Fat Hippo Underground ~ Shakespeare Street Newcastle

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So as you will all know by now I love my food and any opportunity I get to eat out, you bet ya bottom dollar I'm going to take it. If I could afford to id never eat in again but alas the Champagne Lifestyle will have to wait a few more years while I build my empire!!

So last weekend I had arranged to meet up with an old friend Jenny to talk travel plans and just have a general catch up, we have both wanted to try this place for sometime so we saw this as the perfect opportunity to give it a go. We had originally planned on visiting the Durham branch as this was closer for us but from watching the news during the week it was the weekend of the Miners Gala in the city centre so we thought it best to stay away as it can be very busy and we were not likely to get a table or navigate our way around the city as easily as we would have liked. So it was then decided that we should just make a day of it and go to Newcastle do a bit of shopping and then finish the day with some tasty burgers!

So after a very successful day hitting the shops and a little stop off at the Botanist for a little drink we made our way to the Fat Hippo, we had booked a table as were unsure of how busy it was likely to be, it was around 16:30 by this time and we needn't have worried because they seemed to have plenty of tables and a steady flow of customers. I imagine if you wanted to go later in the evening on a weekend it may well be worth booking as it did seem like a popular spot.

Once we had been seated we settled in and started to peruse the menu to make our food choices for the evening. I went for the Texas Burger, two 4oz beef burgers with streaky bacon, cheese onion rings and topped with BBQ sauce. I upgraded my fries to the Dirty Fries which were skinny fries topped with Fat Hippo Sauce (Think Cajun Mayo) and bacon bits, delicious. I also went for the Mac and Cheese Balls starter to come along as a side dish with the burger. The burger was so tasty a little pink in the middle and super juicy and the toppings were perfect. I only managed to eat half of it because it was quite big, my friend made me feel better about leaving half by saying that I technically ate one burger because of the two beef patties haha! Now the Mac and Cheese Balls were my fave, they are just the best invention ever it was Mac and Cheese rolled into balls dipped in bread crumbs and deep fried, they were served with a white BBQ sauce which I didn't think much of but I asked for extra Fat Hippo Sauce and this combination was just lush. Jenny went for the PB&J Burger, two 4oz beef burgers topped with chunky peanut butter cheese and homemade bacon jam. She stuck to plain skinny fries to come with her burger and then ordered the Deep Fried Gherkins as a side. From all the noises she was making it seemed like a messy burger but very tasty nonetheless and she did so well managing to eat pretty much all of it save a little bit of the burger bun, but all meat was demolished and she also enjoyed the Deep Fried Gherkins too.

As we had a little bit of time before our train home we gave it a little wait and then ordered some dessert. Nothing to heavy as I was still feeling very full even after half an hour so I just went for the Lemon Sorbet which after the heavy meal we had just devoured was refreshing and a great palette cleanse. Jenny went for the Sorbet and added a little of the Chocolate Ice Cream to go along with it. They did have other options such as a Belgian Waffle and Chocolate Brownie but I honestly don't know after those burgers how anyone could manage them!!

This place offers some pretty amazing burgers and is definitely up there with some of my favourite burger joints. It's somewhere I would like to come back to, I would like to try the Durham branch on a weekend that is not to busy as I can imagine that it will be just as good and from a snap I have seen on their Instagram the views look stunning so that's on the agenda!

Fat Hippo have branches in Newcastle, Jesmond, and Durham so if you in any of these areas you should go check it out!

*Photos supplied by Jenny Stabler @jennys._lens

Reds True BBQ ~ Cloth Hall Street Leeds

I am a huge fan of BBQ food and not the burnt burgers and sausages that make a regular appearance at home BBQs up and down the UK I'm talking real American smoked meats and tangy BBQ sauces.

I've known about Reds True BBQ for sometime now but never had the opportunity to try it out. So on a recent shopping excursion to Leeds I made a point of dropping in! I'm terrible for salivating over menus before I go to a new restaurant so I already had an idea of what was in store and got a little bit excited.

After a successful days shopping myself and my Mum and Dad made our way to the restaurant, we had to wait for a table but they took my number so I could nip back to the car to drop off my shopping and on my way back I had a call to say our table was ready.

