The Pryordurkins

Posts Tagged ‘wine’

Under pressure from Paul not to have another hatchet job on my hair I started booking up with Alex of Cube Hairdressing for Men on Swinegate in York.  Paul first starting going to Cube in the middle of 2008 and always comes back with a very good haircut from Alex, whereas I generally went for a clipper job at the local butchers for £12.50 all in!

When I first went, I wondered whether it would be worth Alex trying to style something out of my short lifeless flat headed mop but after about an hour I was very happy.  Alex managed to do something with my lifeless hair that made it look good for once.   What also came as an enjoyable surprise was the flame throwing around my ears that involved methylated spirits, a match and a cotton bud.  It was an interesting experience and I’ve been having the same treatment ever since.

Ever since then I’ve kept going back to Cube Hairdressing for Men and always booking up to see Alex.  Pleasant on the eye, he also engages in quite good conversation and we generally have a laugh and a bit of a gossip while he puts my head in order.

This week was no exception and on Monday I managed to bag a slot with him where the usual great cut took place.

At £32 I think this is great value for a mans  haircut in the middle of York especially if you don’t want to be surrounded by lip gloss and hairspray.  If you go along ask for Alex and say hi from the Pryordurkins.

Rating. 4 Stars. T: (01904) 655131   Website.  Cube

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

Italian Fine Foods are available from Le Langhe who have recently opened in the Old Coach House, in York.  We have visited this shop twice in as many weeks and the food on offer certainly looks beautiful.  There is an excellent choice of Italian breads, olives, wines and cheeses.  Parma Hams and many others hang over the counter tempting you the minute you step inside.  Olive Oils, pestos and lots of other fine Italian ingredients are laid out across shelves and in baskets all making the trip seem irresistible.  At the back of the shop they have opened a cafe restaurant which is always full of people and on the door last week as we entered, there was a sign saying you now had to book a table because they are so busy and popular.

You might be wondering therefore why we underlined the word “looks” above!  Well it is because on both occasions we have found ourselves putting produce we had selected for purchase back on the shelves and walking out in disgust.  The service is atrocious.  In what is clearly a good quality produce shop, they seemed to have completely forgot about trying to sell any of it to actual customers.  We think this shop might just be a piece of art.  Look but don’t bother trying to buy.  Maybe that is why they describe themselves on their website, which has pictures of their old shop, as importers of Italian Artisan Food.  I always wondered what Artisan Food was.  Now I know.  Looks good but you can’t buy the stuff for love nor money.

Today, like last week, they had one stressed individual working on the deli counter, that doubles up as the till for any produce bought in the shop.  A queue of grumpy customers hangs around hoping to get served before they close around 5pm.  On both occasions our patience got the better of us and we simply walked out complaining about the business logic behind a shop that is clearly capable of selling very good quality food, but one that lets itself so badly down on something so simple as having staff to actually serve eager customers.

What a ridiculous approach to business.

UPDATE 7th March 09.  We really couldn’t believe a place could be so bad when it came to service, so decided to give it one final try today.  So for the 3rd time, we ventured into this shop.  This time we chose 4.30pm thinking the place would be quiet.  It was, hardly any customers, yet still, we didn’t manage to get served.  Standing at the counter being completely ignored by the staff is an experience  which unless you’ve been there, you would never actually believe.  Storming out for the FINAL time, we found what we were looking for in another shop as we made our way back to the car.  in that shop we mentioned our experiences of Le Langhe to the staff and were not surprised to hear that they too had heard of other people complaining about the very poor service.  One lady who did manage to get served was made to feel as though she was in the way.  So there you have it, it’s not just us who think this shop should win an award for really awful service.

Pryordurkin rating. 0 stars. (Can’t be anything more, as we’ve never managed to actually buy anything yet!)

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

UPDATE:  Tickets go on sale for the 2009/10 Berwick Kaler Pantomime.  More Info Here

If consistency is a sign of quality then Berwick Kaler has it all.  Following our first visit to the pantomime at York Theatre Royal last year where we saw Sinbad the sailor (read our review) we returned with much anticipation this year accompanied by my Sister, Brother in law and kids from Cambridgeshire.  Arriving at the theatre at around 7pm last night the place was packed to the rafters.  The bar and cafe areas on all floors were full of eager punters like us who are now hooked on the Berwick Kaler York Theatre Royal pantomime experience.  Celebrating his 30th year the show included many an actor who have themselves been coming back year after to year to play at York.  David Leonard who we last saw starring in a Man for all Seasons, has now notched up 21 years as the baddie!  Martin Barrass celebrates 23 years playing the fool and Suzy Cooper has 14 previous appearances under her belt.  The upcoming Vincent Gray, who is very pleasant on the eye remarked during the show that he would like to return to York year after year after year.

Anyway, the show started and with the now familiar style, we were hooked from the outset.  You simply can not stop yourself from having a smile on your face from the moment the curtain goes up until well after you get home following the show.   There is little by the way of plot, but this only adds to the fun which you might think is all chaotic and made up on the spot, but is in fact very well rehearsed and outstandingly professional.  The actors and I use that word, because they are true to their art, play their parts extremely well indeed.  You could easily be forgiven for thinking these people are for real.  They link with the audience with ease and Berwick Kaler seems to have a knack for gripping the attention of everyone in the house.  His Amy Winehouse sketch met with rapturous applause and calls for more… more.  David Leonard plays the role of baddie as mentioned before but pulls it off in such a way, that he must be one of the most loved baddies every portrayed on stage.  He seems to have the crowd in the palm of his hands whenever he is on stage.  Which is quite a lot as he humorously remarked in a throw away comment.   Suzy Cooper who slowly turns into that well known Dick Turpin character of a bat! is a real class act.  Her demeanour and her voice are so versatile that along with Berwick Kaler and David Leonard, she would hold the stage as her own.

