A splendid birthday lunch at Restaurant 22: Cambridge March 2020

Last Saturday I enjoyed an excellent lunch with two friends in celebration of a special birthday. I have been to Restaurant 22 a couple of times before for dinner with Steve and on those occasions I chose the five and seven-course tasting menus so I knew we were in for a treat. Restaurant 22 is located in a beautiful Victorian townhouse on Chesterton Road in Cambridge.   

The stained glass window in the main dining room is an outstanding feature.

As this was a celebration we had a Kir Royal as an aperitif.

Everything about this restaurant is elegant and I particularly admired these bespoke china plates.

We all loved the fantastically tasty house-baked bread and butter.

The Amuse-Bouche was a choux bun filled with smoked bacon, onion, and Spenwood cheese with a Velouté sauce poured at the table. Divine!

We all enjoyed this starter of Cornish hake, swede, lemon, and charcoal.

For my main course, I chose Burnt kohlrabi, duck egg, hazelnut, and shiitake.

One of my friends chose the Creedy Carver duck, duck fat potato, carrot, and Norfolk watercress for her main course.

I almost considered this Pre Dessert of Meyer lemon, almond, and ricotta too pretty to eat!

I chose the Clotted cream, Yorkshire rhubarb, and green tea for my dessert. 

My friends chose the dark chocolate, salted caramel, and peanut dessert.

At the end of our meal, it was a lovely gesture when my friend was given this chocolate for her birthday.

On this occasion, we chose the Set Lunch Menu (3 courses at £32.50 per person) which is excellent value for money as it included the Bread and Butter, an Amuse-Bouche, and a Pre Dessert. The freshness and quality of the food are very evident and the presentation is exceptional for the combination of colour, texture, and design. Chef Sam is a master of fine art on a plate and his dishes certainly have the WOW factor! In fact, my photographs unfortunately don’t do his spectacular and impressive plates full justice. The service is totally professional and attentive but it also manages to be friendly and informal.  This young team has obviously been very well-trained. Restaurant 22 is the perfect place for special occasion dining and I can highly recommend it. I am always happy to send other people here as I feel certain they won’t be disappointed. It’s essential to book well ahead as this is deservedly a popular and busy restaurant. A five-course and seven-course tasting menu were also available at the lunchtime service.

By the way readers, you may be interested to know that this week is the 5th anniversary of the date I started writing my food and travel blog. For those who have followed me on my journey I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you!

22 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 3AX

Tel: 01223 351880

http://www.restaurant22.co.uk

Mercado Central, a fab new Spanish restaurant in Cambridge: February 2020

Mercado Central is located in Green Street, Cambridge

Last week Steve and I thoroughly enjoyed a meal with two friends at a new independent Spanish restaurant called Mercado Central in Cambridge. It opened its doors in December 2019 and I was keen to go as both the menu and the building looked inviting. The restaurant has undergone a splendid makeover and has seating on two floors so I was delighted to find that our table was on the Ground Floor opposite the open kitchen. Watching the chefs cook everything fresh to order reminded me of being at a similar restaurant in Barcelona. It was a mid-week early evening and the place was packed so it’s probably advisable to book as we did. Word has obviously got around that Mercado Central is worth checking out for the quality of the food and its excellent service by largely Spanish staff despite their rather high-end prices. There was a great atmosphere and I loved everything about the decor, which has an authentic contemporary Spanish feel, and impressive attention to detail. It was also a pleasant surprise to find we had large bottles of free sparkling and still filtered water and linen napkins on the table. But things got better still when I found they have my favourite beer on tap!

The fact that Mercado Central served draft Estrella Galicia beer was another plus point for me!

My dining companions chose a bottle of Spanish red wine from Cadiz to share

We started with housemade Sourdough bread 

And Pan de Cristal con Tomate (organic Tomato from Cadiz)

Accompanied by several Sharing Plates like these delicious Croquetas: Jamon Iberico and Arzua Cheese and Spinach

Both were the best plates of croquetas I have ever tasted!

Crispy Squid with Alioli was another Sharing Plate we all enjoyed. Must mention I loved the crockery too!

We then moved onto our main courses which included Seafood Paella, although it was good to see that a couple of Vegetarian Paella dishes were also available.

Steve enjoyed his dish of black rice with Octopus and tempura prawns

Another main course dish we ordered was Rabo de Toro which featured oxtail

I was disappointed in my choice of Seafood Paella as I found the baked rice rather dry, but the waiter removed the cost from the bill.

I also enjoyed a complimentary glass of Sangria

The desserts of Crema Catalana with Rhubarb and Tarta de Santiago with Orange cream looked and tasted good, but I sampled a cheesecake that wasn’t even on the menu and it was truly scrumptious.

