Christmas is on its way

Yay - Christmas is only a few weeks away. And this year, the Other Half and I have a cosy little home to celebrate in, instead of a cold and damp rental - woo!

Last week, Cardiff switched on its Christmas lights - one of my favourite times of year. I finished work, walked into town (it was a perfect cold and dry day), marvelled at the beautiful lights, browsed the array of cute stalls and had some roasted nuts while watching the various street performances.

I've also just started wrapping my gifts as I need to head home to north Wales on the first weekend in December and I'm getting mega excited. The Other Half doesn't quite seem to share my level of enthusiasm, yet.


Only a month to go...

Chapel 1877

Happy Friday everyone!

As payday isn't until Tuesday, the Other Half and I are having a cheap-ish weekend. And so, as we both love going out for food, we decided that this weekend would be a good time to use our Groupon voucher at Chapel 1887 in Cardiff.

Unfortunately, this voucher was extremely popular and the only table we could get was 5:30 last night - to be honest though, after the night we had, I didn't care one bit!

This is a beautiful Grade II listed building that has been renovated to the highest standard. It has a gorgeous (although slightly expensive) bar downstairs and a luxurious eating are upstairs - where all the tables can have a look at the chefs at work. A great venue for some great food.

The voucher entitled us to a signature cocktail and a 3 course meal each - for £39. Bearing in mind that a cocktail can be £7 and a main is at least £16 - this was a bargain.

We've had lunch here a few time (as it's cheaper!) and the food and service has always been great - and we weren't disappointed last night.

We walked in and were welcomed by a very cheerful young woman who recommended a few cocktails for us - the Other Half had a sour Mocktail while I opted for the Mayflower - gin, elderflower syrup and apple juice - de-lic-ious. Probably the best cocktail I've had in a while.

And then the real fun began. The food!

I apologise now that I have no photos, I devoured the food before I even thought about my camera. I managed one quick Instagram shot - which you can see on the side of this blog.

I started off with seared tuna, Asian slaw and wasabi. The tuna was fine, nothing special. But the slaw and wasabi were really great and full of flavour, and the use of chopsticks in a fine dining venue made a nice change. The Other Half had delicious pumpkin torteloni - I'd definitely try that one next time.

Me 0 - 1 Other Half.

As for the main, I definitely won. I opted for the lamb, and it was one of the nicest plates of food I've had in a while. The lamb was pink and perfectly cooked, with rich berry jus (and plenty of it) and then the pièce de résistance - rich potatoes layered with chorizo - wow. I've never had anything like it and it was lush.

The Other half had the duck. He had plenty of meat and it was, again, perfectly cooked, with creamy mash and a cabbage dumpling - a really lovely side dish.

Me 1 - 1 Other Half

To finish off, we both had the cheesecake - always a favourite. A New York vanilla cheesecake served with pistachio crumb, bananas and salted caramel sauce. Yum.

Me 1.5 - 1.5 Other Half

All in all, we had a lovely evening. The food was really good, the service was even better. We had a few different waiters and each one was as cheerful and as polite as the other. They were attentive without being over the top. I always think that good service goes a long way. Have you ever returned to a restaurant where you received awful service?

So a gold star from me - and I'll be back. But maybe for the more affordable lunch menu!. ;-)

Have a delicious weekend everyone!

Photos from Chapel 1887's official website.


Chapel 1887 were not aware that I'd be writing a review of sorts.

Jamie's Italian

What could be better than a plateful of pasta and a glass of white wine on a gorgeous summer's evening? A plateful of pasta and a glass of white wine at Jamie's Italian in Cardiff - who now, finally, takes bookings - woo!

I've been a few times before, once for a midweek lunch when it was relatively quiet, and then twice more for my leaving do and the Other Half's surprise birthday - both times we had more than 8 people.

For months after Mr Oliver opened its restaurant doors in the 'Diff, there would be queues round the corner for a table as they didn't allow bookings for fewer than 8 people. But now, things have changed, and I'm delighted.

