Mary Rowntree Hartlepool

My wife and I both share a love of Hartlepool’s Historic Headland. On a grey day in January, we decided a walk around the old headland would be a good way to stretch our legs and take in the sea. It’s a strange quirky place with some beautiful buildings. We decided on fish and chips (yes again) and having been informed there was a good chipie we made our way in the general direction.

That’s when we stumbled upon an old church, recently renovated; There was a sign outside reading coffee and scones, Curious we stepped inside. The inside of the building was also beautifully restored, but instead of a church there was a stunning two-story restaurant. I read on the wall the new tea room takes its name from Mary Rowntree. Story has it she was a benefactor of the old chapel.

With breakfast still on the menu we tucked into a full English while taking in the view of the north sea.

Believe me when I say I’ve had a few good breakfasts in my time but this was without doubt the best. I think the picture tells a thousand words. Awarding winning sausage, free range eggs, well you can guess the rest. So if you’re planning a trip to Hartlepoo’s Headland-make sure you call into Mary Rowntree’s tea rooms.

York Place, Headland, Hartlepool, TS24 0QR, Hartlepool, England

FOOD 9 SERVICE 8 VALUE 9 REFER 10 Total: 37 SUPERB

This post was brought to you by the original 'goodfoodquest' beware of people who can't come up with an original idea of their own!

Royal Fisheries in Whitby

During half term, we decided on a trip to Whitby. Such a visit always requires a stop off for lunch at the Royal Fisheries. It’s not often I blog about the same establishment twice, in fact this may well be a first! However, the food (fish and chips) is of such a very high standard, I feel it worthy of a second mention.

Royal Fisheries have grown since our last visit, with a much larger dining area now situated alongside the smaller restaurant. Word must be spreading as they were almost full, We did however secure a table and my wife and I opted for the lunch time special of, tea, bread and butter, haddock and chips and yes-mushy peas! The children chose the same but from the children’s menu and I have to say the child portions were very generous.

The service and value for money makes the Royal Fisheries a family favourite. If you prefer, you can always pay more for the same dish elsewhere in town but I strongly recommend you first give this tucked away chippie a run for your money and use the savings for an ice cream on the pier.

Well worth a second visit.

This post was brought to you by the original 'good food quest'

FOOD 9 SERVICE 9 VALUE 9 REFER 10 Total: 37 SUPERB

Mussel Inn Edinburgh

New Year’s Day (eve) in Edinburgh, the family and I were searching for a different culinary experience for our last evening in Scotland’s capital. After musing through countless menus we finally decide on the Mussel Inn Seafood Restaurant. Peering through the window it looked busy and the simple menu caused excitement. The children are always happy to eat the same dish as their parents, so mussels being a family favourite, we opted for a large pot each (with chips). The food was served quickly and without fuss and was of a very good standard. Seated with a view into the kitchen and the pass, it was great to see the cooks at work.

Some of our experiences with children and city restaurants have proved awkward and hurried. Here in the Mussel Inn the opposite proved to be the case, with a friendly service, comfortable family dining and a bill we thought very good value. So if you’re looking for great seafood and you’re in Edinburgh we can recommend the Mussel Inn. This post was brought to you from the ‘original’ good food quest', beware of other sites, which have used our name.

FOOD 8 SERVICE 10 VALUE 9 REFER 10 Total: 37 SUPERB

http://goodfoodquest.com

I’ve just discovered we’ve been cloned, well, copied so to speak. Another blog is now online using the same name. Can’t understand why they would feel the need to copy what we’re doing. I suppose you could see it as flattery, but what’s the point? They must have realised there was already a ‘goodfoodquest’, if that was me I would have looked at using another name. Please be aware that any of their posts having nothing to do with the original ‘goodfoodquest’ I give them zero.

‘Real Meals’ delicatessen in Saltburn

2011 has been a quiet year for the Good Food Quest, our dinning exploits having been curtailed by other financial constraints and work commitments. However, I have a number of new posts to make, the first being ‘Real Meals’ delicatessen in Saltburn on the Cleveland Coast where my wife and youngest son enjoyed a Sunday lunch with a difference.

