Nostalgia Overload – Bendy & Cheese (Wimpy Bar) By @Cinabar

I haven’t been to Shrewsbury for a day trip in years, so it was absolutely lovely to visit over the weekend. We’d planned to head home for dinner, but while wandering around the shops, a familiar red logo caught my eye. We walked over to double-check, and sure enough, it really was an actual Wimpy Bar. Oh my word. The one in my city closed in the 1990s, and I was heartbroken when it did. It was a favourite childhood treat spot.

As we got to the door, I was still only peeking in, curious to see if my childhood favourite was still on the menu. Then I heard the nostalgic 1980s music playing, and the sound of the Ghostbusters theme sealed the deal, we were going in. We sat in a cosy booth, and there it was on the first page of the menu: Bendy & Cheese. It’s a sausage, bent to fit in a bun and treated like a burger, and I had to order it just for the memories. I love that Wimpy still offers table service.

The food arrived quickly. We both had chips and a soft drink to make it a full meal. I opened the bun and grinned, the Bendy & Cheese looked exactly like I remembered.

 

One bite and I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. It had that classic frankfurter taste but was chunkier and firmer. The cheese, ketchup and tomato balanced it all perfectly. I couldn’t stop smiling while eating it. The chips were great too: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

The dessert menu was new to me, I can’t remember what I used to have as a kid. I went for churros, as that’s always a favourite. They arrived in a fab-looking glass, more like an ice cream sundae. There were churros, ice cream and chocolate sauce, a sweet and indulgent treat.

We left full and impressed with the speed of service and the quality of the food. This place will definitely become a regular haunt. I can’t wait to go back.

British Pie Week Big Cheese Stack - Pieminister [@NLi10]

 We were in Leeds for the weekend - and it was British Pie Week - so we went out for pies!

Look at this glorious creation - but what is it?

It's the Big Cheese Stack!

They list it as "Big Cheese is a gloriously gooey combination of vintage Cheddar, potato, leek, Emmental and a splash of cider for good measure. This one’s for the true cheese lovers, oozing with rich, melty goodness in every bite."

(pic from the Pieminister website)

And here it comes with extras too - 

🥔 Mozzarella & Cheddar mash (for those cheese pulls obvs)

🥧 The Big Cheese pie

🧀 A halloumi, gherkin, pickled onion, and jalapeño skewer

🔥 Sprinkled with none other than a crispy onion and cheesy Wotsits® crumb!

🤯 Drown the whole thing in BRANSTON PICKLE GRAVY. We know it sounds bonkers, but trust us, it works 🤤

Don’t wait around to try this cheesy masterpiece, as it’s only available from 3-9 March, and after that it’ll be gone! So, make sure you get in and try it while you can 🏃

Why am I cutting and pasting so much?  Well I didn't eat it because I hate cheese.

I had the Filo Harissa Chicken, and all the stolen pickles. Yum!

The girls having the pies said that it was great, not too cheesy, and one even finished the Branston Pickle gravy with a spoon!

There has been a suggestion that other meals should be served with cheezy wotsits too...

To make up for the lack of pics here is an American guy in full armour from the Leeds Armoury museum (also worth a visit - less cheesy though)

HoneyBird Cinna-Bun (Hickory’s Smokehouse) By @Cinabar

Let me start this by saying that Hickory’s Smokehouse is one of my favourite restaurants. It is a small chain restaurant, mostly around the Midlands, and its theme is Southern Texan food and style. We go there regularly; Spectre is addicted to the Gumbo (spicy stew), and I love the Hot Dog (classic), but I have tried quite a lot of the menu items. They have a few sweet savoury options, for example, the chicken waffle that is drizzled in maple syrup, that work really well. This dish, though, is one that takes that sweet savoury mix a step further; here we have the HoneyBird Cinna-Bun. Effectively a cinnamon bun, with chicken served in the middle. I also love cinnamon but have sort of avoided this until now. 

When it arrived, it was served with nacho chips and slaw. The HoneyBird Cinna-Bun looked super dangerous to try and eat; there was icing and honey glaze on the top. I picked at the nachos before I decided to try to eat with a knife and fork!

I gave it a try and have to say I did like the flavours. I love sweet cinnamon, and it was good with the chicken; the red onions inside were definitely there to bring balance, and that helped. 

