Food: Alma De Cuba's Mixologist Cocktail Challenge

Food: Alma De Cuba's Mixologist Cocktail Challenge

Thursday, 31 May 2018

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One of the perks of being a blogger in Liverpool is that there is always something there to be explored. This week, I was fortunate enough to be invited along to a very exciting event at one of my favourite venues. Alma de Cuba is the basis of most of my ‘I have a full-time job now, I have my life put together!’ nights out with work-mates and pals alike, so being invited along not only to try out some brand new cocktails but also to be a judge for a cocktail challenge is probably one of my proudest moments. 

Those that know me well will know that I am not a big drinker: I’m normally far too sleepy to get too involved with a bev and nights out occur less and less frequently now that responsibility has hit. In spite of this, I was up for a good old fashioned taste-test of some delicious cocktails and of course, took my partner in crime along with me for the ride. I’ve been to Alma de Cuba for review before nowso my expectations were quite high – and rightly so. 

The premise of the night was simple enough: Alma’s talented bartenders would take centre stage and present their very own summer cocktails using specific spirits and mixers- the event was sponsored and the challenge set by Huyton-based Halewood Wines and Spirits. Competitors were asked to use gin and vodka from Whitley Neillor else premium Dead Man’s Fingers rum. Mixers should be incorporated- more specifically, those sanctioned by Lamb & Watt, made with Lake District spring water. There were prizes for the successful mixologists, including a stay in a prestigious Liverpool hotel for the night. The stage was set and the competitors were ready, but who would be crowned the Alma ultimate mixologist? I, for one, was excited to find out. 

Settled down at the bar with a pen in hand to judge, we were considering each cocktail in five ways: how humorous the mixologist’s presentation was, the story behind the cocktail, the taste (of course!), the look of the cocktail and how original the cocktail was. Each category was marked out of 5 giving each cocktail an overall score out of 25. Simple? Simple. 

Choosing a winner was a little bit less simple – the cocktails were all fantastic. Made with a range of ingredients including (although not limited to) egg whites, blood red orange gin, marmalade, grenadine, star anise and garden peas (!!!), no two cocktails were the same and it was fantastic to be able to see how experimentation can go really right (or really wrong). I could spend all day detailing the information behind all of the cocktails so I’ll just stick to my personal favourites and the winners so as to keep this post as focused as possible! One of my favourite cocktails of the night wasn’t actually one of the winning concoctions, funnily enough. My favourite thing to drink when I need something refreshing is ginger ale (the non-alcoholic kind, although I do love a Crabbies!) so the cocktail created by Jonathan, the Mora Star was one of my clear favourites. Made with a combination of Blood Orange Whitley Neill gin, ginger and Lamb and Watt Ginger Ale, the cocktail not only stuck to the brief but did so in a charming and inventive way. 

The top three cocktails were all showstoppers and it was difficult to decide between the three of them for sure, although I would argue that the overall winner was the best by a mile. Flowergirl, created by Ste, combined Elderflower gin, prosecco and Basil tonic to produce a sharp and refreshing drink. 

2^ndplaced Rosemary’s Ruibarbo, Gareth’s masterpiece, was definitely one of the nicest ‘fruity’ cocktails that I’ve tasted in a long time and Whitley Neill have definitely got a new fan of quince gin – I love quince jelly with my cheese but was blissfully unaware that there were other uses for quince flavourings! Rosemary’s Ruibarbo combined the aforementioned quince gin with pineapple and lemon juice and was topped delicately with raspberries. 

Last but definitely not least – the winner. Rhubarb Stilt Skin, humorously named, definitely had the last laugh as it romped away with the title. The mixture of rhubarb and ginger gin with marmalade, egg whites and pineapple and grapefruit juice left little to the imagination and much to be desired. A clear and fair winner, and my favourite of the night by a clear mile. 

I’d like to extend my thank yours to Georgie, who invited me over to the event, to Gemma who played a massive part in seeing the event through and finally to Haywood Wines & Spirits group who not only contributed the spirits for the evening but put together beautiful goody bags with our own little gin tasters to take home with us! The event was a huge success and we had a ball – I can’t wait to recreate some of these winning cocktails at home. I believe that the winning cocktails will be available to try on the Alma de Cubacocktail menu for a limited time so if you fancy seeing what all the fuss is about I recommend getting your butt down to Seel Street to try it out for yourself. 

