Showing posts with label greater manchester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label greater manchester. Show all posts


Whilst in Wigan for an appointment, I decided to look online for places to get some breakfast or brunch whilst I was in the area. I don't know the area well, but it seems there's some good choices. The one that stood out for me, and was closest and open, was Caffè Rosso on Wigan Lane.


From the outside, Rosso is unassuming, but the first thing I notice is that at this point of the morning it can't have been open long, but there were already people dining in the outside seating, and two tables occupied inside. The inside of Rosso is modern with retro and vintage touches, but as well as being clean and pleasantly decorated and furnished, it feels welcoming. The details around the room such as newspapers and magazines for customers to read are nice, but its small details like free wifi, and books on things like trips around the British Isles that make you realise that not only are you welcome, but if you want to stay a while and relax, you're welcome to.



When I mentioned to one of the owners that I liked the feel of the place and the décor, he thanked me and said that it was a carbon copy of their living room at home, but without the television. I think I can believe that, because it's very welcoming and comfortable.

Upon reading the breakfast menu (a specific "good morning!" menu, which I like the idea of), and the main "welcome" menu on the table, the two words I would use to describe Rosso are "provenance" and "passion". The details given in the guide exude pride at listing where their foods and ingredients are sourced, their views on ethics and quality, and emphasising the home-made elements, and the awards they have earned. I like this. If you have something of quality and you know it, then by all means, shout it from the rooftops!



 As it was morning, I opted for some granary toast with marmalade and a pot of tea. I liked that I was able to ask for decaf tea, skimmed milk, and sweetener, without it being an issue that it can often be at small establishments like this.

Sounds healthy doesn't it? Only thing is, I had my eye on a particularly nice looking slab of Belgian chocolate tiffin in a cake cabinet on the main counter next to an equally delicious looking key lime pie. Well it'd be rude not to, wouldn't it? I ordered with one of the owners at the counter. He was friendly, welcoming, and professional.


The tea was perfect as to be expected, but the tiffin was really excellent! Rich and chocolatey, it was the perfect little treat, and knowing it was home-made was another nice touch. I'd be tempted to come back just for this little beast, but in seeing that they also do Afternoon Teas, I'm sure I could be persuaded to return a few times... just for research purposes of course!

As it stands, I wasn't expecting to find anything amazing early on a Monday morning in Wigan, but I found a real gem. I must explore Wigan more!

You've got something good on your hands, Rosso, and you deserve your awards and praise! I only came for a brew and some breakfast, but I left feeling great! I will definitely be back


Caffè Rosso
17 Wigan Lane
Wigan
WN1 1XR
(01942) 581 609
www.cafferosso.co.uk

Caffè Rosso

by on 19:50
Whilst in Wigan for an appointment, I decided to look online for places to get some breakfast or brunch whilst I was in the area. I do...
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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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Max Italia is on Lee Lane in Horwich. It's the source of some confusion at times as it was once an Italian restaurant called Max Max. Since Max Max closed, it reopened as the short lived Siam Balcony, before closing and reopening as the current Italian restaurant with the familiarly named Max Italia, seemingly wanting to hark back to the days of Max Max, and informing the locals of what they're about.

It took me a while to get to Max Italia, as I live very nearby it, but assumed it was the same people behind Max Max, so never really gave it much thought. However on one night we fancied giving it a try, and so called the number to make a booking. Oddly the phone was simply answered with "hello?", leading me to ask "uh... is that Max Italia?"  "yes" ... awkward. But still, we got a table booked, and went along.

When we arrived we realised how busy it was! We were greeted, and seated in a waiting area by the bar with a menu to look at whilst our table was prepared. It only took a couple of minutes before we were seated.




The decor is modern but simple, with clever tricks like stone effect printed wallpaper for texture (I thought it was real stone at first) and large mirrors on one wall to give the space a feeling of more room. Dishes are written across the top of the wall, a la Frankie & Benny's. The tables are simple white linen with red square accent cloths. Classic Italian restaurant with a slight modernisation. No Chianti bottles with melted candles here.. The only thing I thought spoilt the look a bit was plastic fake vines occasionally strewn around lampshades and around windows. It really doesn't need them. The bar area is white tiles, glass blocks, and blue lighting, giving a slight feeling of a swimming baths, but still functional and modern.

The menu has some great classic offerings without going too over the top. It also has several special offers to tempt people into giving them a try. On the night we were visiting, there were two long lines of tables celebrating a retirement, so it was loud but not terrible. We were worried about the time for food to arrive, but they were seemingly finishing their main course as we settled in, so that wouldn't be too much of an issue.

To start we ordered plain garlic bread topped with oregano and Fungo Al Pepe, which is a large mushroom topped with black pudding and blue cheese in a creamy pepper sauce.



