Mrs Woman

20-year old? It opened in 2004? http://www.hoxtonapprentice.com/about.html Wasn't this around the same time as Fifteen?

In case anyone was wondering where Robert Kisby (Le Mont) has got to, he's now moved to the Cock o'Barton, a place near me doing lots of locally sourced gubbins. Have been for Sunday dinner and had a few grumbles about service and tiny, overdone roasties and boring veg BUT the meat (local beef and pork) is superb and the place had only been open a fortnight and it looked like the busiest day they'd had up to yet. No menu on the website yet but I do have one at home that I am forever forgetting to scan in http://www.thecockobarton.co.uk/ Right you can get back to arguing about North/South divides (being an East Midlander (West Notts) by birth, I still class myself as 'Northern', go figure )

It's on Chorlton Rd but I think its actually in WR (although I may also be wrong) City Life thinks it's in WR: http://www.palmiro.net/reviews/man_citylife.html as does MEN http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/food/s/2...lley_range.html (not a great review thuogh) I suppose a Chorlton address sounds better than a WR one On a slightly different tack, didn't someone integral to Palmiro leave to go set up Isinglass in Urmston (which I still haven't been to despite my sister-in-law living round the corner!)?

erm last time I looked Palmiro was in Whalley Range - hardly city centre I agree though, MUCH better than anything Piccolino (or any Italian in and around the city) can offer

Just realised why I can't view the website at work (I can see it in all its lovely Flash glory at home, hallelujah!): I don't have the admin privileges to update the Flash on my browser here and/or download a new browser. So I am not the luddite you probably all think I am, just an unfortunate work PC user

Judy, thanks for this, I believe you may have hit the nail on the head. Perhaps it would be wise, as Judy ays, to rethink the design of the website as not everyone is going to be as persistent or as web-savvy to go looking for another browser and/or Flash update. Business websites should always be functional first, style secondary. Perhaps you should offer Flash and non-Flash versions?

Is anyone else still having trouble with the website for Bacchus? I have quite an up-to-date PC with all the correct whizzy plug-ins but on the main page I get the top Bachus bit with 4 dots above it, then a line, then the sketch with four pics of food. Clicking on the sketch or the food takes me to another page where there is a drawing of a couple of buildings but with nothing else to click on! We are staying in the Hoxton hotel over Easter w/e and I'd like to show Mr Woman some menu or such like to see if he fancies it. In the words of the 'enders, sort it aaaht! (please)

Ravelda, PM me and I will send you mine. It's been read from cover to cover and I'm not in the habit of hoarding them anymore (although I do still have the first year's squirreled away somewhere).

I agree it was a very interesting issue but has Polly Vernon been reading this forum as she really sounds like she's trying to wind us up on the last page... "I'll never make it as a restaurant critic. The reviews I have done, have been thorough assesment of the loos, cutlery style, and the handsomeness of the waiting staff- and nothing to do with the scoff... Here's the point: good restaurants are theatre and flirtation and fancy; and the food can go to hell." http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly...1971262,00.html hmm...

Was in Hunters on Monday night after the Kasabian gig (they also turned up at socio Rehab, just as it the bar was closing ) . I agree it's not the best looking place in town, but the chicken tikka kebab (wrapped in naan) we had was superb as were the samosas.

Thom, I have never been to the Arndale market, before or after revamp! I only worked in Manc, I live in 'leafy' Cheshire remember And as for Atomic Kitten, I bet you have the entire back catalgue lurking at home somewhere.

At the risk of sounding like some "chav slag" (charming phrase), Aldi actually does some decent Parmesan and not-too-horrific wine and beer. And it's cheap. Would never buy any frozen shite from Iceland but they have good deals on the 'chavy' thing in life like crisps and boxes of chocolates (no Green & Blacks though, we got them from Woolies) that you would pay over the odds for in Waitrose and Sainsbury. It sometimes pays to climb down off your food snobbery perches (I too used to sit there) and enter some of these places - you can find the odd gem lurking. (Not sure why Kerry Katona has the scouse refrain 'calm down, calm down' attached to her when she is from Warrington, NOT Liverpool. Or do all Northern towns blend into one for you Southerners?)