The deli is in the main high street and as you amble past you realise it looks a little different, the small café has only a few seats, but has the warm welcoming feel that’s rare these days. I think the open door helped.

We shared a huge bowl of mussels cooked in white wine with garlic, onion and severed with homemade bread. The three of us went into one of our food frenzies as we devoured the shellfish in total silence say for our slurps.

The service was polite and very friendly and made our trip to Saltburn all the more enjoyable. I would recommend to anyone and can’t wait to visit again. http://www.realmeals.co.uk/

FOOD 10 SERVICE 10 VALUE 10 REFER 10 TOTAL: 40

Tops the Good Food Quest Table.

Chesters Grove Garden Centre

I usually visit Chesters Grove - Garden Centre in Chester Moor, (on the road to Chester le Street) for my bedding plants, shrubs and fruit bushes. However, I was recently drawn into the coffee shop by the mouth-watering smell of mince and dumplings bubbling on the hot plate. I have a very soft spot for this dish, hence my tight rule of only allowing such indulgence once a year, and that my birthday. This was a day for change, I laughed in the face of numerous calories, I tweaked the nose of indigestion and ran riot with a Desperate Dan size portion, which from behind, showed only the top of my head. As I jammed each forkful into the widening aperture between jaws and lips, I heeded not the eyes of onlookers. I was in a zone you see, a mince and dumpling zone, a dark bisto place all of its own, a dangerous place for any interruption. I see nothing but the rich well-seasoned mince, the crusty dumplings with their light fluffy filling, and the gravy, oh the gravy, dark as the deepest pool, and velvety thick.

When I finished, it was almost like being awaked from a dream. The satisfaction was in the eating. I have been back three times since this post. Beware the dependency that this dish can cause. A habit-forming slavery to mince and dumplings.

FOOD 10 SERVICE 10 VALUE 10 REFER 10 TOTAL: 40 Tops the Good Food Quest table!

Broom Mill Farm Shop

REAL CHIPS

My wife and I visited Broom Mill Farm Shop near West Auckland, County Durham. We popped in to pick up vegetables for the week and were tempted by the Shepherds Pie and home made chips on the tea room's menu. Always the sceptic, I agreed to give it a try, secretly ready to find fault, but there was none to find. These were genuine home made chips, perfectly cooked, not to mushy firm with good texture. The Shepherds Pie was good too, not sure if it saw a microwave on the way to our table, (and the there was some strange liquid mascarrading as gravy) but still well made with good meat. I believe this stop off was worthy of a blog.

FOOD 8 SERVICE 7 VALUE 7 REFER 7 TOTAL: 28 GOOD

Cafe Rouge Durham City, 21 Silver Street Durham, County Durham DH1 3RB

This blog was never intended to be a vent for negative feedback.

From the outset, I decided only the best would feature! Eating places where both my family and I enjoyed a meal, a snack, even a coffee! Remember, this is my opinion, others may have fared better or worse at any establishment featured in this blog. However, I did feel the need to pots this!

After spending a night in Durham for my wife’s birthday, we took in the LAU concert at the Gala after having a meal at Oldfields Restaurant,

The next morning, we were looking for breakfast!

Looks right, sounds right, tastes hmm!

I needed to start this post in such a manner, as my direction wouldn’t be positive regarding Café Rouge in Durham City. Perhaps I choose to visit at the wrong time. (11.00am breakfast) might be a challenge for a chef with a midweek hangover, that’s the excuse I made for him/her when I viewed the four tiny, shrivelled blackened mushrooms on my plate!

Was there something wrong with his eyesight, did he think I wouldn’t notice before pushing them to one side in disappointment- shock even!

If I was to start at the end, I have to say the service was very polite and friendly. The nice young lady who served us, did her very best to encourage a positive response to her question, ‘was everything okay?’ ‘Yes’, I replied. ‘It was okay’.

‘Only okay?’ she asked

‘I’m afraid so’ I confirmed.

