Restaurants

[Baz]

Had a meal at Angels in Ribchester last week. I was VERY impressed with the food and the service.

I had seared king scallops with a spicy carrot puree to start. For the main i had pig cheeks with black pudding, oxtail mash and an apple jus - fab.

For afters i had the cheese board - very good again.

It was also very well priced.

My old boss owns that place. Do me a favour and never go again. I'm not a spiteful person at all, but I (and several hundred of his ex-employees) would love to see him lose a lot of money in that place.

[thenodrog]

My old boss owns that place. Do me a favour and never go again. I'm not a spiteful person at all, but I (and several hundred of his ex-employees) would love to see him lose a lot of money in that place.

Must say I've heard similar reports.

Edited June 12, 2012 by thenodrog

[Tom]

Never heard of angels till I saw it here and then today I got an invite to go their for a meal for a mates birthday.

May give it a miss though

[Mike Graham]

Went to one of my old favourites last week, the Clog and Billycock.......It was poor.

Off to Jamies Kitchen in King Street Manchester tomorrow? Any views please? I have been to Jamies in Liverpool twice and it was disgusting, I will never go again (sounds bit like Ewood and the Venky idiots!) although I was recently in Jamies in Threadneedle Street in London and had a great meal - is it a franchise?

Edited June 13, 2012 by preston blue

[only2garners]

Went to one of my old favourites last week, the Clog and Billycock.......It was poor.

Off to Jamies Kitchen in King Street Manchester tomorrow? Any views please? I have been to Jamies in Liverpool twice and it was disgusting, I will never go again (sounds bit like Ewood and the Venky idiots!) although I was recently in Jamies in Threadneedle Street in London and had a great meal - is it a franchise?

It might just be you were unlucky PB. I went to the Liverpool branch just after it opened and it was excellent.

[vintageadidas]

My old boss owns that place. Do me a favour and never go again. I'm not a spiteful person at all, but I (and several hundred of his ex-employees) would love to see him lose a lot of money in that place.

Mr and Mr Ford own it don't they? I thought they made their money through restaurants. PM me the reason as i am currently in the process of writing a very good tripadvisor review and telling plenty of people about the quality of food and service i received there.

[ABBEY]

Had a freebie at Fridays in the Trafford centre last nigh and had steak/ chicken fajitas and they were best I've ever had!!

[Gav]

Went to one of my old favourites last week, the Clog and Billycock.......It was poor.

Off to Jamies Kitchen in King Street Manchester tomorrow? Any views please? I have been to Jamies in Liverpool twice and it was disgusting, I will never go again (sounds bit like Ewood and the Venky idiots!) although I was recently in Jamies in Threadneedle Street in London and had a great meal - is it a franchise?

Clog has gone right downhill over the past 12 months, poor service, dishes with items missing, shame really.

As for Jamies in Manchester, not been myself, but work mate has, word that came back, inconsistent, San Carlos any day of the week.

[Baz]

Mr and Mr Ford own it don't they? I thought they made their money through restaurants. PM me the reason as i am currently in the process of writing a very good tripadvisor review and telling plenty of people about the quality of food and service i received there.

Pm sent.

[thenodrog]

Mr and Mr Ford own it don't they?

I hope they wash their hands thoroughly before preparing any food I might eat.

Edited June 15, 2012 by thenodrog

[old darwen blue]

Been back to Sukhis recently after not going for a while. They now have the Naga curry on the menu, excellent food as always and IMO the best in Darren

[Sparky Marky]

Went to the Clog for lunch...quite a nice suprise as they have made a few changes to the menu.....put a few summery dishes on. The scotch egg was a triumph and the sticky ribs was great....

Back on form at the clog....finger lickin good...

[Tom]

Thinking of going for a quick birthday lunch next week, is there still a seasonal offer menu on for cheapies like me?

[Sparky Marky]

Yes....the rice pudding with roasted peaches just finished me off...

£11 for 2 very good courses.....

[Tom]

May have to try that scotch egg, it sounds too simple so must be good

[Sparky Marky]

Its certainly not a "my mums" scotch egg....

[Gav]

We went to Oakenhurst farm brewers fayre yesterday for Sunday lunch, worst 2hrs of my life! Well not really but you get my drift.

Not the sort of place we’d usually eat at, but with a party of 16, including 6 kids, I can see why they chose the place.

On a positive note, I have to admit the staff were very good, over worked and underpaid, but they couldn’t do enough for you, but that’s where the compliments stop.

The food was terrible, if ever the old adage “You get what you pay for” ever applied, it certainly applies here. I’m not even going to bother going into details, it was just very poor indeed, burnt, over cooked, kept warm, you name it, just rubbish.

Then we had “Thick family Robinson” sat across from us, Blackburns finest, I’ll fitting clothes, coughing in between fag breaks you get my drift. The last straw was when the mother thought it would be a great idea to put the babies dummy in the vinegar bottle and stick it back in the child’s mouth for a couple of photos, at that point we left.

£96 for the food, which isn’t bad, but I’ll never go again.

[ABBEY]

look on the bright side gavster,your still the right size to play on the slides.Thats gotta a positive.

[Gav]

look on the bright side gavster,your still the right size to play on the slides.Thats gotta a positive.

Now thats funny :lol:

[Sparky Marky]

We went to Oakenhurst farm brewers fayre yesterday for Sunday lunch, worst 2hrs of my life! Well not really but you get my drift.

