The gentle proliferation of restaurants and bars along Smithdown and Allerton road continues, providing further choice for the discerning diner and drinker alike, although this latest addition is not entirely a new venture, per se. Having seen a few, generally positive, reports of business in Little Italy from various media outlets, there was a level of expectation prior to our visit. Upon walking in, we were confronted by stencilled chipboard, plastic greenery and a reasonably spacious layout. All of this are par for the course when considering previous form in Little Italy’s sister restaurants; Tribeca (immediately next door and a premises on Berry Street in Liverpool) and the previously reviewed Neon Jamon [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/blogs/electrokemistry-review-neon-jamon-liverpool]. The sound of Dean Martin did admittedly make in wince inwardly for a moment, but thankfully that was the only relatively low moment of the evening. Little Italy is nestled at the side of the Tribeca premises on Smithdown Road and is in fact on the same premises; having been spawned from a side room of Tribeca and although they share premises, Little Italy does promise much more. Essentially in the form of the trendy ‘little plates’ dining, which instantly puts some off, but not here. The Italian style ‘tapas’ have tips of the hat and knowing winks to a variety of Italian influences from North, South and islands. The drinks menu is slanted heavily towards wine, as would be expected for a nation that is heavily bent towards the grape rather than grain. The wines on offer are measured choices and perfectly adequate for the food on offer; with the price range reasonably spread for what is on offer in all three of white, red and sparkling. The beers could do with some additional thought, given the consideration that it is becoming much more acceptable to pair with food and the presence of some much more adventurous and competent beers on the market than Peroni and Moretti and lip service from Roscoe IPA and Amber ale. The service was breezy and friendly for the duration and aside from a delay in settling the bill, little to be concerned about. The staff have obviously been given a tour of the drinks and dishes on offer, thus have a picture in their own minds, which dishes sing for them. We start with some charcuterie, as is standard, it is presented on a wooden board, soft earthy rolls of capocollo toscano. This cured neck had slight a pungency that faded with each mouthful and was replaced with a delicate nuttiness. The service was fairly brisk, so dishes rained onto the table for my accomplices and I, thankfully the tide was stemmed by our hunger and eagerness to savour each of the drops in front of us. The bruschetta with figs and salami was clean, fresh and with a spiced meaty hit from the salami to form a hub to the flavour set. The crab and caper linguine, a delightfully messy dish, leaving me almost reminiscent of a young Italian boy tackling ragu soused lengthy pasta, leaving most of it on the pristine white shirt. The flavours were paired well, although this was by no means a stronger dish from the selection. Crisp and creamy Courgette flavours with mozzarella in batter, the radish and pecorino salad with celeriac and pomegranate and the ravioli of baccala and langoustine were all fresh and light punctuations to the spare ribs and the two stand-out moments of the meal. The beef shin pappardelle was a superbly cooked dish. Thick and generous ribbons of pasta slathered in hunks of deeply flavoured and slowly cooked shin, which gave at the slightest touch of a fork. The ragu sauce was cooked well also, enough acidity and seasoning to play a supporting role to the earthy and sweet beef. Another excellent execution from the menu was the pigeon and hedgerow salad, judged excellently with the complimenting peppery leaves and fruit of orange and blackberries to give an acidic blade through a relatively rich gamey meat; which in itself was cooked slightly crisp outside to a moist, pink centre. Desserts were a little polarised; whilst the chocolate mousse was presented in a tea cup with cream, it lacked enough of an x-rated touch from a swirl right through of the salted caramel it came with, which sadly sat at the bottom of the cup beneath the mousse waiting to be discovered. The baked nectarines however, could not have been more aptly tuned. Sweet and slightly caramelised, the nutty crumb of almond and biscotti contrasted in texture and flavour very well, along with a slightly tart hit from each mouthful of soured cream. There are some excellently thought out dishes on the menu at Little Italy and not many poor ones, although the execution could be slightly fine-tuned, there is little else to pick at here, especially whilst the shin and pigeon are still resonating in one’s brain. Whilst it would be churlish to point out the pricing is a little heavy on some of the dishes on the menu, there is little chance a visit will leave you feeling too short-changed from Little Italy. You won’t even need any Euros. Until next time… ciao! Pedro. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Little Italy 336 - 338 Smithdown Road, Liverpool L15 5AN. 0151 733 4477 Twitter: https://twitter.com/LittleItaly336 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Italy/335130566638857?fref=ts
