97% Chicken
Sign on the hot chicken counter of my local Morrisons:
"Contents 97% chicken"
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Advice To The Hotel Du Vin Brighton
Advice To The Hotel Du Vin Brighton
Check that your salt and pepper pots are full before laying the tables, most especially (when asked for replacement ones) check that the replacements that you provide are actually full!:)
Check that your salt and pepper pots are full before laying the tables, most especially (when asked for replacement ones) check that the replacements that you provide are actually full!:)
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Croydon Park Hotel Launches New Menu
Croydon Park Hotel Launches New Menu
My thanks to the Food and Beverage Manager at the Croydon Park Hotel for showing me the new a la carte menu for Oscar's (the hotel's restaurant), that will be launched next Tuesday (6th April).
The much loved, and very popular, buffet will remain. However, the a la carte menu has been revamped to offer a more "bistro" style choice. The new menu includes; lamb shank, fish and chunky chips, rib eye steak, Thai crab cakes and risotto.
The menu looks good, and (on the assumption that the quality is good) is reasonably priced.
I wish Oscar's well with the launch, and look forward to sampling the new menu when I am next in Croydon.
My thanks to the Food and Beverage Manager at the Croydon Park Hotel for showing me the new a la carte menu for Oscar's (the hotel's restaurant), that will be launched next Tuesday (6th April).
The much loved, and very popular, buffet will remain. However, the a la carte menu has been revamped to offer a more "bistro" style choice. The new menu includes; lamb shank, fish and chunky chips, rib eye steak, Thai crab cakes and risotto.
The menu looks good, and (on the assumption that the quality is good) is reasonably priced.
I wish Oscar's well with the launch, and look forward to sampling the new menu when I am next in Croydon.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Sir Charles Napier Pub
Sir Charles Napier Pub
My compliments to the Sir Charles Napier pub (50 Southover Street, Brighton tel 0872 148 6009) one of our numerous locals, which is serving top notch sausage and mash.
Eva and I went there last Friday evening for a drink, and to try their sausage and mash.
For a price of £5.95 there is a choice of several meat and vegetarian sausages (locally sourced), three types of mash and even three types of gravy.
For the money you get three good sized sausages atop a pile of homemade (not packet) mash, with a good quality gravy.
First class food and good value.
The pub itself is cosy, and very welcoming.
Aside from sausage and mash, they also serve pizzas, sausage rolls and sausage baps.
Well worth a visit for a drink and a plate of sausage and mash (served until 9PM).
My compliments to the Sir Charles Napier pub (50 Southover Street, Brighton tel 0872 148 6009) one of our numerous locals, which is serving top notch sausage and mash.
Eva and I went there last Friday evening for a drink, and to try their sausage and mash.
For a price of £5.95 there is a choice of several meat and vegetarian sausages (locally sourced), three types of mash and even three types of gravy.
For the money you get three good sized sausages atop a pile of homemade (not packet) mash, with a good quality gravy.
First class food and good value.
The pub itself is cosy, and very welcoming.
Aside from sausage and mash, they also serve pizzas, sausage rolls and sausage baps.
Well worth a visit for a drink and a plate of sausage and mash (served until 9PM).
Monday, March 01, 2010
Rose Gray Dies
Rose Gray Dies
Rose Gray, the co-founder of the River Cafe restaurant in London, has died at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer.
She set up the restaurant with Ruth Rogers in 1987.
Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall both worked at the River Cafe.
Rose Gray, the co-founder of the River Cafe restaurant in London, has died at the age of 71 after a long battle with cancer.
She set up the restaurant with Ruth Rogers in 1987.
Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall both worked at the River Cafe.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Morrisons' Lentil and Bacon Soup
Morrisons' Lentil and Bacon Soup
Those of you who want to spend a warm dry evening inside, instead of venturing out to a restaurant, may be tempted to have a nourishing bowl of soup.
In that event, I strongly suggest that you avoid Morrisons' Lentil and Bacon soup.
I tried a bowl of it this weekend, and found the taste bland in the extreme.
Were it not for the label, and pieces of tasteless ham in it, I would have assumed it was a rather bland mushroom soup.
Avoid!
Those of you who want to spend a warm dry evening inside, instead of venturing out to a restaurant, may be tempted to have a nourishing bowl of soup.
In that event, I strongly suggest that you avoid Morrisons' Lentil and Bacon soup.
