Bubbledogs - Charlotte Street, W1

Bubbledogs is old, in London terms at least, they've just celebrated their second birthday.  Given I'm a whore for hot dogs I thought it was about time I wrote about one of Londons fancier options...

Smokehouse - Canonbury Road, N1

I'm in two minds about the Smokehouse; I really did enjoy my food but eating it was a bit of an ordeal.  I love an open kitchen, probably more than most, but for the love of god do not sit a table next to the pass.

Bao - Kerb, Kings Cross Boulevard, N1

What a lovely little strumpet; soft, pillowy, savoury, and sweet all at the same time.  The shredded pork belly bun from Bao is a proper treat!

Pig and Hay - Chapel Street Market, N1

Pig and Hay is hands down the best kept secret on Chapel Market.  When I say secret that's probably a bit of an exaggeration as I've never seen it without half a dozen people queuing at lunch time to get their fill.

Boiled Ham and Parsley Sauce

This is me on a plate; I would be more than happy if this was my last meal. Quite simply stick a fork in me I’m done! Boiled Ham and Parsley Sauce just work perfectly together. The salty ham and fresh sauce exemplifies everything I love about simple British cookery.

Bringing home the Christmas Bacon...

Christmas doesn’t need to be a chore; keeping the flavours simple and with a little bit of planning you can breeze through the cooking and actually enjoy a bit of the day as well.  Actually if you are like me the cooking is the fun part so maybe ignore that last bit...

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca

I love simple food; cooked with fresh and seasonal ingredients it helps to capture the moment. Tomatoes are one of those summer ingredients that capture the heat, warmth and excitement of the season and cooking with them is always a treat.

Happy Scotch Egg Easter!

There’s quite a bit of science behind making a good scotch egg so I would suggest doing a bit of research before you start to make sure you are happy with everything. It’s not a task to be undertaken lightly - as deep frying can lead to messy pain quite easily. This is as much of a warning as I’ll give so on to the fun!

Speck Rendena, Salame di Capriolo - Madonna di Campiglio

The Lady has done me proud, after neglecting me for a week to go Skiing with her folks she has brought back a wealth of treats from the Italian Alps around Madonna di Campiglio.

Arts Cafe - Call Lane, Leeds

Early bird at Arts Cafe as we were off to Edinburgh on the train... I hate eating to a timescale always so stressful, this is probably just me though, always looking at your watch thinking where’s the food! Needless to say my neurosis was unfounded and the food came out promptly.

Arts is a little, bijou bar restaurant type affair on Call Lane just near the Corn Exchange, nestled between the other more obviously “trendy” spots it’s seems like a little haven of peace and quiet from the throng outside.

It’s been in Leeds since I’ve lived here but hasn’t changed too much at all and this is a good thing, the menu is updated fairly regularly though so it stays current but the decor and atmosphere is still the same, chilled out, friendly and very easy going. I’ll stop wittering and get onto the food, 2 course for £12.50 or 3 for £15.00.

I’d gone with the Slow braised belly pork with Puy Lentils and sautéed apple which was delicious, the meat was perfectly cooked and just fell apart. I did think the Lentils could have been cooked that little bit longer, I’m all for al dente but not with Lentils.

The lady, looking delicious as ever bathed in a soft candle light, had gone for the Shredded Chicken and crème fraiche salad with Pancetta and figs which looked amazing but as I was too involved with my belly pork I didn’t try it! The mains came out quickly after the starter which calmed me down no end you’ll be pleased to know.

I’d gone for an old school dish of Tarragon crusted chicken with pancetta and creamed cabbage, the meat was cooked perfectly.

The crust added great texture and was delightfully aniseedy from the Tarragon but the creamed cabbage was just a bit too rich all in so the finished dish was a little off balance in my mind.

The lady had chosen Root vegetable pie with celeriac mash, she assured me this was delicious but I wasn’t having it... Vegetarian indeed!

All in all for 2 of us with some soft drinks and a couple of beers it was £35 which is pretty reasonable.