(* I was invited along to this event by the organisers and was free to taste the cocktails as I so wished. Any and all opinions remain my own.) 

Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Food: The Florist, Liverpool

Monday, 14 May 2018

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Everything these days, concerning bars and restaurants, has the added task, on top of serving fantastic food and drinks, of being ‘instagram friendly.’ I’ll admit it myself- as a blogger, whether a place will provide excellent social media content or not does have an influence on whether I choose to go there or not, as sad as that might seem. It’s no longer enough to just have good food and drinks- the vibe has to be right to attract the crowds and there has to be a certain je ne sais quoi about the place to ensure that the crowds return.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to the opening night of The Florist, a brand new restaurant and bar opening in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, on Hanover Street. Hanover Street already has a plethora of stylish bars in its midst, and occupying the Old Blind School, The Florist certainly sits in with these – it arguably even stands out as being a cut above the rest.

The event was spread across the weekend, with an emphasis on cocktails and nibbles on the Saturday evening and then a taster of the Sunday lunch menu on the Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, due to my intensive schedule and some serious time constraints, I was only able to attend the Saturday night part of the weekend but that by no means was a complete negative. With my friend Emily in tow, glammed up to the maximum, we arrived at the beautiful venue ready to explore and see what The Florist has to offer.

It has a LOT to offer.

The entire venue is beautifully decorated- every single detail has been thought through with the most intricate of designs presented. The drinks menu has been crafted with their vision completely in mind and nothing is out of place. Walking around the inside of the building was a treat in itself – beautifully crafted flower arrangements adorn every possible area and it is, to be frank, a blogger’s haven. It honestly felt as though I’d walked into a showroom – I and everyone around me was completely blown away by what we had before us. Terrace areas outside allow for the fun to be extended to beautifully sunny days. We walked in to the event to be greeted by charming, excited staff members and the most incredible tasting Elderflower and Lychee Daiquiri that I’ve ever had the fortune of drinking. It was incredibly light tasting and adorned with a beautiful sprig of flowers – really adding that glamour to a classic drink. Over the course of the evening, I tried a number of different cocktails, including one called Rhubarb in Bloom (10/10 would drink again) and another that was a refreshing mixture of Prosecco and peach liquor stylishly named Peaches and Prosecco. The Florist offered a number of workshops on the night, ranging from flower arranging to gin tasting, all courses which are available to book in your own time if you so wish.

Of course, me being me, the highlight of my evening was, of course, the food and the nibbles that were on offer went above and beyond the call of duty. Emily and I filled our plates with a combination of different nibbles, including Crispy Mussel Popcorn, Baked Kale Crisps, Potatoes, Sweet Potato Fries and, my absolute favourite, Lavender, honey and Sunflower seed bread dipped in whipped goats cheese butter. I would return to The Florist JUST for that bread, no word of a lie. It was divine. To say that I was gutted not to have a taste of the roast dinner on Sunday is a complete and utter understatement but it just gives me reason to return in the future (as if I needed any convincing on this!)

In fact, I’ve already booked Richard and I in to return at the end of June to have a proper taste of the menu for a lovely romantic date night. I’m excited to try out their mains and see if they’re as delicious as everyone I know has said that they are!

Long story short? Go. It’s worth every single penny.

Food: Bold Street Coffee x Santa Maluco Collaboration*

Food: Bold Street Coffee x Santa Maluco Collaboration*

Wednesday, 4 April 2018

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Anyone who knows me well will know that I’m an absolute fiend for good food and going out for dinner is my favourite thing to do. I love the rush of looking at a brand new menu and picking out something that looks and sounds absolutely delicious. The idea of being a ‘lady who brunches’ appeals to me on an exponential scale so any opportunity to try out a good old fashioned brunch menu goes down a treat. 

Liverpool is renowned for having a mighty fine breakfast scene with restaurants all over the city hosting their own take on the most important meal of the day. The most recent take comes from a collaboration between two renowned Liverpool favourites – Santa Maluco and Bold Street Coffee. 

I am a massive fan of Santa Maluco, making absolutely any excuse to visit for pizza and a cocktail. Bold Street Coffee is another firm favourite, with their brunches drawing in the crowds from all sides of the city. When they announced that they were closing for refurbishment reasons, naturally, disappointment and frustration was wide-spread. Opening a pop-up shop in the Santa Maluco restaurant was a bit of a no-brainer really, utilising the mornings to share good old-fashioned breakfast and keeping the pizza loving customers happy with their traditional rodizio and mouth-watering wood fire pizzas in the afternoons and evenings. Being invited along to taste their menu made for a very happy Hollie. 

