Eating Dirty at Meatliquor

In the last month Bristol has finally been able to welcome Meatliquor to it's streets. A launch that was heavily hampered by delays of licensing suspended opening it's doors for over a year. But now finally dirty burgers plus liquor have descended from London and they are ours for the taking. We were invited to the launch of Meatliquor the other week to sample their cuisine although it wasn't the first time I had visited. The first week there was a soft launch and one week day lunch time we headed down there to see what was what.

I personally find the decor in the day time a touch depressing and real, sometimes feels a bit like eating in a car park.  At night it seems a bit better, the neon red strips, a nod to the previous incarnation of the space, Dynamic Heating Services, soften the stark concrete pillars. The first Meatliquor I visited was the Brighton branch and the decor there is the stuff straight out of a Terry Gilliam film or a brothel in Blade Runner. Neon clowns, industrial metal tables, things to catch the eye everywhere, it is completely fantastical. I know the Bristol branch was looking to fit in with it's new home of Stokes Croft but to me it feels a little less magical and a bit too gritty. Although I really liked the light boxes filled with weird and wonderful etching styled pictures.

As for the food, this is a place to pig out so come hungry, hungover or both. What is a nice touch is they tailor each menu to include some dishes that reflect it's location. So Bristol has extended vegetarian and vegan options. On launch night I decided to try their buffalo chicken burger, chicken covered in hot pepper sauce, lettuce, onions and blue cheese sauce. Rich had the bacon cheeseburger and we shared some fries and sampled the xmac & cheese, deep fried camembert and stilton macaroni cheese logs with port and cranberry dipping sauce. On our first visit however I tried the deep fried pickles and the dead hippie burger, their signature burger.

As expected they have local beer from Wild Beer, a Bibble, and Rich sampled two cans. I was happily recommended their signature cocktail St Lawrence; Bulleit rye shaken with maple syrup, fresh lemon juice a dash of bitters and a twist of orange. It was really great, a wonderfully balanced cocktail very much recommended.

xmac & cheese bites

All of the food came on one tray but we decided to tackle the xmac & cheese first because we were really hungry, purposefully saving ourselves for a feast. These were seriously dirty food, pretty stodgy but that was only to be expected. I could have done with a little more stilton flavour coming through because they were a little bland to what I was expecting. But they were very rich so the port and cranberry sauce was well matched and needed. If you are looking for a side from their normal menu, first time round we sampled the deep fried pickles with blue cheese dip. These are seriously good, a great crunch on the batter which is crucial, no one wants a soggy batter. The dip could have been more blue but again I am a blue cheese obsessive.

Look Ma! Pickles

buffalo chicken burger

On to the burgers. The buffalo chicken burger was spicy, but enjoyably so. The rich blue cheese sauce helped temper it down a bit. I enjoyed this burger it was just very intense, the flavours are so strong they almost punch you in the face, but I would have it again if I didn't fancy any of the beef ones. The beef burgers are cooked pink, as they should be. Rich found his bacon cheese pretty tasty although they use a bacon patty instead of rashers which is a bit different. The chips were a big enough portion to share between the two of us. The dead hippie burger which I sampled first time round, two patties fried in American mustard, cheese and dead hippie sauce is rather good, and offers something a little different.

inside the dead hippie

Meatliquor is good, but had it opened a year or two ago when it was supposed to it might have been in my top 3 burgers but unfortunately, or fortunately, Bristol has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to burgers. My top three, as it stands are Burger Joint, Chomp and Three Brothers. These places offer better value for better burgers. Meatliquor is pretty expensive, like Byron before it these London joints have to evaluate their prices for outside the capital. Meatliquor's burgers also like Byron do not come with fries and with drinks prices as they are you could easily spend £30 for a couple of burgers, fries and a side plus non alcoholic drinks. To find out more about Meatliquor check out their website.

The launch night meal was complimentary but did not affect my opinion of the burgers. My first visit I paid as normal. 

Vegetarian Dining at 1847

Last week the weather was horrendous, gales, driving rain and cold, basically everything you associate with Winter. After all the fairly mild offerings leading up to December it seemed to catch everyone off guard. It was on such a night of biblical weather proportions that Katherine and I headed to 1847 a new vegetarian restaurant that has opened up on St Stephen's street. I had been invited to sample the menu and for full testing purposes taking a vegetarian friend with me seemed only right. Vegetarian definitely seems to be de rigueur in the Bristol food scene at the moment with Flow opening up a few months back and the Black Sheep on Gloucester road joining suit. Hell even Meatliquor has adapted their menu to offer more veggie options for their new Bristol branch.