If I’m honest, even as a cinnamon lover, I think they force this to work, and it makes it a decent meal. However, in my heart of hearts, the maple syrup chicken waffle is by far the superior sweet savoury dish on the menu. If you are going for the first time, I still heartily recommend the Hot Dog, and apparently the Gumbo is also absolutely amazing. 

Sky By The Water - Resorts World, Birmingham [@NLi10]

 We don't go out to fancy restaurants very often, but for a surprise 40th we were invited to Sky By The Water, which is on top of Resorts World Birmingham.  This is basically a restaurant on top of a hotel, and beneath that is a shopping centre and cinema.  It's also next door to where they now hold Birmingham Games Expo (and the airport) so I know it well!

I started with the Chorizo Scotch Egg - which was pretty deluxe and warm and crispy - for £8 it was about right.  The textures were great, the flavours a little muted for my tastes, but overall glad I chose this.

Next up was the Lemon Chicken Risotto, which was quite a filling main.  The veggies were balanced and well cooked (and you could order a side of extras if required) and the chicken was tender and did have the lemon flavour.  The risotto could have had a touch more bite for me, but was very enjoyable and I almost couldn't finish.  Almost.

By this point the sun was setting and the smaller groups in the extension could see the view.  Larger parties are more in the main area though so we had to look at the view at the end - but over the water in question it was a little too dark to see.

Having had the Crème Brulé last time I went out (generous portions!) I opted for the fruity crumble.

The topping was very light which was appreciated, and the custard was lovely and strong.

Overall this was very fruity and well worth hanging around for.  A fantastic three course meal for just under £40 (didn't have alcohol).

After dinner you can hang out in the secret garden in these little pods, but there isn't a view as they have put up partitions - so we went to the casino for a few hours and we didn't loose too much.

Izaak Walton - Largemouth Bass Beer (Moddershall Oaks @ModdershallOaks) By @SpectreUK

Moddershall Oaks is a spa hotel just outside of Stafford in the UK. We've been there once before, and decided to spend another night there earlier this week. It's a really good place to relax and indulge. There was an Indian Head Massage in with the deal for the overnight stay.

We used to go to another spa hotel nearby, but it's prices went up, and you couldn't go into the spa area until the next day after staying the first night. As soon as we get to a place, we prefer to go straight into the spa area to relax, rather than have dinner and wait for the next day.

For dinner I decided to have what I had the first time I went to Moddershall Oaks a couple of months ago. I know that's not very adventurous, but fillet steak and chips, with sticky toffee pudding for afters is a big favourite of mine, especially as it was the best sticky toffee pudding I've ever tasted, and the main meal was gorgeous too.

To wash my meal down I decided to have this Largemouth Bass. At 3.9% in volume it was brewed by the Izaak Walton Brewhouse. Golden straw coloured, this ale was brewed with Marris Otter malt and Fuggles hops. It was described on the bottle as having a "distinctive and assertive character, with a fruity finish".

Spicy food and burgers were suggested to eat with this ale. I reckoned my steak and blue cheese sauce wasn't too far away from a burger, so I tucked in and then went for a swig. On first taste I found there was the sweetness of the malts to start with, followed by quite a crisp bite from the herbal hops, and a biscuity fruity finish. This Largemouth Bass went perfectly with my meal. We really enjoyed our relaxing stay at Moddershall Oaks, and look forward to going again for my birthday in July.

 

Christmas Meal - Hickory’s Smokehouse (Restaurant Review) by @Cinabar

Well, I have had my first Christmas meal out, and it was American style. We went to Hickory’s Smokehouse, which is a chain that brings the flavours of the American South to the UK. There aren’t that many branches of Hickory's in the UK, but the list does seem to be growing every time I look.

They have recently launched their Christmas items, and I thought I’d try them out. Spectre had Gumbo, a spicy winter casserole with chicken and sausage, but for me, I wanted the limited edition Christmas goodies. For my main course, I went for the turkey burger, but this has an American Christmas twist. Firstly, we have the turkey burger in buttermilk; on top of this is a sausage patty, cranberry relish, and, a little bit bizarrely, American cheese. This is served with chips, gravy, and coleslaw.

