Last friday it was off to West Kirby for a stag night, a quiet affair with six of us, the groom, best man, two ushers a friend and me, father of the bride. Now I had never had a run ashore in West Kirby, nor have I watched the television programme Cougar Town, however, I get the impression that on a Friday night, that is just what West Kirby transforms itself into.
We met first at the Wro bar, and had a pint of Boddingtons, the beer people stock when they can't be bothered to install a hand pump, and then we moved over the road to the Wro lounge to have something to eat. There is a third Wro, the loft, but that is for special evenings and major sporting events.
The menu in the bar and lounge is the same, but the lounge is more geared up to eating than the bar which can get a bit crowded . So we were shown to our tale, and ordered some more drinks while we ordered. We passed on starters and went straight in to mains, one steak, medium rare, two hot pizza's, and two chillies for the guests, a burger for the groom and away we go.
The young Irish waitress who took our order was a bit miserable, but the other staff were cheery enough. The older lady ( the owner?) who is normally in there was not evident on Friday, and given she can be a bit 'strange', that may have been why the mood of the place was lighter than normal. We did have to wait an hour or so for our food which might have been a problem if you were a cosy twosome, but the reason was evident when we walked in, there were two large groups already seated so we were a bit behind in the pecking order.
Still, the food when it came was fine, although the burger was a bit heavy on bread and light on burger. The chilli was hot and not at all cooked to suit the middle of the road gang, and the steak was cooked as ordered. It could have been a bit pinker, so rare would be my call next time i am in there.
Only mild irritation was the cutlery and condiments arriving in a small metal bucket which you would expect in a family oriented diner, not an adult eating establishment.
The clientele made for great people watching, with loads of mixed age couples being the subject of our rather basic lines in conversation. The Wirral's answer to Alderley Edge is right on our doorstep!!
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
The Manor
Now I think first impressions are vital when deciding whether or not to select a particular outlet for Sunday lunch, so it was lucky that we had been to The Manor, in Greasby, before. I rang up to make a reservation a few days before hand and found that they had introduced a selective telephone service. I duly went through the options , arriving at the future reservations menu, only to be informed that this option only functioned until 18:00, would I ring back later? Bit of a nuisance, but I rang back on the day to book. The maitre d' was fairly brusk on the telephone which made me a bit suspicious that the restaurant may have changed hands, but I booked anyway and we turned up as planned at 4pm.
We had already been informed that we could have the table for two hours and we had no problem with this, and given it was barbecue weather we had not anticipated it would be rammed. We had a drink as we scanned the menu and then were approached by the maitre d' for our orders.
Now they had two on during the afternoon, and the grumpy one looked like Greg Wallace from MasterChef , iIt was he who took the order. SWMBO selected the roast beef, and luckily we knew it came rare, but 'Greg' failed to ask how we wanted it, we mentioned it to the waiter when we sat down and it was presented medium no problem.
We are also regular enough to know the service can be a bit brisk, so we asked 'Greg' if we could have a good 15-20 minute break between courses. This was greeted with a ' I'll ask the chef' ' in a manner that suggested eating a three course meal in half an hour was one of the attractions of the establishment.
So caveat emptor, if you are going to the manor for the first time.
Now onto the food and service. All of it was very enjoyable. We had the black pudding as one starter, and the terrine of ham hock as the other. The bread was a bit doughy with the pate, but other than that it was fine. The mains were aforesaid Sunday roast beef and trimmings, and I had a shank of lamb which was very pleasant. We had two bottles of Viognier through the meal, and without the break between courses we may have only had one, so there is a good reason to allow people to pace their eating, you can sell more wine!
The waiting on staff are mostly young people dressed impeccably in French style white shirt and black apron, and the other maitre d' was very pleasant and polite. we even found out they have just opened a new restaurant in West Kirby, called Milan, on the site of the previously named Green Room. we will give that a try.
The meal was £13.95 for two courses, we passed on the desert, and jumped on the bus home!!
We had already been informed that we could have the table for two hours and we had no problem with this, and given it was barbecue weather we had not anticipated it would be rammed. We had a drink as we scanned the menu and then were approached by the maitre d' for our orders.
Now they had two on during the afternoon, and the grumpy one looked like Greg Wallace from MasterChef , iIt was he who took the order. SWMBO selected the roast beef, and luckily we knew it came rare, but 'Greg' failed to ask how we wanted it, we mentioned it to the waiter when we sat down and it was presented medium no problem.
