Sunday Afternoon Quickie: Wreckfish, Liverpool

Wreckfish in Liverpool opened a few weeks ago.  I was already a fan of Gary Usher’s other three restaurants Hispi, Burnt Truffle and Sticky Walnut, so I made sure to book in quick at Wreckfish.

What these restaurants do well is high end, interesting food at really affordable prices in simple, attractive contemporary venues.

Wreckfish is in a lovely old building in the centre of Liverpool, inside there’s lots of exposed brick and it has a cool industrial feel.  It’s really classy.

I went for crispy lamb’s tongue with pear puree and roasted peanuts for starter, and I attempted to balance out my meat consumption by having a vegetarian main of roasted turnip cakes and I finished with a dark chocolate and blackberry mousse for pudding.

The crispy lamb’s tongue was spot on, deliciously cooked and I loved the peanuts and puree that went with it.

I was less keen on the turnip cakes.  It was a bit of a non dish, nothing wrong with it, but it was just a bit bland and more like a side dish.  To the restaurant’s credit, they were very eager to hear our thoughts on the food and relayed back to the chef that I was disappointed with my main.

Jamie’s main, which was a roast beef dinner, was absolutely glorious though (see feature photo).  I got very involved in helping him eat his dinner having lost interest in mine.  I can honestly say it’s one of the best roasts I’ve ever eaten.

And I ended on a high as I was very pleased with my dark chocolate and blackberry mousse – just a very fresh and tasty pud!

All in all, I think it’s a brilliant restaurant, the staff were lovely, and the food (bar the turnip cake) was exceptional and great value for money.

wreckfish Crispy lambs tongue 
Crispy lambs tongue
wreckfish Turnip cake
Turnip cake
wreckfish Dark chocolate and blackberry mousse
Dark chocolate and blackberry mousse

Sunday Afternoon Quickie: The White Hart, Saddleworth

I’ve been hearing rave reviews about the White Hart in Saddleworth for a couple of years now, and have been meaning to for a long time.

The fact that they sell excellent food and are located in the beautiful Saddleworth countryside were two strong incentives for me.  And finally this weekend I got my a**e in gear and booked a table.

Both Jamie and I were in a bit of a sorry, lethargic state today (a super busy week knocked us out!), so we weren’t wildly energetic when we rocked up at the White Hart.

However we very quickly perked up on arrival which is the mark of a good restaurant for me – if it can transport your mood they are doing something right.

I was impressed instantly with the attentive service and started greedily noting the delicious looking food on other customers plates!

Jamie and I unfortunately and unusually didn’t have the appetite for a full Sunday roast, so we opted for open sandwiches.

For me:  rump steak sandwich, mustard mayonnaise, caramelised onions, fried hens egg

For Jamie: chargrilled free range chicken, dry cured smoked bacon, mayonnaise, basil, mango

And a portion of duck fat fries to share.

And we were delighted with our meal! Both sandwiches were beautifully presented on chic white plates with a little rim.

You can go to a pub and order a really lovely sandwich, but these were sandwiches taken to another level, using the finest ingredients and brilliantly executed.  So simple but so good.  My egg yolk was just the right gooeyness, and the salad leaves were perfectly crisp and fresh, the duck fat chips were crunchy and light, the mango sauce with chicken was lovely and tart.  We were very happy customers.

And the absolute mark of success was that we were very quickly planning a return visit to enjoy the full roast, which judging by the other diners plate was an absolute feast!

white hart rump steak sandwich, mustard mayonnaise, caramelised onions, fried hens egg
Rump steak sandwich, mustard mayonnaise, caramelised onions, fried hens egg
White Hart The chargrilled free range chicken, dry cured smoked bacon, mayonnaise, basil, mango put a big smile on Jamie's tired face!
The chargrilled free range chicken, dry cured smoked bacon, mayonnaise, basil, mango put a big smile on Jamie’s tired face!

