The Pryordurkins

Posts Tagged ‘menu’

We decided to have a no brain activity evening last night and headed off to Clifton Moor to grab something to eat and take in a mindless but entertaining film at the Vue Cinema. We noticed a Frankie & Benny’s restaurant and despite the awful music they insist of piping outside the front door, we decided to go in. It was not a good start. The ‘greeter’, a man with a huge jaw, scowled a little and showed us to a cramped tiny table with paper napkins (I have a thing about paper napkins OK?) and plastic menus. Sitting a little while we noticed a second table who were seated after us where already placing their orders, so I stopped a passing waitress and asked if we could order. To give her credit, she was very pleasant and professional. Anyway the food was ordered, the drinks arrived and we waited for our starters.
Taking in the surroundings as the restaurant filled up, it quickly became almost impossible to hold any type of conversation due to the noise of the place. The incessant background music, mixed it seemed every five minutes by Happy Birthday and a Congratulations track by Cliff Richard was just too much to take in. To get over this, it seemed every other diner in the room was shouting to make sure they were heard.

Anyway we looked forward to getting our food and getting out quickly (which is exactly what these places are designed to do). The starters arrived and were ok. The table was cleared and yes they did replace the cutlery for fresh ones, so we were happy with that. The mains arrived and I tucked into my full rack of ribs. However Dusty was not so lucky. The fish he had ordered was not properly cooked so he had to send it back for a replacement. Again the staff were quite professional and made no fuss about ordering up a second meal. Dusty finally got his meal as I finished mine and this time, the fish was fresh and cooked properly.

Finishing off, we paid the bill, tipped the staff who were actually good and headed off swearing blind never to return to such a noisy place again.

Score: 1 Star. Visited April 2009

This was a return trip for Sunday Lunch to Hazlewood Castle which lies just off the A64 in between York and Leeds.  This time we were joined by my brother and sister in-law and the kids.  The first time we dined here was great.  With good service, good food and good surroundings we were looking forward to another treat.

One of the measures we look for when reviewing places is consistency.  Unfortunately on this occasion, the food and service were not quite as good as before.  We had telephoned ahead to book a table for 12noon and on arrival were shown straight to our table.  No option of an aperitif in the bar beforehand.  The restaurant manager did not even offer to take our coats, so we found ourselves hanging them over the back of the chairs and I had to put my hat on the FLOOR!.

We ordered up our food and having seen bar menus in use last time, I mentioned there may be a simpler option for the kids to enjoy.  However this time, the waiter never gave any option for the kids to order from the bar menu and they had to make do with a kids tailored version of Sunday Lunch. Our drinks soon arrived and after a little wait were closely followed by starters which were nicely presented and very good.  After the plates were cleared we then had what seemed like a long wait for the mains to come out.  When they did, my beef was tuff and on the small size, as compared to last time.  The Yorkshire pudding, which was so good last time, was hard and brittle this time around.  The kids, who love Yorkshire puddings both seemed disappointed.  The vegetables were cooked to perfection though. Desserts followed and these were very good indeed.

Overall as mentioned earlier, this visit was let down by the service and the quality of the main course.  The restaurant manager made you feel as though you were a bit of an annoyance really and certainly not warmly welcomed, which was a pity as the Castle itself, the grounds that surround it were all great.  She seemed to take particular umbridge at being called over to take an extra order of drinks!

Pryordurkin rating 3 Stars. (dropped 1 star since our last visit in January) Tel: 01937 535353

It was spring-like and after a short stroll through the grounds of RHS Harlow Carr we headed off into Harrogate to explore and find a little bistro for lunch. We eventually came across Van Zeller Restaurant on Montpellier Street, a little restaurant that we liked the look of, even though we could not clearly read the menu since the window was steamed up. As it turned out, this place had only officially been open since Fri 13th Feb 09. The owner and chef is Tom van Zeller and according to the advertising is the only chef in Harrogate to have been awarded 2AA rosettes, whilst head chef at the Hotel du Vin, Harrogate. With backing from David Moore (one of the inspectors from BBC2’s The Restaurant) Van Zeller’s is aiming to be the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate.

