Eating around the World with The Butterfly Quarter | Middlesbrough

One of my favourite things to do is go out and try new restaurants. I'm sure I may have said that once, or twice... This week one of Middlesbrough's healthy restaurants decided it was time to change up and become a cocktail and tapas venue. I have to say, I'm very happy about that. My friend Rachel and I love tapas, antipasto and charcuterie boards and we're pretty much on a mission to try all of them in Teesside. We've already been to Alchemy & Co., Lost Property and No.34, but we're always looking for something new so we were very excited to try The Butterfly Quarter.

The Butterfly Quarter is a quaint and striking space with an industrial edge. When we sat down we were given two menus each, one full of cocktails and the other laden with tapas options. We were in heaven. On the tapas menu, there was a deal which gave you three plates and a glass of wine for £15. We instantly knew this was the one for us and got to selecting six options for us to share. We chose Bruschetta Di Pomodori (Italy), Croquetas De Jamon (Spain), Arancini (Italy), Patatas Bravas (Spain), Funghi All'aglio (Italy), Mozzarella In Crosta (Italy) and as another extra we chose bread with three dips; Moroccan hummus, red pepper romesco and aubergine mutabai. As we'd chosen the special deal, our three choices each came on a wooden board with our bread as a cheeky little extra.

Each of the dishes were super delicious. My favourite was the Croquetas, followed closely by the Patatas Bravas and the Bruschetta. Oh, and the Mozzarella sticks and their dip was delicious too. We tried our best to clear our boards and did a pretty good job but we maybe aimed too high when we ordered the bread too.

Whilst we were there, they had an acoustic artist who really added a lovely vibe to the night without overpowering conversation. The staff at The Butterfly Quarter were friendly and very accommodating considering they were just getting used to the new elements as well.

There are quite a few local places coming around to the idea of tapas, but I think The Butterfly Quarter have really set a high standard and I would definitely be back again. If not to eat tapas, to definitely work through their cocktail menu.

Taking a bite out of Sunderland Restaurant Week | Saturday 17th to Sunday 25th March

When I received an email inviting me to another Safari Supper in Sunderland, I jumped at the chance. The last two I've attended have been fantastic and shown me some great restaurants that reside in Sunderland. From tapas Indian to large slabs of cake, this city has so much more to offer than I'd first anticipated. To show off the foodie scene, Sunderland BID is hosting Restaurant Week from Saturday 17th March to Sunday 25th, which will provide fantastic discounts allowing visitors to try out as many as places as possible without breaking the bank.

The 'Safari Supper' allowed us to have each course in a different restaurant. First, we started with drinks and canapes in El Nido, which is a small Mexican restaurant hidden away on Frederick Street. It's an extremely cosy little space with an authentic atmosphere serving food with heat. Even the drinks have an edge to them as we found out with one of the cocktails containing jalapenos! 

We were provided with a number of small plates showing the variety of options they have on the menu. There were dishes with spicy beef, fruity chicken and exotic jackfruit which gave us all an opportunity to find a favourite. For Restaurant Week you can get a starter and a burrito, or two tacos for £10, and add a dessert/side/cocktail for £15.

From El Nido, we trekked across to 2 Church Lane for our starter. I didn't expect much when we walked into the venue. It was across the road from the Sunderland Empire Theatre and was a typical pub atmosphere. When the food started to come out, I could see that the team behind this place were up-to-date with what people want and had definitely delivered. Our large table started to be filled with plates of halloumi fries, meat-filled burgers, chips doused in chilli and cheese as well as a whole host of vegan options.

It was clear that a lot of thought has gone into the food that is being served at 2 Church Lane with the specially baked bread buns, the seriously delicious chips and many options for the growing vegan movement. With an offer of a burger and fries for £5, the addition of another course for £10 and three courses for £15, it is definitely a place to consider during Restaurant Week.

After our stop at 2 Church Lane, we walked over the road to the Engine Room. When a group of bloggers walk into a restaurant as photo-worthy as this, a repurposed fire station, you know there will be a million photos before you've even sat down. This place is just stunning, they've done a fantastic job of keeping all the authentic elements of the fire station, whilst making it into a modern restaurant.

