The Muse in YARM(Yorkshire) is a must when near Middlesborough(7-28-21)

 For our first dinner out in Middlesborough, we decided to revisit the Muse in nearby Yarm just about a mile from our hotel where we had a fabulous meal 2 years ago after discovering this hidden gem.

 Will's sister Carol was celebrating her birthday and joined us with he wife, Gill, who like Sam, is vegetarian and loved the menu options here.

To celebrate we started with a bottle of bubbly from Nyetimber in the UK which is a wonderful "champagne" maker indeed. We moved on to a Marsanne Viognier blend from Xavier Roger 2019. The wines here are varied and novel and offer many bottles, 125ml tastes, 175ml and 250ml glasses.  Our main course red was a wonderful 2018 Dom Martinho blend of Aragonez, Trincadeira, Alicante Bouschet and Cabernet Sauvignon, speaking of novel wines.

 The décor is nice simple and not pretentious with wooden tables of all different colors,   although Sam almost had a fit when his foot hit a shrimp head left by the previous party that had fallen on the floor. The staff are super friendly and our server Emily did a great job, especially considering that the place was completely full on a Wednesday night both inside and outside as the UK has lifted all restrictions.

 Many restaurants have posted signs asking patrons to bear with them due to the limited staffing.

 Will and I started with the very rich and very hot Seafood Pancake which was a crepe in a cast iron pan filled with salmon Cod prawns and nestled in a rich Thermidor sauce. Gill  and Carol had the Twice baked Cheddar and Spinach Soufflé.

 The menu on this trip had fewer vegetarian options so Sam just decided to have a main course of the lemon Roasted Cauliflower Risotto made with smoked cheddar cheese and Gremolata.

Carol and Will chose the Garlic & Rosemary marinated Char-grilled Chicken with Bearnaise sauce, pomme frites(aka chips), rocket, shallot and parmesan salad. Gill had the Spring Green & Potato Welli6 that indeed looked like a Beef Wellington with grilled asparagus, buttered spinach and yes, Bearnaise sauce. My Confit Duck Leg was tender and fell off the bone served with curried potato Gratin, tender stem broccoli, peanut dressing(really couldn't taste the peanut) and a dollop of mango mayonnaise.

 Vanilla Cheesecake with Passion fruit jelly, Fruit salsa granita and coconut sorbet was a big hit as was the Yorkshire Rhubarb and Strawberry fool with cold Cardamom custard, vanilla sponge and strawberry ice cream.

 We felt the menu was less varied than when we were there before but many places are struggling and have reduced their options... The Muse is still a great place to go and we will head back again soon.

The Star Inn in Harome(near Helmsley, Yorkshire) may have one Michelin star, but gets a ton of stars from us all(7-26-21)

 After repeated plans for 3 years to get to the Michelin-starred Star Inn at Harome in Yorkshire, we finally made it last night! We were joined by our dear friends Sue and Steve celebrating their 2nd anniversary a day early.

 The tiny town has barely a dozen houses and the Star Inn is definitely the largest building with its thatched roof and little pudgy Michelin tire man sitting not only outside the door but throughout the restaurant.

 It's a charming spot with barely a dozen tables and be sure to book early as we did...a year prior.

 There is a tasting menu but we did not know it had to be prebooked so that's a great reason for us to return after having one of the best meals we've ever had in Yorkshire. The adorable cloth animals on the wall made for a fun replacement of the typical antlers and taxidermy.

We started with a refreshing 2017 Alvarado from Portugal, but under the British label of Howard's Folly "Pernshire," which was super with our snacks of Mac 'n' Cheese with Yorkshire Blue, Scallions and Summer Truffle which was as deconstructed as a dish gets. The Ryedale Brown Lollipop which a paté on a stick with Gooseberry & Green Peppercorn relish and marinated olives for the vegetarian. Sam was loving his sweet Kopparburg Mixed Fruit Cider(from Sweden) as well and moved on to a Cropton Yorkshire Cider after.

Bread arrived in the form of multi-grain sourdough with a divine crust and salted local butter and the most novel bread-Black Pudding Buns!!

Our second white was a real novel treat in the form of an Argentine Viognier from Mendoza 2019 Villa Viejo. The starters were all divine starting with my Lobster "BLT" with poached North Sea Lobster with Pockley Grown Heirloom tomato Gazpacho, Smoked Bacon Ice Cream, Parma Ham and wilted Baby Gem with Elderflower Mayonnaise. 