The show ended a stroke after 10.00pm and with two and half hours of professionally produced and acted mayhem loosely coupled around the legend of Dick Turpin, we were once again delighted to have joined many a regular fan of York Theatre Royal pantomime for a great nights entertainment.  The kids even managed to get the heavily sort after Waggon Wheel, who the Gaurdian reviewer (read it here) has been trying to get himself for a many a year gone past.  The kids must just be plain lucky.

If you haven’t seen it yet, it runs to the end of January 09, but to be honest the likelihood of getting a ticket now is slim.  These shows have been sold out for weeks if not months.

Pryordurkin rating 5 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

We visited the Biltmore Bar and Grill on Swinegate in York on Christmas Eve for a couple of pre-dinner drinks.  We arrived around 6.30pm and the place was already quite busy.  It had a mixed set of clientele generally in their 30’s to 50’s.  Very contemporary in style, this bar is housed in what used to be the former Elim Pentecostal church.  On the first floor, where you can down into the main bar area below, there is seating for both people wanting to sample the grill menu and also a separate Champagne Bar area with comfortable sofas to rest while parting with large chunks of cash.  We opted for a few drinks downstairs and started with a couple of Gin and Tonics, which came to £13.60 for two doubles of house gin.  (No Bombay Saphire in sight!)  Not cheap, but if it keeps the riff raff out then worth it.  There was music playing in the background and with the wooden floors and chatter from other customers, it was difficult to hold a conversation, so we settled for people watching instead.  With some eye candy scattered around, we enjoyed the next hour and half in what was a relaxing and generally pleasant environment although we could see there were a few clique groups of customers who seemed to get better service/attention from the staff/owners than the rest of us punters.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 Stars.

Opening Hours
Monday 4pm till Midnight
Tuesday to Friday 12pm till Midnight
Saturday 12pm till 1am
Sunday 1pm till Midnight

Telephone 01904 610075

Sunday had us sitting down and writing out all this years Christmas cards and wrapping up the pressies that needed to be sent abroad. Listening to the old Christmas Crooners CD and scoffing the odd warm mince pie, we had finished by the time the Stars Wars Movie Part 1 (or Part 4 depending on your point of view) began showing on TV at 3.50pm. Cracking open a bottle of wine; an evening watching the box then lay ahead.

On Monday, ignoring Paul who said two first class stamps would do for a ‘heavy’ card and package to Australia, I took all the international ones to the post office for weighing. Not that I doubted Paul for a minute you understand, but as the sign that hangs in our kitchen says “I’m right, He’s wrong.  End of story!”, I just wanted to be sure those cards heading outside old blighty would in fact get to their destination, without requiring the recipients to fork out penalty cash on collection.

I’m pleased I did. Without exception all the cards and packages need significantly more postage than the ‘two first class stamps will do’ from Paul. (Apologies to anyone who has ever previously received a card from us and has had to pay a penalty postage fee!)  Of course, for those who didn’t fork out the penalty fee and remained tight lipped about not ever getting a card; well done also.

Finally, don’t ever think of sending us a card or package without the right postage fee

Having worked very late last night I had a great lie in this morning.  With us spending the weekend in London, the only thing I needed to do was check out of one hotel and check into the other.  I arrived at the Crowne Plaza on Buckingham Gate around 2pm and after a spot of coffee in the lounge was shown to our room by Philippe. (nice warm smile).  I was very pleased to discover we had been upgraded to a suite and with the bags unpacked, a warm bath ahead and a soft fluffy bathrobe to lie around in, the only thing missing is Paul who gets into London around 6pm.  I’ll just have to take in a movie and perhaps crack open a bottle of wine to unwind with.  The reason we are spending the weekend in London is that we are off to see Monkey:Journey to the West at a specially built theatre next door to the O2 arena.  We’d followed a documentary about the making of this new Chinese Opera written by Damon Albarn and just have to see.  We’ll post a review after the event.

Last night had me dining with my colleague Mark at the Old Amalfi Italian Restaurant on Southampton Row in London.  A short walk from my hotel in Bloomsbury, we chose this restaurant because of its looks primarily.  I could also see a number of tables in use at around 8.30pm so felt that it must be good.  We ventured in and sat near the window.  The restaurant has seats for around 40 covers and as I mentioned there were a number of other diners enjoying what looked like very nice food.  The smell of garlic was strong in the air as we sat down and this only made me even more tempted by the menus given.  After choosing an Italian wine at £14.95, I ordered up a vegetable soup (£3.95) hoping it would sooth my poorly sore throat.  For my main I opted for the Baked Pork Shank (£13.95).  Mark went for the Scamorza Forna (£4.55) to start and the Carbonara (£7.95) as a main.

As we waited for our food to arrive I noticed the kitchen at the end of this small restaurant was open to view.  I could clearly see it was clean and seemed to be professionally run which gave me some further comfort.  The decoration throughout was tasteful; not overdone, but clearly Italian in style.  The stone floor did however make it a little noisy and the paper napkins were a bit of a let down.

The food arrived and within minutes we both agreed it was good.  My soup was very welcome and with the atmosphere developing amongst all the diners, a fine evening was getting under way.  The mains followed and you could instantly see care and attention had being paid both to the choice of ingredients used and the way in which they had been prepared.  My Baked Pork Shank simply fell apart from the bone and was delicious.  I could see the carbonara being enjoyed by Mark had a fantastically creamy sauce and we were both happy with our lot.

The total bill came to a stroke of £60 including 10% service charge and given we had just picked this restaurant from walking by, were pleased to have chosen well.

Pryordurkin rating. 3 Stars      Tel 0207 636 5811