CalumC

Just got this email from lumiere: It just so happens that the other day we walked past and I booked in for my girlfriends birthday not knowing exactly when Geoff and Linda were going. Well, now I do. Menu (below) doesn't look at all bad, so i think we'll still be going. We were booked to Royal Well Tavern but the lady decided she'd rather go somewhere more special for birthday. Chef looks to have a pretty decent record and I believe that when reading the menu outside (still the old menu) we bumped into presumably Helen who gave us a friendly smile and a Hi. Foie Gras Apple Compote, White Pudding, Cider Glaze - Risotto Wild Mushroom, Truffled Brie - Fishcake Cod & Salmon, Pouched Egg, Chive Beurre Blanc - Ravioli Crab, Butternut Squash Puree, Vanilla Foam - Soufflé Goats Cheese, Beetroot & Horseradish Puree ------------ Beef Braised Blade, Parsnip, Roast Shallot, Braising Juices - Monkfish Medallions, New Potatoes, Baby Leeks, Red Cabbage Butter Sauce - Gloucester Old Spot Tenderloin, Fondant Potato, Savoy Cabbage, Crushed Root Vegetables - Salt Marsh Lamb Rump, Dauphinoise Potato, Confit Garlic, Baby Carrots - Sea Bass Corriander Tortellini, Stir Fried Vegetables, Pickled Ginger Sauce ----------- Pistachio Cheesecake, Vanilla Ice Cream & Caramel Sauce - Hot Chocolate Crème Brule, Passion fruit Marshmallow, Tonka Bean Ice Cream ~ Pear and Almond Jelly, Ice Cream, Tort - Lemon Tart, Raspberry Sorbet - Cheese Selection Of British Cheese, Red Onion Marmalade, Biscuits 3 Courses £39 Thoughts?

I knew it! Theres a purpose to watching Ready Steady Cook. http://www.jekkasherbfarm.com/

What you said there and the menu on their website just convinced the lady to choose RWT for birthday dinner, good work! Very glad about it, chosen over brasserie blanc Was the menu when you went similar to the website?

Thanks for all the details, I think i'm going to have to delve into this just for the fact that someone needs to find out what the deal actually is. Like you said, its seeming like a complete mess as far as legality goes, needs a lot of clarification. I'll let you know what I get back from the EA.

Ah i see, in that case the email i sent remains with purpose. Thanks either way, gives a good indication.

Dougal, thank you, you're a god for having that list to hand, its exactly what i wanted, certainly makes my life easier. I sent an email to the environment agency but now you've given me that list, the emails a bit redundant. The list makes sense, hardly anything in the north because the red signal crayfish haven't managed to get up there quite so bad yet, they can't take the risk that traps would also bring in the white claw crayfish, the south has already been lost it seems. I think i'll be trapping in Gloucestershire, which is virtually all free of license.

Is anyone on here catching the american red signal crayfish in the UK? I'd like to get into it, but I'm not sure exactly where I should be looking. I seem to remember that I need a license and obviously some catching gear, other than that, does anyone know much about it?

Trip to Leeds is seconded.

Went to a place called the Lime Tree, swinegate i think, but this was about 6 years ago, visited york again a few years back and saw that the menu was identical. So make of that what you will.

Yeah, that's what I thought.. Bromsgrove doesn't seem like an obvious culinary mecca - the place that gets a good write-up in the 2008 michelin is "Epic Brasserie" - but I cannot find an official website for it, perhaps it has closed? ← My dad mentioned a place a little out of town (he's originally from the area) but i can't remember the name, ill pester him for it again. As far as i know, the centre of town peaks with a Pizza Hut and Wetherspoons... Beer and a burger anyone?

Funnily enough, me and some friends were planning a Little Chef trip, maybe i can convince them to make the journey. Hampshire isn't exactly close to us Gloucestershire, but hey.