We are also regular enough to know the service can be a bit brisk, so we asked 'Greg' if we could have a good 15-20 minute break between courses. This was greeted with a ' I'll ask the chef' ' in a manner that suggested eating a three course meal in half an hour was one of the attractions of the establishment.
So caveat emptor, if you are going to the manor for the first time.
Now onto the food and service. All of it was very enjoyable. We had the black pudding as one starter, and the terrine of ham hock as the other. The bread was a bit doughy with the pate, but other than that it was fine. The mains were aforesaid Sunday roast beef and trimmings, and I had a shank of lamb which was very pleasant. We had two bottles of Viognier through the meal, and without the break between courses we may have only had one, so there is a good reason to allow people to pace their eating, you can sell more wine!
The waiting on staff are mostly young people dressed impeccably in French style white shirt and black apron, and the other maitre d' was very pleasant and polite. we even found out they have just opened a new restaurant in West Kirby, called Milan, on the site of the previously named Green Room. we will give that a try.
The meal was £13.95 for two courses, we passed on the desert, and jumped on the bus home!!
Friday, 10 June 2011
Liverpool Community College
Its a bit off piste, but the way I was treated here last night, they deserve a bit of publicity. Trouble is SWMBO just wanted this best kept secret to stay that way.
Like many catering and beauty treatment colleges, Liverpool Community likes to try out on joe public from time to time. So last night I found myself along with about 30 other people sitting in a small dining room in the college campus not far from Chinatown and Liverpool 1.
There is a bar selling bottled beer, spirits and wine, and the house red Rioja was very passable. Last night the theme was the four nations, so the starters were Cumberland sausage and black pudding, Irish shrimp salad or leek and potato soup. This was followed by scotch salmon and the mains were steak and ale pie, Welsh lamb, Irish pork or fish and chips, with mushy peas. A composite of deserts finished off the evening. They were bramley apple pie, strawberries with victoria sponge and egg custard tart. All for £18 per head plus drinks, it was excellent quality and a bargain.
I enquired of the maitre de, who is a lecturer at the college, how it all works as I was surprised the waiting on team were all fairly mature students. They have a wide range of age groups working the restaurant at different times,he said, and there are five kitchens in the college, all backing a commercial enterprise, be it a bakery or a lunchtime snack bar. People are retraining after losing their jobs, or choosing a different career move.
The chef, also salaried, then took me into the kitchens to show me how he worked with the students. One of them was off to specialise in corporate hospitality, others choose, to be chef's or menu planners. The one poor chap serving us the lamb was on his first night of silver service and struggled a bit with the delivery, but at least he was giving it a bash.
Claire Lara, the professional masterchef winner, is an alumna of the college and cooked in the restaurant as a thankyou a few weeks ago. She is about to open her own restaurant , La Mouette, in the Royal Hilbre Hotel in Hoylake, shortly. I am sure it will feature here in due course. She is looking to give Fraiche a bit of Michellin competition in the area. SWMBO attended the Chinese night last month and by all accounts it was fab.
Wirral Community College also has a student run restaurant at its Conway Park campus in Birkenhead, called The Birches, so that's another to be looking at next term.
Like many catering and beauty treatment colleges, Liverpool Community likes to try out on joe public from time to time. So last night I found myself along with about 30 other people sitting in a small dining room in the college campus not far from Chinatown and Liverpool 1.
There is a bar selling bottled beer, spirits and wine, and the house red Rioja was very passable. Last night the theme was the four nations, so the starters were Cumberland sausage and black pudding, Irish shrimp salad or leek and potato soup. This was followed by scotch salmon and the mains were steak and ale pie, Welsh lamb, Irish pork or fish and chips, with mushy peas. A composite of deserts finished off the evening. They were bramley apple pie, strawberries with victoria sponge and egg custard tart. All for £18 per head plus drinks, it was excellent quality and a bargain.
I enquired of the maitre de, who is a lecturer at the college, how it all works as I was surprised the waiting on team were all fairly mature students. They have a wide range of age groups working the restaurant at different times,he said, and there are five kitchens in the college, all backing a commercial enterprise, be it a bakery or a lunchtime snack bar. People are retraining after losing their jobs, or choosing a different career move.
