Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. 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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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 interesting thing about Ciao Napoli is that even though I'd seen it in the Top 10 restaurants within Bolton on TripAdvisor, I'd never really heard anyone talk about it, and couldn't really place in my head whereabouts it was in Bolton Town Centre. Upon seeking it out, it seems that it's because it's pretty much tucked away down a back street near St Andrew's Court, and is pretty unremarkable on the outside, but the outside isn't why you come to a restaurant is it?



So once you find the place and go inside, it's actually quite pleasant. It's a simple modern restaurant in one large dining room with floor to ceiling mirrors on one side to reflect the light from the windows and increase the illusion of more space, and it works well.

Staff are friendly and welcoming, and seat us straight away, informing us of the specials, and giving us the lunch and main menus, which are extensive and very reasonably priced.

As we're only popping in for lunch, we decide on a couple of Italian staples, the spaghetti carbonara and the lasagna al forno, but as we ordered, the waiter asked if we'd like a garlic bread to start... and we can't turn down garlic bread very easily!




The restaurant was quiet as we waited for our food, but before long a business group turned up for lunch too, so even though it's out of the way, it's still certainly popular and well known, but I'd love to encourage more of the general public to give it a try, because I'm sure a lot of them don't know it's there! I didn't!

The garlic bread arrived, and was on a perfect dough base, and although it wasn't strong, the garlic flavour was very pleasant. Not long after, our mains arrived.




The lasagna was still bubbling away cheerfully, having just come straight out of the oven, and the spaghetti looked wonderfully fresh, and not just a plate of goop as so many Italian restaurants seem to go for.

The lasagna was delicious and full of flavour, as well as rich and comforting. The spaghetti was perfectly cooked, and wasn't just a bowl full of cream, which can taste quite claggy in the mouth, but instead the spaghetti was the feature, not the cream. It was very tasty, the bacon too was good, and the cream although not overpowering was excellent. The touch of optional parmesan and black pepper on top worked well, the black pepper almost seeming to make the dish a bit fruity. Superb.

Also despite the appearance, the spaghetti was extremely filling, meaning I had no room for a dessert, but my partner fancied trying the custard pastry dessert called mille foglie, and would seem to be the same as the French word mille-feuille, meaning "thousand leaves" referring to the pastry layers. It was served with cream and a surprisingly high quality toffee or caramel sauce, and was served chilled. It was thoroughly delicious!


So yeah, it may be tucked away, and it may not be expensive or extensively themed, but that is of no bearing to the quality and value of this superb hidden gem of an Italian restaurant, and I can understand completely why it's ranked so high in its reviews, and why it's so praised by those who know it. However, I feel more people should know about it, it's great! Ciao, Napoli! Buonissimo!

Ciao Napoli
11 Mawdsley Street
Bolton
BL1 1NJ
(01204) 399 291
www.ciao-napoli.co.uk

Ciao Napoli

by on 13:52
The interesting thing about Ciao Napoli is that even though I'd seen it in the Top 10 restaurants within Bolton on TripAdvisor, I...
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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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L'Olivetto sits on an unassuming street in Mossley Hill, Liverpool. In passing you might think it was a coffee shop or the sort, but it turns out to be a real culinary jewel, and one of those rare ones... an independent Italian restaurant that does Italian food properly, and well.


As you walk in, it strikes you that the space is larger than it looks from outside, with slate floors and tables in similar tones with simple wooden furniture, but the restaurant is dominated on one side by the giant ornate wooden bar, which takes the centre stage. The rest of the restaurant is decorated in shades of olive (a natural choice, with "L'Olivetto" translating to "The Olive Grove"), but is rather minimalist, meaning that it can feel a little stark. I think if the tables had simple white tablecloths, or if there were some curtains or plants, it would make the venue feel a bit more cosy, and would absorb the echo a little bit. Not to say that it's not pleasantly decorated, with some fab quirky decorating features!




The bar also had some great little additions that you might not think about. There is a glass containing reading glasses, for those who inevitably forget to bring theirs and have to squint at the menu, as well as two variations of a loyalty card, one for the daytime crowd, promising free coffee and cake, and the other for the evening crowd, offering a free bottle of house wine. A nice touch!

The menu is split into several options, including a lighter meals section, set meals, and general a la carte. The tables also have promotions on them, mentioning how each night there is some variation of a special offer, such as 20% off on tuesdays, and a half price bottle of prosecco with your meal on "Fizzy Fridays". The prices generally are very good too, considering everything is made fresh to order.


We chose to start with Funghi Impanali, breaded mushrooms which gave a good crunch before giving in to some incredibly tasty and juicy mushrooms that had been sauteed in garlic butter. When somewhere can take something as simple as breaded garlic mushrooms and make it truly tasty and impressive, that's a good sign!


For our mains, I chose the Pollo Saltimbocca from the light lunch menu, which comprised of chicken fillets wrapped in parma ham sautéed with olive oil, garlic and sage. I accompanied this with a couple of side dishes of Patate Saltate, which is potatoes sauteed with onions, garlic and parsley but which visually was a bowl of absolutely mouth watering looking little roast potatoes! They were crunch and delicious and very moreish! I could eat a whole bowl of them for a snack! I also had the spinach tossed with onion, garlic and parmesan, My main and sides were delicious, and I was really impressed with both the taste and the price.



My partner opted for the classic Spaghetti Carbonara; spagetti with diced pancetta in a rich cream sauce with parmesan, he was also given the option to add additional chicken to the dish, which he did gladly. For his side, he chose to try the zucchini fries, which came with a garlic aioli for dipping, and which were unsual but pretty tasty! We'd seen them appearing a lot in trendy restaurants, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to give them a try (try them, seriously!). My partner was completely taken aback by the quality and flavours of his pasta, and was singing its praises and making happy noises throughout. We've been to Rome and Pisa and eaten *actual* Italian food, and he didn't sound as impressed then as he did by this meal! Well done, L'Olivetto!



We were given dessert menus, but had already been sneakily noseying at the cake chiller cabinet in the corner of the restaurant, and had made up our minds already! I chose to go for the cherry crumble, served cold, with cream, and my partner chose to go for the triple chocolate gateaux. We were both smitten with our choices, which were delicious and great quality. We were told they were from an actual nearby Italian bakery, keeping the Italian flavours going throughout. Some of the desserts were prepared freshly in house too... we'll try them next time!


The service was friendly and professional, the food was absolutely superb and of a great quality and value, and the venue was bright, modern, and spotlessly clean. It was also nice at the end of my meal to see that they had a selection of teas available, so I had an Earl Grey to round it all off. Perfect.




If you're near Liverpool, go along and give them a try, they're really worth it. We decided that we'd be happy enough to drive over there from Bolton if we fancied a nice meal and experience, because that's one thing they really delivered. Bravissimo, L'Olivetto!

L'Olivetto
193-195 Rose Lane
Mossley Hill
Liverpool
L18 5EA
(0151) 724 5169
www.lolivetto.co.uk

L'Olivetto

by on 17:23
L'Olivetto sits on an unassuming street in Mossley Hill, Liverpool. In passing you might think it was a coffee shop or the sort, but...
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