The gusts of wind blew us through the door of 1847, named after the date the vegetarian society was formed, and we were greeted very warmly by the waiter. The restaurant is smartly decorated mainly keeping to black and white with a few different lighting features to attract the eye. Katherine and I decided upon a glass of wine each and we were brought some olives and sunblushed tomatoes to snack upon whilst we decided what to eat. We browsed the selection and there were lots of things to tempt the eye. The menus are seasonal so there were lots of warm and hearty dishes to comfort the soul.

We decided to have a starter and main each, I decided upon the crispy egg, which topped pearl barley, celeriac and radicchio and Katherine opted for mushroom and walnut paté which came with pickled quince and smoked butter toast. For our mains I went for the much celebrated 'Fish' and chips, ginger ale battered halloumi, triple cooked chips with savoury lemon curd and pea and basil. Katherine went for Beet Bourguignon, beetroot stew with sautéed potatoes and crumbled goat's cheese. Our waiter also recommended a side of caramelised cauliflower with harissa yoghurt

crispy egg with pearl barley

mushroom paté

The egg for my starter was soft boiled with a lovely crunchy crispy crumb on it. The pearl barley was cooked well but generally under seasoned for me, it could have done with a little twist of lemon too. Katherine enjoyed her paté, and there was plenty of it.

On to the mains. Two sizable plates were brought to us. I was greeted by 3 golden globes of battered halloumi sat on a pea green sauce with dots of lemon curd and a mini friar filled with thick cut chips. Katherine's main was a colourful affair with plenty of textures and the cauliflower looked and smelled wonderful, we were looking forward to tucking in.

halloumi 'fish' & chips

beet bourguignon

caramelised cauliflower with harissa yoghurt

The crunch on the batter on the halloumi was super crisp. I wasn't quite sure how this dish would work but the halloumi was such a great fish substitute, the lemon curd really lifted it up and added to the illusion of fish. I didn't miss having fish at all it was really delicious. The chips were pretty good but we decided that they could have done with a little tartar sauce on the side to further add to the dish. Katherine's beet bourguignon was rich and full of flavour although she said she would have liked a touch more cheese. The cauliflower was great, the harissa yoghurt had a good level of spice and it went really well.

We were too full to attempt dessert but the options were enticing. 1847 does a lunch deal where you can have any main and a glass of wine for £10 which is pretty good considering how generous the portions are. In the evening the options appear to be 2 courses for £19 and 3 for £25 I was a little confused why you can't seem to order just one course as there were no individual plate prices. I was impressed overall by 1847, the food is interesting enough to keep meat eaters interested and veggies will be spoiled for choice by the variety. A little attention needs to be made to some of the starter dishes as I didn't find the selection as interesting as the mains and my starter was a bit bland. But the mains really impressed me so treat the veggies in your life to a meal at 1847 they won't be disappointed. To find out more about 1847 visit their website.

This meal was complimentary but we paid for our drinks, it did not impact my opinion of the food when writing this review.

New Menu Sampling at Thali Cafe Clifton

Last week I was invited to try some of the new items on the menu at the Thali cafe. Not one to shirk duty I invited the very lovely Charlie of Bedsit Bonnne Vivante to join me for dinner. It was a miserably wet and cold evening but the cheer of enjoying a pre drink in Nettle & Rye lifted our spirits and we headed down to the Thali cafe. We were greeted very cheerfully by the staff and sat near the window so we could watch the passers by.

Starting the evening with the Thali gin and tonic which comes with grapefruit wedges and they make their own tonic don't you know? We couldn't pass up a couple of their poppadoms each, they do the best selection of dips, twists on the classics you expect to find at Indian restaurants. Of course you have the mango chutney which has a bit of chilli added to it but also you'll find tomato with tamarind, coconut and ginger, a personal favourite, and finally coriander coconut.