It had just gone 2.15pm  but the chef was still prepared to accept two more covers. The restaurant is on the small side, which makes listening to fellow diners extremely easy, but was smart and stylish. One table was screened off from the till, and when the couple seated at this table were being served one person was served and then the waiter would run around the screen and the till and then serve the other half of the table. They did make the comment that they felt hemmed in. This place is certainly bijou. We were readily seated, our coats taken, and were glad to note the linen napkins. Two menu options were available, the ‘Du Jour’ which consisted of two courses and a free glass of wine, for the bargain price of £14.95, and the A La Carte menu. We both opted for the A La Carte menu. Michael opted for the game terrine and then the lamb confit with leeks and potatoes, I opted for the salmon balotine to be followed by the lamb too.A little sliver of butter (that was sitting in a little puddle of water) was put on the table but we were half way through the starters before we eventually managed to ask whether we could have some bread to go with the butter. Additionally,  whilst we were told about the free wine, the front of house weren’t so keen in promoting the drinks that we had to pay for and we had to ask for a drinks menu. The drinks menus were given to Michael to browse and one menu promptly dropped one of the fastenings into his terrine. Instead of replacing the starter (or at least removing the fastening in the kitchen) Michael was asked to pick the fastening out of the terrine and hand it over! Michael chose a glass of Shiraz that he said was very nice but looking at the bill when we got home we were charged for 2 Erdinger beers instead (another loss in profit). Michael thought the terrine was ok but had tasted better recently, and the centre of my salmon balotine had ice crystals in it. Not the best of starts. The mains were acceptable but not overly outstanding. Being a cheesecake aficionado, Michael ordered the rhubarb and lime cheesecake but said the two flavours clashed, I opted for the apple tarte tatin but the caramel had been burnt and left a bitter aftertaste. Two double espressos were ordered but they did not come with any cantucci or the like and I could still taste the burnt caramel even after the coffee but I could not find any mint imperials.

Whilst Van Zeller’s is hoping to become the premier dining destination in and around Harrogate,  the front of house need to pull their socks up, they weren’t even half full, and more attention needs to be paid to the food being served ie not to send out frozen or burnt food. Whilst we wish a new business to succeed we don’t feel that Van Zeller’s has yet achieved the standards that they are clearly hoping to attain. The chef Tom Van Zeller did apologise for the frozen salmon though.

Pryordurkin rating: 3 stars.  (We will go back though to see if our experience was just early opening snags)

Telephone 01423 508762

The government wants to limit the number of fast-food premises in any one area. This is not a problem for Dunnington, that has a solitary chippy and no chances of getting a home delivery of a curry or pizza. So one would think that the chippy has a captive market, the posters in the chippy advertising the virtues of a good ol fish ‘n chips. Well, this chippy consistently serves poor chips, greasy fish and the best 3 minute microwavable pie with soggy pastry. No wonder there is never a queue. But being desperate, but not desperate enough to have some volcanically-heated food at the Windmill, I ventured (again) to the chippy just before it shut at 8pm. Upon entering at 8 minutes to 8pm the server glanced at the clock, I asked what was possible, to which I was told that a fish might be possible (the staff were ready to leave and the cabinets were already cleaned and off).I ordered the fish and chips (twice) and was looking forward to the scraps that were obviously going to be the chips. Two minutes later and old man walked in – fish was still on the menu – but the chips were off, as I noted the large basket of pre-cut chips ready to fry being carried out to the back! Nothing like making an effort. I am sure this could be a cracking little place, yet whilst the service is always fine, the quality of the produce could do with a modern make-over. Michael subsequently threw up his fish dinner!

Pryordurkin rating: 1 star  (Note the picture bears no resemblance to what we actually got.)

It has been a couple of months since I last used this East Coast Main line to get from York to London, via Doncaster, Grantham and Peterborough. This morning however has me travelling from York on the National Express service that leaves at 8.36am.

There was an air of excitement around York station as I waited for the train. I couldn’t put my finger on what was creating this atmosphere until I noticed quite a few Events Co-ordinators (evidenced by the big bright yellow jackets which said Events Co-ordinator!). They were putting up posters that would direct people who were clearly expected to visit the station and view the new Tornado Steam Engine which was due to pass through. Watching the preparations kept me amused for a while as I waited for my service to arrive into platform 3.

