Carluccio's Spinningfields #2

It seems that we Brits are getting awfully good at standing up for ourselves when we're dissatisfied by service or quality; according to The Guardian last year, we've become positively professional - and with our new ability to make a fuss, has come an equal and opposite reaction from those businesses we complain about.

I recently had a very disappointing experience at Carluccio's in Spinningfields.  This beautifully designed restaurant is set in Manchester's stylish urban interior, where diners (both inside and out) find themselves surrounded by tall buildings and the bold and beautiful of this most fabulous of Northern cities.

I did inform the manager at the time of my disappointment, and she dealt with it exactly as you'd expect - no charge for the dodgy dishes and a free glass of wine (translated into chocolate pudding in my case!)  However, I felt that this wasn't enough.  A restaurant chain of this size, and with a reputation for good food well served, shouldn't be allowed to quieten down one customer at a time...so I blogged it here.  And they responded.

In addition to a personal email from the Operations Director seeking more information, I was invited back, with my family this time, to see if they could do better.

They could, and did.

A venue like Carluccio's is not there to offer fine dining, extraordinary taste experiences and innovative approaches to antipasti.  No, they are there to provide people who like to eat out at a reasonable cost with reliably good food at a price generally considered to be value for money.  The menu should remain fairly fixed, a daily specials list should provide inspiration and excitement, and diners should be able to expect, and get, a 'safe' dining experience EVERY TIME.

Our meal was great.  On arrival the children were immediately provided with entertainment packs and drinks orders were taken straight away.

The menu is pretty huge, with a marvellous choice of starters.  I chose Bruschetta, which was lovely, but I wished I'd gone with my step-daughter's choice of Antipasti di Verdure.  Described by her as: "The best meal I've ever eaten" (No offense taken), it was a cornucopia of Italian delights, from fresh mozarella to foccacia to artichokes to aubergine.  But then, my 10 year old's GINORMOUS pile of Calamari was also a delight, and I risked a fork in the hand on several occasions reaching for a golden ring!  Mike went for the Arincini again - and I don't blame him.  Delicious last time and delicious this.

Main courses were just as you'd hope.  My Chicken in Lemon and Capers (from the Specials menu) was fresh, zingy and delicious.  Hubbie's steak was all polished off.  Amy and Zac chose the Ravioli.  My six year old is not renowned for his culinary experimentation, so to see him polish off a child's portion of ravioli with ricotta and spinach almost silenced me. (Only almost).  Amber's lasagne was a success too; two fussy eaters, full to the brim...!

One more thing definitely worth mentioning is the wine list.  It's pretty extensive and almost everything on there comes by the glass.  I chose the Nero D'Avola.  I've yet to be disappointed by this Sicilan red and at just £4.50 a glass it hits every spot!

A big thank you to Carluccio's for their effort to set the record straight.  I had a lovely chat with the restaurant manager who told me all about the new chef, his experience and his commitment to bringing on his team.  Consistency is all here, and she assures me that anybody choosing Carluccio's Spinningfields WON'T be disappointed.

The Restaurant @ The Hotel Portmerion

You know how sometimes you have great expectations, and then the disappointment when they're dashed is significantly greater than when expectations are low...well, that's how I felt after a recent experience at The Hotel Portmerion.

Oh, it all started off beautifully and my expectations climbed higher and higher...but then, a tumbling down I simply can't not share.

Each year a group of six of us travel to a friend's holiday home near Portmerion for a weekend of unashamed doing very little but read, watch chick flicks, eat, drink and get merry.  A highlight this year was a table for six at Hotel Portmerion's restaurant.

Upon arrival we tucked ourselves away in a super little side-room, ordered drinks and perused the menu.  All good so far!  A Welsh gin was the key component in my G&T, which I have to say was excellent. 

We decided to stick with the set menu for £38 for three courses, plus wine.  A fabulous wine list was presented, from which we chose a lovely, highly underrated, Sicilian Nero D'Avola (spelled wrong on the list, by the way!)

After being escorted by the charming Maitre d' to our table, we never saw the chap again.  Amuse Bouche were brought that really set our tastebuds tingling; a superb teeny shot glass of seafood chowder and a lamb ball with a mint dip that I would have begged for more of any day.

Starters were also very good, perhaps a little underseasoned, but still delicious.  The pork belly with apple puree was just the right balance of soft and squashy with the finest layer of crackling possible - quite a feat of culinary engineering!