Not been personally but maybe best looking through the Manchester threads (there is a few if you search). And I'm sure Tom's been

Both series also discussed on the UK boards in a couple of threads. I liked the first series but didn't like the second one where he just seemed to ladle on the aggro to his kitchen staff (who were 'normal' people as opposed to hardened chefs) http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...hl=ramsay++word http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...hl=ramsay++word

As a professional pedant (I'm a proofreader), I think cod would be better but if it's in the dictionary as both, then either is perfectly acceptable. At least there are no spelling mistakes, I LOATHE spelling mistakes on menus - it shows a very slapdash attitude! It takes nothing to run something through a spell checker or get someone else to have a look at it for you.

I've only been for drinks (and that was a coulpe of years ago) but what about Room? http://www.roomrestaurants.com/eat/christmas2006.php

Also have a look on here for details of producers, farmers markets and food festivals during your stay: http://www.walesthetruetaste.com/index.cfm...shortCutId=3200 Do you know whereabouts you are going in Snowdonia? If you got to Conwy on the North coast (which you should, for the castle at least), they have delicious local mussels.

The Guardian's Guide doesn't seem to think much of this place http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguide/food/st...1836311,00.html

Was it the White Horse? I've not eaten there for many a year (unless you include a buffet for someone's birthday last year), really should give it another try.

I eat my peas with honey I've done it all my life It makes the peas taste funny But it keeps them on the knife!

I adore honey on toast, with butter too, the combo is gorgeous. I use it marinades and I've mixed it up with chopped fresh mint and drizzled it over a leg of lamb for the last 10 mins in the oven

Hi Richard, are you up this way too? I agree there is a definite increase in good grub up this way. Not exacty fine dining but as you say decent MOTR stuff. I do know about the Welsh Rarebits, picked up the booklet the last time we ate at The Castle in Conwy. Not heard of The Druid in Llanferres but is now on my list, cheers for that. We almost went to the Bulls Head last year for my mum's birthday so for some reason didn't, so yes, still to try! We stopped off at the Red Lion in Llanasa last week for a pint and sarnie, which were much better than anticipated. They'd actually hardboiled some eggs for the egg mayo baguette rather than use some pre-mixed gunk (I know cause I went in to see where the food was after 40 mins, felt a bit guilty after ). Lovely view over a village garden too. http://www.travelpublishing.co.uk/CountryP...re/CPW27971.htm I used to quite like the Brunning & Price pubs that dot this area but menus are getting a bit samey now - and the bloke is horrified at the price of its steak burgers (he does eat other things sometimes, honest). At least they still do a decent pint http://www.brunningandprice.co.uk/thepubs.html

I am pretty sure that Vesta lives on. I remember liking the 'Chicken' Chow Mein one but I think that was only because I got to make the crispy noodle things that went with it.