We all really enjoyed eating at Mercado Central and it’s a very welcome addition to the Cambridge indie dining scene. What separates this place from the other tapas bars we have in the City is that it’s a contemporary Spanish restaurant offering a full dining experience and I guess that’s why the word tapas isn’t even mentioned in the menu. The Sharing Plates are a generous size and the quality and freshness of the food are very evident. Our bill came to £55 per head including all drinks and service. Different, impressive, friendly and a host of other complimentary adjectives Mercado Central is highly recommended for families, groups and date nights.

Mercado Central

24 Green Street

Cambridge

CB2 3JX

Tel: 01223 502392 

info@mercadocentral.co.uk

Valentine’s Day meal at MJP restaurant, Cambridge Cookery School

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On Valentine’s Day this year, Steve and I enjoyed a six-course tasting menu cooked by Michelin star chef Mark Poynton who has recently taken over the Cambridge Cookery School bistro on Friday and Saturday evenings with his MJP restaurant.  The Cambridge Cookery School was founded in 2008 by chef and food writer Tine Roche. In 2015 the Cambridge Cookery School premises expanded to include a café, restaurant, and wine bar, taking over the former headquarters of Rattee and Kett stonemasons, which was established in 1843 on Purbeck Road, Cambridge. For me, the premises held a special significance as my ex-husband had worked at Rattee and Kett for many years doing restoration work. It occurred to me when we were dining that we were probably sitting in what had probably been his workshop many years ago! The space is now home to a stylish neighbourhood bistro which is minimalist in style.

We started our six-course meal with a glass of fizz on arrival which was included in the Valentine’s Menu.

To start we enjoyed the Wild mushroom and truffle soup, and coffee jelly, which was served with bread and butter.

We felt that the fish course of Grilled plaice, pickled cucumber, brown shrimp and seaweed butter was rather lost when served in this large bowl for such a small portion!

This succulent meat course of Lamb rump, courgette and basil, and Anna potato with lamb jus was our favourite dish on the menu.

The Pink Champagne foam was a delightful palate cleanser!

I loved the dessert of Dark chocolate brownie and mousse, with rhubarb and ginger, which were excellent flavour combinations.

To conclude our meal we shared this selection of British cheese, onion chutney, and biscuits which we felt was rather on the small side of being satisfactory portion-wise.

The cost of the Valentine’s Day menu was £65.00 per person including a glass of fizz. The evening was a sell-out so it was a busy night for the staff, but it did make for a good atmosphere. The food was excellent as I had expected and the service was attentive and professional. My other gripe, (in addition to the portion size mentioned above which we overheard voiced by other diners), was that I arrived very hungry for my meal and we had to wait thirty minutes before the starter arrived. It would have been nice to have had some bread on the table while we were waiting but apart from that Mark Poynton at Cambridge Cookery are an ideal partnership and to be recommended for a fine dining style date night.

Wild mushroom and truffle soup, coffee jelly

For more information on future dining events check out mjprestaurant.com

MJP restaurant can be found at the Cambridge Cookery School, Purbeck Road in Cambridge

A New Year treat at Trinity Restaurant, Cambridge: January 2020

Trinity is located on Trinity Street in Cambridge

Last week Steve and I enjoyed our first date night of the New Year at one of our favourite restaurants. Trinity is an elegant eatery with excellent service and an interesting menu with a good choice of seafood dishes that has never disappointed us, so it’s always a pleasure to return. We started our evening with a glass or two of Cava whilst we perused the enticing menu. Steve chose a pre-starter of Mersea oysters served raw on ice with lemon, Tabasco and pickled shallots. I was happy to tuck into the delicious bread whilst waiting for my starter.

My starter of Seared scallops, butternut squash purée, roast squash, pickled apple, and bacon crumb was perfectly cooked.

Steve enjoyed Steamed mussels, with a Nduja cream sauce for his next course.

Followed by Whole roast sea bream, brown shrimp, caper and raisin butter sauce for his main.

For my main course, I chose Butternut squash risotto, roast pumpkin, toasted almonds, and crispy sage.

And for my dessert, I chose Orange drizzle cake, chocolate crémeux, burnt orange purée, with chocolate soil. The perfect dish for any chocolate orange lovers!

It was no surprise to me that Steve chose the Cheese Board of Boxer, Tipsy Billy, Cashel Blue, Baron Bigod, and Isle of Mull Cheddar cheeses!

Accompanied by a local award-winning craft beer.