The chef, also salaried, then took me into the kitchens to show me how he worked with the students. One of them was off to specialise in corporate hospitality, others choose, to be chef's or menu planners. The one poor chap serving us the lamb was on his first night of silver service and struggled a bit with the delivery, but at least he was giving it a bash.
Claire Lara, the professional masterchef winner, is an alumna of the college and cooked in the restaurant as a thankyou a few weeks ago. She is about to open her own restaurant , La Mouette, in the Royal Hilbre Hotel in Hoylake, shortly. I am sure it will feature here in due course. She is looking to give Fraiche a bit of Michellin competition in the area. SWMBO attended the Chinese night last month and by all accounts it was fab.
Wirral Community College also has a student run restaurant at its Conway Park campus in Birkenhead, called The Birches, so that's another to be looking at next term.
Monday, 6 June 2011
Oxton Bar and Terrace
Sounds quite grand doesn't it. It is a bar, but the terrace is really a patio beer garden clawed back from the car park and bordering the main road through the village. It does give the smokers somewhere to go though.
The OBT, as it is called by the trendy locals who frequent the place, is a late night must be seen sort of place in the middle of Oxton. In its former life it was originally the Talbot Arms, however, nothing remains of that establishment or the parade of shops it was part of. It was rebuilt and renames the Talbot Hotel and then the Oxton Arms, before the latest owners renamed it yet again and restyled it to fit more with the bohemian lifestyle which is Oxton.
The clientele are wide and varied in age, looks and ego's, but it does a fair pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord so I am fine when I go in there.
Its best to eat early in here for two reasons, the availability of tables, and the fact that the cocktail crowd can be fairly noisy as their tipple of choice takes hold.
The food we had when we tried it last week was very good quality pub grub. The fish and chips were substantial, and the batter crisp, the steak was cooked as required, and everything else that it came with was fine. The prices were reasonable, so no problem recommending it for anybody looking for a night out in Oxton. if you want to do the 2am close as well then good for you.
The place has a waitressing policy for food and drink so once we had the table, we were kept well oiled with drinks until we decided to 'make our excuses and leave'.
So a place which has had its fair share of critics in the past, but with good food, attentive waitresses and mean cocktail waiters, I would give it a go.
The OBT, as it is called by the trendy locals who frequent the place, is a late night must be seen sort of place in the middle of Oxton. In its former life it was originally the Talbot Arms, however, nothing remains of that establishment or the parade of shops it was part of. It was rebuilt and renames the Talbot Hotel and then the Oxton Arms, before the latest owners renamed it yet again and restyled it to fit more with the bohemian lifestyle which is Oxton.
The clientele are wide and varied in age, looks and ego's, but it does a fair pint of Timothy Taylor's Landlord so I am fine when I go in there.
Its best to eat early in here for two reasons, the availability of tables, and the fact that the cocktail crowd can be fairly noisy as their tipple of choice takes hold.
The food we had when we tried it last week was very good quality pub grub. The fish and chips were substantial, and the batter crisp, the steak was cooked as required, and everything else that it came with was fine. The prices were reasonable, so no problem recommending it for anybody looking for a night out in Oxton. if you want to do the 2am close as well then good for you.
The place has a waitressing policy for food and drink so once we had the table, we were kept well oiled with drinks until we decided to 'make our excuses and leave'.
So a place which has had its fair share of critics in the past, but with good food, attentive waitresses and mean cocktail waiters, I would give it a go.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
Halligans
An off the cuff decision took us to Halligans last week, ahead of the Royal Wedding. The unit was previously called Bamboo and the chef still has connections with the previous venue.
The restaurant is laid out over two floors, although the upstairs is only used when really busy, and the night we went it was comfortable, so we were seated near the window downstairs, affording me a view for a change, as the Oxton society passed by the window going hither and thither.
We got stuck into a bottle of Chardonnay and then the meal itself. I had scallops to start , accompanied with asparagus and crisped palma ham, SWMBO had the chicken liver pate. This comes in its own preserves type pot with door stop toasted bread slices. All was very tasty.
For the main course I selected the roast belly pork, and the other half had a a very good braised daube of beef. Both were served with a selection of vegetables and potatoes. The veg included red cabbage, a choice which only seems to be available in restaurants....who does eat red cabbage at home?
