Eating Out in June

As June started we were still in the Lakes, it was another exciting month of food, kickstarters and learning about food.

Gilpin Spice

This place is just wonderful. The decor and the food is vibrant and exciting. The joy of small plates also means you can try lots of things and a seat (well more a sofa) at the bar meant we saw everything. The pork belly – sublime!

A Kickstarter Lunch at Norse

It was great to see Norse in its new home and enjoy the lunch we’d bought as part of the Kickstarter. Norse feels much more grown up in its own venue. The decor is beautiful and the food refined.

A lesson in Italian cookery with Sara Danesin and a BBQ afternoon at Cave du Cochon

I love my husband’s family. They organised for me to have a lesson in Italian cookery with Sara and what an afternoon it was. I was so grateful to Sara who planned a menu for me to work on that also focussed on some core skills and flavours. It’s a lesson I’ll never forget.

After the lesson I had a great afternoon in the sun with friends. Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that Cave du Cochon is a favourite place of mine. Mr F and I enjoy nothing more than an evening with a glass of wine or two sat at the bar. It was great to enjoy a sunny afternoon with friends and Josh Overington cooking chicken on the BBQ.

The Pig and Whistle

I’d been following the lead up to the Pig and Whistle’s opening on twitter with great anticipation and was eager to see what James Allcock would bring to Beverley. We were not disappointed! The menu is a great mix of charcuterie, cheeses and small plates. I was particularly pleased to see Young Buck cheese on the menu ( I’m fiercely loyal to my homeland and home town and I LOVE cheese as you know) Mr F woke up the next morning and his first words to me were ‘ that tartfilette was amazing!’

Blanchette Brick Lane

A work trip to London allowed for a visit to the newer branch of Blanchette on Brick Lane. Just as fantastic as their Soho restaurant. Wonderfully flavoured small plates that bring a smile to my face.

Eating out in May

So it turns out May was a pretty spectacular food month!

The Man Behind The Curtain

I have to admit I wasn’t sure what to expect or whether Michael O’Hare’s food would be my thing but I could not fault the creative flare or skill that went in to this meal. It was extraordinary and well worth a visit.

A return to Northern Ireland: Brunch at Haptik

Newtownards is definitely a much more interesting place now that Haptik is in town. Rachel and Jonathan McBride have created a fantastic place for enjoying coffee and simple but high quality brunches and lunches. Just look at those Baghdad eggs!

Lunch at Bull and Ram

What a place! Opened in an old butchers shop in the centre of Ballynahinch is one of the best places I’ve been in Northern Ireland for food. Serving Meat Merchant ( JIm and Peter Hannan) Himalayan salt chamber aged beef amongst other local produce to the highest quality. The day before we went Xanthe Clay had visited and had the finest looking langoustines I’ve ever seen (the power of twitter intelligence!) when I looked on the menu they weren’t there. I was devastated, but I asked and 5 minutes later I have my very own langoustines starter. Now that’s what I call service!! Perfectly cooked steak for main, bread and Abernethy butter on the side and the most wonderful pannacotta for pudding. Made my year!

Sara Danesin’s supper club

Mr F’s family love any excuse to go to Sara’s supper club. I’ll never complain about that as it is always a fantastic evening of the most wonderful Italian food and great company. Sara’s passion for food shines through in everything on the plate.

A trip to the lakes: many visits to Homeground Cafe

This place ticks all of the boxes. Great cofffee, great cake, great food and the best hash browns ever known to exist.

A 19 course lunch at L’enclume

Mr F and I love Simon Rogan’s food and we were lost for words on this visit. The food is absolutely sensational. It just gets better and better. The Herdwick lamb over charcoal was a particularly stunning dish.

Eating out in April

I’ve had a bit of a hiatus from blog writing over the last few months but that doesn’t mean I have stopped enjoying food and eating out, far from it. I thought in preparation for getting back into writing I’d create a month by month summary of where I’ve been. Turns out April this year was busy!

An Italian Night at Mannions in York

Mannions is one of my favourite places to go for lunch in York. Great ingredients and great flavours in a relaxed setting. (they also have a rather fabulous spanish sauvignon blanc on their wine list, you can thank me later) They occasionally do themed nights and it is definitely worth booking in. The salt cod and mutton ragu dishes were particular favourites of mine. Everything was executed beautifully and there was a fantastic buzz throughout the evening.

