The Nags Head at Haughton

August 15, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“Another quality addition to Nigel Haworth’s Ribble Valley Pub Chain”

I’ve always had a soft spot for the RVI pubs. Ever since The flame treated me to an overnight sesh at Northcote Manor we have kept a keen eye on developments of the Northcote offshoots. There are five now. From “The Three Fishes”, reviewed previously here to “The Bull at Broughton”. The original four are dotted up North in the bowels of Lancashire (although one strays close to Yorkshire!). The Nags Head at Haughton is the first excursion into deepest Cheshire. And blimey it is an excursion as well. It was labelled as Tarpoley, but it seems a fair few more miles before you hit Haughton. Mind you it’s a handsome sight as the sat nav informs you that you have finally made it.

This is what the term “quintessential rural country pub” was invented for. A soft timbered, red tiled dwelling surrounded by greenery and gravel. A vast outdoor seating area dominates to the right as you enter. The weather was a little mixed when The Flame and I rocked up. I could imagine on a barmy summers eve the garden could be a thriving village with its own name! It was a wet Sunday Lunch when we turned in. We had booked a table for two at two on the efficient website. It’s only been open a few months, I reckon the place was half full, but by the time we left it had swelled considerably. A good sign.

Spot The Dead parrot! Nice plumage.

It’s fairly clear some serious wedge has left the wallet of the RVI encumbents. A substantial, mock tudor hangar has been grafted on to the original modest dwelling. Some of the timbers looked real! The decor and fittings are all top notch. The colour scheme and material selection is exactly how you would never do it at home, but somehow it works. A complete mismatch of materials, colours and patterns, fused by the dominance of petrol blue and cream. I even think there was a dead parrot on one of the fabrics. It had nice plumage anyway. The tables and chairs are smart, contemporary, comfortable and well sized for the job in hand.

More Interior design

So what about the grub. Well as I say it was a Sunday lunch menu, printed neatly black on white. I’ve don’t recall a bad course at an RVI. The closest I’ve been was probably here for my starter. Pigeon, black pudding Kiev, with pickled carrot and a few other bits and pieces. The expectant ooze of buttery garlic failed to materialise. I was left with a rather dry fork of gamey flesh. It was marginally moistened and enhanced when matched with a morsel of soused carrot. It was fairly good but no where near as good as The Flames’ chargrilled sardines on sourdough toast and a rafagado sauce. Thankfully the flame quickly realised this was a significant portion and slapped a quarter of the feast on to my plate. Blimey this was good, real quality. Thoroughly enjoyed.

Sardines, the brew, drinks, pigeon kiev

For mains the flame again came up trumps. A staggering goosnargh chicken leg and ham pie with peas, beans and lettuce. Served with an element of drama it came with the leg bone protruding through the top. It looked superb and when opened up it looked even better. Plenty of salty ham, clung together with a hint of tarragon cream. It was delish. The flame complained of a soggy bottom but I told her to carry on with the exercises, I’m sure it will tighten up (she meant the pie! – Ed). Again such was the portion size that I managed a few fork fulls. A truly handsome plate of food.

Amazing chicken ham pie, a decent hake and chips

I played too safe. Battered Hake and real dripping cooked chips, homemade tartare sauce and crushed garden peas. Beautifully cooked and presented it tasted great as expected, but I must admit I had an envious glance at the next table who had the Sunday roast. Some corking slabs of aged Angus rump. That really did look well. They even took a photo of it. How sad is that? I’ll be back for some of that.

Handsome bar, fancy toilet tiles!

For research purposes I had a chocolate sundae, largely to try the ice cream from Ginger Comforts. It was rather splendid and finished off a fine meal.

Chocolate Sundae, menu, gun table

So there you have it. Nigel and the Ribble Valley Inn chain have moved south and into Cheshire. The Sunday lunch cost £21 for the three courses. A couple of quid over some I suppose but getting your ingredients from local artisans such as the Cheshire Smokehouse don’t come cheap. Let’s hope it’s the first of a few more. It’s a bit of a trek for some but I think it’s worth it. Recommended.

The Nag’s Head

Long Lane,

Haughton Moss,

Near Tarporley,

Cheshire,

CW6 9RN

Telephone:

01829 260265

http://www.nagsheadhaughton.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Amans Indian – Newton-le-Willows

August 11, 2014 thecooktwit 1 Comment

“Probably the best Indian Restaurant in Newton!”

Like most provincial communities, my home town of Newton-le-Willows has succumbed to the rising influence of the great British curry. A veritable phalanx of spicy food emporiums have come and gone. That said a good number have been here a good while now. “The Fort of India”, “Balti Towers”, “Shajahan”, “Belash” to name but a few, have seemingly found a niche in the local gastronomic scene. However, theres a new kid in town, ‘Amans’ has rooted a dark almost satanic frontage smack bang in the middle of (a faintly resurgent) Newton High Street.

It has an even more imposing gaff a few miles away down the East Lancs at Astley. On that occasion the old “Queens Arms” succumbed, at Newton it was merely a solicitor that went pop! (I think!). Amans it seems is taking over the North West with Congleton, Lowton and Bramhall either fallen or next in line.