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Squirreled away off Seel Street and nestling near the Picturehouse, Tapas Tapas has relatively quietly gone about is business since 2008, with the sister restaurant in Waterloo opening back in 2005. There have been some accolades passed on in the form of Tripadvisor status and even a Gordon Ramsey F-Word nomination.
As alluded to on earlier blog reviews, the climate for tapas in Liverpool has been a relatively stable one since the latin infusion from 2005-6 onward, seeing some places close, whilst others have thrived. The opening of Bar Bodega has added a string to the bow for nightlife in Tapas Tapas later on in a weekend evening, but prior to this business is food. The dark wood décor in which the restaurant is clad sets the mood perfectly, rows of various Spanish reds and jamon line the walls around the bar and the staff mill about in an unfussy but friendly manner. We decide to keep things relatively simple and stick to tapas, rather than opting for any larger dishes; three or four-a-piece is usually the going rate and I was not inclined to break the dogma. All the dishes presented were pleasing on the eye, with three of the tapas providing a pleasing meal and the other three rather hollow disappointment. The Pollo al Coronel, breaded chicken strips were golden brown and succulent inside, placed as a meaty jenga on slate with salad; not much to get wrong here, but executed well enough. The Chorizo a la Miel was meaty, smokey, earthy and very sticky-sweet presented skewered as three small sausages, tasty, but the portion size was a little on the frugal side considering prices here the same could be said for the Fritura Vegetal, courgette and aubergine battered and fried, but not substantial enough for the price-tag. The other tapas were, as previously alluded to, disappointing to say the least. The lambs kidneys cooked in Jerez sherry were almost inedible due to the acrid aroma of a club’s toilets halfway through a Saturday night. It has to be said, reducing the smell can be difficult, but additional soaking usually reduces the unpleasantness greatly. They were also slightly overcooked and towards the chewy end, although not as much of a work out for the jaw as the Calamares. Fragile insubstantial batter, superfluous oil and overcooking are 3 nightmares in one for squid; all together they make for a roll of the eyes and waste of a dish. Finally, a staple of many a tapas bar or restaurant, Tortilla is not something that is particularly diffuclt to master, but when done well is a superbly comforting addition to any tapas session. Here, the Tortilla was pleasant but for the reheating which had dried out the slice. Sometimes it is far better to have it cold with alioli and a side salad, leaving an uncomplicated room-temperature pleasure. In the current climate, there has been upping of game for the city’s tapas fraternity, borne of competition. This is not up to the standard, considering the restaurant was not stretched by any measure. Some sloppy touches have led to a significant drop in what should have been. Improvement is definitely needed as other establishments continue to up their game. Pedro. ------------------------------------------------------- Tapas Tapas Arthouse Square Liverpool City Centre L1 4DE Web: http://www.tapastapas.co.uk/ Email: [email protected] The proliferation bandwagon jumpers, of street food and ‘dirty cuisine’ has been gathering pace in Liverpool for some time now and the most recent addition to the fold is Hopskotch; located in the unlikely environs of Mathew Street along with the Hoax hostel and in a penchant for alliteration the downstairs live music venue inside Hopskotch, Hatch. Although the trend is getting a bit tiresome in terms of new restaurants being quite similar in style of cuisine on offer, I’ll be fair and rate things purely on merit here. Hopskotch, alongside Almost Famous and Motel, has been indulging in some social media ‘moistening’ of palates for a while, posting pictures of their experiments to drum up interest in their launch a few weeks ago. Initially, the food (admittedly, looking very tasty from the photography on display) looked pretty similar to offerings from established restaurants in a similar vein throughout the city, albeit without a fixation on entering the current fashion for the burger ‘arms race’ (though