Crabmeat Ravigote
Crabmeat Ravigote is one of the most popular cold appetizers at old-line Creole restaurants. They call this dish "Crabmeat Maison" at Galatoire's, because they serve a hot version of the dish as "Crabmeat Ravigote."
A good strategy when dining at Galatoire's is to order Crabmeat Ravigote, Shrimp Remoulade, and some Soufflé Potatoes as soon as you sit down, and ponder your main course from there.
Here's a version from Ryan (@warriorengineer):
Ingredients
2 Egg Yolks
2 tbs White Taragon Vinegar
1 1/4 tbs Creole Mustard
1 1/3 tbs Lemon Juice
1 cup Olive or Vegetable Oil (not extra virgin)
3 tbs Capers, drained, non-pareil
3 tbs Green Onions, chopped
1 tbs Parsley, chopped
1/2 tbs Bell Pepper, miced
1 tbs Anchovies, minced
3/4 tbs Pimento (optional)
Tabasco, Salt, Pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place egg yolks, vinegar, Creole Mustard, Lemon Juice, and Tabasco in Mixer Bowl and Mix on fast setting for 2 minutes.
2. While still running, SLOWLY drizzle in oil.
3. Mix in veggies on slow setting. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
4. Fold in Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (shhhh, don't tell anyone I used plain lump) and refrigerate for 3 more hours.
(photo courtesy Ryan at Doggone-Friggin)
Crabmeat Ravigote is one of the most popular cold appetizers at old-line Creole restaurants. They call this dish "Crabmeat Maison" at Galatoire's, because they serve a hot version of the dish as "Crabmeat Ravigote."
A good strategy when dining at Galatoire's is to order Crabmeat Ravigote, Shrimp Remoulade, and some Soufflé Potatoes as soon as you sit down, and ponder your main course from there.
Here's a version from Ryan (@warriorengineer):
Ingredients
2 Egg Yolks
2 tbs White Taragon Vinegar
1 1/4 tbs Creole Mustard
1 1/3 tbs Lemon Juice
1 cup Olive or Vegetable Oil (not extra virgin)
3 tbs Capers, drained, non-pareil
3 tbs Green Onions, chopped
1 tbs Parsley, chopped
1/2 tbs Bell Pepper, miced
1 tbs Anchovies, minced
3/4 tbs Pimento (optional)
Tabasco, Salt, Pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Place egg yolks, vinegar, Creole Mustard, Lemon Juice, and Tabasco in Mixer Bowl and Mix on fast setting for 2 minutes.
2. While still running, SLOWLY drizzle in oil.
3. Mix in veggies on slow setting. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
4. Fold in Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (shhhh, don't tell anyone I used plain lump) and refrigerate for 3 more hours.
(photo courtesy Ryan at Doggone-Friggin)
Beignets
Simply put, the beignet is a donut. Beignets are usually rectangular, about 3"x2", depending on the cutter used to cut the rolled-out dough. They're then deep-fried, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, and served, usually with coffee.
Coffee-and-donuts are more than just a tourist thing, they're a treat enjoyed daily by New Orleanians. The two most well-known coffee stands serving beignets are Cafe du Monde and Morning Call. CDM, located is in the French Market, now has suburban locations, a standalone shop on Veterans Blvd., in Metairie, as well as stands in shopping malls in Metairie and Baton Rouge. Morning Call got its start in the French Market, but a few blocks down from the Jackson Square location of CDM. Morning Call moved from the Quarter to Metairie in 1974. It's ironic that the distance between the CDM in Lakeside Mall and and Morning Call out on 17th Street isn't all that much different from the two original coffee stands.
In addition to the two classic New Orleans coffee stands, there's also Coffee Call in Baton Rouge.
For those of you too far away from CDM or MC to run out and grab some beignets, here's a recipe to make your own:
Ingredients:
* 1 envelope active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 105°)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup evaporated milk
* 7 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup shortening, softened
* oil for deep frying
* powdered sugar
Preparation:
In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water; stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk. Whisk or use electric mixer to blend thoroughly. Add 4 cups of the flour; beat until smooth. Add shortening; gradually blend in remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll out on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3-inch squares. Deep fry at 360° for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve hot with coffee.
Dough can cut and frozen, separated in container with waxed paper.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
(painting of coffee and beignets by H. Eric Hartman.)
Simply put, the beignet is a donut. Beignets are usually rectangular, about 3"x2", depending on the cutter used to cut the rolled-out dough. They're then deep-fried, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar, and served, usually with coffee.
