Hallie

I know, I know. Sadly, a trip into London is out of the question (and would seem the easy answer). My friends are a bit worried about straying too far from the confines of Gatwick and having a 3 year old in tow does put a drag on the general pace of things. Dunno what we're going to do other than have a plate of sloppy eggs and bacon in one of the surrounding hotels. I heard the Arora is the best of a bad lot. Didn't they once play host to a short lived Rhodes restaurant?

A tall order, I know. Some friends of ours have a lay over between 10:00 - 2:00 at Gatwick. Brunch seems to be the only viable option. They also are coming with a 3 year old. Anywhere within shooting distance of the airport would be best. Any suggestions? I'm at a loss. Thanks!

We've decided to do it nice and easy; a trip up the road to our really lovely local gastro-pub, The Bull in Highgate. It's probably the best place of its sort I've come across on this side of Hampstead Heath. If you haven't been, it's superb. menu at the Bull

Some people resent Valentine's day. I'm not one of those, but I do resent being ripped off at restaurants because it's Valentine's day. For the past few years my husband and I have stayed home and cooked ourselves something nice. One year we poisoned ourselves with an undercooked beef Wellington from Harrods. Unless we can come up with something interesting and unique to eat at home (Deliverance and Room Service, by the way don't come out as far as N10) we'll be going out. Actually, an evening meal out wouldn't be so bad but if its possible, I'd like to avoid being stung and perhaps eating somewhere a little different. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Amazing. Could it be? A good Mexican restaurant has actually landed on our doorsteps at last? I'm really excited about this, but I've been excited (and disappointed) before. Sounds promising though.

I drive a Polo.

The breasts are quite small - sort of small chicken breast size so I was thinking of dicing them up and throwing them in with the venison as a sort of game stew (or is this a bad idea? Should I just stick to venison stew?) Been thinking that I'd like to throw some mushrooms in with this and maybe some fresh herbs - though nothing overwhelming.

I've just bought a few pheasant breasts and some venison meat and have been trying to find a decent recipe for a slow cooker stew that doesn't rely on the predictable carrot-celery- potato-red wine and bay leaf base. Personally I'm vehemently anti-carrot and celery in most stews and soups. I don't think that this combination adds anything flavour-wise (lately I've started replacing celery with fennel which makes a huge difference). I'm also utterly against just dumping a tin of cream of mushroom soup over something and letting it simmer in that. Seems like a waste of good meat. Does anyone have any suggestions? I'd like to do something fairly healthy - so no cream. Perhaps something Italian or with Med-flavours? Or something eastern European-ish or unusual.

Well, to lay this one to rest - my intention was not to be patronising about the people who eat at Little Chef - as Matthew pointed out, I've eaten there too - though admittedly not by choice. Was Jamie Oliver being patronising for suggesting that we shouldn't be feeding our children turkey twizlers? No. Neither were my comments intended to be patronising because I was criticising Little Chef for serving up processed slop to a nation of people who might want some healthier, better prepared options on their journeys up the M1. The management of road side restaurants/cafe chains in every other Western European country seems to understand this, so why shouldn't those in the UK respond to it as well? Why is it alright to be critical of McD's and Burger King and not Little Chef? Only in Britain have I found that the discussion of food and eating habits can be turned into a class issue. I can understand that many people may have fond memories of Little Chef and there's a nostalgia connected to it, but in an era when even McD's is trying to reshape it's bloated menu to include leaner options, Little Chef needs to modernise in order to regain its share of the market. There's nothing wrong with suggesting that.

Yes, I considered that as well - but if that were the case, McD's and Burger King have been around for so long that Little Chef would have felt the effects of their competition a long time ago. Re: the spare 10 mill - have you checked behind the sofa?