I boarded the National Express East Coast train and we left York bang on 8.36am. The outside of the train looked a bit grim, with old style doors and a lot of winter dirt. However inside was very pleasant indeed. I’d decided to upgrade myself and was happy to find a double seat with a table all to myself. Who says I’m miserable?

A few improvements seem to have been made since I last travelled. The at-seat menu has been revamped and you can now enjoy full dining at any seat in first class. The prices are quite high but I suppose they do have a captive audience and when you think about the space they have to work within to prepare food, it is quite a feat that they can produce so much for so many when they are so full.

In the interest of research I tried the freshly cooked bacon and tomato toasted sandwich (£3.75) and it was nicely prepared and tasty. Another change they have introduced is that you now find sparkling and still bottled water all ready placed on your table which is a nice touch in my view. Along with complimentary biscuits (which I avoided in the interest of my waistline) they served up fresh coffee which was passable and hot. I do wish they would invest in better beans though.

The staff were a little grumpy and barked requests to each passenger …… Coffee?……Milk?……Tickets?……. I just felt they could have been a little happier in their work.

Finally, I should mention the ticket prices. Since I last travelled the open return ticket to London seems to have gone up by £36 since early December. By my reckoning that is the equivalent to a 15% increase. This is on top of the price rises they introduced earlier in 2008. However I do recall a news story which explained National Express pay the government billions of pounds for the privilege of running this service and have to sell several thousand tickets each day before they earn a penny to cover their own running costs. Tax by another name me thinks?

Anyway we continued our journey and arrived into London Kings Cross bang on time.

Pryordurkin rating 3 stars.

This is a small drop in cafe in the middle of York City Centre open during the day for shoppers and local workers alike.  I popped into Cafe Venice over lunch on Monday for a coffee, sparkling mineral water and a sit down having walked in to the City after parking up at the University.  A mixed (plastic) menu catering for the brits as well as those wanting a more mediterranean style is on offer.  Most of the items cost between £4 and £5.  Pizza slices, baguettes, panini and pasta were all on offer as well as Bacon Butties and freshly made up sandwiches.  I’d noticed this place before and think it has been open around 12-18 months.  In that time it seems to have attracted a loyal customer following.

The service is quick, friendly and one or two of the Turkish guys who work there score reasonably well on the old eye candy scale.    Downstairs there were a number of tall tables and stools to chose from each with an ample supply of paper napkins.  I’m led to believe there is more seating upstairs.  If you like the mediterranean feel of a cafe , then this is a good place to stop off for a quick snack.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 stars.

I returned to Pepe Sale Restaurant on Queens Walk in Reading last night with two colleagues for dinner. I had visited this restaurant on two previous occasions in 2007 and enjoyed both so was hoping for the same quality of food and level of service.

We arrived around 7.30pm and were greeted at the door by a friendly chap who took my hat, coat, gloves and scarf (it was freezing outside). We were seated at a window table and offered up some Sardinian breads with olive oil while we looked through the menu.

I was pleased to see it had not changed from last year and therefore ordered up a Pasta Casereccia for starter and the Spigola Al Sale for my main. The Pasta Casereccia was a Sardinian variant of Pasta with Bolognese and was very nice indeed. Well seasoned, served up with parmesan cheese, it went down a treat. The Spiogola Al Sale was Fresh Sea Bass baked in a crust of sea salt that was broken away at the table by the waiter, who de-headed the fish and went onto remove the bones before sprinkling extra virgin olive oil over the white moist flesh. This was a fantastic treat both in terms of looks, the experience and taste. Served with fresh seasonal vegetables, it was a fine meal indeed. My colleagues all enjoyed their starters and mains in equal measure but had just a glint of “I wish I’d ordered the Sea Bass” in their eyes!

I skipped desert, because I’m looking after my figure but my two colleagues both said the deserts were beautiful. Finishing off with coffee all round, it was another very pleasant meal. The service was very good, the restaurant itself, although perhaps looking a little tired still had that relaxing feel about it and during the course of the evening had filled and emptied of many a satisfied diner. I was therefore pleased to conclude the service and quality of food hasn’t changed one bit and is just as good as I remembered.

Settling the bill of £125 for three people that included two bottles of wine, reminded us that you do tend to pay for good quality, but we enjoyed every penny. Of course the old expense budget won’t quite stretch to that, but I don’t mind chipping in a little personal money because of the fine dining experience.