So what’s it like? It’s pretty good really. I could stop there but I won’t (groan – Ed). I feel I should set this review in context. Owing to The flames virtual intolerance of Indian food it is very rare The Cooktwit gets to indulge in the fruits of Indian cuisine. That said, out with the boys a few months back I had a glorious meal at Mughli on the curry mile in Manchester which was sensational and is reviewed here on the blog, Amans has a tough benchmark to match.

As I have mentioned black is the main colour, helped along by a purple neon edge. Long gone are the mismatched tables and paper tablecloths. New Indian restaurants nowadays endeavour to ooze sophistication. Amans is no different. As it’s new it is smart. A purple backed, fret cut, wall matrix serving as the feature backdrop. A bizarre wall of plaster ceiling roses forming the way up the stairs to the upper floor and the loos.

The neon purpleage matrix, smart outside and in.

Believe it or not The Flame was here on this occasion. Along with six others we were celebrating the flight of leading nephew Ben as he bolts off to China on a teaching shindig. A ‘swifty’ in the Pied Bull across the road meant at least one decent pint could be had before I had to have Kingfisher! As is the norm in most Indian restaurants, Amans present us with a luxurious, metallic, golden tome. It takes hours to get through. In my eyes it presents the first negative comparison with Mughli. Their entire menu is presented on the side of one card. It is the work of a moment to select your meal.

With the miriad of dishes and sauces on offer I am reminded of the TV programme ‘The Restaurant Man’. If you are not familiar, the premise being that a handsome cove, well versed in what makes a successful foodie joint work, trots round to would be owners and tells them where it’s all going wrong. One episode featured some good natured Asian ladies who had the laudable idea of cooking and selling real Indian food, just as their grandma had taught them. The snag had been how they could create their wonderful dishes to the scale they needed to make some cash. A head chef was hired. He immediately purchased a huge vat and an industrial ‘whizzer’ in order to create huge quantities of the ‘base’ sauce. Every dish would therefore start off as this but then have a little something extra added just prior to service to create a ‘different’ dish. It was incredibly off putting for me. Im not saying Amans do this but I sense many Indian restaurants do this in order to service these vast offerings.

I digress though. In order to make sure my experience of Amans is not tainted, the flame and I opt from the non standard half of the menu. It makes a pleasing change. I go for ‘Tahori Fish’ to start, pieces of seabass in a light batter (£4.95). Two pieces of beautifully cooked fish, marred slightly by the appalling effort of a garnish. Why restaurants think we diners appreciate scrags of limp lettuce, a shred of onion and an olive is beyond me, but it seems to be ‘de rigeur’ in some places. The flame trooped home in first place with some stunning pieces of chicken. Called ‘MalayTikka’ (£4.25) Tender pieces of chicken marinated with mayonnaise, ground almond, ground spices and natural yoghurt. I managed a morsel and have to say it was superb and moist. The salad was from the same pot as mine! Sadly I didn’t manage to get a pic as she had wolfed it in no time.

For mains we again went off beam and came up trumps. The flame probably won again ‘Pangash Biraan’ (£10.25) described as white fish fillet marinated with medium spices and lightly pan fried, served with sauteed onions, red and green peppers, spring onion and garnished with lemon and coriander. The fish was superb, beautifully cooked with a light spicy, seasoned coat. The flame had to shove the mound of onions off to one side (there was no peppers or spring onion garnish) but other than she said she would come again just for this. Can’t say fairer than that. The same scraggy garnish made it to the plate! I went for a ‘Lamb Chop Balti’ (a slightly whopping £11.45, but boy this was good. Five, tender chops wonderfully cooked in a rich tasty sauce. They were very pleasant. I left a mound of dry bones and mopped up the sauce with some boiled rice and a chapati. The desserts on offer were the usual freezer based ice creams, no ‘Rasmalai’ I’m afraid. At least the well turned out waiters laughed when I asked for it!

I’d have to say we all enjoyed it. The place was packed out. The service was efficient and friendly, giving us just the right amount of gap between courses. We certainly weren’t rushed. As a standard Indian restaurant it was very good. A few Indian pale ales wouldn’t go amiss to top up the Kingfisher and the cans of ‘Tetley Smooth!’

If you’re in Newton le Willows and want an Indian you really couldn’t beat it. It is probably the best Indian in Newton! But, if you want to try something a little different and have the time I would see if Mughli have a table and get the next train to Oxford Road, then a £5 taxi to Rusholme. Explore the simple menu and enjoy. It cost us £50 a couple at Amans. I reckon you wouldn’t spend much more going down the curry mile. A welcome addition to Newton though. We will go back (if they let me!).

Amans Indian Restaurant

61 High Street

Newton-le-Willows

Merseyside

WA12 9SL

T 01925 292677

amansindian.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Bacaro – Liverpool

July 30, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“The more sophisticated member of the Salt House family. Lovely”

Occasionally the Cooktwit ventures west. A Manchester United supporter will sometimes allow a jaunty surjourn into the lofty, port side metrop of Liverpool. In fairness the sea frontage is a thing of beauty. In this instance the cooktwit. with a nod to his arty side was nipping into the Tate to view a couple of blocky, coloured pics by a long departed French cove called Piet Mondrian. Apparently he got quite famous for painting coloured squares and had some digs in London in the early 1900’s specifically for the cause. Naturally the jaunt had to include some decent grub and a beer.

