Anthony's, Leeds

[Gary Marshall]

I have seen the website and he does have some incredible pics, but I would like some play by play action - flavor, texture, and temp - you know what I mean.  Thanks for the heads-up though

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you'll need a bloody good camera to get flavour, temperature and texture

[greensNbeans]

I have seen the website and he does have some incredible pics, but I would like some play by play action - flavor, texture, and temp - you know what I mean.  Thanks for the heads-up though

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you'll need a bloody good camera to get flavour, temperature and texture

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Good Joke

I meant some descriptions of the pictures

[YKL]

Can't believe that no-one has been to Anthony's since Oct - it was certainly very busy on Sat lunchtime this weekend when three of us went along for lunch.

Only time for a quick post but for me, my best dish of the day was my starter of roast scallop, with chestnut custard (at the bottom of the dish) and malt cream. Rich and comforting, yet not so rich that I couldn't finish the generous portion. The onion risotto was a big hit with Mark ("wow, this foam is so cheesy") and Helen's cauliflower veloute from the lunch menu got a thumbs up also.

Showing a distinct lack of imagination, we all chose rabbit for our main - the alc choice was saddle of rabbit with butternut squash and a Pedro Ximinez reduction. A surprisingly delicate dish - think I thought I might be getting something a little more butch, but was still pretty good.

Special mention must be made of the pre-dessert - was caramelised pear with cardamom ice-cream - but the pear was shredded so that it was reminiscent of their deconstructed apple tatin. The pear was also shot through with ginger which added a lovely warmth - just mmm really.

My dessert was pumpkin cheesecake (seemed to have a lot of pumpkin and squash that day - was in the amuse as well!) - two cylinders of the pumpkin cream, one covered in biscuit crumbs and the other in crushed sunflower seeds (I think). I liked the fact that it wasn't over-sweet which can happen. Helen's chocolate delice was delicious but managed to defeat her in its richness, and the cheese selection was as good as ever.

Overall, I found the food to be as impressive as ever. And I'll try not to leave it quite so long till my next visit!

[Benjamin]

I know anthony does a fruit bowl with 10 different flavours and textures of fruit can anybody describe the 10 items?

[daw]

We were at Anthony's for lunch recently and I was interested to discover that there is some optimism concerning the publication of the red book

David

[Gary Marshall]

i'm going on wednesday!

fingers crossed for the guide, i haven't heard of inspectors being in the area for some time.

[Gary Marshall]

and i did indeed go on the said wednesday, with scott & sam friar we had the tasting menu and although we didn't initially go mad, we did end up doing a lot more chatting than observing the food and drinking santenay, aided and abetted by tony snr, so with it being (then) christmas and all the usual factual reporting went out of the window, i remember it being very enjoyable but unfortunately can't remember what exactly we had! i do know that the next morning words such as 'an embarassment' were used to describe my demeanour. oh well it was christmas.

However i did go the other friday, hoping to celebrate the gaining of their first star.

Obviously they were disappointed not be awarded a star but their enthusiasm is in no way diminished. They have a lot up their sleeve for the coming year and it would have been nice to have a star to back it up and start the work on gaining the second!

I think by now there will be a new menu in place, but there are some new touches to be unveiled. They have revamped the amuses. Rather than a 'cocktail' on arrival at the table and then an amuse they now do a plate of three.

I believe these will change every few days i had beetroot cannelloni with oxtail, parsnip veloute with toasted oat, and baby squid and pomelo salad, A good start.

i went for an old favourite the parmesan air risotto with espresso, again as good as ever, perfectly cooked soothing risotto with the hit of coffee to finish, certainly no complaints there.

bread was next the usual three butters & oil.

for my main i had john dory with baby squid and garlic cream. Having had the squid and cream as part of past tasting menus that was what tipped the balance (and obviously with champ sauvage the next day i had to have a light lunch!). Fish came neatly cut into diamonds, cooked nicely 'a point' with baby squids on little skewers, there was definitely beetroot there too, and the garlic sauce, poured at the table hit the spot.

unfortunately there was no time for deserts and i would have been happy to linger as anthonys beer supplier was hosting a lunch for the head brewer of brooklyn beer, so i was quite happy listening to his tales of beer & food matching, certainly an area worth investigating, i was also very envious of their matched beer n food tasting menu too!

i'm looking forward to sampling the new menu in a few weeks time......

