Restaurant Reviews - Dine Online

This is a new one on Foodie - a Physical Fitness Restaurant - from New York of course

What a clever idea……

How long until we see something like this in the UK?

For more than a decade, the bright orange vests have been a constant presence across midtown Manhattan; young guys on bikes in navy sweatshirts with bold orange type proclaiming “EAT PROTEIN & VEGETABLES. EAT LEAN”. All throughout peak lunch hours, they dart about, delivering healthy food to a fiercely loyal customer base, made up of celebrities, fashion designers, ad agencies, investment bankers and law firms; people who lead very busy lives but care about what they eat.

Calling itself “A Physical Fitness Restaurant”, The Pump Energy Food was created in 1997 when Steve and Elena Kapelonis, healthy eaters with a family legacy in the restaurant business, felt there was a market for something different. The menu was founded on the flavor, simplicity and healthfulness of a Mediterranean diet (Steve grew up in Greece), but they added a New York twist: none of the food was fried. They never cooked using mayo or butter and used whole wheat breads instead of processed white flours. They had an absolute faith in adding protein powders to items that gave people sustainable energy throughout the day. Even muffins, pancakes and healthy shakes had added protein. This was a radical idea in 1997, when New York was saturated with fast food restaurants.

It caught on and soon grew to five locations. That’s when Adam Eskin, an investment banker and avid fitness enthusiast, became a fan. Working for private equity firm Wexford Capital, he had been researching investment opportunities in the restaurant industry, looking for new concepts that had the potential to redefine the restaurant category. After looking at dozens of concepts, he kept coming back to The Pump. “All the other restaurants I looked at around the country were basically reinterpretations of what already existed. Nobody was doing what The Pump was doing. I saw that as a great opportunity.”

He put together a business case for how Wexford could buy the business and soon the deal was cinched. It was decided that Adam would run the company himself. “The next thing you know, I went from the boardroom to baking muffins.”

“In talking to our customers, the one thing you hear again and again is that this was ‘Food you don’t have to worry about.’ That’s a very powerful thing. Our mission is very simple: make it easy for people to eat well.” says Eskin. However, the restaurants and logo had grown tired, the menu had swollen to over 150 items and there were no recipes, systems or procedures from one store to the next. The stores were losing customers faster than they were gaining them.

Eskin and his team have spent the last year rebuilding the company from scratch, all the while trying to pump out the food everyday. Eskin hired new operations people, created new systems and procedures, developed new training programs and has invested heavily in infrastructure and new equipment. To reinvigorate the brand, he hired Dan Fogarty, a long-time Chipotle Mexican Grill branding executive, who has created a new logo and brand identity, a soon-to-debut website, and has helped Eskin create a new store design that is currently under construction at 40th & Madison.

“We’re just now starting to see all the improvements pay off and get to a steady-state. The restaurant business is built on making pennies, while we’ve been spending dollars. So it has been a real challenge, but that’s what makes building a business fun.”

How long until we see something like this in the UK?

40 West 55th St.
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.246.6844
Fax: 212.421.0164
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00am to 9:30pm
Saturday
10:00am to 8:00pm
Sunday
11:00am to 9:00pm

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

112 West 38th St.
New York, NY 10018
Phone: 212.764.2100
Fax: 212.764.1107
Hours:
Monday - Friday
7:30am to 9:00pm
Weekends
Closed

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

31 East 21st St.
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 212.253.7676
Fax: 212.253.1050
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00am to 10:00pm
Saturday
10:00am to 9:00pm
Sunday
11:00am to 9:00pm

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

113 East 31st St.
New York, NY 10016
Phone: 212.213.5733
Fax: 212.213.5001
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00am to 10:30pm
Saturday
10:00am to 9:00pm
Sunday
11:00am to 9:00pm

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

805 3rd Ave.
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212.421.3055
Fax: 212.421.0164
Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00am to 9:00pm
Closed Weekends

http://www.thepumpenergyfood.com

THE GLASSHOUSE GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!

Contemporary restaurant – the Glasshouse is celebrating a double accolade in as many weeks!

Set in the heart of the New Forest, the restaurant has been independently recognised and awarded 2 AA rosettes. Increasingly renowned for its exceptional cuisine the restaurant uses locally sourced, high quality ingredients to provide an outstanding dining experience.

The AA rosette award is a widely accepted symbol of quality. An award of 2 AA rosettes unmistakably distinguishes the Glasshouse as the best local restaurant in the area. It also guarantees customers, food which has been prepared using a greater level of precision with considerable attention being given to the quality and selection of ingredients.

To coincide with this award, the Glasshouse has appointed a new Restaurant Manager, Jean Baptiste Vernet originally from Avignon, Provence.

Jean Baptiste Vernet comments:

“I am very pleased to have been appointed to my new role, especially at such an exciting time. My aim will be to continue to maintain and improve on the standards already set at the restaurant.”