The selected establishment this time was Italian Tapas experts Bacaro. Bacaro is the sister of its noisier neighbour Salthouse Tapas that I reviewed only a few weeks back. I was impressed that time and had heard that this was even better. It took some finding. I actually fired google maps up to discover we were across the road. It doesn’t exactly shout out from the street, subtlety being the word here. But hey once inside things start to look up. A dark, classical decor harks to a more sophisticated atmosphere than its sister. Quieter, higher quality fittings. You could turn up with your tinsel and tiara here or your jeans and fit in quite nicely.

The flame and I settled on a table for two in the centre. A schooner of ‘Meantime’ London Pale Ale had the cook twit settled in a thrice. Things were looking good. And then we got the menus. No readers meant the grey on brown menu was hard to decipher. The lunch menu much easier to digest, £12.50 for three courses. As we were on a mission we quickly decided this was for us. A choice of twelve delicious sounding dishes. As with most tapas restaurants the dishes simply rock up when chef gets them ready. This can lead to a pile up at certain points.

Things started at a pleasing rate, charcuterie platter and some lovely rosemary faccacia bread with oil. We each munched along with a joyous smile. Then entering side right, the pan fried sea bass with cannellini beans, feta and tomato. We decided to split in half. The beans were a bit cold but the sea bass was wonderful, tight crisp skin over succulent white flesh, very nice. For me The Flame wasted one of her dishes by having the house salad, it was pleasant enough, but salad! My chicken and aubergine pizzette turned up. Nicely mounted on its own board complete with its own chrome pizza cutter, nice touch. It tasted good as well. Again we split two ways.

While I wasn’t looking in popped another of my choices. Chicken Caesar sliders. These were a revelation. As we got two, it was an easy share. Basically it was a mini schnitzel on a brioche bun with salad and mayo. Top dish. The plates were flying in by this time. Belly pork with butternut squash sage and chilli was next. What can I say? soft fatty, luscious pork with a shield of crispy crackling down one side. I managed to cut, roughly in half. Some might say my half was biggest but who’s counting? Set on a very tasty mash of butternut squash, it was another cracking little dish.

charcuterie, foccacia, coffee, cheesecake

For research purpose I had to try the cheesecake which had apple and caramel popcorn on it. To be fair this was pretty standard ‘moussey’ stuff and at £4.95 I could have missed it. We then finished with a decent coffee. All in all a very pleasant luncheon. It set us back £44, not bad with the drinks and the extras. I would have to say this was better than Salt House Tapas for me. A bit more grown up, nicer atmosphere. I would definitely come again and try something from the sensational looking full menu. The Flame has it on her radar for when she comes shopping with her mates. So there we have it another one to try in Liverpool. It’s looking good.

Bacaro

47 Castle St,

Central,

Liverpool L2 9UB

0151 665 0047

http://www.salthousebacaro.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Michael Caines – Abode Hotel Manchester

July 17, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“A quiet, intimate, plush space with some beautifully presented plates” On the face of it a bit of a boring Tuesday night was on cards, but this was different. The Cooktwit was having another year grafted onto his CV. To celebrate The Flame breezed into town to take me out for a slap up scran. Having tossed a coin between many offers, the penny finally settled on Michael Caines Restaurant which is housed deep in the bowels of the Abode Hotel up at the Piccaddilly end of Manchester. After a quick livener at ‘Beef and Pudding’ the architectural, sunlit frontage of the Abode homed into view.

Avoiding the cafe grill bit to the right we aimed left and sunk the several flights of stairs to the altogether swankier outlook of the restaurant. Mind you it took a few delicate minutes to bypass the suited greeters as our online booking was lost in the ether. As it was early, (six thirtyish) we were soon guided to a suitable spot. We entered the dark, hushed arena. Brown and grey hues were thoughtfully punctuated with spots of orange. Orange is the signature colour here. The smart Caine’s logo as well as the staff ties were all decked out with it. High end furnishings meant our table was a good size and the seating comfortable. The flame faced outwards from a plush banquette. I faced the mirrored wall on a four legged tub. This is swanky with a capital ‘S’. We both felt we should have put our posh frocks on!

Orange, The Who, orange brown and swanky

Once seated a complimentary peach and sherry cocktail served to get the spirits zinging. We then surveyed the clear, sparse menu. We had already stated we were going for the special ‘Spring into Summer’ menu. £24.95 for three courses. Choice of four starts, four mains and four desserts. Bit stingey on choice I suppose, but we were both able to select something that suited. We listened in to one or two others. The maître di (s) were overheard describing the tasting menu and the a la carte. Sounded good. Once we had selected, our passionate, knowledgable sommelier swept over to help chose a nice glass of wine to suit our choice. We also elected to have the substantial bread course (£1.50 each).

