Steman Restaurant: a Review

Sometimes the nicest things occur quite unexpectedly. For our last night in Vienna, we had hoped to dine at one of our favourite Viennese eateries. It was a warm, pleasant evening so we slowly strolled over to the restaurant. Alas, the whole place was taken for a private function. We headed back and decided we should stop at the first place that took our fancy.

[Image Description: the outer façade]

We found ourselves at Steman (on the corner opposite our most visited eating-place, Café Jelinek - see previous reviews). Outside was thronged with garrulous city residents. We entered the practically deserted interior. A charming waiter - as we thought - rushed over and enquired whether we wished to dine inside or outside. It was a fifty-fifty split. However, there had been a cancellation so there was a table for two available. Luck was finally on our side!

The red-headed chap turned out to be the maître d’ and he spoke impeccable English (and without a US-American drawl). He even coped with our attempts at speaking Wienerisch, the local dialect.

[Image description: Rindknödelsuppe, beef & dumpling soup]

Steman is highly rated on various websites. This is not a place to sample haute cuisine, but rather the local dishes cooked in a homely manner. The staff are amiable and helpful, without being overbearing.

[Image descriptions: top, black-pudding & pan-fried potatoes;

bottom, Spätzle, a sort of ham & scrambled-egg but better!]

We sampled several dishes. The portions - for us at least - were too generous and despite our best efforts we were unable to consume every last scrap (image below). The food was tasty and hearty - as can be seen from the images. Given the quantity and quality the food represented very good value for money.

At the end our kindly maître d’ gifted us a glass of a locally concocted spirit - apple Schnapps. It was warming and quite delicious: a delightful digéstif to end the repast.

Steman is definitely recommended. We shall be back when next in Vienna - hopefully for a Christmas Market weekend.

Sardus Cucina, Altrincham - a Review

It’s many a year since I had a date in a restaurant. Usually I dine with friends or a carer. I wanted somewhere nice to take my date-friend. Somewhere that would be intimate enough for conversation, but not claustrophobic. Sardus Cucina looked perfect. (There is a nice gallery of images on their website (q.v.).) Plus it was an opportunity to try genuine Sardinian cuisine. I had driven past the restaurant front in the day-time and the modern façade appealed. Whilst not situated right in the centre of Altrincham, it is only a five minute or so walk from the transport hub and only a couple of minutes from where we chose to park.

In the evening the subdued lighting and candles drew us in like moths to the flame. We were cordially welcomed by the young maître d’. And, as we passed the bar, the young bar-keep also greeted us. We were shown to a table for two at the end of a long banquette. My date took the place on it and I the suitable-for-me hard-backed chair on the opposite side. The subtle lighting, the low-level music and the candle at table all added to the relaxed - hopefully romantic - ambience.

The maître d’ offered to take our coats then brought over the main menu, the wine list and the specials list. He bubbled over with enthusiasm for the food, explaining a little of the distinctive culture and cuisine of Sardinia. Whilst I was snapping the photographs for this blog-post, he came over and chatted with us about his photographic hobby and how he takes the images for Sardus’ Instagram page (q.v.). An altogether pleasant, polite, enthusiastic and interesting young man.

From the maître d’s explanations and from reading the various menus, I found I was so heavily salivating I had begun to drool a wee bit. This is not a customary reäction to my being in a restaurant. Thankfully thick napkins were to hand! I was quite astounded at the breadth of the selection on offer. Even with my food allergy, I was not severely limited as in many eateries. The vast majority of dishes are made from scratch when ordered. This is a boon to anyone with a true food allergy or food intolerance.

We ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail whilst we ploughed through the offerings. Regrettably it is not included on the published mocktails menu but was itemised on the bill. It’s called a Crodino. The beverage has an orange base and was described as being similar to Apérol (which I personally do not like). The flavour was simultaneously sweet and bitter. It was so light on the palate and literally evaporated. These were served to us with complimentary flat-breads, a Spanish-style dip (not for me, but date loved it) and fresh, creamy, soft pecorino - absolutely delicious. (These items are all included in the photo above.) I did not even know that pecorino came in a variety other than the famous hard version (housemate’s fave cheese). The Flat-breads were delightfully thin - thinner than any Indian poppadum I have ever had. They seemed to melt on the tongue. Incredible buccal experiences and this prior to actually ordering!

For starters (image above) I ordered coratella, chicken livers cooked with red-onion, chestnuts and Sardinian “Sherry”. Housemate is not at all keen on liver, so I never purchase to cook at home. For me just having liver is a treat. However, this dish was perfectly prepared. The onions were beautifully soft and the meat-flesh required almost no chewing. As I write this I am salivating again. Perhaps that gives a sense of just how delicious I found this dish.

