Rosylee Tea Rooms, Manchester

I remember hearing good things about Rosylee Tearooms in the Northern Quarter but I had never looked into it until Mr Nom randomly suggested it.  I wish I knew about them earlier because it was such a relaxed place for a bite to eat on a chilled Sunday afternoon.

I started off the meal with a hot chocolate, not my usual choice of beverage but I needed warming up; it shocked Mr Nom and he went for his usual glass of wine.  We decided on the Sunday lunch menu, which was good value for money, with 2 courses for £15.95 and 3 courses for £18.95. 

For starters we had crispy goat’s cheese bonbons which were delightful balls of joy and it married well with the beetroot.  Minted lamb Ballantine was tasty with freshness coming from the strips of cucumber and the roasted tomatoes.  Like refined lamb koftas!

Mr Nom’s roast looked extremely delicious. I was envious of the perfectly cooked medium rare beef; all the trimmings were wonderful and the Yorkshire pudding looked very inviting. He kept asking me whether I wanted any to be polite but secretly he wanted it all for himself as shown by the speed he gobbled it up. 

Breaking from the norm I ordered the chicken dish from the main which I usually never do. Chicken breast with a rich mushroom sauce, buttered kale and crispy potatoes. It was so filling I had Mr Nom finish off the dish for me but it did not stop me from ordering dessert as the Zara rose crème brulee caught my eye from the beginning. 

I love rose so what a fantastic combination of them both to create a moreish dessert. The shortbread was a lovely addition to the brulee but I was so full by then to finish off a little biscuit. 

Mr Nom’s apple and rhubarb crumble was lovely and a classic dessert, it was dainty and I could smell the vanilla as he was pouring on lashings of the custard. Personally I didn’t think it needed the clotted cream on the side as the custard was more than adequate.

I would definitely return for more nibbles, cakes and cocktails. Although if you are hungry there is a slight wait between each course, but the wait is definitely worth it because each course delivered. A nice surprise for a spontaneous Sunday lunch.

Hanover Street Social, Liverpool

Over the years I’ve walked past Hanover Street Social countless times.  Always getting it mixed up with the much more in your face frontage of The Hub having not been to any of them.  It is easy to miss Hanover Street Social with its low profile black signage when you have the bright Bem Brazil and Bistro Jacques across the road.  I recently noticed that the restaurant is listed in the 2013 editions of the Michelin Guide and Good Food Guide so with no other ideas on one random Sunday we decided to give it a try.

The restaurant was larger than I imagined and the unassuming entrance masks how big it is inside.  The Sunday lunch menu is served on Sundays with a set choice of 2 or 3 courses for a modest £12.95 or £16.95.  We settled for 2 courses and skipped the starters in anticipation of a mammoth roast.  The roast choices were leg of lamb, sirloin of beef or pork belly.  My first choice was lamb but they had sold out so I settled on the pork belly.

My pork belly came with roast potatoes, apple sauce and gravy.  My dining partner opted for the beef and requested it pink but it came just a little overdone, the beef came with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and gravy.  Accompanying the roasts was a small medley of carrots, green beans and cauliflower.  At first I thought we would get one each due to the size but it was to share.  We noticed a lone diner with a veg portion nearly the same size as ours.  The pork belly was divine with the apple sauce although the roasties could have been more crispy as they were a tad hard but fluffy on the inside.  The veg was handy to mop up the gravy and to fulfil some of my 5 a day quota.

Having skipped the starter I had my eye on the chocolate brownie with raspberry ripple ice cream and it did not disappoint.  It was warm and satisfyingly indulgent that went down very well.  On the other side of the table the mango and passion fruit Eton mess would be better described as a sundae.  Overall I enjoyed the lunch and would be tempted to try the full menu next time.

Grenache, Walkden

Having seen rave reviews and good feedback on Grenache via various social media sites and blogs we decided to visit Grenache last Sunday for lunch.  After a warm welcome and orders taken I was excited to be presented with our amuse bouche of Pimms jelly with mint & cucumber ice.   I had seen Chef Mike Jennings upload a photo of this on Twitter so seeing the creation in front of me made me feel slightly giddy.  I love Pimms and to see it in a jelly form was certainly different. The mint and cucumber ice was really refreshing, a perfect palette cleanser and also a treat in the scorching summer sun.

For starters Mr Nom selected the Grilled fillet of mackerel, pickled beetroot, goats cheese, orange & watercress salad. It was also the restaurant manager Lindseys favourite starter and after the first taste we could understand why. The flavours married together beautifully, a little bit of each element were picked up in every bite.  I ordered the twice baked Lancashire cheese soufflé with ham pickle salad; the mellow soufflé and the flavours with the homemade piccalilli were wonderful and appetising. The tangy piccalilli contrasting with the mild cheese makes the dish come to life.

Roast sirloin beef & all the trimmings was definitely a generous portion but it what you expect for a Sunday lunch! The huge plate overwhelmed me slightly but the sight of the giant Yorkshire pudding and the succulent roast beef cooked just right slightly pink made me wish I ordered that instead. The only thing I would comment on was that the roast potatoes were slightly too crispy for my liking.  Mr Nom seemed to enjoy it however and demolished the large serving.

My choice of slow cooked belly pork, pressed apple, glazed cheek, smoked mash & cabbage did not disappoint either. The dish was exquisite and to top it off, there was an unadvertised scallop on top of the pork belly which was beautifully presented.   Scallops are one of my favourite foods so the extra addition was a bonus! The belly pork was delicious but it was slightly dry on one side but it did not stop me from clearing my plate.

We both agreed to share the dessert of dark chocolate fondant with coconut sorbet and mango & mint salsa.  Before that arrived we were presented with mini scones with clotted cream and jam. They were scrumptious, slightly warm and bite sized so a little nibble before our dessert.

Our fondant took about 20 minutes and we expected this as we know how long it takes to prepare and it gave us a welcome break after the mains.  Lindsey informed us that they were not happy with the first fondant as it had split and made another one.  When the fondant arrived it was split on the side, I think they did not want to keep us waiting any longer and whilst it was perfectly edible it could of done with another minute of cooking to firm up more on the outside as it was slightly too gooey.  I was also slightly unsure about the accompanying mango and mint salsa as it added sweetness to the already sweet fondant and sorbet.  If anything I felt the dish needed something sour like passion fruit to cut through the sweetness, although Mr Nom seemed fine with that combination but then again he is like a hoover.

It was evident throughout the meal that most of the customers were regulars and the owner, Huss, was making sure that everyone was enjoying their meal.  When he asked us about the dessert we told him it was slightly under done for our tastes and he told us to let him know in future so they could make amends.  You could tell what it meant to him to ensure that his customers were happy and being a local restaurant in the suburbs, repeat custom is key.

All in all, we have a fantastic time at Grenache! The service was wonderful, really attentive and made us feel welcome. Great food in a relaxed neighbourhood restaurant, without a doubt we will be returning for more food by Mike Jennings and in particular the tasting menu. 

http://www.grenacherestaurant.co.uk/