Within a short sketch the first course shimmered into view. The flame went for the salmon mouse which came with pickled beetroot and a raisin vinaigrette. I had the confit duck terrine with an elderflower and champagne jelly and a peach purée. Both dishes were sublime, both in presentation and taste. My duck dish was a gamey delight, edged beautifully with spots of peach. We were both well chuffed. We mopped up with the warm homemade breads. Mains were equally good. The flame had her favourite, chicken, albeit this one was rolled up in a ballotine. Beautifully scented with tarragon, it was seated next to a pea purée and a white wine sauce. I managed a slice of the chicken. It was perfect, full of flavour and not too much tarragon. I had the cod, which was surrounded by pan fried gnocchi, green beans, mushroom purée and a chicken jus. The fish was perfectly cooked, each see through flake. The gnocchi together with the fish was a tad unusual. The gnocchi having a dense texture. The whole lot washed wonderfully with the mushroom sauce. The Chardonnay helped as well!

Duck terrine, chicken ballotine, cod, salmon mousse

After managing to hold back our attentive and eager service we finally went for a dessert. After the initial disappointment of being told chef would not serve the lemon tart (as it was not up to scratch!) I went for my second choice, caramel tart with mascarpone ice cream and grated lemon. The flame had the ‘Opera gateaux’. I think I won here. My tart was superb, the delicate, crispy, sweet crust had to be broken through before combining with a smudge of the ice cream. A fine end.

We ended the scheme properly with a decent coffee and petit fours. I think someone had tipped chef off that it was my birthday! We both nodded to say that yes this was a very nice meal. The flame really felt it was her sort of place. Despite the headline price of £24.95 each, the costs soon ratchet up, £4.50 each for the coffee! The bill came to £90 including a 12% service. Pretty good really and to be fair the service was top notch. The waiters and waitresses were plentiful, all attentive, efficient, knowledgeable and never missed a beat. I’d recommend for a special occasion. You could pop the question here! And as a rocker they even had a pic of the ‘orrible ooh’ on the way to the loos. Can’t say fairer than that.

Michael Caines at Abode

177 Piccadilly Manchester M1 2DB

0161 247 7744 abodemanchester.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

The Deaf Institute – Manchester

July 12, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“A surprising little find just off the beaten track”

I may have mentioned earlier, as well as liking his grub, The Cook Twit likes his heavy metal and tries to keep his beer belly in check. A hot, humid, drizzly Monday eve presented a bit of a problem. Devotion to his cause meant he had to trek along to extraordinaire rock god Sebastion Bach whilst juggling a notion of keeping his weight in tune with a ’52 diet’ fast day. The breakfast and lunch had passed with ease having merely chugged some porridge and an apple. The dilemma what to have for tea. Young Seb was treading the boards at The Academy on Oxford Road, I know there is plenty of quickie food joints up there, pizzas, kebabs, burgers all standard student fayre. Cutting to the chase I slipped off the main drag and stepped early doors into hip joint The Deaf Institute.

I believe it is a cousin of more mainstream city centre stalwarts Trof and Gorilla.
The outside looks good. It occupies a grade two listed building finished in 1877, that was formerly the Adult Deaf and Dumb Institute. It still has a brilliant, carved moniker sat above the doorway which says “Deaf And Dumb”. Also above the door is a carving of a hand on a book which was the emblem used at the time on badges worn by the deaf.
Inside is just as good. High ceilings, ferocious wallpaper, well worn schoolboy furniture, trendy chandeliers, it is a grungy delight. Deep bass, thumping chilled out sounds oozed from the transistorised amplification. Not many in, but hey it’s drizzly and it’s Monday. Still I’m happy, a copy of ‘The Skinny’ and a black coffee, I’m sorted. (Coffee!!! – Ed)

I still have to eat though, how do I get something for three hundred calories? I surveyed the hard to read, black type on red, graphic menu. Some great stuff on there. It’s a limited offering. Breakfast , burgers, hot dogs, a Sunday roast and some salads.

I went for the ‘Crunchy Mexican Streetfood Salad’ (£5). I added a grilled lemon chicken breast for an extra £1. The salad was essentially a mound of grated white and red cabbage, carrot. radishes, coriander, jalapeños, lime and brown rice. It had a few chick peas as well. It came with an oily, but mainly vinegary dressing. I have to say it was lovely. Fresh, zingy, crunchy with a healthy ‘chillified’ kick, it was absolutely lovely. The chicken was a tad overdone for me, I have a knack of cooking it still moist which is rarely replicated outside.

I’m not sure it truly met my three hundred calorie target, but I’m sure it was less than the burger and fries!
They have a great cocktail and beer menu as well. They have tons of bottled beer from all over the world including some decent American pale ales. As I was keeping off the alcohol I had a blueberry and banana smoothie (£3.50). It just hit the spot. It set me up wonderfully for a sweaty metal night. It all came to just over a tenner. It’s gone on my list. If you’re heading up to the Student area from town to a gig, you can do worse than nip in to The Deaf Institute for pre gig livener. I’ll be going again defo.