Ploughman's Ravioli had Pulled Ham Hock and Yorkshire Wolds Beer Relish with Dale End Cheddar whip, Ale-picked onions and Waldorf dressing. Poached white Asparagus had Village Organ egg with mayo, herb "caviar" and seas coastal vegetables from the varied vegetarian menu had Sam happy.  Posh Norfolk peeled Prawn Cocktail with Oak Smoked Salmon had fresh basil and marinated tomatoes with sauce Marie Rose, Bloody Mary sorbet and fresh Horseradish.

 As Will and I had ordered meat, we switched to red wine and enjoyed the 2013 Rioja while Sue and Steve went on to a Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch South Africa for their fish dishes.

Many wines are offered by small, medium and large pour glasses, which is a great touch!

 Will order the Pan fried belted Galloway 10 oz Sirloin Steak with deep fried chunky chips and Bearnaise sauce which came to the table as chewy as could be, but was quickly replaced by an entirely edible and tasty steak within minutes.

My Veal...Two ways was a huge dish with a Roasted Filet with Wild Mushroom Duxelle, Foie Gras, Black Truffle and Tarragon Sauce that was divine. The second part of the dish was Pickled Ox Tongue with Oakwood Mushroom served in a small cup with Celeriac 'Pot Noodle' that were dried and poured tableside; I've it all and the meat was as tender and tasty as could be.

Sam went for the Caponata & Garden  Lovage open Ravioli with Warm Poached Egg and the two fish dishes were  Grilled filet of East Coast Wild Sea Bass with home-cured lardo,  garden lovage Lishman's of Ikley chorizo,  garden bean Ragout and shellfish Bisque and then Roasted filet of North Sea Wild Halibut with wilted gem, Granny Smith and almond, Oat milk veloute and toasted smoke eel pikelet.  Check out the great photos on Facebook.

 That cheese trolley was positioned right next to our table when we sat down so there was no way we were not enjoying the cheese and opted for 6 to share:

-Baron Bigod, cow unpasteurized from Suffolk,  which we had had earlier and absolutely loved this brie-like creamy rich cheese.

-Old Winchester, a cow pasteurized vegetarian!! That's was Gouda style and aged for 20 months.

 The cheese menu said it was caramelized, smoky and with crystalline crunches, but I have to admit none of that was apparent and we had hoped that Sam would like this as he loves aged goudas but there was no way.

-St. Andrew's unpasteurized cow from Anstruther, Scotland made by Jane using her husband's cattle it is a 14 month aged Cheddar that was tangy and kicky.

-Darling Blue is a Northumberland pasturized cow blue made on Doddington farm near Scotland which was smooth and creamy.

-Sparkenhoe Blue ID an unpasteurized cow blue(also vegetarian) from Leicestershire that was dense and savoury.

-Stinking Bishop is an unpasteurized cow from Gloucestershire that we always love..pungent and gooey and truly a favourite.

 We were thinking about sharing one dessert when a surprise anniversary dessert arrived for our best friends who were celebrating their 2nd anniversary with us.  That and the chocolate truffles, black current paté a fruit, lemon verbena sugar cookies and  fudge brownie mignardises was enough to keep us happy and send us on our way knowing that we will return.

The Ivy in Victoria Quarter, Leeds, UK is luscious (7-25-21)

 For our second and final night in Leeds we wanted something a bit more upscale and chose The Ivy just a couple of blocks from the hotel and sister to the famous Ivy in Coven Garden; it was everything we could possibly want! 

We all ordered yummy drinks such as Rhubarb Gin & Tonics, Mojitos, Espresso Martini and I had an Ivy VLS which had Absolut Elyx with Fever Tree Mexican and Yuzu Soda which was yummy, but needed a tad more vodka. The wines were yummy with reasonable prices as well and we started with a 2019 Verdejo from Cuatro Rayas in Rueda, Spain. The setting and decor is gorgeous with a quasi-Victorian/Art Deco look (is that possible?) and our sever Rogene was absolutely magnificent. We were a group of 8 and hence it was a task indeed.

Sam started with Truffle Arancini and a magnificent Buffalo Mozzarella with Salsa Verde, pistachio , courgettes, and a basil and green herb dressing. Will & I had the yummy Steak Tartare of strip loin with tabasco-mustard sauce, cornichons, shallots, parsley egg yolk on top and toasted granary bread. 

