The BowieXperience

My friend Jayne and I recently saw The BowieXperience at The Sands in Carlisle. We are both David Bowie fans, though only Jayne has seen him play live. I thought that the singer's voice was very like the original Bowie's, the backing band was tight and the screen behind them added to the experience and there were countless costume changes for "David." The BowieXperience went through all his great songs and their show was very well performed. Watching it made me realise all the more what an amazing artist the real David Bowie was, how he constantly reinvented himself and his music, pushed boundaries and remained very relevant. I do regret never having seen him play live. Jayne enjoyed the show too and afterwards made the classic quote, "Bowie had better legs"!!

If you are a Bowie fan I would recommend going to see this tribute act, they put on a good, professional show and bring the great artist back to life and make you realise all the more just how amazing his talent was.

(Image from The Bowie Experience Website)

Restaurant Review - No. 34, Carlisle

Three friends and I recently decided to try the mid-week wine tasting menu at No. 34 restaurant, it was a bit different, I don't know of any other restaurant in Carlisle that does a wine tasting menu.

My goat's cheese starter

 The restaurant has a relaxed ambiance, the chairs were comfortable and the tables spaced enough to give some privacy. For my starter I had slow cooked balsamic onion and goat’s cheese tart with a crispy vegetable salad and they gave me Sauvignon Blanc, Panul, Lontue Valley Chile to go with it. I was surprised that the amount of wine (which is complimentary) was more than I expected. I love goat's cheese and loved my starter was delicious, as was the wine.

I chose grilled sea bass, roasted fennel, pomme cocottes, roasted cherry tomatoes, olive tapenade, samphire and a lemon and white wine foam for my main course and this was accompanied by a Pinot Noir, Reserva Vina Mar Argentina. Again the food was delicious, the generous portion of sea bass melted in the mouth. I scraped the olive tapenade off the fish before eating it though, I hate olives in any form. My friends all had pan fried corn fed chicken, rosti potato, pancetta savoy cabbage, celeriac puree,  baby onion and chicken cream sauce with La Brouette Rosé, Vin de Pays du Comte Tolosan wine, they too loved their meals.

Chocolate dessert heaven!

We decided to go the whole hog and have dessert too and mine was chocolate delice with chocolate soil, cinder toffee, orange jelly, orange crisps and mascarpone along with Corney and Barrow Tawny Port. For a chocoholic like m this dessert was wonderful, the delice especially was heavenly! I'm partial to port occasionally, and this one went really well with the dessert.

My friends Kath, Margo and me, photo taken
by Tania

The service was very good, friendly and professional. The cost was reasonable for such excellent food - their wine tasting mid-week special Tuesday to Thursday is two courses for £18.95 and three courses £23.95,


Address:  34 Fisher Street
                Carlisle

Website:  http://www.numberthirtyfour.co.uk/

A Late Lunch in McGrew's Bistro and the Olly Olcock Exhibition, The Old Fire Station, Carlisle.

My cousin Glen and I visited Carlisle's new arts venue The Old Fire Station for the first time this week. We met up in McGrew's Bistro which is part of the complex. It was a hodge podge of different tables and chairs, we went for very comfy armchairs. We both chose pate with ciabatta, salad and Cumberland sauce and shared a bowl of chips. The food came quickly and was lovely, a generous portion of delicious pate and the ciabatta lightly toasted, the Cumberland sauce went really well with it. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The cost for the two pates, one bowl of chips, two teas and one coffee was £17 which we felt was reasonable. My only complaint would be that they had the automatic doors permanently open and it wasn't a warm day, so the place was quite cold and I had to keep my jacket on.

We went upstairs to view the Olly Alcock  art exhibition, which took a while to find as it was a bit of a rabbit warren and no signs guiding you there until you found the right entrance. It was a small exhibition of acrylic paintings mainly of Cumbrian Lakeland scenes though there were a couple of paintings of a plane and steam train. The quality of the paintings varied, some were a little "flat,"but most were very good with a lot of detail. My favourite was a striking picture of Helvellyn's Striding Edge, which is the left hand painting above. The paintings exuded feelings of calmness and serenity and highlighted the stunning beauty of Cumbria's Lake District.

The exhibition is free and lasts until the 31st of July.

Address:  The Old Fire Station,
                Warwick Street
                Carlisle CA3 8QW

Website:  http://oldfirestation.carlisle.city/

Restaurant Review, Lunch at No. 34, Carlisle

Bijou was always one of my favourite restaurants in Carlisle, it had a lovely atmosphere and excellent food. It has now been transformed into No.34 but still run by the same owners. My friend and I decided to try it out for the first time one lunchtime last week. We arrived at 1pm and it was quite busy but we found a table for two. Just after 1pm a server came and asked if we would like a drink and we ordered one. The tables and seating is similar if not the same as it was for Bijou, so it is comfortable and roomy, but the decor was very different, dark walls covered in pictures, it was ok but I must say I preferred the airy elegance of the old restaurant.