there are burgers on the menu, I hasten to add). So, is it actually any good? Well, in response to my own poser, it is very competent if unspectacular. The restaurant itself has a modern diner feel to it, wooden floors and brushed steel along with vintage squirrel cage Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling; comfortable, functional and up to date. An excellent painting of John Lennon adorns an outward looking wall onto Stanley Street, a nod to Hopskotch’s location. The live music venue downstairs is intimate and comfortable, suitable for the set up which has precipitated open microphone nights in the basement venue, however, upstairs is where the food is at… The food on offer as you may have guessed from the posturing is in the vein of tapas style sharing plates, with an offer on of 3 dishes for £10 from this part of the menu. There are main dishes on offer in the form of burgers, salads, ribs, hotdogs and some vegetarian options and a good selection of drinks with some Brewdog amongst other craft beer offerings. The range of the international stylings are quite refreshing, with oriental style squid (not battered and deep fried – ‘under a brick’, no less), tacos, ribs and quesadilla style pastry parcels featuring on the sharing dishes, although the erratic portion size is questionable even by tapas standards. At just under £5 on average per dish, having the odd dish outside the 3-4-£10 can be pretty underwhelming in terms of value; if one has a hunger, the best idea might be to round your courses off to a multiple of 3. The standard of the dishes was nothing exceptional, as the squid was a little over cooked and floundering in soy and sugar and the pastry parcels nicknamed ‘the little fat one’ was not nearly full enough of pork and cheese making them look rather more anorexic than burgeoning. The chilli cheese fries were a touch burnt around the edges in an effort to ensure a spread of melted cheese, not to mention the ‘chilli’ was remarkably similar to the pulled pork on another dish we had ordered. The ‘little oranges’ arancini (so good they named it twice?) were crisp, well presented and seasoned enough with the mayonnaise, herb and mustard sauce thankfully placed in a separate dish; if the stuff had been drizzled over the arancini there might have been an issue – however used sparingly, the mayonnaise complimented the risotto balls perfectly in the context of the meal. The beef tacos were probably the strongest dish placed in front of us on the occasion; juicy, cooked and shredded perfectly making them tasty and very messy. The overall feel of the place is friendly and enthusiastic and the service polite, no cause for concern at all in their opening salvo of the first few weeks on the scene. Would I go again? Certainly, there is enough potential here to suggest something worth revisiting. To date, Hopskotch can be considered a solid if occasionally erratic performer offering a viable option for dinner; however, it does feel they need some more time to get to grips with their menu. Pedro. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Hopskotch Website: http://hopskotchliverpool.com/ Address: Hopskotch Kitchen, Mathew Street, Liverpool. L1 6AU Twitter: https://twitter.com/HopskotchLvpl You’re never really sure what to expect from the experience of an opening night in a new restaurant, the build up often involves some excitement and apprehension, hoping that the food and ambiance are going to deliver something of an epiphany or at least a deeply satisfying experience. More often than not, you’re confronted by awkward mediocrity and not-exactly-dashed-hopes, but a very very mild sense of dissatisfaction before realising your expectations were probably unreasonable. Having had some dialogue with the proprietors of Neon Jamon through various social media and watched in passing the boards go up and then come down outside the Smithdown Place premises, the sense of hope (for a relatively local establishment) was pretty high, although balanced by the understanding that restaurants and bar often need some significant ‘bedding in’ before they hit a stride. Based upon the event of the opening night, there are a remarkably high number of positives to take home and a sense of satisfaction with the overall experience. The drinks on offer have a good range for those who are enthusiastic about all things Spanish, Alhambra, Mahou and Estrella all present (along with variations thereof, including the most excellent Estrella Inedit – see the earlier blog on Wheat Beer tasting: [http://electrokemistcuisine.weebly.com/1/post/2012/08/wheat-beer-tasting-session.html]) alongside sherry (as per the traditional Valencia Tapas experience), Cava and other wines and a reasonable selection of Brandy. Having ordered a variety of the tapas on offer, from obligatory crisp and acidity complimented patatas bravas