So what went wrong after such a promising start? Well, the breakfast menu read well. An auspicious combination of continental mixed with traditional British heart stoppers. I choose the latter while my wife opted for the stuffed pancakes with mushrooms.

Mine first: Here’s how to make a very bad breakfast.

Choose very poor quality sausage that tastes like? well I’m not sure!

I gave my wife the sausage (she gave it back).

Cheap eggs that have no colour or flavour, and made me feel queasy for the rest of the day. Bacon that again had no taste - looked anaemic, (not bacon, as we know it). Toast, even that wasn’t right, something close to a slice from stale Baggett. Mushrooms, well you already know! Not cheap at £7.00

My wife never ate her pancake, but gave me her egg, (I gave it back - she immediately shoveled it back on to my plate -I dropped it from height back again!)

The bill including two coffees £15.00

Oh, I’m sorry. Here’s my take. Put Oldfield’s food in Café Rouge in Durham and you’ll have a winner. Visa-versa, put Café Rouge’s staff in Oldfields’ and the same applies.

My problem with Café Rouge is the quality of the food on the plate.

It looked and tasted cheap. I’m not sure where they source their food, but it’s not the same place as Oldfields. Perhaps on an evening things get better, they must because you can't get much worse!

(On reflection, that was a bit tough! I'm sure there's far worse!)

FOOD 3 SERVICE 9 VALUE 2 REFER 2 TOTAL: 16 VERY BELOW AVERAGE

Oldfields Restaurant, Durham City

Never be put off by a name. Oldfields Restaurant or ‘Noted Eating Places’ seems to have borrowed a few good ideas from other people to offer a presentable restaurant in Durham City. There’s another restaurant in the chain somewhere in Newcastle, but we only review where we’ve eaten, so enough said. The sustainable locally sourced produce is an accepted must these days; Oldfields like to remind you at every corner all their ingredients are traceable. I commend them for this, but feel I’ve seen it delivered in an identical way somewhere else. That said, we visited the restaurant on a ‘happy hour’ special thingy - two courses for £10 and I have to admit I was impressed, no, I was very impressed!

My wife and I had the same starter- black pudding with poached egg (sadly, the egg wasn’t runny). It was all-okay and we washed it down with half a local brew that was good to see on the beer menu.

The main course followed in the way of bangers and mash for me with Yorkshire pudding and shin for her! There were two side extras £1.50

of mashed turnip/carrot and buttered greens. The turnip was great! the buttered greens, part hot and cold as only a microwave can do! In case this post is beginning to sound negative, I’m going to jump in with a great big positive word ‘FABULOUS’, okay, I’ll say it again FABULOUS! The bangers and mash in their onion gravy were delicious. We’re talking top quality sausage! We tried each other’s and I have to admit the shin was INCREDIBLE, tender soft, tasty (not over seasoned) just good meat well cooked. I love shin me!

By the time we’d finished, the restaurant was very busy. The 2 for £10 offer is a magnet, but include top quality food and the price seems ridiculously small. We really enjoyed it; I would happily have paid £10 for the main course alone, perhaps even more! The staff were young and nervous, but I suppose we all have to start somewhere! I suggest you start at Oldfields!

FOOD 9 SERVICE 7 VALUE 10 REFER 10 TOTAL: 36 SUPERB

The Gingerbread Mam-Middleton in Teesdale Farmers' Market

Looking for a Sunday afternoon filler, we decided to visit the (indoor) Farmers' Market in Middleton in Teesdale. on Sunday the 28th February. It was a freezing cold day so we were relieved when we finally found the entrance to the market. I have to say I was slightly surprised by the number of stalls. There was a great cheese seller from 'Winter Tarn', a fantastic baker under the name of 'The Moody Baker' a great chutney and pickle man (the jar reads 'Turks Head Products, Great Musgrave) plus lots of others too! However, it was the 'Gingerbread Mam' who took our eye! Her home made Ginger Parkin and Ginger Wine soon found its way into our 'Green Bag'. She also had ginger muffins, gingerbread men (and women), ginger snaps, hokey pokey, but boy that parkin and wine tasted so good. In fact, it's less than 24 hours since we visited and its all gone! Great market- great traders- in the great North East