Pryordurkin rating. 4 stars.
Telephone 0118 959 7700

Tuesday gone had me dining with a colleague at the Royal Tandoori Restaurant, part of the Royal County Hotel on Duke Street in Reading.  From the outside window looking in, it didn’t particularly appeal; what with the plastic table covers and paper napkins, but at around 8pm with the snow falling at the treacherous street underneath, anything would have done.

We were shown to a window table and after a little wait were offered up drinks and popadoms while we looked through the menu.  After a little while our order was taken and I went for the Onion Bhaji starter with a Chicken Dhansak main.   The food itself was good, although the quantity was a little on the mean side.  Accompanied by a Cobra beer it was a welcoming warming meal.

The restaurant itself also serves as the breakfast room for the hotel, which explained its sheer size.  Not a great place for a romantic meal I guess, but one that probably undertakes several functions.  The service was efficient and friendly and all in all, we were happy with the meal just completed.

The total bill came to just over £41 for two people including drinks which was reasonable value indeed for the meal just had.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 stars.

This week has me staying at the Holiday Inn Reading South for a couple of nights.  I turned up at reception around 8pm last night and the check in experience was fine.  They had all my details and all I needed to do was sign for my pre-prepared room card.  The reception area was smart and clean.  The bar and restaurant areas looked busy with business and tourist people alike.  It seemed like a fairly relaxed affair.  Not many stuffy suits sitting around.  I made my way to my room and it took a while.  This hotel is quite sprawling and the walk to my room must have took at least three minutes ( a long time for me!).

The room was as I now expect.  Clean, no character and functional.  The only immediate problem I could find was the TV remote control didn’t work and having reported this, was a little disappointed that it would take till the next day to fix.  I had to resign myself to the old fashioned way of changing channels and volume ie. getting off my ass and pushing buttons.

Room service last night was a bit of a disapointment.  The waiter nearly dropped everything on the floor and the food was barely warm.  I still can’t understand what the tray charge is for either, given the prices charged for room menu items are generally a whole pound more expensive than the same item in the restaurant.  Anyway I was too tired to worry about this for too long and after the guy / or girl upstairs had finished walking backwards and forwards across their floor for half an hour, I fell asleep. (what do they do to keep walking backwards and forward across such a small room?  I’d love to know!)

Anyway this evening, having got back from work, I decided to try the swimming pool out and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Clean and relaxed, it was nice to be staying at a hotel (unlike many in London) that actually has some space for a gym and pool.  Feeling virtuous I then made my way to the restaurant for dinner.

Surprise, surprise.  It was actually excellent food by hotel restaurant standards.  The starter of mushroom soup was freshly prepared and had fantastic taste and consistecy ( I do like a good soup).  My main was equally good; presented well and clearly cooked fresh by someone who cared.  With such good food coming out of the kitchen I then had for try (for research purposes) the dessert menu.  Again this was excellent.  The chocolate sauce was to die for!

All in all, I am very pleased with this hotel.  A great experience so far.  The restaurant food is very good indeed and it has a great gym.  To top all that, it is also moments from the M4.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.

We have been to this restaurant before and returned on Christmas Eve for dinner.  We arrived at around 8pm and were immediately shown to our table on the first floor, in what is a very cosy restaurant with seating for no more than 25 covers.  We ordered up a bottle of Barbaresco which is a fantastic Italian Red and then chose from the menu.

The starters were fantastic.  My chicken liver pate was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed eating it.  For mains, I had the Sea Bream, which was de-boned at our table upon serving.  Nice touch.  Paul had the Sea Bass and he was as equally pleased.  Served up with vegetables which you order separately, the overall meal was very nice indeed.

The place is tastefully decorated and clearly popular with people who like a bit of quality.  The tourists walking along the Shambles below though would probably not realise what a gem lies behind the front door, because on the ground floor, all you see is a couple of laid tables, and a delicatessen counter.  The waiters were very friendly and attentive and in the main quite nice looking which for us is always good. We think they were all actually Italian as well, which only added to the experience.

Overall settling up the £80 bill which included wine, we were very happy indeed.

Pryordurkin rating 4 stars.  Visted 24th Dec ‘08.  Telephone +44 (0) 1904 670247