For our mains we ordered the new grill mains, chicken tikka and lamb shish which are served on a fluffy naan, mooli salad, leafy greens, pomegranate raita and Keralan thoran. We also ordered side orders of Govindram's Potato fries double fried potato served with tomato tamarind chutney.

lamb shish grill

chicken tikka grill

Govindram's potato fries

karalan thonan

Their poppadoms were great as always. I really enjoyed the chicken tikka on naan. The naan was so soft and the chicken was spiced but not spicy, although I do love some heat so I wouldn't have minded if it had had a kick, although that isn't something you expect from tikka anyway. The mooli salad offered a crunchy and fresh texture. We were very kindly also given an extra portion of Keralan thonan and this turned out to be one of our favourite dishes. Stir fried squash, beetroot and curry leaves with toasted coconut. So delicious, it had a little heat to it and it was particularly morish. It was the one dish in particular we wanted to replicate at home, it was healthy but super tasty.

The only let down of the night were Govindram's potato fries. They looked a little over done and didn't really taste of a lot which was surprising really. However it didn't detract too much from the rest of the meal which was wonderful. So now if you don't fancy going down the curry route Thali cafe has some great grills for you to enjoy. More choice in this case is a very tasty good thing. To find out more about the Thali cafe's new menu items check out their website.

This meal was complimentary but did not affect my opinion writing this review. I will never be censored after all.

Wriggling Lunch at Plead the 5th

Last week it was cold and wet I fancied a stroll and some food, naturally. I checked out Wriggle to see what they could temp us with and some scrolling revealed a stuffed cheeseburger with hand cut chips and some apple slaw for £6.50 at Plead the 5th on Park Row. Quickly purchasing two for such a bargain we headed out for some fresh air before burgering. Plead the 5th opened up last year in the place of the long standing Italian restaurant Mamma Mia. 

Plead the 5th is American themed, named after the 5th amendment of the US constitution, the right to refrain from speaking in court in case it incriminates you. An odd choice for a restaurant name but I suppose it's a phrase that has filtered down into everyday speech. Naming aside we arrived at the restaurant to be greeted by a friendly waitress and splashes of red, white and blue all over the decor. The music is overtly big American classic rock ballads and you'll find yourself singing along whether you want to or not, earworms aplenty here. 

Seeing as we had two such good Wriggle deals we decided to treat ourselves to some chicken wings to share. Opting for the cider apple barbecue glaze, which was a special item. When it came to the drinks I was disappointed that the selection was fairly sparse. Sodas are bountiful in America, they have many weird and wonderful options, this is where offering something a little different might be beneficial. There wasn't even any root beer, which was a little surprising. When I was a nipper even McDonalds in the UK used to serve root beer as an option, albeit not for that long. Plead the 5th has ten wines, four standard beers, and coke, lemonade and Dr Pepper. However if you want a cocktail the list is very long so maybe that is the best way to go if you want something different. We chose a diet coke and Dr P. but it wouldn't hurt for the drinks menu over all to have a spruce up it's all a little uninspiring and a missed opportunity perhaps?

Wings arrived and they looked delicious. Proper large full sized wings, a healthy portion. A pot of slaw accompanied them and an artistic smear of blue cheese dip. The apple cider glaze was delicious and the wings were nice and juicy we really enjoyed them. The blue cheese dip was really strong and was more like a paste but it really worked with the wings, I could have polished off a whole three plates of them. 

Our burgers followed soon after and again it was a pretty large plate of food the patty was large due to being stuffed full of cheese, The burger was topped with tomato, pickle and caramelised onions plus lettuce on the bottom with mayonnaise. 

The cheese in the centre was super hot and plentiful. It was a nice mature cheddar that was well flavoured. The burgers were all meant to be served medium rare but ours were definitely not pink in the middle, but they were pretty juicy and definitely messy. The buns though nice, disintegrated fairly quickly. The apple slaw had far too much mayonnaise and added nothing. The chips were nicely salted and did the job. It was a fair burger but not my favourite in Bristol. A table near us ordered the ribs and they looked great. They also do fried chicken and waffles which I've had before in London and I'd be interested in trying.

I just found our visit a little frustrating because Plead the 5th had some great moments but I just found the burgers a little underwhelming compared to the wings. The service throughout was great however, really friendly and attentive. I would visit again, because they definitely have potential just a few things need changing in my opinion. To find out more about Plead the 5th visit their Facebook page.