Royal Fisheries, 48 Baxtergate, Whitby, North Yorkshire

It’s a fact. Whitby is famous for its fish and chips, or should that be number of chippies? Most famous is the steep stepped ‘Magpie’ that attracts a long queue even on the very coldest of days. Yes, the Magpie is very, very good, but you need to be into your 'doily mood' to feel comfortable with the décor. I know!…it’s the food not the furnishings that should be top of the agenda, but you can’t ignore the obvious and if I’m not comfortable, then I’m not going to be totally in tune with what’s on the plate.

So where do we go from the Magpie? Try a walk down to ‘Trenchers’ and you’ll find a very different experience. Much more family friendly and with a menu that’s built to suit every taste. But here it is. The Magpie and Trenchers are way beyond most family budgets. Yes, they’re both good but far too expensive! Gosh it’s only fish and chips after all!

In my opinion, the best place to enjoy your fish supper (or dinner) is the Royal Fisheries! You’ll find this family run restaurant on Baxtergate. Google it! Just a short walk from the swing bridge. My family and I visit the Royal Fisheries on just about every visit to Whitby. Great fish and chips and at SENSIBLE PRICES! Come down off your vertigo menu Magpie and Trenchers. This is how it should be. Our family of four had Haddock and Chips twice, with two children’s portions of fish and chips, all with mushy peas and soft drinks for under £23.00. That was at the table, inside the restaurant, served by friendly polite staff. Nothing pretentious (thinking Magpie chequered plates) no in-and-out jostling (thinking TrencheRs).

From the exterior you might be fooled into thinking the Royal Fisheries is coach trippers' paradise, such are the garish graphics that adorned the facia. Get past this small obstacle and I promise you won’t be disappointed. The best fish and chips in Whitby, in both my wife’s opinion and that of our children too! Count me in too!

FOOD 9 SERVICE 9 VALUE 10 REFER 10 TOTAL: 38 SUPERB

Caffé Vivi, 29 Broad Chare, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3DQ

Saturday 19 December 2009.

Remember that dreadful Saturday night when snow traveling down from Scotland fell as heavy as.. well, snow? Along with some friends, we'd booked a concert at Newcastle City Hall and opted for an early evening meal at Caffé Vivi, on Newcastle's popular Quayside. I have to confess, although we, (my wife and I) are both big fans of Bistro 21 (in Durham) and Cafe 21 (in Newcastle), we'd never heard of Caffé Vivi, another of Terry Laybourne's adventures and probabley Newcastle's most well known restaurateur. It was early doors and the joint was still buzzing (Christmas parties). Caffé Vivi models itself on something Italian, and to be fair, the decor was smart and stylish with a menu that cheered our cold cockles! Throw into the equation a festive menu, and you have two couples in a dilemma. From the festive menu, three of us choose the Roman Suckling Pig, while our companion choose the Veal from the main menu, I seem to remember (the wine was flowing-three bottles one Chilean Sauvignon Blanc and two spicy Italian Reds). My starter was smoked Mozzarella on Rocket which was okay, my wife had the Pumpkin, as did my friend's wife, while he had the Calamari. I was disappointed that the suckling pig wasn't crackling, but I guess that was my mistake rather than the kitchen's. Yet there was something missing and I think it was food! The portions are very small, and I know it's not meant to be fuel, but the servings are on the cute side. My friend's Veal seemed reasonable enough, but when I opted for the cheese as part of the three course menu, I swear it was cut so thin that when I held it to the light I could see my wife through the other side! £170 we coughed up. Okay we had three bottles of wine that must have raised the tab by at least £70, but I still think it's very expensive and living on reputation. Final verdict?... Food, nice but small portions. Service, very good. Price, think a bit expensive. But hey, this is the swanky part of town and after 7.30 on a Saturday night I bet you can't book a seat for love or money!

