I am sure that you are ravenous with anticipation for tales of my latest culinary expeditions! Since my last outing to McDonalds over 2 weeks ago, B and I have had to be careful with our pennies (as you know you can only have treats like that once in a while!) Having said that, we have still managed to fit in, along with a wedding, a couple of meals out. Last Sunday, we were hungry so we ate at Giuliano's. My family are big fans of this restaurant and I have had many enjoyable meals there, but it is such a large space, that I felt lonely with just B for company! There are waiters there that I have seen year after year, and I have to say, on this particular evening,they were not at their bubbliest which obviously did not help with the atmosphere. I think that working in Domenico's has really made me appreciate that smaller, more intimate restaurants are the way forward. They have a comfortable, more friendly vibe that you just don't get in larger places, unless you supply your own by bringing along your extended family. The food was alright, my only complaint was about my panzanella salad. B and I went to the food festival in Holyrood park in the summer and watched Mary Contini of Valvona and Crolla, make one and since then I have been wanting to try it out. Panzanella salad, is made up of stale bread with tomatoes, basil, oil and vinegar. It can have other bits, salad leaves, onion, olives etc but the main ingredient is bread. Not in Giuliano's, here I would agrue it was vinegar, followed by white onion and then lettuce. Four croutons do not constitute a panzanella salad! But, as with Garibaldi's, I didn't complain. I must try to be more honest when I am in a restaurant, as I am becoming uneasy with 'bitching' behind their backs. I ordered (what I thought was going to be) a carb based salad as I was having a very light seafood dish for my main, but at least, in practice, this ment I had room for my dessert - Giuliano's 'Crepe', a crepe (no really?!) with ice-cream and the piece de resistance - amaretto soaked strawberries Mmmmmmmmm!!!!! I am not a dessert person, I think 11 years of working for a certain high street confectioners may have taken care of my sugar cravings, but I always have room for this one, and thankfully it is always as good as I think it is. Unfortunately I cannot say that for the rest of the food we had that evening. It was fine, we entered hungry and left full - job done.
From a journey down memory lane, to a shot in the dark: The Smoke Stack. My mum and dad are currently eating burgers with Disney characters and are therefore going to miss my birthday, so on Wednesday we went out to celebrate. As usual, the challenge of finding a restaurant to satisfy all of our 'dietary' requirements was a struggle. B with his Mexican 'needs'; mum with her 'special' tastes and me - the food snob - thankfully balanced by my dad who will eat practically anything and be happy he has been fed! The Smoke Stack was somewhere that appeared to cover all these angles, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they managed to do everything. The service was fantastic; friendly, casual and informed - although the waiter did underestimate my appetite - large portions my ass! (Not that they were small - there is just no such thing as too much good foor when it comes to me!) I had cullen skink followed by mussels, fries and a side salad. I would like to tell you what everyone else had to eat but I was far too interested in what was in front of me to notice. B had chilli and then fajitas, but I can work that out from the menu! I can vouch for the fact that everyone really enjoyed what they had. When we entered, the decor was simple, it kind of reminded me of Wagamama's but with soft furnishings and on a smaller, more intamate scale. The tables were long, and this restaurant would lend itself nicely to a large group. There are lots of places around the Broughton Street area that we end up eating, in the future I will be able to suggest, confidently, that we go to The Smoke Stack. I noticed that it also conveniently offers a pre-theatre menu.
B and I came across this restaurant when we were looking for a fish restaurant with suitable dishes for B who doesn't like fish. It is a slow and laborious process of google-ing and then individually checking the menus, thankfully B has more patience for this game than I do! Most of the time I get teasted by the prospect of beautiful seafood platters, scallops, mussels and lobster - just to get it rejected. In general when I see a restaurant with a menu so diverse, I am dubious about the likely hood of any of it being good. I also think that large menus begin to read like a pub menu and that can never be a good thing. The Smoke Stack was agreed on as I grew tired to looking for somewhere for us all to go. I am glad that I took the chance on this place, and it has reaffirmed that there are a plethora of good restaurants out there, and that breaking out of my comfort zone is a rewarding exercise! Writing this blog has driven me to find new places to go, and I am looking forward to revisiting some of them with our impending visitors.
However, the hours spent on the internet searching for places that capture our imagination is getting boring! If anyone has any suggestions of places that I should try out, preferably ones that they have heard good things about, let me know...
Tuesday 19 October 2010
Tuesday 5 October 2010
The Lady Who Lunches...
This title perhaps makes my life sound a bit more sophisticated than it is, but it is in fact a truism that at least 6 days out of 7, I eat my lunch in a restaurant. The figures are somewhat skewed by the fact that I work in a restaurant and get fed at the end of each lunch shift! However, there has been a sprinkling of other places I've visited that I feel I should group together as I can't really justify drawing out reviews of sandwiches!