Once seated I had another look at the menu and although I had already had a cheeky look I found it hard to chose as everything sounded so delicious. I went for the Pit Burger which consists of two Beef Burgers, smoked Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, Bacon, Cheese and what they call Dirty Sauce served in a Brioche Bun with a humongous Onion Ring on the side. It was so tasty and the meat was melt in your mouth perfection just how smoked meat should be. Although it sounds like a lot of food it was the perfect size burger.

My mum went for the Baby Back Ribs which are served in a delicious tangy BBQ sauce. My Dad went for the St Louis Ribs which are a chunkier cut of the rib and he chose to have them served with dry rub which is how they come in America, he also had the Cheese and Jalapeño Cornbread on the side. Both ribs were fall off the bone finger licking good and my Dad used the yummy BBQ sauces that come on the table for dipping.

We ordered some of the Swine Fries to share as a side for all three of us. The Swine Fries come as a mixture of Skin on and Sweet Potato Fries served with Smoked Pork, Grilled Cheese, Chipotle Sour Cream, Spring Onion, Jalapeños and Salsa. I'm not a fan of Sweet Potato Fries so I had to do a bit of digging to find the Skin on Fries but all in all these fries were delicious and the toppings were perfect and really helped to fill me up.

This meal was everything I hoped it would be and more, it took me back to my holidays in America. They have really captured the real essense of an all American BBQ and I can't wait to go back and try some of the other items on the menu because it truely was a tough choice.

Reds True BBQ have various different locations and all info can be found on their website. I can't recommend this place enough for all you meat lovers out there! 

Kapadokya York ~ Authentic Turkish Restaurant ~ 24 George Hudson Street

A while back now, I’m talking November last year (bad blogger) me and my sister went to York to visit York Dungeon you can read my post HERE, Mummy and Daddy Lines came along too and while we were busy being scared they had a little look around the shops. Whenever we are in York we always go to Akbars an Indian restaurant that has various locations around the north of the country and as we paid a visit to the Newcastle branch the weekend before, me and Mummy Lines saw this as a good opportunity to visit Kapadokya an Authentic Turkish Restaurant one of our favourite cuisines. We have been here before but as I said earlier it will most times be over looked for our default restaurant Akbars so this was a refreshing change of pace gastronomically.

As I said Kapadokya is a family run Authentic Turkish restaurant a short walk from York’s city centre just across the bridge off Micklegate. A bright and colourful place, showcasing photos and art work from Turkey helping to add to its authenticity. A nice sized restaurant, spacious but still having a small Turkish restaurant feel. It was quiet when we went as it was early on a Sunday afternoon but I can imagine at peak times it would be a bustling vibrant place to eat.

This restaurant like the French restaurant in my last restaurantreview had a set menu that went alongside the normal menu meaning you could have 2 courses for £12.95 or 3 courses for £14.95 and the choices that they offered were a good variety. They also have a general menu which you could order from again with a vast array of traditional Turkish dishes. We all decided to order from the set Menu ordering a starter and a main dish each.

Me and my Sister went for the Garlic Mushrooms to Start, Daddy Lines went for the Humus with fresh baked bread to dip and Mummy Lines went for Sigara Borek filo pastry stuffed with spiced minced lamb and deep fried. The Garlic Mushrooms were delicious, creamy and infused with the perfect amount of garlic and topped with cheese that once melted in gave a gorgeous gooey texture, just the right size for a starter not filling you up to much that the main dish was spoiled. Daddy Lines said the Humus was very tasty although he was filling up a bit on bread as they gave such a generous amount but again it didn’t spoil his main meal. The Sigara Borek Mummy Lines said was nice she had two filo parcels that looked a lot like spring rolls that were stuffed with minced lamb; it was perfectly spiced with loads of flavour but not over powering.

