Where have you eaten out lately?

ParisGal · Post by **ParisGal** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:12 pm

We're just back from a pop-up event held in a local wine cave with a surprise local chef & menu. It was great - the cave was pretty (and totally dry!) with a roaring log fire, and the chef was a 33 year-old who'd done a vegetarian 5 course menu with paired wines. The dessert was just average, with an average rosé sparkling wine, but everything else was really nice.

Ella · Post by **Ella** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:23 pm

That sounds lovely. Was it ham five different ways

?

(It really does sound nice though.)

ParisGal · Post by **ParisGal** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 5:34 pm

No ham! Although I'm not totally sure it was legit vegetarian, I don't think there was anything like Parmesan etc.

On one side I was sat next to an older man who kept going on about how it would have been great with a leg of roast boar or some duck. He said this to our whole table, to at least two of the waiting staff, and again to the chef when he came out to chat to everyone. They all humoured him, and he then said to my FIL "I always have a lot of success with the roast boar comment" and my FIL replied (as far as I could tell totally innocently) "Oh, so you say that a lot, do you?"

There was a pumpkin soup with grilled hazelnuts and onion confit, and spaghetti squash with mushrooms and all sorts of things that were truly delicious. Plus an elderflower kir and a peculiar spiced wine. Apparently the inspiration was the da Vinci anniversary, who said that it wasn't right for us to eat animals.

Luna · Post by **Luna** » Tue Oct 22, 2019 6:14 pm

Well Flint House didn't happen as they weren't serving until 6 so we went round the corner to Coppa which is fairly new and had a nice meal there instead. Nothing fancy but it was tasty enough. Nice handcream in the ladies as well. Plus a bonus spy on Dave Day who owns loads of pubs and calls himself Mr Lion. His green Bentley was parked nearby. He has the most extraordinary bouffant hair.

Froozy · Post by **Froozy** » Fri Oct 25, 2019 10:42 am

I went to Pasta Loco last night with friends and it was amazing. They only had one portion of smoked cheddar and leek arancini left when we'd ordered two so they threw together a beetroot, goats cheese and feta one instead which was even better than the first. I had ox tail stuffed pasta, and there was a very fancy carbonara with a poached egg wrapped in pancetta and a couple of other things I can't quite remember

. Dessert was also delicious, although we were pretty full by then so shared a couple between us.

Toast · Post by **Toast** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:53 pm

I had dinner at Panera tonight, a smallish chain of Thai restaurants and it was great. Some of the best Thai food I’ve had.

I often find find Thai food can be a bit too sweet for me but this was just right.

Special mention to the ridiculous millennial who ordered off menu, complained about how westernized the food was and attempted to talk to the Greek waiter in Thai

Ella · Post by **Ella** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:57 pm

Oh, CRINGE!

Toast · Post by **Toast** » Sun Jan 19, 2020 11:01 pm

It was very amusing. He looked at her in a very quizzical way while I laughed a bit too loudly and got a full on death stare from her and an eye roll from the waiter : D

Derek Nimmo · Post by **Derek Nimmo** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 12:57 pm

Let's resurrect this thread before we're locked down again

I just went for a very early lunch on the terrace at The Flint House and it was LOVELY. It opened a couple of years ago, and whilst I'd had some good cocktails and nibbles there they very annoyingly had a no-booking policy for dining from the full menu (which was available inside only). And man, was it constantly busy so I tried and failed to get in for dinner a few times.

But all that's changed now of course, so me and a colleague took advantage and just shared the...

Tuna crudo on a pistachio and pumpkin seed cream with pickled barberries and rye crisps
Tomato salad, smoked tomato dressing, goats curd, basil, cruton
Lamb belly on a bed of smoked aubergine
Potato confit with aioli

It was all so delightful to be cooked for and served that I could have wept. And they are clearly so pleased to see customers.

ETA Oh look, Luna and I were talking about it on the top of this very page!

Mountain Goat · Post by **Mountain Goat** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 1:15 pm

oh GOD.

Rosa · Post by **Rosa** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 3:11 pm

That sounds so good!

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:00 pm

That sounds gert lush Derek.

We went to Franco Manca in Bristol at the weekend. The burrata starter was delicious (HOW have I not had this before??) but both pizzas were soggy as anything on the bottom. Sadly this was our experience at a Franco Manca in London before lockdown so having been only twice and had soggy pizzas twice, we won't be going again. There was also a QR scan thing to book your table that didn't work, the girl on the door had to lean over us to look at our phones to try and work out what was wrong which kind of defeated the object (she was wearing a mask), and in the end had to book us in old stylee anyway.

If we eat out again in the next few months I will make sure it's worth the risk and eat somewhere with guaranteed good food.

Pippedydeadeye · Post by **Pippedydeadeye** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:03 pm

I went out for lunch yesterday and it was similarly disappointing kiwi. Just a local pub, but the wine tasted of hairspray and my Ploughman’s was a travesty. Sliced white bread, smoked cheddar & Parma ham.

kiwi · Post by **kiwi** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:04 pm

That is not a ploughmans.

Pippedydeadeye · Post by **Pippedydeadeye** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:09 pm

I was too shocked to do anything about it. But the rest was fine, all ordered & paid via an app, and we got to listen to the staff chatting the most boggling crap about mental health, lockdown and Spotify.

Ella · Post by **Ella** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:09 pm

Oh dear, it’s not. We’re you warned about the smoked cheddar?

Flora Poste · Post by **Flora Poste** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:32 pm

Ugh - I really dislike smoked cheddar - that would have been enough to make me very cross.

I had a disappointing pizza too recently - I won't name them as they are a small-ish local chain (plus one of the co-owners is a Dad in E's class so I would feel a bit mean) but I really don't like their pizza - it's ok in the restaurants but really doesn't work (for me) takeaway as there is way too much tomato sauce on it and next to no cheese.

I'm sorry you had a crap experience in Franco Manca Kiwi - I usually like them.

Derek Nimmo · Post by **Derek Nimmo** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:34 pm

I am saddened for all your disappointing food experiences. Which suck at anytime but especially so at the moment.

Kenickie · Post by **Kenickie** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:38 pm

I love Parma ham but it has no place in a ploughman's.

Pippedydeadeye · Post by **Pippedydeadeye** » Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:40 pm

Ella77 wrote: ↑Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:09 pm Oh dear, it’s not. We’re you warned about the smoked cheddar?

No! It was very much not as advertised, and expensive for what it was, but I couldn’t face complaining as it was edible and I hadn’t assembled it.

The Mock Turtle

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