I've always been happy at Jami'es - tasty food, busy atmosphere and very attentive staff - I wasn't disappointed this time round either.

On this occasion there were 4 of us - my dad, his Other Half, me and my Other Half - a fun double date.

I went for squid, wild rabbit pasta and frozen yogurt - and I couldn't really fault any of them.

The squid: was plentiful, light and crispy - not a chewy mouthful in sight. And although the garlic mayo was goood and had a great kick to it, I could've done with more.

The wild rabbit pasta: was light and left me feeling satisfied but not bloated. The sauce was just right and the rabbit itself was very moist.

The frozen yogurt: was a great end to the meal - very fruity (the strawberries had been soaked in elderflower - yum!) and full of flavour - the poppy seed filo crisp was a great addition.

Amongst the other dishes on our table were the delicious prawns wrapped in angel hair pasta, the baked mushrooms that was enough for two people, a gigantic burger with all the trimmings, a good old Carbonara and a meaty Sausage Pappardelle.

Everyone left smiling.

And once again when it comes to food, I managed to take a couple of quick photos before scoffing the lot. Good thing I'm not a food blogger, ay?

A sunny day with the family

This weekend, my dad and his Other Half came to stay for a few days, and luckily for us, the sun was out the whole time - perfect!

We had lunches out, ate ice cream in the park and went to St Fagans National History Museum.

It's only 3 miles from home but I hardly ever visit. However, dad was keen on a day out there so off we went.

We spent a good few hours walking around the orchid, having a nose around the old houses and enjoying a well deserved cold drink in the traditional cafe. 

It was a bit hot for a whole day there so we decided on an afternoon in Cardiff Bay - zooming around on a speedboat, enjoying a cheeky cider in a beer garden and then finishing with some delicious food - more on that in another post.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend in the sun?

Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival

Last weekend, the Other Half, our friends who were visiting from New Zealand and I spent the day at the Cardiff International Food and Drink Festival - a 3 day event celebrating British food - from chocolate brownies (yum!) to Welsh beef burgers (yum!).

 

I spent my money on the aforementioned brownies, a variety of cheeses and way too much cider. A great day was had by all.

 

Th festival is held in the Roald Dahl Plass in Cardiff Bay and it was a scorcher of a day. And the best part? The event was free - that however does not mean it's a cheap day out - you (well, I) spent a looot of money on a variety of foods and drinks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a really busy weekend (I'd highly recommend going on the Friday as it's a little quieter) with a great selection of food and drinks, the stallholders are very generous with their tasters and the music tops it all off...especially with a pint in hand in the sun.

 

 

 

 

I was planning on taking a few food related pictures as this was a Food Festival, but unfortunately I devoured all of my treats in seconds - sorry!

 

However, amongst the highlights (just in case you decide to go next year!) were the stuffed pittas at the Persian Food Stall (there was only one) that offered a decent sized pitta filled to the brim with a variety of falafaels (plain, olive or sundreid tomato), fresh salad and a good choice of sauces - I went for the tahini sauce.

 

I also opted for the oh so good  and gooey brownies - the creme brulee flavour was my favourite!

 

And as for a little nod to my North Walian roots, I also devoured several cheeses from the Snowdonia Cheese Company - the Black Bomber was particularly good.

 

Starving yet?

 

My latest purchase

I thought I'd share with you my latest purchase - a great little find in a great little shop, if you can call it that.

Imagine walking into your Nan's living room, except that your Nan also likes retro video games and punk records - this is Cardiff Fashion Quarter.

Possibly, not the most appealing photograph, but you get the idea.

They sell everything from furniture to decorations, CDs to VHS, clothes to stuffed animals and everything in between - you need patience to trawl through everything, but that's all part of the fun.

And over the weekend, my trawling paid off as I came across some Russian Dolls - I was delighted! I've been looking for some for a few months now, and even though they're readily available online, 1) they're too expensive and 2) they look 'too new'. And so, when I found this delightful set (which is surprisingly similar to a set I had, and lost, as a child) - I was a very happy girl.

 So, have you found any treasure recently?