Coffee-and-donuts are more than just a tourist thing, they're a treat enjoyed daily by New Orleanians. The two most well-known coffee stands serving beignets are Cafe du Monde and Morning Call. CDM, located is in the French Market, now has suburban locations, a standalone shop on Veterans Blvd., in Metairie, as well as stands in shopping malls in Metairie and Baton Rouge. Morning Call got its start in the French Market, but a few blocks down from the Jackson Square location of CDM. Morning Call moved from the Quarter to Metairie in 1974. It's ironic that the distance between the CDM in Lakeside Mall and and Morning Call out on 17th Street isn't all that much different from the two original coffee stands.
In addition to the two classic New Orleans coffee stands, there's also Coffee Call in Baton Rouge.
For those of you too far away from CDM or MC to run out and grab some beignets, here's a recipe to make your own:
Ingredients:
* 1 envelope active dry yeast
* 1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 105°)
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup evaporated milk
* 7 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup shortening, softened
* oil for deep frying
* powdered sugar
Preparation:
In large bowl, sprinkle yeast over the warm water; stir to dissolve and let stand for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt, beaten eggs, and evaporated milk. Whisk or use electric mixer to blend thoroughly. Add 4 cups of the flour; beat until smooth. Add shortening; gradually blend in remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Roll out on floured board to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2 to 3-inch squares. Deep fry at 360° for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve hot with coffee.
Dough can cut and frozen, separated in container with waxed paper.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen.
(painting of coffee and beignets by H. Eric Hartman.)
(x-posted to YatPundit and ebranley.com)
We all encounter things that "speak" to us. Things that, when our senses encounter them, we are immediately transported to a different place and time. Sometimes we're transported to places not of this earth. Just as the music of Renard Poche takes me to a place and time very special to me, the artwork of H. Eric Hartman often does the same. Combine the return after the storm of one of my favorite places to eat in New Orleans (Bud's Broiler on City Park Avenue) with Eric's talent and, well, you get the painting above.
I first met Eric Hartman, *art-man*, in the summer of 1976, when I became an associate member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of New Orleans. Eric has a rare degenerative disease which has left his vision severely impaired. He turned away from his banking career and took up his art full-time in 1995.
Eric's Bud's painting captures the soul of this small burger joint in Mid City.
Hartman's painting has been reproduced as a limited-number poster series. The poster costs $30, and is available for purchase at Bud's Broiler on City Park, or direct from Eric (ehartman@artman.com).
We all encounter things that "speak" to us. Things that, when our senses encounter them, we are immediately transported to a different place and time. Sometimes we're transported to places not of this earth. Just as the music of Renard Poche takes me to a place and time very special to me, the artwork of H. Eric Hartman often does the same. Combine the return after the storm of one of my favorite places to eat in New Orleans (Bud's Broiler on City Park Avenue) with Eric's talent and, well, you get the painting above.
I first met Eric Hartman, *art-man*, in the summer of 1976, when I became an associate member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity at the University of New Orleans. Eric has a rare degenerative disease which has left his vision severely impaired. He turned away from his banking career and took up his art full-time in 1995.
Eric's Bud's painting captures the soul of this small burger joint in Mid City.
Hartman's painting has been reproduced as a limited-number poster series. The poster costs $30, and is available for purchase at Bud's Broiler on City Park, or direct from Eric (ehartman@artman.com).
when you can have this:
Regular hot sausage po-boy, dressed, $3.49 from Danny and Clyde's in Metairie
Regular hot sausage po-boy, dressed, $3.49 from Danny and Clyde's in Metairie
Alligator
Alligator was on the "endangered species" list when I was growing up, but these prehistoric throwbacks flourished under government protection, to the point where hunting them once again is permitted. Now you can legally buy gator belts, and enjoy "gator on a stick" from those awful street vendor trailers at Carnival parades.
If you ask New Orleanians how they'd cook gator, you'll get two answers. If they're LSU fans, the snarky answer will usually include roasting them over an open fire at Tiger Stadium (Florida Gators, that is). The rest of us usually think Alligator Sauce Piquante. Contrary to conventional wisdom, gator does NOT "taste just like chicken," and a spicy sauce piquante goes well with it.
