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Food Glorious Food

This time last week, I'd never been to a restaurant with a Michelin star. Now I've been to two. First there was Une Table Au Sud in Marseille on Friday night. The occassion was a small family holiday to mark my parents' 60th birthdays. The food was really nice, I had a Milkshake de Bouillabaisse (Fish Milkshake!), followed by Sea Bass, and then Chestnut and Black Truffle ice cream (plus various canapes and sweets). It was great!

Then last night I went with Liv to The Old Vicarage for her birthday. The food here was another league above Une Table Au Sud. If the restaurant was in France, it would probably have been awarded two Michelin stars, not one. The food is seasonal, mostly local (they grow their own veg on site for example) and tastes amazing. Canapes, followed by Poached fish in brocolli sauce with a beetroot foam for 1st course, Brill with langoustine and truffle mash for the 2nd course, Whitby Cod with caviar, mussels, polenta and a champagne sauce for the 3rd course, and then passion fruit souffle, banana sorbet and lemon creme brulle for dessert. And all that was just my meal! Liv's was equally fabulous. If you live in Sheffield, you should really try and go. The food was great, the service was impeccible and the vicarage building was really nice. I never thought I'd be a fan of formal fine dining, but it was a really great evening.

It hasn't just Michelin starred restaurants; my brother and I also took my parents to Le Miramar in Marseille, apparantly one of the best places to try the dish native to the city: Bouillabaisse. This is basically a fish stew, yet a really indulgent one. The fish is cooked in a rich saffron infused broth, which is then served as soup for the starter. This comes with crostini which you rub garlic into. You then spread onto it a bright yellow Aoli based sauce before dropping into the soup. After that, the fish is served in more of the broth. I lost track of how much fish there was in there, but I was absolutely stuffed and couldn't finish the dessert.

My foodie travels aren't over yet. On London this weekend I'll be trying out Ooze - Britains first risotto bar. Now obviously the risotto won't be as good as mine, that goes without saying! But I can't wait none the less.

Food is brilliant! Je t'aime le food, innit!

Labels: food

Wednesday, February 28, 2007 3:42 PM