and the earthy combination of morcilla and chorizo (cooked excellently to avoid the chewiness so often the plague of chorizo dishes) to a platter of Iberican cured Jamon, Semi-curado Mahon cheese and delicately meaty pulpo (octopus), reminiscent of a cerviche. The latter of these dishes, supposedly drawn from a recipe experienced by the proprietors in San Sebastian, was cooked brilliantly and thinly sliced to provide an almost poultry-porcine-like texture and steeped in a sauce of finely chopped sweet pepper and lemon oil. There are enough dishes on the menu to provide a new visit for at least 4-5 occasions for those feeling mildly greedy, but the main remit of Neon Jamon is seemingly to instil a sense of Continental calm to the Liverpudlian drinking ethic. The wish is to provide a watering hole with the option to eat as a secondary though, although based on the food provided on this first visit, it really isn’t something they should set out to put on the back burner. A balancing act is definitely to be had, but one suspects the provision of Kikones (fried salted corn kernels) and Habas Fritas (roasted broad beans) amongst olives, bread and cheese will provide some very pleasing bar snacks for those who are not visiting for a meal as such. Should you choose to dine here, there are plenty of seats for groups up to six with seated wall and window facing ledges more than sufficient for a few drinks and small plates of tapas. They do not accept bookings for groups of less than eight people, as they wish to maintain the remit of being a bar that offers good food as opposed to a restaurant that works as a bar. The surroundings are comfortable and reasonably lit with garlands of dried chillies adorning the wood and brickwork walls and ceilings. Price-wise, it is comparable to most tapas establishments in the UK, but the portion sizes are on the slightly more generous size than I have experienced recently, which is no bad thing when looking for a decent meal as well as a pleasant dining experience. The almost puppy-like enthusiasm of the staff at Neon Jamon was refreshingly pleasant in contrast to the often jaded approach taken in some very established restaurants and bars, the staff seemed pleased to talk about any of the dishes on offer and despite a relatively low turn-out (granted for a Monday night this should not be surprising) they did give the right amount of attention to the customers for service, much to their credit. It will take time for Neon Jamon to find its niche perhaps as many new places do; physically abound by the excellent Spire and many pubs and bars nearby, but maintaining the form on show it should not take too long. The opening night might be an unfair yardstick on which to judge an establishment for current form without having a busy evening to judge service or cooking, but based on the potential displayed, this could the beginning of something pretty special. Pedro. Neon Jamon is on Smithdown Place, Liverpool just off Smithdown Road and Penny Lane. Follow them on twitter here: https://twitter.com/neonjamon or @neonjamon Mid-week dinner parties can be something of an unusual event, especially at this time of year where it’s starting to get a bit colder and the nights are drawing in faster and faster meaning no-one wants to venture out of their homes, preferring to draw their blinds and wrap up warm. A Cold and dark Tuesday night at the end of October, oddly enough was just the setting for having a few friends over to break up the monotony of the working week, although the booze does not flow as freely as it would normally, say, on a Friday or Saturday. Rather brilliantly, it’s that time of year where the harvest has come in for the UK with an abundance of excellent vegetables and fruit after a long summer growing they are ready to give up their bounty for our plates and ultimately, palates. The menu comprised a four course meal, which is outlined below along with a bit of praise, plugging and information regarding some of the suppliers or local food heroes that were used in putting together my menu. With regards recipes, I am only going to share 4, which has method. Firstly it will keep this blog a little more trim and secondly, the recipes for some of the other items are too simple to bother placing here, you’ll find them across the internet or in books or indeed, you’ll have your own way! Menu Spiced Pumpkin and Cumin Soup (served with roasted crushed nuts and sourdough crouton) As stated above, it’s a great time of year for pumpkins through October and November. Being an extremely versatile fruit with a ripe melon-sweet flavour, they make excellent soups and are equally good in roasted chunks, mashed with butter or even that Thanksgiving favourite, pumpkin pie. The pumpkin I got hold of was from a local producer, who is semi-famous for their production. Pulling up to their farm shop, it