It was a very pleasant and relaxing evening and started off our dining adventures of 2020 in fine style. Trinity is highly recommended for food and service, but prices are on the high side so probably more of a special occasion destination for dinner. We paid £126.00 for our meal with drinks, and for once Steve allowed me to treat him!

Seared scallops, butternut squash purée, roast squash, pickled apple, and bacon crumb

You will be walking in the air with The Snowman Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge, Cambridge: January 2020

This week I enjoyed a festive treat at Cafe Rouge in Cambridge to celebrate a friend’s birthday. Available for a limited time only for the Christmas season it was an excellent selection of sweet and savoury treats which we both enjoyed and considered to be good value at £29.95 for two people to share including hot drinks, with refills at no extra cost. I am usually cautious about sampling a themed Afternoon Tea as they rarely live up to the traditional one but having enthused about the Cheese Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge on my previous blog post I felt it was worth a try and I wasn’t disappointed.

The Snowman was served on a three-tiered stand with a bespoke Snowman at Cafe Rouge plate for the sweet treats. 

The top tier included a warm, spiced mixed berry crumble mini dessert, white chocolate mousse, carrot cake, and marshmallow-topped chocolate cheesecake.

On the bottom tier, we started our feast with Cafe Rouge’s delicious Croque Monsieur. There was a choice of  “Festive Croque” with a filling of either turkey or mushroom and spinach. 

The other seasonal addition was a dish of everyone’s favourite “Pigs in blankets” (Pork sausages wrapped in bacon.)

On the second tier, we enjoyed warm fruit scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, with the addition of large Snowman white chocolate buttons.

The Snowman Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge is inspired by the original book and film The Snowman by Raymond Briggs. 

I will be returning to Cafe Rouge on another occasion to sample their new Chocolate Afternoon Tea which is available soon and sounds an irresistible temptation! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A splendid Cheese Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge, Cambridge: October 2019

Last week my daughter and I treated ourselves to a very different Afternoon Tea from the traditional one at Cafe Rouge in Cambridge. We both love cheese so this savoury menu appealed and readers on this occasion we weren’t disappointed. I usually avoid Afternoon Teas which are ‘themed’ in any way because they rarely live up to expectation but Cafe Rouge is onto a winner with their Cheese Afternoon Tea. It tasted as good as it looked and it was excellent value for money at £30 for two people because there was plenty of it. My daughter who is exceptionally hard to please couldn’t find anything to complain about with our meal and the service was prompt and efficient too. In fact, we were both reminded of the reasons why we have always enjoyed eating at this elegant Parisienne style bistro.

We loved the presentation of the Cheese Afternoon Tea which was served in three wooden boxes on a tiered cake stand.

To start we relished the Croque Monsieur with a choice of smoked ham or Portobello mushrooms with baby spinach, goats cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil. Both fillings were yummy!

While it was still warm we moved onto the Baked Camembert, served with crudites and garlic Flatbread

We completed our cheese feast with a selection of French Artisan cheeses served with water biscuits, grapes and baby figs.

To accompany our cheese Afternoon Tea there was a choice of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.

The Cheese Afternoon Tea was a delightful savoury alternative to the usual sweet treats, and Cafe Rouge has got it just right in my opinion. Highly recommended.

Afternoon Tea at Cafe Rouge is available every day from 12pm 5:30pm. I noticed that they also offer a Kids Afternoon Tea at £17.50 for two. I shall certainly be making a return visit.

Cafe Rouge also offers this more traditional sweet Afternoon Tea which I would like to try next time I visit.

Cafe Rouge

24-26 Bridge Street

Cambridge

CB2 1UJ

Tel: 01223 364961

email: Cambridge@caferouge.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Midsummer House, Michelin star dining in Cambridge: August 2019

Midsummer House is a two-star Michelin fine dining restaurant which has a modern, vibrant yet relaxed ambiance and is widely considered one of the finest restaurants in Cambridge and the UK. The cuisine is French Mediterranean and the service is friendly and efficient. Midsummer House celebrated it’s 20 years anniversary in 2018 with chef Daniel Clifford at the helm and was awarded its second Michelin star in 2005. Currently, it’s 21st in the UK on the Good Food Guide list in 2019 and I have wanted to eat here ever since it opened. I was saving Midsummer House for a special occasion so planning well in advance for my 70th birthday celebrations I booked a table for lunch for Steve and myself as a special treat.  Last month my wish came to fruition and I wasn’t disappointed because it was lovely in every way and a splendid introduction to the Midsummer House dining experience.

This lovely view was taken from the adjoining river footbridge. Access to Midsummer House restaurant is by this footbridge or by walking across Midsummer Common. 