Here we were to have our main meal and were overwhelmed with lots of dishes of food. After already filling ourselves in the last venue, we knew we'd made a grave mistake. Fish and chips, vegan curry and burgers were just some of the meals we had the opportunity to try. 

The Engine Room is collaborating with Sundaes, which have a shop on Yarm high street, to create some cocktail-inspired ice cream flavours for the Summer. We had the opportunity to try the pornstar martini flavour as well as a scoop of their standard ice cream flavours. For a hearty meal with a couple of drinks, this venue is a great stop and during Restaurant Week, you can get three courses for £15.

When we had just about as much savoury as we could handle, it was time to cross over the road to The Peacock, which is owned by the same group that runs The Engine Room, for our dessert. We were served up three dishes to try which included carrot cake cheesecake, a brownie with jaffa cake ice cream and cherry Bakewell sponge with custard. Although I wasn't a fan of the cheesecake, you had to roll me home after devouring the brownie with the amazing ice cream and the comforting sponge with custard. As with The Engine Room, The Peacock will be doing three courses for £15 which includes these fabulous desserts.

After our adventure around these restaurants, I have to say I'm really impressed with the restaurant options in Sunderland. There are some really reasonably-priced venues serving quality food which can cater to a variety of visitors. If you are considering making the trip to Sunderland, make sure to go during Restaurant Week and make the most of the brilliant discounted offers available which are all are listed on Sunderland BID's website.

Lunching at Five Houses, Crathorne

I’ve been a bit of a stranger to the food scene here in Teesside. Christmas really takes a toll on the number of times you’re able to go out for food in the New Year with a lack of funds and an overstretched waistline. Also, January was the first attempt at Veganuary for me, so we didn’t venture out much for food. When February rolled in, we were eager to get out.

I’m a lover of shopping local and getting package-free wherever possible. I pop to Stokesley every Saturday to get my fruit and vegetables from the friendly greengrocers all without plastic. So whenever I hear about a new farmers market or farm shop, I want to visit. 

One that’s been around for a few months now that I haven’t yet been able to visit is Five Houses in Crathorne. Opened by the brains behind Kitson and Sons Butchers, Five Houses hosts a shop filled with fruit and vegetables, fresh pies and plenty of quality meat. On top of all this, they have a wonderful cafe where they use all their produce to make some delicious meals.

I wanted to write this post after my first visit with Matt, but a week on and I still hadn’t put fingers to keys... and then I went again. This time with my Mum, Sister and Nephew. If anything, I think this means I have more of a solid view on this local cafe.

Each time I visited was on a Saturday and on both occasions it was pleasantly busy. We were found a seat in quick time as the turnover of visitors was pretty speedy. To place an order, rather than having people to take your order at the table, you have to go up to the counter which is filled with attractive, tempting cakes. The menu has some classic English favourites, changing specials and numerous alternative dishes for meat eaters and veggies to enjoy.

On my first visit, I chose the steak pie which was the best decision. Although we were waiting 40 minutes for our food on this occasion, which was a disappointment, the pie made up for it and made me forget all about our wait. The meat was just perfect and the pasty was wonderfully crispy.

Matt chose the steak sandwich which I then had on my second trip. The meat again was lovely and tender, and there was a lot of it. The only downside of this sandwich for me is the caramelised onions made it a little too sweet for me but the salty chips and salad were a good compliment to this.

The staff were very accommodating to other requests such as change of sides and making special sandwiches for toddlers. The cafe is very relaxed and at no point do you feel rushed to let other guests in. It's a lovely place to go for a meal with your family as well as a great venue for a catch up with friends for breakfast or lunch.

I really enjoyed visiting Five Houses and would go back in a flash. If you are going there, I recommend getting a pie. Even if you take one away, you have to have one! I've now had three in two weeks, let's not talk about it, shall we. I will refrain from going back this weekend...

Sunderland Restaurant Week | Saturday 9th - Sunday 17th September 2017

Sunderland isn't a place I visit often, to be honest, the last time I was there was to try out the football ground's Sunday lunch and the time before that was most likely to attend the first Safari supper. Like Middlesbrough, I think that Sunderland is going through a little bit of a revamp. The foodie scene is definitely upping its game and now it's hosting its third Restaurant Week. Nearly 50 restaurants are signed up to bring hungry guests some fantastic deals on food from Saturday 9th September to Sunday 17th. I was invited along with other local bloggers to try out some of the restaurants taking part in a 'safari supper'.