We waited to receive our drinks and place our order, and waited some more. Eventually at 1.20pm the server came, without any apology for the lengthy delay, with our drinks and to take our order. We both had The Fish One, a fish burger in a roll with spicy raisin coleslaw and salad. At 1.40pm we received our meal, good job we weren't in our lunch hour.

I'm sorry to say I was very disappointed in The Fish One as was my friend, it was almost tasteless and we both ended up leaving some which is a rare occurrence for me as people know! I did not like the spicy coleslaw but I do not like that kind of thing anyway. My friend said that it was needed to add some flavour to the burger. We finished with a coffee. Two meals, two alcoholic drinks and two coffees cost us £27.00

It's a shame that I have to write a bad review for this restaurant at lunchtime, but I have to be honest about how I felt. Maybe another dish would have tasted much better, maybe service would have been better if they had not been busy, I've never before had that complaint about Bijou which was always outstanding lunchtime and evening. I'll try out the place again as this may have been a one off.

Address:   No.34

                 34 Fisher Street

                 Carlisle 

Website:   http://www.numberthirtyfour.co.uk/

Restaurant Review, Dempsey's, Carlisle

Last week a couple of friends and I went to Dempsey's for a meal. I hadn't been there for a long time and the decor was very different, modern with a bit of glitz provided by chandeliers. There was a mixture of booths and tables that were well spaced, giving privacy, and the seats were very comfortable.

My Chicken Caesar Salad

We had decided to have the Early Evening Menu which had a good selection for starters, I had a Chicken Caesar Salad and my friends had a small Cheese Tart with salad. We had quite a long wait for this, but the server did apologise for the delay. My salad was delicious, plenty of chicken and all the salad items were very fresh, my friends enjoyed their starter too.

For the main we all went for the Picanha Steak, with fries and salad (which was plus £1.00.) There was a chimichurri sauce (which I thought was Indian but it turns out to be Argentinian) made from garlic, olive oil, chilli and herbs that accompanied the steak but I did not have that as I do not like chilli. The steak was good and very tender, more medium to well done than the medium  I had ordered, but I can live with that. To accompany the meal we had a bottle of Prosecco which always goes down well, especially on a warm summer's evening.

From Dempsey's Website

We didn't have enough room for a dessert so just had coffee to finish. The service was attentive and pleasant and the atmosphere relaxed. The Early Evening Menu is either two courses for £15.00 or three for £18.00 which is good value (the a la carte menu had a great selection too and prices not too expensive.) The three of us had two courses, (plus the £3.00 extra in all for the steak option) three coffees and a bottle of Prosecco and the bill came to £73.00 which was good value.


Address:  Dempsey's Bar and Restaurant
                11 Warwick Road
                Carlisle
                Cumbria CA1 1DH

Website:  http://www.dempseysrestaurant.co.uk/

Cafe Review - Orton Grange, Cumbria

Last Sunday my friend and I went to the cafe at Orton Grange for a late lunch. The cafe is part of a complex containing a shop, a branch of Cumbria's well- known Cranston's butchers, a hairdresser, a pool and holiday accommodation. The building is a converted farm building (Orton Grange takes its name from the working dairy farm next door) which has been tastefully renovated with the original stone walls and oak beams alongside more modern decor. The cafe is on two levels, the lower one with tables and chairs and the counter and upstairs a mixture of the same and comfy leather couches. We managed to grab one of the leather couches even though the place was very busy.

Photo from Orton Grange Website

We chose what we wanted and I went downstairs to order, there was a queue and it took a long time to get served, they could have done with more than one person serving. But after ordering we didn't have to wait too long for our food, I had the Soup Combo, a bowl of  vegetable soup and a ham sandwich. The soup was definitely homemade and absolutely delicious, bursting with all kinds of vegetables. I had chosen ham for the accompanying sandwich, as I'd hoped, it had thick slices of Cranston's roast ham in it and again was very good. My friend Jayne had a baked potato with tuna and onion and she enjoyed that very much too.

The cafe has a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere, upstairs especially and, if you want it, there is the bonus of free WiFi. We sat and chatted for a long time, it's the kind of place where you can take your time.

The prices are reasonable, my soup and sandwich with a pot of tea cost £7.50, and Jayne's meal was a similar price. The menu isn't big or fancy, but Orton Grange is an excellent place to go for good wholesome and fresh food. The cakes looked good too but we were good and resisted!


