Luciano's Revisited - Rivington, Horwich

Don’t judge us, but we ate at Luciano’s in Rivington/Horwich last week, twice, on school, nights. Not because it’s a particularly awe-inspiring place, but we needed some R&R and I was on some insane carb kick that has now, thankfully, abated a little.

Luciano’s isn’t far for us, that’s the beauty of it, but it’s also quite a pleasant place to hang out on a summer’s evening and they do the best pizza round our way. I’m not saying it’s the best pizza ever – it’s just good, homemade and served with a smile.

The first time (last week) we decided to sit straight in the restaurant, foregoing polite pre-dinner drinks mainly because I WANTED SOME CARBS. RIGHT NOW. The restaurant was mostly full and we were surrounded by young couples and groups of certain age ladies – there was a quiet, friendly buzz to the air.

Luciano's at the Millstone - with thanks to Chorley Guardian

Service was quick, efficient and friendly. The pizzas were freshly made, charred at the edges and bursting with flavour – the tomato sauce Luciano’s makes has a sweetly bold flavour; but it’s a good idea to ask for less cheese (unless you like your pizza smothered).

The kitchen was more than happy to listen to and comply with my many questions and demands. Wonderfully, if you ask for rocket it’s always served on top, afterwards and never cooked – as Luciano says “well we are Italian, so why would it be served any other way?” (Take note pizza chains of the North West).

Second visit was on one of those recent, unseasonably scorching evenings; feeling more relaxed we opted to sit in the bar and placed our drinks orders and waited. And waited. And went and looked for a member of staff. And waited.

Hungry to the point of thinking the menus looked good enough to eat we walked off into the restaurant, explained the situation to the maitre’d and were immediately seated. Again the place was buzzing – this time with various birthday parties and some more of those certain aged ladies (do they ever eat at home, maybe they were thinking that about us?).

Service here was attentive, quickish and efficient – a complete opposite to the main bar area. We did have to wait a little longer than usual for food, but we were in no rush and there were quite a few other diners there that night, so non c’ è problema then.

Sharing a pizza, with it’s liberal topping of anchovies and black olives (not enough to make it too salty, just enough for that moreish, mouth puckering tang), the staff were only too pleased to cut it up for us and place it on a stand so we could share and still look at each other (ah, romantic).

Look at all these olives

Our side of bread and olives was a bargain for £3.10 – big juicy olives seasoned with herbs, dried chilli and a massive whack of garlic, which made up for the fact they were pitted (thankfully with no hint of rancid oil). The olives were served with slivers of spanking fresh bread with a peppery, green, grassy olive oil streaked through with sticky balsamic vinegar, that clung to the bread in big musty blobs; divine.

T'boy seeking immortality and fame...and lots of olives

Luciano’s is a straight forward, useful addition to our local restaurants – they’re good at the simple things, which is what you need most of the time; but it’s done with such pride, care and in such a lovely setting that it makes something ordinary, truly extraordinary – plus there is no where in the area where you are treated so warmly, indeed Luciano’s smile could melt a million ice caps and the twinkle in his eye rivals any star in a clear night’s sky.

Pizza £6.95-£9.50, Bread and Olives £3.10, Beer £3.10

Food – 7/10
Atmosphere – 7/10
Service – 8/10 (excusing that minor blip in the bar)
Value for money – 9/10 (for pizza, not sure for full mains)

Total – 31/40

Go again? Yes, they’re great for mid-week meals or when we need a quick, friendly cheer up.

Luciano's Italian Restaurant, At the Millstone, Bolton Road, Anderton, Chorley PR6 9HJ - 01257 480205 
http://www.lucianosatthemillstone.com/

Custom Cakes from Andrew Nuttall

Here's another blog about cake. Yes indeed, it really is another blog about cake. I realise I might talk about cake a lot and often blog about it too, however it's a) nearly Mother's Day (good reason for cake) and b) I've found someone who makes really ace cakes. Not cupcakes, not cake pops, not homemade lumpy things or twee sugar craft flowers; but the most imaginative cakes you could think of and even some you can't!

I thought I'd have a chat with the talented Andy Nuttall and see where he gathers his inspiration from and what it's like to be a budding baking genius (and where we can get our hands on his designs).

Andy Nuttall - minus a cake

How did you get into baking?
I started baking at a very early age, my Auntie Lynne always baked for the family (and she is amazing!) - I was lucky and always had a great birthday cake, it seemed to me that this could make or break my party when I was a kid. Baking as a kid meant I could make a mess with ingredients and got to lick the spoon at the end - I mean, which kid doesn't like liking spoons? It wasn't just baking - fresh ingredients were a big thing in my house when we were growing up and I was always encouraged to use them, trouble is I started using the lot! (Andy is a chef at Southern Eleven when he's not creating cakes - ed).