The garlic bread, although a nice texture, was quite subtle in terms of garlic. It was however still pleasant, and worked very well dunked in the sauce that came with the Fungo Al Pepe, which in itself seems a little bit Italy-via-Lancashire. I'm not sure if it's a classic dish you'd find in bistros in Firenze, but despite the appearance, it was bubbling when it arrived, and was in itself very tasty and enjoyable.

For our mains we decided on Penne Gratinate, which is penne pasta with onions, mushrooms and peas, in a creamy sauce, topped with cheese and cooked in the oven, and a classic spaghetti carbonara.

 These too arrived in pretty good time from the open-fronted kitchen at one end of the restaurant.



Suffice to say, both of these dishes were superb. Fresh, creamy and tasty, they were satisfying right down to the last forkful, and then to the last spoonful as we finished every last bit! The penne gratinate was satisfying and creamy, with wonderful flavours, and the carbonara was fresh and nicely presented.

At this point we could see that the large tables with the retirement party were eyeing up the dessert menus, so we got our order in quickly. We chose a simple vanilla ice cream, and the chocolate profiteroles. Again, both arrived in good time. The ice cream was good, topped in a chocolate sauce, which although nice, I didn't ask for (I'm not usually a fan of chocolate sauce), and the profiteroles were delicious and very chocolatey!




Service was friendly but very busy (presumably due to that retirement party), servers were hard to get hold of at times, especially when we were trying to get the bill, but those who we did speak to and were served by were friendly and polite. As we had trouble getting the bill, we weren't sure whether we would be paying at the table with a card machine, or if it best to head up to the bar. We did the latter to be safe.


We really enjoyed our meals, and although busy, the experience itself was very pleasant. We were flabbergasted that for our entire meal of starters, main courses, desserts and drinks, the bill came to only just over £31! We at first thought perhaps we hadn't been charged for our desserts, but we were told by the friendly barman that it was part of a mid-week offer. Well that's just dandy!

We had a great meal at a local independent restaurant within walking distance, and it didn't even disturb the bank, let alone break it. We recommend it if you're in the Horwich area, and definitely to any locals unsure of whether to give it a try.

Picture used with the kind permission of the fabulous Rachel Burns, from www.dollybakes.co.uk

Max Italia
94-96 Lee Lane
Horwich
Bolton
BL6 7AE
(01204) 469 094
www.maxitalia.co.uk

Max Italia

by on 11:47
Max Italia is on Lee Lane in Horwich. It's the source of some confusion at times as it was once an Italian restaurant called Max Max...
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This is an interesting review in that it's a twofer... two-for-one... I decided to visit The Old Forge at Bob's Smithy Inn as I'd been hearing great things about it, and the reviews online were very positive, plus the menu looked hearty and traditional, so I popped along one weekday afternoon.

The outside is a traditional rural English pub, with car park to the rear, and a large outdoor seating area. On a blustery and damp February day, walking inside was a really pleasant experience.



As I walked inside, it was warm and comfortable as a real log fire burned happily in the middle of the room. I saw a room on the far side signposted as "restaurant" but it was in darkness, so I asked about ordering food, as I saw others around eating. The staff member told me that there is a lunch-time bar food menu, but that as it had just turned 2:30pm, that they could only just squeeze my order in, as the kitchen closes for the afternoon until the restaurant opens at 6pm. This was a bit of a surprise as I hadn't seen food serving times on the website, but this was fair enough, I ordered a glass of Coke and sat by the warm fire and had a read through the bar menu.



In fairness the menu was actually pretty good, with a good few tasty offerings. I decided to order the traditional beef burger with chips. During my wait I was able to chat to the very friendly bar staff, who made me feel very welcome.

My food arrived... albeit on a "serving plank" rather than a plate. This is a bit of a modern fad I'm not much of a fan of... I don't see what's wrong with a normal plate! However, the food arrived well presented (aside said plank), and looked very appetising.



Although the burger is cooked through as standard and so not pink inside, this burger was by no means dry or tough, but very juicy, and packed with flavour which genuinely surprised me as I took a bite. A really delicious and unctuous burger. Likewise, the home made chips which accompanied (in a little galvanised bucket) were perfectly hot, crispy on the outside and fluffy and hot inside with a great crunch.

However, it was so filling that even though the friendly bar staff showed me the desserts board, I just had no room to attempt it! One that caught my eye was a sticky toffee sundae! Yum! 

I paid up (very reasonably so!) and said that I'd have to visit again soon, and definitely try that sundae!

Now here's where it gets interesting. A few days later, after a day out with my partner, I suggested trying the Old Forge on a whim, and after phoning them, I found that the restaurant itself was open during the day on a sunday, so we booked a table and drove over. We entered what was now a very busy and popular pub, with families and friends sat around drinking, eating and chatting, as well behaved dogs sat by their feet, hoping for the occasional end of a bit of sausage to be thrown their way. We walked through to the restaurant.