All in all it was very pleasant, and the fixed price menu at £12.50 is very reasonable ( scallops were extra though). The staff are always very friendly, so the only criticism was the speed of service. No it was not slow, quite the opposite. We booked for 8pm, nobody arrived after us, and we were almost last out of the door at 9;15ish. It was our fault for not asking for a break between courses, something we always try to do, but it still felt a bit like they wanted to be done so they could shut early. So remember to ask for that breathing space when you go.
Lucky we did not have cheese really.
The restaurant is laid out over two floors, although the upstairs is only used when really busy, and the night we went it was comfortable, so we were seated near the window downstairs, affording me a view for a change, as the Oxton society passed by the window going hither and thither.
We got stuck into a bottle of Chardonnay and then the meal itself. I had scallops to start , accompanied with asparagus and crisped palma ham, SWMBO had the chicken liver pate. This comes in its own preserves type pot with door stop toasted bread slices. All was very tasty.
For the main course I selected the roast belly pork, and the other half had a a very good braised daube of beef. Both were served with a selection of vegetables and potatoes. The veg included red cabbage, a choice which only seems to be available in restaurants....who does eat red cabbage at home?
All in all it was very pleasant, and the fixed price menu at £12.50 is very reasonable ( scallops were extra though). The staff are always very friendly, so the only criticism was the speed of service. No it was not slow, quite the opposite. We booked for 8pm, nobody arrived after us, and we were almost last out of the door at 9;15ish. It was our fault for not asking for a break between courses, something we always try to do, but it still felt a bit like they wanted to be done so they could shut early. So remember to ask for that breathing space when you go.
Lucky we did not have cheese really.
Saturday, 23 April 2011
Fraiche
Last Saturday we went to worship at the alter which is the food heaven of Marc 'Pierre' Wilkinson. The restaurant is tucked into a small parade of shops in Oxton, with a chip shop one side and a double unit tapas bar , the Courtyard, next door.
I don't think I have ever been to a one star Michelin restaurant before, although I may have been in Rome or Paris without realising it, so I was intrigued to see what makes a restaurant that special.
The venue limits covers to ten, so as well as our party of four there were two couples in. One were being treated as a wedding present, the others were 'regulars' as they continued to point out to anybody who would listen. More about them later.
We were served all night by two delightful waitresses who explained the construction of each course in precise detail. And what a menu we had. We started with roasted almonds, were treated to a leaf of watercress with champagne oyster sauce. Then followed carrot soup with a mint froth, celeriac with fois grois and a hens egg. and a selection of breads. The main was Gressington duck followed by the cheese board and finally roasted pineapple. It was all extremely yummy, and lived up to the £55 price tag, and the one star rating.
We accompanied the meal with a bottle of Mud House Sauvignon Blanc which was great and a bottle of Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar 2000 from Lebanon. It was here that the first crack in the operation showed itself. The bottle we were offered was corked, although only just. The waitress had to take advise from the chef before it was changed. That should not have happened, and what would have developed if he had disagreed? We were then offered a 1999 vintage as the second bottle with no explanation why, and finally, I got all the sediment in the final glass, after which the waitress said, ah, I think I should have decanted this wine!! Yes, love, you should have .
We did not let a dodgy bottle of red spoil the evening and we all agreed we would go back if the right occasion presented itself.
What happened next, however, would have cost the chef his star if it was anything to do with me. Previously mentioned self important couple indicated to the waitress that as they were regulars they would like to say hello to Marc. Out he came to talk to them about how he chats to other top chefs around Europe as he strives for a second star in a such a small premises. What he did not do is acknowledge the table of four punters who were right behind him. How difficult is it to say 'hello, was everything to your liking' as he passed?
Now he may think that being in the Gordon Ramsay school of rude, arrogant chefs is the way to get on, but it did him no favours on Saturday.
I don't think I have ever been to a one star Michelin restaurant before, although I may have been in Rome or Paris without realising it, so I was intrigued to see what makes a restaurant that special.
The venue limits covers to ten, so as well as our party of four there were two couples in. One were being treated as a wedding present, the others were 'regulars' as they continued to point out to anybody who would listen. More about them later.