What's cake making about for you?
Making/eating cakes and sweet stuff is what my childhood was about and I’ve been lucky to carry that passion and enjoyment into my adult life. Baking has allowed me to channel my creativity - the sponge is my canvas and the fondant is my paint. The other great thing is that my two beautiful daughters are able to get involved - they show loads of interest (and yes, just like me, they love to make a big mess!). One of the best things is that if you make a mistake you can eat it and nobody will ever know. I’ll spend till 4am on a cake, even after a 13 hour shift in the restaurant kitchen because I love it, the creativity and the feeling you get when you reveal it. I made a replica of an 18 year old’s bedroom and when I delivered it his Mum cried with joy; I had no idea my work could touch people like that, it’s a great feeling.

Fancy a cake? Or three!

Is there someone who influenced/inspired you?
From an early age I was influenced by my family and also through school, I had an amazing Home Ec/Cooking teacher called Mrs Thornton, who was passionate about food and just loved to teach – this really rubbed off on me. From there I went to Blackpool College and they lined up the opportunity of working in some pretty cool kitchens such as Buckingham Palace, where they had this really flamboyant pastry chef. He knocked out things I’d never seen and as a 17 year old and this really fired me up. From there I worked at Paul Heathcoat’s in Longridge, a two Michelin star kitchen where I was actively encouraged to play with food and experiment with the puddings.


Was it cakes first and then sugar craft, or did you know you wanted to make really pimped up cakes?
Cakes are the easiest way for me to bring my ideas to life, however the sweet stuff has always attracted me; from simple bread and butter puddings to homemade ice creams. I’ve always made cake but have only recently come to cake creation as the knowledge I’ve learnt as a chef has allowed my ideas to become reality. Having kids started me with the sugar craft as it’s just like an adult version of Plasticine – it really gets the creative juices flowing!

Grrr!

Is there a reason for such inspired cakes or is it just what your customers ask for?
I get so bored of seeing the same kind of cakes everywhere, the same cakes being reproduced year after year. I want to make cakes that are personal and have some kind of meaning. You won’t see me making a flat white cake with happy birthday scribbled across it, which can be knocked up in an hour. If you want that, then get down to the supermarket because I’m not what you’re looking for.


Where do you get the ideas from for your designs?
I often visit art galleries and find inspiration for ideas; I look also around and take note of what’s around me on a day to day basis, simple things like buildings can just spark me. I seem to look at objects now and break them down into separate parts, almost deconstructing then reconstructing them in my mind. I also take inspiration from my clients, so you could say I was inspired by them, I just channel them in a very creative an unusual way.

What’s the artistic process like?
When I’m asked for a cake I want to know everything about the person it’s for to get an idea of what makes them tick so I have an initial consultation where I find out as much as I can about the person and ask lots of questions, some of which are not even related to cakes. Then I research as much as possible, draw out some sketches and make mock models of the final cake. It all helps to iron out any problems with the design. Sometimes people will come with a very bog standard idea and the end result will be totally different once I’ve seen what they’re like and explained just what it is I can achieve for them.


Have you ever been asked to do something really weird as a design?
Yes, there have been some very strange requests, such as a unicorn with a badger’s head and I’ve also been asked to design a few ‘adult’ cakes (but only for the over 18s!). I prefer designing and making the stranger cakes, it’s what I want to do. I do have some crazy ideas locked up inside my head for a rainy day – like a flying wedding cake! I’ve got some really out there ideas for that one!


What's been the most difficult design for you to do? Why?
Definitely the Apache helicopter; I made it 3 times before I was happy with it. As the client worked on one I to research it inside out, it had to be spot on. Making it was hard going as it was almost if it didn’t want to be made – parts not fitting together, rota blades flopping and the tail snapping were just a few of the problems. Luckily I got there in the end (I’m not one to give up) and the client still has the Apache part of the cake on his desk, which makes me very proud.

The complex Apache cake

I also struggled with the Bolton Wanderers’ Reebok stadium because of the sheer amount of engineering in the building; but I learnt a lot of skills and cake decorating tricks, so it was a really enjoyable process. The original brief had been for a basic BWFC logo on a flat cake, however you know that I don’t do those! But by far the most difficult cakes have been for my two girls. They’ve not been amazingly difficult, a fairytale castle cake and a make up bag, but they are the most important and hardest critics I’m ever going to come across. I’ve made a rod for my back though as each year I have to make a better cake than the year before!

