Night out at Bradford Leisure Exchange

The boyfriend I had in my late teens was obsessed with Pizza Hut and that is where a lot of our dates took place. Deep pan pepperoni pizza, salad bar and free refills. He had it down to a fine art of building cucumber slice and carrot stick walls to fill the salad bowl with as much goodness as he could. He could down down his coke in thirty seconds and so the waitress' always brought us a jug. Oh yes he was a cheap date.
Then in my uni days the Pizza Hut buffet was the ultimate challenge. Just how many slices of pizza could one student consume? Too many! Your food baby hanging heavily over the low slung nineties jeans.
So imagine my surprise when I was invited to a blogging event to try the new Pizza Hut menu and its all grown up - American classics and even super thick and tasty milkshakes. Its a far cry from my previous memories. We were loving the choice of new flavours for the pizza like Philly Cheese Steak and Beef Fajita. I opted for the Heavenly Veg which was topped with goats cheese, black olives, caramelised onions, cherry tomatoes and fresh rocket. It looked like a classier high street pizza chain. We also got sides of hot crisps with melted cheese - an amazing combo that I'd never tried before. All topped off with one of their new milkshakes - that come with extra in a metal container just like true American diners. I opted for the salted caramel and loved the little pieces of honeycomb in it. You need to hit the hut to try some of those bad boys!

Next up was a round of bowling. I don't think I've been bowling in about a decade. You get cute little stickers when you score a strike and once we discovered this we tried even harder - there is a little kid in everyone of us! Sadly I didn't really earn mine - I got a spare but no strikes.

Next up was the part I was most excited about - trying the new dessert menu at Frankie and Bennies. They have gone for American style desserts too - in keeping with their menu and their decor. I loved the cinnamon waffle crunch and the raspberry trifle sundae. The Can't Decider gives you a little bit of everything and would be a great sharer for a couple.

The kid in me was loving the Ice Cream Candy Shop from the kids menu. Its an extra £2.25 on top of the kids menu and I think it would be so exciting for a child and help to retain their attention at the end of a meal when they often get squirmy. It has ice-cream, sauce, popping candy and little glass bottles of sweets. A really interactive and cute dessert.

The evening ended with a film at cineworld. I like this cinema its clean, never too busy and they have security coming into the films to make sure people aren't on their phones or chatting - because nothing worse than having screens glowing out of the corner of your eye or teens chatting during the best part of the film. I'm such an old woman now who actually goes to the cinema to watch the film rather than to fool around with my friends! Haha!

Thanks to the Bradford Leisure Exchange for a night out and to my mum date Robyn!

Foodie Friday: Toast in Ilkley

 

In my family we are all big fans of sour dough bread and so on a recent mummy and baby trip to Ilkley I spotted this cute new cafe and had to pop in to check it out.

I loved the cute little touches with the decor, like the mini Hovis loaf tins and the metal drums to house the loaves for sale.

The menu is fairly limited and is based around toast and the idea of comfort eating - perfect for a chilly November day in Yorkshire. 

It was reasonably priced and would be a perfect place to stop for some homemade cake and a hot drink.

I went for the special of the day - Tomato and carrot (I think?) soup. I should really write these things down. It was tasty, hot and perfect accompanied by home baked sour dough bread lathered in butter. I do feel that they were a bit mean with their portions of bread - but then I do love it so...

I also had a big mug of hot chocolate and that was very welcome on this autumnal day.

There was a raised table and stool at the front of the cafe that was perfect for parking my pram besides. The Baby likes lots of eye contact and smiles and so he enjoyed this very much.

The waitresses made a fuss of him and service was quite good.

They have only been open for a few months, so if you are in the area then pop in for a snack or light lunch.

Plus Ilkley is a very pretty little town and has great charity shops (thrift shops to my American friends) and so you could bag a bargain whilst you're at it. 

       

What is your favourite type of bread? 

Foody Friday: Date night at Pho at Leeds Trinity

So, I am told that three date nights in three months is pretty impressive by my other mummy friends and we are lucky that we have great friends who we trust and who volunteer to babysit.