was easy to see why; thousands of pumpkins lined up outside their greenhouses and piled up in wooden crates, the farmyard was a sea of orange. I also picked up a choice few other items from here, as I am hugely in favour of these places often charging far less than supermarkets like-for-like on many few produce items which are mostly grown locally (sustainability and supporting local businesses boxes ticked!). The local producer in question is Lydiate Church View Farm (website: http://www.churchviewfarm.co.uk/ ). Incidentally, I also managed to pick up a really good jar of locally produced honey from nearby Maghull which was used on the Spiced Honey Vegetables – worked a treat and has since livened up teas and toast! Selection of Tapas Dishes: Patatas Bravas, Spanish Style Tortilla, Chicken and Chorizo, Spiced Honey Vegetables, Mixed Frijole and Lentil One-pot and Lime and Chilli Gambas The decision to cook tapas was two-fold. Firstly, necessity to use up a lot of ingredients, especially a glut of vegetables obtained at a snip from the farm shop and secondly, to stimulate conversation between the guests, which is something tapas style meals invariably do well. As stated above, the recipes in this blog will not include most of these items, as they are too straightforward to warrant a slot here and also there is a glut of recipes available already for some. I will therefore cover the Spanish Style Tortilla (as I have been threatening to do for a while!) and the Frijole and Lentil One-pot. The other recipes, if people really are desperate to know them, will be available upon request. Pineapple and Crushed Chilli Kendal Mint Crepes (with crème fraiche) Some of you might be regarding this idea with a modicum of apprehension, as bizarre as it sounds, it is based it on some sound food logic at its inception. Pineapple and mint go really well together, the crème fraiche has two functions (to provide creaminess and to provide cooling to the chilli) and the crepe performs the function of the anchor of the dish. The Kendal Mint Cake addition was as a replacement for fresh mint, to champion another (relatively) local producer of some excellent wares, the rather brilliant Relish, based in Hawkshead in Cumbria. The website can provide you with many mail order treats, but it is worth swinging by their premises in Hawkshead for a visit to a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of goodies. Relish: http://www.hawksheadrelish.com/ The dish itself was met with some apprehension, but ultimately seemed to be enjoyed by everyone! Clean plates do indeed tell a story... Selection of Cheeses served with tea/coffee/digestifs The cheeses were provided from another local food hero and award winning delicatessen and restaurant, Delifonseca, who have two premises in Liverpool. They provide so much more than cheeses, cured meats and other deli items; both sites are well worth a visit if you’ve not already been. Delifonseca: http://www.delifonseca.co.uk/ This course rounded off the night in fine style allowing everyone to nibble and lean back feeling satisfied and rather full. Recipes: Spiced Pumpkin and Cumin Soup (serves approx. 8) Ingredients 1 Medium or Large Pumpkin, flesh scooped out 1 White Onion 2 Spring Onions Water to simmer the Vegetables 3 medium/large Parsnips 4 Medium white Potatoes 2 large thumb sized pieces of Root Ginger 1 Green Chilli, roughly chopped 3 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped 4 tbsp Olive Oil 20-50g Butter (optional) 4-5 tbsp Cumin Seeds, dry roasted and ground to a fine powder 2 tsp Coriander powder 4 Bay Leaves Salt and Pepper seasoning to taste What to do 1. Slice the potatoes, parsnips, ginger (skins removed) into equally sized chunks and simmer with the two spring onions and bay leaves in a saucepan of water (enough to cover them, an inch or two above) for approximately 10 minutes. 2. Scoop as much of the pumpkin flesh out of the pumpkin and set this to one side. You may need to do this first, as you need to add the pumpkin to the simmering vegetables after 10 minutes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for a further 10 minutes. 3. Chop the garlic, chilli and onions and fry in a little olive oil until the onions are translucent. Place these items in a liquidiser/blender with all the simmering vegetables and stock. Blitz the ingredients together with the remainder of the olive oil and butter until they form a smooth consistency. 4. Transfer the soup back into the saucepan and gently heat through for at 10 minutes and serve piping hot, adding salt and pepper to taste, stirring through to ensure even flavour. To do the crushed roasted nuts, finely chop raw hulled peanuts and cashews and place in a hot dry frying pan, as the nuts start to brown, move them around the pan to ensure they do not burn and you liberate as much of the oils inside the nuts as possible. Sprinkle these over the top of the soup to serve. Spanish Style Tortilla (serves approx. 