Fluent in English, French and German, Jean Baptiste has gained experience internationally in restaurants covering France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece and England. Having personally served the French President as well as a whole host of VIP’s at the French Football World Cup, his expertise and flair will integrate well at the Glasshouse.

Fiona Johnson, Marketing Manager comments: “We have worked very hard to achieve the standards necessary to be recognised as a 2 AA rosette restaurant. We welcome Jean Baptiste to his new role and are confident that his experience will be invaluable in helping the restaurant develop further.”

To find out more about the restaurant visit www.theglasshousedining.co.uk or to make a reservation call 02380 286 129.

Heston Blumenthal, coming to a Little Chef near you

This has been reported in a number of places — so I wont rehash it here — but the Mighty Heston Blumenthal is spending some time away from his groundbreaking ‘The Fat Duck‘ in order to revitalise a faded British icon - The LITTLE CHEF

The outcome, which will be televised as part of a Channel 4 series aired in the summer, provisionally titled Big Chef, Little Chef.

More information at; http://www.weheartstuff.co.uk/?p=237

Bar 166, Horsforth, Leeds - Reviewed by Miles Lawson

We visited Bar 166 for a Wedding Aniversary meal with a party of 5.

We received a warm welcome on arrival and shown to our table. Coats were taken by the waiter.

We ordered a bottle of house red and white for the table and were pleasantly surprised to have a very nice French Grenach/Merlot and Mauzac Blanc, a pleant dry white.

The menu is organised so that pricing is very clear. Starters at £5.50 and Mains at £12 and side orders for £2. Very good value for money.

The restaurant itself was very busy but we were pleased that the wait between ordering and arival of starters was around 10 minutes. With our party selecting from across the menu all enjoyed their options. Main courses ranged from the 6oz Fillet steak to Mushroom wellington. All was well presented and delicious. Front of house staff were very pleasant and polite even helping with a photograph.

All in all an excellent evening was had - definitely a Michelin Star contender.

Bar 166
166 Town St
Horsforth,
Leeds,
LS18 4AQ
Tel: 0113 258 2661
web: www.bar166.co.uk

The Etiquette of Afternoon Tea

This is a video from America - It appears that Afternoon Tea, that most British of pastimes is now growing in popularity stateside as an alternative to the business breakfast or lunch. Etiquette coach Syndi Seid offers some simple guidelines for proper tea table manners.

It is more amusing than informative in my opinion

Linthwaite House Hotel Appoints Paul Peters as New Head Chef

Linthwaite House Hotel, the 27 bedroomed boutique hotel set in 14 acres of gardens overlooking Lake Windermere, has appointed Paul Peters as the new Head Chef of its 50 cover, fine dining restaurant.

Peters is one of the new generation of talented young chefs who, prior to his appointment and his relocation to the Lakes, was Executive Head Chef at a number of three AA Rosette restaurants at four and five star hotels in London, including ‘Jaan’ Restaurant at Swissotel The Howard and ‘Mju’ Restaurant at The Millennium, Knightsbridge and was most recently at the 50 bedroomed Mary Green Manor Hotel in Brentwood, Essex.

Peters grew up in Sydney, Australia where he developed his love of cooking from his parents. His father had been a chef in the army, but from an early stage in his career it was the influence of modern European techniques that guided him rather than the fusion style of his homeland, and having bought a copy of Nico Ladenis’ book he made plans to develop his career in the UK; arriving in January 2000 to spend five months as a Junior Sous Chef at the Lygon Arms in Broadway. He went on to do a one month stage with Nico Ladenis at Chez Nico and a further month with John Burton-Race in his eponymous restaurant at The Landmark Hotel in London. After six months at ‘MPW London’, Marco Pierre White’s Hampstead Brasserie, in 2001 he moved to Browns Hotel and describes this as being one of his favourite places, so far, as it gave him the first opportunity to run a kitchen, when he deputised for the Head Chef to run the famous ‘1837’ Restaurant. It was also during this time that the restaurant received the Time Out ‘Best Hotel Restaurant Award’.

When an opportunity arose to become Executive Head Chef at ‘Mju’ Restaurant, Peters assumed total responsibility for the running of the renowned 3 AA Rosette restaurant and oversaw the 222 bedroomed 4 star Millennium Hotel, Knightsbridge.

Just over a year later he moved to the 50 cover ‘Jaan’ Restaurant at Swissotel The Howard in London, where he achieved 3 AA Rosettes for the restaurant. He has spent the last two years at the 4 star Marygreen Manor Hotel in Brentwood Essex, overseeing the development of the restaurant and brigade.