The Old Forge feels considerably different to the bar area, and is more modern bistro than rural pub. The restaurant is decorated in shades of green, black, and cream, with dark wooden modern furniture, but whilst retaining the traditional Italian Restaurant style candle-in-a-wine-bottle on each table.

We read through the menu, which was also reasonably priced at either two or three courses for a set price. A young staff member offered to take our coats, and took our drinks order as she told us the specials and specifics of that day's menu. For our starters, my partner ordered chicken pâté, and I opted for the cod goujons with tartare sauce.



The pâté arrived on one of those bloody serving boards again, but the pâté itself was tasty, and served with a simple side salad and relish. The cod goujons were delicious. The fish itself was delicious, and the batter was perfectly crisp. I couldn't fault a single thing with it... it even came on a plate! Huzzah!

For our mains, we both realised we were in a "pie mood" and chose the cheese and onion pie and steak pie respectively. 


Both pies were really enjoyable with a good crust, and felt truly home-made. They came with a carrot and mash puree and vegetables in the form of cabbage, green beans, and cauliflower. They were also accompanied by the same big chunky chips I mentioned earlier! Lovely! The steak pie that I ordered also came with a really sumptuous gravy, the kind with a proper sheen on top letting you KNOW it's going to be good!

For dessert my partner ordered an apple tart with custard, and I ordered the classic jam roly poly (with custard, of course!). Both arrived well presented, but we realised that the apple tart had come with ice cream instead of custard, however this wasn't anything to kick up a fuss about, as we both agreed the desserts were delicious. The apple tart was tasty but perhaps could've been a little bigger, wheras the jam roly poly had that real comfort food feel to it, and rounded the meal off absolutely perfectly.

Throughout the meal we were taken good care of by attentive but not overbearing staff, the food was excellent in all regards, and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit, pledging to very much do so again, and to bring friends and family along as well, especially considering they proved themselves equally capable with a lunch bar menu and an evening restaurant menu, without compromising on quality or service. Well done! :)

The Old Forge Restaurant at Bob's Smithy Inn
Chorley New Road
Bolton
BL1 7PX
(01204) 842 622
http://www.bobssmithy.co.uk/
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I only ever drove past The Blundell Arms. It's very near where I live, so I drive past it a lot! It just looked like another pub, and not very popular, as I never saw anyone parked outside. But in recent times I noticed A-boards outside mentioning food, so after a long time of realising this, I decided to look online, and lo and behold, it's not just a pub that has "food available", but a full on food-centric pub! Hoorah!


When I drove there, I realised that the reason it looked so quiet and lacking in cars is because there's actually a sizeable car park BEHIND it, and that in turn is the entrance people tend to use to access it.

When I walked in, I was very pleasantly surprised, this pub was not only very expansive in side (perhaps not in terms of headroom in some of the older parts!) but was wonderfully traditional, with beautiful rustic beams running throughout, and many nods to its past as a court house, showing the old stone placard, and a window showing the traditional wattle and daub construction.





The other thing I noticed is that this was a very bright space. The winter sunshine truly cascades through the windows, giving a wonderfully comfortable feeling. This place had a 'good' feeling as soon as I entered. 

I was greeted by a friendly staff member who took me to a table nestled amongst the rustic beams, where I was given the menus, and had chance to also peruse the lunch menu. The lunch menu was really good value, and I'd happily order from it, but in this instance I noticed on the main menu, amongst all the delicious traditional and classic pub food offerings, and "chef's inspired dishes"  was a gourmet burger. So I opted for that!





I took the time waiting to have a look round at the rest of the place, which is where Ashleigh, the staff member, told me about the building's previous uses, and how pleasant the place looks at night with all the lights lighting up the corners of this old building. 

When my burger arrived, I was quite pleased. The presentation was simple but that's all it needed to be, as it was a big burger, and a pot of triple-cooked chips. The chips were great, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The burger was tasty, but I wouldn't call it 'gourmet', as it was quite a standard burger, but grilled fully through rather than pink (due to health and safety demands usually), so it wasn't juicy, but was still tasty, regardless. The bacon on the burger was a bit fatty though, I had to pull strands of it off, but that's merely my personal preference. For the price, it was a good burger, and a tasty lunch. I'd certainly order it again.



All in all, I was pleased I came to The Blundell Arms! I didn't realise it was such a lovely building, and didn't realise they had such a large offering to eat, so I'll definitely be back to try some more of the menu, especially the dessert menu... there were a few things on there I very much liked the look of, but as the burger was so filling, I didn't quite have the room. Maybe next time I'll go for the lunch menu instead of my eyes being bigger than my belly!

Next time, Blundell.... NEXT TIME!!!


The Blundell Arms
Chorley Old Road
Horwich
Bolton
Greater Manchester
BL6 6PY
(01204) 841 194

The Blundell Arms

by on 16:40
I only ever drove past The Blundell Arms . It's very near where I live, so I drive past it a lot! It just looked like another pub, an...
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