Not the sort of place we’d usually eat at, but with a party of 16, including 6 kids, I can see why they chose the place.

On a positive note, I have to admit the staff were very good, over worked and underpaid, but they couldn’t do enough for you, but that’s where the compliments stop.

The food was terrible, if ever the old adage “You get what you pay for” ever applied, it certainly applies here. I’m not even going to bother going into details, it was just very poor indeed, burnt, over cooked, kept warm, you name it, just rubbish.

Then we had “Thick family Robinson” sat across from us, Blackburns finest, I’ll fitting clothes, coughing in between fag breaks you get my drift. The last straw was when the mother thought it would be a great idea to put the babies dummy in the vinegar bottle and stick it back in the child’s mouth for a couple of photos, at that point we left.

£96 for the food, which isn’t bad, but I’ll never go again.

I have a rule. I never eat in a place where I can cook the food as good myself. Brewers Fayre is total shyte and I believe that the Oakenhurst is one of the scuzzy ones.

[Gav]

I have a rule. I never eat in a place where I can cook the food as good myself. Brewers Fayre is total shyte and I believe that the Oakenhurst is one of the scuzzy ones.

Can't argue with any of that, but the choice wasn't ours really, we had to go.

[thenodrog]

£96 for the food, which isn’t bad, but I’ll never go again.

Is that £6 each? If so nobody's getting fat on either side.

[Sparky Marky]

Dunno mate, they serve up some cheap muck in them places in my experience....you could get a decent main at clog for a couple of quid more.

[thenodrog]

After all day slaving in the garden me n'er indoors decided we couldn't be bothered cooking and decided to go out to eat. She suggested the Clog, I suggested the Oyster and Otter so completely illogically but with a couple of good reports in mind we went to give the Boars Head / Hoghton a try. We got there and were perusing the menu just as some band were going through the final motions of setting up before performing. The singer (presumably) was doing the old "testing.... testing..... one two ......... one two three" accompanied with a few strident guitar chords all of which was blasting out of the speakers and easily loud enough the endanger the 16th Century foundations of Hoghton Tower over a mile away! Needless to say we turned on our heels and got tf out as fast as we could. Dunno what the Boars Head is trying to achieve but attempting to be a restaurant and a lively pub at the same time might just see it fall between two stools.

Back to Fenny and a packed Oyster and Otter where we were infrmed a table for two would be at least 30 mins! All that and not a plectrum or an amplifier in sight! I must say this place about has it right imo, good food, excellent beers and wines and good service at reasonable prices. They deserve to do well. Anyway with the grubs biting 30 mins was too long to wait for a table so it was off to the Clog.....

Now someone up there is taking the proverbial. I fancied steak and chips but I've have serious issues with something described as a "Pure Angus 12oz Rib Eye" and a handfull of chips costing £25! ( I'll say it again... rib eye and twenty five effin quid!! Surely it can't be much more at the Northcote can it?) Main gripe beside the cost is how do I know if the meat is 'Pure bred Aberdeen Angus' or not? I've no idea myself and not only that but I seriously doubt that any retail butcher let alone 99% of chefs could accurately identify beef breeds from the appearence of a random piece of steak. Needless to say I chose something else from the menu.

Take note here folks most beef cattle reared in the UK are not Pure breeds but are cross bred out of Holstein dairy cattle (not that there is anything wrong with that other than public perception). Furthemore the predominant beef breed in this country is Holstein crossed with Limousin with Charolais and Aberdeen Angus crosses tying for second place just ahead of Simmental and Belgian Blue crossed animals. So a question.... who has ever seen steak in a restaurant described as anything other than Aberdeen Angus? 'Organic Simmental', 'Grass fed Belgian Blue', 'Aged Charolais' apparently simply don't exist in menu speak do they? Yet somebody must be eating it. Be aware that then majority of this Aberdeen Angus malarky is nothing more than a con.... and almost as big a con as 'organic' food.

Sorry but the Clog is not off the hook yet either. My pet hate are pretentious menu's and the Clog's is right up there at the top of the table. I'm going to quote a few choices from their menu in the guise of Bullsh1t Man.....

*English Welfare Friendly Veal kidneys. Bullsh1t! Veal is only welfare friendly if you are partial to eating babies.

*New Seasons salt Marsh lamb Chops (cooked crispy like your mother does) Bullsh1t! Now how the hell can anybody claim that bit of nonsense? Especially in my case when my old mother passed away last year.

*Fish & Chips - Battered deep fried line caught Haddock. Just what difference does it make whether the unfortunate haddock is caught on a static line, a rod and reel or the net of a trawler I can't imagine. More Bullsh1t.

And my personal favourite..

(V) Salad Nicoise– New Potatoes, Bobby Beans, Baby Gem Lettuce, Soft Boiled Egg, Anchovies, Red Onion, Heirloom Tomatoes & Olives, Virgin Olive Oil, Bread from the wood burning Esse.

Wood burning Esse?? sfw? It’s still only bread isn't it? Bullsh1t!

Pretentious menu claims are all the rage at the moment. It's spreading like wildfire, everything is local and nothing is intensively produced if you believe the claims.

Btw all claims on the Clog menu are covered by a little rider at the bottom of the menu informing the less discerning diner that “Provenence may vary due to supplier availability”

Edited July 15, 2012 by thenodrog

[Sparky Marky]

Was it the Cauliflower Fritters then??