Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dinner. Show all posts

I'm late to the party with this one, I know. Lucianos at The Millstone is a very popular Italian restaurant in Anderton, between Horwich and Adlington, towards Chorley, and has been so successful that it has also opened a sister venue at Middlebrook Retail Park. Before now I had been to neither. There's a lot of Italian restaurants around Bolton and it was hard not to think "oh, another Italian restaurant".





But this is where Lucianos is different. The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is that the staff are talking to each other in Italian... that's a good sign in a true Italian restaurant! It's decorated in a bright and modern contemporary style, showing modern Italian dining rather than the old fashioned 'Ristorante' style we often have over here with candle-filled Chianti bottles, faux grape vines and nick nacks all over the place. A couple of trendy Vespas are found on the way in, with a dining area to the left, and a modern bar area to the right, making it clear this is a modern venue, not another cheesy Italian themed restaurant.



Despite not having a reservation, we are welcomed warmly, and shown to a pleasant table where we are given our menus by a charismatic manager / maitre'd, who seems very much at home in that role, and has fine tuned his patter; he asks if we'd like any wine by the bottle, but we were only having soft drinks, so he took the glasses away with the quip, "less mess for me!", I also like that when we were browsing the dessert menu later on, he chimed in, "Remember, signori, I will never let you struggle... all desserts come with a third spoon for me". I like this. You don't get the bon viveur style head waiter so much these days, and it's nice when you find it, and it seems genuine and warm hearted.

For our starter we order Budino Nero, which is black pudding served with sweet peppers, chorizo and red wine reduction, served with crostini bread, and the Terrina a modo nostro, a duck and chicken liver pate, finished with aged brandy and port. Served with cranberry compot and crostini.

As we wait for our starters, we look around some more at the decor and the layout. I never visited this place when it was a pub, but its hard to imagine, as it's been so pleasantly decorated in white wood panelling, black photo frames of modern day Italy, and plum coloured accents in the linen, and dark plum leather effect booth seating. Very stylish.


Before too long our starters arrive, and are beautifully presented. The lighting in this venue really shows off the food well. The pate was delicious and fresh with a little salad, and the black pudding starter was simply beautiful. It was meaty but with a red wine reduction which was deliciously sweet, and worked well in contrast with the meaty flavours and richness of the chorizo. I was so impressed with it that I asked one of the wait staff if they could find out what the sauce was for me. Marvellous!



We were so impressed with the starters that we were salivating at the idea of our mains! Main courses took a little longer to arrive, but the venue was starting to get busy, so it's not surprising, plus frankly I'm happy to wait longer for good quality food cooked fresh to order.

We ordered the tagliatelle carbonara speciale, and my partner decided to try something new, and opted to try the Ravioli All'Argosta, which is egg ravioli filled with lobster in a lobster and tomato bisque.

The carbonara was presented as well as it can be, and I took the offer of fresh parmesan topping. The flavours were excellent, and it was wonderfully creamy and filling! The lobster ravioli looked... well... there's probably not many ways you can make it look good on a plate given the nature of it as a dish... but it was there on the plate... and was very tasty with a distinct flavour without being overbearing. The quality of the fresh pasta was superb too!



So our starters and main courses were both excellent, two thumbs up! We were enjoying relaxing in the atmosphere of the place too, so the wait didn't feel too bad. We were very full, but decided we simply had to try some of the desserts... you know, to properly finish off!

I ordered one of the home-made caramel cheesecakes, and my partner ordered the canolo (tube-shaped shells of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling usually containing ricotta... a bit like a brandy snap). The cheesecake was tasty but a lot softer than I was expecting, probably as I've become more used to American style baked cheesecakes. The slice was a bit on the thin side, but the flavour was good, and wonderfully creamy. The canolo was also a little bit of a small portion. Admittedly it was listed as "canolo" (one) rather than "canoli" (multiple), but this one little canolo looked a bit lonely on a huge plate with a dusting of icing sugar over it. I think as a portion perhaps three of them would be a better portion and look better, but again the flavours and textures were excellent and couldn't be faulted. Delicious!



By now it was getting very busy, and we had trouble getting the attention of any of the staff to be able to ask for our bill, so I had to go to the main counter and ask the manager, but he was very friendly and gracious and brought the bill over straight away.

All in all, we were very very pleasantly pleased with Lucianos on what was a simple spur of the moment visit. The quality of the ingredients, the style of the setting and decor, and the professionalism of the staff really made this an enjoyable visit, and we will most definitely be returning! Buonisimo!