The Deaf Institute
135 Grosvenor Street
Manchester
M1 7HE
T: 0161 276 9350

Thedeafinstitute.co.uk

Food Article

The Fast Diet – Intermittent Fasting – 13 week update

July 10, 2014 thecooktwit 3 Comments

“A week in Sicily eating pasta kills the early gains, but The Cook Twit bounces back”

Ah well seven weeks in to the Fast diet and it’s bad news I’m afraid. You may recall the first six weeks had yielded an impressive six pound loss from the Cooktwit frame. However, The wife has slipped a weeks hiatus in. I’ve had to endure a week in Sicily and have lived on a diet of granola, cream, scrambled eggs, pastries, gassy beer, cheese, ham, shed loads of pasta and tiramisu. Allied to a week slumped on a sunbed the whole excercise has meant that the six pounds of visceral lard that had found a home elsewhere has now clamped itself back on to the Cooktwits shambolic frame. In short I am back where I started.

Undeterred I have marched back to the front, strapped on the gauntlet of hope, the helmet of shame, the trousers of 36″ waist, the coat of…. Well you get the message, I’ve started again. It goes to show this idea of eating what you want on the other five days is a little bit of a misnomer. You still have to be careful. ‘Normal’ is not a weeks orgy of pasta, beer and sweet treats!
After a further six weeks of fasting two days a week though, I have lost eight pounds so I’m getting well back on track. I even went away on business one early morning and maintained discipline though I’m still to determine whether the porridge at Carluccis is under 300 calories, I’m not sure the caramelised apples, honey and berries are allowed!

I’ve even fasted on a day when I had a gig at night. My usual couple of pints and a burger was effortlessly swapped for a black coffee and a Mexican salad. I reckon I am starting to find it much easier to do now.
I have fasted a couple of times now on a Thursday when I do circuit training after work. I have got through it without any problems at all, in fact I reckon it helps to have fasted and drank plenty of water through the day. Even my trainer reckons the fast diet is good and heartily recommends it on a training day.

So all in all it’s still working out well. The only thing I am missing is my cooking. Missing two days a week means the opportunity to experiment and create something new and tasty starts to lose its appeal. My diet on a fast day has tended to become a bit similar. I have porridge with a pear for breakfast, an apple for lunch and a big, leafy salad with maybe a piece of chicken or fish. Some fruit and a dash of creme fraiche being the sweet treat.

In summary I still recommend. Perhaps I’ll measure my waist soon! I’ll keep you posted.

Eating Out Reviews

The Lord Clyde – Kerridge, Macclesfield

July 5, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“An extraordinary meal. A kaleidoscope of textures and tastes”

I’ve long wanted to try The Lord Clyde. Pretty much ever since I found twitter the incredible images emanating from the @erniechef handle have had me all of a quiver. Further reviews have merely added to my need to try. And so it came last Saturday. The Flame was in need of attention. The Cooktwit had bagged a weekends golf in Blackpool. As part of the ‘Brownie point’ totalising system that all men run, a trip of epic proportions was called for. Step forward ‘The Lord Clyde’. Not that The Flame had ever heard of it. Some might suggest it was me that wanted to try it really, but I’m not having that!

The Lord Clyde (or ‘TLC’ going forward!) was a humble pub set in a village outside Macclesfield called Kerridge. It’s still set in Kerridge, but under the talented wings of Chef Ernst and hospitality guru Sarah since July 2013, it has slowly transformed into an award winning restaurant. Ernst, born in Cape Town, South Africa sports an impressive cv. From age 18 he’s cooked his way through various hotels and chipped in a stint or two at a host of top restaurants including The Fat Duck, Restaurant Noma, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

It’s an hours run for us. And I drove both ways! (Serious brownie points then? – Ed). We entered what effectively is a small country pub. It is rurally set. Slewed at the end of a row of terraced houses it has that air of work in progress. We entered thorough the small doorway at around 6.30pm, so we were pretty early. We announced our arrival and set ourselves down to the left in the ‘pub’ side. A half (half!!! – Ed) of ‘Cheshire Cat’ calmed the nerves. Being honest at this point we wondered what we had done. We were the only ones in and felt as though we were intruding a bit!

That said we were hungry and needed fuel. The plain, easy to read, black on white menu was now in our grasp. A pleasant waitress trooped over and skilfully described in perfect detail what we could expect when ordering some of the combinations on offer. Scallop, pineapple, pigs head and courgette anyone? It is an unusual menu, but I was already struggling what to chose, it all sounded amazing to me.

After choosing our extravaganza we were shown across the room to our bijou table pressed against a wall. We wondered how we would be able to fit the food on! We needn’t have worried though, our service was impeccable throughout and no extraneous hardware was left to settle more than a few moments. The decor is spartan. There are no trees, neon lights, industrial ironmongery here. Simple painted walls, dark wooden furniture, tiled floor with a few pictures. I sensed a few softer touches would help.

Out of the blue popped two granite slabs, each topped with an array of crispy, colourful morsels. The flavours became stronger moving across left to right via a beetroot and feta marshmallow to a cod and chip crisp! It was a startling pre amble to our chosen cast.
Next up the bread! Home made soda bread, served warm in a hessian sack! A miniature cauldron of smoked butter, (complete with real smoke) a heap of sea salt and my favourite, beef dripping. These all sat alongside on their own slate. It was stunning, particularly with the dripping.
Then came the real starters. Having agonised over the TLC Salad – 21 ingredients raw; cooked and pickled, The flame finally settled on the Monkfish cheek, gooseberry, cucumber and crispy beef – £8.50. She was a little disappointed with this to be honest. The cheek was diced raw which wasn’t expected. I managed a fork full and loved it. Fresh fishy taste with a sweet fresh relish. Mine though, as nature intended was raw. Jacobs Ladder (short rib of beef), allium, gingerbread crouton and coriander – £7.00. I’ve been looking out for steak tartare and it’s variants lately, I had some in Sicily recently and again at Salvi’s in Manchester. I’m starting to acquire the taste for it. This was as good as I’ve had so far. A lovely ‘oniony’ side kick to the wonderfully cured beef. The gingerbread croutons added texture and a neat sweet kick, a great start.