For the mains Me, Mummy and Daddy Lines had an Adana Kebab, spiced minced lamb put onto a skewer and flame grilled,  it was served with rice and a chilli dip but me being awkward I asked for chips and it was no bother at all. I also asked for a side of a mint yoghurt dip which wasn’t on the menu as a side but part of another dish and again this was no bother. The kebab was incredibly tasty and as I said before perfectly spiced not to hot but full of flavour and very generously sized getting 2 kebabs plus the sides. My sister opted for the Chicken Shish cubes of chicken marinated and placed on skewers and once again flame grilled and served with the same sides as the Adana Kebabs. She said the chicken was very tasty and the marinade gave the meat a lovely flavour.

I can’t recommend this restaurant enough the staff were very friendly and welcoming the food was delicious and real value for money! So next time you find yourself in York looking for some tasty food give Kapadokya a whirl you won’t be disappointed.

Day Out ~ York Dungeon

A couple of weekends ago I was asked by York Dungeon* to go along and review the Dungeons as part of their Halloween celebrations running from 17^th October to the 2^nd November. I had read up on what extra tricks and treats they were laying on for the Halloween festivities and from my research I was quite excited that they had a new character The Master of Tricks who armed with his Wheel of Misfortune promised to bamboozle guests with his wit and games of deception. I asked my sister if she would like to come along as we are both huge scaredy cats I knew we would both enjoy being terrified by the experience.

York Dungeon is right in the centre of York and our Park and Ride bus stop was only a few metres away from the entrance which was very convenient. It is on Clifford Street close to the main shopping streets and other attractions. Like all Dungeon experiences in cities throughout Europe it is designed as a gory horror museum showcasing local factual events through history.

We had booked to go on the 13:30 tour and when we arrived there wasn’t much of a queue only waiting a short while before we had our pictures taken against a green screen. Once our picture where taken we made our way into a holding area where a small group is taken on the tour that follows the story of York’s darkest History. There are 11 different stories in total with around 8 containing live actors helping to bring history to life.

The sets where very realistic helping to keep the authentic themes and also helping tell the story especially the rooms that had no live actors these rooms where were the sets came into their own and I was very impressed. The rooms that had live actors would pick an unwilling member of the group to partake in the different scenarios helping them to tell the story and giving the rest of the group a good laugh as usually the scenarios where very funny.

So having visited the Dungeons I was hugely impressed by the standard of not only the actors involved but by the set and use of technology, this kept the whole group captivated throughout the tour and everyone was on edge wondering who or what would pop up next. The actors were superb and stayed in character throughout injecting their enthusiasm ensuring that no one was left bored.

 The only thing I was disappointed by was the fact that I never got the chance to meet the Master of Tricks. I don’t know why he never made an appearance it may be as we went along on 2^nd November and it was very quiet who knows. Despite this I can’t recommend York Dungeon enough as a great day out attraction in York anytime of year.

If you want more information about York Dungeon including Opening Times and Ticket Prices then take a look at their website by clicking HERE.

* This is a sponsored post

Rustique French Restaurant Richmond North Yorkshire

Last month it was Daddy Lines' Birthday and we had planned to go to the French restaurant in the town where we live for his birthday meal! Normally Dad likes to go to Akbar's an Indian Restaurant in Middlesbrough but as we had visited the York branch recently the French is the next family favourite restaurant. Mummy Lines and Me had treated Dad to a Champagne breakfast in Betty's Tea Room in Northallerton and so by the time 6 O'clock rolled around we were certainly ready for our meal.

Rustique is a small cosy restaurant right in the heart of Richmond on a street just off the market place. Although small it has a Parisian street Bistro feel to it with the front of the restaurant under a glass roof and patio floor to give the impression you are dining outside whilst being shielded from the elements. They also have a few tables just inside the building itself and a mezzanine level that has seating for individual tables but can also cater for larger groups. I came here for my leaving do in February and it comfortably seated 20 of us so don't be deceived by the size is almost like a TARDIS.

We were seated in the courtyard area and we did feel a bit squashed onto the table, there were 5 of us with one of us squashed on to the end of a table for 4 which was a shame but with a bit of manoeuvring we figured out how to eat comfortably. The great thing about this place is that they have a set menu at certain times of the day and you can get a 2 course meal for £13.95 or 3 courses for £15.95 with a wide choice of Starters, Mains and Desserts, check out Rustique's website for times when the set menu is available. You can also order from the A La Carte Menu at anytime of the day.