Expections rose yet another notch...and this is where it all went wrong for me.

After a significant internal debate, which eventually was won by my waistline I chose the asparagus risotto, as did two of my friends.  I had debated whether or not to go with the duck, but as I say, the little voice sitting on my mummy tummy won out.  Should have gone with the duck.  The risotto was so badly oversalted it made my mouth burn. At first I wondered if it was just me being fussy, but no, we had all put our forks down.  Meanwhile the duck eaters were singing its praises.

I called over a waiter, who seemed at a loss for what to do. I suggested a manager would be the best place to start.  This lady immediately took the plates away and came back to tell us that: "The chef will make more, and this time he says he won't put any salt in." Sublime to ridiculous?  True to his word, the next plateful was unsalted.  It was also undercooked.  Badly.  Gritty and unpleasant, we barely touched our dishes.  When the plates were cleared though we weren't asked if there was a problem. 

After the same lady had leaned across two of us to pass a menu to the third, we gathered that our pudding orders were expected.

My friend Jacqui has rather a passion for souffle, and her dreams came true with the most glorious passion fruit souffle with coconut icecream.  A deeply satisfied silence descended over that end of the table, supported by the happy winner of the blueberry and praline macaroon, accompanied by a lavendar ice cream bees would have fought over.

It's such a shame when service and food quality is so mixed.  Do I recommend, or not? Do I go back, or not?

I chose to write to Dylan Hughes, the Operations Manager, and am pleased (and relieved) to say that his response was excellent.  Aside from the obvious, an aplogy, Mr Hughes detailed every action he'd taken with each member of staff, by name.

I believe that this indicates a commitment to customer service that, on the whole, maintains the beautiful surroundings and amazing cuisine you can discover there.

And as Portmerion Village is possibly one of the most fascinating little spots in Wales, with its architecture, luxury accomodation and televisual history, then I would recommend a visit - and a meal - to anybody. 

Just avoid large bouncing balls.

I will return...with my girlfriends, for our next annual getaway!



www.portmeirion-village.com/

Café Gourmand, Hale

Hale isn't exactly short of smart places to enjoy good food, so any additions to the collection need to be very sure they can tick all the right boxes - location, atmosphere, menu choice and price.

Café Gourmand is a new kid on the block, so your two little birds popped along to check it all out.

The location is spot on, within a very short walk of the train station and even closer to the car park behind Barclays Bank.

In terms of atmoshere, well, it's a café.  There's no getting away from this fact.  It's busy, not buzzy.  There is little room between tables and the space downstairs is almost wholly swallowed by the very large patisserie counter (more of which later!)  However, if you want fine dining or a jolly old pizza place - then go elsewhere.  What Cafe Gourmand promises, and on the whole delivers, is the French attitude to high street dining - good food, well cooked.

The menu is pretty extensive, with a daily specials menu as well as the a la carte options.  While BB and LB made their choice, a dish of endmame beans in a sweet chilli dressing was popped down in front of us as a complementary 'amuse bouche'.  How very Hale. 

LB opted for Thai Fish Cakes and a side of Potato Wedges (naughty!) and BB dithered between Soup of the Day and a filled Baguette, finally opting for both, with the clever 'Soup and Half a Sandwich' option.

The fish cakes were clearly home made and hand shaped.  Packed with fish and flavour, avoid if chilli isn't your thing! Chili is clearly LB's thing, as she cleared her plate.

BB's Soup of the Day choice was Celery & Cream Cheese, accompanied by a Caesar Salad Baguette.  The soup was fabulous, the filling of the Baguette was perfect, but the bread part was disappointing.  For a café that claims to model itself on the French take on café fare, this was a bit of a shocker.  The  baguette was dense and bland and pretty tasteless to be honest.  I ended up peeling it apart and transferring the filling to the rather more delicious (dark and soft and chewy and mmmm...) rye bread that accompanied the soup.

Now - back to the Patisserie counter.  It's impossible to go within 10 meters of this and not start to salivate.  It's simply packed with the most delicious looking cakes, tarts and puddings.  The only thing that differentiates them from the ones to be found in a real French patisserie is their size.  They're enormous!  Your Little Birds, ever conscious of their waistlines, opted for a Strawberry Tart to share.

Died. And. Gone. To. Heaven.