Tempura Prawns with Salted Squid was another hit, and Sam was impressed with the huge vegetarian menu presented to him. He chose the Chargrilled Halloumi main with warm asparagus, cauliflower and a raisin and green herb sauce. We moved on to a nice light red with the Frappato Nerello Mascalese from Terre di Guinara 2019 which was really fruit forward and then took the sommelier's suggestion (Fabio was Portuguese) of the Douro Tinto 2018 from Quinta do Vallado which we loved.

Mains were Shepherd's Pie and the Chicken Milanese, but the hit was the Veal Rib Eye with sliced tender veal, pommes aligot, crsipy prosciutto, tomato, red pepper, sage leaves and a yummy rich red wine sauce.

Desserts were a huge hit for those who had them: Chocolate Bombe and Rum Baba, but I loved my simple glass of 10 year old Tawny port Quinta do Vallado which was the same grapes as the red wine!

We loved The Ivy and they loved us as well; what a great tram and what a great time we had with even more family.

Onto North Yorkshire!

Back for Burgers at the Cast Iron Bar & Grill in Leeds, UK(7-24-21)

 We made it to Yorkshire today for the main  purpose of this trip--to see the family. They loved the restaurant in our hotel so much the last time, so we returned to the Cast Iron Bar & Grill at the Leeds Marriott. The dining area was shut so we ate in the front bar with a table on Boar Lane(the main street) with all the bizarre and amazing passersby on a Saturday evening. The noise from the bar was a bit overdose and reverberated as the place has no carpet or absorption, but it was fine. Our server Lisa was patient with our requests, and we all had a grand time.

Chips and Dips were fun with large puffy crisps to dip in the three different sauces: kale & cashew, white bean and pesto and smoked paprika and chickpea, the latter getting the most praise. A nice dirty Grey Goose martini was in order for me after a day of driving from Wales, a Campari and tonic for Will and a Mojito for Sam. Our wine was a decent red Sangiovese from Vita in Puglia; it won't win any prizes.

The burgers were super and I think Sam got the winner with vegan option made with Moving Mountain Plant Burger(like Impossible Meat in the US) on a brioche with cheese(he had them switch in real cheese for the vegan option), chipotle sauce and fries. My Cast Iron Beef Burger came with crispy bacon, oozing melted cheddar, smoky chipotle sauce and fries. I discovered an superb sauce for chips here in the UK by mixing Heinz ketchup with hot English mustard; my own new amazing device! Most of the group had the Steak Ciabatta which was served with melted Welsh rarebit, caramelised onions, rocket(arugola), mayo and fries.

The only issue was that the meat seemed to all come out cooked medium even when medium rare was requested. Otherwise it was more about family and having fun, which we did!!

Bryn Williams at Porth Eiras is excellent in north Wales! (7-23-21)

 or our final night in Wales we chose Bryn Williams at Porth Eiras, a simple Bistro just 10 minutes from the hotel right on the seaside with beautiful views of Colywn Bay in North Wales.  The restaurant has floor to ceiling windows and wooden tables that are very simple and even a ton of outdoor space... Inside was full and outside was busy as the weather was gorgeous. Chef Williams is well known in London, but opened this seafood leaning Bistro in his home country and it has been a huge success.

 Samuel loved the Snowden Craft Lager and said it was better than the Manchester one he had the day before, weaved our bottle of Le Versant 2020 Viognier which was creamy and rich.

 We ordered a loaf of the soda bread and the very garlicky olives which were delicious with our drinks as we perused the menu.  Our super cute server Josh gave us a bunch of suggestions which we welcomed and we made our decisions.

 Samuel started with the tomato salad with toasted seeds and basil but asked to have the goat curd removed. Will ordered the smoked salmon which came on a which came on a small bed of gazpacho soup with apple.  My roasted prawns with garlic and chillis came in a delicious sauce and yeast sauce and a dipping aioli; five of them made for a feast.

Will and I moved on to a Chablis "La Chablisienne" which was great with the Fish Pie we shared. The pie was made with salmon, coaly and cod and was tipped with peaks of yummy mashed potatoes all browned on the peaks.  The seasonal kale came with herbed shallot butter which was delicious and the bistro fries were yummy too.  Is Samuel went for the Gnocchi with piperade(sauteed peppers and onion) parmesan and basil;  These were not your normal gnocchi and they were more like a potato block check out the pictures on Facebook, but he loved them nonetheless. He switched to the Snowdon Cider which may be his new favorite drink!