We were served all night by two delightful waitresses who explained the construction of each course in precise detail. And what a menu we had. We started with roasted almonds, were treated to a leaf of watercress with champagne oyster sauce. Then followed carrot soup with a mint froth, celeriac with fois grois and a hens egg. and a selection of breads. The main was Gressington duck followed by the cheese board and finally roasted pineapple. It was all extremely yummy, and lived up to the £55 price tag, and the one star rating.
We accompanied the meal with a bottle of Mud House Sauvignon Blanc which was great and a bottle of Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar 2000 from Lebanon. It was here that the first crack in the operation showed itself. The bottle we were offered was corked, although only just. The waitress had to take advise from the chef before it was changed. That should not have happened, and what would have developed if he had disagreed? We were then offered a 1999 vintage as the second bottle with no explanation why, and finally, I got all the sediment in the final glass, after which the waitress said, ah, I think I should have decanted this wine!! Yes, love, you should have .
We did not let a dodgy bottle of red spoil the evening and we all agreed we would go back if the right occasion presented itself.
What happened next, however, would have cost the chef his star if it was anything to do with me. Previously mentioned self important couple indicated to the waitress that as they were regulars they would like to say hello to Marc. Out he came to talk to them about how he chats to other top chefs around Europe as he strives for a second star in a such a small premises. What he did not do is acknowledge the table of four punters who were right behind him. How difficult is it to say 'hello, was everything to your liking' as he passed?
Now he may think that being in the Gordon Ramsay school of rude, arrogant chefs is the way to get on, but it did him no favours on Saturday.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Da Piero
Well we don't get out much do we, first restaurant review for ages.......
Friday saw us visit this Italian restaurant in the heart of Irby, along with some work colleague and a couple of friends. The restaurant is well thought of locally, and has two knives and forks in the 2011 Michelin guide.
It has about twenty covers, making it cosy, and the decor is a bit '50s. There is also talk of them taking over the unit next door and expanding so it will be interesting to see how that changes the look and feel of the place.
Now onto the food. The four of us on our table had a wide choice of dishes. I had crayfish tails to start, the others had Pepata di cozza, a clam based dish, then we had seabass, an ossobuco and meatballs. The ossbuco is a traditional Sicillian dish and looked excellent. The mains all came with puy lentils, chopped saute potatoes and mixed veg. I sometimes find seabass a bit bland but this just about stood the flavour test, I suspect it was farmed though. That said, we all agreed it as very pleasant and it negated the need for a pud!!
The wine was provided in the price of our deal, and was fine, although I would not know what it was....
So all in all a good forage into the unknown and a venue we will return to. Ambiance is all important in Italian restaurants and the small floor area might stifle that if too many food trendies were booked in.
Dawn and her staff were very attentive and were good enough to e-mail us in the week to thank us for our service. Maybe the other Michelin restaurant on the Wirral could learn a bit from Da Piero
A brief word too for the pub over the road, the Shippons, where the guv'nor was very welcoming and resigned to his punters regularly going over the road, when he served food himself. We might try that one day ..
Friday saw us visit this Italian restaurant in the heart of Irby, along with some work colleague and a couple of friends. The restaurant is well thought of locally, and has two knives and forks in the 2011 Michelin guide.
It has about twenty covers, making it cosy, and the decor is a bit '50s. There is also talk of them taking over the unit next door and expanding so it will be interesting to see how that changes the look and feel of the place.
Now onto the food. The four of us on our table had a wide choice of dishes. I had crayfish tails to start, the others had Pepata di cozza, a clam based dish, then we had seabass, an ossobuco and meatballs. The ossbuco is a traditional Sicillian dish and looked excellent. The mains all came with puy lentils, chopped saute potatoes and mixed veg. I sometimes find seabass a bit bland but this just about stood the flavour test, I suspect it was farmed though. That said, we all agreed it as very pleasant and it negated the need for a pud!!
The wine was provided in the price of our deal, and was fine, although I would not know what it was....
So all in all a good forage into the unknown and a venue we will return to. Ambiance is all important in Italian restaurants and the small floor area might stifle that if too many food trendies were booked in.
Dawn and her staff were very attentive and were good enough to e-mail us in the week to thank us for our service. Maybe the other Michelin restaurant on the Wirral could learn a bit from Da Piero
A brief word too for the pub over the road, the Shippons, where the guv'nor was very welcoming and resigned to his punters regularly going over the road, when he served food himself. We might try that one day ..
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