Address:   Orton Grange
                Great Orton
                Carlisle CA5 6LA

Website:   http://www.ortongrange.co.uk/

Anselm Kiefer Exhibition, Tullie House, Carlisle

My Cousin Glen and I recently went to see this exhibition at Tullie House. The exhibition is presented by Artist Rooms, a collection jointly owned by the Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. I must be honest and say that I had never heard of Anselm Kiefer before but I am always ready to look at art that is new to me. This exhibition covers the period of the artist's career from 1969 to 2014.

Anselm was born in Germany in 1945 and now lives and works in France. He is considered one of the greatest European post-war  artists. He cites artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Caspar David Friedrich as influences and I can see some of the drama of Friedrich (who is a favourite of mine too) in his work but I can't see the van Gogh influence, except that there were some steel/iron sunflowers in one of his works. The first thing I noted about his art is that it tends to be either monochrome or earthy colours. He works in many mediums, paint, photography, metal, sculpture, collage, often using grit and sand to give the work texture, the earthy colours fit well with such media. He is fascinated by history, philosophy, mythology, science and the Third Reich and these subjects appear in his arts time and time again. There were a lot of exhibits on show but I will just write about three that interested me most.

The most striking painting for me was the one featured on the museum's exhibition information leaflet, (above) it was especially created for the exhibition and is called Urd, Verdando, Skuld (The Norns 1983.) The norns are "Fates" of Norse mythology representing Past, Present and Future, their names are written in chalk on the ceiling of the building. Hanging from the ceiling of the Third Reich-like building are the strings of destiny. All these subjects are ones that Kiefer frequently returns to. I looked at the pictures before reading the information about them and to me it looked like these strings were roots reaching down into a dark, murky vault of time, of history. Kiefer is of a generation of Germans that grew up after World War Two, and had to come to terms with and deal with the guilt of what had happened in their country shortly before they were born. He was not afraid to confront this history in his art, which also includes some self portraits of him doing the Nazi salute.  I am half German, born a few years after Kiefer and as I was growing up I was very aware of that feeling of oppressive history and guilt. I wasn't proud of my German background for a long time and even hid it, Now that has changed and I can embrace my heritage, because no country, no history, is totally negative and Germans have a lot to be proud of too. I think my own personal background made me see those things in that picture and I found it stirred a lot of emotion in me. It is a very hypnotic painting, it draws you in and looks much more impressive in real life than in the image in this post.

Another picture that I liked was Hortus Philosphorum (2010.) Keifer made piles of books from lead and photographed them. Over the books lay lead sunflowers, twigs and other items, Kiefer described lead as the "only material heavy enough to carry the weight of human history."  It was like the lead items were holding down the books, the knowledge trying smother them, but knowledge never dies. A very thought -provoking piece of work.

The next piece I liked was Untitled 1988. There were six small gold leaf covered items, and, being an ex-nurse, it soon dawned on me that they parts of the human body. These were casts of real body parts which included a kidney, inner ear and heart.  In the middle of them was a piece of seaweed that seemed to me like splayed out blood. Again, it made us think, these were such important parts of the body, of life, yet they were quite small.

I must admit I wasn't very impressed when I first went into the exhibition, it looked dull and strange. But as Glen and I  looked at the works we had many discussions about them, and they seemed to come to life. They captured our imagination, they made us think, made us talk and really, isn't that what good art should do?

The Anselm Kiefer Exhibition is at Tullie House, Carlisle until 7th June 2015, entry £3.00.

Alan Davies Little Victories Tour, The Sands Centre, Carlisle

Last week my friend Jayne and I went to The Sands in Carlisle to see Alan Davies in his Little Victories tour. When he came on stage he was just as I imagined, warm, informal and having the ability to just chat to the audience like we were friends, all with a youthfulness about him that belied his 49 years. Initially he interacted a lot with the crowd, finding out where people were from (someone had come all the way from Birmingham, must be a superfan!) and he also asked about the ages of people which surprisingly ranged from teenagers to people in their 80's.

He talked a lot about his family. His mother died from leukaemia when he was six leaving his father to bring up Alan and his younger sister and older brother. Much of the early part of the show dealt with his fraught relationship with his father. Sometimes the honesty of it was very moving, yet not sentimental, and often very funny, not easy to meld together, but Alan managed this brilliantly. One of the anecdotes was that his dad loved every kind of jam except blackcurrant. So when the home help his father had hired was making a cake for Alan's father's birthday Alan told her to put blackcurrant jam in it because his dad like it. When his dad tasted it he exploded with anger and Alan got one of his "little victories" over his father. Another thing that made the talk of his father more poignant was that he is now suffering from Alzheimer's Disease.