8-10) Ingredients 4 Large Eggs 3-4 medium sized white potatoes ½ An Onion (white or red) Paprika and Oregano Salt and Pepper for seasoning What to do 1. Peel and slice the potatoes into half a centimetre wide disc shaped slices (as you would for a dauphinoise). Place these in a cold saucepan of water (ensuring all the potato slices are covered) and bring this up to the boil for approximately 10 minutes. Now slice the onion into thin strips and place to one side. One the potatoes look as though they are starting to get slightly crumbly at the edges, remove them from the heat and place in cold water to maintain their integrity. 2. Beat the eggs in a bowl as you would for an omelette. You will now need to grease a pie tin (using butter or olive oil for a more healthy option), something approximately 6-7 inches in diameter and 2-3 inches deep. Place the onion and potatoes in layers with sprinkled pinches of oregano, paprika, salt and pepper scattered conservatively across the layers. 3. Once all the potatoes and onions are in the pan, pour the beaten eggs into the pie dish and place the tortilla into the oven at gas mark 7 (220 degrees celsius) for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the top has gone completely golden and the egg has risen ever so slightly. 4. Allow the tortilla to cool down before tipping it out onto a wooden board for slicing and serving. It is usually best served cool. Mixed Frijole and Lentil One-pot (serves approx. 9) Ingredients 100g Yellow split Lentils 75g Red split Lentils 300-350g of Borlotti or Canellini Beans 100g of Green Beans ½ Red Onion – finely chopped 100ml Vegetable Stock (or very thin onion gravy mix will do) 2 tblsp Paprika 1 tblsp Ground Cumin ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg 2 tsp Ground Coriander 2-3 tsp of balsamic vinegar 2 cloves of Garlic – finely chopped or minced 1 Red Chilli – finely chopped and deseeded 1 Green Chilli – finely chopped and deseeded What to do 1. The Yellow Lentils will need to be soaked overnight or at least 12 hours before you cook with them. Once soaked and ready for preparation, simmer them in water for 40 minutes. Add the red lentils and then simmer for a further 5 minutes before adding the borlotti beans. 2. Now drain off the starchy water from the lentils and beans and replace with cold water, return the pan to the heat until it begins to simmer. 3. Simmer the mix for 5 mins and then add the finely chopped onion, garlic, all the spices and chilli. Now add the vegetable stock and balsamic vinegar, simmer for 5 mins and then add the green beans. 4. Cook the one-pot stew until it almost has a thick curry or paste-like appearance. 5. Serve piping hot! Pineapple and crushed Chilli Kendal Mint Crepes (serves approx. 8) Ingredients 1 Fresh Pineapple 300g Crème Fraiche ½ bar of Chilli Kendal Mint Cake (from Relish) – alternatively, use flaked dried chilli and plain Kendal mint cake (Optional – Rum – 4 tblsp per crepe) The Batter mix: 100g Plain Flour 3 Medium Eggs 50g Butter 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Caster Sugar 175ml milk (semi skimmed) What to do 1. Sift the flour into a plastic measuring jug with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing then add the salt and sugar. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs (a normal whisk or even a fork will do) into the flour and gradually add the milk into the batter, ensuring you include all the flour that sticks to the sides of the jug ensure the batter is thoroughly and evenly mixed. Place it to one side in a fridge for at least 15 minutes. 2. Chop the pineapple into 1 inch sized chunks, removing all of the tough outer skin and fibrous core. Next, crush the Kendal Mint Cake using the back of a spoon into a coarse powder. 3. Get a frying pan really hot and add a knob of butter, ensuring even coverage, but making sure it doesn’t burn the butter. Pour in enough batter to the pan to get a thin (approximately 3mm maximum) coating for the crepe, working the batter around the pan quickly and evenly. Allow this to cook through until the upside is firm, now add 4 tblsp of rum splashed across the pancake and then flip over using a palette knife if you’re not feeling adventurous! 4. Cook the crepe until it is golden on both sides and then place flat on a warmed plate. Pile the pineapple chunks on one side of the crepe, with a scattering of the Kendal Mint Cake across, then on the opposite side, add a dollop of crème fraiche. 5. Serve as quickly as possible to your hungry guests! That's all there is to it guys!! Feel free to fire over any questions or request any clarification if you're unsure about tackling any of the recipes. I'm only too happy to help. Enjoy!! Pedro. |
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