He joined Linthwaite at the beginning of February and sees his move to the Lakes, with his partner and their young son, as an ideal opportunity to perfect his modern European dishes, whilst working with many of the local producers that surround the hotel and supply it with the finest local, seasonal produce, including Cartmel Valley game and Cumbrian beef, as well as Lancashire’s famous Goosnargh duckling.

He is currently developing and training his brigade of nine chefs and this summer they will be moving to a brand new state-of-the-art kitchen that is currently under construction at the hotel. The kitchen will feature a 10 ft by 10 ft glass observation window that has been designed to allow people to view the activity in the heart of the kitchen and flood it with natural light and fresh air, without making it too hot in which to work. Peters sees this as the real opportunity to raise the bar and showcase his skill. In the meantime guests are already enjoying one of his favourite ingredients – scallops, which he combines with cauliflower to produce one of his signature dishes of ‘Seared Scallops with Caramelised Cauliflower Florets, Hazelnut Dressing and Sherry Vinegar’. He also enjoys using an ingredient, either meat or vegetables, in several different ways, on a dish to create different textures and to surprise the diner with its presentation, as can be seen in his ‘Loin of Lamb - Lancashire Style, Confit Shoulder, Hot Pot Vegetables and Lamb Jus’.

Commenting on his appointment Peters said

“I’m really excited about my move to Linthwaite and getting to know the local Cumbrian suppliers who are all so passionate about the food that they produce. I have also found that the quality of the ingredients, in many cases, is even better than I had known in London. I’m looking forward to the completion of the new kitchen and the space that this will create for me to evolve my dishes. I’m aiming to build on the success that this hotel has already achieved and setting my sites on achieving my own Michelin star in the next couple of years”.

The daily changing four course table d’hôte menu costs £48 per person (coffee, tax and service included).

A stay at Linthwaite House Hotel costs from £120 per person per night for a two night stay on a dinner, room and breakfast basis, including four course table d’hôte menu, based on two sharing.

For more information visit www.linthwaite.com or contact Linthwaite House Hotel and Restaurant on 015394 88600

Phil Vickery, Celebrity chef

Everybody loves a good pud! From homemade apple pie to granny’s spotted dick or mum’s treacle tart, everyone’s a winner. But how often do you make home-made puds and do you really know where to start?

Well don’t panic! Celebrity chef Phil Vickery is here to save the day. Over the coming months he is welcoming you in to his kitchen to take you through the simple steps to create 6 classic puddings. Last month he made a delicious toffee apple tart and this month he is creating a personal favourite Millionaires Shortbread.

Beach Retreats in North Cornwall

Late spring breaks in Cornwall…

Two new properties now available

Beach Retreats can now offer two outstanding new properties for short breaks and long stays on the north Cornish coast.

Cove House at Mawgan Porth is a detached house, which sleeps up to 9 people, located just 5 minutes walk from the beach. Close to Watergate Bay and the Jamie Oliver - inspired restaurant Fifteen Cornwall, this property is the perfect place for a family break anytime of the year. Prices start from just £570 for 5 nights.

Chapel Lodge is an outstanding newly converted chapel right in the heart of Padstow offering accommodation for up to 16 people. This three storey house offers spacious luxury with unsurpassed views of the Camel Estuary and Rock. Located just moments from Rick Stein’s recently refurbished Seafood Restaurant Chapel Lodge is the perfect retreat for families and groups of friends.

Chapel Lodge is available for short breaks from just £835 for 3 nights.

To be one of the first to stay at either of the new properties, call 01637 861005 or visit www.beachretreats.co.uk for full details.

Cove House:

- Bedrooms - sleeping six adults, three children plus baby

- Balcony views across the beach and out to sea

- Large open plan kitchen and dining area with patio doors leading out to the private landscaped gardens

- Plenty of entertainment for the family including satellite television, Playstation, iPod docking station and DVD player

- Wireless broadband access

- Fully fitted kitchen and utility room with washing machine

- Parking for two / three cars plus double garage

- One dog welcome

- Non smoking

- Available for short breaks of five nights or weekly stays

Chapel Lodge:

- Located in the heart of Padstow

- Three storey house

- Open plan living area on the top floor with view over the Camel Estuary

- Six large bedrooms and six luxury bathrooms

- Accommodating up to 16 people

- Utility room for wetsuit storage

- Option to also book the services of a chef, cook and housekeeper

- Option to pre order groceries packed in the fridge for arrival

- Parking for two cars

- Available for short breaks of three nights and longer stays

Beach Retreats is a marketing and letting agency for high quality self-catering accommodation on the South West coast. Each property that joins the Beach Retreats family has met exacting standards. Whether it’s a stunning contemporary apartment or a beautiful character cottage, all properties are located close to an excellent beach, great restaurants, fun activities, exciting sports facilities and fantastic places to explore. They also have stylish, well designed interiors, and are equipped to a very high standard.

www.beachretreats.co.uk

Hotel 53, 53 Piccadilly, York, reviewed by Jacklyn Swiecicki

Age Old Quality

Hotel 53, as the name suggests is a middle to higher priced hotel establishment set in the hauntingly historic township of York. However, despite being a cosy modern hotel, it also shares its Hotel 53 restaurant with the lucky public.