After examining his own childhood he discussed his own role as a father and trials and tribulations of raising young children (he has two children aged four and five) a lot. Not having children of my own I couldn't relate to much of this, but that aside, some of it was still very funny, especially when he talked of his daughter swearing for the first time and his son pretending to choke to get attention. It was clear most of the audience fully related to the highs and lows of bringing up children that he related.

He also talked about being taken out of his school where he was happy and sent to a public school that his own father had attended and which Alan hated. He was the youngest at the school and more interested in toys than the more adolescent pursuits of the youths around him. But again, he brings humour to this in his own inimitable way and had the audience roaring with laughter.

The show lasted almost two and a half hours, and you can only admire someone who can do stand up for that long. It all felt very natural and unscripted, which of course it would not have been, but his professionalism made it feel that way.  All in all it was a excellent night and it does us all the world of good to have a laugh and Alan certainly gave us plenty of them!

Restaurant Review - Ruen, Carlisle

I've been visiting Ruen Thai Restaurant for many years now and have always enjoyed my meals there. It is conveniently located in the centre of Carlisle and there is parking nearby. The decor is beautiful, intricately carved tables and chairs, silk wall hangings and Thai painting of the wall, each table had a real orchid in a little vase on it. Tables have a good distance between them ensuring privacy. The general ambiance of the restaurant is very relaxing

To start Glen and I had the Ruethai Platter for two - Thai fishcakes, chicken satay skewers and Thai spring rolls served with a variety of dips. Everything was delicious I especially enjoyed the skewers, the chicken was very tender.

Our Main Course

For my main I had Nue Num Mun Hoy, Stir fried beef with oyster sauce, mushrooms and spring onions. Glen also went for a stir fry, Gad Pad Med Ma-Muang, chicken in a "slightly sweet" soy sauce with cashew nuts. To accompany it we had one steamed rice and one noodles. I thoroughly enjoyed the beef stir fry, the meat was tender and plentiful and full of subtle flavours. Glen loved her dish too. To accompany our meal we had a glass of wine each.

We didn't have room for a dessert and so just had a cappuccino each to finish the meal.  Throughout the meal the service was impeccable, very friendly and efficient and they make you feel important - the staff always recognise me when I go back there which is lovely.

For a starter for two, two mains, two coffees and two glasses of wine (one a large glass) the cost was just under £50.00 which I felt was well worth the money. It is well worth visiting if you are looking for a very good Thai restaurant. It also does takeaways.

Address:   4 Crosby Street
                 Carlisle CA1 1DQ

Website:  www.ruenthai.co.uk

The Posting Pot Cafe, Wetheral, Cumbria - Review

Photo taken from The Posting Pot Facebook page

My friend suggested meeting for a late lunch at The Posting Pot in Wetheral just outside Carlisle. Indeed it was a very late lunch, 2.30pm, and when I arrived just before then they told me they stop serving food at 2.30 and close at 3.30pm. However they were very accommodating and said they would serve food to my friend (who arrived at 2.40pm - late as usual!) and me.

It is a small cafe, (the post office and shop are next door) in the centre of the village right beside the green. There were several tables and a comfortable looking leather sofa beside the large window, and the place had a homely feel about it.

There was a good choice of items on the menu and I ordered the minute steak with caramelised onions in a deli roll and my friend just went for a rather large plain scone. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch, the steak was tender, the onions tasty and the roll was very fresh. My friend said her scone was also very fresh and she enjoyed it.

The service was friendly and very quick, prices very reasonable and the cafe had a good atmosphere. A group of people came in a while after we were served our food also wanting to eat but were politely turned away, maybe being open a little longer would be a good idea? I think I heard the server say something about the cafe being open longer in the summer but wasn't really listening closely so can't be sure about that. In the summer you can sit outside and that would be so pleasant in the lovely village.

We will definitely be going back, but a little bit earlier. The opening hours are listed as 9.00 - 3.30 Monday - Saturday. The food is good, reasonably priced and much of the fayre on offer is homemade and you can't beat that!

Address:     The Posting Pot Cafe
                  Wetheral
                  Carlisle CA4 8ES
                  Cumbria

Tel:             01228 560 201

Facebook:   The Posting Pot Cafe (There does not appear to be a website)

Cumbria's Museum of Military Life, Carlisle Castle

My cousin and I visited Cumbria's Museum of Military Life the other week, it was the first time I had been there and I was looking forward to visiting it.

The museum is in  the Alma block within the courtyard of Carlisle Castle. It is a small museum that cover the history of Cumbria's County Infantry Regiment and other military units from 1702 to the present day. It also looks at the social and military barracks of the castle inself, the regiment has had its headquarters there since 1873.