Our Annual Pilgrimage to Northumberland

I love the sea and find every opportunity I can to be near it. A highlight of our year is our stay up near Craster. Every visit includes a walk to the The Ship Inn at Low Newton by the Sea for a crab stottie and a pint. In a departure from tradition Mr F had lamb koftas and crushed new potatoes which was also really tasty.

After a successful visit to the Old Boat House in Amble last year we visited their new addition to the harbour side, The Fish Shack. We were not disappointed. A quirky set up with the focus on simple, superbly cooked fish and seafood and a rather stunning chocolate cake with caramel sauce for pudding.

Birthday Dinner at Le Cochon Aveugle

Josh Overington’s food just gets better and better. I always leave Le Cochon feeling challenged and excited by the combinations of food I have just experienced. The black pudding macaron was out of this world!

Birthday Dinner at Skosh

Yeah I know, two birthday dinners in one week, but why not when we are spoilt in York with fantastic independent restaurants. Skosh is my favourite place to eat; It never ever disappoints. The combination of ingredients and spices used work perfectly and always leave me wanting more.

Fish Night at The Bridge Bistro Sandsend

My favourite thing to eat is fish and seafood, so the discovery that the Bridge Bistro did a Friday night fish and seafood tasting menu was rather exciting. It’s a tiny place with big ambition, I’d highly reccomend trying it out.

Harry’s Craft Village, Derry

I’ve had somewhat of a hiatus from blog writing over the last few months. I’ve not however stopped eating food and enjoying trying new places. In fact it’s a visit to Harry’s in Derry that has cured my writers block.

I’ve always loved Harry’s Shack in Portstewart. It’s the first place we book for any visit back to the Causeway Coast (if you haven’t been, book a flight, hire a car, drive up the coast road, eat local fish and seafood at Harry’s Shack and you’ll never want to leave)

Anyway, a day trip to Derry on the train, the most magical train journey by the way, gave us opportunity to book lunch at Harry’s. Harry’s feels like the ‘grown up’ sibling of Harry’s Shack. There is a familiarity about the style of food but a delicate touch and refinement that sets it apart from Harry’s Shack. That is no disrespect to Harry’s Shack, their food is sensational and fits the surroundings, but at Harry’s in the Craft Village they are definitely showcasing their craft by focusing on seasonal ingredients grown in their kitchen garden alongside the bounty of local seafood the Causeway Coast is gifted with.

My starter of warm garden pea, broad bean, leek and summer truffle tart with soft duck egg and chervil was stunning. The vivid green when it arrives does not prepare you for the delights hidden within. Cutting through the most delicate of filo pastry uncovered a beautifully soft set duck egg adding richness to the dish, alongside what has to be one of the finest tastes of summer in fresh peas and broad beans; finishing with the luxury of summer truffle leads to the most satisfying of dishes and a great start to our meal.

Mr F had the breaded mackerel fish cakes, pickled garden beetroot, dulse and horseradish curd. The beetroot, lightly pickled and bursting with flavour was the perfect accompaniment for the rich mackerel. The background flavour of local dulse providing the perfect seasoning for the dish and a wonderful reminder of the sea. A few robust ingredients that had the risk of battling against each other given a deftness of touch allowed each component to shine.

For main I had Greencastle hake, ham hock, peas, gem lettuce, horseradish and mint curd, whey reduction and new potatoes. It sounds complicated but had an elegance that summed up summer for me. Perfectly cooked hake sat atop braised gem lettuce, peas and mint providing colour and freshness; saltiness from the ham hock and a horseradish and mint curd that packed a punch without overpowering the rest of the dish.

In a departure for Mr F he chose the roast chicken breast, pancetta, girolle, charred leeks, macaroni gratin, hazelnut and truffle pesto. A particular highlight of the dish were the charred leeks, suitably black but without a burnt flavour. There was a lovely depth and sweetness to the dish provided by the girolles and pancetta. The macaroni gratin, light and cheesy was a great accompaniment.