I have to say that I smile passed my lips when I read that Little Chef was going into receivership. This is not because I'm a malicious person, nor is it because I've probably had some of the worst meals of my life while sitting in their plastic chairs. Rather, it's because I see hope in the midst of all of this. Could it be that due to the influences Messrs Oliver and Ramsay this country is now starting to embrace food and starting to see the value in eating healthily and dumping processed food along the way? Or am I being far too optimistic? The piece on the BBC website to which I've included a link (below) mentions that Little Chef were losing out at motorway stops because places like M&S were offering a better quality of food. This bodes well. This heralds a great opportunity for those remaining Little Chefs to rethink what they offer. I think its also a sort of barometer for the UK's changing tastes. And while I'm not expecting Little Chef to become Planet Organic perhaps they'll fall more into step with what their continental counterparts are offering - Italy's Autogrill chain makes food on the spot, while a Belgian chain (whose name I've forgotten) lays on a massive buffet salad bar. Here's the link: BBC Little Chef Piece

Well, much against my better judgement I braved Chinatown on Saturday night. My concerns about quality were not unfounded - in fact the food at my old standby from years ago, Harbour City was even worse than I remembered. After leaving, I wondered if I was going to see in the dawn from a position on my bathroom floor. Gratefully this didn't happen. I still wonder if there is a good Chinese meal to be had in Chinatown that isn't wrapped in batter and redolent with vinegar.

We're meeting some friends of ours on Saturday night who are insisting that we go for a meal in Chinatown (in London that is, as opposed to Manchester or elsewhere). It's been several years since I've done this so I'm slightly out of touch with what is considered good these days. We used to visit Harbour City but I have no idea if they've managed to retain their reputation. My memories of Chinatown are not always that fond so I'm in need of some updated advice.

Mmmm, yeah not holding out much hope for a gourmet weekend but still! have you tried Michael Deanes the 1 michelin star? ← We've never been able to get into Deane's. It's always booked up. One positive development - Ian Rankin has opened a little place in Belfast airport which actually does really nice soups/sandwiches, etc. I do think Rankin should be knighted for services to the people of Northern Ireland. ← My God are you saying the world famous Scottish crime writer is responsible for improving the palates of the Northern Irish, no wonder they are a little funny about what they eat. I remember dining at the short lived michelin starred 'The Oriel' in Guildford and being served massive side orders of potatoes and veg. I asked about this and was informed that the 'locals' were not happy with the portion sizes and most people lived by the rule that if you belly is not filled at the end of the meal (irregardless of taste etc) it is not a good meal. I know its a little distance away from Belfast, by I have been hearing good reports about this place. manor park ← Ohmygod. I did write Ian Rankin, didn't I?!! I meant Paul.

Having grown up in NI, but now living in England, I couldn't agree more. When I go back now and then to see family and friends, it's a mission to find anywhere that serves 'real' food that doesn't come with a selection of fifteen different potato styles. Deanes upstairs is okay, but there's more atmosphere on the moon. Cayenne is indeed very good, as is Roscoff Brasserie. James St South's worth a mention, too. There's a veritable plethora of true crimes against all things culinary in every town and city you visit there. Has always been the same and I'd hazard a guess it always will be. Shame, but a fact nontheless. ← Jenny, I know for a fact that not everyone in N.I. has the same tastes - my husband grew up there, as did a number of very good friends of mine. They all live in England now and frequently discuss how different the attitude to food is in the Southeast of England when compared to N.I. I have also lived in Yorkshire and there are plenty of pig, chocolate, potato, butter and sugar eaters there too. I am by no means tarring everyone with the same brush - merely speaking from my experiences and observations - some of which I have found to be quite shocking. The majority of those I have met in N.I. are far from adventureous where their tastes are concerned. I also have found it incredibly difficult to eat healthily while there; white bread and fried food is inescapable. Good quality fish is hard to find, except in better restaurants, and everything comes smothered in mayo or cream. Garlic is the food of the devil, and I've found that a surprisingly large amount of adults will not touch vegetables. I'm not saying that there aren't other places like this in the UK - and around the world for that matter, but I have found an especially high concentration of people with a closed-minded attitude towards food in Northern Ireland. The restaurant in Ten Square - Opium, is truly awful, by the way. But glad to hear that there are good places opening up on a more regular basis. I understand what you are saying, but what I was trying to say, in my muddled way, is that just because the pickins are slim, restaurant wise, it is unfair to assume we all have the palates of dry wall. I grew up in a family who are are great cooks. I am not just talking about meat and potato dinners. We travelled as a family and eat out in many different kinds of restaurants. I then left Northern Ireland to go University, like many do. So many of us are exposed to foods from all over. So while pig, pototoes and chocolate may be found in our fridges at any given time, that is not to say that is all you will find. ←

Mmmm, yeah not holding out much hope for a gourmet weekend but still! have you tried Michael Deanes the 1 michelin star? ← We've never been able to get into Deane's. It's always booked up. One positive development - Paul Rankin has opened a little place in Belfast airport which actually does really nice soups/sandwiches, etc. I do think Rankin should be knighted for services to the people of Northern Ireland.