Because I love dishes that incorporate grits as something other than a breakfast food, here's an Emeril take on gator:
Alligator Sauce Piquante Over Creamy Stone Ground Grits
Ingredients
* 4 cups whole milk
* 4 tablespoons butter
* Salt
* 1 cup stone ground white grits
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound alligator meat, cut into 2-inch strips
* Creole seasoning
* 1 cup flour
* 1/4 cup chopped onions
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions
* 1/4 cup chopped celery
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
* 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno peppers
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
* 3 cups chicken stock
* Cayenne
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* Freshly ground white pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, green part only
Directions
In a saucepan, over high heat, bring the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a boil. Season with salt. Stir in the grits, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally until the grits are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Season the alligator meat and flour with Creole seasoning. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour, coating completely. When the oil is hot, brown the alligator meat on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the onions, green onions, celery, bell peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the herbs and bay leaves and continue sauteing for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the alligator. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until the alligator meat is tender. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the heavy cream into the grits. Season with salt and white pepper. To serve, spoon the grits in the center of each serving bowl. Spoon the alligator mixture over the grits. Garnish with green onions.
cook time: 1hr30min, serves 4
Photo courtesy of Greta Perry, http://kissmygumbo.com
We don't eat the white alligators at Da Aquarium, but their green cousins are yummy!
Alligator was on the "endangered species" list when I was growing up, but these prehistoric throwbacks flourished under government protection, to the point where hunting them once again is permitted. Now you can legally buy gator belts, and enjoy "gator on a stick" from those awful street vendor trailers at Carnival parades.
If you ask New Orleanians how they'd cook gator, you'll get two answers. If they're LSU fans, the snarky answer will usually include roasting them over an open fire at Tiger Stadium (Florida Gators, that is). The rest of us usually think Alligator Sauce Piquante. Contrary to conventional wisdom, gator does NOT "taste just like chicken," and a spicy sauce piquante goes well with it.
Because I love dishes that incorporate grits as something other than a breakfast food, here's an Emeril take on gator:
Alligator Sauce Piquante Over Creamy Stone Ground Grits
Ingredients
* 4 cups whole milk
* 4 tablespoons butter
* Salt
* 1 cup stone ground white grits
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 pound alligator meat, cut into 2-inch strips
* Creole seasoning
* 1 cup flour
* 1/4 cup chopped onions
* 1/4 cup chopped green onions
* 1/4 cup chopped celery
* 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
* 2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeno peppers
* 1 tablespoon minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
* 3 cups chicken stock
* Cayenne
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* Freshly ground white pepper
* 2 tablespoons chopped green onions, green part only
Directions
In a saucepan, over high heat, bring the milk and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a boil. Season with salt. Stir in the grits, reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally until the grits are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. In a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Season the alligator meat and flour with Creole seasoning. Toss the meat in the seasoned flour, coating completely. When the oil is hot, brown the alligator meat on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the onions, green onions, celery, bell peppers, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the herbs and bay leaves and continue sauteing for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and stock. Season with cayenne, salt and pepper. Add the alligator. Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until the alligator meat is tender. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir the heavy cream into the grits. Season with salt and white pepper. To serve, spoon the grits in the center of each serving bowl. Spoon the alligator mixture over the grits. Garnish with green onions.
cook time: 1hr30min, serves 4
Photo courtesy of Greta Perry, http://kissmygumbo.com
Happy July, everyone! YatCuisine is starting a new feature today, going A to Z with cooking tips, recipes, etc. Starting today with A, we'll do one or two posts daily on NOLA cooking, creole, cajun, eclectic, you get the idea. Tomorrow, we'll do B, and then cycle through until Z, at which point we'll start back with A.
The idea here is to start putting NOLA cooking stuff into a Wiki format to make it easy for others to access and read. If you'd like to contribute, email your "A-to-Z" ideas to food at yatpundit dot com and we'll get them up here.
The idea here is to start putting NOLA cooking stuff into a Wiki format to make it easy for others to access and read. If you'd like to contribute, email your "A-to-Z" ideas to food at yatpundit dot com and we'll get them up here.
Bud's Broiler on City Park Avenue, before Da Storm
(x-posted to ebranley.com and my DailyKos diary)This photo has been on my personal blog (ebranley.com) for years, because it's both a conversation-starter and a good reminder of a lot of fun times for me. Bud's Broiler is, of course, a local burger chain here in metro New Orleans. This one is located at the corner of City Park Avenue and Conti Street, in Mid-City. It's right next to the Masonic Cemetery and more-or-less across the street from Delgado Junior College.