Midsummer House is located on the edge of Midsummer Common with its own secluded garden along the banks of the River Cam. 

All the above taster dishes were complimentary appetisers served before the three-course set Lunch

Crispy pork belly, cannelloni of radish and apple, with cider pickled cockles was the first  course on the set Lunch menu

For the second course, we enjoyed stuffed fillet of sea bream, piquillo pepper, courgette and basil purée

We decided to add a cheese course to our lunch so we were offered the choice of four kinds of cheese from a delectable selection

The accompanying biscuits were home-made on-site and scrumptious

Coriander white chocolate dome, coconut and mango, with Jasmine rice for the dessert course

To complete our splendid meal we chose some complimentary Midsummer House hand-made chocolates from a selection

Granny Apples on her big birthday. Lunch at Midsummer House gave me plenty to smile about! 

We chose four kinds of cheese from a delectable selection

For food of this quality, we felt that the price of the set lunch at £50.00 per person was reasonable and the sharing cheese platter was an additional £28. (Note – when booking a reservation a deposit of £50 person is required.) Drinks are expensive but as we were celebrating a special occasion we had champagne to start, beer and sparkling water with the meal and Port with the cheese. It was the extra special little touches like the birthday card for me and chocolates to take away in a customised box which made our lunch at Midsummer House so memorable. A lot of thought and attention to detail clearly goes into every aspect of this ultimate foodie experience with that added dash of theatre to the impeccable but friendly service. 

We enjoyed the lunch so much that we are already planning to return to Midsummer House for our anniversary next year to sample the eight-course taster menu. Better start saving up now!

Midsummer House

Midsummer Common,

Cambridge

CB4 1HA

Reservations: 01223 369299

http://www.midsummerhouse.co.uk

 

Granny Apples knits Twiddle muffs! Easter 2019

When I am not out enjoying myself eating, drinking and reviewing places to recommend on my food and travel blog I am generally kept well occupied with my other hobby which is hand-knitting! I usually knit fashion accessories as gifts for friends but last November I asked the Volunteer Office at my local hospital (Addenbrookes) if they had any knitting projects I could get involved with. I was delighted to hear that they were looking for volunteers to knit Twiddlemuffs for patients suffering from dementia. I wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept as I was aware that a Fidget Blanket is a lap quilt that provides stimulation for the restless hands of someone with Alzheimer’s. Knitted by volunteers, Twiddlemuffs are used in lots of NHS hospitals throughout the UK and given out to dementia patients to take home, so a supply is always needed.

So what is a Twiddlemuff? A Twiddlemuff is a decorated hand muff which in addition to keeping hands warm provides a wonderful source of visual, tactile and sensory stimulation. The muffs are decorated on the outside with haberdashery bits and bobs like buttons, ribbons, sequins, and beads. The exterior of the main body of the muff should ideally be knitted in a variety of textured yarns to give added interest. This is an excellent way to use up any odds and ends of wool, which is what appealed to me about this project.

People with dementia often have restless hands and like to have something to keep their hands occupied so knowing that I am creating something useful for a good cause gives me the feel-good factor! Since I started knitting Twiddlemuffs the word has spread amongst my friends and family and consequently, orders for my muffs have now been sent to other places far and wide (including Denmark). I don’t accept any payment because the muffs don’t cost me anything to make, but I do accept donations of wool and haberdashery which I can use to make and decorate more muffs.

If anyone reading this post is interested in making Twiddlemuffs to donate to their local hospital the best part is, you don’t even need to be a good knitter as they are actually very simple to make and it’s hard to get it wrong as each one can be different. To decorate you can add anything from wool to buttons, beads to zips or ribbons, which most craftspeople already have in their sewing box. Just make sure that all the attachments are sewn on firmly and that the finished muff is machine washable.

How to make a Twiddlemuff

Materials needed:

• A selection of leftover and odd balls of wool (DK or Chunky) 
• Needles: 8mm circular or 6.5mm straight needles

Instructions

Cuff:
Cast on 45 stitches using 2 strands of double knitting wool or 1 strand of chunky wool (one plain colour works best). Work in stocking stitch (knit a row, purl a row)
for 11 inches.

Muff Body:
Continue with stocking stitch, but use up oddments of various textures of wool such as chunky, mohair, ribbon etc until the work measures 23 inches. Top tip: two strands of double knit for two rows each gives a lovely assortment of colours. Cast off.

Finishing:
If working with straight needles, lightly iron the long strip of knitting, then neatly join the sides together using edge to edge stitch along the seam with the finished side on the inside. When completed turn the muff inside out so that the finished side is now on the exterior and push the cuff up inside the muff body. Sew the two ends together, again using a neat edge to edge stitch.