Situated just right of the hotel foyer, the restaurant itself is quite cosy, with table settings connoting a fine dining experience. Additionally, as expected, the staff are noticeably friendly, polite and impeccably well-instructed.

Whilst perusing the menu and dipping gorgeous complimentary cheese bread into balsamic vinegar and olive oil (a love of mine since a summer trip to Italy), I settled on the shallow fried crispy baby squid in a tangy lemon batter served alongside a tartar vinaigrette (£5.45). The batter was light and heavenly, quite beautifully paired with a tangy tartar sauce that had a desired homemade quality. Impressed by my seafood entrée, I opted for braised Monkfish wrapped in pancetta with tomato and fennel seed sauce, served on a bed of buttered linguine - topped with flakes of fresh parmesan (£14.95)! This mouthful was indeed satisfying, although less-so than my entrée. Whilst the waifer-thin linguine was perfection, I felt the Monkfish was overcooked and my pancetta was lacking in beloved crunch.

Without being too far discouraged by my Monkfish, I moved onto dessert. Being a hater of ginger, I daringly choose the saffron and Cointreau cheesecake on a ginger bread base with honey scented cream (£5.50). Omigod. This desert was indescribable. Each mouthful left me at a loss for words, but I will attempt to do my very best to illustrate how amazing this desert was. The cheesecake ginger base was not at all crunchy and hard, like many unforgiving cheesecake bases. Rather, it was moistly enriched with butter, creating a dense texture with a twangy ginger aftertaste. The ‘cheesy’ part of the cheesecake was so lush, so creamy, and so spectacular; I closed my eyes in ecstasy. The only thing to shake me from my stupor was the tart fresh cranberries served alongside to cut the richness of the cheese.

To top off the romantic ambience of Hotel 53, the Verdejo, Monte Palma white wine (£14.95) was a light and soft accompaniment to an overall outstanding meal.

Whilst the Hotel 53 restaurant is quite pricey, considering a pint of local pub lager will only set you back about £2.70 in York, the experience is well worth it. York is a memorable old-worldly destination and with dining treasures such as Hotel 53, it definitely warrants a romantic foodie getaway.

Hotel 53

53 Piccadilly

York

01904 559 000

Jacklyn Swiecicki

Wokon Noodle Bar, Leeds - reviewed by Jacklyn Swiecicki

Wokon and Refuel

I spent a recent Saturday afternoon spending up a storm buying fabulous summer dresses (I live in hope) while the snow poured down outside. What could have been described as a females perfect Saturday, it soon turned miserable as the chilly weather had me hop into the nearest noodle bar with hopes to warm up and regain the feeling in my almost frost-bitten toes.

Welcomingly served by a fellow Aussie, the menu at my chosen noodle bar, Wokon, seemed to hit the spot. On offer the choices of Wokon noodles combined many warming flavours from spicy chilli egg noodles through to classic seafood Mee-Goreng (£5.10). In addition to noodles, Wokon also had a small selection of rice dishes; Nasi Goreng (£4.45) a must; as well as offering a simple selection of soups and iconic Asian salads such as Teriyaki Beef with Lime (£4.45). And, to mop up all of the delicious and fresh Asian flavours, all the basic Asian goodies were also available, like Spring Rolls (£1.75) and boring but loveable Prawn Crackers (£0.90).

As much as I wanted to sample an array of menu options, I still had more shopping to do and I didn’t want to run the risk of going up a dress size over lunch. Eventually, I reluctantly settled on the Kwai-T noodles (£4.95). Lovingly lathered in dark soy sauce, my generously portioned Kwai-T dish was simply flat rice noodles, egg, moist roasted pork, crunchy bean shoots and thankfully pieces of shrimp that were not microscopic in size. In addition to my ingredients, despite trying to ignore my wintry sniffles, I asked my Aussie waiter (who doubled as the chef) for extra chilli; he cheerfully obliged and even proceeded to play Crowded House (an oldie Australian band) over the restaurant speakers. Nice personalised gesture, but I was never a fan…

Wokon is hardly a gourmet restaurant, but it is definitely more than a forgettable cheapie takeaway. The high turnover of customers ensures that ingredients are fresh and the chef noticeably takes great pride in cooking and complimenting these ingredients to an authentic Asian perfection.

Wokon is the perfect drop off point to refuel at during a full day of spending in blizzard-like shopping conditions.

Wokon Noodle Bar

0113 234 6666

www.wokon.co.uk

Jacklyn Swiecicki