Jacobs ladder, cod cheek, the bread and butter

After a comfortable gap the mains swept in. The flame went fish again. Turbot, black pudding, palourde clams and fennel – £19.00. A wonderful slab of beautifully cooked white fish was topped with a black pudding crumb, set on fennel cooked several ways. To add drama a swoosh of fish sauce was added just before consumption. I managed a quick fork full, before the flame took charge. She mopped up the jus with our hand cut chips (£3). Flaked, translucent the fish tasted superb, the black crumb adding a meaty edge. The flame gave it the thumbs up.
I went for the Lamb, heritage carrot, spiced sausage and aubergine – £18.00. I love lamb it’s my favourite meat. This was as good as I’ve had. Two beautifully pink tranches of (sous vide?) meat, juicy and tender requiring the merest touch of a knife to break a glorious mouthful from the main portion. Cuminised carrot purée, soft wedge of beetroot, peas and cherries in the pod added a crunchy touch. A tangy, luscious jus was washed round prior to the first morsel hitting the palate to add even more flavour. A wonderful main.

We both went for dessert. They sounded as off beat as the previous courses, but intriguing all the same. The flame loving apricot went after careful consideration for the Apricot, buttermilk, malva pudding and rooibos – £7.00. The apricots had been steeped in tea and served up with a moist spongey ‘cakette’, a sour, creamy swirl and some foliage. She loved it, exquisite flavours, I managed a touch of the buttermilk cream!!
I went for a peach. I fancied the granola bit. Peach, granola, pudding rice and nasturtium – £7.50. Beautifully presented in a half eaten earthenware bowl I wolfed it in seconds, including the flowery leaves! The pudding rice had a more solid feel than I was hoping and took a minor edge off my expectations. Still the drama of it all made up the deficit.

We had a mug of coffee each to end, some petit fours would have been nice after the start but hey a minor quibble. All in all a cracking meal. It all came in at £88. I reckon when you consider the variety of textures and flavours on offer and the dedication involved to present food in such a beautiful way it is was a bargain. I’m sure you’d pay much more in London for this! The service by Sarah and the team combined with an awesome engine room headed by Ernst deserves to make its mark. The plaudits I’m sure will keep on coming. Kerridge is indeed blessed with a unique asset. Long may it remain and flourish.

The Lord Clyde
36 Clarke Lane,
Kerridge, Bollington,
SK10 5AH
+44 (0)1625 562123
hello@thelordclyde.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Turtle Bay – Manchester

June 25, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

“This is one for a big group to have some fun”

Cast your mind back. England unlucky against Italy, so all is well as we get fired up to slaughter the much unfancied Uruguay in World Cup 2014. The Cooktwit has plotted an intricate web of beer, food and mayhem on the way to any Manchester hostelry that possesses a big telly. However, there is an hour to kill. Planets have aligned and so it is an unusual troupe that joind the Cooktwit on this merry stroll. Little bruv and his learned fledglings join the fray.

Sophistication is not top of the list. Cheap, quick, hip and happening is where we need to be. Turtle Bay in Manchester homes into view. What do you think of here? A quick nod and were in.
Turtle Bay is a Caribbean experience that has recently set up shop on Oxford Road next to The Paramount Wetherspoons. Not the most glamorous part of town. And given the chaotic roadworks that blight that part of town it didn’t look too inviting from the outside. But fair play to ’em it’s great inside. A mixture of high and low tables, booths, shacks, coloured crates and hip graphics combine with a groovy soundtrack, neon signs and metallic chic. It really is a jolly place to enter. The spirits were on the up. England couldn’t fail after this.

Holly our bespectacled, pink hostess took us to our high table for four and explained how the whole chebang operates, Chelsea took over when the the action really started. We quickly racked up some sickly sweet cocktails which were half price until 7pm. The youngsters, despite the funny hat and wearing an England shirt, declared the opening events to be most encouraging. The only gripe was that there was no telly so we could carry on watching the match from here!
It’s a great menu, lots of different intriguing dishes. Subtitled Cutters, Lunch N Light, One Pots & Jerk Pit BBQ there’s something for everyone. I settled on a burger from the jerk pit section. You can watch the jerk pit in action, flames licking round the slabs of meat. The ‘Jerk Pit burger’ which means it came (as well as all the other standard accoutrements) with a slap of jerk pulled pork. It was accompanied with some slow and sweet potato fries all for £9.85. If I’m honest it wasn’t the best burger I’ve had. A bit too much fire had licked its flanks for me, me preferring a moist pink bit in the middle a la Gorilla, Solita and others I’ve had in the town. It had a great charred, BBQ taste though and the pulled pork gave it a nice kick. The fries hadn’t seen a frier for quite some time though as they were cold.