The museum is on one level and you pass through the eras of the military history starting with the earliest days. One thing that caught my eye was a photo of  men marching to war in Water Street, Wigton, I knew that there would be relatives of mine amongst those men and it was quite moving to see. There were uniforms, drums, medals, personal items, a reconstruction of a WW1 trench, photos and lots more from campaigns all around the world. I was surprised at just how many campaigns the regiment had been involved in.

The museum was well laid out and its staff were very friendly and helpful. There is a cafe, but we did not go there so I can't say what it was like. The museum is small but worth visiting as it is packed full of fascinating militaria. It also has a shop which had reasonably priced items for sale.

It is £4.00 entry and there are various concessions. It is open every day, though the hours vary according to the time of the year, check the website for full details.

Carlisle Castle's Portcullis

Address:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life
                Alma Building
                Carlisle Castle
                Cumbria CA3 8QR


Website:  Cumbria's Museum of Military Life

Review - Afternoon Tea at Dobbies, Orton Grange

I have always though that the British tradition of afternoon tea is one of our best, but Dobbies garden centre isn't the first place you would think of to go to for it, but if you go along and sample their tea you will be pleasantly surprised!

Our Afternoon Tea

Dobbies has a choice of four different afternoon teas and we went for the luxury one. There is an area that is separate from the main cafe which is solely reserved  for people having afternoon tea. Tables are nicely spaced out to give privacy but we did find it a little cold - it was a very cold day outside, and we had to move from our original table to one that was warmer.

We were served quickly and had a choice of sandwiches, we chose salmon and soft cheese and egg mayonnaise, and drinks and we did not have to wait long for our teas to arrive. The tea was served on the traditional three tiered stand. The sandwiches were freshly made, crustless and very nice. There were two large plain scones - so fresh they almost fell apart - with butter, jam and double cream. We followed this with the strawberries dipped in chocolate which were delicious. There was a good selection of cakes, a meringue with cream and raspberries and blueberries, a strawberry tart, a toffee eclair and a carrot cake, all very fresh and tasty. It was more than enough, in fact my friend took one cake home for her husband.

The service was pleasant and quick, though the tea spoons were forgotten and we had to get our own from nearby, but not a big complaint. 

In conclusion, this is a really good value afternoon tea. Prices start from £8.00-£20.00 for two, and our luxury one was £15.00 so it was only £7.50 each, which was an excellent price for what we had. They are available every day from 2pm.

Address:  Dobbies,

                Orton Grange,

                Carlisle CA5 6LB

                Cumbria

Website:  http://www.dobbies.com/

Restaurant Review - The Salutation Inn, Irthington, Cumbria *****

My friend and I went to the lovely, small village of Irthington as few miles outside of Carlisle for a meal at the Salutation Inn there. We parked in the car park at the back of the pub and went round the front to go inside.

From the Salutation Inn Facebook Page

We entered into the bar area, which is a bit basic to say the least and it was a little disconcerting to have some of the locals there turn round and stare at us as we walked in! To the right of the bar is a pleasant restaurant area and we were shown to our table by a very friendly young waitress.

For starters I chose Garlic Mushrooms with Mozzarella, my friend chose the Cod Goujons. We did not have to wait long for them to be ready and both were delicious, mine had many herbal flavours in it as well as the garlic. My friend had a very generous portion of goujons and they were done in a very light batter which she said was wonderful.

For our mains I had Sea Bass in a Lemon Butter Sauce with Vegetables and Potatoes and my friend had the Shoulder of Lamb with vegetables and Chips. I have to say my sea bass was absolutely gorgeous, two good sized fillets cooked in a sauce that was perfectly balanced with the right piquancy of lemon to butter, it was

My Sea Bass - sorry for the shadows!

very, very good.  My friend's portion of lamb was massive and fell off the bone, the gravy was rich and tasty. She could not finish it all and so my dogs ended up with a nice little treat when I got home!

Unfortunately we had no room for dessert (of which many sounded lovely) and just had a coffee to finish our meal. Surprisingly, they only had filter coffee and I could not have a cappuccino as I would have liked, that is the only thing that was not perfect in our evening at the Salutation.

In conclusion, the Salutation Inn serves excellent food, the service is very quick and friendly. We had two vodkas and lemonade, one large red wine, two starters, two main courses and two coffees and the bill came to £55.00 which I feel is very reasonable considering the quality of the food served. It's worth the trip out of Carlisle, I'd happily recommend it.

Address:  The Salutation Inn
                Irthington CA6 1NJ
                Cumbria

Facebook:  The Salutation Inn (Unfortunately this page is way out of date and there appears to be no                                                          website)

Restaurant Review - The Plough, Wreay, Cumbria, French Night *****

I've reviewed  The Plough Inn before a few months ago here. But my cousin and I went to one of its Around the World Promotions, where on a Wednesday evening they have a tapas style meal from different countries. Last week it was French night, well no way could I resist that!