 We could not resist dessert so we'll try the lemon parfait by the lemon parfait with honey granola and strawberries which was delicious, while  Sam and I split the amazingly magnificent Porth Eiras Baked Alaska using local raspberry jam with magnificent browned meringue peaks!

 We could not believe the low prices for the scotches and whiskey.. So Wil had a Laphroaig 16 year while I loved the Welsh whisky called Penderyn Welsh Madeira-style Malt...so warm and toasty!!

A super great last meal to culminate our wonderful week in Wales. Off to Yorkshire.

The Dining Room at Bodysgallen (pronounced Bodiesgathlen) Hall in Llandudno(prounounced Chlandudno) was a fab meal save for the fennel (7-22-21)

 We had a very long day of touring which included castles as well as a railroad trip up the tallest mountain in Wales, Snowdonia, and decided to dine at the famous Dining Room in our hotel, Bodysgallen Hall. We also realized that two l's in Welsh seem to have multliple pronunciations!

 The original building dates back hundreds of years and the dining room has a, shall we say, musty old British feel to it. The heat did not help and we were grateful when it finally began to cool down as we got through dinner. You must recall that virtually nothing here is air conditioned outside of the luxury hotels and restaurants in London.

 We were very impressed by the vegan menu offered to Sam and the multiple choices.

 He was happy with his Peroni beer and we ordered up a wonderful bottle of Baboon Rock unwooded Chardonnay 2020 from Franschoek,  South Africa which was most refreshing.  The amuses were a cheese fritter and a mushroom and courgettes tart.

 Sam had a substitute as I had mentioned to the front desk earlier that he did not like mushrooms at all, again they were on their toes, but we only wished they could remember when we ordered another beer or water to bring it!

 I started with a delicious Caramelised local Mackerel with crispy charred baby gem lettuce, a small potato salad and wild Bodysgallen garlic oil which was really a delicious aioli, the perfect foil for the fish.  Sam had the semi-dried cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, consume gel and fennel salad. Will went for Hen's Egg poached with pancetta atop a White Onion Velouté. We were all happy.

 Will and I switched to red wine which was a CJ Pask Gimblett Gravels Merlot from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand 2018 which was quite nice and had a decent heft to it for our main courses. The wine was brought to the table both times and never opened served or offered to be tasted.  Now we've been in Wales for some time not to mention London and every time we ordered wine we were offered a taste even if it was just a glass which was always poured for us. Here they said that we had to open taste and pour our own wine due to the covid situation. I asked what happens if someone at once just a glass of wine and they said of course they would pour it... So makes no sense!! Of course, they poured the after-dinner scotch(and I am sure measured it to the dram!)

 Sam's main course was a summer pea and butternut squash risotto with parmesan and pea shoots, which he declared the best risotto so far. Will had an absolutely fabulous corn-fed free range chicken which was 1st poached and then grilled so that the skin was super crispy and it was served with pak choi, Dauphinoise potatoes, parsnip cream, estate wild mushroom sauce and crispy pancetta.  My main course was delcious local loin of pork and was supposed to come with roasted artichoke, king oyster mushroom, Pomme croquette and Madeira sauce, but arrives with one slice mushroom, asparagus, broccolini, the yummy crunchy potato and a pile of fennel, which I detest. I asked where the artichokes were and they apologized as they said they had run out. OOPS!

 Since the meal includes dessert Sam and I chose the Poached caramelised pear with Bodysgallen damson(plum) sorbet and fresh local blackberries. Will went for the Trinity College cream which was a quasi-crème brulee with Bodysgallen poached rhubarb and rhubarb sorbet. It was nice to know that so many ingredients are grown or raised here on the 200-acre estate!

 We were all very happy and hobbled out to the outdoor gardens to watch the sunset and have a very nice glass of scotch even if it was small.

--

OMG GROE'S INN outside CONWY, Wales is GREAT! (7-21-21)

 Our first dinner in North Wales was at a local inn just outside of Conwy and it was GREAT, a treat, an experience and full of character.

We decided to sit outside as the weather here has been called a heat wave and at 730pm, the temperature was about 75degreesF!

The menu is huge with lots of options but we knew what we wanted as this was a trip down memory lane for Will & me and Sam was excited about the veggie options.

They both kept enjoying multiple. Manchester Craft Lagers while I started with a super refreshing Outnumbered Sauvignon Blanc 2018 from Wairrapa, New Zealand that was intense grapefruit, think grapefruit JUICE! for the main course I switched to a decent Malbec called Despacito 2018 from Mendoza, Argentina; not my favorite wine but a good pairing.