My Bud's Broiler memories go back to my childhood, when my dad (who worked for 35 years at the University of New Orleans) would take us to the Bud's on Pedopilas Street, just off of Elysian Fields and Gentilly Road. This place had the classic wooden tables with graffiti carved in them, but it also had this weird rock-and-cactus terrarium in the back I could never figure out. The location closed in the 1980s, eventually re-opening up Elysian Fields near Leon C. Simon, in the building that used to be Luigi's Pizza Parlor. They lost the lease on that location just before the storm, and never re-opened any Gentilly location post-K.
The Gentilly Bud's was one of our second homes, given its proximity to Brother Martin. Still, since I slept in Metairie at that time (I never say I "grew up" in Metairie, because my formative life experiences all took place in Gentilly or Mid City), I would regularly ride the Esplanade bus down City Park Avenue to the end of the line at Canal Blvd. If it was late (after drill team practice when I was a sophomore, or academic games or debate all the years I was there), I'd stop for a Bud's burger and walk back to Canal Blvd. to catch the Veterans bus back to Metairie. When we were on Brother Martin's Prep Quiz Bowl team, we'd go to WYES-TV on Navarre Ave. to compete, then stop at Bud's on City Park after for a late lunch.
When my high school days turned into university days, the route to UNO wasn't all that much different from the route to BMHS, so there were frequent stops at Bud's on City Park. The location is just a bit to the east of all the head-of-Canal cemeteries, so it's close when I'm haunting those locales, taking photos.
To sum it up, this Bud's is a small but regular part of my life. I even made a quick note about the place in March of 2005. When it got swallowed up by about 4'of water in the storm, I was initially heartbroken, but after checking it out, I saw that the structure looked like it pretty much survived. Certainly it fared better than most of Gentilly.
Of course, Bud's Broiler lived on in spite of the storm. The location on Clearview Pkwy re-opened in the second week of September, 2005, giving Kev and I one of the few places we could get a meal while trying to sort out the house. Soon after that, the Kenner location re-opened, and eventually the chain expanded, adding a location just off N. Causeway Blvd., across the street from Lakeside Mall. (There used to be a location in Fat City, but that closed years ago, Drago's taking over the space as a banquet room.)
When one of my Twitter friends messaged that she noticed activity at the City Park Avenue location earlier this year, my spirits lifted. So many of my old haunts in Gentilly drowned on 29-Aug-2005 that I was truly happy to see Bud's coming back.
Of course, fate would have it that the grand re-opening of City Park Avenue would happen while I was in England, so naturally it was my first lunch stop upon my return to the heat and humidity that is home.
The counter hasn't changed all that much. They use a more automated ordering system now, though. Instead of the old paper order checks, the cashier punches up the order on a much-more-modern cash register, which generates the number they call.
Looka how narrow the place is! The owners have expanded the seating by opening the upstairs. I always figured someone lived up there, in true NOLA fashion, but now it makes sense to use upstairs for table space.
A Number 4 with sauce and onions, cheese fries, and a chocolate shake. It don't get much better than that, cap.
...and it was at Liuzza's on Bienville:
Started out with an Abita Amber. For decades now, the waitresses at Liuzzas would yell out "draw one!" to order a draft been in a frozen mug from the bar. Now you also hear them say "draw one amber!" for a beer much better than the Coors Light that's also on tap.
The place was a bit crowded for a week night, but they're doing a buy one-get-one-half-price special on Italian entrees.
We started with onion rings, but was so intent on scarfing them down that I didn't take the pic until we devoured half of them. :-)
Mrs. YatPundit had a half of a shrimp po-boy (just butter) and a cup of the Shrimp Bisque. This soup is one of nature's most perfect foods.
Italian sausage, dressed, for me!
Yummy meal in familiar surroundings. It's good to be back home!
(sorry photos aren't so hot here-I hit some funky setting on the phone cam, and didn't realize it at the time)
Started out with an Abita Amber. For decades now, the waitresses at Liuzzas would yell out "draw one!" to order a draft been in a frozen mug from the bar. Now you also hear them say "draw one amber!" for a beer much better than the Coors Light that's also on tap.
The place was a bit crowded for a week night, but they're doing a buy one-get-one-half-price special on Italian entrees.
We started with onion rings, but was so intent on scarfing them down that I didn't take the pic until we devoured half of them. :-)
Mrs. YatPundit had a half of a shrimp po-boy (just butter) and a cup of the Shrimp Bisque. This soup is one of nature's most perfect foods.
