Restaurants

[yoda]

https://www.facebook.com/1438508566362269/photos/a.1440028029543656.1073741827.1438508566362269/1637189089827548/?type=1

[ABBEY]

Back from clog .. Not impressed with overallness .

Ordering food 24 hours is 0/10.

Food .. Mine 7/10 not enough

.. Mrs 6/10 fish too much batter not enough fish

Service 3/10 waitress friendly enough but we got asked once for drinks and didn't get asked for deserts . Main course finished and no one near to remove plates until we asked for bill 3 times .

Won't be back for a little big while .

[thenodrog]

Nice one yoda.

[Paul]

That's what I would expect from the Clog & Billcock, it's why we stopped going a couple of years back.

I don't understand restaurant managers or owners, they must realise building a reputation takes time and losing it takes no more than an evening. Set your standards and prices from the outset so people know what to expect. Don't start with high quality food and service and then reduce both while increasing the price just because you've become successful - it's a fatal recipe.

Surprised you felt the portions were small though, last time we went the servings were very generous.

I wouldn't rush to an RVI these days; had a distinctly average meal at the one near Gargrave recently.

[thenodrog]

Appears that the spread eagle at Mellor is having a refurb already. Its only just opened!

Edited May 23, 2015 by thenodrog

[K-Hod]

I was able to eat at the Waddington Arms the other day. A+ for me. Food was excellent, atmosphere was nice, service was excellent, and prices were reasonable.

I've always had an excellent experience each time I've been as well.

[K-Hod]

Nigel Haworth from Northcott on Saturday Kitchen this morning.

[ABBEY]

Paul .. We had steaks , burgers and fish . The burger was a good size and the chips ok but it said it came with onion rings , it did , two thin ones .

I won't go back .

[yoda]

Nigel Haworth from Northcott on Saturday Kitchen this morning.

Fish chips and mushy peas, very Avante Garde

Nigela's Lamb and Aubergines looked good

[ABBEY]

More batter than fish

[yoda]

More batter than fish

Yep, but it was beer batter, (is there any thing else for fish and chips)

what's all that nonsense in piling up the bits on top,

[MCMC1875]

Anyone been to these recently:

Vespa, Clitheroe

Bayley Arms, Hurst Green

Angels Restaurant, Ribchester

Corporation Arms, Longridge

Went to the Bayley Arms, Hurst Green in the end last night. The food and the service were both excellent. Two of our party couldn't finish their main courses, the gammon dish came with three slices of gammon. Edited May 24, 2015 by MCMC1875

[K-Hod]

Not a restaurant as such-but whilst at Darwen Live I tried out Papa's- http://www.papas-diner-online.co.uk/.

Must say, if you're into your burgers et al it's a good feed, and good value for money imo! A good experience, and I'll be back!

[donnermeat]

O&O for us last night, seafood paella washed down with a nice bottle of albarino. My only qualm with that place is the lack of any XO brandies!

[chimbondapie]

Northcote as ever showed great value again

Used to think it was a tad formal but it's just not

Hawksmoor also cracking

Just can't bring myself to dine at seafood pub company

I prefer my seafood close to the source rather than the white ghetto

[thenodrog]

What an odd thing to say.

[Al]

He appears to have a big chip on his shoulder Gord.

[SouthAussieRover]

He seems to be getting a response, Al.

[thenodrog]

It has to be exceptionally poor for me to complain, I just don't go back if its rubbish.

Oyster and Otter was the last time I complained, chicken wasn't cooked and the manager agreed, upon returning from the kitchen he told me it was fully cooked and the fact it was pink was a 'trick of the light'! Food not retuned, the fact I couldn't chew the chicken not considered, no discount, nothing, never been back despite having a voucher for £50.

Now here's a heart warming story. As we all know Gav has an on going mission to provide food for the needy, and assorted work shy scroungers of the Borough and whilst I'm not totally sure which category he has pigeon holed me in, he very kindly donated said voucher to me on the condition that when I spent it I'd review my experience on here. Thank you gav..... Most generous. I definitely owe you one.

Moving on and as a result of the above I'll review this in a little more detail than normal.

It's some time since we ate at the O&O as tbqh this area is swamped with good and convenient eateries. Also I do have a taste card which the O&O don't 'do' and which me n'er indoors utilise locally during the week if we are both late home from work or whenever the larder at Chez Drog is looking rather bare. However we booked in last night and unfortunately got off to a rather poor start. I ordered a glass of very acceptable sauvignon blanc for the better half and a pint of Urquell Pilsner for myself. This was served in an authentic but dreadful Urquell tankard (the type of lager glass frequently utilised as a much favoured weapon of almost mass destruction in Blackburn pub fights in the 70's and early 80's). The worst bit apart from the glass itself was as one so often finds when served by young bar staff that the glass was warm and obviously hadn't been out of the glasswasher for long (in my local I've got them to keep a few glasses in the bottle fridge for my own use and why pub's n' restaurants don't invest in a glass fridge I'll never know. Now quality lagers are normally avaialable glass coolers are as necessary in quality pubs as top quality coffee machines imo). I requested immediately that it be put into a (cold) Peroni glass which rather saved the day. One good point to note here was that my second pint served away from the bar was served in a peroni glass so well done to the staff for that.