I tried a bowl of it this weekend, and found the taste bland in the extreme.
Were it not for the label, and pieces of tasteless ham in it, I would have assumed it was a rather bland mushroom soup.
Avoid!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Jamie's Brighton
Jamie's Brighton
We were going to visit Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Brighton this Saturday. However, when trying to a book a table, I was informed by a member of their staff that they were not taking bookings that evening.
Their loss!
We were going to visit Jamie Oliver's restaurant in Brighton this Saturday. However, when trying to a book a table, I was informed by a member of their staff that they were not taking bookings that evening.
Their loss!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Poncey Food
Poncey Food
The Times reports that Michelin starred chef, Ryan Simpson, has stormed out of his kitchen, at The Goose in Britwell, after being told that his food was "too poncey".
Simpson, his kitchen and waiting staff quit after the owner said that his menu was unsuitable for local diners. The restaurant has closed.
Why employ a Michelin quality chef in the first place then?
Engineering a walk out is a neat way to avoid paying redundancy though.
The Times reports that Michelin starred chef, Ryan Simpson, has stormed out of his kitchen, at The Goose in Britwell, after being told that his food was "too poncey".
Simpson, his kitchen and waiting staff quit after the owner said that his menu was unsuitable for local diners. The restaurant has closed.
Why employ a Michelin quality chef in the first place then?
Engineering a walk out is a neat way to avoid paying redundancy though.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
World's Top Restaurant Closes For Two Years
World's Top Restaurant Closes For Two Years
Ferran Adria, the chef at El Bulli restaurant in Spain, has announced at Madrid Fusion (an internationally culinary conference) that El Bulli will close for two years in 2012 and 2013 giving him a chance to take a sabbatical.
El Bulli has been repeatedly voted the world's best restaurant (measuring the quality of restaurants is a somewhat inexact science, I would say). It serves up "experimental" cuisines such as, turtle dove with blackberry caviar and duck foie gras candies.
Tables for its six month annual season sell out in just one day.
Ferran Adria, the chef at El Bulli restaurant in Spain, has announced at Madrid Fusion (an internationally culinary conference) that El Bulli will close for two years in 2012 and 2013 giving him a chance to take a sabbatical.
El Bulli has been repeatedly voted the world's best restaurant (measuring the quality of restaurants is a somewhat inexact science, I would say). It serves up "experimental" cuisines such as, turtle dove with blackberry caviar and duck foie gras candies.
Tables for its six month annual season sell out in just one day.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Free Advice
Free Advice
Here is some free advice to those new to the restaurant business (such as the four week old establishment that we visited last weekend):
1 Wipe your faux marble table tops down properly, stains from previous diners are not very appetising.
2 Serving me pigs' trotters that were first cooked 4 days earlier (ie that have therefore been reheated a few times), is unwise; they were most assuredly stale.
Here is some free advice to those new to the restaurant business (such as the four week old establishment that we visited last weekend):
1 Wipe your faux marble table tops down properly, stains from previous diners are not very appetising.
2 Serving me pigs' trotters that were first cooked 4 days earlier (ie that have therefore been reheated a few times), is unwise; they were most assuredly stale.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Saltier Than The Sea
Saltier Than The Sea
In this age of "saltism" it comes as no surprise to learn that poor old Jamie Oliver has been on the receiving end of criticism from the anti salt brigade, re Jamie Oliver's pasta sauce.
Seemingly, if the hype is to be believed, it contains more salt that 10 bags of crisps and even the sea!
Frankly this criticism is a load of BS.
Salt is perfectly harmless to those in good health, indeed it is a necessary component of our diet.
Excess salt, in a healthy person, is easily excreted via sweat and urine.
It is a fuss over nothing, whipped up by ignorant pressure groups and the media.
The ingredient that does need to be cut down on in all our foods is sugar.
In this age of "saltism" it comes as no surprise to learn that poor old Jamie Oliver has been on the receiving end of criticism from the anti salt brigade, re Jamie Oliver's pasta sauce.
Seemingly, if the hype is to be believed, it contains more salt that 10 bags of crisps and even the sea!
Frankly this criticism is a load of BS.
Salt is perfectly harmless to those in good health, indeed it is a necessary component of our diet.
Excess salt, in a healthy person, is easily excreted via sweat and urine.