A Rainy Lunch at Bellita

Last week on a rainy Friday Bristol Bites and I had arranged to try newly opened Bellita on Cotham Hill for lunch. I had only heard high praise from Instagrammers and Tweeters I was rather excited to be sampling the menu. Bellita, opened up by the Bell's Diner team, at the Flinty Red site follows a similar theme of Flinty, offering up small plates for sharing or hogging all to yourself. Influenced by Spanish, Moroccan and the Middle East flavour wise, the menu itself offers hugely enticing dishes separated out into veg, seafood and meat categories. I could have ordered everything it all sounded so delicious. 

But we decided to sample an Iberican ham croquette, regular readers will know my obsession with these is well documented, and potato and parmesan fritters from the bar menu. As well as rice, feta and saffron filo parcel with pumpkin borani and pistachios, artichoke, chicory, manchego, pear and almond salad with truffle oil from the veg menu. Finally from the meat menu pork cheeks cooked in Pedro Ximenez with cauliflower puree, wild mushroom and sage.

potato and Parmesan fritters

artichoke and manchego salad

saffron filo parcels

slow cooked pork cheeks

I was blown away by how good the food was. The salad was one of the best I've had in a long time, Wintery flavours with the right amount of truffle oil to bring it all together. It was earthy and yet slightly creamy and the artichokes were sliced wafer thin so they almost melted with the other ingredients when you took a bite. The filo parcels had a nod to Middle Eastern flavours and they were wonderful. Autumnal, nutty with a hint of  sweetness from the pomegranate. Those pork cheeks. Hugely rich, melt in the mouth, strong gutsy flavours I would order these again and again they were perfect.

I bow down before Bellita as food gods. I cannot wait for my next visit although with food this good I have a feeling it's going to be busy. To find out more about Bellita pop over to their website. 

8 Course Taster Menu at Nettle & Rye

Last week we were invited to sample the restaurant menu at newly opened pub Nettle & Rye. Situated at the old Hophouse site in Clifton village and owned by the same team as the Famous Royal Navy Volunteer on Kings Street. The pub itself has the same craft beer set up as the Navy Volunteer, a big selection of independent breweries as well as a really interesting selection of spirits. The gin selection alone was impressive. I particularly liked the fact that they offered some different gins to sample than the usual. The bar staff were extremely enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We were there to sample the soft launch of the restaurant menu upstairs the team had set up smaller versions of some of the dishes that will be available, in a eight course taster menu. There is a pub menu already operating downstairs for customers looking for a bite to eat with their beer sampling.

We had no idea what sort of food to expect although when ordering a drink at the bar the barman hinted that Scandinavian cuisine played a big part in inspiring the menu and everything had been sourced locally bar one or two items. We headed upstairs and a small cosy Wintery room greeted us, the decoration is meant to change with the seasons as well as the menu so that's a nice touch,  and we sat on a table near to the bar. Sure enough the menu revealed dishes involving mackerel, venison and rye, Scandi staples. The menu didn't give away many details so whilst some rather excellent Mark's Bread was brought to us and two glasses of Chablis we waited eagerly for the first course to emerge. 

Sure enough an amuse bouche of radish and tarragon mayonnaise plus an espresso sized cup of pumpkin velouté with toasted seeds and pickled pumpkin arrived in front of us. The velouté was particularly delicious and was definitely a highlight, thick and Wintery but with the surprise of the textures of the seeds and the pickled pumpkin.

Next up was carrot three ways with in house made ewes curd and puree prune and pumpkin seeds. The ewes curd was fabulous creamy but not cloying. The different textures and flavours of the carrot complimented the dish wonderfully, another standout dish. 

On to the fish dishes. First up cured mackerel with rye, buttermilk, apple and cucumber. This dish didn't quite work for me I found the fish to be far too overpowering and the buttermilk didn't really add anything. I did like the rye crisp for the texture plus the tarragon mayo from earlier made a reappearance which was somewhat surprising. Next was a main fish course of pollock, cauliflower three ways, smoked mussels, red watercress and brown butter. The star of this show should have been the pollock but it didn't really have a lot of flavour and was beaten by the cauliflower, the pureé was really delicious and the roasted cauli added a lovely earthiness to the dish. The muscles were wonderfully smokey I particularly enjoyed them.