Others in the posse had the goat curry and the fish curry. These both came in a big white metal dish with a lid. Nice touch really, gave it a bit of drama. Sadly I didn’t get a taste of them as they wolfed it down without a murmur. All gave it the thumbs up though. Looked a good portion, plenty of goat in the goatie effort and some decent squid knocking about in the fishy one.
Given that the main reason for being out was the football with a few scoops I didn’t get chance to sample a desert. Will give em a go next time.

All in all a pretty decent effort for a ‘chainy’ type restaurant. Apparently there is a few more Turtle Bays down South and one in Nottingham. I think I’d give some more of the ‘jerky’ stuff a try, probably the chicken. I’d recommend a try with a few mates after work, just the job.
As you know England lost again 2-1, Suarez biting two goals. Some good beer in the Lass ‘o’ Gourrie though, so it wasn’t all bad!

Turtle Bay
33-35 Oxford Steet
Manchester M1 4WB
0161 236 4101
http://www.turtlebay.co.uk

Eating Out Reviews

Salvi’s Cucina – Manchester

June 22, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

Possibly the best Italian meal I’ve ever had?

Salvis Cucina (kitchen in Italian) is a new, rather understated eatery that has sprung up in the nondescript concrete avenue of John Dalton Street in Manchester. I sportingly took The Flame there as recompense for a forthcoming road trip with a couple of gentlemen friends to watch a bunch of rock debutants in North London outpost Enfield.

Salvis sprang forth in the mind as one or two local work pals have raved over their pre existing ‘Mozzarella Bar’ down the other end of town in the ill fated Corn Exchange Triangle. Salvis are an Italian dynasty that has purveyed quality Italian ingredients in Manchester for a few years now. And after our meal I wholeheartedly suggest they continue.
Decor is rather modest, the odd flash of colour from a strategically placed painted chair. The open kitchen dominates, the hardworking chefs plunder their skills amongst a plethora of shaving, slicing and turning machinery. It’s a pleasing sight.

Menu, colourful chairs, the kitchen, the specials roll

Our table was preordained after I had ventured in earlier in the day. Our table was set right up against the semi height glass frontage. As this was a sunny eve our table was streaked with fresh sunlight and fresh(ish) Manchester air. It was wonderful. Our delightful Italian waitress plied us with water and wine and took our order after explaining the specials in the most delicate Italianate English. To further help the specials are scrawled on a large brown paper roll. Nice touch.
Our antipasti soon homed into view. Mine first, ‘Cappachio Di Nanzo Rucola E Grana’ (beef, rocket, Parmesan, drizzled with olive oil, balsamic and lemon £8.50). It was wonderful, ‘waffer’ thin slices of raw beef with a cheesy, oily, herby coat. As a treat I did ask if I could try some smoked mozzarella as I was intrigued. Rather than the slither I anticipated I was graced with a fully dressed ball in a separate bowl. It was a bit too much to eat in one lump but I loved the smokey rind, definitely one to bear in mind.

The flames starter was a bit of a strange one. Entitled ‘Timbalo Di Venture Con formaggio Di Capra E Pesto’ it was subtitled as mixed grilled vegetables stacked with goats cheese and topped with pesto (£8). It turned out to be three deep fried orbs set on a base of dressed leaves and a super homemade pesto. It wasn’t what was expected but it was still delicious and was gleefully mopped up. The grilled veg were merely slithers mixed in with the cheese and deep fried.
We both went for simple pasta dishes for mains but even these were a step above the norm. Mind you I could argue they should have been at £11.50 and £13 a plate. It isn’t cheap, but ye gods they were both sensational. The flames ‘Pasta Con Pesche Spada, Melenzane, Scamorza E Pinoli’ (swordfish, aubergine, pine nuts and smoked mozzarella) probably shaded it. The pasta itself beautifully cooked and seasoned. The tastes and textures sublime.

I had a pasta off the specials board. ‘Pasta alla Salvis Whit Salsiccia et asparigi’ (sausage and asparagus). Finished in a tomato sauce (or ‘sowse’ as our waitress called it) it was still a simple pasta dish but somehow it just tasted so much better than most I’ve ever had before. I can’t really explain why but it was. You’ll just have to try yourself!
I as usual I rounded off with a desert for research purposes. I run a personal competition to find a tiramisu to match my childhood version as provided by Culcheth heroes ‘Don Luighi’. I think I have found a joint top version. It seemed a bit too thick at first but deep down the ‘V’ shaped flask the moist, boozy, creamy loveliness came bounding through. A triumph at any price but at £4.50 it had no equal.

Whilst us chaps all know brownie points have ceased to be legal tender in most relationships there is no doubt Salvis worked its magic on The flame. The Gentlemans weekend continued without a hitch and there is no question we will be back. Going forward I can see this being one of our favourite staple restaurants. Highly recommended.