Where can we get your cakes from?
Just from me, I don’t sell through any shops and don’t have a studio yet (thought that’s a plan for the future). I’m local to Bolton and will deliver locally (and further afield for an extra charge).

You can contact me through: Facebook or Twitter. Or drop me an email on anuttall79@gmail.com.
Plus check out the blog for up to date pictures of my latest creations.

Look forward to creating something as crazy as you!

Please note - all photos are courtesy of Andy Nuttall so please ask him if you would like to reuse them.

The Old Forge at the Bob Smithy - Horwich, Bolton

Located up on Chorley Old Road; the Old Forge is a new, intimate dining room that has opened alongside The Bob Smithy pub - they’ve knocked through into the next door cottage to create 34 covers and a kitchen to boot.

The Old Forge is a buzzy little place with the added bonus of not being far from home, plus the view from Chorley Old Road is spectacular on your drive up. The attached pub, the Bob Smithy has some fantastic local ales on tap, that you can also sup in the dining room if you fancy.

The Old Forge at The Bob Smithy - with thanks to findthepostcode.com

Once a favourite pub of ours, we’d stopped going as we felt it had lost a bit of charm, but we’d heard there was a fancy new look and food being served, so we bobbed along after a bad day at school. T’boy and I were lucky to bag the last table by the door in the new dining room, or in fact anywhere, as the whole place was heaving (the busiest we’ve seen it in a very long time) and more people were piling in as we settled down.

The dining room is small and has been decked out in greens and browns, creating a warm and cosy atmosphere without being overbearing or claustrophobic. The rest of the pub has had a little makeover too - very considerate in muted creams, which seems to have put the heart back in the pub whilst bringing it up to date.

Service was very friendly from the young team, if somewhat a little chaotic and forgetful; but they were all too pleased to help and ferried back and forth to the kitchen to find out the answers to all our questions.

Menu - with thanks to The Bob Smithy

T’boy had a special of duck leg on chickpeas with beetroot reduction; the duck perfectly cooked, sweetly salty and gloriously sticky with an earthy undertone from the syrupy beetroot. The dish could have done with some extras other than just the chickpeas as there was an enormous and rather over facing amount of these.

My dish of pan fried sea bass and cous cous was a big disappointment and was very confused. The fish was not pan fried at all, but seemed to be steamed and was sat atop some very bland and extremely soggy cous cous – an ode to wetness that wasn’t offset by anything else on the plate. There was a sort of save from a zesty pineapple salsa and drizzle of curry oil – however there was only a woeful amount of these and neither sat well with the fish.

It’s obvious a lot of care has been taken with the redecoration and rebranding of The Bob Smithy, it's a family business and there's a lot of personality and love in the re-vamp. Scanning over the menu it seems that The Old Forge is being pushed along the gastropub route (with prices to match), unfortunately it’s not quite there yet – hopefully over time the food will refine to match the prices they’re charging.

Price for two mains and two pints (both t’boy’s!) - £40.40

Food – 6/10
Service – 7/10
Atmosphere – 8/10
Value for money – 6/10

Total – 27/40

Go again – Yes to give them another chance to see if they get over their teething problems, but for the quality you get at the moment it’s too expensive and I can pay the same price for better food at The Chetham Arms or Suzanna's, both of which are also just down the road.

Ps Sorry for the lack of photos, had no battery on my phone!

The Old Forge at The Bob Smithy, 144 Chorley Old Road, Horwich, Bolton BL1 7PX – 01204 842622 – Twitter

http://www.bobs-smithy.com/

The Chetham Arms - Chapeltown, Bolton

I’m in fear of shocking you readers, but there’s something to be said about the North West’s dining scene; if you only eat in the cities because you 'know' you're guaranteed the best food, then you're getting a raw deal - the best food, the best service and the best prices are all found outside town.

I’m going to propose a theory; no matter the quality, a city restaurant it is always guaranteed custom as long as it's cheap enough or flashy enough. There’s the footfall, the tourists, the convenience, the being part of a scene (ad nauseum) and these factors ensure bums will be on seats and food will be in mouths. (Seems many restaurants in Manchester are surviving very well on just being flashy; but that's another rant and another blog).

Take an eatery out of the city and suddenly things change. There’s no guaranteed footfall bar a few pint seeking locals, so quality suddenly becomes very important; as does reasonable prices and staff that are capable of serving rather than just looking good.

One such place proving this theory is the newly refurbished Chetham Arms in Chapeltown on the outskirts of Bolton. Nestled away in a quintessentially small Northern village, it has been taken over by the powerhouse that is Chris Yates. At the tender age of 24 he already has two very successful ventures under his belt (Elephant and Castle, Shoulder of Mutton) with a raft of awards to boot and an inclusion in the Relish cookbook, along with such luminaries as Robert Owen Brown and Andrew Nutter.