It is a fuss over nothing, whipped up by ignorant pressure groups and the media.
The ingredient that does need to be cut down on in all our foods is sugar.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
The Setting Sun Brighton
The Setting Sun Brighton
1 Windmill Street,
Brighton,
BN2 0GN
0872 148 6119
Eva and I regularly dine in this fine gastro pub, not only because it is a mere two minutes walk from our home, but because the food is excellent.
The Setting Sun is more of a wine bar/bistro rather than "pub" in the strictest sense of the word. It has light wood flooring, large leather sofas, bistro style wooden tables, a conservatory and a patio that affords stunning views of Brighton (if you can find seat there in the summer).
The atmosphere is often lively, yet cosy and intimate (each table has a candle).
The menu, chalked up on a blackboard, changes with the season and currently includes; soup, sausage and mash, fish and chips, burgers, chicken in a cream and mushroom sauce and pumpkin risotto etc.
The staff are friendly and very cheerful, they even manage to put up with me!
The chef is a real find, her food is excellent, and the pub will be lose a real asset if she ever leaves.
All in all an excellent place for a bistro meal, usually (with a bottle of wine) it will not set you back more than £40 for two.
Well worth visiting!
1 Windmill Street,
Brighton,
BN2 0GN
0872 148 6119
Eva and I regularly dine in this fine gastro pub, not only because it is a mere two minutes walk from our home, but because the food is excellent.
The Setting Sun is more of a wine bar/bistro rather than "pub" in the strictest sense of the word. It has light wood flooring, large leather sofas, bistro style wooden tables, a conservatory and a patio that affords stunning views of Brighton (if you can find seat there in the summer).
The atmosphere is often lively, yet cosy and intimate (each table has a candle).
The menu, chalked up on a blackboard, changes with the season and currently includes; soup, sausage and mash, fish and chips, burgers, chicken in a cream and mushroom sauce and pumpkin risotto etc.
The staff are friendly and very cheerful, they even manage to put up with me!
The chef is a real find, her food is excellent, and the pub will be lose a real asset if she ever leaves.
All in all an excellent place for a bistro meal, usually (with a bottle of wine) it will not set you back more than £40 for two.
Well worth visiting!
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Opening a Can
Opening a Can
I have never seen anyone attempt to open a canned product using a kitchen knife before.
What were these people thinking of, and why were they even selected to appear on "The Restaurant" out of over 9,000 applicants?
I have never seen anyone attempt to open a canned product using a kitchen knife before.
What were these people thinking of, and why were they even selected to appear on "The Restaurant" out of over 9,000 applicants?
Monday, November 02, 2009
The Coach House Brighton Revisited
The Coach House Brighton Revisited
Eva and I often enjoy dining in the Coach House, and were there last Friday evening.
However, although we enjoyed ourselves, it was evident that the kitchen was a little out of "sync" that evening. The saute potatoes were under cooked, my liver not rare (as requested) and the main courses took around 40 minutes to arrive after the starters had been cleared away.
That being said restaurants are run by human beings, not robots, sometimes things go wrong; the world continues to spin on its axis, and we will continue to visit the Coach House.
Eva and I often enjoy dining in the Coach House, and were there last Friday evening.
However, although we enjoyed ourselves, it was evident that the kitchen was a little out of "sync" that evening. The saute potatoes were under cooked, my liver not rare (as requested) and the main courses took around 40 minutes to arrive after the starters had been cleared away.
That being said restaurants are run by human beings, not robots, sometimes things go wrong; the world continues to spin on its axis, and we will continue to visit the Coach House.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Gordon Ramsay Loses FD
Gordon Ramsay Loses FD
Gordon Ramsay is "terminating" the appointment of his Chief Financial Officer, Nick Fletcher, at a number of his companies.
The documents for "terminating appointment" were filed at Companies House last week.
However, Fletcher is still director at five companies, three of which are overdue for filing company information.
Sadly the more "celebrity" a chef attracts, it seems the more time he/she has to devote to business matters rather than food.
Gordon Ramsay is "terminating" the appointment of his Chief Financial Officer, Nick Fletcher, at a number of his companies.
The documents for "terminating appointment" were filed at Companies House last week.
However, Fletcher is still director at five companies, three of which are overdue for filing company information.
Sadly the more "celebrity" a chef attracts, it seems the more time he/she has to devote to business matters rather than food.
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