19 John Dalton St
Manchester
M2

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Eating Out Reviews

Salthouse Tapas – Liverpool

June 11, 2014 thecooktwit Leave a comment

Yet another northern torrential downpour threatened to dampen the hungry spirit as The Cooktwit and The Flame headed East on one of Northern Rails, 1980’s, heritage trolley carts, such is the downtrodden quality of 21st century transport when heading to the Liverbased metrop of Liverpool. We were heading to highly recommended gastrogaff ‘Salthouse Tapas’. The place is sited close to the mega retail emporium ‘Liverpool One’, a sort of posh, newer version of Manchester’s Arndale. In truth The Flame is not a great fan of the small plate, informal dining experience known as ‘tapas’. So given that this was my choice, it was with some slight trepidation that we ventured along the rain soaked streets. To be fair a late burst of evening sun had lightened the mood. We even skipped the last few yards!

From the outside things are promising. A lofty, Victorian structure, complete with curved frontage and contemporary, bold font signage. A roped off alfresco area sits out front. The afternoon’s inclemency meant that only a few random smokers were braving it when we arrived. We stepped up into the fray to be confronted by a riotous din. The bar hits first, a table of eight drinkers were seemingly well into the final throws of stupor as they shrieked their conversations. It wasn’t the best start. To be fair within seconds a lean, bearded chap had ushered us to our table for two. The noise seemed to continue and reverberate throughout the set. We quickly realised this is how it is. Thankfully having asked the flame for her hand in marriage thirty years ago, I knew I wouldn’t be required to go down on one knee and whisper sweet nothing’s tonight. I spared a thought for any hapless young buck who did have it in mind though. I doubt his future betrothed would have heard a word he was saying! Still mustn’t quibble, Anna (our initial waitress) had us settled and a Mango Margerita and a Campari were soon winging across. Flipping lovely they were too.

As is the norm nowadays a quick survey of the decor confirmed that we were indeed in a trendy place. The obligatory old school chairs were strewn around the place. The place settings doubling up as your menu (a la Beef and Pudding, Solita, to name but a few). I must say I quite like this idea. Keeps everything simple and as a bonus I could read it without me specs. We were downstairs in the main room which was filling up nicely. A mezzanine above seemed full as well. The atmosphere was building.

We ordered a bottle of Malbec (£16.95) and a shared platter of charcuterie to start (Monroyo Serrano ham, loin, chorizo, salchichon, bead and olive oil £9.95). We had developed a bit of a habit of ordering this in Sicily recently and this brought it back. If I’m honest this was better. Delivered on a table tennis bat it looked and tasted wonderful.

The reason(s) the flame has reservations on tapas is several fold 1) she doesn’t want me dipping in, sharing her food across the table (as if – Ed) and 2) she doesn’t like having food on her own as tapas doesn’t always arrive together as in a normal three course dinner. We ordered two dishes each after the ham platter. Bang on cue, within a few minutes the two dishes ordered by the flame turned up. In fairness though they were both very good. First up The roast hake fillet with Serrano ham, fennel and sherry jus (£6.50). The picture doesn’t do it justice, a soap bar sized slab of pure white beautifully cooked fish bathed in a sweet sauce with fennel julienne layered on top. I managed a morsel and it was delightful. The flame loved it and declared dish of the day. The second dish was the hot smoked salmon with a Bloody Mary salad (£5.50). Not my cup of tea to be honest but bang on for the flame. Despite not being ‘hot’ as such she declared it a winner.

Then came my first choice ‘Roasted lamb rump with broad beans, olives and red peppers’ (£7.50). This was superb. The lamb perhaps a shade more well done than I would have preferred, but nonetheless the combination of colours, the sweet, slightly crisp lamb (on the outside) and the olive oil dressing made for a stunning dish. It wouldn’t have looked out of place at Mr Coopers. My second dish was the ‘Galician Octopus with sautéed new potatoes, lemon and paprika’ (£5.50). Lots of smokey, paprika flavours. I would have liked a few tentacles on there to give it a bit more drama and look a bit more like octopus, but a lovely dish. I did notice quite a lot of ‘Malaga Fried Fish with lemon and aioli’ coming out. Looked like you got a decent portion and looked great on its plank.

After a few minutes rest and deliberation we decided to plumb for another quick savoury dish. We noticed the special of ‘chicken and chorizo sliders’ (£5.50) were flying out as well. As there was two per portion we had one each. Miniature brioche bun with mini chicken schnitzel, chorizo sausage and cheese skewered together in a neat little package. Hot, well cooked and very tasty. A lovely final tapas. As ever I ventured into the desert section and wolfed down a ‘Roasted Rhubarb Pavlova with Chantilly cream and passion fruit syrup’ (£4.95). Oh boy, I like my ‘meringuey’ deserts and so this hit the spot no problem, sweet, sticky and tangy. A lovely end. A decent brew mopped up and left us to pay the £75 all in.

I love El Rincon in Manchester. You can’t beat the Spanish atmosphere, but I’d have to say the presentation and quality of food at the Salthouse was better, and for similar money. There’s still plenty on the menu to try so I reckon we’ll be back.

We went for a romantic evening stroll down the Liverpool front afterwards. What better way to help get the digestive juices flowing? We had a great night. We will defiantly be giving Liverpool another go. I wonder where to next? Salt House Charcuterie and Tapas 1 Hanover Street Liverpool 0151 706 0092 http://www.salthousetapas.co.uk

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