Cayenne is pretty good. I've been going to Belfast for years (not out of choice, my in-laws live there) and restaurants have never failed to underwhelm me there. Still, things are impoving, albeit slowly. The Northern Irish can be very particular where their food is concerned. If it doesn't fall into one of the following groups: pig, sugar, butter, chocolate, potato, tea, cow and isn't prepared in one of the following ways: boiled, fried, oven baked beyond recognition, then it's considered inedible. I have literally a book's worth of material on eating experiences I've had in N.I. over a ten year period. My most recent one was lunch at a Wetherspoon's like pub that's just opened up near Antrim. It was supposed to have, as my brother-in-law's girlfriend called it, 'a continental menu'. But when I ordered the spaghetti with tomatoes and olives (the safest thing on the menu) my sister-in-law, a grown woman of 31 made horrible faces at the thought of eating pasta. That was before I was asked by the waiter if I wanted 'a bit of Italian cheese sprinkled on top'. It took a lot of polite smiling to get through that one.

...Bhutanese red rice????? Ohmygod this stuff is good; a meaty, tasty, substantial rice that's healthy and would taste so amazing with roast pork belly. One bowl and I'm addicted. I have no idea where I can buy many many packages of it with which to stock my cupboard. Any ideas? I'm thinking Colindale but I won't have a chance to get out there for at least another month. Any on-line suppliers? If you haven't tasted this stuff, you're missing out.

Right. We've got one night in Budapest this weekend and want to have a truly memorable Hungarian meal at a top-rated restaurant. I'm trying to avoid Gundel as I've been told its a tourist trap. So, what is the best restaurant in Budapest? Money will not be an obstacle.

Oh I would so love to do all of my shopping through natoora. Especially since you can get me burata. But I just can't bring myself to drop £18 on a package of fresh pasta.

I've now arrived at the point where I'm fed up with alternating my food shopping needs between Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Ocado. I'm sick of buying terrible produce bandaged in plastic packaging and meat that tastes like cardboard. I would love to be able to afford the time and money it requires to shop at Borough Market every week, but sadly that's a pipe dream. I find it impossible to get to my local butcher before they shut at 4:30pm (and they're not even that good). I'm also worried about ordering organic fruit and veg boxes because I know in a house of two people a lot of if won't get eaten. As I'm a creature of convenience, who is shackled by time constraints, one-stop shopping appeals. As much as I would like to, I simply don't have the time to devote to running between speciality shops. The problem is, I hate what I get at supermarkets. What I wouldn't mind is combining a number of these options; buying a few staples from the supermarket and ordering deliveries of produce and meat. Has anyone been able to do this successfully? And who do you use? How do most of you tackle the chore of your weekly food shop?

More than a little bit of snobbery on this thread, lamb neck is one of those cuts that rewards a sympathetic chef, like lamb breast or pigs trotters. I guess some people prefer fillet steak or medallions ← The truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of lamb in general. Perhaps its the sum total of a number of bad childhood experiences where the lamb was always fatty, greasy or overdone. I've usually shied away from cooking with it because I'm always afraid of getting it wrong. The concept of lamb neck totally perplexes me. A bit like ox tail. I'm not sure the end result will justify the effort.

Might I add to this list: -tinned pies (Fray Bentos, I'm talking to you) -pickled onions -scotch eggs -lamb neck (never bought it, never understood, never will) -rollmops

I must say, the menu looks amazing (one of the reasons why I settled on The Square in the end). So Andy, tell all. What did you have?

Where's Shoreditch?