Anchorage - Sheffield

After all these years Sheffield still feels a little like home and I'm always glad to be back.  This time to see Kate Tempest at The Plug, not with the boy, but with the blonde!  (Thanks AA Gill.)

When I was a student the height of sophistication was probably Champs on Ecclesall Road, or the Pizza Express on Devonshire Green where one of my male house mates always took his potential conquests if he wanted to impress :-)

Sheffield has changed a lot since those days and one new addition is the glitzy West One Plaza, located at the corner of Fitzwilliam Street and Devonshire Street.  The 'Plaza' felt a little soulless but we went there specifically to check out Anchorage, a bar and 'East Coast Kitchen' which had caught my beady little eye.

http://www.anchoragebar.co.uk/

The menu is extensive and varied with a good selection of American cut steaks and even a meat and cheese Deli counter.  I'm a sucker for a Reuben and so it was a given what I'd have as soon as I clocked one on the menu.  The Anchorage Reuben was the best I've had (although I've not yet fulfilled my dream of a visit to NYC which could change things).  The salt beef especially was darn good.  I wasn't quite so sure about the Blonde's Mac 'N' Cheese burger,which started off very tasty but morphed into a ball of stodge which she was ultimately unable to conquer.

The restaurant, situated upstairs, was quiet when we arrived early on a Saturday evening but quickly filled up.  Service was perhaps a little on the rapid side but friendly and efficient, if a little impersonal.

After eating we retired downstairs to the bar and sampled some of the great beers (I especially liked the Tiny Rebel beer they had on tap and could not resist a bottle of Berliner Kindl).

The cocktail menu looks impressive too.  The atmosphere in the bar was laid back and welcoming, with an exceptionally friendly bouncer, as is the Sheffield way.

Anchorage is so well run and well thought out it almost has the feel of a chain, not in a bad way, just the slick 'thought of everything' ness.  The bar is run by the  Rootstock Trading Company, a Sheffield based events and marketing company who also run a couple of other Sheffield bars and the city's Tramlines festival.  They also manage Monster Energy's presence in Ibiza, which gives you some idea of the level of slickness.  So,while not entirely convincing and authentic, if you suspend your disbelief and go along with the vibe, there is plenty here to make you want to drop anchor for a while.

http://www.tinyrebel.co.uk/

Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant June 2014

 The boy and I have set up a little gourmet fund, supposedly not to be touched until our 40th birthdays (which are a long way off, obviously!)  However we couldn't resist dipping into the fund during a trip to Devon, as we were staying a short drive (okay four hour round trip but it was worth it) from Rick Stein's famous Seafood Restaurant in Padstow.

http://www.rickstein.com/The-Seafood-Restaurant.html

We went for lunch on a warm sunny Sunday in June.  Padstow was heaving with tourists and
Rick's restaurant was a little oasis on the harbour front.  The restaurant has all the trappings of a high class dining establishment, as well as some pretty out there art on the walls.

We had already decided to go for the sharing 'Fruits de mer' platter; what better way to judge the merits of a seafood restaurant!  Although we didn't order starters we were presented with olives and homemade walnut bread with seaweed butter which was most unusual and delicious.  We sipped a glass of chilled white wine and waited for the main event.  The equipment soon started to arrive...

I have eaten such a platter once before when living and working on the west coast of France.  I was a little anxious about not knowing which implement to use for which crustacean but I needn't have worried, it was all very intuitive...

The platter was piled high with lobster, oysters, mussels, winkles, langoustines and several types of crab - a celebration of seafood, with only shallot vinegar and mayonnaise needed to accompany it.  Other diners turned to look and smile at us as we cracked and picked our way through the pile.  Cheering us on or smirking at our novice shellfish eating skills?  Nah, doubt it,  I think it is one of those things where you just need to go for it....and go for it we did.

It took a while but was one of the most satisfying and celebratory dining experiences i have had, and I must admit to a little decadent thrill at leaving such carnage behind!

We later heard that Rick was around at the restaurant that evening so we were really sorry to have missed meeting him and would like to apologise for the state in which we left his tablecloth.  Definitely a meal worth the pilgrimage - we'll be back if we are ever in the area.

Whilst I'm on Padstow just a quick mention to the Chough bakery (yes you do pronounce it Chuff, which is what caught my eye) http://www.cornishpasty.com/

Where we purchased fabulously fresh pasties to have for supper that night.  Thanks Padstow.