After a breather we decided to go the whole hog and get a dessert too. To be honest as soon as I saw there was woodruff on the menu I couldn’t refuse; Sweet woodruff pannacotta, strawberry, passion fruit and coconut is my kind of dish. The earthy flavour of woodruff complimented by a lovely passion fruit granita, coconut foam and strawberries gave just the right amount of sweetness. Plenty to grab your attention but light enough to enjoy at the end of a meal.

Mr F enjoyed the tarte tatin, raspberry, pumpkin seed and vanilla ice cream. Beautifully caramelised plum tatin sat on velvety creme anglaise and fresh raspberries. The unusual addition of pumpkin seed really worked, adding a crunch and nutty flavour.

At Harry’s there is a simple beauty to the dishes. What we experienced was expert cooking, everything we had was perfectly balanced allowing seasonal ingredients to shine. This is somewhere I would love to return to. There is a confidence and simplicity to the food here that should be celebrated and enjoyed.

Honey and Smoke

Itamar and Sarit can do no wrong can they? Not in my opinion. Honey and Smoke has everything you want from Honey and Co but with its own twsit of a focus on the grill and the most stunning blue wall.

Honey and Smoke is a great place to go with friends. The set menu allows the table to share the full mezze before choosing a grill and side then dessert. It’s great value and allows you to try a wide selection of dishes. We started the evening with drinks. Pomegranate Bellini to be precise, well you have to really don’t you?

And the the mezze arrived. Wow! The finest looking range of dishes I have seen in a long time. What I particularly love about Itamar and Sarit’s cooking is the attention they give to every element, particularly every single vegetable. The burnt celeriac with urfa chilli butter, sour cream and chives was a particular favourite of the table. I love celeriac but the flavour in this dish was off the chart. It’s a work of magic. It must be.

The other mezze dishes were:

msabaha: chickpeas cooked over night, Turkish pepper and garlic sauce
Winter tomatoes and citrus salad
Charred pears with almond tahini and raw honey
Warm goats cheese, red onion, walnut and pomegranate
Falafel and tahini
Cauliflower with homemade amba and tahini
Moroccan sourdough
Baba ganoush

I’m not always a fan of fruit in savoury dishes but here they get it right every time. The amba (mango pickle) accompanying the cauliflower was sublime. Everything was perfectly balanced. The baba ganoush was the the most flavoursome I’ve ever tried. The Moroccan sourdough was delicious.

Following our mezze we moved on to our grill choices.
We had Cornish hake kofta with lemon and herbs, matbucha sauce

And Hamama – pigeon with sweet onion, pine nuts and sultanas as they do in ‘Philadelphia’ restaurant East Jerusalem.

The hake kofta was bursting with flavour. The matbucha sauce of tomato, garlic and peppers was a great accompaniment. The pigeon although it looked simple on the plate came alive with the spicing and flavours of the onion, pine nuts and sultanas.

We choose sides of Sweet potato in embers, almonds, date honey and spring onions and M’jadra, lentil rice with cumin and caramelised onions.

These worked really well with our choices from the grill and I’m going to have to buy some date honey otherwise my sweet potato will always feel like it’s lacking from now on.

It was surprising really that we had room for dessert but I knew that Mr F would refuse to leave until cheesecake was consumed. Given that it is the same as the one at Honey and Co I need not tell you it was perfect as ever.

I chose warm chestnut cake with salted caramel and sour cream. This was a great choice for the end of the meal. The cake was beautifully light and the sour cream cut through the rich salted caramel sauce (which I had to resist just drinking from the jug)

I loved Honey and Smoke, I think venue wise the intimacy of Honey and Co has the edge but the food: stunning as ever.

Aulis at Fera, Claridges

Have you ever exclaimed ‘How on earth do they do that’ whilst eating stunning food in a restaurant? Yep me too. Often when we eat out at places where chefs are at the top of their game I spend the evening not only enjoying every morsel of food but racking my brains trying to work out how it was achieved. I love the mystery and intrigue of well crafted food.

For Mr F’s birthday I decided to plan a special surprise. Mr F loves Simon Rogan’s philosophy of food and we still talk about the meal we had at Fera in 2014! Rather than book the same again I planned a special treat and booked in to Aulis, the development kitchen of Fera. This time not only would we eat skilfully crafted food but we would see it being cooked right in front of us.