The Chetham Arms - with thanks to themselves

The Chetham Arms doesn’t look anything special, in fact it looks like a local that’s had a little bit of a makeover in the main dining room; nothing stuffy or over pretentious. The staff are very welcoming and there’s plenty of good ale on tap. Even the menu is unassuming; filled with local produce and hearty sounding dishes: it doesn’t give an inkling of what’s to come.

A soup of jerusalem artichokes was rich and velvety without being overpowering; the accompanying truffle cream added a heady perfume that matched with an earthy brilliance. The cream had been foamed slightly and this added a lightness to a dish that could have suffered from being far too heavy.

Jerusalem artichoke soup and lightly truffled cream

Isle of Skye scallops were sweet, caramelised and cooked to perfection - nothing rubbery or anaemic here. I’m not one for foams when they’re just ‘there,’ but the addition of a smoked bacon foam added a salty punch that brought the dish together amazingly well.

Isle of Skye scallops - yes, this was served to me in a pub! (pint just out of shot)

Homemade black pudding with quails egg came with a moreish pineapple relish and julienned sour apple slices; a quirky slant on a well known food pairing. An accompanying fritter was light with no hint of grease - a testament to the chef's skill and one which added a lovely crunch to the dish.

 Black pudding, quails egg, pineapple relish and black pudding fitter

For mains we had burger, it would have been rude not to whilst sitting in a pub. The patties were amazing; not too salty, not too greasy, not too bland, not too much bread. Everything was spot on with this dish; from the handmade ketchup (heavy hints of star anise) to the onion relish, to the home picked onions to the toasted muffin and it was served pink to boot. Perfect!

Best burger I've ever had - please note this is a smaller portion than the usual one served

Finding space for pudding was hard, but after the quality of the proceeding dishes we reasoned we should try and find space. Rice pudding and treacle tart were very well constructed, but the most amazing pudding was the simplest – a raspberry parfait with orange rind compote. I’m not sure how the chef had managed to create such intense flavours, but the small quenelle packed a massive punch of fruity flavours -  the balance of sugary sweetness and the underlying tartness was just right, leaving you neither sugared out or pinched in the mouth.

Lovely puddings - yum yum yum

Usually in an evening there is always a bum note or some aspect of a dish you'd change. At The Chetham Arms the composition of each plate that came out was perfect; obviously Chris Yates has thought long and hard about each and every aspect of each and every dish; ensuring texture, taste, look and smell were balanced and come together to create a harmony not often found in restaurant food, let alone pub food. 

The Chetham Arms may be a simple pub with good, honest grub; but the high standard, creativity, skill and reasonable prices means this is likely to become a definite go to destination and proves that out of the city it's the food, service and price that does the talking.

Ps - I try not to go to the nth describing every dish or go in to raptures of delight on my blog, however the food at The Chetham Arms was so surprisingly good and priced so extremely fairly I'm sorry, it was needed this time!

Price for taster menu and drinks: £34.60 – as The Chetham Arms is newly opened the staff gave us a small taster menu for the same price as the three course market menu (13.95 for three courses lunch time and 5.30-7pm Mon-Fri).

Food – 10/10
Service – 9/10
Atmosphere – 6/10 (they were a bit empty, but the staff made up for it)
Value for money – 10/10

Total – 35/40

Go again? Yes, we have already booked to have Christmas Eve there and will go back time and time again.

83 High Street, Chapeltown, Turton, Bolton BL7 0EW - 01294 852279 - info@thechethamarms.co.uk

http://www.thechethamarms.co.uk/

Suzanna's - Little Scotland, Blackrod, Bolton

When we moved out of the city centre to the 'provinces' a couple of years ago it was to the mouths agape of our peers; where would we socialise? Where would we eat out? Contrary to their belief it hasn't been an uphill struggle, we've found good places to eat - albeit we rely mostly on upmarket pubs rather than fine dining; but Manchester's restaurant scene wasn't that good for it to be such a marked difference. Though sometimes, just sometimes, I hanker after some good old fashioned fine dining.

In my wildest dreams I didn't think that fine dining would come to Blackrod; a small parish town on a windy hill with a population of 5,300, two chippies, two curry houses and two butchers. But the opening of a new pub/restaurant called Suzanna's may just be the culinary answer we've been looking for.

