Get ready to feast your foodie eyes on the restaurants that I've been checking out over the past few weeks. In my previous post, discussing the food I ate in September, I was primarily focussing on the food scene in Newcastle but, this time, I ventured out a little so you can see a bit more of what I've been trying out.
O C T O B E R
27-10-19 - Newcastle
Pictured above, my friend and I took a trip to the Boiler Shop Emporium in late October. While I feel the Emporium Market lacked hot food offerings in general, we did get a chance to try the delicious loaded fries by Little Bao Boy. This was skinny fries topped with the most scrumptious curry sauce, spring onions, crispy onion, and sesame seeds. I did find it super salty but, still, I probably could've eaten it twice over. You could really taste the care and attention that had gone into flavouring and tenderising the meat.
After the market, we visited Horticulture. With an incredibly indulgent R Place doughnut in hand, they were kind enough to let me eat it in their 1st-floor lounge area, accompanied by one of their lovely caramel lattes. I must say, they serve up a strong latte, which is always a good thing. While I've heard mixed opinions on Horticulture, I'd definitely have a little faith and try out more of what they have to offer.
N O V E M B E R
9-11-19 - Pickles, Edinburgh
Some great food was had in November as we visited to celebrate Mum's birthday. Aside from some of the restaurants that I only consider mandatory for a visit to Edinburgh, including Dishoom, we tried 2 new places which I adored. First of all, was Pickles; a bar dedicated to great wine and fine cheese and pickle platter boards. The atmosphere inside was so warm and welcoming, in fact, I could've spent the entire evening in there if it wasn't for being in such a food coma. If you're in Edinburgh, you have to try this and experience the joy of cheeseboard-ing, but make sure you organise your time well because it really does get busy.
10-11-19 - Tani Modi, Edinburgh
The following morning, the food coma had well and truly passed and I was ready to take on breakfast. After being turned down for space in Rabble (note to self: book for breakfast there next time), we decided to move on to another one of our options - Tani Modi. Ultimately, we didn't draw the short straw at all. Again, this one has to be managed well for time because, we were lucky enough to get a seat for 4 shortly after we arrived but, while we were eating, a queue outside began to build up. The food, most importantly, was brilliant! I chose blueberry pancakes which were huge and packed full of berry compote and yoghurt; accompanied by (another) latte which this time was even stronger. I'd definitely recommend visiting Tani Modi - it has such a charm.
20-11-19 - River Beat, Gateshead
As part of a press release for their new Christmas Banquet menu, I was invited along to try some of the Asian/Thai inspired Tapas at River Beat Gateshead. While Thai food isn't typically my first choice, I did really enjoy some of the flavours we had a chance to check out, especially the plum and tamarind sauce on the sweet potatoes. Items such as the red braised belly pork and their sweet and sour salad were great too. There didn't seem to be quite enough for the table of 7, though, which was a little disappointing and some of the dishes were a bit simple (such as popcorn and tempura prawns) but, all in all, I think it's a lovely little spot for a date night if you're a fan of Eastern-inspired food.
22-11-19 - Shoe Tree Cafe, Newcastle
Before heading out to do some photo shooting with a friend, we popped over to Shoe Tree cafe in Heaton for a bite to eat. As it was just before lunchtime, I was still passing it off as brunch so needed no excuse to request pancakes. And, wow! The Vegan Biscoff pancakes were quite possibly the best pancakes I've eaten... EVER (and believe me, I've tried a fair few pancakes). My guess is that they used coconut milk in the recipe and the hint of coconut flavour added such a creamy and unique dimension. They were fluffy, there was just the right amount, and it was covered completely in caramel sauce, crumbled biscuits, and vegan ice cream. Such a dream and most certainly not my last try.
D E C E M B E R
1-12-19 - Babucho, Newcastle
After Mum and Dad finally got around to checking out the Newcastle Christmas markets with us, we ended up in Babucho. This quayside restaurant is a New York-style brasserie which I had always wanted to try out. As we were there on a Sunday, Mum and Dad opted for the Sunday lunch which came with the world's most enormous (maybe) Yorkshire pudding; it was a bit annoying that there was no veggie option for the roast dinner but Jamie was happy to opt for the prawn risotto which looked great and luckily came with some hefty prawns. I, though, couldn't resist a pizza. I went for the Lebanese pizza, which was a great mix of warm flavours and was VERY filling. Mains were topped off with the cutest banoffee tart - always a winner in my eyes. I loved the happy staff (despite it being busy, they remained cheerful), and glamorous interior; I'd definitely visit again.
11-12-19 - My Dehli, Newcastle
I took my readers along with me to my stop at My Dehli over on Instagram as I was invited to try their lunchwala menu. This is a small restaurant devoted to serving real Dehli street food. As someone who always enjoys tasting authentic cuisines, especially as they tend to get very westernised by the time they reach us, I was thrilled to finally try this place! I chose a Powered by Paneer Dehli roll (essentially a wrap) which was the perfect amount of spice and had great big chunks of paneer inside - bonus. I couldn't resist a few Halloumi fries, either. They were deep-fried in golden crumbs, meaning they were super-naughty and came in at £1 per slice - a little on the pricey side but a girl can't help herself when the halloumi craving hits.
22-12-19 - The Open Jar, Norton
A catch up with one of my longest friends was made over an Open Jar parmo. This Teesside delicacy rings home, for me. While I'm used to being served a parmo in a cardboard box, it's always a little treat to go out for a fresh parmo. This was my first time trying out The Open Jar, since it only opened this year, and after hearing some mixed reviews I was pleasantly surprised. As I mentioned above, the parmo's are made fresh to order, so they arrive oozing with goodness. I ordered the Gluten Free Parmo, which was also accompanied by gluten-free 'creamy cabbage', telling me that they really do pay attention. There was plenty of everything too; lots of chunky homemade chips and a big dollop of garlic mayo, and the creamy cabbage comes (as part of the price) in its own separate bowl which I would happily share between 2. My only little blip about this is that service is slow. Understandably, parmos are made fresh so a 30-minute wait is justifiable, but we didn't get asked for drinks until about 15 minutes in.
27-12-19 - Little Italy, York
My uber indulgent Christmas remained completely intact well into our trip to York. A few hours wandering the shambles worked up an appetite so we headed to Little Italy, a place we were all very excited to try. This real Italian bistro is situated in the city centre above their own delicatessen which we took great advantage of with our antipasti platter. A few little niggles did occur - not serving large glasses of wine aside from the house wine, only serving one variety of gluten-free pasta, and not having a single piece of bread in sight (no pizza, no garlic bread, no bread for the antipasti - only the bruschetta dish seemed to be allowed it). It didn't stop us completely devouring our food though. The meats and cheeses on the antipasti were fresh and delicious, drizzled with oil and olives. Then, I ordered Tagliatelle Dettori which was heaped on my plate with no shy portioning (I struggled to eat it all, in fact) and was the perfect combination of rich and creamy. It may be a little pricer here than other York restaurants, but the quality of the food really does reflect that.
Deciding on one favourite would be difficult, given the amazing food I've been able to try these past few months. I have to say the flavours and authenticity of My Dehli were to-die-for, and the pancakes at Shoe Tree Cafe were one of a kind, but I'm an Italian food lover, through-and-through, so would probably add a little star next to Little Italy.
Where have you been eating recently?
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