We started our trek in a restaurant I'd visited on the first Safari Supper, the Funky Indian/Prosecco Bar, and enjoyed canapés and drinks. Since I'd last been there they'd had a little switch up and now the Prosecco Bar is situated downstairs and the restaurant is on the ground floor. We heard all about the various Proseccos they serve at the bar and were treated to some delicious onion bhajis and masala fries.

After accidentally eating too much of the gorgeous canapés in the Prosecco bar, it was time to move on to Asiana Fusion which was situated on the riverside. They served up the starter part of our meal which was a selection of Asian favourites including Satay chicken, duck parcels and vegetable spring rolls. During restaurant week they will be offering three courses for £15.

After tucking in at Asiana Fusion, it was time to hop in a Station Taxi (sponsor of Restaurant Week, offering a £5 off voucher!) across to Port of Call's new teepee tent bar. Having already visited Port of Call at the previous event, I knew what to expect from the main venue but walking into the teepee was something else. It was such a gorgeous place to be and whilst we were there, we were treated to our main meal which was an abundance of meat. We had loads of different items offered to us including hot dogs, brisket, chicken burgers and mac n cheese. This is definitely one for the meat-eaters and during restaurant week you can get two courses for £15.

When we'd finished getting our fill at Port of Call, we jumped in a taxi again which took us to our final destination, Serendipity Tea and Trinkets. Inside it was very cosy and cute with lots of knick-knacks adorning the walls. At the back was a selection of cakes that we could try, and as I usually do, I picked the most chocolately one - Death by Chocolate. Accompanied by a cup of tea it was delicious. It was a great place to finish the night and after hearing the deal that they are doing during restaurant week, I think I might be back soon! They're offering a pot of speciality tea, a piece of cake and a bag of tea to take away for only £5.

As someone who is passionate about the North East, I loved being back in Sunderland to see what it has to offer so that I can spread the word about another part of our region. If you live in Sunderland or fancy the travel, I'd definitely suggest checking out the website to see what deals are on for Restaurant Week!

Let me know if you try any new places out that you think I'd like!

Taking on the challenge at Man vs Food Grill House, Middlesbrough

I've been extremely lucky to be invited to try out a couple of exciting restaurants and bars recently including Sunderland FC's Riverside Brasserie and the Potting Shed in Northallerton. Another invite popped into my inbox last week which was for the new Man vs Food Grill House opening in Middlesbrough. With locations already in South Shields, Newcastle and Consett, Middlesbrough was just another string to its bow lower down in the country. Boasting massive portions, extreme challenges and amazing meat, it was time to try...

I popped down after work the day before it's official opening with my friend Kirsty. Having booked the earliest slot, the restaurant was relatively quiet when we arrived but soon enough it was full of excited people ready to get their first try of this exciting new venue.

The menu is pretty vast with options from burgers to full sandwiches, meat platters and parmos. With so much choice it was hard to decide what we were going to try. After quite a time browsing the menu, I decided on the brisket pickle 'bad boy sandwich' whilst Kirsty chose the pulled beef. When they arrived we were both pleasantly surprised by the sheer size of the portion we were being served.

My sandwich was piled high with meat, pickles, coleslaw and chips, and with this, I got a portion of chips and a side of pit beans. Kirsty's pulled beef was in a neat little dish topped with hot peri-peri sauce accompanied by fries and coleslaw.

There was no way I was going to be able to pick up my sandwich and eat it conventionally. I did try, but it was not possible, so I went at it with a knife and fork. It was very tasty but also super filling and when I couldn't eat anymore, I still had quite a bit left. The side of pit beans was very tasty, like bbq-style baked beans. Kirsty enjoyed her pulled beef, but again the mass of food beat her.