We arrived and enjoyed a glass of Davenport at the bar. I mean why wouldn’t you? It’s a special occasion after all. I’d forgotten how stunning the dining room of Claridges is. The Art Deco design mixed with Simon Rogan’s ‘natural’ look is a sight to behold.

Once the other 4 guests arrived ( Aulis can only seat 6 people) we were guided through the working kitchen to the Aulis test kitchen. Just wasking through a bustling kitchen was excitement for me. I wanted to break free from the group and explore!

Our chefs for the evening explained how Aulis is used as a development kitchen and then got to work preparing the first of our dishes. The evening was typical of Rogan’s style with snacks, starters, fish, meat and desserts coming together to create a diverse tasting menu. It was fascinating watching the chefs at work, being able to ask questions about the ingredients and processes as well as having conversations with the chefs and other dining guests about the restaurant, food and life in general. We were completely immersed in a food bubble and fascinated by the range of kitchen technology on show.

The dishes:
Our first snack was buckwheat tart, mylar, almond, blackcurrant. I’ve never had mylar prawns before and they were wonderfully sweet alongside the sharpness of the blackcurrant.

Our second snack of Seaweed wafer, bergamot, smoked eel was a particular favourite of mine with the smoked eel really celebrated in the dish.

Next we had Goats cheese, Jerusalem artichoke, stout in a ceramic egg. I’m a huge fan of Jerusalem artichoke and this dish was bursting with flavour. The twice dehydrated artichoke crumb that topped the egg added a lovely texture to the dish.

The next dish was really creatively presented with raw scallop, barley koji, buttermilk on a ceramic dish with a red chicory and roe dish hidden underneath. It was fascinating to chat to the chef about the process of making the barley Koji and how this was used to marinade the Isle of Mull scallops.

The celeriac, cured yolk, creme fraiche taco style dish was one of my favourites of the evening. Surprising as it was one of the simpler dishes but the flavour and different textures of celeriac were delicious and the grated cured egg yolk added another dimension.

The Portland crab, oyster, carrots, black garlic, burnt chives was fascinating to watch being put together. The crab was delicious and the carrot juice consommé, made from barbecued carrots was a revelation.

The torched deer, semi dried beetroot, lovage dish was Mr F’s favourite of the evening. The saddle of roe deer was blowtorched to ensure it was still rare in the middle.

The mushroom, whey sauce, calcot onion, truffle was a fascinating dish. The Calcott onions were barbecued on the big green egg and the savoury mushroom custard was sublime. The addition of a little winter truffle really brought this dish to life.

For the monkfish, brown butter, baby leeks, coastal herbs dish the monkfish was cooked on the bone and the butter had some marmite added. The parsnip purée was the smoothest and silkiest purée I’ve had and added a lovely richness to the dish.

The lamb saddle, chervil root, quinoa, cocoa nibs used Cornish lamb and was served with a chervil root purée that had three types of quinoa running through it giving a lovely crunch to the dish. The 100% chocolate in the sauce gave a lovely richness and the barbecued white kale finished the dish beautifully.

For the last three dishes we moved to desserts.
The first of forced rhubarb, honeycomb, sheep’s yoghurt, rose looked fascinating. The large piece of what looked like white chocolate was actually aerated frozen sheep’s yoghurt and much lighter than expected and it was great to see Yorkshire forced rhubarb on the menu.

The chocolate, sweet clover, Jerusalem artichoke, earl grey dish was the biggest surprise of the evening and the flavour of the Jerusalem artichoke worked beautifully.

Our final dish of Goldrush (Apple), caramel, hazelnut was accompanied by coffee prepared and served by a coffee sommelier in front of us. Served without milk it was interesting to taste the fruit notes in the coffee accompanying the apple ‘snack’

Being so immersed in the preparation, the ingredients and plating of the food really made us appreciate the skill and creativity of the Fera, even more that we had appreciated already. This was a unique experience, not one you would be able to do often, but definitely worth every penny. The memories of the evening will certainly last a long time.

(By the way if you go, make sure you visit the toilets. A thing of beauty. It’s not often I say that in a food blog but well, its good advice on this occasion.)

