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Address: Llandewi Skirrid, Abergavenny, NP7 8AW, Wales
Telephone number: 01873852797
Website: http://www.thewalnuttreeinn.com/
Date of visit: 25 November 2009
Approximate cost per head: £20
Comments on wine list/beer: Very interesting list. Reasonably priced.
Summary:
I have missed two great chefs at the peak of their trade. They operated at The Carve Angel and The Walnut Tree.
The Walnut Tree, whilst under the ownership of Francesco offered Welsh/Italian cooking. A few years ago, Francesco retired. His son took over the management but it did not survive. Very similar to the great Patrick Rance who ran a cheese shop in Pangbourne – I drove miles just to buy cheese there. Patrick passed away, his son relocated the shop to Abingdon and then it went down hill and finally closed.
Now, to happier times.
A year ago, Shaun Hill (The Merchant House, Ludlow), took over The Walnut Tree and things have been looking up again.
I went there with a couple of friends including David Powell. His family farmed around Abergavenny before Francesco made his home there. According to David, it was just a farmer’s pub in the 60s. David is a well known Bourbon and whisky connoisseur as well as a top international veterinary surgeon in the horse racing world.
This place is like a gastropub (i.e. charge restaurant price but there is no table cloth).
We all had the set lunch (£16.50 for 2 courses and £22 for 3 courses) which was very good value for money and the place was pretty full.
The menu is essentially modern british. For starters we had plaice goujons and “pigs head ceomesqui”. Ok, let me explain, essentially, it is the meat from the pigs head, made into a large sausage. This is then bread crumbed and fried so it looks like a fish cake on salad. This is not the first time I came across this. The best recipe is in a book called Momofuku by David Chang (ISBN 978-0-307-45195-8). This is one of those “yuk” recipe that taste fantastic.
For main course, we all had braised ox cheek – slow braised dark meat – with mash potato. The other dish on offer was smoke haddock. Ox cheek and oxtail are fantastic meats and they are really cheap. If you want to cook it, just use a beef bourguignonne recipe. Roast the meat in a hot oven for 20 minutes to get rid of the fat then follow the recipe. The deserts on offer were bakewell tart and white chocolate mousse.
The wine list was very extensive and it was also very strange. It starts at £16 and goes up to £148 for a bottle of puligny montrachet 97 and £148 for a 96 barolo. We had a bottle of Chilean Cabernet Franc for £24 which was pretty good. I had never drank cabernet franc as a single grape before – it is normally used as part of a mix (less than 10%) in making Bordeaux red wine.
On the whole, it is very good. So if you are in the vicinity, do pop in. Apparently Shaun Hill is down here once every month.
Eddie
PS The Walnut Tree was reviewed in June 2010 by the Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/7821030/Restaurant-Review-The-Walnut-Tree.html
Submission type: Ask Eddie
Subject: Top London Restaurant for Romantic Meal
Text: Dear Eddie,
For our wedding anniversary last year my husband and I went to the top floor of Smiths of Smithfield in London which was amazing both in terms of service and quality of food. We are looking for a restaurant of a similar quality in London to go to this year but don’t want to go to a restaurant in a hotel. We would like British/French food.
Any suggestions?
Many thanks,
laura Richards
Hi Laura,
Your previous place seemed to have offered ambience, views as well as good food. If John Torode reads this column, he should be very proud of the Top Floor at Smiths of Smithfield.
I am goiung to assume that you are happy with £50 a head without drinks
Lets start with 3 restaurants with views:
Oxo tower Restaurant – Oxo Tower Wharf , Barge House St, London SE1 9PH. T: 0207 803 3888 o
http://www.harveynichols.com/output/Page128.asp
This place gives you a great view across The Thames.
Next,
Galvin at Windows, The London Hilton, Park Lane, W1K 1BE 0207 208 4021
http://www.galvinatwindows.com/
This gives you a view across Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace. I know that you said no hotels but increasingly, top chefs operate out of Hotels on a “rental” basis and its not the same kitchen as room service. This is modern British cooking with a twist.
Another place is Gary Rodes’ Rodes 24 at Tower 24, Old Broad St, London EC2N 1HQ, T: 0207 877 7703. This is on top of the Gerkin and Rodes is always reliable.
All three places offers great food and views.
However, if you would prefer diner followed by a West End show, try Marco Pierre-White’s
The Criterion, 224 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HP T:0207 930 0488
Don’t expect to see him. He has given up cooking but he has good chefs working for him. The art deco restaurant is one of the most interesting in London and you are right next door to Piccadilly Circus.
Finally, if you simply wish to look into each other’s eyes with minimal distractions, try
Le Gavroche, 43 Upper Brook St, London W1K 7QR, T: 0207 408 0881. This is managed by the other Masterchef judge Michel Roux Jr. There is no better classic french restaurant in London.