Italian sausage, dressed, for me!
Yummy meal in familiar surroundings. It's good to be back home!
(sorry photos aren't so hot here-I hit some funky setting on the phone cam, and didn't realize it at the time)
The House Restaurant & Wine Bar
11 & 12 Goose Green
Altrincham
Cheshire WA14 1DW
(0161) 233 0664
(Part 2 of 2. This post is on the Restaurant,with the preceding post covering the Wine Bar.)
Most of my journeys down to Goose Green have been to go to The House's wine bar side, I've dined on the restaurant side as well. The menu is creative, fresh, and tasty!
Starters:
"Piri piri pan fried king prawns, garlic olive oil, lemon twist." Being a New Orleanian, I'm (obviously) picky about shrimp, and these were well done! The garlic olive oil was a great flavor boost. The shrimp were headless, and butterfly-cut with the shell on, so they had to be peeled a bit. That's a finger-bowl with water-and-lemon next to the metal dish the shrimp are in.
Duck spring rolls, one of the evening's specials on my second visit to the restaurant. These were fantastic. The two sauces drizzled on the plate were just the right spice level to match the rolls.
Mains:
"Corn fed chicken breast, chorizo & saffron risotto, parmesan shavings." Since I had the chorizo already, as a tapa on the wine bar side, this looked appealing, and it was a winner. The parmesan crust on the chicken was truly wonderful. "Parmesan-crusted" items are common in chain restaurants, and often come out uninteresting, if not awful. The House does this chicken right, making the crunchy, cheesey skin a solid match for the peppery sauce.
Another nightly special, Roulades of Dover Sole and Fresh Vegetables. Veggies wrapped in medallions of sole, pan-fried and lightly seasoned, separated by new potatoes, and drizzled with a creamy sauce. Creative and tasty! I'm always a sucker for a cream sauce and The House didn't let me down here.
Desserts:
Cheesecake!
Flourless chocolate cake with a bit of fruit and fresh cream.
On my first visit, I had a lovely bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to go with the shrimp and chicken. I went with a Riesling for the spring rolls and sole that was so good, I had them bring me a second bottle to enjoy while I listened to the band on the wine bar side until closing time.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I've enjoyed my visits to The House, on both sides. Ollie is a splendid host in the Wine Bar, and John took excellent care of me on the restaurant side, squeezing me into a restaurant that's one of these places where people book a table for their next visit before they leave from the current visit!
If you're in Altrincham, shoot, for that matter, if you're anywhere in the Manchester area, a trip to Goose Green for dinner at The House is highly recommended.
11 & 12 Goose Green
Altrincham
Cheshire WA14 1DW
(0161) 233 0664
(Part 2 of 2. This post is on the Restaurant,with the preceding post covering the Wine Bar.)
Most of my journeys down to Goose Green have been to go to The House's wine bar side, I've dined on the restaurant side as well. The menu is creative, fresh, and tasty!
Starters:
"Piri piri pan fried king prawns, garlic olive oil, lemon twist." Being a New Orleanian, I'm (obviously) picky about shrimp, and these were well done! The garlic olive oil was a great flavor boost. The shrimp were headless, and butterfly-cut with the shell on, so they had to be peeled a bit. That's a finger-bowl with water-and-lemon next to the metal dish the shrimp are in.
Duck spring rolls, one of the evening's specials on my second visit to the restaurant. These were fantastic. The two sauces drizzled on the plate were just the right spice level to match the rolls.
Mains:
"Corn fed chicken breast, chorizo & saffron risotto, parmesan shavings." Since I had the chorizo already, as a tapa on the wine bar side, this looked appealing, and it was a winner. The parmesan crust on the chicken was truly wonderful. "Parmesan-crusted" items are common in chain restaurants, and often come out uninteresting, if not awful. The House does this chicken right, making the crunchy, cheesey skin a solid match for the peppery sauce.
Another nightly special, Roulades of Dover Sole and Fresh Vegetables. Veggies wrapped in medallions of sole, pan-fried and lightly seasoned, separated by new potatoes, and drizzled with a creamy sauce. Creative and tasty! I'm always a sucker for a cream sauce and The House didn't let me down here.
Desserts:
Cheesecake!
Flourless chocolate cake with a bit of fruit and fresh cream.