The manager Chris was a character and Sarah, our server(well, we had 3 servers) and Sam hit it off big time discussing their tattoos! Sam started with Halloumi Fries with Sweet chilli dipping sauce and Will & I decided to split the enormous GRAZING BOARD which had Spanish olives, houmous(their spelling) with hand fried spiced tortilla chips,, Salt & Pepper Squid(battered) with a chilli & coriander dipping sauce, but the crown was the huge bowl of MESSY CHIPS--a signature dish here with thick cut chips(fries) with pulled beef Brisket adn Cheddar cheese melted on top. These were AWESOME..move over poutine and southern US BBQ, Wales is where the beef is!

Will had the "legendary" Homemade Cheese & Onion Pie with more chips, mushy peas and Gravy, which was a childhood treat he missed. I love Steak & Ale Pie and here it was a gorgeous pastry made with JW Lees ale and again came with mushy peas and mashed potatoes as well as a tasty ale gravy. We also had to try the yummy Ale battered onion rings!!

Check out the photos on FB, as the portions were HUGE and there was no way we could even consider the wonderful desserts. The entire team at Groe's had us entertained all evening and were superb from start to finish, but we felt like Wales was home! The food got "5 stars across the board" from Sam and indeed all of us.

Tonight, we dine at the hotel and tomorrow on the north coast, then on to Yorkshire.

heading to Wales we dined and were delighted at Dormy House's Back Garden in Broadway, Cotswolds(7/17/21)

 En route to Wales, we opted for an overnight just outside Broadway in the Costwolds at the beautiful Dormy House where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner in The Back Garden,  where you indeed sit in a back garden full of flowers and herbs that is beautifully shaded at the end of the day.

Our server Pierre was from France and was a total joy, as well as helpful and offering anything he could to make us feel welcome.

 We started with a bottle of Sancerre Rosé Domaine Tissier 2017 from the Loire and then moved on to another delicious white, Saint Veran "Les Santenays" 2018 from Domaine Carrette.

Veggie options were limited so Sam started with his 3rd Burrata in 2 days!! Here it was paired with gorgeous Isle of Wight tomatoes, olive oil Jolley and basil cress. I adored the Lamb Sweetbreads dusted with Bombay crumbs(a spiced bread crumb), and charred leeks, while Will joined Sam for the Burrata. Main courses were an impressive Pea Ravioli with Garden veggies, Chantererelles and Herb Pesto. Will loved his Cod Kiev which was served with Garlic Parsley Butter, seaweed and Onion Fries with miss mayo for dipping; I called this super posh Fish & Chips!! My Lemon Sole was divine with shrimp, almonds and capers in a Nut brown butter sauce.

Pierre added sides of broccoli, mashed potatoes and Pommes Dauphinoise with a divine creamy filling with bacon!

Will decided on the Grand Marnier Souffle while I went nuts over the cheeses:

-Baron Bigod, a brie-style cow from Fen Farm Dairy in Suffolk

-Clara Goat

-Swiss Tête de Moines

- and the divine Mrs. Bell's Yorkshire Blue

A glass of Nero D'Avola Terre Siciliane 2018 "Il Barroccio" was a nice pairing.

 We all headed to the front outdoor patio for scotch and after dinner relaxation exceedful after a long day of touring.

Wales here we come!

London's STORY has a tale to tell, but may need some work to keep 2 Michelin stars (7-16-21)

 Our last night in London brought us to the famed 2 michelin star restaurant Story.

 It's a beautiful setting a block from Tower Bridge overlooking a small park with a statue and elegant clean tables that hold no more than 10 parties in the small space with an open kitchen.

 The huge staff seems to multiply as the evening goes on with more and more people delivering food and wine. It's a simple fixed price 10 course menu that offers that offers 2 different wine pairings although you are welcome to order your wine a la carte.

 Will started with a Manhattan which he said was a bit sweetish and then he said he doesn't really like them very much. My Caviar Martini was delish and came with a small dollop of caviar and a tuile on the side!