After a recent meal at the Arkle at the Chester Grosvenor and upon reading the news snippet I mention below, I thought I’d set up a thread about my own little locale. I’ve noticed a few other threads regarding certain cities or regions so I hope this fits in here somehow. I live in Chester but eat out around the south Cheshire area and North Wales too. Although not quite a culinary hotspot, the area is improving if only a little, especially in NW, where there are a few places I really want to try, especially Plas Bodegroes and Tyddyn Llan. Just in case any of you lot decide to venture this way, here are some of my thoughts on some of the places up this way. Hope you find it useful and it would be great if anyone else has any musings on the same. Anyhoo, here’s the first of my ramblings… Recent Great British Menu ‘contestant’ Bryn Williams is apparently going to open a restaurant in North Wales that is to showcase the finest Welsh ingredients and dishes http://icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/r...-name_page.html which is all very well and good but the currently London-based chef (Orrery) shouldn’t go thinking he’s a pioneer in his ‘homeland’ – Bistro Conwy is years ahead of him. Housed in a small barn-like building that used to be the town’s police station with a courtyard overlooked by the Conwy’s old walls, Bistro Conwy is a tiny yet extremely popular little restaurant that’s been bigging up local and Welsh produce for years (well, for at least the 3 or 4 years it's been open anyway) and its menu is littered with traditional and modern interpretations of Welsh dishes. We’ve been visiting Conwy for donkeys years now, and it’s good to see food there becoming something more than just-edible, and that isn’t fish and chips. So, we booked in there last April for my husband’s birthday (at the ripe old age of 32, he is happy with an exciting weekend in his parents’ caravan) and much anticipated our visit. After perusing the menus and specials boards, we were given some pre-starter nibbles that involved lavabread and other decidedly unmemorable ingredients in two tiny, round, grainy things - one slightly bitter and one quite bland. There was a smear of some quite tasty ‘red dragon pate’ (whatever that might be) but alas not really enough to get a proper handle on it. My starter of seafood pancake (from the specials board) held some lovely large juicy prawns and (locally) smoked haddock smothered in Welsh smoked cheese. It didn’t blow me away but I’d been looking to satisfy that day’s cheese craving and this did a splendid job. The bloke ‘won’ the starter round with a delicious black pudding and sausage affair with a Welsh grain mustard sauce. This was quite a robust dish (read: large) so he really should have had something a little lighter for main but no, eyes bigger than his belly, he ordered the ‘posh burger’ (he has a thing about checking out the burgers in all eating establishments, probably best not to ask why. I’m not sure myself, maybe a man thing?). Faced with a fillet steak (medium-rare as requested) topped with thick Welsh bacon and cheese sandwich between two ‘croutes’, all smothered in a creamy brandy sauce, he was completely defeated and had to leave half of it. It all sounds rather sickly but I did try some and it was nothing of the sort – just probably best not to have a huge starter (or anything at all) beforehand. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, I was in heaven with the best bit of lamb I have quite possibly ever tasted. I’ve always read of people being able to taste within the meat the land or the grass or some such foody bollocks but for the first time I knew what they meant. Pure Welsh mountain distilled into this wonderful rack of tender spring lamb, cooked to a tee, and in an odd-sounding lavender, orange and local honey sauce that didn’t overpower the meat in anyway but lent extra hints of loveliness to it, ooh divine… Sorry if I sound a little over-the-top but it truly was wonderful lamb. (I also noticed a lamb shank on another table that totally lived up the menu’s warning of “seriously large portion”; I wonder if it tasted as good as mine though?). I seem to remember a plethora of hearty veg, including a couple of roasties on your plate, then on the side some thick cut potatoey wedge-cum-chip things (obviously homemade) and perhaps leeks in some kind of creamy sauce (although I may be wrong, are leeks in season in April?), some thick courgette batons in a cheesy sauce, and other assorted things but I was too in love with the lamb to notice much beyond it. A pudding for myself of sticky toffee pudding (unfortunately not sticky enough for my liking) was good but more memorable was the little shot glasses of local mead brought before coffee along with gorgeous, wonderful, still-warm welshcakes. Nothing like the doughy nonsense recently served up by Angela Hartnett on GBM, welshcakes done properly are a real treat and I could have eaten a whole plateful of these ones despite being full. Lovely, helpful, young (and entirely female) waiting staff added to the relaxed, convivial atmosphere (although I seem to remember it getting a bit chilly as the night wore on a bit). If you do decide to visit yourselves, be warned that bookings for Saturday evenings are taken at least 3-4 weeks beforehand – unusual for a provincial, seaside restaurant outside the south-east but considering the size of the place and the quality of its grub, entirely warranted. A sample menu, address and whatnot can be found here but it looks a little dated as the dishes on our menu sounded a lot more exciting http://mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/bistroconwy/menu.html and some pics (not by me, found on Google, hence the links) here http://images.lbcarco.com/images/newslette...01144276395.jpg http://images.lbcarco.com/images/newslette...51144276582.jpg (that posh burger) (A good place to stay in Conwy is the Castle Hotel (www.castlewales.com) , which itself has a restaurant, which I have never tried but have heard good things of, and a bar, which serves everything from sarnies to full blown mains of local fish, steak, etc. The bar is usually packed and you can’t reserve a table so we tend to get there quite early. Fab Welsh cheeseboard.) Arkle report next!

I don't use salad cream for salad. I use it with chips, ooh divine! Makes a change from mayo on the odd occasion Never liked tripe (or dripping for that matter) even though I'm a northerner. And the jelly aruond the eels would put me off (although I wouldn't mind giving eels a whirl). Liquorice has always seemed the most boring of sweets to me, apart from the blue and pink spoggly ones that probably aren't technically liquorice. As for lard, hmmm no chance when you have lovely butter and oils to use instead.