On my first visit, I had a lovely bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to go with the shrimp and chicken. I went with a Riesling for the spring rolls and sole that was so good, I had them bring me a second bottle to enjoy while I listened to the band on the wine bar side until closing time.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I've enjoyed my visits to The House, on both sides. Ollie is a splendid host in the Wine Bar, and John took excellent care of me on the restaurant side, squeezing me into a restaurant that's one of these places where people book a table for their next visit before they leave from the current visit!
If you're in Altrincham, shoot, for that matter, if you're anywhere in the Manchester area, a trip to Goose Green for dinner at The House is highly recommended.
The House Restaurant & Wine Bar
11 & 12 Goose Green
Altrincham
Cheshire WA14 1DW
(0161) 233 0664
(Part 1 of 2. This post is on the Wine Bar, followed by a review of the restaurant.)
Located in the "Goose Green" section of Altrincham, The House is a neat little bistro/wine bar combo. I've come to enjoy hanging out here during my stay in Greater Manchester, because not only is the food good, but the bar atmosphere is excellent, and they have live music on weekends.
My natural attraction to pubs and laid-back environments turned me to the left, to the wine bar. As you can see above, it's a nice little place!
The bistro has a full menu, and they do sandwiches/burgers and tapas on the wine bar side. Of course, I went for the tapas, along with a nice bottle of rose. Above, Chorizo frito al vino, grilled chorizo in red wine.
"Pan de ajo con queso" Garlic-cheese focaccia bread.
Calamari Fritos 'Valencia'- fried calamari and garlic mayo.
"Patatas bravas," fried potatoes in a spicy, Catalan-style tomato sauce.
"Champiñónes al ajillo," mushrooms, pan-fried in olive oil and garlic.
I also had the "Goujons de pollo" -chicken croquettes, but managed to eat them before I could take a pic. :-) The gambas (shrimp) were also delish-photo of them coming in part 2, the bistro-side of the house.
Most of the tapas cost between £3 and £5, and three make a good-sized meal.
In addition to tapas, The House's wine bar also does a fantastic burger, on their focaccia bread. My burger was cooked-just-right medium rare, unusual for the UK where most burgers are dessicated hockey pucks.
The wine list is solid, as is the selection of beers. Ollie (the owner of the wine bar) also introduced me to Fraoch Heather Ale, which is a wonderful complement to chorizo!
On weekends, The House has live entertainment. There was a pretty good reggae band there the Friday night I stayed late. On occasional Thursdays, they'll also do an "open mic" night where people can come and jam. It's anchored by a solo guitarist who is pretty good in his own right.
Stay tuned for Part 2, on the bistro side of The House.
11 & 12 Goose Green
Altrincham
Cheshire WA14 1DW
(0161) 233 0664
(Part 1 of 2. This post is on the Wine Bar, followed by a review of the restaurant.)
Located in the "Goose Green" section of Altrincham, The House is a neat little bistro/wine bar combo. I've come to enjoy hanging out here during my stay in Greater Manchester, because not only is the food good, but the bar atmosphere is excellent, and they have live music on weekends.
My natural attraction to pubs and laid-back environments turned me to the left, to the wine bar. As you can see above, it's a nice little place!
The bistro has a full menu, and they do sandwiches/burgers and tapas on the wine bar side. Of course, I went for the tapas, along with a nice bottle of rose. Above, Chorizo frito al vino, grilled chorizo in red wine.
"Pan de ajo con queso" Garlic-cheese focaccia bread.
Calamari Fritos 'Valencia'- fried calamari and garlic mayo.
"Patatas bravas," fried potatoes in a spicy, Catalan-style tomato sauce.
"Champiñónes al ajillo," mushrooms, pan-fried in olive oil and garlic.
I also had the "Goujons de pollo" -chicken croquettes, but managed to eat them before I could take a pic. :-) The gambas (shrimp) were also delish-photo of them coming in part 2, the bistro-side of the house.
Most of the tapas cost between £3 and £5, and three make a good-sized meal.
In addition to tapas, The House's wine bar also does a fantastic burger, on their focaccia bread. My burger was cooked-just-right medium rare, unusual for the UK where most burgers are dessicated hockey pucks.
The wine list is solid, as is the selection of beers. Ollie (the owner of the wine bar) also introduced me to Fraoch Heather Ale, which is a wonderful complement to chorizo!
On weekends, The House has live entertainment. There was a pretty good reggae band there the Friday night I stayed late. On occasional Thursdays, they'll also do an "open mic" night where people can come and jam. It's anchored by a solo guitarist who is pretty good in his own right.
Stay tuned for Part 2, on the bistro side of The House.
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