My companion ordered the frittura di mare (image above), which consisted of calamari & prawns and thin juliennes of carrot & courgette coated in a tempura batter. I sampled a courgette strip after picking it off date’s plate with my fingers - it was so light and no greasiness at all.  This dish was served with aioli, which I cannot have. He ate the lot; from his plate, not a scrap went back to the kitchen. So thumbs up for the frittura and the coratella.

As my date was driving our starters were accompanied by sparkling mineral-water. Normally I should not comment on water. This was branded Ferrarelle and was very light on the palate. It is a true mineral-water, but did not have the salty flavour that many have. Definitely worth looking out for in the shops.

My main dish was fregola frutti di mare. I had to try it: firstly because, well sea-food; secondly because I had never tried fregola. It is a pasta made from semolina dough and then toasted. It is supposedly similar to berkoukes from North Africa and to moghrabieh from the Middle-East. It was a tasty dish and an interesting experience. Definitely worth trying.

Date selected a specials item for his main. Alas it is only listed as TODAYS SPECIAL (sic), so I cannot let the reader know what it is called in Italian. It consisted of boar in a thick ragoût (‘ragu’). He mmm’d and ahhh’d whilst eating. Again the plate was scraped clean. I think we can safely determine that it too was scrumptious!

These days I can rarely eat three courses; but Italian ice-cream was on offer for dessert. Apologies to the Cornish (my second favourite), but Italian ice-cream is the best in the world. I could not pass on a walnut & maple confection served with aranzada & crushed biscotti. Divine! My companion also managed to squeeze in a chocolate soufflé, zicculate, made just for him. Heavenly!

The bill for food & drinks was under £80. This represented excellent value for money in respect to both quantity and quality. Service levels throughout the repast were excellent if at times a tad (justifiably in my opinion) enthusiastic. The staff are all young and delightful on the eye. I truly hope Sardus stays with us for years to come. I have already made arrangements to visit again next month with some of my neighbours who also have tried Sardus once and wish to return.

Cachitos, Rambla de Catalunya, Barcelona: a Review

On my fourth day in Barcelona, with the wonderful heat, I felt sufficiently well to leave the barrio of Poble Sec and explore the city; although, admittedly, pushed in my wheelchair by my ever sturdy assistant.

Initially we thought of dining in the restaurant of El Corte Inglés at Plaça de Catalunya; but on arrival on their top storey, we discovered that only a self-serve cafeteria was available, requiring one to queue for each and every course and drinks separately. For a chap in a wheelchair, even with an assistant, this would have been an arduous experience. It was a no-no.

So, we set off to explore Eixample, the shopping area of the city. It is also nicknamed Geixample (pronounced gay-shample) due to the concentration of LGBTI businesses and residents. Obviously any eatery we selected had to be wheelchair-accessible in the first instant, but also it had to appeal to the tastes of two different individuals. After a wonderful amble, we stumbled across Rambla de Catalunya. This had covered terrace eateries up and down its length. My pusher pushed and we scoured menus. We spotted a lovely fish restaurant and held it in reserve. However, there was a table on the edge of the covered - thus shady - terrace, which meant I could tuck under the wheelchair and transfer to an ordinary dining-chair, so Cachitos it was.

[Image description: the writer, his wheelchair at his side, at table with a glass of cava rosé]

The maître d' was warm and welcoming. Funnily he assumed I was French and my chum English. Not the first time my Spanish has been assumed to be spoken by a Frenchman. Richard glanced through the wine list and made his selection. Alas, the poor waiter had to return to inform us they had run out. Rico opted for a Juvé y Camps Cava rosé. This was priced at €22, approximately double its price in a Spanish wine-merchant's.

We were not so hungry that we wanted a three-course repast. I selected tuna tartare on an avocado base (below, top left). My companion opted for lamb cutlets with potatoes (below, bottom). Both meals cost €24 each. To share we chose a goat's cheese & pomegranate salad at €10.90 (below, top right), which was very tasty and priced about right for a city centre.

My plate was delicious, the quality good; but was definitely not worth the price paid. This was no cordon-bleu dish. My companion ate all his ration; but, similarly, it was the kind of dish that can be bought for far less in many a Spanish eatery.

For dessert I had to try crema catalana (image above). The vanilla custard was exquisitely light. The sugar-toffee topping ultra-fine. By far the best example I have ever had in Spain or anywhere for that matter. At €5.30 completely worth the price.

