North Wales, Chester and thereabouts

[Mrs Woman]

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!

Edited June 22, 2006 by Mrs Woman (log)

[Richard_D]

Good site here for hotels and restaurants in wales (quite a lot of these are in the North).

North Wales has always been quite well off for good middle of the road food in my eyes. Michelin Stars are starting to arrive but you could always eat out pretty well.

A couple of places you might want to try (that won't break the bank) are:

The Druid Inn in Llanferres

Ye Olde Bulls Head, Beaumaris, Anglesey (you can't book a table for the brasserie so be prepared to queue)

[Mrs Woman]

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

[Richard_D]

Unfortunately I don't live that way but I visit regularly. I did hear from relatives about a pub somewhere near Churton/Chester that they visited last weekend but can't for the life of me remember the name (but I'll find out).

If you're on Anglesey I've also heard good stuff about The Courtyard in Beaumaris (some connection with The Waterfront in Treaddur Bay near Holyhead so I've heard) and Tafarn y bont just as you come over the bridge from Bangor has improved vastly recently.

Plas Bodegroes has had mixed reviews from family and friends. Good, but not brilliant has been the opinion.

[rlibkind]

A couple of places you might want to try (that won't break the bank) are:

Ye Olde Bulls Head, Beaumaris, Anglesey (you can't book a table for the brasserie so be prepared to queue)

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During a visit to North Wales four years ago (loved it!) we stayed a couple nights in Beaumaris and ate twice at Ye Olde Bulls Head. It was okay, but nothing I'd make a detour for. My disappointment was mainly the lack of local seafood. I mean, here you are astride productive northern waters, and there seemed to be a paucity of local fish and shellfish. There wasn't even much in the way of lamb on the menu then. A quick glimpse at the website menu suggests there's been some improvement since then in terms of regional foods.

[Mrs Woman]

Unfortunately I don't live that way but I visit regularly. I did hear from relatives about a pub somewhere near Churton/Chester that they visited last weekend but can't for the life of me remember the name (but I'll find out).

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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.

[bethesdabakers]

Dear Mrs Woman,

‘tis a noble thing you have done starting this thread. When you live in a food desert everyone should share their crumbs of information. I was cynical but have already got new leads from the first few items.

We live just inland from Bangor and don’t drive so depend on the axis formed by the North Wales railway line with (Increasingly for us) Dublin at one end and Chester at the other, with Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and, yea, even London beyond for more serious forays.

The Bull in Biwmaris is our local, the Brasserie that is, not the restaurant upstairs. Where else would you have to cross the water to another county to get a decent meal? Bangor doesn’t have anywhere even for emergencies. We have eaten at the Brasserie dozens of times: it is relaxed, the room is spacious, light and airy, the staff are friendly, and the food, if not spectacular, is consistently good and achieves what it sets out to be, i.e. relatively simple, mid-range, scoffing food.

Tafarn y Bont, mentioned by Richard D above – which used to be Jody’s before the current conversion from snug olde worlde to uPVC double glazing showhouse – needs to have improved. Shortly after opening they managed to find reasons for NOT serving me food on at least three occasions so I gave up on them. On the other hand the food has to be better than the Antelope on the Gwynedd side of the bridge.

A few hundred yards from Tafarn y Bont in Menai Bridge is Ruby which I was going to say is our other restaurant. After last night I’m not so sure. Ruby was part of the Ruby Rock chain which has a branch in Hoylake, was connected to the owners of the Marsh Cat in Parkgate on the Wirral and was excellent when it first opened. We usually do lunch (it seems more decadent); Ruby don’t do lunch (‘cept Sunday); i.e. have not eaten there anything near as many times as the Brasserie. Last night we took my mother and sister, who were visiting. While there was nothing wrong with it, it was nothing special and was pretty pricey. It was flavours of the world time, e.g. Carnaditas which turned out to be a tortilla stuffed with duck on a bed of diced fruit with a hint of chili (which is more than the cheese-stuffed jalapenos had) – about what you might expect of Wetherspoons’ wrap. The mains were sort of one of each – one fish, one beef (steak), one pork, one lamb, two veggie (to show they’re right on). Flavours of the world continue – I had Cajun pork fillet, a mountain of meat with a sprinkling of Cajun spice rub. But, if you are going to do this pseudo ethnic thing, why does every dish come with a mélange of steamed veg on a poncey little side plate? And the platter of Welsh cheeses? Three little wedges of cheese with bits in colour-coded wax skins – red, black, yellow – ginger!!!, chives and plain (I think).

Off to the Brasserie for lunch today (don’t let me down .....).

Mick

[Richard_D]

Unfortunately I don't live that way but I visit regularly. I did hear from relatives about a pub somewhere near Churton/Chester that they visited last weekend but can't for the life of me remember the name (but I'll find out).

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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.

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I've just found out it was the Grosvenor Arms just up the road in Aldford (which turns out is one of the brunning and price pubs you've mentioned). Relatives were impressed and it was very popular when they were there.

Some friends of a relative have just taken over The White Horse and because of this I expect the standard of food to rise quite considerably (if it hasn't already) but remain reasonably priced.

I'm heading up that way next week for a week or so and intend to do some exploring. I'll report back!

Edited June 25, 2006 by Richard_D (log)

[Richard_D]

I'm heading up that way next week for a week or so and intend to do some exploring. I'll report back!

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Just got back from a week on Anglesey and around N Wales somewhat lighter in the pocket and heavier round the middle but as promised got up to some exploring.

If you're ever up that way here's a few places that I found good to visit for supplies:

First off we hit the smokehouse on the east of Anglesey at Dulas Bay and we were lucky enough to be shown around. At the time they were smoking all sorts and from what they told us some of their products should soon be available on the high street.

As usual I completely overdid it and came away with smoked fish, cheese, sausages (wild boar and venison), ribs and bacon. One slightly odd item was smoked butter which we piled into as soon as we got home - fab on toast and even better in mash or on jacket spuds.

They try to source as much as possible from the island and I saw them smoking a batch of Anglesey sea salt which was kinda nice as that was our next stop over on the other side of the island. We turned up there after picking up some fantastic freshly cut asparagus from Hootons near Brynsiencyn that was so fine you could eat it raw. I also couldn't resist a fantastic rack of welsh lamb to keep my sausages company on the barbecue.

At the sea salt factory we picked up a selection of salt including some with vanilla which we found to be fantastic ground over grilled prawns and I reckon it would be fantastic finely ground over homemade rich chocolate desserts (trying it this week). I'm a big fan of the plain sea salt anyway and use it quite a lot as I find it's not as bitter as many others.

After that mammoth shopping expedition I didn't get out much for food although we did go to the White Eagle at Rhoscolyn for lunch. It's closing soon for refit, and to be frank it does need it although their menu was pretty good and the specials boards (including half or whole local lobsters) were very enticing.

We also managed a curry at Gio's in Beaumaris which I have to mention as it was the best dupiaza I've had anywhere! (but I'm not going back until they sort the toilets out, 'nuff said).

[Davydd]

We spent a week in Wales at Dolserau Hall outside Dolgellau so ate breakfast and dinner there as our base to see the rest of Wales. Great experience.

http://www.dolserau.co.uk/