Restaurants and stuff

A couple of months ago I had a veg lasagne in the Great Vic Hotel in Bradford. It was nice enough but the triple cooked chips were out of this world! A few weeks after I found myself in a Mark Peter White restaurant in Durham. The main dish was fine but the triple cooked chips didn't measure up to those at the Great Vic. If Mark Peter White can't do chips as good as the chef at the Great Vic he should look for a different job!

 

Agree about the tasting menus. They can be an exhausting and expensive exercise of a chef's ego.

 

Often wondered if any of Bradford's hotels are doing any decent scran.

 

Funny you mentioned that. Mrs Abbo and her mother went to the Victoria hotel last Tuesday and said that the service, and particularly the food, was garbage and the place was dead. Long time since I've been in but I recall it as having a beautiful Victorian interior.

 

Well like a lot of Victorian hotels it does have a very nice interior. Of course it was the main hotel for the old exchange station. I've only eaten there twice but I've been in many times. First time I ate there the food wasn't anything to write home about. It was rather better the second time (and those triple cooked chips were something else!). Of course a lot might depend on which chef is on and the particular dish that you order. I suspect a lot of hotels are a bit like that. I had a burger in the Raddison blu hotel in Manchester and for the price that wasn't anything to write home about either - £15 with a few chips and the chips really were garbage. The Marco Pierre White restaurant attached to the hotel in Durham seemed much more consistent.

 

Have driven past that place loads of times on the way to my mams in St Anne's (Blackpool) and thought of stopping off - how was it?

 

It's excellent, as long as you don't go expecting lasagne or spag bol & the usual suspects.

It's a bit of a destination restaurant given the 'rustic' and authentic approach. They love to feed, so go hungry if you do visit.

Quick mention for the b&b where we stayed just down the road: Park House. Smart place, very reasonable (70 quid a room) & top owners.

Happily, you also get 20% off at la Locanda if you're a guest here. You can take the boy out of Bradford...

 

I went to Pizza Express yesterday, never been before because they don't have any pizzas that appeal to me, so I didn't have one. Mrs Abbo had some sort of Goats cheese thing, son had a chicken thing, I had some chips with honey & mustard dip, £4.50 for 10 chips! It was all utterly blah, but why would anybody expect anything else? A water and 2 soft drinks and it came to £38+, IMO it was all "worth" about £15.

The unit for Bradford looks very small, so at least it has a chance of looking busy. Will be competition for Zizzi's which is never busy..........I think it should do ok at that size (overheads).

 

Somehow I’ve been lumbered with picking somewhere for 8 of us fathers From our NCT group to go out to. Everyone is from Baildon/Saltaire with exceptiong of one from Idle and me, Eccleshill.

So basicallly where would people recommend Shipley/Saltaire area to go for a curry

 

Shimla, it's always pretty busy so feels like a "night out" and is bleedin cheap compared to its comparable competition (Agraah) because you can take your own booze.

 

Aye, 20ish seats it says for the Bradford branch. Bit cosy.

 

Prefer the Aagrah myself. The all you can eat buffet upstairs is cheaper than the standard restaurant downstairs. I don't know what Shimla does with its take aways but they have always been inferior in comparison with eating in, but the take aways at the Aagrah are pretty consistent.

 

That sums my issues up for 'Eating Out', these days. Take a basic menu and add 'something' different (Goats cheese), and the price doubles, whilst the quality is only equal, at best.

My missus and kids still prefer eating at home ............ so long as Dad is doing the cooking. My two best are Lasagne, and Boef Stroganoff - Both done from 'scratch' with fresh ingredients.
The first has a side platter of home prepared Garlic bread, whilst the latter has toasted malted loaf, with butter.

If just the missus and me ........ Prawn Cocktail followed by my own Mixed grill, with saute potatoes.

But always a Winner ..... Sunday Roast - no matter the meat.

 

Hi Storck .............. A choice of two ..............

Shimla Spice (non alcoholic) Or the Aargrah.
I use both regularly, and have never felt truly let down, with either the Menu, or Service.

 

Bloody cold in an early evening Winter though, Abbo .......... Air Con fully kicks in about 8.00 PM, Brrrrrrrrrr !.

 

Talking of Zizzi's. I'm not really one for chain eateries but I did have a pretty good 'classic' margherita in Zizzis.

 

Tbh I don't know the difference between a good curry and a bad one so am happy to accept that the Aagrah and Shimla are of similar quality.

But I am not a tee totaller and recall posting an Aagrah review a few months back, it was a Monday night and the Shimla was closed, what would have been a £30 meal in the Shimla was about £55 in the Aagrah, simply due to beer. A night out for a few blokes and the Shimla is an easy choice.

 

Finally got to Elder in the Piece Hall recently:

https://wp.me/p3Rnlb-5Tz