When the meal arrived, I soon noticed that the burger was huge! There was even a pig in blanket on top, all held together by a wooden skewer (plus a piece of holly to ensure I knew I’d ordered the Christmas special). I loved the flavours in the burger; there was a nice taste of stuffing, which I hadn’t been expecting but appeared as an extra layer. The cranberry added a touch of sweetness, and the whole thing was a delight to eat. I’m still not sure about the slice of American cheese, but I can’t say it was bad. I also wasn’t sure where to pour the gravy; if I added it to the burger, there would be no way of eating it without cutlery, so instead I used it as a tasty dip for the chips. It was a gorgeously sweet gravy with a hint of bourbon and a lovely sauce.

Despite being full, for some reason, when the friendly waitress asked us if we wanted to see the dessert menu, I answered yes. When you are out, you are out. There was a Christmas special, a mince pie ice cream fro-co (frozen-custard); this seemed the obvious choice to go with the turkey burger, and an ice cream is light, right? When it arrived, there was a huge jar packed full of ice cream and layered with Christmas mince, topped, of course, with a piece of holly to ensure we knew it was part of the Christmas specials. In case there wasn't enough ice cream, there was a small mince pie on the side.

I have a healthy appetite, but I was struggling to finish all this gorgeous food. The ice cream was lovely and creamy, and a nice contrast to the zingy, fruity Christmas mince. It was good, but there was just so much of it. The mince pie on the side was a mini one with fairly thick pastry; I managed to eat it but felt like I needed a good long nap afterwards, much like Christmas day. In conclusion, I am loving the Christmas items at Hickory's, but just need to remember these are American portions, so make sure you leave room!

Birmingham Museum Edwardian Tearoom Is Back! @NLi10

 I happened to be in town on a weekday at lunch time for my driving theory test ( I passed, go me) so I treated myself to lunch at the Museum.  It's been closed for most of the pandemic for obvious reasons but they've chosen to open one of the buildings while they continue replacing all the electrics - and fortunately for us it's the one with the cafe.

I say cafe - it's a lot more like a restaurant that tolerates you just buying tea and a sandwich.  Here we can see I had the special - some pork piled up high on veggies and smothered in tasty gravy.  Honestly it's a treat to get to eat here.  It's not the cheapest but it's certainly good value for money (I even get money off for being a member of the museum)

I also got to have a lovely pot of tea for one - three cups with some to spare - to give me a kick to survive town itself.  It's a lovely space and really tranquil.

I also stumbled into the exhibition on Birmingham's Cinematic History - Wonderland which had opened that morning. This is great because we love our little indy cinemas. 

And afterwards I got to cash in my reward points from Happy Lemon for some freshly brewed lemon tea.  Result!

Carluccio's Birmingham Pizzas -but- in a supermarket! @NLi10

Carluccio's is a Birmingham institution, a restaurant so good that it's whole area is now one of the hot places to go for food.  We used to go in the early 2000s as grubby post students and marvel at the depth of the menu and the flavours.  Nowadays I'd choose Del Villagio every time, but then that's more my kind of Italy - but if you want to take someone out and wow them we have Carluccio's.

I mean  - look at that luxury Pizza!

And now Sainsbury's have a Carluccio's section.

I was confused at first - would this be a name only thing where they just slapped a brand on something they already had?  It seems not, as there were a wide range of fresh options.  Unfortunately due to a holiday coming up (which I'm now back from - review time is odd compared to real time) I couldn't pick up much so we chose a pizza each.

Made in the UK and name-checking Birmingham. It seems its a whole range called Carluccio's At Home and I'm mainly putting this link here for my own benefit later.

Raw Pizza looks better than in most restaurants - it's £4.50 for this and £3 for the frozen Chicago Town ones I get from the shop on my road.  Those are decent pizzas to but this is art.

Still soft on the bottom, but the cheese has bubbled so it's done.

Terrible picture here of me holding a slice over the pizza, but I wanted to eat it.  Rich, deep flavours and all the bites were unique.  

Now I'm older and can afford the finer things more often I'll have to go back to Temple Row and visit Carluccio's at their home instead of mine. Until then - this will certainly do.

Local Eateries - Tropea & Mount Nemrut (@NLi10)

 

A little bit different today - I do have new products in the house to review - the only problem is I haven't eaten them yet! So ...  Here are some lovely local places I've eaten this week.

First up is Tropea in Harborne - a place we didn't even consider for a while as it's branding and front look much more like a tanning place than an Italian Cafe!