At the end of summer, when I had been back in Edinburgh for about 2 weeks, I met a friend for lunch at Tigerlily, a very pink 'boutique hotel' on George Street is full of pretentious places for a certain type of person and despite my love of cocktails, I do not feel that I completely fit into this scene. As I am game for anything now, and I have to say, encouraged by my friend's money off voucher, we took our seats in a very large, but fairly empty dining area. The menu was small, and as I discovered when our food arrived - over priced. Had we not had the voucher, I would be asking which sparkly light or glass baubley bit I had just bought shares in! I have just looked at the 'Day Menu' that is on line at the moment and I do not think that the prices are the same as we (would have) paid - I can only blame the festival... To explain my moaning, I ordered a salad with halloumi, sun blush tomatoes and kalamata olives for £7.95. It duly arrived; a couple of thin slices of halloumi on a not so large pile of mixed leaves with a couple of olives, and a couple of tomatoes. Maybe I was spoilt by food like this being pretty much a staple in Brighton, but I think that this was a fairly expensive salad! It was lovely, don't get me wrong, I often have something similar at home, just on a slightly larger scale. I (thankfully) ordered a side of edamame beans with prosciutto; at £3.50, I also found it quite expensive - but divine! My friend who was slightly hung-over and in need of stodge (so perhaps in the wrong place) ordered a burger that I think was around the £9 mark. I don't know if it is just me but I have very strong feelings about 'high end' burgers. We all know that it is a burger, the waiting staff, the kitchen staff and most definately the person who ordered it. The rectangular platter, leaving the top off and putting the chips in a ceramic cup does not detract from the fact that it is a burger and chips! Fancy presentation can not be the only reason for the extreme prices, can it... If it was a huge burger and a generous portion of chips, perhaps the whole thing would have been easier to swallow! The glasses of Prosecco with a dash of rose liquor (serious amounts of pink in this place!) did, however, help us on our way!
When it has been my choice of lunch venue, I have opted for The Keniworth on Rose Street. There is no pretension in this venue at all, it is a traditional pub, selling traditional Scottish pub food and it won my heart due to the size of the chunks of cheese on the ploughman's! While up visiting, B and I happened upon it one afternoon and we were both very happy with our lot, it was difficult to choose, so we had to go back. I have been here a couple of times since I have moved up, including a Sunday lunch with Adam and co. All the food that I have had there, I have enjoyed, creamy and filling Cullen Skink and good old haggis, neeps and tatties - all reasonably priced. I think that amongst the millions of bars and restaurants on Rose Street, it is handy to have a tried and tested friend, and this really is the type of place I can imagine myself taking respite from the harsh Scottish winter! It will also be a wee gem when B's parents and grandparents visit.
There have been a few really nice Saturdays lately, and my shifts have worked out to allow B and I to spend the day together i.e. go for lunch. Urban Angel is another place suggested by Urban Spon and we had been wanting to go there for a while. The ethos of the company is all about organic produce, something that is very common in Brighton, but that does not appear to be so prevalent in Edinburgh. The menu offered a nice selection of healthy sounding meze style small plates and then sandwiches etc. The food was good, but again expensive. I had a falafel flatbread sandwich with raita and chilli jam for £8.95. No accompaniment, no chips, crisps, salad - not even a garnish. B had a sun blush tomato and goats cheese gallette, with a really nice quinoa salad. The food was tasty and nutritious, I may go back there in the future, but it was strange to pay so much for the novelty of something that used to be part of my everyday life down south. I also would make sure that I had a lot of time on my hands! I am new to the waiting profession, I do not claim to be the best, but the staff in Urban Angel were useless! There was a couple beside us who had to wait 20 minutes for a drink and there was a fair amount of waiting for us, including the worst kind: waiting for the bill! (I do have to say that I have also been to the deli and found this to be fantastic, especially the cucumber, apple and lemon juice!)
I always try to think about my experiences in restaurants, the good and the bad from waiting staff, and create a good experience for my customers, I hope that I achieve this most of the time! I also get to be a customer in Cafe Domenico on a daily basis. Having been there for 7 weeks now, I am working my way through the menu! I have had loads of the house favourite Spicy Sausage pasta, and by loads, I mean loads! This is the ready made take-away pasta and there are sometimes leftovers that just have to be eaten... All of the food that I have tasted has been fantastic. It is a testimony to the quality of the food that I have not yet had enough pasta to last me a lifetime! Adam, B, my mum, dad and aunty have all visited the restaurant and have loved it - and I do not think they are being biased as nightly I hear customers echoing their opinions. Last Friday, I got treated to Spaghetti Al Mare - a fabulous seafood dish, I would happily bankrupt the restaurant having this for lunch everyday.
My lunching has not always been so indulgent... B and I tried out in infamous Jimmy Chung's, a Chinese buffet restaurant that is almost an Edinburgh institution for whatever reason. Adam and I are not above our dirty food binges but I do not think that this place will satisfy! I would certainly be hesitant about returning to eat chicken 100 ways! It gets worse; after aiming for a pub lunch on Sunday after a walk around Arthur's Seat, B and I ended up in McDonalds. Enough said. Apart from - the Big Mac has seriously shrunk.