The Black Swan, Oldstead

Mr Frivolitea and I decided to start 2017 off in style and head to the Black Swan in Oldstead for a leisurely lunch. The Black Swan has been on the list for a while and I knew I needed to book soon following Tommy Banks success on Great British Menu last year. I had high hopes for our visit and I was not disappointed at all. The afternoon started rather nicely indeed with a glass of Albury classic cuvée NV (North Downs, England) for me and a rosehip and lemon balm soda for Mr Frivolitea. The creativity of the soft drinks menu and the intrigue of the small producers approach to the wine menu alone were enough to signpost to things to come.

Whilst we had our drinks by the fire, perfect for North Yorkshire lunching in January, two tasters were delivered to our table. Smoked eel and apple, a delightfully crisp and light pastry case with a filling of Lincolnshire poacher cheese, crisp apple and a wonderful morsel of smoked eel.

Then chicken dumpling. An Asian style dumpling made from brioche and filled with confit chicken accompanied by roasted garlic mayonnaise and grated chestnut. This was really memorable, I did think about this until much later in the day and could happily offer to eat a plate of them.

We made the decision to go for the full tasting menu. We didn’t want to miss out on anything, in fact the open kitchen meant we really didn’t miss a thing.

The menu was set out in three sections beginning with four smaller plates:
Partridge with sage and onion. A bite size piece of partridge wrapped in cabbage with the wonderful flavour of ‘stuffing’. You just can’t beat the combination of sage and onion.

Occa tuber with mackerel. This was a fascinating dish. At the Black Swan everything is grown or sourced locally. They grow occa, a Peruvian tuber, in polytunnels. It was similar to Jerusalem artichoke or potato in texture with a lovely flavour. The occa was topped with sheep’s yoghurt and smoked mackerel.

Risotto made from spelt. We both really loved this dish. The spelt risotto had a great texture to it, underneath was a surprise of the cheese custard made from Tunworth cheese and just when you thought it might be too rich you would have a mouthful of charred pickled onion. The winter truffle shavings were also a real treat. This was a very cleverly put together dish and one of my favourites of the day.

Finally in this section of the menu we had sour bread and sour butter. The bread flour comes from a mill in Kirbymoorside. I particularly liked that the bread and butter was a course on its own rather than an accompaniment to other dishes. It also allowed for a natural pause before the next series of dishes.

The next four dishes I would describe as the ‘mains’ of the tasting menu:

Crapaudine beetroot cooked slowly in beef fat was a really interesting dish. Crapaudine is an old French variety and the Black Swan grow it and store it by clamping. The beetroot is cooked in beef fat for about five hours changing the texture to feel almost meaty. It was topped with some fresh beetroot, goats curd, smoked cods roe and linseed. The linseed, grown on the family farm, really made the dish for me adding a nice hit of crunch and flavour.

I decided at this point to have another glass of wine and tried a German Sauvignon Blanc. I was intrigued that a German wine producer was making a Marlborough style wine. It was as good as I hoped it would be. So good I then ordered another!

Then came two fish dishes. The first was scallop with Jerusalem artichoke. It was served two ways. The top dish was a scallop tartare with Jerusalem artichoke crisp and fresh apple. The bottom dish was a cooked scallop, Jerusalem artichoke purée and an apple butter emulsion. I would struggle to say which I preferred. Whilst quite different both were perfectly balanced.

The second fish dish was one of my favourites of the menu. Halibut with celery and celeriac. The hidden surprises of razor clam and fennel pollen were what made this dish for me. A brilliant combination of ingredients all cooked to perfection.

The final dish in the section was Venison with sprouts and red cabbage. The venison loin was brushed with a black garlic glaze. Mr Frivolitea was particularly wowed by the red cabbage purée and I fear this is how we will have red cabbage for eternity as a result! The shavings of raw chestnut added a lovely freshness to the dish.

As we were finishing this dish. The Staves, Mexico came on the restaurant playlist. A song on my own ‘cooking in the kitchen’ playlist. It perfectly fitted the mood. One of joy and contentment at having eaten some very fine food.

After a short break we had our final set of dishes. These started with Lollipops. Playful combinations of parfait and a coating of frozen gel. We had sheep’s yoghurt and celery, hazelnut and chicory root and brown butter and Jerusalem artichoke. Every combination worked. A sign of the skill, creativity and playfulness of this place.