The only meat of the evening came in the form of roe deer with beetroot, fennel and saison roasted onions. Artistically presented with vivid splashes of fuschia from the beetroot. A great dish the venison was cooked perfectly and the onions had a nice sweetness to them. I enjoyed this dish a lot, I was disappointed to hear that it would be priced at £20 when the menu launches, I feel this is overpriced considering that sides are not included. We did order a fantastic glass of tempranillo to pair with it which was velvetey smooth and slightly spicy, a perfect wine.

A palate cleanser of crab apple, Psychopomp gin granita and buttermilk followed. I did not enjoy this, I find Psychopomp to be too medicinal tasting for my gin preferences. I feel a palate cleanser should have a lighter touch to it and this was far too polarising a dish. Dessert was a hazelnut cake, peanut, white chocolate and yoghurt. The cake was fantastically light with a very slight hazelnut flavour the yoghurt ice cream was smooth but sharp and I couldn't taste any white chocolate. It was all executed well but it wasn't sweet enough for a dessert in my opinion.

To round off the meal pine and rosemary brittle appeared. A great snap but for me the rosemary totally overpowered the brittle, half the amount would have rendered this awesome. All in all there was some inventive cooking I really liked some of the dishes very much but some didn't quite hit the mark for me but I will be interested to see what the other seasonal menus have to offer.

I wasn't completely sold on all the dishes and I think the prices are rather ambitious. But the setting of the restaurant was very nice especially with a very Christmassy feel. It is good for Clifton to have a different pub option over what is already on offer and I think the bar will be pretty popular. I for one will definitely be back to sample some of their gins. To find out more visit their website.

A donation was made to homeless charity Street Smart in return for the food and we paid for our drinks separately. 

Lunching at Wicked Lunch Co.

Once upon a time a good sandwich was hard to find, much like a good heart hey Feargal? Then Sandwich Sandwich opened and all was good again with the world. No longer was a Sandwich a limp ham and cheese or a sad egg mayo, but people dared to dream that a sandwich could be exciting and with unlimited options. Well I am pleased to say that I finally ventured to the Wicked Lunch Co. on St Stephen's Street a few weeks ago with Beth to sample their wares.

The Wicked Lunch company offers, toasties, paninis, filled baguettes/sandwiches, salads and cakes. Their filled baguette sandwiches are a bit different with options like chicken satay, Spanish pork loin, steak as well as specials. We opted for the chicken satay and jerk chicken filled baguettes, with the view of having half each. 

A huge sandwich each arrived at our table, I am not a fan of measly sandwiches so this was indeed a sight for sore eyes. The bread was a hybrid of a sub and a baguette, soft but with a slightly crunchy top, it worked perfectly. The jerk chicken was pretty full on spicy, and I am no lightweight when it comes to spice, but it tasted great so when you have a cold this is what you should be eating, healing and comfort in one. Having said that the satay chicken baguette just pipped the jerk to the post. Creamy, nutty and delicious with a lovely Asian slaw. Definitely would have this again it's so good.

If you haven't already visited the Wicked Lunch Co. hop to it! Big sandwiches, great flavours and lots of choice. I am going for a panini next time judging by how good the baguettes are I'll be in for a treat. To find out more about the Wicked Lunch Co. visit their website.

Experiencing Burger & Lobster in Bath

In the last few years there has definitely been a spread of London based smaller chains branching outside of the capital. Bristol has Byron and Wahaca now and we are awaiting a Meatliquor on Gloucester Road. Bath, always further down the list of places to plant a chain, mainly due to the size of the city and also the rents I imagine are astronomical. I am from Bath and I feel I am qualified to judge their restaurant scene as already too packed with chains for such a small city. However when I heard that a Burger & Lobster was landing in the rejuvenated Milsom's Place site, what used to be Shire's Yard, I was curious. Although other than Colonna & Hunter, every other food site is a chain, Yo Sushi, Jamie's Italian, Carluccios etc. But I have always been curious about Burger & Lobster so when I was invited by the lovely Charlie and Chris to join them at their table on the soft launch night I jumped at the chance to go.