Good food... Bromsgrove... HAHAHA! Anyone with knowledge of Bromsgrove will probably understand my disbelief, but hey, if michelin say so... Its a strange town, used to be quite good, busy shopping location, these days its on its arse. But anyway, LCS might be a bit out of the way for you, you'd have to get a train from one of your stop off points, probably Evesham, much easier to get to the station than Tewkesbury, which is actually a fair way out of town at Ashchurch. If you can make it though, it would be your blow out i imagine, approx £50 per person for full dinner, plus wine and service, but well, well worth it. Its a great canal, you'll love the travelling, as far as food goes this is as far as my knowledge takes me.

God knows how logistically, but would egullet be interested in branching out into restaurant guides in that manner? Get the food bloggers and foodies on here writing about places, some sort of meeting and editing process. Could at least start out as a more formal page on egullet. Generally, egullet opinion on michelin seems to be negative. Just a thought...

Anyone visited this place? Went on saturday with family, couldn't exactly rant at the time what with the missus dad paying, but i wrote some notes on the train back and ill try and make them cohesive tomorrow. In the meantime, ill give over the photos of the menu, the only ones i took at the time, again, felt a bit awkward taking photos of everything. Not a lot to see either, tbh. http://www.flickr.com/photos/music_food/32...in/photostream/ Move to the left for the main course menu. Desserts were: White Chocolate and Apricot Tart Double Chocolate Cheesecake Pine Nut Tart Fruit Salad Raspberry Brulee Baileys Cheesecake Lemon Meringue Pie Ice Cream/Sorbets

Thanks for the explanation. Seems a bit daft? Glad to see Royal Wells Tavern on the bib list though, making plans for a visit. As well as to Allium actually, which should surely be acknowledged.

For the michelin uninitiated, what does it mean to be a rising 2 or 3 star?

The wide and execrable choice was probably down to the usage of the mass central suppliers such as 3663 ? ← God, 3663. I was on the wrong end of their tinned carrots at secondary school. Edit: And everything thing else for that matter, fortunately the cooks were pretty good.

For those interested: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/dining/0...html?ref=dining

Just read food snob's review, about to read ulterior's. From the former, I really get the feeling that theres a star (or two?) about to go missing. "But perhaps the blame lies with me - I expect too much. For me, three stars still mean magic, still mean wow. Or I think it should. Then again, I am a naïve, fairly-fresh foodie. Maybe I must grow up…." Three stars should mean magic and wow, I don't think that any blame lies with you in expecting a restaurant judged by michelin so highly, and with such a price, to be a quite incredible experience.

Just read the piece in your blog, and everything else since then, its a great blog, consequently bookmarked

Tried out some fudge and another muffin today. Cumin fudge is incredible, big fan of that. The texture of the fudge is great and the cumin is strong enough and comes in at the right time. The green olive fudge however was awful, couldn't stand it. I absolutely love olives of all kind, but in the fudge it just doesnt work for me. I've just tried it again while writing this, mellowed my opinion a little, but its still not a good combo for me. I understand that green olives and white chocolate are supposed to go together, and is a combination anthony uses/has used at the restaurant, maybe i need to try it in a plated dessert context. Apple strusel muffin was OK, lacked apple flavour but a decent topping and good textured muffin. Friend had a chocolate chip muffin, no better than any he has had before according to him, and while i didn't try it, i could easily agree having had the double chocolate one a while ago. Incidentally, he couldn't stand either fudges, but hes a bit more conservative with food than me. He probably won't visit anthonys again particularly but then hes not really into food as such.

Matthew!! I'm trying to do my assignments

Not expecting, or just not bothered? Have they resigned themselves to the michelin system, along the lines of what was being discussed in the other thread about location and various other things. I absolutely agree, if what they serve is still high standard, then michelin doesn't really matter. The point seems more that they deserve the public recognition for the quality of what they do.

When a resturant is pumping that much time and effort into a business, how can michelin not be taking note? God I need to visit.

Do we think Allium might get its *, they got GFG South West Restaurant of the year for 2008 and while i've not been, i'd say the menu looks deserving.