Lucianos at The Millstone
Bolton Road
Anderton
PR6 9JH
(01257) 480 205
http://www.lucianosatthemillstone.com/
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Cleavers Corner is a new and modern gastro pub which has recently opened on West Street in Ashburton, Christchurch. In New Zealand. Yeah I know it's a bit far afield compared to my regular reviews, but I was on holiday so had to review at least one place I stopped in!

You enter either from the main corner door, or one of the side window doors, where a server greets you. The uniform here appears to be black trousers and a denim shirt, which is certainly an unusual look, but that's their style.

The layout, like many Ashburton and Christchurch table-service eateries (bakeries don't count, they're literally everywhere... sometimes you want more than a cheese roll!), is a large open square room with tables dotted around, no breaking up the space or layout. This can be a bit of a shame if you would like a little privacy or a quieter area to sit, as everyone is basically in the same area. However, it's modern, bright, and clean, which is good enough for me.


We're handed the menus and told about the specials, as a bottle of water for the table is placed between us. The menu is simple but tasty food, focusing on fresh ingredients and quality. For our starters, we order pan fried dumplings, seared tuna, salt and pepper calamari, and a bread and dip selection.





The food arrived well presented, and looked extremely appealing. The quality and presentation was excellent, and all of the party enjoyed their starters. The bread in particular was a generous amount, with delicious fresh dips and balsamic vinegar with oil.

For our mains, we ordered the beer battered catch of the day (which on this day was red snapper), chicken breast, and pork ribs.

The mains, like the starters, arrived in good time. The atmosphere at Cleavers' is friendly, social, and relaxed, so it was pleasant to simply enjoy your company whilst waiting for your food.




The mains were again excellently presented, and very generous portions! The red snapper was tasty but subtle, and although the batter was perfectly crisp, tasting the fish on its own gave it a different flavour, which was pleasant. The chips were perfectly cooked, and a generous bowl of salad also provided. I did ask for vinegar, it being a classic British staple to have salt and vinegar with fish and chips, and they obliged a little while later by bringing out a small dish of what at first we thought was balsamic vinegar (if malt vinegar isn't popular, it's no shame to not have it commonly available), but it turned out to be a good strong malt vinegar, which after decanting it over my meal with a knife and fork to sort of... flick it over the fish and chips... worked well.

The bacon wrapped chicken breast was juicy and excellently flavoured, with tasty flavourful potato cubes in accompaniment. The ribs came on a giant chopping board, which I'd normally consider a bit of a gimmick, but in this instance it seems practical. They were perfectly glazed/sauced, with great flavour.

The portions were so big that we didn't even have room for a dessert, but those looked great too.

If you live near Ashburton or Christchurch, it's worth a visit. There's loads of free parking nearby, the food is tasty, and the service is friendly and casual.



Cleavers Corner
159 West Street
Ashburton
7700
New Zealand
(+64) 3307 4343

Cleavers Corner

by on 19:53
Cleavers Corner is a new and modern gastro pub which has recently opened on West Street in Ashburton, Christchurch. In New Zealand. Yeah...
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Papa's is one of the many places to eat in Darwen, but is quickly gaining a reputation as somewhere you can get good American food in a simple and welcoming environment, whilst not breaking the bank.

There's a great free car park pretty much opposite it, which is always nice. It's always a bit awkward when you want to go somewhere you've heard good things about, only to find there's nowhere nearby to park.

The frontage is relatively small, but inside there are several tables and booths, stretching back into the diner itself. It's not a 1950's soda-pop type diner, but more of an American style 'dive bar', with chunky wood battening, mounted hubcaps and lighting features made from bottles and glasses, as well as full sight lines into the action in the kitchen.





As we walk in, we are greeted at the main desk by a cheerful member of staff, who tells us to sit wherever we like and order at the till when ready. We opt for a booth towards the back of the restaurant as a birthday party is in full swing in the middle. The menus are more like take-out menus, but jam packed with all sorts of amazing sounding things from deep fried pizzas and chicken parmo, to a dedicated mac and cheese menu.

Whilst browsing the menu, we see a gigantic plate of chunky ribs covered in sauce taken out to the party table and placed in front of a stunned looking man, as the rest of the party gasp, laugh, and take photos.

We decide as the menu isn't structured formally with a starter, main, dessert etc, that we will both order a burger each, and ordered the Nutter Clucker and The Darrener respectively, and also a serving of Dressed Up Bacon Mac from the mac and cheese menu.