Sunday Afternoon Quickie: Hanging Gate, Sutton

After a busy, knackering week I fancied a really peaceful, calming Sunday, which is why we chose to go to Hanging Gate in the hills near Macclesfield.  The scenery is stunning and the views from the pub are tremendous.  And I’d heard very good things about the food.

Hanging Gate 4
Stunning views of the hills

Sunday lunch absolutely lived up to expectation – I ordered haddock with new potatoes and Jamie went for a roast dinner of aged rib of beef.  Both dishes were excellent, fresh tasting and just very good quality.

Hanging Gate 2
Baked haddock and new potatoes
Hanging Gate 3
Aged rib of beef

But it was the pudding that really got me! A blueberry, lemon and white chocolate rice pudding with honeycomb.  Jamie and I regrettably ordered to share.  When it arrived I wanted it all. It basically tasted like rice pudding and lemon curd – tart, warm and comforting with the honeycomb adding crunch and excitement.

Hanging Gate 1
Blueberry Rice Pudding

I’m definitely coming back to the Hanging Gate in Spring for an evening meal – I can’t wait to see the sunset from their terrace.  Everything about our experience today was top notch – the staff were lovely, the food was great and you can’t beat those views.

A Sunday Afternoon Quickie: Burnt Truffle

This is going to be a ‘quickie’ write up as Jamie and I are feeling coldy rather than amorous! I’m not feeling at my most effusive, but I wanted to share what a great lunch we had over at Burnt Truffle in Heswall, the Wirral.

Burnt Truffle is part of a sister chain – it started with Sticky Walnut in Hoole in 2011, Burnt Truffle itself opened in summer last year ago and the Hispi recently opened in Didsbury.

Burnt Truffle is small, understated, unpretentious and just classy.  On offer today (sunday) was a two course menu for £18 or three courses for £22. For food so posh, that’s a bargain. We debated on how many and which courses to go for, and as the puddings looked especially tempting we went for main and pud.

I was delighted with my main – caramelised cauliflower and couscous, spiced shallot bhaji, manchego cheese and toasted almonds.  It was beautifully presented and just a really unusual and winning combination of ingredients – the highlight being the gorgeous bhaji which was sprinkled artfully over the plate.

burnt truffle 1
Caramelised cauliflower and couscous, spiced shallot bhaji, manchego cheese and toasted almonds

Jamie ordered chargrilled pork collar, caramelised pineapple, herb pearl barley, squash puree and hazelnuts and his dish was as impressive in flavour and appearance to mine.  The pork was juicy and tender, the pineapple a lovely sharp contrast to the meat, with the pearl barley as a nice earthy background.

burnt truffle 2
Chargrilled pork collar, caramelised pineapple, herb pearl barley, squash puree and hazelnuts

And then my favourite bit! Pudding time.  I went for the obvious girly choice – hot chocolate pudding, popcorn ice-cream and toasted almonds. In honesty although it was really tasty, it was a bit too predictible in it’s flavours for me – it wasn’t much different to me eating Ben and Jerry’s chocolate brownie ice-cream at home – blunt and unsurprising in it’s chocolatey sweetness.  I need to pick my puddings better in future!

Burnt Truffle 3
Hot chocolate pudding, popcorn ice-cream and toasted almonds

Jamie’s dessert was far more unusual – tonka bean custard, fromage blanc, dark chocolate and hazelnuts. A good combination of different textures and flavours with the bitterness of the chocolate and the crunchiness of the nuts providing added interest.

Burnt Truffle
Tonka bean custard, fromage blanc, dark chocolate and hazelnuts

We both really enjoyed our sunday lunch at Burnt Truffle – it’s great value for money as the food is high end, super tasty and beautifully executed.  The atmosphere is very relaxed, the staff were all really pleasant and attentive and it’s just a cosy little place.  It’s in a lovely part of the Wirral too and if we’d been feeling a little better we would have headed down to nearby West Kirby for a wander on the beach.

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