We were seriously feeling full at this point having taken on our main meal and failed miserably. We did, however, feel like the amazing-sounding dessert menu deserved to be taken on. Filled with cheesecakes and waffles, the dessert menu is the stuff dreams are made of. We decided on a cheesecake each and then made the decision to have half of each others. I chose the Nutella whilst Kirsty went for Aero mint chocolate. Again the size of these desserts was ginormous. There was no way we were going to finish half let alone a full portion. We had a good few bites and decided the rest had to be boxed up to come home. Our favourite was definitely the Nutella one as the Aero just wasn't chocolatey enough for us.

Although this restaurant might be considered an expensive choice, the portions they serve are seriously worth it. With quality meat and exceptional sides, it really is a place to consider for a meal out with friends or family. Just make sure to order less and share! Especially with desserts, unless you want more for later...

Going Vegetarian at The Waiting Room, Eaglescliffe

For two birthdays on the trot now I've visited The Waiting Room and on both occasions, the food has been delicious. The Waiting Room is a vegetarian restaurant located a stones away throw from Eaglescliffe train station. 

Its menu changes seasonally and is always full of amazing creative items that won't make you miss having meat for the night. We visited on Friday night and this year sat in the back conservatory area. With its reclaimed cinema seating and eclectic decor, this area sits away from the main eating area at the front, giving you a feeling of privacy.

Having already surveyed the menu before we visited, I was pretty sure of my choices. For our starters I picked the hazelnut, mushroom and parsley pate and Matt chose the goats cheese, spice red onion and almond baklava. Both were very nice, but I kind of wish I'd picked Matt's dish as mine was a lot of hazelnut and not as mushroom flavour as I'd hoped. 

For our mains, I wanted to go with something that I knew I would enjoy. Last year I decided to go for items that sounded nice and were a bit of a different meal for me, but I ended up being disappointed as I'd gone too far out of my comfort zone.

On our most recent visit, I chose the infamous and highly-recommended puy chilli wholemeal enchilada and Matt went for the roast garlic, courgette and spinach buckwheat galette with an organic poached egg.

When mine arrived it was massive! It tasted amazing, so full of flavour and heat from the chilli. I didn't manage to finish it all but they kindly packed it up for me to enjoy the next day (which I did). Matt thought his dish was gorgeous with a good mix of flavours and the addition of the egg on top really tied it all together.

Although we were both bursting at the seams, for a birthday meal it would be rude to not get dessert. Matt went for his regular, sticky toffee pudding, and I chose the chocolate pecan brownie. The sticky toffee pudding did not disappoint and the brownie was super decadent and gorgeous with the ice cream.

Overall I really enjoy visiting The Waiting Room. There is always something different to try and as I'm a fussy meat eater, I know I'm always going to enjoy all the vegetables!

Have you visited The Waiting Room?

Stepping into Summer with Turtle Bay's new menu - Middlesbrough

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take Matt to Turtle Bay and show him what it was all about. Having visited on the press night with my fellow Teesside bloggers, I was invited back to try out the new menu and review which I was happy to oblige.

We popped along on a Friday night feeling extremely hungry after a long day at work. I started with my favourite cocktail, discovered on my last visit, the Marley Mojito. I'm not a fan of normal mojitos but this one is so refreshing and fruity with ginger beer, watermelon and melon liqueur.

We both had a tough time deciding what we'd get for our mains as there were so many delicious sounding meals listed. I really wanted to have the beef ribs again after trying them before but the two-way chicken burger caught my eye. As we don't have lamb at home, Matt decided that's what he'd be trying. 

My burger was a spicy panko-crumbed chicken fillet topped with pull jerk chicken, crisp gem lettuce, fresh pineapple chow & herb mayo accompanied by fries and coleslaw. I did enjoy my burger as it was unusual to have the two types of chicken, but I did kind of wish I'd chosen the beef ribs as it was something different. Matt's lamb was grilled and jerk marinated served with coleslaw, sweet potato mash, green seasoning and sweet onion chutney. He really enjoyed the lamb and said all of the different aspects worked really well together.

We both ordered another drink before our next course with Matt ordering a Red Stripe which was on draught and I delved back into the cocktail menu. Sounding very Caribbean,  I chose the Bahama Mama which had coconut rum, banana liqueur, pineapple juice, pomegranate syrup and bitters. It was super sweet and tasted very familiar to something I'd had before but neither of us could put our finger on what it was.

