Cabra Verde
We were sorry to learn that Cabra Verde in York, the little tapas bar in Peter Lane had closed, but happy to hear they have amalgamated everything into their deli on Lendal. Now with more tables and evening opening you can enjoy a meat or cheese plate, good bread, wines, sherries and delicious cakes. Open Tue-Sat daytime and from 5pm til late.
Steam Trains and Fish & Chips
The North York Moors Railway have teamed up with the Quayside chippie in Whitby – winners of the best UK fish and chip shop – to offer fish and chips every Friday on the last train home. Order online, then pick up your fish chips and mushy peas (£6.80) at Whitby station and enjoy them on the steam train to Pickering. Book here.
Filmore & Union
We can hardly keep up with the expansion of Filmore & Union, York, Harrogate, Wetherby, Leeds Moortown and Leeds Victoria Quarter, then there’s Platform 8 on York Station and Roko Gymn, now that’s an idea. The last gym I joined they were selling chocolate and fizzy drinks. Now the weather is picking up, F & U have launched picnic hampers in all their branches. £12.95 per person for wraps, salads, sandwiches and cake.
York Food Festival
The summer festival starts 20 June with demos, markets and events running into the evening. Don’t dash home from work, make your way to Parliament Street for live music, hot food and drinks from the Champagne Warehouse, the Yorkshire Real Ale Bar, Orchards of Husthwaite Cider Bar, Cocktails from Sloe Motion. From 5pm until 9pm. For more information visit www.yorkfoodfestival.com
Salvo’s Salumeria
There’s no stopping Gip and John Dammome who after umpteen years at Salvo’s still have the verve and energy to offer something new. Strano is their ‘occasional supperclub and speakeasy’. It’s moved around a bit since they started, but now they’ve settled on the private dining room above Salvo’s for a multi course surprise dinner 20 June, £37.50 To book: stranoleedsgreatesthits
Don’t forget their Sicilian themed dinners every Saturday from 21 June £33.50 and Weds to Friday Cenare Con Amici dinners – dinner with friends. £22.95 www.salvos.co.uk/salumeria-restaurant/
Star Inn @ Harome
A Spanish wine and food matching dinner is being held at the Star on 25 June £55 per head with four wines from producer Tomas Cusine.
2 July is an opportunity to sample the Star’s new menu. Choose from five starters, mains and puddings and get a 10% discount for being a guinea pig (dress rehearsal they prefer to call it). www.thestaratharome.co.uk/star_breaks.htm
Chef
We’ve been told about a new film you might like. It’s called Chef starring Jon Favreau, Scarlett Johansson, Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Downey Jr. We haven’t seen it either, but it has a starry cast and is about a chef who quits his job at a prominent L.A. restaurant after refusing to compromise his creative integrity. In Miami he teams up with his ex-wife and his son to launch a food truck. Taking to the road, Carl goes back to his roots to ‘reignite his passion for the kitchen — and zest for life and love’. Sounds like a film for all you chefs! Here’s a clip. On general release from 25 June
Lisa@thegallery
Every few months chef Lisa Chapman puts on seasonal dinners in a lovely room above the Staithes Gallery. It’s always a jolly, communal, convivial evening that starts with a glass of fizz and a browse around the gallery and then a move upstairs for a beautiful seasonal dinner that this month features among other choices, Staithes caught lobster salad, Sandsend wild sea trout, guinea fowl, gooseberry and elderflower fool. It’s terrific value at £35 a head, with wine on sale at the gallery. Runs for two nights 4/5 July To book ring Al on: 01947 841840 or 07972 012464.
Rosemary Shrager Cooks
The ebullient Rosemary Shrager ran the cookery school at Swinton Park for ten years before moving on to TV and some time in the jungle. If you were wondering where she’s gone then listen to this: She’s cooking at Chateau Lou Casteou on the Cote D’Azur, the glamorous chateau used as the ‘judges house’ on X Factor a couple of years ago. You can enjoy a bit of the glamour and join Rosemary for 6 nights in luxury accommodation, daily cookery classes, butchery and barbecue masterclasses, dinner every evening, market and olive oil visits, lunch at a Michelin starred restaurants and after all that eating, fitness sessions and a heated infinity pool. You knew this would not be cheap didn’t you? £5,650 per couple or £3,250 for singles. If you’ve got lucky on the scratch cards it runs from 11-17 October www.loucasteou. Have a look!
Britannia
Last year I had fun on P & O’s cruise ship Azura where Indian chef Atul Kochhar was running cookery classes and guided food visits ashore. They are going much further with their new ship Britannia – Britain’s biggest cruise ship which launches in March 2015. They’ve signed up a heap of celebs: James Martin, Eric Lanlard, Marco Pierre White, Olly Smith and Atul Kochhar to run their Cookery Club. The first gourmet food cruise with patissier Eric Lanlard runs from 23 May 2015 from Southampton to Guernsey, Spain and France, from £729 per person for a 7 night cruise. www.pocruises.com