It seems that in London, amuses are now "snacks" and we received four:

- Crispy cod skin with Cod roe emulation and gin botanicals was okay and won no prize as the first bite

- Rabbit sandwich was a terrine of the leg wrapped in fried polenta with pickled bergamot and garnered huge praise

- a yellowfin tuna tartar in a nori cup was yummy

-Storeo was an Oreo look alike that had burnt hay cookie filled with goat cheese mousse and while nice was more of a cute gimmick

 The actual 1st course was where we began to be impressed with a Carlingford oyster from Ireland barbecued in chicken fat and served in a shrimp XO butter sauce with chili oil and 3 types of seaweed that was paired with IMA "Oysters" sake from Japan that was very rich and unctuous.

 The only choice on the menu that is set, is the caviar course that offers you a hot caviar course or a cold caviar course, so we decided to try one of each and the cold easily won.

 The former was served with a warm cauliflower custard mixed with Maple syrup and apple vinegar in butter sauce with a beer tuile that was a tad too sweet. A Neuburgunder from Somm in the Must from Kremstal in Austria was a funky wine pairing.

 The cold course was truly fabulous served with tomato and vanilla mayo, pickled shallot  and tiny flowers made from beetroot. The caviar is called Platinum and comes from Belgium and was quite delish.  It was paired with a delicious Brundlmayer Gruner Veltlliner reserve 2016.

 A single candle was placed on the table and lit; then the next course arrived which was entitled Sunday Roast.  There was an enriched brioche/ Japanese milk loaf that was their version of the Porter House roll,  which we were supposed to dip into the gravy, a beef extract which was mixed with the melted candle actually made from beef fat!

 Since it was so rich there was a celery relish with pickled horseradish and parsley to cut the intensity. The pairing was quite ingenious in a Premium tonic from Spain which was made with Pedro Ximenez Sherry mixed with tonic as a quasi-cider of only 5% alcohol that was very tasty and refreshing.

 Please excuse the fact that Facebook is missing pictures of the caviar dishes.

Course number 4 was a simple  raw scallop  with cucumber ash, elderflower and horseradish.  There were small cucumber balls as well as black ones which were the ones cooked in ash as well as necessary and leaves the horseradish cream and dill oil had an intense acidity which was cut by a drink served with it called Gin Garden which had elderflower, mint cucumber and dill, which was fruity and had an intense lemon flavor.

2009  Digby fine English reserve brute came to the table from Sussex Kent and Hampshire blend which was the 1st vintage they made and was stored and aged for 9 years, a very impressive big nose bubbly. A superb Crispy skinned John Dory was the course with red pepper fish sauce is with red pepper fish sauce saffron mayo a tomato sauce is a tomato sauce vierge and courgette ragu.

 The pasta course was Agnolotti made with corn and truffle from Australia, the sauce was a corn butter sauce with champagne vinegar, popcorn shoots pickled girolles and corn flowers that was out of this world. I was happy to see red wine in the form of a 2015 Nebbiolo from Rocche Viberti that was so smooth after 18 months in oak!

More red followed with a 2016 Brunello di Montalcino "Castello Di Argiano" from Sesti that exhibited huge legs and great flavor.  The course it was served with which I guess you would call main was squab pigeon with globe artichoke and green peppercorn sauce. There was a gamey breast and a crunchy leg kind of confit leg with hazelnut roasted artichoke puree and more.

 The next course was oddly entitled Paddington Bear and was a  favorite snack of the bear in the form of a marmalade sandwich on a brioche with Cardamom parfait and mascarpone cheese and shaved frozen foie gras!!  We also got a cute little towel that looked a marshmallow on the side but as soon as  add water it grew into a regular towel to wipe your hands.

 The next course was easily our least favorite of the entire night entitled chocolate garden mint paired with a drink called After 8 with vodka, rum java, mint, creme da cacao,  creme de menthe and cream that was excruciatingly sweet.

The dish  itself had tapioca, chocolate, mint and nitrogen and the tapioca pudding was warm underneath; this was an explosion of cloying mint so sweet neither of us could finish it.

 Bye bye birdie was my name for the last course which was an English strawberry consomme course with sour milk and pine.  Yogurt and strawberry cracker and strawberry tartar and white chocolate chunks made a very nice contrast.

 The wine was a 2018 Riesling Kabinett from Niederberg, Helen Schloss in the Moselle, but Will begged for a sweeter Balfour Late Harvest Chardonnay 2028 from Kent, that apparently was never meant to be and was harvested too late so became a dessert wine.

 Just in case did you wanted more there was a raspberry tart with frozen gel and cream; honeycomb with elderflower toffee and edible paper and a macadamia crunch with dark chocolate.