We have got out of the habit of eating 3 full courses(*see later) so went straight for the main course. 'The Enemy' chose the Roast hake with bacon and brioche crumb, dauphinoise potatoes, red wine shallot and chestnut mushrooms. I've got to say this was absolutely top drawer and I immediately regretted not choosing it myself tbh. The hake was full of taste, a significant portion size and very 'meaty'. One niggle here was that the waitress urged her to have a portion of veg as the dish didn't include any. Green beans sauted in garlic and chilli added to the dish and complemented fairly well although the chilli was unecessary with this main dish imo, plus it shoved another 3 quid onto the bill*.

I enquired about the something which I thought might be a fish stew called Seafood Ramen – king prawns, squid, mussels, white fish and salmon in noodle soup with Asian veggies, red onions, radish and chilli oil. However to her credit the waitress dissuaded me rather by informing me that it was a rather watery soup of less than 100 calories. After that near miss I settled for the same as donnermeat above by choosing the paella. Damned good it was too but the portion size was rather too small for me although in fairness it would have been ideal for my wife.

Needless to say instead of heading straight for coffee to finish this resulted in us sharing a a dessert which tbh was a real treat, a chocolate and amoretto cheesecake served with baby figs and a syrup of honey and orange. Maybe all to myself this would have been too sweet but shared it just topped off the meal nicely.

In conclusion whilst I've read that the O&O has fallen off the pace somewhat (too quick an over expansion) I couldn't see any evidence last night. What I would suggest is that whilst the headline menu price is in line with the area that there is an amount of trickery to make people order more. I've mentioned the push on side orders for veg and also that I found the paella too small a portion. Another acquaintance who I knew and was chatting to at the bar was complaining that his Plaice and ratatouille main course whilst excellent was too small a portion. I do realise at this point that no one wants over facing with massive portions but lots of restaurants offer Fish and Chips in large and small portions so maybe that policy could be extended to some other dishes too? Just a thought.

So is this the way forward for mboard ambience? maybe we should all send meal vouchers to each other whenever we have a spat? As I said gav's generosity is remarkable so maybe I should take a leaf out of his book. How about I provide a voucher for a tripe supper for Jim? He must be running well short after the General Election.

[yoda]

Northcote as ever showed great value again

Used to think it was a tad formal but it's just not

Hawksmoor also cracking

Just can't bring myself to dine at seafood pub company

I prefer my seafood close to the source rather than the white ghetto

Less than half the price for same standard food at Healy's

No white ghetto in sight either

[chimbondapie]

Neither you nor the seafood pub company know what ramen is ? Coincidence has it I'll be at momofuku noodle bar this week . You could argue Dave Chang as reinvented Asian food

Less than half the price for same standard food at Healy's

No white ghetto in sight either

Yeah healys ain't bad at all but here is no comparison , especially concerning the whole experience.

[yoda]

Neither you nor the seafood pub company know what ramen is ? Coincidence has it I'll be at momofuku noodle bar this week . You could argue Dave Chang as reinvented Asian food

Yeah healys ain't bad at all but here is no comparison , especially concerning the whole experience.

The whole experience ! you mean having your pants taken down

Good luck to Nigel though, as he once explained it to me, My customers prefer to pay a higher price then they don't have to sit with a certain class of clientele.

David Chang has not re invented Asian food with his ramen dishes, there are lots of noodle chains in China and Taiwan doing it actually, Mr Lees California noodle restaurants being an example (1st one opened in 1987 I think).

David Chang did well coming up with his instant ramen noodles though, but has been a bit tainted in the last few years with scare stories about some of the ingredients possibly causing cancer.

Edited June 14, 2015 by yoda

[chimbondapie]

But less people have heard of lees. Chang has made it accessible

Who is having their pants taken down ?

[yoda]

But less people have heard of lees. Chang has made it accessible

Who is having their pants taken down ?

You mean less people in the west obviously, in strictly numbers terms it is vastly more.

Just teasing about Northcote, but it is expensive,

The bench mark years ago used to be Solo's at Goosnargh, now that was an experience, food ambiance etc.

I blatantly copied some of the things they used to do, Mr Villa (Vincent) didn't mind though as he liked what we did, he also taught a lot of the restaurateurs/chefs that are now operating in the North West.

Edited June 14, 2015 by yoda

[chimbondapie]

For what you get at northcote 20 something quid ... Absurd value

Mr villa eh good stuff

Paul heathcote on the other hand ... @#/? poor

Yeah re Chang I am talking western world . Guy is great though up there with Michael bras and juan arzak for the best food I've had