Tuesday 10 June 2014

Art's Cafe, Call Lane- Leeds

After dining at this restaurant numerous times whilst living in Leeds, the Art's Cafe has become my 'go-to' answer to anyone asking where to go for lunch or dinner. For me, the Art's Cafe has become a guaranteed good meal and at a very reasonable price, so I thought it was about time I reviewed the place.

Opening in 1994, the Arts Cafe has built up a reputation for high quality cuisine in a relaxed, informal environment. This inviting atmosphere is complimented by an array of art work on the walls and as I take my seat, I opt in for the early bird menu - at 3 courses for £15, this is really a phenomenal offer.

To start, I went for the:
Ham hock and smoked chicken terrine, homemade salad cream, onion ash, and radish and baby turnip salad.
My dining partner went for the:
Chilled pea soup, crispy fried egg yolk, asparagus and scallion salad, and lemon rapeseed oil.


Both dishes were superb in their own right. The ham hock was very tasty and actually quite succulent compared to its expected texture. The added chicken did provide an extra flavour but was not entirely needed. The creams, ash and small pieces of radishes and turnips not only complimented the ham hock, but provided a burst of flavour that really go the taste buds tingling.
The chilled pea soup was a very interesting dish! Essentially a gazpacho, the soup was very flavoursome and the salad aspect provided some nice textures. The crispy fried egg yolk was fantastic- a crispy breadcrumbed casing with a hard egg white and soft yolk which spilt into the soup as you cut through it.

Next up, we went for:
Pea, mint and feta spring rolls, lemon creme fraiche, abby pear and pea shoot salad.
Beer battered haddock, hand cut chips, crushed minted peas and tartar sauce.
The spring rolls was another interesting dish. The feta somewhat overpowered the pea and mint, and as a cheese that isn't exactly very strong, the taste became rather repetitive. The salad was very refreshing however and complimented the spring rolls nicely. The dish was still very good, but I think a different cheese may have worked better.
As someone who would never normally choose fish and chips from a restaurant, I was pleasantly surprised by this dish. The haddock was very very tasty, with the beer batter nice and crispy and full of flavour itself. The homemade chips were great and the minted peas made a nice change to your normal mushy peas. The tartar sauce was refreshing and complimented the dish well. 

To finish:
Rose water and saffron creme brulee, apple compote and pistachio shortbread.

As one of my favourite desserts, I have had many creme brulee's in my time and this one did not disappoint. The rose water and saffron were very subtle, with the cubes of apple and raisons adding a nice change in texture and fruity flavour at the bottom of the brulee. The top was nicely caramelised and the shortbreads were very good- with a crunchy texture and added flavour of the pistachios (although I would say the shortbread probably wasn't needed with the size of the brulee).

Overall, the Art's Cafe had me walking out as a full and satisfied customer once again. The food is of a fantastic standard and the price for the early bird menu simply outstanding. For 2 diners to have 3 courses, coffee and a bottle of wine for only £45 (and for the standard of food, atmosphere and service) the Art's Cafe will continue to be my first recommendation for any diner looking for a guaranteed good meal in Leeds.

Food- ****
Atmosphere- ****
Staff- ****
Location-*****






Wednesday 4 June 2014

Salvo's, Otley Road- Leeds

After 38 years in the business, Salvo's is a much talked about restaurant with not only University Students, but the Leeds population as a whole. Opening in 1976, Salvo's is the epitome of traditional and innovative Italian cuisine. Now into the second generation of the Dammone family, Salvo's continues to behold the reputation as one of the best Italian restaurants in the Yorkshire region.
Situated only two doors down, Salvo's also boasts the 'Salumeria'- meaning 'The Little Restaurant'. Cafe by day, the Salumeia hosts 'regional dinners' by night- serving specialist food and wine in a 10 course 'Assagi' tasting menu, which rotates between different regions of Italy every month. Some of the regions featured have been Campania, Sicliy, Tuscany and Piamonte.
So, with my expectations high, I set forth into the world of Italian cuisine from the region of 'Puglia'. (This dishes pictured are shared between 3 diners, minus the dessert and cafe)
Upon entrance, a musical soiree and dimly candled lit room immediately sets the scene. I feel like i've walked into a small family restaurant, tucked away in the hills of the Puglian mountains.
The first couple of plates act as a teaser for what is to come:
Tagliere pugliese- A cured meat and cheese plate. This dish both sounds and looks simple, but the taste is something special. The added extras of cubed jelly, olives and circular bread sticks makes for a welcomed start.
Aquasala- Salvo's very own sourdough, toasted with pomodorini tomatoes. This dish was much more than the 'complimentary bread' that you may expect. The crisp of the bread offered another layer of texture to the juicy and sweet tasting tomatoes. This dish woke up the pallet and prepared it for the oncoming feast!


Next up, the simplicity continued, but the tastes and flavoured exemplified:
Fave e pane rito- Broad bean puree with fried bread. This dish sounds strange, looks strange and tastes... delightful. Some interesting and complex flavoured came through and I loved the idea that I would never had ordered this normally, but got to try it in this tasting dinner.
Melanzane ripiene- Aubergines stuffed and baked with pecorino and soft black olives. This dish was surprisingly tasty (coming from an aubergine hater!) with the saltiness of the pecorino combining well with the aubergine.

Now, for me, this is were the party really began:
Polipetti lessi- Boiled and dressed Octopus and mussels with fennel salad. This dish turned out to be my second favourite of the night! The Octopus was fresh and salty with a hint of sourness of lemon, combing with an oily and refreshing salad and large, flavoursome muscles. I'm not usually a big lover of fish, but this dish was sensational. 
Insalata di arance- Orange and red onion salad with Mediterranean anchovy. Unfortunately, anchovy's are not exactly my favourite (!), but I was ensured that the dish was a pleasant mixture of the saltiness of the anchovy, the sweetness of the blood orange and the spicy/acidy taste of the onions.

After the delights of what had already been served, the next dish had me intrigued:
Orrecchiette con cima di rapa- Little ear pasta with turnip tops, served with 'Holy Oil' and 'poor man's cheese'.
This dish was my favourite or the night. The structure of the 'little ear' pasta itself provided a great texture to the dish, which was somewhat simple but bursting with flavours. I soon discovered where the 'Holy Oil' received its name from (infused with chilli so that when you taste it, you shout "Holy Sh....") and the 'poor man's cheese' originating from the Italian slums, where if you were to poor to afford real cheese, you used this creation of a mix between breadcrumbs and other ingredients instead. The reason I loved this dish was a combination of its simplicity, bursting flavours, and the snipet of Italian history behind each element.
Agnello con piselli- locally reared roast lamb with peas. The succulent, perfectly cooked lamb was a fantastic ending to the 'main' section of this 10 course tasting menu.

To finish this tasting extravaganza:
Torta alla ricotta- Ricotta parfait with artichoke liqueur crema. This was another dish that sounded very strange, but intriguing. The textures and tastes were something I had never experienced before. I may not ever order this again, but it was a delight to try this once(!).
Cafe- long roasted Italian coffee and amaretti biscuit.

Overall, this has to be one of the best restaurant experiences I have ever had. Every single one of the 10 courses offered new flavours and textures, and the historic and traditional Italian elements and explanations to each dish was enlightening and intriguing. With just a small taste of each dish, you are able to try food that you would never even think of trying, never mind ordering off a menu. For the price of £34 per person, this 10 course regional tasting dinner cannot be missed! 

Food- *****
Atmosphere- *****
Staff- ****
Location-*****