 The service was excellent and the meal was interesting interesting but we liked Frog 3 nights before much better for a much lower cost--and yes MORE FUN and BETTER FOOD!

London's FROG by Adam Handling is fabulous and gets stellar stars (7-13-21)

Frog located just blocks from Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and the West End is an unassuming small boutique restaurant that deserves major attention. The decor is simple with not many tables, an open kitchen at the rear, that is about 1/2 the size of the dining area, and a bar downstairs. Here the attention is all to food and service, and we were WOWED! We decided on two cocktails that both packed a HUGE punch: Adam's Apple is Umeshu Sake, Cachaça, Apple Brandy 5Y, Sherry and apple-pear but was not sweet at all, while Negroni Condesa was Patron Reposado Tequila, Quriquiqui Mezcal, Campari, Barros Late Bottled Vintage Port and Bubbles.  The drinks were large and lasted through our intense deliberation of the menu trying to decide on a la carte or "Adam's Menu" a tasting treat, really a journey, through the chef's amazing creations. Guess what we chose.  The sommelier, Spiros, from Greece, said that we could order wine pairings or simple work with him as so many wines on the menu are available by the glass, bottle or also 1/2 bottle carafe making for so many wonderful options as well as the monstrous and varied wine list. Our sever, Jess, explained the menus as we tried to see what everyone around the room  was having.

The menu starts with "Snacks" which is an amazing display of five different plates; way more than any amuse bouche!! Check out the wow video I put on FB, as well as all the photos. The Snacks included Egg creamed potato with chive oil, code & Sturgeon roe served in a ceramic eggshell on a bed of straw in a huge bowl which has dry ice underneath for a wonderful effect!! The lemon flavor was intense, so I called it "lemony snicket." The Beetroot tart had black currants on top which was the only dish that we were not crazy about, merely because the beet flavor was lost to the intense currants. Coronation Crab Cigars were pastries filled with a spicy curried crab. Black Cod Roe Waffles with  water gel, had a  cream on the underside full of flavor. A-5 Wagyu Beef Tartare was a dreamy mini bite that had you begging for more. I think my favorite was the waffle, while Will went for the egg-creamed potato & cod!

Our first wine was a Sylvaner Reserve Millisime 2019 form Rolly Gassman in Alsace that was slightly off dry but was brilliant with all the intense flavors from the snacks and really went well with the next course simply entitled, "Bread, chicken butter." A large boule of warm sourdough made with IPA Beer was placed on the table with three side bowls: Chicken butter was covered with crispy fried pieces of chicken skin, the creamiest on earth chicken liver parfait(what we call chopped liver or pate) was sprinkled with sauteed egg yolk and an intense thick chicken reduction was poured into the 3rd side container. Each of the "toppings" was meant to be used with the bread and it was impossible to resist them all. Will liked the reduction the best but I was crazy about the chicken butter with cracklings and went insane over the creamy parfait!

We moved on to a Riesling(dry) "Burgstall" from FX Pichler 2018 in Wachau, Austria whose wines have always impressed me and Spiros starting schmoozing and joking with us, which went on for the many hours we were there. The staff were kind, friendly and indeed entertaining.  Even Andy, the manager, whose first night it was (he had come from Gordon Ramsay @Claridge's Hotel--clearly Frog was a step up!!), made sure we were happy at every moment.

The next plate was Red prawn, tomato and English wasabi with red pepper pesto and ponzu dressing which was followed by Mushroom pasta(agnelotti), parsley and watercress which had burnt butter sauce, black garlic puree, basil puree and a pickled garlic foam. Spiros switched us to a Mercurey 1er Cru "Les Puillets Chateau de Camilly" 2015 from the Cote Chalonaise in Burgundy(excuse any spelling mistakes) as he said a light red was in order. The wine was served in elegant Nuda thin stemmed modern crystal and the cutlery was Scandanavian in style yet was Cutipol from Portugal which Limoges china was clearly the chef's top choice with plates easily costing a fortune without the food!

We moved back to white wine with one of our favorites all night being the Terrasses du Larzac Domaine de Montclus 2016 from Languedoc. "Wagyu lobster" followed next and is one of Chef Adam's signature dishes. It looked as simple as could be with a huge claw and tail on the plate, but these had been marinated for 24 hours and cooked "barbecue style" in Wagyu beef fat--OMG!!  The flavor burst was beyond belief. Our wine was a Chateau Simone palette 2017 from Provence blended from Clairette, Rousanne, Marsanne & Viognier and I am always a sucker for any Rhone blend.