Suzanna's used to be a grotty pub with a non too salubrious reputation; but now on entering you are confronted with light colours, velvets, leather and chrome; which is a stark contrast from the traditional pub style building Suzanna's is situated in. There's a pub side to the building that serves traditional grub during the day; then ales, cocktails and drinks in the evening. The main dining room is off to the side and has been equally decked out, if not better. Cool creams and taupes, leather banquettes and white linen set a sophisticated tone.

Glancing over then menu underlines right away that this isn't a local pub; there's foie gras, scallops, cote de boeuf and a nod towards the locality; very on trend, black pudding.

Gazpacho

Whilst we drank at the bar we were treated to complimentary canapes. No outdated vol-u -ants here; but some deliciously, garlic heavy gazpacho and the most expertly fried squid I have encountered; light, dry and tender with a good dose of spice; akin to the Dishoom squid popcorn, but far better (I know, in Blackrod!).

Best squid ever

Starter of monkfish cheek with sauce gribiche from the specials menu was a simple affair of a forgotten delicacy (mostly shipped out to the continent now); the fish lightly cooked, the gribiche cutting through the breadcrumbs, which added a pleasing crunchy texture but slightly masked the beauty of the fish.

Monkfish cheek

Feeling decadent I ordered the duck with foie gras - this really was a masterpiece of a dish. The duck was cooked bang on the nose, complimented by rich squares of fried fois gras and brought to life with the sharp acidity of the accompanying apple compote. Unlike a traditional apple sauce; laden with sugar, this was sharp, tangy and cutting, livening up what could have been an overly heavy dish. The accompanying dried apple slices were a aesthetically beautiful addition adding a fragrant top note.

Duck - messed up the presentation as I was so hungry I forgot about the photo!

Best end of lamb was daintily presented considering the size of the portion. Again the meat was cooked to perfection, the aubergine crisps so thinly sliced as to be almost transparent and not holding oil at all, the ratatouille quenelle moist and flavoursome - the only bum note in the whole dish was the over-salting in the fondant potatoes.

Best end of lamb

For pudding we picked the assiette so we could sample everything (greedy, us?); a tipsy trifle, chocolate fondant, an espresso ice cream, a carrot cake with sugared carrots, a sticky toffee pudding AND a lemon tart. Each little bite was a burst of well considered flavours and textures on the palate. A special mention needs to go to the insanely perfect lemon tart with the thinnest pastry I've come across since the dear departed Modern.

Assiette of dessert - the picture doing it no justice

Each course was a testament to the skill and aptitude of the kitchen, meticulously thought through and well executed. Headed up by Mike Jennings, they are turning out food that equals some of the best in the city centre and blows many of the overpriced eateries Manchester has to offer out of the water. A local lad, Chef Jennings has spent the last ten years travelling around the country working under such luminaries as Gary Rhodes, Nigel Haworth at Northcote and Shaun Rankin at Bohemia; now coming home to bring good food to the sleepy town of Blackrod.

So often in new restaurants you find an excellent kitchen can be let down by poor waiting staff. Seeing as the restaurant has only just opened, the service operation is smooth and faultless. Lead by a professional and friendly General Manager (who really knows his wines) the staff glide through their tasks as if Suzanna's is an establishment with many years trade under its belt.

Granted the food isn't cheap; however for the price you pay here for the blatantly obvious time and consideration lavished on the constrution of well thought out dishes, the amazing service and the relaxed atmosphere, would mean at least another 50% on the bill in the middle of Manchester. At £50 a head for three courses, amuse bouche and wine is a steal.

Hopefully the word will get out about this culinary gem to local foodies and far flung gastronomes alike; convincing people to make the pilgrimage up to my small town, so I, and they, can enjoy Chef Jenning's and his team's wonderful work for years to come.

Ps - the boy asked me to add that they only serve one ale and unfortunately it's served through a chilled tap; not being a beer drinker I don't much understand, but apparently it's crucial!

Pps - if you want something more traditional, the pub does a good range of sandwiches and pub grub from 12 noon-6pm for a very reasonable price; and for all you traditionalists Suzanna's serves up a proper Sunday lunch with all the trimmings too.

Price for  canapes (complimentary) four starters, four mains, two desserts (sharing assiettes), one bottle of wine (£26), one bottle of dessert wine (£20), two cocktails (£14), one glass of orange juice and four beers - £206.85

Food - 9/10
Service - 9/10
Atmosphere - 8/10
Value for money - 8/10

Total - 35/40

Go again - yes, I'll take my parents, my friends, my peers who think I live in a back water, the postman - any excuse!

Suzanna's, Little Scotland, Blackrod, Bolton, BL6 5LW - 01942 832629 - reservations@suzanna.com - Twitter

http://www.suzannas.com/

Blundell Arms - Horwich

There's nothing more rewarding after a long walk across the moors than a good pint supped in cosy, comfortable surroundings.