[PoppySeedBagel]

I've just reserved a table for lunch in half term week for me, Mr Poppysedbagel and Mini-PSB, age 6. I'm looking forward to it greatly.

I've been told by Mr PSB, however, that he doesn't want to be surrounded by 'lots of accountants and solicitors in suits'. Can old Anthony's hands please reassure me on this? - or should I cancel?

[Bapi]

Well there are always going to be a few suits I am afraid. But that really shouldn't stop you from going. I have only ever been on Saturday lunchtimes so have been surrounded by like-minded foodie types rather than suits. And spending four hours over a lunch at Anthony's is far more agreeable than traipsing around the shops on a wet saturday afternoon, isn't it?

Olga will look after you and your little one, so ignore your other half and make sure you go.

[YKL]

agree with Bapi - should stick with the booking ..

Which reminds me, their new menu looks rather good - wonder if they have room for lunch tomorrow?

[algy]

Well there are always going to be a few suits I am afraid. But that really shouldn't stop you from going. I have only ever been on Saturday lunchtimes so have been surrounded by like-minded foodie types rather than suits.

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sounds a bit suitist.

which way round does it work - if you wear a suit, you can't be a "foodie" or if you're a "foodie", you can't wear a suit?

[Bapi]

Well there are always going to be a few suits I am afraid. But that really shouldn't stop you from going. I have only ever been on Saturday lunchtimes so have been surrounded by like-minded foodie types rather than suits.

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sounds a bit suitist.

which way round does it work - if you wear a suit, you can't be a "foodie" or if you're a "foodie", you can't wear a suit?

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Not really algy. Have I touched a nerve there?

I was simply pointing out that there will probably be a higher precentage of people interested in the food alone on a Saturday lunchtime, as opposed to during the business week when Suits will abound.

But you are probabaly right. I used to despise, braying, expense account Suits, even when I used to be one.

[PoppySeedBagel]

Heh! He used to be an anti-suit suit too - now he's a househusband he really is allergic to them.

[Bapi]

Heh!  He used to be an anti-suit suit too - now he's a househusband he really is allergic to them.

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A wise and sensible man.

[Gary Marshall]

it's not really a 'suits' destination at all, you'll be fine, and the tables are very well spaced so its unlikely that any other tables behaviour will impinge on your lunch.

[YKL]

Another quick lunch at Anthony's on Saturday - and still very good.

Lots of new items on the menu - which made the choice rather difficult. the set menu looked very tempting on this occasion, but I was feeling self indulgent so turned my attention to the ALC menu. In particular, the soft shell crab starter and black cod main sounded very appealing but decided to save them for another visit.

So what did I scoff?

amuse - almond milk (I think) and cauliflower cream with muesli. Good flavours in both - but preferred the cauliflower cream, and the toasted oats added good texture.

bread - with the usual parmesan, brown and salted butters, and olive oil. All very much on form.

starter - ravioli of pig's cheek and scallop with potato foam. A very good dish this one, the thinly sliced scallop formed the pasta sheet to cover the piggy goodness, was garnished with caviar and it all sat on a mound of creamy potato. The dish managed to stay just on the right side of richness ... which Is how I managed to polish off the plate.

Main - saddle of lamb, lamb's heart and quinoa - um, the menu description tells you everything you need to know really. The onion puree buried under the thinly sliced lamb hearts was particularly good, and overall, was a good meaty counterpoint to the creaminess of the amuse and starter.

pre-dessert - carrot pannacotta with ginger ice cream and grated chocolate. The ice cream was the star here - lovely warmth and zingy flavour but fabulously creamy as well

Dessert - chocolate pot - was expecting a dinky pot of chocolate cream as a light finish - but actually got a vast bowl of freshly baked brownie with a jug of chocolate sauce pour over it. The waiter impishly explained that there were a million calories in each mouthful .. but that didn't have the deterrent effect he might have expected ... Still - on the basis that I was due to have dinner at Red Chilli that night, left a little bit.

With peppermint tea, a few soft drinks and service, I paid £60 for lunch. So not cheap, but a treat. It's worth noting that the set lunch is still £23 for 3 courses which would have been very good value.

Cheers

Yin

[Bapi]

Another quick lunch at Anthony's on Saturday - and still very good.