I had a late Italian breakfast - exciting sausage and eggs.  The bread was luxury too.  Took a while to arrive - I don't think they anticipated quite as many people!

I'm not sure what the egg mix was but it tasted great, and the sausages were meaty enough for twice their size.  The flavours were fresh and exciting, and as the menu looks to change frequently it's an easy excuse to pop back again.  I got a Cannelloni for take-out but I think they made it fresh and it didn't survive the trip home...

We also went to Mount Nemrut in Bearwood with work people the week before.  I had my usual Sarma Chicken (which I really should have learned the name of by now) which is kebabs, wrapped in flatbread with lovely sauces too.  I could have this every time and not get bored - but because there were a group of us I got to steal other meaty dishes too as a swap.  Fun times.

I also had a couple of the cocktails too - long island iced tea as their signature mix wasn't available.

I feel a little safer eating out at the moment as the restaurants have good procedures in place, but with cases still high its a risky treat still.

Hickory’s Pale Ale (Hickory’s Smokehouse @Hickorys_) By @SpectreUK

My mom has her Birthday just before mine. We decided to have a meal out at the Hickory's Smokehouse in Wallheath, near Birmingham. After being seated and reading the extensive menu, I decided on the Black and Blue Butt Steak, whilst trying not to think too much regarding the 'butt' part of my meal. Sirloin steak in the UK is called Butt steak in America, so it should be okay.

 

I ordered the Hickory's Pale Ale to wash down my steak, Stilton cheese, bacon and maple syrup meal, with chips. There was a citrus hoppy aroma from my pint when it arrived at the table. Deep caramel brown in colour my pale ale was 5% in volume.

There was an initial smooth sweetness from the caramel malt followed by pale malt, and then citrus hops, which were crisp and bitter, and then a light kiss of herbal hops. The sweet caramel malts and pale malt mixed with the bitter hops and washed around my mouth into the aftertaste.

This was a lovely beer, which went well with my huge thick paprika spiced and Stilton cheese covered steak. I had Alabama Fudge Cake to finish off my meal just to max out the calories after my light lunch, for a super chocolaty, super tasty, super lovely Birthday meal.

Goose Island IPA and The Welcombe Hotel Stratford-Upon-Avon (@BestWesternGB) By @SpectreUK

We haven't been away on holiday since September 2018. What with my knee recovery after the operation, which was soon after that date, and the pandemic, there just hasn't been opportunity to do so. My Birthday is coming up and every spa hotel seemed to be fully booked. Cinabar tried Secret Escapes and found the Welcombe Hotel, in Stratford, and she booked a two night stay.

 

We had a lovely couple of spa days, and the staff were very welcoming and attentive. On the first night we sat down for a restaurant meal in a classical room in the mansion house. There was a beautiful view outside.

We had a crab and spinach tart to start with, then I had a sirloin steak for my main meal. The food was excellent and the portions were rather filling. I washed my meal down with a Goose Island India Pale Ale.

Goose Island IPA is a six-time medal winner at the Great American Beer Festival. Dry-hopped with Cascade hops, as well as using Pilgrim, Celeia, and Centenniel hops in the brewing. My 5.9% in volume Goose Island IPA had a pleasing herbal and citrus hoppy aroma.

On trying my pint the herbal hops come to the fore first, which were bitter and crisp, with sweet pale malts to follow with a little hops into the aftertaste. Mmm… lovely with my steak meal. I had Cheese and biscuits with a Cockburn port for dessert. I liked this meal so much, I had it both nights.

The full English Breakfasts in the mornings were enough to fill me for breakfast and lunch too. We had a wonderful relaxing couple of days, and we're looking forwards to a return trip there soon.

Eat Out - but actually outside - To Help Out - UK Restaurants are BACK (@NLi10)

Well the sun is out - so lets go to visit our favourite restaurants. But wait - we are still in Covid precautions - how is this possible?

We are outside on the street!

Despite the lovely cocktails it's actually quite cold - it's April in England (Lichfield) so wear a coat.

The food we chose was Ma Ma Thai, and I had the Pad Thai Moo and my partner had the Masaman Tofu Curry.  Both as amazing as usual, but particulalry sweet as our first proper meal out together in maybe 18 months!

And then I got to go and sit in my parents lovely garden and drink tea and eat cake!

These are the rewards we get for staying safe and distant and getting vaccinated.