alexanders innovative proprietor, Patricia A Douglas, has combined a Michelin experienced kitchen with a relaxed and stylish dining environment. Just an example of how easily it could be improved. I'm sure others who do this sort of thing for a living could do better. I

Surely, Croydon is somewhere one should only leave? I

I put that one to my accountant a few years ago. " So if run a website reviewing restaurants, clothes stores, holidays and supermarkets, can I claim it all against tax?" His response. "Probably be ok for a year or two, then HMRC will tell you to fuck off..." He's quite direct, my accountant I

But not at the same time I trust. ← On the contrary, as it's called The French, it would only be in keeping to take the mistress and wife Menage a trois for everybody sir? I

Just emailed the customer relations dept. for Q hotels to bitch about this.... Bit daft in this day and age.... I

Very good. Very "old school". Maitre d' (Bruno) has been there 38 years. http://www.qhotels.co.uk/hotels/the-midlan...ter-manchester/ For some reason they don't have the menu/wine list on-line When I went I had; Five queen scallops as a starter, gorgeous, but £14.95, just as well it was on HL. Mains were poached turbot (£22), very good but slightly overdone for my liking(I like fish to be just cooked). With a bottle of white burgundy. Skipped desserts and had very good coffee/petit fours. It's a dress up and blow the budget kind of place with the GF/wife. I really enjoyed it Cutting edge it isn't, and Juniper et al are more "exciting" food wise. I'd still go back in a shot though because the whole package is super smooth. I

I had a platinum hi-life for three years and a bronze before that for a couple. Courtesy of those babys, I ate ALC at Le Mont (RIP), Establishment (RIP), Lounge Ten, The French @ the Midland, Palmiro, River Room @ the Lowry, Harvey Nicks, Choice, TNQ, etc. two for one on the food. I use the saving to get a better bottle of wine, and found that quite often, that way they wouldn't mark the card, allowing repeat discount visits! Two courses at The French garnered a saving of £41! You can get one free that's valid for a couple of months as a new sign up. I let it lapse this year because there are so many restaurants doing their own deals now ( database, emails, easy...) or using sites like Manchester Confidential, that PAYING for the hi-life seemed not such a good deal. (£45/85) Tip. If you let your membership lapse, they start to send you all sorts of offers, like two cards for the price of one etc. There is truth in the rumour that resterauteurs refer to it as the 'low-life card' as there is a tendency for some people to take the piss, wanting tap water, expecting to get bookings at Xmas, not tipping etc. Whilst the fab Juniper has never been on Hi-Life, it does do it's Tuesday fixed price (£30 ish) many courses tasting specials. Have a look at the website for details. I've been on a couple and I think they represent very good value, especially the fishy ones. I

I think Brownbear is enjoying a moment of schadenfreude.. ← Is that a bit like a gurwurtzraminer Hoisted by one's own petard springs to mind as rather apt vis a vis Jays review I

Ooh, I don't know. Beswick and Desert, very comfortable bedfellows Also Beswicks not noted for it's boardwalk Anyone notice the plethora of 235 "free champagne" vouchers and other myriad of offers currently doing the rounds? Struggling.....surely not...they are already Mcr's "super casino" according to the blurb. I