Dishing in Dish

"I'm only a beer teetotaller, I am not a champagne teetotaller. I do not like beer " George Bernard Shaw

For me May is a slightly odd month. If you are arround no one else is but when you go away everyone else is back. I blame the bank holidays! 

Between my weekend in Edinburgh and Lydia's week in Rome we were due a catch up so we hot footed it to Dish on Boar Lane to dish our gossip. 

The resturaunt downstairs is perfect for groups of friends gathering for celebrations but the bar didn't really somewhere I have considered hanging out before. 

Well they are looking to overhaul that and have hired a new head barman, Jamie. He treated us to a sneak peak of the new cocktail menu which will launch as soon as the menu's arrive from the printers. 

We told him our liquor of choice and whether we liked sweet, sharp or cirtrusy flavours. From which he created a concoction to make even the most sceptical drawl. I picked gin whilst Lydia went for ameretto. 

I am afraid I can not recall all of the names of the cocktails but look how pretty they are. 

Duchess Trevlyn 

This was my favourite. A mixture of gins, floral and botanical elements and apple juice. 

Eventually we rolled ourselves home. 

The new cocktail menu is launching in July so keep an eye out for the launch night. 

Photo of the rum punch curtsy of Lydia's twitter feed. 

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A little bit of Nottingham

This Friday I headed to Nottingham to catch up with my oldest friend. I am told that we have known each other since we were two but in reality I cannot remember a time when we didn't know one another.

We started the weekend with prosecco and sushi. Unfortunately the cork decided that having joked that it was difficult to remove that it was not going without a fight.

Finally there was success.

On Saturday we hit the shops before heading to Delilah's for lunch. Imagine the perfect deli mixed with an old bank building, and chic eatery. It was heavenly. We had pink lemonade and the sweet chili houlummi salad.

After mooching in the garden we headed to Tilt. My friend has been telling me about Tilt ever since I introduced her to the flower decorated cocktails in the Mavern.

She returned the favour by taking me to one of her favourite haunts and their version of  a pornstar martini. The clientele is eclectic and we rubbed shoulders with mix of girlie groups, friends meeting for a quite drink, middle age couples and a hen do. I can honestly say I fell in love with the pornstar martini.

We then went to Aurora which has very reasonably priced menu where you either order two courses for £16.95 or three for £19.95. The menu changes every two months And there are daily specials.

Unfortunately I consumed my food too quickly to take photos but I had the Asparagus with Chilli Mayonnaise, Pink Grapefruit and Crostini as a starter followed by the Aubergine, Courgette & Red Onion ‘Pastie’ Olive & Tomato Sauce. My friend meanwhile when for the scallops and steak which had a £2 supplement each.

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A little bit of Leeds

Last night R and I had impromptu drinks and tapas to celebrate the sun which was gloriously beaming down. Unfortunately I left my camera at work so the photos below are the best from my phone.

We started at Calls landing which is a pub overlooking the Ouse for a glass of wine and Cider. Unfortunately it was so packed that we found ourselves standing rather than being able to enjoy the benefits of the outdoor seating. This is one of my favourite places to relax with a drink in Leeds when the sun is blasting out.

We then progressed to Ambiente Tapas Bar next door for some indulgent tapas. We started with a jug sangria opting for the rose version, although there was also a tradtion red wine sangeria and unusually a white wine version the sangria went down a little too well. The resturaunt has a great selection of wines and if you are so inclined sherry.

We indulged in frijoles fritos (blackbean fritters with cashew sauce), suppi (mozzarella and risotto coquettes), caldosa de verdarus (Mediterranean vegetable risotto), manchago cheese with quince jelly, pastatas bravas and patatas y chorizo (caramelised chorizo potatoes)

Last time I went there with R we were both grossly hungover/still drunk and could not finish the dishes we ordered, fortunately no such problem occurred this time and we cleaned our plates. There is also an Ambiente tapas resturaunt in York and

We then went for a cocktail at The Alchemist which is a bar that I have tried to go to on a number of occasions but the queue has always been too so I have given up and opted for somewhere more low key. We opted for the colour changing cocktail.

This cocktail is a real experience, as you get to mix your own cocktail. The barmaid provided us with a glass containing a mixture of ice and small dry ice cubes as well as two chemistry class flasks containing a lemon looking potion and a blue potion. We were instructed to pour the cream coloured flask into the glass first and then the blue potion.

The result is a cloudy bubbling pink concoction that had the fellow bar goers cooing and gathering round. It also tasted pretty amazing too.

If your interested they do a cocktail master class which if the colour change cocktail is anything to go by should be a pretty amazing experience. If your interested you should look at the website which has all the details. There are two Alchemist bars in Manchester and the one in Leeds but I suspect that they will be spreading across the Uk soon.

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The Lust List

I am stupidly excited about the Great Gatsby hitting the cinema and this week's Lust List is inspired by the book. The penguin cocktail shaker is the perfect thing to mix your prohibition era cocktails whilst you listen to jazz to get you in the mood. Make a Gin Rickey or a Mint Julep as you pretend to be Daisy or Jordan.

I am a self confessed Magpie, I find myself drawn to jewellery that is set with semi precious stones. There is something satisfying about a chunky weighty glossy gem that makes it's self known compared to delicate shiny confections. I recently came across this Mai Jewellery website and instantly fell in lust with these Silver & Fools Gold Rock Pool Studs with their slightly jagged texture they stand out as unusual and glitter. 

For some reason my impression of the jazz era involves lots of glassware whether it be champagne coupe's, mirrored furniture, ballrooms of glass lights. Lighten up your home with this Art Deco Style Glass Mirror and create a dramatic feature in your home. 

It was not until the '20's that women in England other than prostitutes and actresses started to wear noticeable makeup. Scandalously they even started to apply it in public (although never at dinner) this was made all the easier by cosmetic companies starting to mass produce products and the invention of the mirrored lipstick case. Guerlain was one of the first companies to sell makeup in the UK. Celebrate with their Rouge G Lipstick in Gilda using the compact mirror to perfect your cuspids bow in public.

Whilst I love my kindle every so often I feel the need to grab an old fashioned classic in hardback. Penguin hardbacks of classics satisfy that need whilst being beautiful enough to display on your shelves. Grab yourself one of F. Scott Fitzgerald's other works in Art Deco bindings to imerse yourself in the roaring twenties, my pick is the Beautiful and the Damned.

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