For dessert, I decided to have the rum and raisin bread pudding as I'd tried some at the opening event and knew I had to have a whole piece. It was soft, ooey-gooey and warm, perfect with the ice cream. I finished the lot. Matt was more safe with his dessert and chose the dark chocolate brownie. He said it was nice, tasted home-made but could have done with more ice cream.

Turtle Bay has definitely cemented itself really well in Middlesbrough with almost everyone I've spoken to having a good word to say about. We will definitely be back as we've still got a lot more cocktails to try and so many more food options to taste.

Pretending I'm in the Caribbean at Middlesbrough's new restaurant -Turtle Bay

In Middlesbrough at the minute, we are starting to get some fab places to eat and drink popping up. It makes my heart happy knowing I have so much more choice now. With all the independents making waves on the food scene, it's nice to see chain restaurants starting to catch up with the introduction of Patisserie Valerie and even a Krispie Kreme stall!

There have been many rumours about further venues opening up including Bistrot Pierre, a french restaurant and an ice bar in the new snow centre which will be situated in Middlehaven but the one that I've been looking forward to is Turtle Bay. You'll be glad to hear that you haven't got long to wait at all to enjoy the flavours of the Caribbean, it opens tomorrow (Sunday 23rd April)!

Myself and a selection of other North East bloggers and media got a chance to visit Turtle Bay to experience the food and cocktails ahead of its opening.

One big mistake a few of us made, that we quickly realised when visiting Turtle Bay was that we had decided to drive. Turtle Bay's cocktail menu is laden with delicious choices for everyone using 40 different rums, my favourite spirit! With a two for one happy hour lasting all day (with the exclusion of 7pm-10pm) everyone will have the perfect excuse to try out copious cocktails. Next time I'll just make sure I'm not driving!

After sampling some drinks and hearing more about Middlesbrough's newest restaurant and stand-alone bar, including the fact they serve over 50 authentic Caribbean dishes, have created 50 new local jobs and have the capacity of 231 seats, we sat down to sample some grub!

The restaurant inside is absolutely stunning, everywhere is bright with colour adorned with posters, millions of lights and quirky Caribbean signage. You can't help but to stare at the restaurant as you are waiting for food to be served, well that's what I did anyway.

Once we were all seated, we began with two platters full of vegetarian and meat starters including sweetcorn fritter, okra fries, beef ribs and jerk chicken wings. All of the different elements were lovely and introduced our palettes to the spice that was going to be coming our way over the next few courses!

Next up was the curries. We had a vegan curry which may have been the spiciest thing I've ever tasted, apart from when I put too much chilli in my own cooking... It was full of tonnes of good stuff like sweet potato, spinach and kidney beans. We also had a beef and potato curry which I think quickly became the table's favourite.

When them two dishes were devoured another two came along. This time we were on to the meat. They provided the table with a whole jerk chicken which was beautifully chargrilled and drizzled with a lovely chutney and some beef ribs. I'd never tried beef ribs before and I always say I don't like ribs, but these were super tasty. The meat fell off the bone and when paired with their watermelon chow it was so good.

Just when we thought that we couldn't stomach another main meal, they came out with the bobby dazzler. A meal made just for that night, they only went and made up a jerk parmo. Oh my, it was delicious. The chicken was super thin and the cheese and bechamel ratio was just right. We were all so disappointed that we wouldn't get to taste it again.

Now completely satisfied with our mains, it was time to see the desserts. Sat with mostly girls who were obsessed with sweet things, this was always going to be the most anticipated course. The selection board included rum and raisin bread pudding, chocolate brownie, passionfruit cheesecake, grilled pineapple and banana & toffee cheesecake. Everyone quickly starting taking forkfuls of each dessert. My favourite by a mile was the rum and raisin bread pudding. I've never had bread and butter pudding in my life, but oh this was something. It was super tasty and just melted in your mouth. With some ice cream, I think this is going to be one of my favourite desserts.

After all the food it was time to say our farewells and get excited about our return.

I hope that I've successfully made your mouth water and that you are ready to book your visit to Turtle Bay. I know that I am already looking the next occasion I can drink all the rum and eat all the jerk-spiced dishes.

If you're not from Middlesbrough, Turtle Bay have restaurants across the country, have a nosy at their website to find one close to you.