There are no words to describe the reality...but here I go: sweet, sharp strawberries topping a creme patissiere (a wonderfully deep one!), all packed into a light and crisp pastry case Mary Berry herself would be proud of.  No soggy bottoms here.

Overall, Café Gourmand offers a very competitive alternative to the usual suspects of Hale's dining choices.  In terms of value for money, it scores serious points.  The menu is extensive, the options varied, the quality good and the portion sizes generous. The atmosphere is as you'd expect from a café, it's neither a place to linger for hours chatting the day away, or a fast food joint.  The service is brisk, requests are dealt with quickly and there's always a smile. 

BB and LB will return - those Strawberry Tarts are screaming our names.  As is the Chocolate Tart. Oh, and the Lemon Merangue is begging futher investigation.  The Brownies looked good too...

Carluccio's, Spinningfields

You'd think that with a brand name like Carluccio's, and 45 restaurants around the UK, this popular chain would be able to get the basics right, and indeed the not so basics.



But no, disappointment all round, and I won't be going there again!

It was a beautiful evening in Manchester, sunshine all day long, so Spinningfields, and its many bars and restaurants, was buzzing.  We had booked a table for four, at a relatively early time of 7.15pm.  The tables outside were busy, but inside was quiet, perhaps 20% full.

We stood for quite some while, wondering if anybody was going to come and seat us, and eventually flagged down a harrassed looking manager.

We ordered wine, olives, bread and water and perused the menus.  The olives are fab, no doubt about it.  The bread really less so - for four people one piece of foccacia, 3 pieces of rather dry french stick, two breadsticks and a flat, tasteless thing, plus a tiny dish of olive oil with balsamic vinegar.  Shame on you Carluccio's!

I chose the mozzarella and tomato salad; hard to get wrong, and they didn't, as such.  It wasn't great though - it had clearly had a dusting of salt, but the olive oil was boring, not fresh, peppery and fruity like it should be, and I had to ask for black pepper.

My main course however was a disaster, start to finish.  I LOVE calves liver.  Hubs doesn't though, so I only get my chops around it when we're out.  The menu description of pan fried calves liver, with red onion jam and sauté potatoes called out to me, and I answered.  Unfortunately the chef clearly doesn't have the same regard for this dish as I do.  The liver hadn't been prepared properly and was almost impossible to cut through, with the outer sheath left on and a few minutes too long in the pan.  A generous helping of potatoes didn't make up for this, nor did the rather glutinous onion jam.  A side order of courgette, red pepper and aubergine in tempura batter blew my recommended daily allowance of salt out the water for a week - I am not averse to a generous sprinkling of sea salt on crispy battered veggies, but I think the chef used a winter salt shovel on this occasion.

At this point, to be fair, I have to refer to the experience of my fellow diners: two started with the Arancini, which were fabulous (see this recipe, I'm going to give it a whirl!) the steak was 'good' and the veal was 'wonderful', testified to by two clear plates.  The Carbonara however was underseasoned (perhaps I got hers?) and the pancetta untrimmed and undercooked, leaving big white fatty strips that are horribly unappetising.

I spoke to the manager, who had been racing around like a mad woman all night (staffing issues?) and she dealt with my disappointment calmly and admirably - no debate, just an immediate apology and stripping the cost off the final bill, with puddings for all as recompense.

It's a huge shame when businesses take their customers for granted, selling themselves on a name and a history of success.  I'll never go back there, and I suspect I'm not alone.  I'm not hard to please, but I do expect a certain level of quality and service, both of which were missing.  It's easy to rely upon a great location and ever changing clientele, but laziness and complacency will eventually lead to disaster - time to get your act together Carluccio's!

carluccios.com

Flower of Gold Cheshire Rapeseed Oil

Rapidly becoming the darling of top chefs, rapeseed oil is pushing its way into the public's culinary conscious as the 'British olive oil' - but why?

 

Originally grown as a lubricant for steam engines, fields of rapeseed has been part of the British countryside for generations.  Today however new culinary strains have been developed and the consequent meadows of gold have become a ubiquitous part of the British countryside, and while we may take the acres of golden flowers for granted, or even curse their hayfever inducing pollen, they are proving a considerable draw for visitors to the UK - indeed, Japanese tourists are travelling here on specially arranged holidays to see it in bloom! 

