This week was the last time that I was to see most of them so we were determined to Go Out and paint the town, if not red, a very definite shade of pink.
We went to the Olive Press in Liverpool mainly because they were offering a good midweek discount deal and we civil servants haven't had a payrise in a while. For £30 a head (three courses and wine) it seems churlish to complain. But the food, while adequate, did not rock my world.
My chicken liver pâté starter was woefully under seasoned though nicely presented - I'm a sucker for a Kilner jar.
Lemon chicken with goats' cheese and basil risotto was, again, a little lacking in flavour. Oh, and the chicken was overcooked. I know people can be squeamish about chicken but really, it needs to retain some moisture...
However. I can't complain about the liqueur coffee. So I won't. And the pizzas that were delivered to some of the party looked excellent - a pleasingly blistered base with a good amount of toppings - not so much as to be overkill, not too little to be sparse.
The hardcore contingent then made our way to Revolution for shots and giggles.
Don't you just love the idea of cocktail teapots?
What I learned here was:
• Birthday cake vodka is not nice.
• If you have had enough alcohol
previous to said birthday cake vodka, you will drink it anyway.
• Long Island Iced Tea ROCKS.
• I am no longer very good at late nights midweek.
Which is why, if you will excuse me, I'm off for a little nap. If you happen to be travelling across the Pennines on the way to York at the moment and you hear someone snoring away in the back carriage then do feel free to give me a sharp dig in the ribs - or at least wipe the drool off my chin.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We're spending two nights in York as part of our 'minimoon' (this is a banned word with P so maybe I should say 'honeymoon prequel'). Any recommendations? Someone at work who used to live there said we should eat at the Blue Bicycle...
ReplyDeleteHope the head is better!
Px
PS White russian cake is, however, delicious.
J Baker's Bistro Moderne is the best restaurant in York by a country mile and also the best value.
DeleteI believe Seren has mentioned the restaurant several times in the past.
The Blue Bicycle is fine, and I wouldn't say don't go, just make sure you go to J Baker's as well
Other places to consider The House of the Trembling Madness, The Three-legged Mare, the York Tap and The Evil Eye for a drink.
The Hairy Fig for a pie, the MUseum Gardens for a picnic, the top of the York MInster for the view and Little Betty's for a Fat Rascal [stay away from the big one - it's only for the tourists]
Kind regards
Dee Treaux
Dee is quite right - J Baker's is a real favourite with us. It does grazing menus for both lunch and dinner which are excellent value - the food is always exceptional and there is always an element of fun to the dishes as well.
DeleteThe Blue Bicycle has a very good reputation locally, and the one time we went we quite enjoyed it but it is quite pricey and, I think, lacks the flair of JB's.
The Evil Eye on Stonegate is one to check out if you like Thai food and similar - don't be put off by the fact that it looks like a bit of a dive, the food and cocktails are AMAZING.
For Italian there's a place called Le Langhe which would be worth a trip - it's a restaurant / cafe attached to a deli and they do a fig and almond tart to die for. We've yet to go there for an evening meal but it's very popular and said to be very good.
If you're into real ale then the York Brewery pubs are a must - The Three Legged Mare on High Petergate is the nicest. And if you happen to be arriving by train, there's a pub at the station called The York Taps that has a huge selection of stuff in tap.
Henshelwoods deli for sandwiches and salads if you want to picnic (Dee is right, the Museum Gardens are nice for that).
I ran out of space! Hope that helps a bit anyway...
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of a mini moon and York is a beautiful city to spend time in.
Sx
Sounds like great fun!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! But the morning after made me feel a tad old :-)))
DeleteSx
Thanks Seren and Dee! We won't want to move on to Northumberland after all that amazingness!
ReplyDelete