Dessert - chocolate pot - was expecting a dinky pot of chocolate cream as a light finish - but actually got a vast bowl of freshly baked brownie with a jug of chocolate sauce pour over it.  The waiter impishly explained that there were a million calories in each mouthful .. but that didn't have the deterrent effect he might have expected ... Still - on the basis that I was due to have dinner at Red Chilli that night, left a little bit.

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Bloody hell Yin. You go girl.

Such unselfish behaviour for our benefit. Are you sure you are not taking this "training for the Padstow trip" next weekend a bit too far love?

[Gary Marshall]

the black cod & crab are indeed very good Yin, you better get back soon!

[YKL]

Such unselfish behaviour for our benefit. Are you sure you are not taking this "training for the Padstow trip" next weekend a bit too far love?

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nah ... a girl's gotta eat ... (and eat and eat and eat)

right - based on Gary's note - need to figure out my next free weekend in Leeds before the crab and cod disappears!!

[PoppySeedBagel]

Thanks everyone - we're definitely going on Wednesday for lunch! The crab & cod for me and mini-PSB I think. He's heavily into shellfish.

[PoppySeedBagel]

Mr Poppyseedbagel, Mini-Poppyseedbagel & I had lunch at Anthony’s during half term. Mini-PSB is nearly 7, but was made very welcome by all the staff, despite his protestations about only liking burgers and pizzas (he does know how to wind up his mother…). His distractions mean that I can’t always describe accurately what I ate, as I missed the waiter’s explanations – but I’ll do my best. We did like it: the quality of the cooking was clear, and so was the quality of the ingredients, and the care about doing things properly. Some of the combinations worked beautifully, some didn’t, but we enjoyed it all (well, except the foie gras & cocoa/muesli combo which was A Mistake). It is really very special.

First the olives and bread and butter were excellent (I loved the toasted butter: but the parmesan and the plain were almost as good). We started with an amuse-guele of smoked sprat, with hazelnut broth/foam, and a tiny salad of raw broad beans with mustard sprouts. This was absolutely spot-on delicious, and the combination of clear flavours really sang.

My starter was cured duck with avocado, and dabs of sultana, crispy duck skin, fresh pea, and sprouts of some seed that I couldn’t identify. It looked absolutely beautiful, spread over a long thin plate: the meat was very delicate in flavour, but really good. It was exquisite, and if I had not been accompanied by a small person, I would have been able to concentrate better on its delicacy: however I could have done with something gutsier in flavour, in the circumstances. Mr PSB had the onion risotto with Parmesan foam: this was more like it flavour-wise, and it was very good indeed. Mini-PSB had more of the bread, as his starter, plus some of mine.

My main was John Dory with cockscomb and crispy duck skin (again). The fish, indeed everything, in the dish, was perfectly cooked, superb quality, and very fresh. However I can’t say I felt the flavours melded together into something that was greater than the sum of its parts, unlike the amuse-guele, which was really special. Mini-PSB had a starter as his main, which was described as monkfish, + foie gras, cocoa, muesli. The fish was, again, perfect, and not at all chewy, but the addition of foie gras, rolled in cocoa and muesli, was, er, a culinary bridge too far. Mr PSB had black cod with bean sprout salad and wild rice, which I forgot to try, but he said was very good. I was slightly disappointed by the choice of puddings, because they were all rather similar in texture, and idea – nothing fruity in the least, and all rather rich flavours – chocolate pot, vanilla & malt financier with ice cream and chocolate jelly, coconut parfait with liquorice and black cardamom ice cream, or pecan parfait with maple ice cream. The chocolate pot was huge and after 2 mouthfuls Mini-PSB pronounced it ‘too rich’ and stopped eating it. He had had a lot of bread, but he doesn’t normally let anything come between him and chocolate – however, I could see what he meant. I had the coconut parfait, which was good, but too clogged in flavour for my taste. I like clear tasting desserts best, so I wasn’t too excited by any of the puds on the menu, but what I had was good. Mr PSB hoovered up his financier, and described it as it excellent.

All in all I thought that this was a really good restaurant, which I wish were closer to me. They are very serious about everything being right, yet it wasn’t at all pretentious I was disappointed that there were only 4 tables occupied – this was mid-week, but such a restaurant would be very busy at lunchtimes in London.