Richard chose cheesecake with a blackcurrant coulis (image above). At €6.00 this is more expensive than pâtisserie prices. It was good - but again, not that good, so did not represent value for money.

Service was very good and both our waiter and the maître d' were extremely enthusiastic about their offerings: we were made very welcome. The service level was spot-on, neither too lax nor too fussy.

The total bill with gratuity came to €100. Admittedly we were sitting in a wonderful location and really enjoyed our meal; but the price compared to the standard & quality of cuisine, with hindsight, was far too high.

We had a lovely time and do not regret the experience. However, I cannot recommend Cachitos to you, unless of course money is no object to the reader.

Urban Burger Bar, Altrincham: Review

[Image description: dinner is served à la table]

Andrew Cleary, the affable maître d' at House in Goose Green, Altrincham, has finally realised his dream and opened his brain-child, a gourmet burger-bar. He forewarned me a couple of weeks back about its imminent launch, but mid-week my facebook feed received a reminder of the news via our latest (long-needed and most welcome) local news-source, Altrincham Today.

My dining companion and I did not make a reservation, but just turned up around six-thirty. The joint has been cleverly retrofitted to use the features of the edifice and enhance them by constructing matching bare brickwork, butcher's tiling and reclaimed timbers along with factory-style and ship's lighting: utilitarian with panache. I was lucky enough to bump into the builder, who is rightly pleased with his handiwork. He too was thrilled that the restaurant had kept original features. He even admitted to having a hand in constructing some of the furniture. There are school-/church-hall style stacking seats, stools, cushioned banquettes of different heights and dimensions; so seating for most folk.

Wheelchair-users would require assistance up the two very small steps, but inside there is room to accommodate at table. There is also a large door access to one of the three unisex WCs: however, I did not need to use the conveniences, so cannot on this occasion report on facilities.

We were welcomed with a broad smile and permitted to choose where we wished to sit. I like a firm chair to support me, but the table I initially chose was a wee bit small for me, my companion and all my paraphernalia. However, it was not an issue that we wished to change table. We sat on a very comfortable banquette at which I did not suffer from my habitual muscle-cramps, so did not have to stand up to stretch my legs. Both tables we sat at were clean - yes I did brush my hands over to feel for detritus and stickiness - so another tick in the box from my pernickety self!

Apéritifs were offered whilst we mulled over the menu. No-one attempted to rush us. I made my servers aware of my food allergies and they were happy to report that chef Drew would make anything I wanted from scratch to exclude said ingredients. WoW: one cannot say fairer than that.

[Image description: menus & apéritifs]

At this point I should point out that the eatery remained at all times busy without being ram-packed whilst we were there, with a constant flow of diners. Music was sufficiently discreet that one could hold a conversation; but not so quiet that one could not hum or whatever along to a favourite track. The ambience was definitely upbeat. It is rare to see so many folk smiling and laughing in a restaurant, which is testament to the all-round good experience of dining chez Urban.

A couple dined next to us with their two offspring. The children's food went down a treat with them and certainly kept them quiet whilst they scoffed it - bet mum & dad were relieved/pleased!

The parents enjoyed a bottle of fizz from the good selection of drinks, including an alcohol-free Bitburger for the designated drivers (in this instance, my companion) and very reasonably priced glasses of wine (for me!). There is a selection of flavoured Absolut vodkas and various other spirits (including Cheshire's Hunters gin!), which can be mixed with diet tonic for those watching the calories.

Now to the main event - the FOOD. My companion opted for the Firecracker and I the Urban Stack. The former consists of two beef patties and cheese; the latter, one beef patty, a chicken breast and smoked bacon. Both came with fries, but we upgraded to the truffle fries - and so glad we did as they were to die for. We both even ate the bits at the bottom of the bowls! We also ordered a side salad. This consisted of: extremely crisp (when was the last time you can recall being served crisp lettuce in any eatery?) salad leaves, which because they had not been shredded, were easy to pick from the plate; tomato wedges; juliennes of cucumber and a dressing. Personally I should have preferred that I had been given the option of a simple dash of balsamic vinegar or to at least hold the dressing; but this is relatively trivial. The beef patties were incredible: they actually tasted of beef - like a steak or roast beef - rather than beef-burger. On my next visit I am plumbing for the double beef patties option! On my dish, whilst the chicken was æsthetically browned, moist and cooked just right, it lacked any real flavour. My friend sampled and agreed. However, the mildly smoked bacon was a perfect match with the beef flavour, so that neither flavour overpowered t'other. A taste sensation to be sure. And we were both fully sated - so no room for dessert this time.

