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Restaurants reviewed for you!
Welcome to Food Ambassador dot com! If you're out and about in the North of England and need to find somewhere to eat, we've got the place for you.
From high class eateries, to cafes for a quick lunch. We only list places we have personally eaten in, and where possible offer a comprehensive review.
We also let you know the meals we chose, recommendations and a rating between 1 and 5. 1 being McDonalds, 5 being Le Gavroche. For an explanation click 'rating criteria' on the left.
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10 Oct '07: The first time in a decade, a North East chef is awarded a Michelin Star Location: Seaham, County Durham Along with a Remy award, a rating as one of the top twenty restaurants outside London, and 3 rosettes from the AA, The White Room at Seaham Hall was awarded a Michelin Star in the January of this year. This prestigious award is the first to be awarded in the North East for over a decade. A Michelin Star is supposed to represent:
'A very good restaurant in its category. A good place to stop on your journey.'
'Head Chef Stephen Smith has an eclectic, original style and his food lingers long on the palate.'
With a Menu du Jour at £30, lunch menus at £15.50 and £19.50 the White Room can be experienced at a reasonable price. However if you are feeling indulgent, 3 courses from the a la carte menu will come to around £45 whereas the Menu Gourmand, a ten course taster menu will set you back £65. I can only imagine that it would be money well spent, a plethora of tastes not easily forgotten. I really hope to have it sampled and reviewed on Food Ambassador sooner rather than later.
Congratulations to the White Room!
Seaham
Hall, Lord Byron's Walk, Seaham, SR7 7AG
Will
27 Sept '07: Michelin Bib Gourmand Location:
Jesmond, Newcastle Amers
Restaurant at the Jesmond Hotel was recently awarded a prestigious Michelin
Bib Gourmand and is home to one of the northeast's top chefs, Paul Amer. Since
1955, the Michelin guide has highlighted restaurants offering "good food
at moderate prices", a feature now called "Bib Gourmand". They
must have a menu priced below £30. The name comes from Bib
(Bibendum), the Michelin Man, Michelin's logo for over a century.
The
Jesmond Hotel, 34 Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE2 2AJ
Will
30 Aug
'07: Opening Night of La Gabbia! Location:
Shieldfield, Newcastle Some might
say a little too eager, we were the first to arrive at the launch of the
contemporary Italian restaurant. While the finishing touches were put into
place- the Champers put to chill, funky decorations added and staff made-over,
we were offered a drink and told to make ourselves at home. Taking a seat on
the plush leather sofas we relaxed while digesting the chocolate brown décor
in the spacious restaurant while having a quick glance of the menu- a typical
pizza or pasta dish was priced at 5-7 pounds.
A jug of cocktail was sent over to our table, which, needless to say
occupied us for a while- Strawberry Margherita…strong and sweet, just the
way I like it! Post-cocktails and an hour and a quarter later we were offered
champagne and ushered to seats near the open, visible kitchen, a bonus for
those who like to know exactly what goes into their meals.
We didn’t need much encouragement to dig into the buffet provided,
deciding against ordering extra dishes from the menu! Firstly the appetisers:
a selection of cold Italian meats, poached Salmon and dressed cold-water
prawns salads along with a fine selection of delicate anti-pasta –
sun-blushed and dried tomatoes, artichokes and melt-in-the-mouth peppers.
The hot food generated a mixed response- the ribs were a definite
winner- meaty, tender and marinated in a rich, tangy barbecue sauce.
The meatballs and roast beef however, I was informed, weren’t so
good!! Just before we forced ourselves to leave (always wise when waist belts
get so tight they prevent normal breathing) garlic bread and pizza were
generously dished out. Not
wanting to be rude we sampled these offerings- both I felt were appetizing but
fairly average!! After being fed and watered without spending a penny I’d say La Gabbia is definitely worth a visit- if only to sample the Strawberry Margherrita. It’s pretty standard for an Italian but its friendly, vibrant atmosphere makes it a cheap, up-market establishment to enjoy a good, hearty meal. La Gabbia 1 Boyd Street, Ouseburn, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 1AP Telephone: 0191 232 6666 Open Monday to Saturday noon-2.30pm and 5pm-11pm Maxine Blackburn
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