Now here's the interesting part which impressed me; despite the theming as an American diner/dive bar, and the setup of a small restaurant, the service I saw and heard in the kitchen was excellent. The team were checking timings of food with each other to make sure everything was prepared properly and in the right time frame, and I even heard discussion about whether the bechamel sauce was ready, and saw a chef taste it to make sure it was ok. That's a good thing. It's really nice to see a kitchen team with such slick operation, and genuine interest in the quality and taste of their products.

Before long, our meal came out, all together, presented in metal serving dishes, to further go with the American dive feel. I like that the paper lining of the dishes had trivia questions for you to uncover and quiz each other with as you progress in your meal. I was also really impressed that we were able to order root beer. So many American themed places never have root beer, and it really is an American diner staple!



I had to try the bacon mac and cheese before anything else, and it was absolutely amazing. The real deal, really well made and seasoned, and full of flavour and comforting melty cheese. I could've sat there any simply ate my way through the whole bowl, but needed to move onto the burger.

The fries were fresh, hot and crisp, perfect. The burgers were juicy and cooked perfectly. The barbecue sauce was really nice quality, and the soft brioche bun was the right choice too. Basically the food was really excellent.

The staff were friendly, cheerful, and helpful. They asked how we found the meal, if we enjoyed various elements of it, and when asked if we could have a take-away box to take home, were happy to suggest one of their foil boxes to keep our mac and cheese fresh.

The value was excellent, the quality of the food was excellent, the staff were excellent, and the atmosphere and venue was excellent. The website looks more geared to take-away or ordering online, but don't judge a book by its cover, because Papa's itself could very easily have a full on website, and full restaurant style and menus if it wanted to, because its that good. Seriously, give it a go.

We'll definitely be returning, because there's a lot of other things on that menu I'd like to try!


Papa's American Diner
193 Duckworth Street
Darwen
BB3 1AU
(01254) 777 977
www.papas-diner.co.uk

Papa's American Diner

by on 00:14
Papa's is one of the many places to eat in Darwen, but is quickly gaining a reputation as somewhere you can get good American food i...
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Chianti used to be a pub, and it's hard for them to escape that when you see the outside of it, looking very much like other traditional boozers in the area. However, when you decide to give it a try and walk inside, you realise it's a genuine nice quality Italian restaurant. It doesn't feel like a pub inside. It's warm, pleasantly decorated with wall murals and Italian themed artwork, and welcoming and friendly staff. Even the music that plays is a mix of both traditional Italian trattoria style music as you might expect, but also modern Italian music, which is a nice touch.




We're seated by one of the mural walls, and given some menus. The offerings are classic Italian, but at a reasonable price. When I notice that there's the option to have any of the pasta dishes as a starter option, I ask for a carbonara. The waitress tells me that it's actually the same price to go for a full normal sized carbonara, and I could simply take some home with me... I like her thinking! We order a garlic bread to nibble on, and a starter of carbonara, and the home made chicken liver pate.



Both arrive in good time. The carbonara tastes fresh and creamy, and is perfectly seasoned. The chicken liver pate is light and creamy, full of flavour, and served with light toasted rounds, and a fruit chutney. Really pleasant. I had to force myself to stop eating the carbonara so I would have enough room for my main course! The staff were happy to box up the remainder for me to take home.

For our mains we decide to order the penne pasticciata, and the pizza agrodolce respectively. As we wait for our mains, our drinks are kept refreshed, and we chat with some of the members of staff, who are friendly and warm, and happy to tell us about the decor and details of the venue.



The pasticciata was perfectly cooked, deliciously creamy, with plenty of meaty filling, and covered in a wonderful melted mozzarella. Very tasty, and a huge portion... very filling indeed. The pizza was definitely a hand-made base, which was perfectly crisp and had a semolina crunch to it. The ingredients were fresh and delicious, and managed to stay light, rather than many pizzas suffering from heavy and gloopy toppings. It was delicious, and also predictably, I also had to take some of this home too!

As I was now stuffed and content, I sadly had no room for one of the delicious looking desserts (I'd stood at the desserts chiller counter earlier, staring through the glass like a child at the window of a sweet shop). However my partner refused to throw in the towel just yet, and ordered some chocolate profiteroles.


The profiteroles were light and creamy and well complimented by the caramel sauce. The citrus zest grated on top of the cream was wonderfully fragrant, and gave the dish a fantastic little zing.