The lovely people at Pho invited me for a complimentary meal and said I could bring a plus one - which is so much better than flying solo! So date night number three was on the cards.

The mention of Pho always makes us laugh as during our road trip to California a few summers ago we were relying heavily on a guide book to find good places to stay and eat.

Upon arriving in Orange County we wanted to visit a place called 'What the Pho' and so we pounded the pavements in search of it. We asked several people who said that they had never heard of it. One shop owner even let us come in and check up on their internet. Turns out it didn't exist. The perils of a three year out of date guidebook. And half an hour we'd never get back.

So finally two years and a baby on and we got our Pho.

Only we didn't technically get any Pho...just a whole lot of starters and juice.

I am not a big seafood fan so I found some of the dishes a bit flavourless, especially the Goi Cuon (summer rolls ) however The Belgian loved the Goi Cuon Tom - a summer roll with prawn filling instead. The chilli dipping sauces did add some spice and interest to the dish.

The Cha Gio Chay (fried veggie spring rolls) were really tasty and I would definitely order them and they even had the carnivores nod of approval. High praise indeed when there was chicken, pork, prawns and squid to choose from.

We all loved the Nem Nuong (grilled pork and lemongrass meatballs) and were advised to wrap them in the lettuce leaves they were served in and then dip in the plum sauce. Very juicy and packed full of flavour.

The Muc Chien giong (tender fried baby squid with salt, pepper and lime dip) was very popular on our table and were soon just an empty platter.

The fresh juices were a real treat too and I got to try every flavour. Certainly got my five-a-day! I would recommend apple, mint and lime as it was refreshing and zingy, but the carrot, apple and ginger was warming and festive too.

  

We finished off our night with an oreo shake at TGI's as we were under strict orders by our babsitter to make the most of our baby free night. And so we did...and boy did we need it! 

Foodie Friday: Wahaca South Bank, London

I'm a big fan of Mexican food and I love street food where you can have a little try of everything and share dishes. So during the summer my sister took me to Wahaca on the South Bank and I loved it.
Here is a pictoral summary of our experience:

All of their food is seriously tasty and 'moorish.' I would highly recommend going here with a big group and sharing lots of little dishes - it's the way forward. For London it is very reasonably priced and the service was friendly. 
The Belgian was very taken with the decor and spent weeks researching how to build a home from shipping containers. It is very on trend and the hot pink and turquoise is a striking combination. 
Bear in mind we had the summer menu - details of the winter menu's available here.
Plus I got the owner, Tomasina Miers', recipe book for my birthday and highly recommend making the broad bean, feta and mint quesadillas...the flavours are magical together. Plus there are some great recipes on her blog.
I only wish that she would open some restaurants in the North as the Mexican's round here need a bit of livening up.

Foodie Friday: Katie and Kim's Kitchen at Trinity Kitchen Leeds

So as I mentioned yesterday I had been invited to the press launch of the new Trinity Kitchens and so it is only fitting that I drip feed you some of the treats they have in store for all you Northern foodie fans.
Firstly though, it seems that taking your baby to a press launch is not the done thing, who knew? As I weaved my bright green pram between clusters of champagne quaffing media moguls - I couldn't help but notice the sidelong glances and raised eyebrows and it reminded me of this moment in Sweet Home Alabama (excuse the poor quality)...

Except it wasn't a bar.
It was just an upmarket version of a food court. In a shopping centre. So get over yourselves.
So maybe I I wasn't offered the goodie bag that everyone else was clutching smugly and the snobby waiters and waitresses with trays full of yummy samples seemed to sweep by me before I could grab a tiny morsel. But you know I'm over it - can't you tell? Ha!
I had heard that the world discriminated against 'housewives' but this was my first time discovering this. Apparently I am a lot less interesting now that I have a baby. Here is what Ellis thought to the outing (along with some other snaps)...