We were seated by a window and ordered our drinks and food.  The inn is a very comfortable place, a traditional pub that has been tastefully modernised in a small village just south of Carlisle. We did not have to wait long for the food which consisted of five small bowls with some garlic bread on a large plate. The bowls consisted of, beef bourguignon, chicken a la creme, bouillon de poisson, soup a la oignon and potatoes dauphinoise. The onion soup was delicious and came with garlic bread topped with cheese on top of it. Beef bourguignon is one of my favourite French dishes and this one did not disappoint, with a very flavoursome rich gravy. The bouillon de poisson came with pieces of cod, salmon and prawns in a spicy tomato sauce. It was a little too spicy for me, but that's me, I'm not into hot spices, my cousin loved it and fish isn't even her favourite food! The chicken a la creme was fantastic, my personal favourite, plenty of chicken and a creamy white wine sauce. The dauphinoise potatoes went with it all so well, the whole meal might have been too much meat without it, it was also very good. Finally, the garlic bread was wonderful, very garlicky as I love it.

I think it is a wonderful idea to have these tapas style meals from different countries each week. It gives people a chance to sample a few dishes from various cuisines for a reasonable price. One of the owners, Jane, is very visible and came to ask us how we enjoyed the meal when we had finished and she was also interested to hear some suggestions for other food nights from guests.

In summary, I cannot fault this meal, every dish was delicious, full of flavour and for £11.95 excellent value for money. There is a vegetarian option too. We'll definitely be back!

Address:  The Plough Inn, Wreay, Carlisle CA4 0RL
Facebook:  The Plough Inn  (There does not appear to be a website)

Restaurant Review - Keez Bistro, Carlisle *****

Photo from Keez Bistro Website

My cousin and I visited Keez Bistro last week to try it's mid week special offer - two courses for £15.00. The restaurant is in central Carlisle and located in a basement with stone walls that a repainted white. The decor is contemporary with a touch of the old - there was a fabulous original black iron grate in the room we sat in, The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere and informal atmosphere.

Initially we we sat in a small bar area where we had our drink and perused the menu. Our order was taken and not long afterwards we were taken to our table. Our starter arrived quickly, so even though there was not bread at the table I did not really miss it (I do love bread lol!) I had Peppered Goats Cheese with a Peach Salsa and my cousin had Beetroot Pie with Creme Fraiche and Herb Salad. Both were delicious but i did have to remove some of the pepper from the top of my goats cheese as there was rather a lot and it was too hot for me.

For the main I had Duck Breast with Stir-fried Red Pepper, Bean Sprouts and Noodles and my cousin had Slow Roast Belly of Pork with Lentils and Cabbage Salsa. When I ordered the waitress said the chef serves the duck pink but if I wanted it more well done that would be no problem. I appreciated being told that as I'm not so keen on pink duck. It came just as I wanted it and was very tender and a generous portion. The noodles were in a tangy fruity sauce that I loved! My cousin really enjoyed her Belly Pork though she found some of the crackling a bit of a challenge to bite through.

Neither of us had room for a dessert (and I would have so loved to have had their Strawberry Eton Mess!) and finished with coffee. Everything had been excellent and it was very good value for money, a starter. main, coffee and a glass of prosecco came to £22 each. The £15 midweek two course special is available Tuesday- Thursday. They also do a three course special every night for £22.00. They are closed Sunday and Monday. If you want top notch cuisine at a very reasonable price I'd highly recommend Keez Bistro.

Address:  Cecil Street, Carlisle CA1 1 NT
Website:  http://www.keezbistro.co.uk/

Restaurant Review - Pompeii Steakhouse, Carlisle ***

Photo From the Pompeii Website

My friend and I went to the Pompeii steakhouse last week, both of us had been once before a few years ago. We had a friendly greeting from the waitress and shown to our table overlooking Carlisle Castle.

I ordered Creamy Garlic Mushrooms with brown bread to start and my friend had Pan-fried King Prawns with Garlic and Lemon and Salad. We did not wait too long but it would have nice to have some bread to munch on while we were waiting as I was really hungry. The starters were very good, though I did not get any butter for my brown toast and had some from my friend who got a large piece of butter to go with her small amount of bread. My mushrooms were delicious and it was a generous portion.

For our main we both went for the Dry Aged Rib-Eye Steak, my favourite cut of steak. It came with chips and a small container of vegetables. The steak comes sizzling on a red hot "volcanic stone platter." The steak was very tender and just melted in the mouth, very nice. My friend had the Blue Cheese Butter sauce which she loved and I had the Buerre de Paris (butter with herbs) sauce which was also lovely. But because the steak is served on the hot platter it continues to cook as you are eating it and, in my case ended up more well done than I like. I noticed that on an adjoining table they were given the raw steak and they just cooked pieces on the platter as they went along, we were not given this option.