 

Rapeseed oil has considerable health benefits; it contains half the saturated fat of olive oil (7% compared to 14% in oliver oil or 51% in butter) and is high in omega-3 and omega-6.  It is also high in unsaturated fats, which helps reduce cholesterol levels. Knowing this it's no surprise that it's been picked up by the healthy brigade, but why are our top chefs dumping the tasty glories of olive oil in it's favour? I brought a bottle of Cheshire's own Flower of Gold rapeseed oil into my own kitchen and used it to replace my usual light olive oil in everything I cooked for a week - and it's actually not hard to answer that question now!

 

The oil has a high flashpoint, which means it can be used for frying or high temperature roasting where olive oil can't.  The gorgeous golden colour of rapeseed oil also transfers itself to the food - making for gloriously golden roasties and sauté potatoes.  I'm advised that it makes an excellent mayonaise, though I haven't tried this!  I did make up a salad dressing, with some red wine vinegar and mustard and honey, and actually think it doesn't work here, as it's too heavy.  It doesn't work all on its own either, in my opinion, drizzled on tomatoes or goats cheese - I'm afraid nothing will replace my love of extra virgin olive oil for that!

 

The taste is mildly nutty and smooth, and doesn't leave any strong essence of itself on other foods when cooking with it, but it doesn't really work for me 'raw', as it were.  I found that it doesn't soak into fried vegetables the way light olive oil can, perhaps because you can turn up the heat with no fear of burning it.  The only real negative point is that fragrance is not pleasant, to be honest - but as sniffing oil isn't a regular past-time of mine, I can get past that!

 

All in all, when you take the culinary benefits (taste and practical use) and the health benefits, I think a bottle of rapeseed oil should be added to every kitchen, replacing vegetable oils or sunflowers oils which are generally imported...and here's the best bit...pretty much every bottle of rapeseed oil you'll find on a supermarket shelf comes from UK farms! And if you want to really reduce your food miles...our very own Cheshire grown Flower of Gold rapeseed oil is just perfect.

Now being stocked at ASDA and online at Artisan Foods, you too can support the healthy oil revolution while buying better than British...and buying Cheshire!

 

 

 

The Merlin, Alderley Edge

Big Bird loves a mid-week lunch with friends, and it happens infrequently enough to make it feel like a special occasion, A favourite spot for some time now has been The Merlin, in Alderley Edge.






The Merlin calls itself a pub, but it's done Alderley Edge style, so has seriously stylish interiors and a menu guaranteed to cause decision stress! 

We start, as does any sensible woman, with the wine list.  It's extensive but not silly and there's lots to choose from by the glass.  The obvious wines are there - a Pinot Grigio, a Sauvignon Blanc, a Merlot, a Malbec - but there are also some less well known and these are definitely worth an explore.  I fancied a rosé (not like me, but was feeling pink!) and thoroughly enjoyed my glass of Cerusuolo (£4.75), from Montepulciano.  Very undemanding, softly fragrant and with a low acidity and short finish.  Perfect when you're making it last across two courses.

We shared the Mediterranean Mezze (£11.95) to start.  It was OK, but rather heavy on the bread and low on the rest.  They offered 'baba ghanoush, harissa hummus, tzatziki, chermoula crusted flatbread & hazelnut dukkah crusted aubergines.'  That's what we got, but only three slices of aubergine and smallish dollops of the dips.  The aubergine was fabulous (hence my wish that they'd been a little more generous!) and the dips very flavoursome. But Merlin...this is Cheshire, more - this is Alderley Edge!  We ladies prefer to limit our carbs - so less bread and more of the tasty stuff next time please!

Now, on to our main courses.  My Pancetta Hash (£7.45) came off the starter list and promised 'savoy cabbage, pancetta lardons and potato with béchamel sauce, topped with a free-range hen’s egg and crispy pancetta'.  It was exactly what it promised and was deliciously, carb-ladenly, luscious.  The starter size was enough, and I didn't need the bread. Crispy chunks of ham wrapped in a thick, creamy sauce with squidgey chunks of soft potato. I'd have liked more cabbage (one has to get one's five a day somehow) and a sprinkle more black pepper, but I'd definitely order it again.

My friend chose the Duck Salad (£11.95).  This was good too. Described as 'crispy duck tossed with mooli, sesame seeds, carrot & cucumber in a plum & hoisin sauce', it met expectations and was polished off happily.

Once again, a lovely lunch in wonderful surroundings.  I'll keep going back because I know I can always rely on the food, the wine, the service and the surroundings to make my very rare lunches with friends a real treat with no risk.  I will be asking for more aubergines next time though.