Certainly the Blundell Arms in Horwich, part of the Chef and Brewer chain, delivers on that front. It's close to the moors, has a roaring fire and there's plenty of exposed wood and warm colours to cosset you from the bleak expanses of heather and rocks that splay out from the back of the pub and there's always a good selections of traditional ales on tap that change often. They're not always local, but they're always pretty good.

Blundell Arms with thanks to Chef and Brewer

Great? No, not great. With a brand name including 'chef' in the title, the comfiness of the surroundings and the high standard of drink available, it would be a logical step to assume that the food would also be produced at an equally high standard.

Rocking up following a wet, after work walk, we chose hearty, warm food to chase away the chills; and indeed it was very warm. The food came out from the kitchen at such an extreme temperature that I can only guess it came from the electronic oven that goes ping, rather than being heated up conventionally/cooked fresh. The result was that we couldn't approach our food for a full five minutes. Ho hum.

Salty pie

The pie was more pastry than meat and what meat could be found in the middle had been heavily salted; which at least gave it more flavour, even if it was just one dominant, salty high note, than any of my dish put together. What lead me to order a curry in a pub I'm not sure, but it certainly was a mistake. On first impressions it did look good; two bowls of different curries, nann, rice and what looked like home made bharjis.

Tasteless curry

The meal is summarised thus - chickpea curry; thin, watery and tasted like a tomato cup-a-soup. Bharjis; oily, overcooked, stale tasting. Chicken curry; hotish, that’s about it – no layers of flavours, no fragrance. Nann: packet, cold. Mango chutney; famous green labelled brand name, at best. It's a travesty that this is being served up when the North has such a rich culinary heritage when it comes to Asian food and Spice Valley is churning out constantly good fare for less money only half a mile down the road.

Packet nann and rice

As our bellies still rumbled after this disaster of a meal, we took a chance and ordered something else off the menu. I wasn’t in the frame of mind that we should give this establishment any more money for food; however we were starving and it was included in a meal deal with the boy’s pie.

Never in my life has there been such a disparity in cooking between courses. The crumble was a bubbling dish of hot, cinnamony plums topped in a delicious, buttery crumble accompanied by very creamy, vanilla ice cream AND custard. A treat indeed!

Plum crumble

Looking over The Blundell Arm’s menu there’s the general feel that they’re trying to operate outside the usual pub realms, introduce people to new foods and offer over and above standard pub grub. There’s a highlight on seasonal ingredients; dishes using these are on a separate specials menu. There’s Fish Night and Game Night; the pub’s version of a tasting menu, five smaller courses for £20 introducing punters to wild boar and guinea fowl. All of which is to be applauded; however there’s no point trying out the clever stuff if you can’t get your basics right.

Cost for two mains, one pudding and two drink – £27.48

Food – 4/10
Service – 6/10
Atmosphere – 7/10
Value for money – 6/10

Total – 23/40

Go again? Yes for a pint after a walk as it really does suit it, plus there's a good view of the sunset; but we'd give the food a miss.

The Blundell Arms, Chorley Old Road, Horwich, Bolton BL6 6PY – 01204 898662
http://www.chefandbrewer.com/pub-food/blundell-arms-bolton-horwich/pid-P1527

Bolton Market

Foodies have long heralded the farmers' market; fair trade jute bag in hand, chatting to the suppliers over ears of freshly harvested corn and handmade gluten free cupcakes.

However we need to remember that the raise of the farmers' market is not just a modern phenomenon, but an extension of the traditional market that has been the mainstay of the populace's shopping experience for the past thousand years.

Bolton market is very much a product of the town's industrial past, housed in a Victorian market hall it's all tile, brick and iron. The town has held the charter to hold a market since 1251 and I can happily say this tradition is still going strong.

Last Saturday I did my usual shop at the market accompanied by the excellent food photographer, Christelle Vaillant (whose wonderful photos illustrate this edition of the blog - more of her work can be found on http://easydoesitrecipes.blogspot.com/). We spent a very enjoyable morning at the market, which won praise indeed from Christelle who hasn't seen such a market outside of her native France.

We've started shopping at the market after becoming increasingly depressed wandering round brightly illuminated isles, being over-charged for intensively packaged shiny fruits in the supermarket, or not being able to find much on the farmers' market in our price range - lovely for a spot of browsing or picking up something specialist; but not great at filling the shopping basket for the whole week.

Bolton's a usual mixed market, split in two; with general wares in one section and food in the other. You'll find the food market by following the fresh fishy smell and shouts of "seabass for for a fiver." Get ready for your senses to be assaulted as you're greeted on all sides by amazing sights, smells and sounds.