After a few drinks at Colonna & Hunter we arrived at the restaurant. First things first, the venue is beautiful, a former church, the Octagon has high ceilings coupled with the low lighting and the angles of the space just make it feel very special. We ordered some cocktails and decided what to feast upon. There is no menu at Burger and Lobster you can either have a burger, a lobster or lobster roll for £20. Or for £30 you can have a whole burger and share half a lobster with your companion, this also includes pudding. Shonette and I decided to buddy up for this so we could fully experience the food.

Shadowy photos aside, you get a lot of food on the tray. Shonette and I had chosen for our lobster to be grilled and come with garlic butter sauce. The lobsters come with some appropriately, or inappropriate if you're a lobster, claw shaped crackers to access the meat from their coral shell prisons. My general experience of eating lobster is minimal so it was like solving a puzzle working out where the best place to crack which would reward me with a boon of lobster meat. Except boon isn't really the word I would use because although tasty it is a lot of effort for little meat.

Luckily the burger was substantial enough to ensure I wouldn't go hungry for a couple of days, the meat was pink and juicy and you can top it with cheese and bacon which is exactly what we all did. It was a tasty burger and I enjoyed the side salad it had parmesan shavings and a lovely light zingy dressing.

You won't go hungry at Burger & Lobster, unless you're a vegetarian. Plus bibs with your meal so you don't splatter yourself with lobster innards is my top tip for dining here. Burger & Lobster is a little on the pricey side but when you consider it's lobster it is a good deal. It offers something a bit different and the building is worth the trip alone. Plus below you can find an underground cocktail bar in the chapel part of the building, The Confessional which also does amazing sandwiches, I personally can't wait to try it. To find out more about Burger & Lobster visit their website. 

Last Day of Summer at Salt & Malt

The first Sunday in September was one of the hottest days in many weeks. The lovely Jane and her partner Harv had arranged a day trip to Chew Valley Lake to sample Josh Eggleton's most recent venture, Salt & Malt. After opening the café last December a restaurant was soon swiftly added on for evening diners. Where they could enjoy a proper fish supper but also offering a wider menu selection than the café such as fresh seafood and burgers. As it was such a glorious day we decided to sit on the benches outside. The café menu offers cod, haddock and fishcakes, all the fish is sourced from Cornwall delivered every day so you only get the freshest produce. We all decided to go for the cod and chips which came with peas and tartar sauce. 

fish n chip lunch (photo credit James Harvey)

late Summer feasting (photo credit James Harvey)

fish and peas up close

Easily the best battered fish I've ever had, it was crunchy without being greasy and the fish was wonderfully fresh. And those peas, flavoursome, ever so slightly crushed with a creaminess to them, I was lucky enough to have some of Rich's peas, I couldn't get enough of them. I enjoyed the chips, although not the best I've had they were very tasty. I could have done with a couple more, but then who doesn't want more chips? 

looking over the lake

Salt & Malt offers lovely food at a decent price, a fish supper to takeaway is £6.95 for example, and on a day as beautiful as the day we went it was extra glorious. Well recommended for a day trip just out of Bristol. To find out more about Salt & Malt visit their website. 

Steak Night at the Old Crown in Bath

Last week I popped over to visit the parents after work. Both mum and dad had been raving about the steak night at the local pub, which had recently had a revamp. So I decided to join them to see for myself, all in the interests of science of course. Weston village really has never had any decent pubs, well not since I've been of legal drinking age, which is not for a lady to say how long that's been so mind your beeswax. We had reserved a table as mum had assured me it got quite busy, particularly on steak night. So we sat down at our table and quickly ordered a bottle of Tempranillo and the steak night deal; 10oz rump steak, fries and salad for £10.

It was nice to receive a thick steak for a change. Mine came perfectly medium rare like I had requested. It was really well seasoned and nice and juicy. Dad's was a bit blue for his liking, because it was a thicker steak than ours, so with no fuss they cooked a bit more and brought back quickly. It was nice to see  the salad not being an afterthought. They had roasted tomatoes ribboned carrots and cucumber and added a nice dressing. For £10 this was an absolute steal. I was really impressed they really pulled out the stops to make sure you have a tasty steak. The only addition would be to have some peppercorn or bearnaise sauce on hand.

People of Weston Village you finally have a lovely pub to go eat in and enjoy. Steak night is on Thursday but you can also enjoy burger night on a Wednesday. To find out more about the Old Crown visit their website.