Service throughout the meal was friendly, attentive and, in respect to my food allergy, very professional. Greetings and salutations came with smiles. We certainly left feeling content and happy. We shall be returning very shortly with friends who are looking forward to the experience. Urban Burger Bar is a great fit in the market quarter. I sincerely hope it goes from strength to strength. %)

[Image description: empty plates, etc.; a sure sign of an excellent repast]

Gay-Friendly Mérida (Spain) ?

[Image description: Mérida's Roman bridge]

Number of gay bars in Mérida - 0 {possibly 1 down some back alley out at the back-of-beyond per possibly queer maître d'}
Number of gay-friendly bars in Mérida - 0
Number of gay clubs in Mérida - 0
Number of gay-friendly clubs in Mérida - 0
Number of out gays in Mérida - close to 0
Number of closeted bi's per GAYDAR - l0ts!!!!!!
Number of gay-friendly places that taxi-drivers can take one to in Mérida - that would be, errmm… 0

Oh, and virtually all research for gay-friendly accommodation in Mérida points to the Parador, where we are staying.

Number of gay guests in Parador - 2 {yes, that would be us!!!}

How gay-friendly is Mérida - %O

A Low for High Tea

My taxi pulled up in front of Manchester's Radisson Blu Edwardian and deposited me in front of the window proudly displaying the Opus One logo. I turned to look for the entrance. No indication as to which way to go to enter. First I hobbled to the right to find a disabled entrance - alas for the office-block next door. I limped back to where I was dropped off and staggered in the opposite direction. Lots of steps. Lots of steps. There must be some step-free access in this day and age, I encouraged myself. At the corner of the building, puffing and panting, I turned and found, tucked away, the ramp to get me inside. Some signage at the front of the edifice would have proved helpful, and I suggested such as I was met by a door-keeper once I had entered the building under my own steam.

[Image description: inside Opus One - not this bright; courtesy & © Radisson]

One enters the restaurant to be confounded by poorly lit gloom and the discreet, sub-optimal red-lighting of a brothel. There was no-one at the entrance nor at the bar to greet us, so we wound our circumspect way towards the day-light by the windows in the tea-room annexe. No salutation here either. We stood and waited to be seated at our pre-booked table. And we waited.

Not a good start but thankfully we had plenty to chat about. Once seated, we might have glanced at the menus, but there were none. A politely spoken waiter eventually decided to apprise us of the afternoon's offerings, a choice of two high teas. That was it. No offer of coffee if tea was not one's beverage.

We all selected the cold choice @ £18.95: finger sandwiches; scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam; three small cakes - a mini éclair, a mini walnut cake and a mini banoffee pie; and a jelly in a shot glass.

Some time later the waiter deposited our respective pots of tea, mixing up my Earl Grey and one of the breakfast teas, though I was brought my requested lemon. No hot water pot was brought over nor offered. We were given pot cups & saucers and not china.

Shortly afterwards the maître d' unceremoniously dumped on the table the tiered stands, which we had to swap over ourselves as he rushed away.

Sandwiches: there was a good choice of fillings - beef, egg, cheese, tuna, salmon, etc.; but some of the bread had already dried out and gone 'crusty' - not the most pleasant of mouth sensations.

[Image description: scone; courtesy Wikipedia]

Scones: these were light and to be sure the highlight of the repast; no butter was offered; no alternative to (overly sweet for my tastes) strawberry jam was offered; the clotted cream had a good firm texture but was not particularly flavoursome. One of my companions loved the spun-sugar decoration though, stating that it tasted of toffee-apples to her.

Cakes: The choux pastry on the éclair was tough and hard, the chocolate-coloured topping did not seem to have ever heard of cocoa let alone visited it; the walnut cake was just sugary sickliness; and I did not even attempt to sample the banoffee pie offering.

Jelly: there was so much gelatine in the jelly that it was almost set firm. There was not a hint of the alleged cider that was supposed to have flavoured it.

We ran out of tea rather quickly and before we had completed our meal. There were no staff on hand throughout most of our time at Opus One, so it took me some time to be able to order an Americano. It was served in the same style of ceramic as the tea and may have been instant as it was watery and flavourless brown water.

Attempting to settle the bill was also an ordeal. No staff anywhere. One of my other companions went to the bar only to find the barman pouring the remnants of one bottle of wine into another - which is just not done, ever.

There is plenty of choice for high tea in Manchester. Avoid Opus One and try one of the other venues! Nonetheless, I have eaten at other Radisson hotels across Europe. Manchester's Opus One on this occasion failed to live up to the chain's usually very high standards.

Thankfully, my companions were such jolly good company that the poor food and service were merely a minor irritant.