Archive for November, 2008
Posted by EatOut on November 27, 2008
This month EATOUT has teamed up with local foodie magazine flavour to bring you all the latest news, interviews and recipes from the restaurant world.
Member Offer: They are also offering EATOUT members a chance to try flavour FREE for 3 MONTHS. Click here for more information.
flavour catches up with owner of London restaurant Smiths of Smithfield at the launch of his latest book John Torode’s Beef.
f: Was your decision to write about beef in any way prompted by the return to more traditional British cooking?
J.T: The whole point of Beef is really trying to celebrate the greatness of Britain. The idea of the book is for people to understand a single great subject – beef seems to be one of those extraordinary ingredients that everybody is scared of. People are now happy to go and ask for a different type of apple but we are much less adventurous when it comes to the different cuts of beef. I wanted to demystify the subject a little bit and make it more exciting.
f: You have emphasised in the book that good food should be accessible to all – how did you try to achieve this when putting the book together?
J.T: Everybody should have the right to eat good food. What I’ve done with the book is to take it from the really basic to the quite complicated, and from ingredients which are expensive such as fillet for beef Wellington down to cuts like shin which are really cheap and make the best curry.
f: You mentioned supermarkets sometimes use misleading labels when it comes to meat – would you always advocate using your local butcher instead?
To read the rest of the article, click here.
EATOUT MEMBER OFFER – GET 3 MONTHS flavour magazine FREE
Posted in EatOut bites | Comments (0)
Posted by EatOut on November 21, 2008
Finally the long awaited Clifton Lido Restaurant opens its doors.
The Restaurant at Clifton Lido will bring a unique new dining experience to Bristol when it opens this month.
Key to the £2 million redevelopment of the grade II listed Clifton Lido was for an ambitious new restaurant to shape the future of this historic facility and make it socially relevant today.
The Restaurant at Clifton Lido is a destination in its own right, serving fresh, rustic seasonal food, much of it locally grown, cooked in an Italian wood-fired Valoriani oven imported from Florence.
In keeping with the leisure setting, the restaurant is informal and the food reasonably priced with options to order starters or mains, little plates or sharing plates. See over for a sample menu from head chef Freddy Bird.
The restaurant will open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, while the poolside bar will open in the morning and afternoon for breakfast, brunch, afternoon teas and light meals, with a drinks service during the evening.
“Produce will be sourced locally where possible but the influence comes from much further afield, from European and Middle Eastern countries,” said owner Arne Ringner, the man behind two landmark floating restaurants in Bristol, Glass Boat and Spyglass.
For Arne, the opportunity to open another restaurant by water – this time in Bristol’s “West End” of Clifton – was what drew him to this most challenging redevelopment of a grade II listed site. The Lido’s 75 seat restaurant overlooks the pool with a vast sliding glass wall to maximise the views.
“We have a vision of the Lido being very accessible as a social hub for local people and as a destination for people from further afield who are curious to see how a 19th century Lido can be adapted to modern life,” says Arne.
Tags: rustic, swimming pool, wood-fired oven
Posted in Bristol, EatOut bites | Comments (1)
Posted by EatOut on November 20, 2008
HOW TO ENTER:
EVERY time you leave a review until the 6th January 2009, we’ll enter you into ONE prize draw.
1. Choose your prize from the list above and Grab its PROMO CODE.
2. Search for a restaurant and Add a review (you must be logged in – it’s free to register). You can start reviewing here: Bristol restaurants : Bath restaurants
3. Enter your promo code and ‘Submit’.
4. Enter as many times as you like – the more you review, the more you can win!!
5. Closing date: January 6th, 2009.
Prizes will be drawn after January 6th and the winners notified – we will publish the results right here (member username’s only)
Automated entries will be disqualified.
More prizes available from Loquax and The Prize Finder
Tags: 12 days of christmas, gifts, prizes
Posted in EatOut bites | Comments (1)
Posted by matthewwood on November 18, 2008
After a small build delay the Living Room Bristol has opened its doors to it’s new trendy restaurant and bar, located near Gala Casino, in a district of the harbourside that is yet to create its own identity.