Then came a dish made famous by Great British Menu. Douglas fir, sheep’s milk and lemon verbena. The balance here was just right with the fir complimenting but not overpowering the dish and the caramelised white chocolate added a some texture to the dish.

Finally we had a slice of cake with our coffee. This was no ordinary cake though! This was cake made from acorn, chicory root and lovage and it would not have looked out of place in the finest French patisserie. A perfect end to the meal.

This was the right way to start our food adventures of 2017. The philosophy of the Black Swan is one I am particularly fond of. Using a kitchen garden and locally sourced ingredients. The working hard to source flavours and combinations without relying on ingredients from across the world (lemon and vanilla for example) takes real dedication and persistence but also makes for exciting eating. It’s a philosophy similar to that of Simon Rogan and Forest Side where I have eaten some of my most memorable meals. The Black Swan is now on that list. The dishes we ate will be in my food memory for a long time.

Skosh

Every time I try and start this blog I’m stumped for words. I simply want to write Wow! Over and over again because that’s what I said on repeat every time I tried a dish at Skosh. In fact we’ve ended up going back for a second visit before I’ve written up the first! That’s never happened before. It seems that a particular theme of great places to eat this year is the soundtrack. Just like at Lyles earlier this year, Mr Frivolitea’s face lit up at the music choices. It could have been our own playlist on shuffle. Skosh is a relaxed and friendly place to spend the evening. The beautiful design and open kitchen gives a real excitement and buzz.

This places delivers little plates of joy. You can tell that head chef Neil and his team put their all into every single dish they serve up. It’s no wonder everyone is talking about Skosh.
And the cocktails … well you can’t go to Skosh without trying one. On our first visit Mr Frivolitea had a rum, pumpkin and ginger cocktail with beautiful sugar work. It was like drinking a big hug on a winters evening! On our second visit we both had the spiced rum, pineapple and lemon cocktail. It was so so good!

What is great about Skosh is the concept of small plates means you can get lots of different things and then you go back for a visit 3 weeks later you still have new things to try.

The sourdough bread with Gunpowder spice and locally made butter. The gunpowder spice gave hits of different spices at different times.

The Sea trout cured in molasses with peanuts and lime was definitely one of my favourite dishes. I could eat many times and still get excited by it. The lime flavour in the dish was through a marshmallow of lime with a hint of lime powder on top!! I mean marshmallow and fish. It’s a pretty mental combination but it made me grin from ear to ear.
Mr Frivolitea ate one and simply exclaimed ‘that makes me very happy’. The sweetness of the molasses, the zest of the lime, the crunch of peanut and the freshness of herb – the perfect marriage.

Another particular hit was the Skosh fried chicken, smoked garlic and lemon thyme emulsion and fermented slaw. The flavour in the chicken was incredible and the emulsion pretty addictive. If only they could sell it by the bucket…

The venison tartare brought back memories of the tartare at L’enclume for me. It was expertly done. The pickled kohlrabi gave a lovely freshness to the dish, the ginger cream gave a nice bit of heat and was like a light mayo bringing the whole dish together. Last but not least the Pakora scraps were a fabulous twist to the dish giving a lovely hint of spice.

Vegetarian dishes at Skosh are given real care and attention, we particularly enjoyed the beetroot, leek and apple with basil ricotta and green tea. The buckwheat with the beetroot gave a lovely texture to the dish. The vadai with Fadmoor carrot purée, curry leaf and mustard seed are packed full of flavour.

A particular favourite of mine is seafood of any kind and there are a number of dishes to choose from at Skosh. We particularly liked the monkish tempura with burnt apple, celeriac and yuzu and the baked hake, cauliflower, dukkah and miso dishes.

When you have finished a selection of ‘mains’ you then have a really difficult choice. Do you go for savoury ‘afters’ or sweet ‘afters’.

On our first visit we went for sweet and had a fantastic dish: pineapple cream with yoghurt, black sesame and long pepper. This was exquisite. I love pineapple and this did not disappoint in flavour.

On our second visit I went for savoury. They had on the menu mince pie with whipped young buck cheese, when a girl from Newtownards sees Mikes Fancy Cheese (from Newtownards) on the menu she chooses it!

This is a place that you MUST visit. Then visit again and again. I can”t praise this place enough. It’s what we’ve been waiting for in York for a long time and Neil has delivered it in style.