Hope this is what you want.
Eddie
30 November 2009
Location:
Telephone number: 0207 490 1676
Website: www.gauchorestaurants.com
Date of visit: 25 November 2009
Approximate cost per head: £45+
Comments on wine list/beer: Very extensive and expensive wine list especially Argentinean wines
Summary:
This restaurant occupies a large room between Smihfield Market and the Barbican.
There are two kitchens, an open grill on show to the diners and one at the back where they prepare the additional parts to the meal.
The room is “darkish” with black tables and chairs covered in black and white hides and it is part of an upmarket chain of steakhouses.
On the day we went, the place was half full with diners mainly on expense accounts.
The steaks start at 250g and goesw up to 400g. You have a choice between rump, ribeye, sirloin and fillet. You then add potatoes, vegetables, sauces etc. There are other dishes on the menu such as empanadaes and several Argentinean dishes etc. The meat is brought to the table on a block of wood – just in case you do not know what cut you want or is not aware of the amount of fat on the different cuts. You can also have their version of mixed grill at £39 or a sample platter of the different steaks.
We chose fillet, ribeye and rump between us.
My ‘medium’ rump was cooked on the rare side – they are using US definition instead of UK definition. The steak was well seasoned and well cooked. However, I then had the saltiest chips and vegetables I have had for a while. I do not know if the chef had an off day or he/she preferred to go OTT. I did not complain as our “friends” were obviously happy with the amount of salt. So beware!
The wine list is something to behold. There are pages of Argentinean wines listed by the type of grapes as well as the usual “old world” wines. They also showed the altitude next to the vineyard – completely meaningless to me even though my understanding is that the higher we go, the cooler it gets. We had a bottle of Cab which was excellent.
On the whole, it was a good meal but restaurants need to understand that there are a few of us that are trying to reduce our intake of salt.
Eddie
Name of restaurant or pub: Alamo Drafthouse
Location: Austin, Texas, 4 Locations
Web site: http://www.drafthouse.com/
Telephone number: +1 512-707-8262 (S. Lamar), +1 512-476-1320 (Ritz), +1 512-459-7090 (Village), +1 512-219-8135 (Lake Creek)
Media link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fp5_IGP1mcQ
Review:
Austin, Texas (The Live Music Capital of the World yay!) is one of the coolest cities in America. As the capital, and the only liberal hub of the iconic red state, the city is a mecca of diverse people, art, film, music, food, and nature, with myriad spots around town featuring an amalgamation of all. The city’s slogan, ‘Keep Austin Weird’, expresses Austinites’ pride in supporting local businesses, and their preference for the high quality, and unpretentious and often quirky surroundings they offer. One of my favorite places in Austin, and one that epitomizes its distinctive character, is The Alamo Drafthouse.
Alamo Drafthouse, an independently owned and operated movie theatre, is a fusion of film and food. Dinner and a show all in one! You won’t encounter the typical waft of stale, cheese whiz covered nachos of the common corporate chain variety. While viewing the new-release film of your choice, a proper menu of delectable treats, created by award-winning chefs, is on hand. Prices range from reasonable ($10 pizza) to expensive ($4 coke). Though is it not compulsory for a film spectator to order food at the Alamo, it is a large part of the experience and a large part of the fun, and therefore it is rare that a visitor will pass up the opportunity to pencil in their order on the little white pieces of scratch paper provided, and stick them on the table clip as a flag for the server to collect! Popular choices include the ‘Bucket of Beer’ (six bottles in a pale of ice $18-£35) and the ‘Jalapeno Poppers’ ($7). Personally, I vouch for the delicious, made-from-scratch Sangria ($6/glass,$20/pitcher) and ‘The Godfather’ pizza ($10.50). And it is extremely rare that I make a trip to the Alamo without getting the ‘Three Freshly-Made Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies served with Amy’s (the best local ice-cream) Mexican Vanilla Ice Cream’ ($5). Other fare include sandwiches, wraps, pizzas, salads, pasta, burgers, fish & chips, quesadillas, desserts, coffee drinks, shakes, rootbeer floats, and of course candy. Plus a full bar offers cocktails, beer, and wine!