We did not have a dessert, and, on my part, that was because this restaurant is expensive. We had the starters, two steaks and sauces and two glasses of prosecco and it came to £32 each. For me that is expensive, and though the food was good, I did not feel it was worth that amount of money. So, in conclusion, if you can afford it have the steaks at Pompeii, they are delicious, but if you are on a lesser budget I would go elsewhere.

Address:  Abbey Street, Carlisle CA3 8TX
Website:  http://thepompeiisteakhouse.co.uk/index.html

Restaurant Review - The Golden Fleece, Ruleholme, Cumbria

My friend and I wanted to try somewhere we had not been to for our meal out so we chose The Golden

Photo from The Golden Fleece Website

Fleece at Ruleholme near Carlisle in Cumbria.

It is a traditional country inn, with natural stone walls and wood beams. It has a nice outside area with tables and benches which would be lovely to sit at in good weather. Inside there is a bar, a small lounge where you are seated prior to your meal to peruse the menu and nibble on warm party sausages, toasted bread with a lovely pate and crisps. it was different and a nice touch.  I was pleased to see that this was a restaurant where you could get those small bottles of Prosecco, ideal if you are driving.

The eating area consisted of a few small rooms, with large tables (with old maps of Cumbria on them) and plenty of space between them ensuring lots of privacy. It felt cosy and comfortable. There was some bread and butter and a bottle of water on the table when we were seated.

I chose the Fleece burger, made from rump steak, topped with goat's cheese and red onion marmalade, onion rings, thick cut chips and garlic mayo. The meal was presented on a wooden platter. The onion rings were the biggest I've ever seen and lovely and crispy. The burger was tasty and juicy as were the chips and the portions generous..

My friend chose the gammon with pineapple, fried egg, and chunky chips. The pineapple was fresh and the slice of gammon huge and it was served on a granite slab. Like me she was very happy with her meal.

We were quite full as the portions were generous and could only manage ice cream for dessert. I had a scoop each of raspberry pavlova, chocolate and vanilla.  It came in a large cone sitting in a cone-shaped glass with a little container in which there was a small amount of sprinkles, chocolate pieces, hundreds and thousands and fizzing angel dust. The ice cream was very creamy and went down easily.

Our bill came in a little wooden chest accompanied by two decadently delicious chocolates. The service was friendly and efficient, and the food was served quickly. It cost us just over £40 for two alcoholic drinks, two mains and two desserts. Not cheap, but not over expensive either for what we had. We'll definitely be going back and if you want a pleasant atmosphere with good food try it, you won't be disappointed.

The Lonsdale/ABC, Goodbye and Thank You for the Music!

Recently the Lonsdale in Carlisle was demolished, the long fight to save

ABC Lonsdale, Carlisle

the art deco building having failed.  Since it's opening in 1931 it has been a cinema, theatre and bingo hall. It has many memories for Carlisle people, but for me it was the ABC and will always be linked to music, for it was there that I saw my first live rock gigs.

In the 1960's there used to be extensive tours of a few major musicians who each would play a handful of songs during the show. These tours came to out of the way places like Carlisle (we do not see the big acts even come close nowadays!) and these tours gave people a chance to see a little of the top acts of the day. The Beatles played the ABC, but I was too young to go to that particular show.  

I started going to shows at the ABC in 1967, I was only 13 and went by myself as none of my close friends loved music as I did, (even to this day my music loving friends are the ones I got to know through U2 :)) Looking back I'm amazed my mum let me go to gigs so young! My musical appetite was initially whetted by listening to the pirate radio station Radio Caroline or a very crackly Radio Luxemburg. In those days you just did not hear rock music on the mainstream radio, this only started with the advent of BBC Radio 1 in late 1967. Hard to imagine in these days of instant downloads.

One of the first shows I saw was an eclectic mix to say the least, headlining were The Walker Brothers, also on the bill were Engelbert Humperdinck, Cat Stevens (who I was a fan of) and one Jimi Hendrix. And the performance I remember most all these years later was, of course, Jimi Hendrix.  I was wide-eyed and open-mouthed, he seemed so exotic to me. Carlisle was not multi-cultural then (nor very much now really), and this black American in the bright clothes was like no one I'd seen before. He was exciting, sexy and totally into the music, the guitar playing was out of this world, he set the place alight. He played Hey Joe and Purple Haze, and even at my tender age I knew I was seeing someone special, very, very talented and unique, he was head and shoulders above the other artists.