First stop is the fish stalls - there's a great selection at HJ Grundy; a good looking stall with spanking fresh fish. There's always the usuals, including staples such as cod and seabass, but it's also a great place to pick up the unusual. Last Saturday there were razor clams, live brown crab, prawns the size of my forearm, catfish and many others I've neither seen nor tasted before. The staff at Grundy's will clean, fillet and give you any bones of the fish you want. They're also very helpful when asking questions about what's fresh and when certain catches have come in. AND they stock local potted shrimps (Southport), something I stock up on at every opportunity!

On to Meat and Poultry for large, free range duck eggs and then over to Choice Cuts where you can get a good big slab of pork belly including nipple, a proper black pudding (Bury no less) and a cheeky chat with the guys on the stall. There's a handful of meat and fish suppliers here, so there's always plenty of choice for anything you need, including pigs feet and boiling chickens. As Bolton has a large ethnic community there are also a couple of Halal meats stalls with one specialising in super fresh Halal offal.

After the meat and fish you pop through to the fruit, veg and bakery section; which really is a riot of colour. Browse amongst the stalls for the best fruit and veg - most providers have grown savvy to the current localism trend and now mark on whether the stock is from the UK and even where about it's from; one of the stalls has some cracking Hesketh tomatoes at the moment. There doesn't seem to be one veg stall that's better than the others; it's a case of browse them all, picking up the freshest and the best. However there is a stall right at the back that's overflowing with chillies, fresh dates, Asian vegetables and humongous bunches of gorgeous herbs adding their heady fragrance to an already mind blowing shopping experience.

Special mention needs to be paid to Purdons cheese stall, selling a wide range of European cheeses and a large selection of local ones - this week I purchased a cracking Garstang Blue, which I decided upon with the help of staff (who kindly let me try quite a lot of samples).

Also worth a mention is Unsworth Deli, a places where real bread reigns supreme and you can pick up specialities like proper pancetta - not the flabby, little, flavoured lardons you pick up at the big four; but  a whole piece of cured meat off which you're sliced a lovely hunk. Plus the boy is very happy with their selection of pies (well he is Northern).

And last but not least Sweet Treats, found in the general side of the market. It’s a small, white sweet shop, but the only place you can find cream soda, plus you can put in a request for something you can’t find anymore and they’ll try to track it down for you. It’s recognisable by the yellow trays of Swizzles Matlow sweets reminiscent of the corner shop when you were eight.

Bolton Market's a brilliant alternative to the weekly big shop, you can sort all you food out but can't get everything there (such as toiletries); there's plenty of choice, the food's fresh and it's good to know that your money stays local.

Ps - Bolton Market has a market kitchen where they host cookery demos, even the Hairy Bikers have cooked there and they won Best Indoor Retail Market 2010. Even more reason to pay them a visit!

Pps - there's no parking at the market, however park at Sainsbury's on Trinity Street, parking's free for two hours. The train station is a five minute walk from the market and there's plenty of buses running in from the surrounding area.

Bolton Market is open Tue, Thurs, Fri and Sat - 9am-5pm. There's a second hand section on Friday and a car boot on Sunday.

Bolton Market, Ashburner Street, Bolton BL1 1TQ.

All photography in this blog has been taken by Christelle Vaillant, Food Photographer - check out more of her wonderful work here and here.

Viva Espana - Horwich

When I was at primary school we had a dragon of a teacher named Mrs Parker; tightly permed grey hair, lined face, perma-nicotine stained fingers and a bark that could quell a doberman at fifty paces. Apart from giving me a fear of short, permed, old ladies the only lasting lesson she impressed on the young me was that Spain was full of matadors eating paella and shouting viva espana, thanks to constant renditions of Eviva Espana whilst we sat cross legged on the hall's parke flooring.

Viva Espana, with thanks to the Bolton News

Opening the doors to Viva Espana in Horwich, the days on the floor of the hall came flooding back; half brick walls with blue paint, Spanish flags and tables finished off with red and yellow paper napkins. Ole!

Viva Espana is primarily a tapas restaurant, the menu split into various headings, for example Carne and Mariscos - we ordered broadly across all sections apart from the breads as these weren't value for money being too highly priced.

Serrano ham

Though the decor of Viva Espana is redolent of the Spain in pastiches and cheap Benidorm bars, the food is properly rustic with hints of real Spain shining through. The Habas Con Morcilla; black pudding with broad beans, onions and herbs was the star dish; warm, peppery and full of body. Similarly good was the slow cooked lamb; spiked with the warm spice of paprika and the meat falling apart in the mouth.