FOOD 6 SERVICE 9 VALUE 5 REFER 6 TOTAL: 26 GOOD but not GREAT!

The Langon Beck Hotel-Upper Teesdale

Travel the lonely road from Middleton–in-Teesdale, that winds past High Force looking out across the rock and grasslands of Upper Teesdale, and eventually tucked in the corner of a bend in the road, you happen upon a tiny small hotel by the name of Langdon Beck. Frequented by locals and travellers, I’ve often wondered what Sunday Lunch might provide in such a beautiful, if isolated resting house. Familiar as I am with the location and even the establishment, it took some courage to finally drive the 90-minute journey from our home to risk Sunday lunch. I wanted this place to prove itself worthy so much, that I’d put it off for an age in the fear it might let me down. How wrong I was! Without doubt, the best Sunday lunch I’ve ever had outside of my home.

We arrived at 12.30 on Sunday 8th November on a day determined to shift from autumn to winter. The surrounding hills were white with snow. I asked if children were allowed into the hotel and was greeted with a kind ‘yes’. I stepped back outside to give the family the nod, and we quickly ordered Sunday lunch for two, along with two childrens. The portions were huge! The vegetables all crisp and well cooked coming as; mashed turnip, mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots (long), parsnip (roasted) peas, roast potatoes. Phew!, Huge crisp Yorkshire Puddings, a half roast onion, delicious, tender roast beef and a big jug of gravy. There was complete silence as we (the family of four) devoured our dinners with gusto! Had we been dogs at the bowl, we’d have snapped at your fingers had you dared to interrupt our feeding?

Fabulous, and £7.50 x 3. Never fear if your journey brings you this way. The Langdon Beck is a fine rustic, traditional hotel that serves good food with no frills and at price families might enjoy. When it comes to eating out, I’m as fickle as they come with both food, service and the bill. The Langdon Beck Hotel in County Durham is a winner!

FOOD 9 SERVICE 7 VALUE 9 REFER 9 TOTAL: 34 VERY GOOD

The White Horse & Griffin-Whitby, North Yorkshire

I should start by saying ‘the White Horse & Griffin is a very nice restaurant in the centre of Whitby-North Yorkshire’. We’ve enjoyed several meals here, some with our young children and we’ve always found the food and service to be very good. So when my wife and I, found ourselves looking for somewhere to eat, on a wet, November afternoon in Whitby, we decided on the White Horse & Griffin because it was a safe bet. I’m always cautious with lunchtime menus, but was easily persuaded by the simple ‘Cod &Chips’ sign in the doorway.

I do remember having the same meal in the same establishment with the entire family and it was wonderful; crisp beer batter, fresh fish, great homemade chips and mushy peas that were piping hot and almost liquid. That was during the summer; in November things had obviously changed somewhat. We were the only two punters in the restaurant during our meal (no surprise for a mid week I suppose-at least they were open!) The extremely professional waitress did a lovely job on the service front. It was just the food that let them down.

They do have a nice trick up their sleeve by serving you a small taster of the day’s starter. On this occasion a small bowl of pumpkin soup, which was delicious. The main course proved a disappointment. The batter was wet and stodgy; the fish inside the stodge was almost non-existent. The chips although home made were few, only the mushy peas made an impression. Should I be surprised or even disappointed for a midweek meal? Well, just like everyone else, we work hard for our money, and for £20, this was well below the standards we’ve come to expect from this place. My wife thinks the fish was from a box, although I’m too sure! Was it bad enough to complain? -I don’t think so; although the only thing it achieved was to make a wet day even more miserable. Sorry, I don’t like leaving negative feedback and this was after all, only one bad meal out of several other visits that were really good!

£20 for two including drinks. Not too expensive, but we won’t hurry back out of season. However, on its day, it’s second only to Greens. I should mention the queue outside the Magpie was down the steps.