The Feast Series makes for an excellent date night! Past events included: a six course Russian menu inspired by Dr. Zhivago, a five course vegan meal to accompany Super Size Me, six courses of Caribbean food for Pirates of the Caribbean, an all organic feast during Fast Food Nation, authentic Polish eats throughout the Polish Film Festival, a Moroccan spread for Casablanca, a seven course Middle Earth-ian Hobbit feast throughout twelve hours of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, a five course Harry Potter meal inspired by the start of term feast enjoyed by Hogwarts students at the beginning of each book, an aphrodisiac-laden menu for the Valentine’s Day showing of Annie Hall, and a four course feast during the screening of Sideways, complete with wine pairings that were featured in the film. ($25-$100/person)
A favorite event is the ongoing Alamo Iron Chef Competitions, in which Alamo chefs vie against each other, or against other renowned chefs in the city. Each chef prepares four to five dishes, themed to the chosen film, for each of the audience members. At the end of the show, the audience decides whose meals were tastier and more cleverly matched and timed to the movie. All proceeds for the Iron Chef events go to a local food bank. This is a thrilling evening!
I would be remiss not to mention that aside from new release films, The Signature Events at Alamo- Sing-a-longs, Terror Tuesdays, Weird Wednesdays, Rocky Horror Picture, Filmmaking Frenzy, Hey Homo!, Baby Day, Rolling Roadshow Tour, Austin Air Guitar, Celebrity Guests, Master Pancake, Open Screen Night, TV Show Series Marathons, and many more- are hugely popular and super fun!
It’s important to reserve seats ahead of time and to show up early to collect your tickets! The Alamo Drafthouse is always packed! Waiting in the lobby prior to entrance into the theatre is all part of the experience- an opportunity to peruse works by local artists, play old school arcade games, buy a cool t-shirt, socialize with friendly Austinites, or kick back with a beer and watch the ever bizarre, invariably comical pre-film entertainment. Film ticket price is $9/person. Four locations in town.
Melanie – solis_melanie@yahoo.com
Location: 32-36 Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3AA
Telephone number: 0118 950 4039
Website: http://www.laparada.co.uk/
Date of visit: 11 November 2009
Approximate cost per head: Less than £20
Comments on wine list/beer: Several larger on tap (incl San Miguel), Wine from £15 a bottle
Summary:
It was a sort of reunion. We (6) had all worked together for the same company a year ago. We chose La Parada because, its good place to share food and the bill.
Tapas start at £2.50 and goes up to £6.95. The portions are good sized. We all ordered a tapa each, the vegetarian paella for 2 and two lots of potatoes bravas. Including 2 bottles of wine and a round of drinks before the meal the total bill including service came to £110.
Re the tapas, we had sardine, gambas ajillo, tortilla, sardines, whitebait and chorizo.
I particularly like the chorizo which was crispy. The vegetarian paella was also very tasty – peppers and asparagus – and there were enough to go round all six of us. Everything was fine except the whitebait which was a bit dry.
On the night we went, it was a bit quiet so we were able to have the big round table in the corner. The place will easily accommodate over 100 people and they have “live” Latino music on a Friday and a Saturday night.
During weekday lunches, its buy one gets one free.
Great value.
Location: Reading Road, Cane End, RG4 9HE
Web site: www.palmtreeindian.com
Telephone number: 01189722477
Date of visit: 23/11/2009
Approx. cost per head: £15
Comments on wine list/beer: Variety of wines from all over the world
Review:
I was recommended by a family friend .It was my first visit with my wife. It was excellent, the food, the staff and the hygeine level is absolutely outstanding. Very impressed with the toilets, very clean indeed.
Excellent meal with very extensive dishes and rare dishes that you will not see in any other restaurants in the locality. Very well mannered staff – excellent and attentive
Tapali dish
Duck Flambe
Palm Special
Seafood – Salmon fish kebab and more
Mouthwatering taste
Highly recommended.
You must view the website, they have a great informative website with lovely photo galleries to see past events…plenty of review from local press as well
great great…fantasic
James
Location: 123 Nelson Rd, Whitton, Twickenham TW2 8BB
Telephone number: 0208 894 9998
Website: N/A
Date of visit: 21 November 2009
Approximate cost per head: Less than £10 – depending on how much you drink
Comments on wine list/beer: Fullers etc
Summary:
This is a possible place to drive and drink – before the match so that you have time to sober up.
Yesterday, we were left with a major dilemma – the Reading to Twickenham train terminates at Feltham (then bus to Kempton Park and another train to complete the journey) because of a partially collapsed bridge!
So we drove.
My friend suggests that we park the car at Whitton – I usually park at The Stoop (Harlequins) or at Waitrose (previously Summerfield). It turned out to be a great idea.
Just before you get to Whitton Station, you can park in one of the side street for nothing – no restrictions. I am sure the local residents will curse me for revealing this piece of information.
From Whitton Station (Windsor Line), you basically walk straight along Nelson Rd, then Warren Rd and and you will get to the West side of the stadium – 15 minutes.
Along the way, there are two pubs – The Admiral Nelson and The Inn.
The Admiral Nelson is obviously a rugby pub as the place is plastered with Rugby memorabilia. There are at lease 4 pictures of Jonno holding up the Worlds Cup.