Jimi Hendrix at Carlisle ABC

After the show I went round to the stage door (yeah I've been doing that for a long time too!) where there was a small group of people gathered. Jimi came out to sign autographs.  He was so different from the wild person on stage, he was very polite, appeared a little shy and was quietly spoken. I got his autograph (which I don't have now, wish I still had it!) and then he left. That night I realised just how powerful, exciting and mind-blowing live music can be. Until recently that stage door was still there and many times when I passed by I thought of the night I met Jimi and saw him play live.

I remember seeing a few other artists at the ABC, The Small Faces who I was a fan of, Jeff Beck and also Roy Orbison who were all on the same bill (again a strange mix). When Roy came on stage he looked old to my young eyes. He seemed a bit strange with his dark glasses and standing stock still on the stage. But boy when he opened his mouth, he blew me away, what a voice and it was so effortless for him and that captivated me. So different from Jimi, but it taught me how live music can touch you in so many different ways.

So, the Lonsdale/ABC was the start of my concert going, the initiation into the joys of live music, something that became an important part of my life. I never got to see Jimi play live again, but that night so long ago in April 1967 started something in me that is still going strong. So, I'm sorry to see the Lonsdale/ABC demolished, but the memories shine brightly within me, and thanks for the music and thanks to my mum for letting me go to the gigs!

(All photos by spaceman.com)

Restaurant Review - Bijou Brasserie, Carlisle

I'd only been previously to Bijou Brasserie at lunchtimes, but they have now started doing early bird

Photo from Bijou Brasserie Website

midweek meals so we thought we would give it a try.

Address
Fisher Street, Carlisle

Cuisine
European

Ambiance/Service
Modern decor in muted fawns and blue. Plenty of space between tables for privacy, comfortable chairs and a relaxing atmosphere. Service was good, attentive and we did not have to wait long for the food.

Food
Whilst waiting for the first course we were given lovely chunks of very fresh olive and tomato bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Both Glen and I had the same starter, goats cheese with poached pear, pine nuts, pear puree and salad with balsamic dressing. I had not had goats cheese with pear before and it is a wonderful combination! The goats cheese itself was delicious, not as strong tasting as some which I like.

Next came a complimentary middle course, cranberry and orange sorbet. It was really nice, very tasty and really cleansed the palate.

My Chicken Ballotine

For my main I had chicken ballotine with dauphinoise potatoes, buttered spinach, baby leeks and natural juices, there was also a puree but I can't remember what it was (it's my age lol!) but it was delicious. The chicken was moist and tasty, the potatoes gorgeous. Glen had fillet of Lakeland beef with fondant potatoes, haggis balls, buttered spinach and madeira sauce. She said the beef was fantastic and it was the best meal out that she had had in a very long time. We washed our meal down with a lovely light and fruity Chilean Merlot.

We had no room for a dessert, I had a cappuccino to finish the meal.

Price
We had the early bird menu, £18.00 for two courses or £20.95 for three. Glen's beef had a £5.00 supplement. I thought it was excellent value for such good food. They also have special offers on the a la carte menu.

My View
A lovely relaxing restaurant with excellent food at reasonable prices. Want to spoil yourself with some fine dining? I'd definitely recommend you go to Bijou, I rate it at *****

Restaurant Review - Holme Bistro, Carlisle

Address:  Denton Street, Carlisle, Cumbria

Cuisine:  European

Ambience:  Modern, relaxed, good spacing between tables giving just the right amount of privacy

Food/Service:  We plumped for the Christmas menu, three courses plus coffee and mince pies for £19.95.  We were given delicious homemade rye bread with olive tampenade and balsamic vinegar with olive oil to munch on while we waited for the starter. I had smoked trout pate and salad with toasted rye bread, absolutely delicious.  My cousin Glen had the mushroom, stilton and white wine soup which she said was also very good.

We had found it hard to decide on what to have for our mains so I ordered a 10 ounce flat-iron steak with Brazilian marinade, pesto and fries. Glen ordered the confit of duck with garlic mash and port reduction, and then we halved the meals.  Both were excellent, the steak and duck were very, very tender, the duck fell off the bone, and the steak was cooked medium perfectly.

My Dessert of Dark Chocolate Tart with Raspberry Compote

For dessert we both had the dark chocolate tart with raspberry compote.  Sometimes I find that a chocolate tart can be a bit heavy, but this one was just perfect and well complimented with the compote.

The service throughout was attentive but not over-powering. The house red is excellent. They have a special from Tuesday - Thursday nights and have a Steak night (again three courses for £20) on Fridays.

Another plus is that it is easy to park close by. I have no hesitation in recommending Holme Bistro for a relaxing night out with excellent food.

Northern Star Rating:  *****