Meal 4- Salvo's, Headingley, Leeds
Salvo's Italian Restaurant really needs no introduction. Famous for winning Gordon Ramsay's F Word's Best Italian Restaurant last year, and incredibly popular throughout Leeds, it is one of my favourite places to eat in the city and going there for either a quick lunch in the Salumeria or an indulgent three course meal in the evening is always a treat (website).
Me and D had spent the afternoon pretending we were young student types again (gatecrashing Leeds Met's freshers fair- free leaflets, woop!, and drinking our way up the Otley Road- kind of like a reverse Otley run but without the fancy dress) and by 7pm we were STARVING. So decided on a trip to Salvos (I was craving pizza...result of the copious amounts of vodka drunk maybe?) and their pizzas are the best I've tasted in Leeds, possibly the best I've tasted EVER actually.
Being a Friday night, there was a waiting list for tables and the bar was pretty crowded, so the very friendly front of house man gave us a ticket and told us to come back in an hour. When we got back we were seated immediately, and given a little sampler of delicious focaccia which really got the tastebuds going and made me want to order everything from the menu.
However, I finally decided on the Penne Piccante N'duje, which is penne pasta in a tomato and fennel sauce with spicy Calabrian sausage, served with pecorino. It was fantastic- the pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was to die for- deliciously spicy and really full of flavour.
D went for mussels cooked with white wine, thyme and chilli and he loved them. I don't like mussels (the texture is just too slimy) but I tried a bit of the broth and it was light and fragrant- really tasty. We also shared some giant Sicilian olives with garlic bruschetta because as I said before, we were really really hungry! We'd wanted them to nibble on before our starters came, but they actually came at the same time which was a bit annoying- however as we weren't waiting very long for our starters, it wasn't a huge problem.
I obviously chose pizza for my main as I'd been craving it all afternoon- I went for the Pizza Norma- sun dried tomatoes, aubergine, rocket and parmesan. As always, Salvo's pizza did not disappoint at all- light crisp base, generous, well flavoured filling and not soggy in the middle! (like so many other pizzas are) An interesting thing to note is that on the bill, the pizza was listed as Pizza Norma Major- can anyone shed any light on this bizarre pizza name?!
D had a pasta dish, again from the specials menu- I can't remember exactly what it was called as the specials have changed now, but it was veal ravioli I think- and he was very impressed with it- it was really rich and full flavoured; and he couldn't finish it all despite our attack of drunken munchies! The puddings were tempting, but we were really stuffed by this point, so decided to roll home.
Had an absolutely lovely evening at Salvo's; as always the staff were efficient, friendly and knowledgeable, the atmosphere was buzzing and warm, and the food was top class. Salvo's have just been awarded an AA rosette- congratulations! It's definitely well deserved.
Meal 5- Azucar, Brewery Wharf, Leeds
Tapas is one of my absolute favourite types of food- I think because I'm so indecisive and want to try everything when I eat out. Tapas allows me to do that! Anyway, following the closures of both La Vina on Greek Street and that little Latino place up near the university (can't remember its name, but the tapas were lovely!) I need to find a new tapas place in the city centre (that isn't La Tasca- it's rubbish)
Azucar up at Brewery Wharf is a cool bar and tapas restaurant part owned by the legendary Howard Marks (website). The decor is funky and modern and there is an extensive cocktail menu, not to mention a wide selection of tapas.
It was fairly empty when we went (5.30ish on a cold Sunday evening) but started to fill up by the time we left and there was a 3 for 2 on tapas offer on- it runs until 7 on weekdays and all day Sunday. We ordered a wide range of dishes- pickled anchovy fillets, smoked fish cakes, lamb kebabs, their speciality "drunken chicken in apple sauce," patatas bravas (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce), halloumi and vegetable kebabs and tomato bread.
All the dishes were delicious- none of the pre-prepared, reheated, flavourless stuff that you get at certain other tapas chains. Highlights were the pickled anchovies, mainly for the presentation, and the drunken chicken- tender, melt in the mouth chunks of chicken in a really tasty apple and cider sauce. Everything was full of flavour and not too heavy or greasy, and you could tell the ingredients were of pretty decent quality.
We got a bit screwed over on the three for two deal though as we were stupid and ordered a scoop of banoffee ice cream to share for dessert- so the only things that came off the bill were a £1.50 ice cream and the bread! Not quite the value for money deal we'd expected. Nonetheless, the food was worth every penny and I'd really like to go back and try some of the other dishes- I'll just be careful what I choose next time! Oh and it's 2 for 1 on Tuesday evenings- so even more of an excuse to check it out.
Meal 3- Casa Mia Coffee Shop, Chapel Allerton, Leeds
Casa Mia is a small Leeds based chain of Italian restaurants, and the Coffee Shop in Chapel Allerton is my favourite out of the three (four if you count the takeaway in Bridgewater Place) because of its friendly, relaxed, family-orientated atmosphere (website).
D and I decided to pop there for a quick lunch one weekday and as we have a loyalty card it was 2 for 1 on pizza (you can get one from the website for free, and there are some really good money saving offers) There is a huge selection of pizzas to choose from, as well as a range of pasta dishes, panini, antipasti/salady things, and main courses, like salmon, chicken milanese, chicken cacciatore (stew) etc.
I wasn't overly hungry, so decided to go for a light pizza- the "Raffaele's Special;" ham, ricotta, parmesan and basil. I don't know who Raffaele is but he's a genius; the base was lovely and crisp, the topping was flavoursome and light and despite thinking I wasn't that hungry, I demolished the lot.
D went for the Porcini pizza- which was a little different, as instead of using tomato sauce for the base, it uses wild mushroom puree and is topped with more mushrooms, tomato, mozzarella, parmesa, basil and olive oil. It was much richer than my pizza, but so full of deep mushroom flavour and wonderfully creamy with cheese. Only one small criticism- because the base was loaded so generously with oozing cheesy mushroomy topping, the middle of the pizza had gone slightly soggy. If you're a big fan of mushrooms, then this is definitely the pizza for you!
The best thing about Casa Mia is without a doubt the desserts. They are displayed in a glass cabinet, tempting you throughout your meal, and I defy anyone to be able to leave without sampling one! (Or maybe you have better willpower than me....) The staff go with you to the counter and describe what all the desserts are- I ordered a chocolate and pear tart, and D went for the tiramisu. Weirdly, I opted for a scoop of banana ice cream to accompany my tart- I know the flavours don't really go together, but I really love banana ice cream.
The tart was amazing. The rich, dry chocolate filling- yes I know rich and dry aren't really two adjectives that go together, but somehow it worked- was luscious, and the pastry was perfectly crumbly. I could have eaten it twice. Or three times. And no, the banana ice cream didn't really go, but I ate it separately- two desserts! The pear in the tart was dried, which I wasnt expecting, I think it would have been nicer with fresh pear. But that's a minor grumble considering I wolfed down the entire slice in about 2 seconds and considered getting another one.
D's tiramisu was also wonderful- what would you expect from an authentic Italian restaurant though?! The mascarpone was rich and creamy and the sponge was neither too soggy, nor too dry. Apologies for the picture- it wasn't served like that, D dug in before I'd had the chance to get my camera out.
OK so a quick lunch turned into a long, lazy feast...and we left feeling very satisfied with swollen bellies and a need to sleep it off. I love the Casa Mia Coffee Shop- the service can be a little slow, but it just adds to the ambience of creating a real Italian feel, encouraging people to take their time over the food, not just cram down a quick sandwich or Greggs sausage roll like so many British workers do in their lunchbreak,and truly enjoy both the food and experience.
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