Sara @ St John’s

We have been to Sara’s supper club a number of times over the last 4 years but this is the first time I’ve blogged about it. I’m still trying to organise my life in such a way that I can have more time to write the blog….

Sara appeared on Masterchef a few years ago and reached the final. I remember watching the series and being in awe of Sara’s attention to detail and way with flavour. I was really excited that someone from York had done so well and was then going to open up her home and invite people in to eat her food. You’ve probably guessed already that the food is really good, given that we’ve gone back time and time again.

This time we went with family and for my brother and sister in law it was their first time at the supper club. I wish I could have captured the joy on their faces as they tried the food.

Sara provides a set menu of an amuse bouche followed by three courses. Sara’s husband David hosts the evening and Sara joins in throughout the evening to talk about the food. What I love about evenings with David and Sara is the opportunity to eat round a table with people you’ve not met before and chat to the chef about the food, the flavour combinations and life in general. The evenings are often full of laughter and fun.

The menu this time consisted of an amuse bouche of Devil’s Rock blue on rye bread with walnut and alba truffle honey. A little taster packed full of flavour and the honey, oh my that tasted good.

The starter was partridge risotto with confit partridge leg. Game is something I look forward to at Sara’s supper club. It is always cooked to perfection. The risotto was beautifully rich and the partridge wonderfully moist.

The main course of roasted haunch of venison, shallot purée, parsnip mousseline, cavelo nero, roasted golden beetroot and carrots was the perfect autumnal dish brought together with a deep silky sauce.

The pudding seemed very appropriate given Sara’s appearance on Masterchef. A chocolate fondant, the nemesis of many a Masterchef contestant, was cooked exactly as it should be. The moften chocolate enhanced by drunken cherries with warming spice.

Sara’s supper clubs are a fantastic way of eating great food in a relaxed atmosphere. Sara’s joy of cooking shines through in all she does. I’d highly recommend it.

Nigel Haworth at The Star Inn The City

Seven years ago Mr Frivolitea and I went to Northcote, where Nigel Haworth is the Chef Patron, for our 10th wedding anniversary. We still talk about it. The gourmet tasting menu we had was the stuff of dreams. Champagne and canapés then dish after dish of stunning food, I can still vividly remember the salad! I couldn’t believe a salad could taste so good so you can imagine when the opportunity arose to eat Nigel’s food again in our own city we leapt at the chance.

The opportunity to hear Nigel himself talking about the food at the start of the evening made the night even more special. Once seated in the dining room we started with canapés of sausage roll and ham hock arancini from the Star Inn the City team. The arancini were particularly good and I think Mr Frivolitea could have easily eaten a bowlful.

We then started on the five course menu designed by Nigel to reflect the flavours of Northcote, cooked by Nigel, his son and the Star Inn the City team.

First up was the Goosnargh chicken liver parfait with grape jelly. The parfait was wonderfully whipped and light in texture with the grape jelly adding a nice acidity to the dish.

Next was the treacle cured salmon, seared west coast scallop, pickled ginger and caviar. The salmon had been cured for 18 hours and I really loved the asian flavours in the dish. The simple presentation really allowed the salmon to be the star of the show.

We then had caramelised celeriac and chestnut ravioli, celeriac tea and trompettes that were topped with a little dashi caviar. This was a really clever dish. The chestnut ravioli had a particularly lovely flavour and consommé that melted when poured over the dish gave a real depth of flavour.

The main course of butter puff pastry wrapped lamb, spinach and crosne artichokes used lonk lamb, indigenous to Lancashire stuffed with a chicken and mushroom mousse. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the buttery puff pastry made this a real treat of a dish.

The final course of Bramley apple cheesecake with Northcote blackcurrants, liquorice, herbs and flowers was a particularly favourite of mine. The cheesecake was so beautiful I almost didn’t want to eat it. It had a wonderfully fresh flavour and was a lovely end to the meal. The skill that went into the dish and the use of seasonal fruit was a true showcase of everything Northcote is.

It was such a joy to eat Nigel’s food again and be reminded of why I loved it so much first time round. If there was any criticism of the evening it was that there was quite a gap between each course but the food was worth the wait. I think we will be looking for an opportunity to go back to Northcote (hint hint Mr Frivolitea)