Habas con morcilla

As with all rustic cooking there are well cooked dishes from the heart and those that are clunky and, however well intentioned, uncoordinated. The squid; soft and brilliantly cooked, was covered in an unappetising thick and greasy batter (house special apparently). Mussels; sweet, amazingly cooked - just kissed by the pan, were drowning in a greasy bath of flavourless oil.

Squid rings

We were welcomed warmly to Viva Espana and seated quickly, however throughout the night the service became less apparent and to order another beer took a long time of trying to catch the waiter's eye. As the restaurant is small the atmosphere gets going as the night goes on, we were surrounded by a birthday party and a group of middle-aged ladies on the rose - certainly cheered up our Tuesday!

Viva Espana is pulling away from the plastic sombrero image of tapas restaurants foisted upon us up and down the highstreets of our small towns, nonetheless there is a long way to go until we find ourselves in Huesca and not Horwich.

Total for six tapas plates and two beers -

Food - 6/10
Atmosphere - 7/10
Service - 7/10
Value for money - 6/10

Total 26/40

Go again - maybe for a local, midweek meal on the hoof.

Viva Espana, 12 Winter Hey Lane, Horwich, BL6 7AA - 01204 438235 - contact@vivaespanauk.com

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http://www.vivaespanauk.com/

Luciano's at the Millstone - Anderton, Chorley

Luciano's is the recent incarnation of an Italian restaurant at The Millstone, it's been remade and done up - previously it was a sad, tired restaurant with peeling 90s wallpaper serving over-priced, over-cooked food apparently with a mediterranean influence ie. served with watery courgettes and a sprinkling of oregano.
From the outside the Millstone looks like an old-style country pub, however inside it's all white linen tableclothes and leather chairs. Luciano's is now headed up by Luciano Fortuna, who's gregarious Scilian personality can usually be found heading up the restaurant and welcoming guests with a twinkle in his eye.

Looks like a pub, is a restaurant - with thanks to Chorley Guardian

We were seated quickly even though we didn't have a reservation in the modern, clean dining room. Thankfully Luciano has a habit of seating guests near other tables and filling the restaurant up that way, so even if the restaurant is only half full it seems like there is plenty going on and the atmosphere is good.

There's a main menu comprising starters, pastas, pizzas and mains - plus a daily changing special menu. I decided to order the mussels off the specials and have to say they were freshest, tastiest and well cooked mussels I have had; the flesh was silky soft and the tomatoey broth thick with fragrant herbs and garlic, it was so good I asked for a spoon (they agreed without quibble)!

Spanking fresh mussels

We ordered pizzas and pasta as it was a relaxed meal - good wood fired dough, thin and crispy. However it was 50/50 as to whether they were worth it. A 'create your own' of rocket, calabrese salami and peppers was fresh and very tasty, but the prawn pizza was bland - far too much cheese, hardly any courgettes and a few tiny rubbery prawns, this sorry state was replicated in the Sciliana as well. A secret to pizza success here seems to be asking them to be easy on the cheese.

Overly cheesey, bland prawn pizza

Pasta was well cooked to the bite and the sauce well seasoned, the diavola being loud and shouty spice in your mouth - it could have been toned down a tad as the spice seemed to drown out anything else, but was overall rounded and well thought out.

Service was attentive, if somewhat over-bearing from someone whom we could only guess at being the head waiter - an over-the-top personality who made us feel very welcome, but whose schtick soon got a little tiring. Far more subtle and effective was Luciano himself, who glided around the dining room, was expertly knowledgable and liked to talk about proper Scilian and Italian food.

We've aslo popped to Luciano's for a drink after work - the beer garden here is pretty and good sized, though a little close to the road to really chill out (thankfully you can only hear it and not see it). It's good to see that as well as serving Peroni and other largers, they pay a respectful nod to the local Bank Top Brewery and serve Flat Cap on tap. Order the breads and olives whilst you sup - the chewy bread comes with some lovely, grassy olive oil and come very sticky, thick balsamic syrup.



Luciano's isn't a mecca for foodies, but for a local mid-week, fairly priced meal that's actually alright it hits the nail on the head. If Luciano could influence the menu to give the food a more Scilian slant I think they would be on to a winner.

Price for one appertiser, two starters, three pizzas, one pasta and drinks - £67.75

Food - 7/10
Atmosphere - 7/10
Service - 6/10
Value for money - 6/10

Total - 26/40

Luciano's Italian Restaurant, At the Millstone, Bolton Road, Anderton, Chorley PR6 9HJ - 01257 480205
http://www.lucianosatthemillstone.com/