At the end of summer, when I had been back in Edinburgh for about 2 weeks, I met a friend for lunch at Tigerlily, a very pink 'boutique hotel' on George Street is full of pretentious places for a certain type of person and despite my love of cocktails, I do not feel that I completely fit into this scene. As I am game for anything now, and I have to say, encouraged by my friend's money off voucher, we took our seats in a very large, but fairly empty dining area. The menu was small, and as I discovered when our food arrived - over priced. Had we not had the voucher, I would be asking which sparkly light or glass baubley bit I had just bought shares in! I have just looked at the 'Day Menu' that is on line at the moment and I do not think that the prices are the same as we (would have) paid - I can only blame the festival... To explain my moaning, I ordered a salad with halloumi, sun blush tomatoes and kalamata olives for £7.95. It duly arrived; a couple of thin slices of halloumi on a not so large pile of mixed leaves with a couple of olives, and a couple of tomatoes. Maybe I was spoilt by food like this being pretty much a staple in Brighton, but I think that this was a fairly expensive salad! It was lovely, don't get me wrong, I often have something similar at home, just on a slightly larger scale. I (thankfully) ordered a side of edamame beans with prosciutto; at £3.50, I also found it quite expensive - but divine! My friend who was slightly hung-over and in need of stodge (so perhaps in the wrong place) ordered a burger that I think was around the £9 mark. I don't know if it is just me but I have very strong feelings about 'high end' burgers. We all know that it is a burger, the waiting staff, the kitchen staff and most definately the person who ordered it. The rectangular platter, leaving the top off and putting the chips in a ceramic cup does not detract from the fact that it is a burger and chips! Fancy presentation can not be the only reason for the extreme prices, can it... If it was a huge burger and a generous portion of chips, perhaps the whole thing would have been easier to swallow! The glasses of Prosecco with a dash of rose liquor (serious amounts of pink in this place!) did, however, help us on our way!
When it has been my choice of lunch venue, I have opted for The Keniworth on Rose Street. There is no pretension in this venue at all, it is a traditional pub, selling traditional Scottish pub food and it won my heart due to the size of the chunks of cheese on the ploughman's! While up visiting, B and I happened upon it one afternoon and we were both very happy with our lot, it was difficult to choose, so we had to go back. I have been here a couple of times since I have moved up, including a Sunday lunch with Adam and co. All the food that I have had there, I have enjoyed, creamy and filling Cullen Skink and good old haggis, neeps and tatties - all reasonably priced. I think that amongst the millions of bars and restaurants on Rose Street, it is handy to have a tried and tested friend, and this really is the type of place I can imagine myself taking respite from the harsh Scottish winter! It will also be a wee gem when B's parents and grandparents visit.
There have been a few really nice Saturdays lately, and my shifts have worked out to allow B and I to spend the day together i.e. go for lunch. Urban Angel is another place suggested by Urban Spon and we had been wanting to go there for a while. The ethos of the company is all about organic produce, something that is very common in Brighton, but that does not appear to be so prevalent in Edinburgh. The menu offered a nice selection of healthy sounding meze style small plates and then sandwiches etc. The food was good, but again expensive. I had a falafel flatbread sandwich with raita and chilli jam for £8.95. No accompaniment, no chips, crisps, salad - not even a garnish. B had a sun blush tomato and goats cheese gallette, with a really nice quinoa salad. The food was tasty and nutritious, I may go back there in the future, but it was strange to pay so much for the novelty of something that used to be part of my everyday life down south. I also would make sure that I had a lot of time on my hands! I am new to the waiting profession, I do not claim to be the best, but the staff in Urban Angel were useless! There was a couple beside us who had to wait 20 minutes for a drink and there was a fair amount of waiting for us, including the worst kind: waiting for the bill! (I do have to say that I have also been to the deli and found this to be fantastic, especially the cucumber, apple and lemon juice!)
I always try to think about my experiences in restaurants, the good and the bad from waiting staff, and create a good experience for my customers, I hope that I achieve this most of the time! I also get to be a customer in Cafe Domenico on a daily basis. Having been there for 7 weeks now, I am working my way through the menu! I have had loads of the house favourite Spicy Sausage pasta, and by loads, I mean loads! This is the ready made take-away pasta and there are sometimes leftovers that just have to be eaten... All of the food that I have tasted has been fantastic. It is a testimony to the quality of the food that I have not yet had enough pasta to last me a lifetime! Adam, B, my mum, dad and aunty have all visited the restaurant and have loved it - and I do not think they are being biased as nightly I hear customers echoing their opinions. Last Friday, I got treated to Spaghetti Al Mare - a fabulous seafood dish, I would happily bankrupt the restaurant having this for lunch everyday.
My lunching has not always been so indulgent... B and I tried out in infamous Jimmy Chung's, a Chinese buffet restaurant that is almost an Edinburgh institution for whatever reason. Adam and I are not above our dirty food binges but I do not think that this place will satisfy! I would certainly be hesitant about returning to eat chicken 100 ways! It gets worse; after aiming for a pub lunch on Sunday after a walk around Arthur's Seat, B and I ended up in McDonalds. Enough said. Apart from - the Big Mac has seriously shrunk.
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