Decoration:
Now you can decorate the outside of the muff in any way you choose with ribbons, beads, flowers, zips, loops, pompoms, buttons, etc. For an added extra you could knit a separate pocket for a favourite photo, a key or a hanky. Be creative, but it is important to ensure that each item is securely attached!

These are just a small selection of the different Twiddlemuffs which I have knitted over the last few months. I have made so many now that I stopped counting after donating 50! They are very quick to make and I find that I can knit a muff in a few hours but the finishing and decorating is more time-consuming. I can only hope that my muffs have given as much pleasure to the recipients as they have given me to make!

Finally, the above Twiddlemuff is my latest creation which I was asked to make for a ten-year-old autistic boy who has restless hands in class and finds it hard to concentrate.

Mothers Day Afternoon Tea at Quy Mill

Once a historic watermill, Quy Mill Hotel and Spa is a secluded haven of peace and tranquillity only a few miles outside Cambridge city centre. My daughter and I celebrated Mothering Sunday a day early this year by taking Afternoon Tea at this lovely location.

The charming rear view of Quy Mill Hotel from the garden

We enjoyed the traditional Afternoon Tea which was served on a three-tiered stand

The sandwiches were freshly made with tasty fillings including smoked salmon, chicken, and curried egg, except the Mozzarella and watercress filling which we found rather bland

The scones were exceptionally good and served warm. We chose fruit and cheese from a selection, served with an excellent rhubarb jam and clotted cream

My daughter loved her warm cheese scone served with butter

The sweet tier consisted of crispy hazelnut and cocoa mousse lollipops, baked passion fruit cheesecake, layered sponge and opera chocolate slice, white cafe cappuccino souffle, praline macaroon, and coconut shortbread biscuit.

The traditional Afternoon Tea was reasonably priced at £18.95 per person and was good value.  For the man in your life, it’s worth noting that a Gentlemen’s Afternoon Tea with a delightful savoury selection is also available at £22 per person.

Minor niggles were that the crockery wasn’t bone china which I always look for when sampling an Afternoon Tea anywhere. The sandwich fillings were an odd twist on the usual selection and the Mozzarella and watercress one was too bland for us. These small criticisms were outweighed by the pleasant and relaxed surroundings, the prompt and friendly service, and the fact that it was altogether an enjoyable experience. Finally, the scones were exceptionally good and the rhubarb jam and baked passion fruit cheesecake were different and delightful additions to the sweet feast.

This is a popular destination so book in advance. Highly recommended.

Quy Mill Hotel and Spa

Church Road
Stow-Cum-Quy 
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB25 9AF
England

 (01223) 293383

http://www.cambridgequymill.co.uk

 

Valentines Day meal at Atithi, Cambridge

The previous week we dined at newly-opened Atithi Indian restaurant and were so impressed with the cuisine that we chose to return for our Valentines Day meal. Atithi offered a seven-course tasting menu with a vegetarian option from £35 per person. On arrival, guests were greeted with a glass of Prosecco which was a lovely welcome.

Atithi Indian restaurant is located on eclectic Mill Road in Cambridge which is a magnet for foodies

A single rose at each table was a nice touch for Valentines Day

To start we enjoyed the Amuse Bouche of Broccoli, honey cumin and ginger. As Steve commented it was incredible how much taste and flavour chef had packed into a small bite!

The second dish was Kale Chaat, which is deep-fried kale, spiced chickpeas, sweetened yoghurt and tamarind chutney. An unusual and delicious mix of taste and textures served cold.

My veggie third course of Beetroot Tikki was my favourite dish of the evening. Deep-fried beetroot, with lentil, ginger and smoked apple raita

Steve enjoyed his third course of Grilled Scallops with peppers and smoked aubergine mash

A refreshing Sorbet for the fourth course

For the fifth course, Steve’s next dish was Malai Tikka, chicken fillets with cream cheese, ginger and mace and my veggie dish of Stuffed Paneer, cottage cheese, pickled dried figs and five Indian spices.

The sixth course was the main dish on the taster menu and Steve relished his Railway Canteen Curry, a Lamb curry finished with classic South Indian spices and potatoes, and my dish of Baigan Bartha and Aloo Zeera – smoked aubergine mash with ginger and turmeric. Both were accompanied by pulao rice, garlic naan and daal.

And to finish this Valentines Day feast what could be nicer than Rose Kulfi with a strawberry dipped in chocolate!

Atithi

52 Mill Road

Cambridge

CB1 2AS

Tel: 01223 662102

http://www.atithi.co.uk