 I do have to put out a disclaimer and say that the guy from The Chicago Rib Shack (on the left) was super friendly and chatted with me for ages. He seemed really passionate about their food and the future for their company. In the words of Arnie I'll be back...

Some of the 'stalls' are actually permanent restaurants such as Pho Vietnamese Cafe, Pizza Luxe (does what it says on the tin but incidentally some of the tastiest samples), Tortilla Mexican outlet selling burritos and the like, Chicago Rib Shak selling ribs smothered in BBQ sauce and thick and creamy milkshakes, Chip & Fish offering a posh take on the British favourite and Note offering hot drinks and cake.

However I was more interested in trying one of the specially shipped in food trucks - which are going to change on a monthly basis. They all looked quite exciting but I opted for Katie and Kim's Kitchen as I fancied something healthier and the soup sounded like just the thing for my winter sniffles. They were the winner of the British Street Food Awards and so I was expecting big things.
And boy did their spicy carrot and toasted coconut soup deliver. It had great texture and many levels of different flavours which worked so well together. The real star of the show was the melt in the mouth homemade scone lavished in butter which you could dip in your soup or just enjoy on its own - I mixed it up and did a bit of both.

I was so proud at how well behaved my precious little boy was all morning. His favourite part of the journey by far was getting to ride on the train for the first time. Whilst we were waiting in the train station his little head was just looking for left to right taking it all in. So many lights. So many people. So many lights... 

What is your opinion on street food? Is it the future? What is your favourite type of cuisine?  

Foodie Friday: Date night ideas

So a friend was going for lunch with her husband yesterday and asked me for some recommendations, so I thought that I would share five places we like to grab lunch or go on a date (with or without baby in two - mostly the first option these days!) :-

1) Red's diner (full review see here). For thick shakes, skin on fries, huge plates of delicious BBQ style food than this is a great place for brunch, lunch or dinner with that special someone. 

2) Sunshine Bakery, Chapel Allterton (see full review here). If you want a menu that is freshly baked, changing daily and has really delicious flavour combinations than this is the place for you. The sandwiches below were on pumpkin bread and it was so tasty. They do the biggest selection of homemade brownies with flavours like mint aero and toblerone and their cupcakes are award winning. Have I sold it to you yet?

3) The Greedy Pig, Leeds City Centre It may look like your average greasy spoon but trust me the food is a cut above. A great place for a fry up, but the also have sandwiches and burgers and daily specials. I had a veggie burger and it came served with loads of fresh dressings and chutney and packed a flavour punch where often veggie burgers are a bit bland. They have delicious freshly baked cakes and desserts too. It is run by a couple Jo and Stu and they will really give you a great Yorkshire welcome. I was heavily pregnant when we ate her and Jo was really accomodating making sure that I sat by the fan and was served a cold drink straight away.

4) The Cheerful Chilli, Otley Chevin. Again quite rustic surroundings but delicious, fresh and healthy vegetarian food with a Mexican twist. They only serve lunch on the weekends and you have to book for the evenings as it is really popular. I love their hoppity pie, spanakopita and their enchiladas. However here it is all about the homemade cakes and homemade ice-cream - so delicious and such a huge variety that you will hover by the deli counter and umm and ahh for quite a while - guaranteed!

5) Everyman Cinema, Leeds Trinity. I have been here twice so far once for mummy cinema (£10 for you and baby and you get a hot drink and slice of cake) to see About Time and the second time on my first child free Saturday date night with The Belgian. It is a bit pricer than your usual cinema, but only by a few pounds and it is totally worth paying that extra few quid for the experience you get here is the Rolls Royce of cinema. You sit on plush, comfy sofas and have lots of cushions to make yourself extra comfortable. There is a bar and pizzeria on sight and so you can have dinner and a movie at the same time. The popcorn, drinks and snacks are probably more reasonably priced than your average multiplex. This will become our regular as when we get a baby free night we want to make it worthwhile.

 

 

So there you go - have a date this weekend with your someone special.

Where do you like to do on date night?