With my brunch side-kick in tow, we arrived at Santa Maluco with our stomachs empty (very impressive, considering it was Easter weekend and Easter eggs were sat there waiting to be eaten) and our expectations high. We were seated quickly and it was clear to see exactly why Santa Maluca is the perfect location for a brunch pop-up – the atmosphere of the place was relaxing and very chilled out, making for a fantastic first impression.

Deciding what to order was a difficult one, as there were so many delicious sounding options to choose from. In the end both Emily and I decided on scrambled eggs on toast, with sides to accompany our dish. I decided to add bacon on the side of my dish and Emily was a little more ambitious, going for bacon AND mushrooms. We ordered lattes to accompany them – or, as Emily referred to them as; those fancy coffees that look good on Instagram- and settled down for a good gossip while we waited for our food. The wait wasn’t a particularly long one and before long we were tucking into a generous portion of scrambled eggs on fresh crusty toast. The bacon was crispy and salty, exactly how I like it and the eggs were beautiful. I always worry that I’ve ordered the wrong thing when eating out but this was definitely not the case here – the food was delightful, left me full to the brim and feeling incredibly content, ready to seize the day (and the shops). I can guarantee I’ll be definitely going back there of my own accord in the coming months, ready to try the other items on the menu and get a feel for their entire menu.

The menu offers for people of all dietary requirements, with gluten free options and options for vegetarians as well. I’m not sure how well the restaurant accommodates vegans but I’m sure they’d be happy to change things around if you follow a vegan diet. I’m completely recommend trying out the brunch menu here while you have the chance – top notch food, a lovely environment and friendly, thoughtful staff make for a wonderful and fulfilling experience. 

You can try out the Bold Street Coffee menu at its new home in Santa Maluca from 7.30am-3.30pm during the week and 8.00am-3.30pm over the weekend. 

*Food was provided in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thoughts, as always, remain my own.

Food: Tickling My Tastebuds at The Vincent Kitchen, Liverpool

Food: Tickling My Tastebuds at The Vincent Kitchen, Liverpool

Monday, 23 October 2017

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Of all the things that Liverpool is famous for, I really do believe that it’s fabulous restaurant scene is the one that is the most underrated of all. There are a wide breadth of different cuisines readily available all over the city, with no street no more populous than Bold Street if you’re looking for the perfect place to dine. Whenever I’m struggling for somewhere to eat, I tend to take a wander down Bold Street and see what tickles my taste buds the most. New to the joint, The Vincent Kitchen sits perfectly amongst well-reputed restaurants with their own personal styles and unique palettes and when I was invited to check out their new menu, I was full of optimism for a fantastic evening of food. I was not to be disappointed.

Boyfriend in tow, we arrived at the restaurant with our expectations high and our stomachs rumbling. The place has a cool, chilled out vibe, furnished to a high standard with quirky wall art and a self-serve drinks machine that offered a crazy amount of flavoured fizzy drinks. I loved the added ‘spooky’ touch that had been put in place for Hallowe’en, although Rich wasn’t best pleased with the fake (but very realistic looking!) spiders scattered around the restaurant. The restaurant has built its reputation on the fact that the vast majority of its meals and drinks are suitable for those with special dietary requirements, with vegan and gluten free options available in surplus. I personally eat a predominantly (with the exception of drunken cheese feasts) dairy free diet and I know of people close to me who eat gluten free, so already I had high hopes for the food offerings. Knowing that there were gluten free beers available as well was an additional positive.

Having perused the menu, both Richard and I decided to build our own bowls, to really get the most out of the experience. I combined rice noodles with Moroccan lamb, butternut squash and sweet potato, a teriyaki glaze and cucumber salad. The butternut squash and sweet potato was seasoned in the most delicious chilli, mint and garlic mixture, and the lamb was sweet and minty, the perfect accompaniment to the sharp teriyaki glaze. Richard went for rice noodles with Thai grilled chicken, and after discussion with the waitress over spice levels, decided to try out the recommended peanut sauce; a bit of a kick, but not one that’ll leave you senseless. He went for butternut squash, sweet potato and cucumber salad on top. We were really impressed with the standard of the food, everything was cooked beautifully and went together so well, in spite of the range in choice. You can pair your meat, fish or veg choice with a whole range of different toppings, veg accompaniments and seasonings- there really is something for everyone, no matter your preference.  