[Edited - sorry we didn't make it to the Blacksmiths Gary - we did go to the pub in Sutton on the Forest that had a good write-up in the Good Pub Guide - which was rather mediocre, really, so I wish we'd driven that bit further!

Edited June 15, 2006 by PoppySeedBagel (log)

[YKL]

Glad you and the family enjoyed it PoppySeedBagel .... I imagine that it's often difficult for a restaurant to live up to the hype so it's good that you had a positive visit.

Cheers

Yin

[Gary Marshall]

quick-ish lunch today, well 3 ALC dishes and a few bottles. Of beer of course.

The amuses were a yeasty concoction in a shot glass and a little squid dish, i've had these before, perfectly good, just can't remember the exact combinations!

Bread next up, one advantage of solo dining, a whole loaf to myself, obviously i scoffed the lot.

starter, roast monkfish, foie gras cocoa and muesli. The foie was in a cylinder rolled in the cocoa museli. Nice textural combo and the foie reminded me of France. (which is good seeing as the last foie dish i had was the signature foie at 3* auberge de l'ill) Monfish was good, coupled with the usual-unusual leaves and some excellent artichoke crisps finished it off.

Suckling pig for main, tiny canon of pork loin with great crispy skin on bulgur wheat with beetroot & juices and scallop and goats cheese ravioli. (there's a close up of it on the website actually) Very good dish. Waiter said he thought it was the 'best plate' at the moment, i agree on the basis of my not statistically significant one dish effort!

I also had time for dessert . pre desert first up though, a carrot pannacotta with ginger ice cream, v good.

I ordered the coconut parfait with licorice and black cardoman ice cream. Really lovely dish (we had a prototype version of this back in march) three balls of coconut parfait, on a strip of licorice with a quenelle of cardoman ice cream plus a caramel tuille type thingy. Just a really enjoyable dish, the light coconut contrasting with the cloying (in a good way) licorice.

no wine today i had a couple of bottles of scheinder weiss beer which Olga recommended as a match for the pig (wheat beer with the bulgur).

very enjoyable lunch, i forget just how good the cooking is here sometimes.

i will look forward to a proper lunch/dinner in the near future with plenty of wine!

[Kropotkin]

I'm clearing out old emails and and I've just found the tasting menu that Olga kindly forwarded to me after an outstanding meal earlier this year:

- Celeriac Veloute toasted Oat

- Marinated Mackerel

- Ham Hock Ravioli, Pomelo

- White Onion Risotto, Parmesan Air and Espresso

- Scallop Ravioli, Pig's Cheek

- Poached Quail, Croissant Veloute

- John Dory, Chicken Skin, Cocks Crest

- Roast Squab, Foie Gras Candy, Caramelized Apple

- Anis and Egg Custard Tart

- Coconut Parfait, Liquorice

We also opted for a cheese course in addition.

There's little I can add to the extensive evidence on this thread about the quality of this place but, for the record, we particularly liked the outstanding makerel; the meaty Ham ravioli; and the stunning Onion Risotto with coffee and cheese - it shouldn't work, but it did... sublimely. The bar was very high by now and perhaps this is why I wasn't as taken by two of the combinations that followed. The John Dory was very good, but overpowered, I thought, by the chicken skin, whereas the cock's crest didn't seem to contribute. The Foie Gras and apple worked well together, but the squab was just a little too rare for me. It is daring, clever cooking though, and was clearly supposed to appear this way, so perhaps it was just not to my taste.

The deserts were highly impressive and had us entertained and interested. We were very pleased with the cheese course - a directed voyage of seven tastes, from left-to-right across the plate. The custart tart and coconut parfait were also great fun. The service was excellent throughout and the front of house were impressive. But again, what can I add to the plaudits that are already stacked at their door? A huge boon for those of us who live in the North.

[PoppySeedBagel]

I'm sure I'll get shot down in flames, but while that menu does sound fantastic (& I agree that it does, and it will be wonderful savoury food), I do still think that their puddings let the side down.

Thepuddings on that menu are a bit samey, and not particulary refreshing. Anis & licorice are very similar flavours (and not ones I particularly like), and the coconut parfait will taste not far off the egg custard, and have a similar texture. If I had turned up and been presented with that menu, I would have been overwhelmed by the choices for the starters and mains, and would not have had a pudding.

Edited September 12, 2006 by PoppySeedBagel (log)