I went for the set menu, being quite fussy I quite like the options from this menu more than the A La Carte. For a Starter I went for the Champignons a l'Ail which is mushrooms in a creamy white wine and garlic sauce with a French baguette. For my main I went for the Steak Frites a rump steak cooked to your liking with a choice of Garlic Butter or a Pepper Sauce, I went for the Garlic Butter and asked for extra so that I could cover my chips in the garlicky goodness too. Normally by this point I'm fit  to burst but as it was a special occasion I made room for a dessert, and I decided on the Tarte au Chocolat an individual sized pastry tart with a smooth chocolate filling, with a dollop of Vanilla Ice Cream and a berry coulis.

The atmosphere inside was lovely and the waiting staff were very attentive and polite. The main waiter was French and so I decided to test out some French I have been learning and the waiter was very complimentary of my skills so I was very pleased with that and I'm feeling confident now that when I visit Paris for New Year ill be able to survive.

Rustique has another two braches in York one on Castlegate and the other on Lendal. So if you find your self hungry in York or Richmond Rustique is definitely worth a visit.

Joe Rigatonis Darlington

On Saturday I needed to head into Darlington to do a few bits and bobs in the bank and I wanted to have a look at some new beds. Mummy and Daddy Lines also had a few errands to run too so our Saturday plans were sorted. Mummy and Daddy Lines had gone to the pool on Friday night and whilst having a little steam in the steam room they decided that seen as we were in Darlington we should go out for dinner as we haven’t been out for a while and we all agreed that we should try Joe Rigatonis as we haven’t been in so long and it’s a restaurant we all liked.

We headed into town late so that we could be at the restaurant later and we pottered around the town centre and then went off to do the weekly shop. Once we had done all we needed to do we made our way to the restaurant. Now we hadn’t been for so long that what used to be the main entrance to the restaurant was now a completely different restaurant which we only discovered when we sat down and were handed menus! Finding out that Joe Rigatonis was now just in the basement of the same building we made our way down. We were greeted buy a really friendly member of staff and seated promptly as it was still early evening and wasn’t busy. We were given some time to peruse the menu and they had an excellent offer of 2 courses for £9.95 including some of the chicken and steak dishes not limited to pizza and pasta like you find with some other Italian restaurants with similar offers which was great.

While we were deciding on what to order the waitress took our drinks order. Mummy and Daddy Lines went for soft drinks and I ordered one too along with a Cosmopolitan from the cocktail menu which was reasonably priced at £5.95. They had a nice little selection of cocktails to choose from not a vast list but all the popular ones so ill definitely be trying some of the other options next time.

For starters I went for the Bruschetta, Mummy Lines went for BBQ Chicken Wings and Daddy Lines had the Calamari. My Bruschetta was delicious and full of flavour. The portion was just the right size without skimping on topping either. Mummy Lines did enjoy her chicken wings but having been spoiled by the epic wings we eat while in America I think she was slightly disappointed but tasty none the less, and Daddy Lines seemed to like the Calamari. As I said the portion sizes were perfect and not to filling just enough to take the edge of any hunger off.

For my main meal I went for the Smoky Joes Pizza which was a BBQ base topped with Spicy Meatballs and pepperoni and I asked if they could add some onion which was no bother at all, I also asked for some garlic mayo to dip my pizza into and again my request was no problem. Mummy Lines went for Chicken A La Crème which is chicken sautéed with mushrooms and garlic smothered in a creamy white wine and leek sauce and came with homemade chips. Daddy Lines went for the Classic Carbonara it looks delicious too so I might try that out next time I go. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and were suitably stuffed after we had finished. Unfortunately we had no room for desert but from looking at the menu they had some really tasty sounding options.

I had a really enjoyable meal at Joe Rigatonis the staff were really friendly and very helpful even suggesting items from the menu they would recommend which I like as its shows they really do eat there and like the food that is served. Ill definitely be coming back soon and I wont leave it so long between visits this time.

Joe Rigatonis has branches in Darlington, Middlesbrough, Ripon, Stockton, Harrogate and Yarm so they have plenty around if you fancy visiting one soon!