I would definitely recommend The Vincent Kitchen to lovers of Thai and Asian style food and I must say that the experience on the whole was a fantastic one and I think we’ll be heading back to The Vincent Kitchen very, very soon.

Food: Fantastico!! A night At Gino's My Restaurant, Liverpool*

Food: Fantastico!! A night At Gino's My Restaurant, Liverpool*

Sunday, 24 September 2017

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Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the press event for Gino D’Acampo’s brand new autumn menu at his Liverpool My Restaurant. Liverpool is a city that is slowly but surely becoming renowned for its quirky bars and restaurants and I’m pleased to say that Gino’s restaurant is everything Liverpool needs and more. The restaurant is situated on the corner of Castle Street, in the old HSBC bank, and we had the pleasure of enjoying the glitz and glamour of the night in an old bank vault.

  

The restaurant itself was a lot bigger than I was expecting, and was laid out in a stylish and sophisticated way. It was nice to have a glance around the restaurant before we were led down to the vault- the Bullion Room-  where the event was going to take place. The restaurant hosts a mezzanine style area overlooking the kitchen, allowing visitors to watch their food being cooked before their very eyes. The restaurant was full of hungry diners and smelt of a whole range of beautiful aromas.

The Bullion Room, our venue for the night, is a beautiful private dining area that guests can book out for a range of different occasions, from birthday parties to business meetings alike. The room hosts a bar, dining area and a games room with foosball and pool tables ready and waiting to be utilised. Glass of Prosecco in hand and my blogging pals next to me, I was more than ready to taste test all the amazing food and drink in store for us. We had the time to socialise and network with the other people attending, before we were invited to take our seats.

Hosted by the charismatic Michela and Giuseppe, the event was an enormous success. Michela introduced us to the restaurant and spoke all about the vision that Gino had for his chain of restaurants. I own a fair few of Gino’s cookbooks and rave about him and his cooking style, so I was a bit gutted that he wasn’t going to be there himself but he did send us a little message welcoming us to his restaurant and explaining some of the methods behind his choices. Another perk of the restaurant is the fact that diners are treated to a complimentary glass of Prosecco with their meal- a bonus, if ever I knew one!

Finally, it was time to start munching away on the delightful delicacies that Gino’s had to offer. We were treated to a platter of antipasti– the Fantastico platter- a whole range of cheeses, meat and olives to tickle our tastebuds. As a lover of cheese (in spite of its tendency to upset my lactose intolerant tummy) I was delighted with the chance to sample quality mozzarella and ricotta. Gino’s restaurants import all of their ingredients from Italy and this was evident in the taste- the tomatoes were fresh, the cheese hearty and full of flavour. The flavoursome addition different meats- salami and prosciutto- only made the experience more memorable. As Prosecco played a particularly significant role in the evening, the antipasti board was paired perfectly with a generous glass of the Primo Prosecco Spumante DOC. We were treated to mushroom and truffle arancine, which were absolutely phenomenal as well as a platter mix of the classic tomato bruschetta and a slightly more ‘out there’ bruschetta, that was accompanied with prawns and chilli mayonnaise!

In terms of main courses, again, nothing was left to be desired. Giuseppe kept the wine flowing, ensuring that every dish that we tasted was paired perfectly with a glass of the good stuff. I was lucky enough to sample slices of The Real Neapolitan Pizza, the most delicious Italian sausage and friarielli based pizza, straight from the rustic streets of Napoli. There was also the Super Spicy pizza on offer, if you so desired, although I personally stuck to the Neapolitan. Finally, the pasta arrived: fresh linguine with crab and the most phenomenal risotto with Italian sausage. As a pasta enthusiast, this was the moment I had been waiting for. The linguine was everything I needed and I’m still craving it over a week later. We finished up the night with a tiramisu, a much needed digestif and the most delicious Aperol spritz that I’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking.

All in all, a fantastic night was had and I can’t wait to go back there and explore the rest of the menu in the future! It’s a restaurant that’s more than suitable for all types of people, professionals and students alike, and I feel very lucky to have been invited along for the ride!

Buon Appetito!