Tag: lunch

The Pig-in the Wall

Are there any places in the city you live you’ve been meaning to check out but never got around to it?

I do. I still haven’t made it to the Isle of Wight (Whaaat!) and I’ve never been to the other Cypriot restaurant in Southampton, George’s, -I know, shocking-, or Ennios or the Pig In the Wall.

Last Sunday I made it to one of them. The Pig In the Wall. I’ve always wanted to visit but I lived at the other end of town and it just never happened.

I’ve seen snaps before but it looks even prettier and cosier in real life.

The fireplace was on and we were sat in a cosy corner right next to it.

I didn’t notice that this was on the Wall and took me by surprise (it took me a day to realise that was actually the Pig in the Wall). Can I just say this was not my initial reaction but my friend wanted me to re-enact my original reaction. As you can probably tell my acting skills need some work.

I wasn’t too hungry, so I went for a light option, ricotta cheese with chives, walnuts and honey on sourdough bread and it was delicious.

It took me back to my childhood when this lady in a van would come around the neighbourhood every Saturday morning selling all sorts of homemade goodies including halloumi and the least known Cypriot cheese anari, which is very similar to ricotta, a fresh mild whey cheese that depending on what you are craving, you can have it savoury or sweet. It’s very underrated but one of the best types of cheese out there.

I now love this place so much, I can’t believe I hadn’t been before. The cosy vibes, the food, the service.

If you haven’t had the chance to go before, I definitely recommend it for a relaxed Sunday brunch.

Eleni

Blogmas day 14- The first Christmas meal

It’s not 5 o’ clock yet and I’m home, snuggled on my sofa. There’s so much to do and I will get on with it but for now I’m enjoying this precious time. I’m never at home that early, unless I’m off sick or I have other obligations.

The morning was over in a flash. I finished a piece of work I urgently needed to for a meeting tomorrow and I spent the rest of the time laughing with colleagues, smiles and cuddles with the gorgeous little Chloe, the happiest baby I’ve ever met, I love it every time she visits, and then it was time for our team Christmas meal. The last time we all had a Christmas meal together before the new AS structure kicks in next year.

Some people were shaken, others baffled and worried. I care about my colleagues but I’m sure everything will be OK. I have no strong feelings. I really don’t. I’m hoping, fingers and toes crossed that everything will go to plan and I’d be doing something different, much more exciting in 6 months time.

Back to our lunch, the first Christmas meal for 2017. The lovely Leanne organised a Christmas Lunch at All Bar One, at the Watermark complex. They had the most interesting menu compared to the other options and we were offered free Prosecco, I was excited about it.

I’ve never eaten at All Bar One before, I usually go there for a drink as I prefer a restaurant, ideally local/independent when it comes to dining. But I love the interior design especially the bright orange sofas and the service is always good when it comes to drinks.

It wasn’t today. I’m not sure if it’s because they only had one waiter (it wasn’t that busy) but it took them two and a half hours to serve a pre-ordered three course meal. And it wasn’t that good unfortunately.

The starter, mushrooms on bruschetta tasted as if they came out of a tin and they were cold, were they supposed to be served cold?

The main was OK. The turkey and the veg were nice, nothing mind blowing and I have the sneaky suspicion the roast potatoes and yorkshire pudding were pre-made. The cranberry sauce looked like poo and it was definitely not freshly prepared.

The best dish was Ajay’s cheesecake. It was tasty and the secret layer of chocolate was a pleasant surprise but it was a little bit too sweet for my liking. Warm cream would have made it better.

We could have had better food for the amount of money we paid but it wasn’t all about the food today. I loved spending time with Emily, Suze, Matt, Suzanne, Sati and the rest of the gang, sharing Christmas and other funny stories and having a laugh.

Now it’s time for some girly things, tidying up and rest before Christmas Jumper day and the Christmas party tomorrow night. I cannot wait for our Christmas do, forget about all my worries and drink and dance the night away with some of my favourite people.

Thank you to all the lovely people who are reading my blog, it always makes my day when I bump into someone who is following my posts and tell me all about it.

Eleni