I can’t recall many reasons to visit Doncaster coming to me over the last 18 years I’ve lived in York. It’s never been more than a stop on the train to London to me, despite its proximity, making it easy to access from York. I’ve never heard of much in the way of food and…
Since Baby Fork arrived, brunch has taken on a new meaning in our lives. It goes without saying that we’ve always enjoyed a lazy, late morning brunch, but in these days of evening routines and babysitting arrangements, it’s become a key opportunity to fit in good meals out. That being the case, it’s all the…
Food tours are right up my street, so to speak. I’ve done a few, both in cities I’m new to and ones I’m confident I know, and found them to be a perfect way to explore new environments, though getting fed is a bonus too of course. Our recent trip to Amsterdam presented a perfect…
Surroundings can make quite a difference to some meals. I’ve had opinions related to me suggesting it’s impossible to enjoy a meal in some locations and, while I can see merit in the suggestion, it’s not something I subscribe to. I’ll ignore most decorative faux-pas if the food is good enough, but that’s not to…
I’ve had a curious blind spot for Hotel du Vin for a number of years. Despite being a well reputed bolthole close to the centre of York, I’ve somehow contrived to avoid it since 2013 it seems, based on my occasionally shaky memory. With that in mind, I was all too eager to accept a…
Chef’s table events are a great way to get up close and personal with your favourite chefs or producers. I’ve enjoyed a couple of these at Malton Cookery School over the last few years in its original home, but the School has recently shifted across town to a new location, so I was very happy…
It can be hard to see the wood for the trees when I’m trying to choose which restaurant to head to next, such is the continuing proliferation of openings in York. Time is even more precious these days and now that Baby Fork is becoming tiringly ambulatory, some restaurants just aren’t appropriate for her to…
Any opportunity to eat food from a Michelin Starred chef is a thing to be grasped with both hands. A set menu for a very reasonable price with input from a well-reputed forager makes the occasion even more special, so the idea of dinner cooked under the watchful eye of Andrew Pern featuring ingredients from…
When I was invited to pop across to Leeds and try some Lebanese food in the Trinity Centre, I had to own up to not having heard of Comptoir Libanais Leeds. This chain has been working its way around the country for a while and is now making its presence felt in the North; this…
Sometimes the best parts of something new can feel comfortingly familiar. Sticky Walnut Chester has the reputation for dishes with a happily old fashioned basis but which are underpinned by a thoroughly modern commitment to engagement through social media thanks to chef patron Gary Usher. Usher has become a well known figure in the hospitality…