The Merlin, Wilmslow Road, Alderley Edge, SK9 7QL
01625 599 959

CAFÉ ISTANBUL, KNUTSFORD

Little Bird, and Little Bird’s mother – they say yes!  Which is no mean feat considering one of them is gluten free and dairy free, and the other a notoriously fussy eater!

Café Istanbul has just opened in Knutsford, replacing what used to be Primavera, on King Street.  It’s been open just six weeks, but you would never know, the service is very smooth.

Café Istanbul is expanding quite rapidly, having started out with its flagship restaurant on Quay Street in Manchester, and now has restaurants in Prestwich, Knutsford and Redcar in Leeds.  As a group they’ve been going 32 years, impressive longevity (two recessions!) and plenty time to perfect their offering.

The great thing about Turkish restaurants in general, and this one in particular, is the sheer breadth of the menus.  You would be very hard pushed not to be able to find something you like, and so it’s a great choice for family dining, as there is genuinely something for everyone. 

LB and LB’s Mother visited Easter Bank Holiday Monday for dinner, and we had Hummus and Pitta Bread to start – yes, I know, not very adventurous, but then again, there’s nowhere to hide with the simple stuff!  One portion was more than enough to share as a starter – I’m sure the male readership will be delighted to hear that it was mansize portions all round!  The hummus was lovely – not too salty, and just wonderful on warm, fresh pitta bread.

Then we both happened to choose the same main course – the excellent Lamb Yahni - lamb in paprika, onion and red wine sauce slow cooked until tender. Just delicious.  Meltingly soft, and warm from the paprika, but sweet and very, very more-ish.  Served with rice and salad in just the right amount.  We couldn’t finish the lamb itself as we ladies can’t manage a mansize portion, but we would have done if we could have done!

By this stage we were too full for pudding (not at all like us), so we gracefully retired after starters and mains.  The bill came to £33, which we thought was excellent value.  They also do a lunchtime menu – two courses plus a drink – for £8.95, we’d highly recommend giving it a whirl, and we will definitely be going back.  Top tip – go hungry!

 

125 King Street
Knutsford
WA16 6EH
01565 632 576

istanbulgrillknutsford.co.uk

Orange Coffee House, Knutsford

I've lived in Knusford for 15 years and the arrival of the Orange Coffee House has been one of my favourite events. 

The town has a marvellous choice of coffee shops, but until now there was nowhere cosy and comfy where you could settle with a pot of tea and a cake and mull over your day with a friend, discuss business with a client or just plain escape from life for a short while.


The Orange Coffee House offers a welcome haven on chilly days and a calm port in a storm for everybody from girly chatterboxes to zen-like pensioners.  If you're one of those people who simply yearn for a decent cuppa and a slice of something naughty - you've found it here.  The coffee is excellent too, all Fair Trade and carefully made.

I have, purely in the interests of providing a full and fair review of course, taste tested a wide selection of their home-made cakes, and all have been wonderful.  I keep going back to the scones though - deep and thick and full of fruit, laden with butter and jam (and cream if you like it), they're a real treat.  My only suggestion would be to find someone local to provide a better class of jam.  It's a bit erratic in its consistency - the last lot was positively rubbery.   My coeliac friend raves about the orange and polenta cake and the lemon drizzle is certainly worth a delve into too.  Their cakes are all displayed under great glass domes, just as you enter the shop, allowing you to make your selection based on more than a menu description alone.

As you'd expect, the menu extends beyond coffee and cake and the lunchtime offering is extensive and interesting.  I sat and watched a table of four take almost 25 minutes deciding upon their choices last week, all the time advised and encouraged by a tremendously patient member of staff, who really upped the ante when she pointed out that they could all order a glass of wine too; a positive flurry of excitement ensued!

On Sundays the Orange Coffee House offers a jazz brunch; live jazz singers and musicians from 11am till 3pm.  They encourage you to enjoy brunch, lunch or simply an afternoon tea and relax to the sounds of live music.  I've not experienced this, it sounds like something I'd have enjoyed BC (Before Children) though!

Knutsford has a great reputation for its collection of bars and restaurants and The Orange Coffee House fits in perfectly in terms of quality and atmosphere.  Happy Days!

Orange Coffee House,
3 Princesss Street,
Knutsford, WA16 6BY