FOOD 4 SERVICE 8 VALUE 5 REFER 2 TOTAL: 19 AVERAGE

Amalfi Restaurant 148 West Nile Street, Glasgow

We thought we’d take the children for a pizza and this Italian Pizza house did a pretty decent job. Situated in the centre of Glasgow, the Amalfi restaurant may not look a great deal from outside, but it’s the food that matters and those who serve it- am I right? Inside it’s very snug; the kitchen smokes away behind you and open to view, (which I always like). We ordered a portion of calamari and mushrooms on bruschetta to start, the children opting for potato skins (I did try to dissuade them!) The starters were okay, but the main course was good. My wife and I both choose the spaghetti with sausage, (lots of sage in there and fantastic tomato sauce). The boys shared a pizza, which was decent.

The service was tentative and helpful (although the poor waitress couldn’t speak a word of English- perhaps no bad thing. We enjoyed a nice bottle of Pinot Grigio not what I originally ordered. The owner searched the wine fridge but couldn’t find a bottle; instead he thrust a bottle of the Pinot Grigio into the waitress’ hand. I think he should have come over and explained rather than leaving it to the waitress knowing her English was limited. Can’t for the life of me understand when it’s your own business, how easy it is to forget the importance of ‘touching flesh’ and interacting with your customers. Hey-ho!

I would recommend Amalfi, if you're in Glasgow, but a touch expensive perhaps for the food.

FOOD 6 SERVICE 7 VALUE 5 REFER 6 TOTAL: 24 GOOD

The Grill on the Corner-21-25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow G2 6NL

Monday 28th September 2009. This was a challenge for any restaurant on Bank Holiday Monday evening. Think: really swanky restaurant in the centre of Glasgow, where all the tables are fully booked, lights dim and the atmosphere buzzing, and we arrive — with two children under the age of eight!

They agreed in allowing us to book a table, (under condition we left by 9.00 o’clock), a reasonable request considering it’s full of couples and large groups, probably not the place where families eat- or am I mistaken?

We arrived a good fifteen minutes late and were shown to our table by polite friendly waiting staff. My wife and I love our food and we’ve brought our children up to enjoy and embrace all things. They’ll never shy from any given seafood, nor will they dismiss vegetables or greens. Instead of choosing from the surprising existence of a 'Children’s Menu'! Instead we opted for a rump steak, one for both my wife and children, theirs to be halved and shared on two plates. I had the rib, not sure if it looked 11oz, but it was still tasty with a nice amount of fat making it full of flavor. One day I’ll order the Kobe Beef (£50!).

The children’s food was only a pound more than if we’d chosen two meals from the Children’s Menu. We had broccoli, beans and chips before a shared starter of squid.

Not cheap, but great dining. The service at The Grill on the Corner is exceptional. The waitress understood our fickle requirements, and did her very best to accommodate. Perhaps the squid could have been served on one plate to share, but the steaks came out top dollar. Rare, yet black! Our waitress also new the score when we tried to mix and match our desserts. She was a credit to the establishment I just hope the tips make it all worthwhile.

Tab was on the expensive side, but that included a couple of beers, two soft drinks and a superb bottle of Friendly Gruner.

I would really recommend The Grill on the Corner, if you're in Glasgow.

FOOD 8 SERVICE 9 VALUE 7 REFER 9 TOTAL: 33 V GOOD

Gooseberries

When we were kids growing up, one of the things we enjoyed most was pinching ‘goosegogs’, or should I say gooseberries from the house with the big garden. It was every child’s’ duty under the age of 10 to pinch their share-hech we got chased (and I’m sure that was all part of the fun), but the one thing I remember was being the only one who ever eat the gooseberries! The other boys used them as ammo for catapults, or to throw at girls on the swings. I eat mine- all of them!! sometimes making my tummy ache. So where did all the gooseberries go? You rarely see them in the shops, only occasionally at a good fruit markets. Are they in danger of disappearing? Next year I plan to grow my own, and accept that by doing so, I’m also obliged to allow any would be ‘goosegog’ thief to their fare share. Any one with tips on growing gooseberries please contact me. For now I’m going to open the recipe book to plan next years fruit puddings!

