Tucked away behind Oxford Circus, we brave the horrendous downpour of heavy rain on a grim Saturday afternoon to visit Pho, serving Vietnamese ‘street food’. The menu here is simple and a few of the really interesting sounding dishes are only available in the evening, which is a bit of a drag.
Verjuice launches Nationwide
Verjuice has recently become available to British home cooks and chefs alike. This versatile product is made from the unfermented juice of unripe wine grapes, pressed from the green-harvested thinnings that, we are told, are high in acid and low in sugar. Its versatility as a flavour enhancer makes it an excellent alternative to lemon juice, vinegar or wine in your cooking.
The Avenue,St James’s Street, London
The Avenue is an impressive place, its long bar with comfortable seating opposite draws you in to the main restaurant area. Clever use of mirrored walls makes this already substantial and spacious restaurant look enormous. Our meal there was excellent and we would highly recommend it.
Warm Jersey Royals salad with asparagus and basil dressing with salmon
Warm Jersey Royals salad with asparagus and basil dressing with salmon
Opus, Birmingham
Opus is located in the heart of Birmingham city centre’s business district and the ambience is perhaps slightly more suited to corporate hospitality rather than intimate romantic liaisons. Nevertheless, the powerful combination of excellent food and fine wine should be enough to satisfy those who are dining as a twosome. The most important reason for choosing Opus is the quality of the food.
Linguine alle Vongole (Linguine with Clams)
‘Bada-Bing!”… ‘Fuhgeddaboudit”… Ok, I’ll stop, but Linguine and clams always make me come over all ‘New York-style Mafia boss-ish’. It is one of my all time favourite dishes to eat. After years of hearing about it in Mafia movies, I felt compelled to see what all the fuss was about and I tell you, I fell head over heels in love. Silky strands of ‘Al-Dente’ pasta bathed in a rich, white wine, garlic and clam-studded sauce with emerald flecks of parsley and just a hint of chilli
American Beer. Nicely priced and over here
James Clay, the specialist beer people, presented a collection of ‘attitudinal’ beers from four of America’s most highly regarded breweries: Brooklyn of New York; Anchor of San Francisco; Goose Island of Chicago and Flying Dog of Maryland.
Rockliffe Hall Gourmet Breaks. A taste of the North
Kenny Atkinson is a Great British Chef with a Michelin Star to boot. He’s now head chef at the new 5 star country house hotel Rockliffe Hall in County Durham and Nick Harman went up to sample the delights of their Gourmet Break, admire the historical setting and avoid the fabulous spa if he possibly could.