My Wife and a couple of friends were invited to the Glamorous opening on Saturday evening, greeted by a very friendly front of house you can’t help but be stunned by the excellently designed interior – the attention to details is immense.
We were shown to our table where we ordered some bread and olives and four glasses of House Champagne, it was after all our friend’s anniversary too!
Our starters arrived without delay, the Mussels were a great choice accompanied by hot fresh bread and dipping accompaniment, my wife ordered the Duck Pancakes which were perfectly cooked. Our friends ordered the Beer battered king prawns, which I’m told were delicious if a little greasy.
The menu as a whole has been exceptionally thought out, offering a number of home comfort dishes in addition to a selection that tease you to pick them – you’ll find something for everyone.
The atmosphere in the Living Room was buzzing, tucked in the corner we noticed a baby grand which sat an excellent pianist and singer belting out likeable hits from yesteryear and today.
Mains arrived quickly which considering there were over 200 people in the restaurant was a pleasant surprise.
My Rib eye steak was tender and cooked rare as ordered, the side of honey roasted carrots were excellent too. The Ostrich was a favoured choice on the table as was the Thai Green Chicken Curry – both dishes went down well.
For our desserts we requested a 30 minute break, which gave us time to relax and take in the vibrant atmosphere whilst enjoying the fine wine and beers available.
Still feeling rather full, we opted for the Chocolate Fondant for two to share, this was an excellent choice with fresh fruit, biscotti and delectably soft marshmallow.
Time flew by as the Pianist was replaced with a DJ who livened up the bar area where a number of people had decided to dance away – The attentive Manager Toby informed us that he’ll be a regular at the venue.
We moved on to taste some of the excellent cocktails, the Amaretto Sours being a hit.
Our experience at the Living Room was very enjoyable, and whilst you can’t class it as fine dining it is a very welcome addition to the harbourside scene offering a destination venue to dine with friends and relax until the early hours in a trendy, vibrant, buzzy and entertaining environment.
Only time will tell how the Living Room will evolve and what clientele it will attract, Being a local to the area I’m sure I’ll be back to check on its progress some time soon.
Tags: harbourside, living room
Posted in Bristol, EatOut bites | Comments (0)
Posted by EatOut on November 11, 2008
Many would argue, Clifton in Bristol is the hub of the restaurant scene. With over 70 Italian, British, Chinese and Indian restaurants, as well as some of the best European restaurants in Bristol, you don’t need to look too far to find exactly what you’re looking for.
With the imposing and magnificent Brunel suspension bridge linking Clifton to Ashton Court and North Somerset, it also makes Clifton ideally situated for visitors coming from the West Country.
However, with so many Gloucester Road restaurants as well as the new developments at Bristol Harbourside and the brand new Cabot Circus areas, competition is strong.
Posted in EatOut bites | Comments (0)
Posted by EatOut on November 10, 2008
Looking for a stoll in the country followed by a great gastro pub meal and a pint by a roaring log fire? Check out our new ‘Country Pubs’ search.
With our Country Pubs section, you can plan your walk or drive around the best local pubs serving real ales, fine wines and great gastro food – simply search for ‘Country Pubs’ and take a look at the map for country pubs in Bristol and Bath.
Our favourite one this week is The Kings Arms in Didmarton which we only discovered on EatOut as we wanted something close to Westonbirt Arboretum. And what a find! After stomping around in the mud taking in the gloriously coloured Japanese Maple on a fine crisp (and damp) autumn day, The Kings Arms was a welcome sanctury offering friendly staff, really great food (scallops yum yum), well-kept ales and very cosy decor with a roaring fire.
We want more! – If you find any we’ve not listed, we’d love to know about them – you can also advise them to contact us and we’ll display their photos and menus for free!
Tags: country charm, country pub, gastro food, log fire, pub grub
Posted in EatOut bites | Comments (1)
1st Day of Christmas