The bar is huge and highly efficient. You can buy jugs (4 pints) or by the glass (plastic). The beer was kept in top condition and I had one of the best London Pride for a long time. Beer is also very cheap – from £2.50 – when compared with the pubs along station road and no bouncers or ques to get in the way.
They only have a roast hog counter for food that day. A large white bap stuffed with roast pork, crackling and onions for £4.50.
Eddie
Location: 8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, London, W1S 1EY
Web site: www.hush.co.uk
Telephone number: 02076591500
Date of visit: 20 November 2009
Approx. cost per head: £23
Comments on wine list/beer: Comprehensive wine list
Review:
Really nice contemporary atmosphere and decor. Dessert choices seemed more innovative – the mats bar cheesecake was a particular delight. I had the salmon which was a large slab rather Ghana sliver youmay get elsewhere. My colleagues had a steak and ale pie which was presented with a tremendously puffed top and in a copper saucepan. The Pinot noir from new zealand was good if not special. Helpful and attentive – but not over bearing – staff.
Location: Ermin St, Shefford Woodlands, Hungerford, RG17 7AA
Telephone number: 01488 628284
Website: www.thepheasantinnlambourn.co.uk
Date of visit: 20 November 20089, updated 6 Dec 2009 with recipie
Approximate cost per head: over £20
Comments on wine list/beer: Beer is mainly by Loddon, fairly serious “budget” wine list. Good range of wine by the glass.
Summary:
According to Sawday’s (Pub and Inn Guide of England and Wales), this is the best place on the M4 for a pit stop for miles. As Sawday’s is a very high quality guide, I decided to pay this place a visit.
To start with, there is ample parking as this place is on the B4000 and nowhere near a bus route.
The place is roughly divided into a bar with two areas set aside for dining. Each of the “dining area” is as big as the “drinking area”. This suggests that most customers are diners. The menu is a ‘dated’ one pager which suggests that they cook according to what they can get rather than to a fixed formula.
The prices are more “restaurant price than pub prices”. Service in the restaurant area also attracts an optional 10% service charge.
The food is unpretentious and very good. We had sausages and mash; calamari which came with home made mayo and devilled kidneys. The next table had lamb shanks. Starters are around £8 and the main courses are around £15.
As The Pheasant is down the road from Lambourne, it attracts the racing set. This is evident by the photographs on sale which portraits horses and jockeys in various posts.
update:
Back for another meal. This time, we had, fish cake, smoke haddock welshrabbit and duck’s breast. They were all good.
The smoke welsh rabbit was a very simple but excellent dish. The chef put a piece of smoke haddock on thinly sliced grilled tomatoes with an au gratin cheese sauce on top – simple!. Oh by the way, there was a sprinkle of chopped basil on the tomatoes.
Eddie
Location : Shop - Vickerage Rd, Maidenhead, Wolesale – Denmark Street, Maidenhead
Web address: http://www.italiancont.co.uk/
Date of visit: 17 November 2009
Opening hours: dawn till dusk , 7 days a week.
Telephone number: 01628 77011o
Summary:
Carmelo and his wife + relatives still manage this gem of a store in “north” maidenhead. It does not look much from the outside but ……..
This is the retail outlet of Camelo’s vast wholesale empire (up the road) which supplies Italian Restaurants in the SE of England.
You can still get milk, potatoes and domestos here (similar to your local Indian shop) but then he also sell a range of goods that you cannot get anywhere else.
To start with, the deli will sell you a variety of Italian ham, cheeses, salami and polish meat products. You can also get fresh Italian sausages which when mixed (with the casing off) with minced beef makes excellent meat balls with your pasta. Check out the end bits of prosciutto (Parma Ham) as they make excellent stock.
He sells both fresh and dry pasta and you can get several sizes of spaghetti (normal to angel hair). There are also a great selection of olive oils.
His “off lisence” is another treasure trove – you can get XO brandy and Krug champagne but its his collection of Italian wine that is truelly amazing. He sells tignanello (Antinori) – a great Italian red that is rated by Parker at one of the great wines of the world at just over £40 a bottle – comapre with French first and second growth, this is a steal.
He also stocks a great range of grappa and beers. You can get the usual and unusual beers such as Cypriot and Mexican. In case you want to do cocktails, he also has a whole range of “support” ingredients.
In his frozen goods department, you can get bacallou croquets and octopus – by the way, frozen octopus is actually better than fresh octopus and its more tender.
He also socks a range of spices, fresh herbs and squid ink. You can also find diabetic (sugar free) jams and biscuits.
When in season, he sells Italian vegetables and fruits – white peaches, swiss chard, radiccio……..
Be nice to him – he is the one behind the till and you will get a discount on your beer or wine (by the case) and one of his expresso.
Eddie