All all, the food was excellent and generously portioned considering how reasonable the prices were. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, and the staff were attentive and warm without being intrusive.

Image courtesy of the marvellous DollyBakes

We will most definitely return. Don't judge this book by its cover, it's not just an old pub, and it's not pubby inside, it's lovely, and a real Italian treat.


Chianti Bar & Restaurant
1133-1135 Chorley Old Road
Bolton
BL1 5SG
(01204) 846 777
http://www.chiantibarrestaurant.com

Chianti

by on 13:32
Chianti used to be a pub, and it's hard for them to escape that when you see the outside of it, looking very much like other traditi...
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The Strawberry... sorry... Strawbury Duck really is in the middle of nowhere! You have to drive up a single-berth road to get up to it, and then its just suddenly there. It's full of age and character, big chunky wooden beams, flagstone floors, rooms jutting off into different directions headed with various names in Olde English lettering, and comfortable tables and chairs scattered throughout and in cosy corners.





It's also nice to see that the pub is dog friendly, and various happy and well behaved dogs can be found lounging around in front of open fireplaces, curled up under tables, or hoping their respective owners might drop a bit of sausage. What's really nice is that there is even a small section on the menu offering various doggy treats, so your canine companions don't feel left out! That's a lovely touch.

As we walked in, we noticed most of the currently empty candlelit tables had 'reserved' signs on, showing the popularity and notoriety of the Strawbury Duck, and necessity of booking in advance. We were pointed to our tables, and given a couple of menus including the specials menu. A large chalk board on one wall proclaimed that the pie of the week was lamb and mint. Meanwhile another table next to us arrived, and their adorable greymuzzled dog curled up and relaxed on the floor. The decor is cosy, traditional, and a little rough and ready in parts. The bowls crammed full of plastic sachets of sauces and condiments on the tables I feel let the style down a little bit, reminding me a bit of a greasy spoon cafe, but with how popular they are, I assume this is a necessity.



From the menu we opted to try the starters of garlic butter mushrooms, and the rare breed chipolata sausages. I would describe service as friendly but basic, seeming to comprise of a no nonsense barman (owner?) and two young waitresses dashing about. As I say, service was friendly, but we were never given any names, nor did we feel anyone particularly went out of their way to look after us, but they did their job well, and with a smile.

The starters arrived. The mushrooms were cream and delicious, served with a wedge of bread, and the chipolatas were full of flavour, and came with a mild mustard mayonnaise which was a very tasty coupling.



After enjoying our starters, and chatting to the table next to us for a while, our mains arrived. We ordered the pie of the week, and the Strawbury Duck pan fried Goosnargh duck breast. Both were well presented, looking very appetising against the candlelight as the darkness drew in outside, and candled dotted around the pub flickered cheerfully.

The pie was the definition of a proper home-made pie, in a tin, with a good pastry lid. The filling was hot, perfectly seasoned, tender, and comforting. It came with fantastic big chunky chips which were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and a side of buttered peas. Very tasty indeed.

The duck breast was really excellent, full of great flavour and a glaze/jus that would make anyone's eyes sparkle! The dauphinois potatoes and vegetables served with it were the perfect accompaniment.



The food in general really was superb. It was nice to read on the menu that they are dedicated to locally sourced produce, and even list their local suppliers.

For once, we decided that as the food was so good, even though we were pretty full, we were going to take a breather and go for a dessert! We ordered a chocolate fudge brownie and a sticky toffee pudding respectively. Both arrived in good time, were deliciously presented, and were a pleasing size each, not being a disappointing mini-dessert as so many places seem to offer now when offering hot puddings.


The sticky toffee pudding was rich, sweet and comforting, and the chocolate brownie was delicious and had just the right amount of chewiness to it. Both were really good.

The bill wasn't the cheapest we've had, but the quality of food really merited it, and they do have various special offers on through the week where you can get things like two for one on fish and chips, and two for one on a steak and grill night too. I think if they just added a little polish to certain aspects, such as service, and things like those plastic sachets of sauces on the tables, they could really add another layer of quality and service on top of their already popular and pleasant offerings.

What's certain though is that we will be back! If I didn't take my mum for sunday dinner at this place I think she'd disown me!




The Strawbury Duck
Overshores Road
Turton
Bolton
BL7 0LU
(01204) 852 013
www.thestrawburyduck.co.uk

The Strawbury Duck

by on 17:14
The Strawberry... sorry... Strawbury Duck really is in the middle of nowhere! You have to drive up a single-berth road to get up to it, ...
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