Roast Leg of Lamb with an anchovy, garlic and apricot chilli stuffing, served on a mixed bed of roasted almonds, tomato, black olives, and coucous

One of my own occasional recipes. This roast leg of lamb dish comes with a slight twist. To begin, I removed the top end of the meat from the bone. This was a big leg leaving enough of a joint for the next day’s roast. (Lamb two days running!) I chopped some finely sliced garlic and chilli, placed over the flattened lamb followed by a layer of chopped apricots, with another layer of 6 anchovy fillets. I seasoned with a little pepper (no salt) then tied up with string, covering with a tablespoon of good Greek olive oil from Zanti, which I purchased on holiday from a true artisan supplier. I seasoned again with a little black pepper and popped into the oven in a tagine without the lid.

We like our lamb pink so while it was roasting on a medium heat, I sliced the peppers, tomatoes and garlic onto a roasting dish while preparing the couscous.

After about 30 minutes I checked the lamb, which was nicely sizzling filling the whole kitchen with that unmistakable smell of roasted lamb and garlic. I popped the fruit to be roasted into the oven along with a plate of almonds. I gave the almonds about 5-minutes before removing. The roasted peppers and tomatoes got 15 minutes extra before I removed them with the lamb.

A quick mix with the couscous, not forgetting the black ozone flavour of the olives, some more black pepper that all went into a mixing bowl. I drizzled a little more extra virgin olive oil in with the couscous and served. You’ll notice how I roasted the garlic.

They’re decious when popped from the little casings and mixed with the juice from the pan. The anchovy really brings out the full flavour of the meat and the sweetness of the apricot still comes through with that bite of chilli. There’s enough left for lunchtime tomorrow, so I reckon three to four meals from one huge leg joint.

Hide Cafe Bar & Grill-restaurant in Durham City

We don't normally do the Sunday lunch thing, at least not away from home! Forced to find shelter during a wet, miserable August Sunday afternoon, we headed in to Hide Cafe Bar & Grill, on Saddler Street-Durham. We choose the Sunday lunch and we were awarded in some style. My wife and I both choose the roast beef, which was pink and very tender. The Yorkies were huge, the vegetables crisp and crunchy, all served together on the same plate, non of this daft side-plate-portion thingy going on at Hide!. My two sons both choose the chicken. Hide do a great job in providing decent children's portions and the bill was considerate with just three meals on the tab. How often elsewhere have we asked for children's portions only to be told 'we don't do children's portions- we have a children's menu!', or to find I've paid full whack for half a portion. Hide is great, the service is really good and the food is very, very good. In fact, I don't ever recall having a bad meal in this place. Price for Sunday lunch?...£9.50. Some might find that a touch expensive, but this isn't your normal pub grub, this good food- well cooked.

FOOD 8 SERVICE 7 VALUE 8 REFER 9 TOTAL: 32 V GOOD

Gourmet Burger Kitchen York

It would be easy to knock this joint by saying I dislike franchise chains (which I do) and that the best burgers are made at home (which in our home that’s true), but Gourmet Burger Kitchen isn’t that bad, in fact, it’s really okay! I first visited the chain in Windsor, when we took the children to Lego Land. It’s head and shoulders above anything you’ll find at McDonald’s, and I’m sure I do a huge injustice by mentioning them in the same sentence! We visited the York, Gourmet Burger Kitchen on a wet day in August 2009 with all three children. It proved to be a wise choice. The burgers are very good. I choose the Blue Stilton, my wife the Mexican with the salsa thing!. My daughter had the Chilli, and both boys had the chicken (which was very, very good). I thought the price including chips (that were big, fat and hot!) plus 5 soft drinks was reasonable’ish at £48.00. The staff who all look like university students with PhD’s did a friendly professional job, I hope they earn enough to make it worthwhile. Summary: If you like burgers, you’ll like Gourmet Burger Kitchen. It’s not for everyone, but on both days we visited with young small children, it did the job with five stars. FOOD 7 SERVICE 7 VALUE 7 REFER 8 TOTAL: 29 GOOD