Cod, lobster bolognese, caviar was next with poached cod, tomato Lobster bolognese and English caviar.

We rested a lot and the meal took over 4 hours total, but the "main" was still to come: Balmoral chicken, baby courgette, basil was a perfect size portion of herb & haggis mousse crusted chicken breast with char-grilled courgettes(zucchini), wild garlic and chicken reduction. The dish was insanely rich, so we tried to finish, but knew more was to come. We switched back to a full bodied red with Carvaro 2018 Castello della Sala from Antinori in Ubria, Italy.

More resting before the pre-dessert,  a divinely refreshing palate-cleanser of Apple &  Marigold Sorbet with Lemonade Foam, Honeycomb Crumble on the bottom and Dried Elderflowers. 

The main dessert followed with Cocoa nib, Yuzu gel and dandelion root ice cream--again just right and not too rich. As we settled back to reflect, mignardises arrived in a small box to take home in the form of Rum Custard  Canale, Miso fudge, Chocolate and Salted Caramel Bonbon and Blueberry Pate a fruit. We each also got a breakfast box with printed menu called "The Frog Breakfast Experience" so we could enjoy the experience extended to the next morning.  Superb Mix berry cakes(muffins), Mixed seed granola and Chamomile tea were included!!!

This is one meal we will not easily forget! When in London, be sure to pan to eat at FROG!

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CHLOE conquers in SE DC with Taste Washington, James Beard Foundation dinner(6/29/21)

I hauled myself down to SE DC on a baseball game night(in the end there was no traffic and the Uber took 24 minutes!) as there was no was I was missing Chef Haidar Karoum's benefit for the James Beard Foundation, part of a national series of dinners.

The meal was brilliantly prepared, spaced, served and every bite was a dream. I had my own table and even got a goodie bag of wonderful treats to eat and use later. My server Erin was superb and always made me happy with wine refills, a chat here and there and excellent service.

We started with a drink created by Burke Podany of Chloe called ALTITUDE made with Rabbit Hole(they were sponsors) Bespoke Gin, Lillet Blanc, Oolong, Lemon Twist & Chocolate Bitters. I am not a gin or tea fan, but the hint of chocolate made this drink so great and NOT sweet at all. A tray arrived with Grilled Housemade bread and a huge chunk of Kerrygold Butter that was herbed in house as well a a superb Kerrygold Cashel Blue Cheese from Ireland. I was in heaven.

The "appetizer" course was as big as any main course and easily one of the best fish courses I have had in ages: Roasted Papadam-Crusted Australis(Australian) Barramundi with Chickpeas, Fenugreek & Coconut was flaky and rich with a curry-like sauce under it and the crunchiest of crusts and fabulous seasonings. I had not had barramundi in a long time and it is truly a superb fish we often miss out on!! The wine was an okay DOUGH North Coast 2019 Chardonnay that was so lemony-citrusy, I would have sworn it was a Sauvignon Blanc. It paired well, but I wouldn't buy it. The main course wine was also a Dough(they were sponsors) Oregon Pinot Noir 2019 and even the label did not say from where in Oregon! No matter as the Spice-Roasted Rohan(Hudson valley) Duck with Sunchoke(puree), Poached Cherries, hazelnut & Charred Scallion was another dream dish.

With the food the Pinot Noir seemed to gain  some spice momentum, so it was not a total loss. 

Chloe is a cozy indoor space with very comfy tables on one side of an open kitchen(with a plant rack made of wood separating the room from the kitchen) and a huge bar area in the front. There is tons of outdoor dining space and many of the event patrons were outside despite the 90+ degree temps! 

Dessert was another amazing invention with a gorgeous Summer Fruit(strawberry,blackberry,blueberry) Tart with meyer Lemon Curd & Cardamom-Labneh Cream. Everyone who saw the FB photos was in awe!

The dessert came with a flight of Rabbit Hole Whiskeys and they were all very different:

I liked the Cavehill Kentucky Striaght Bourbon a tad, but did not like the Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon or Boxergrail Kentucky Straight Rye at all--makes sense as I have never beena  bourbon or rye guy. The best was the smoky peaty Dearringer Straight Bourbon(finished in PX sherry casks) so maybe it was the cask?

This meal was a wining one and I would be back in Chloe in a sec(well, as soon as the baseball season ends!)!!

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