Jamie's Italian...

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227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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Granfondo said:
227bhp said:
Granfondo said:
227bhp said:
What?
Pre Italian,French,Indian,Chinese etc British restaurant food was bland cr@p at best. smile
Some was, some wasn't, the Asians lap some of it up though, even now.
Emperors clothes!!! biggrin
Good old fish n chips, the Asians love cheap food. I visit a mate in an area populated by many, they've got their own pizza restaurant (although Pizzhut is full of them too), own burger joint and there is always loads in the Chippy.

Anyhow, to your original point, what's wrong with a good old Sunday roast?! Still very popular too.

227bhp

10,203 posts

127 months

Tuesday 17th January 2017
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FiF said:
227bhp said:
The majority don't want fine delicate food with lots of shellfish and fish etc, they want pile it high and sell it cheap. They want to leave a restaurant having eaten so much food they feel sick, that's how they know they've had a good night.
Years back there used to be an excellent restaurant critic writing for the Sheffield Star. His main complaint was exactly that, the Sheffield public not being bothered so much about quality but quantity, their measure of a restaurant being how gut busting were the portions.

For me too much spoils the meal. Once ordered mixed fried fish in a restaurant in Mahon, instead of a few tapas sized dishes, got a literal mountain of five types of fish, just one of which would have been more than sufficient, so maybe it's not just the British.
American influence perhaps? We have an Italian family run restaurant near us, it's the kind of place you go if you've got 4 unruly kids, are drunk, on a hen do etc so i've only been once. The quality of the food is great, but the portions are vast, I was full after my starter! Shame really, but it's what the locals want so it's packed on Fri and Sat.

Type R Tom

3,859 posts

148 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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227bhp said:
American influence perhaps? We have an Italian family run restaurant near us, it's the kind of place you go if you've got 4 unruly kids, are drunk, on a hen do etc so i've only been once. The quality of the food is great, but the portions are vast, I was full after my starter! Shame really, but it's what the locals want so it's packed on Fri and Sat.
I think it depends on the place. If I'm going to a pub for a burger I want a big pile of nice chips and onion rings with plenty of toppings on my burger. If I'm going "fine dining" I want a plate that looks as good as it tastes but with 3+ course that I don't come out feeling like I could fit a doner meat and chips in.

p1doc

3,111 posts

183 months

Wednesday 18th January 2017
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I see several of his restaurants are shutting including my local in Aberdeen due to brexit allegedly

Vaud

50,285 posts

154 months

Thursday 19th January 2017
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Mediocre and over salted in my experience, but then we have one of the best Italian restaurants in the North as a comparably priced option...

Bonefish Blues

26,434 posts

222 months

Thursday 19th January 2017
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Cardiff_Exile said:
I won't miss the one in Cheltenham, for the money very mediocre - The building though is wonderful being and old court house so I hope it gets taken over by a good indie.
I agree, a lovely building.

We had a couple of nice meals there when our daughter was 3-4 or so, sitting up at the judge's table, getting attentive service courtesy of daughter's grown up tastes and innate charm smile

Blown2CV

28,695 posts

202 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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Granfondo said:
MarshPhantom said:
Do we live in Italy?

Dom Joly agrees - "Whatever happened to the Italian Restaurant?"

www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/out-about/events/dom_joly_w...


I tend to post facts rather than opinion.

wink

"Why have we gone off them?" he asks.



Edited by MarshPhantom on Tuesday 17th January 00:09
Thank god we don't have to eat the food that the UK used to churn out in restaurants before the immigrants educated our chefs and our palette! wink
i'm pretty far from a brexiteer, but most of our rich culinary variety comes from stomping around the world and conquering it, rather than people bringing nice recipes here for us to enjoy.

MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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227bhp said:
MarshPhantom said:
Hardly playing for laughs though is he, just bemoaning the demise of his much loved Italian restaurants. I'm sure there must be a reason Jamie's Italian so miserably.
There are plenty of independent Italians near me, no shortage at all so I don't know where he's looking, lets face it it's not some factual article, it's more like something you'd read in Takeabreak magazine, The Sun or Womans own.

You only have to read through this thread from the start to see what people think to Oliver's restaurants, maybe that's why they are failing.
There's a very popular Italian in my old hometown. My Parents used to love it, but having been with them, considering the prices they charge for the food they provide, I'm amazed anybody goes more than once. It's popularity is based on fact that, unlike most of the other restaurants in town (mostly post-pub curry houses) it isn't a complete dump.

hehe

I did used to love the cheap and cheerful, very popular Pollo's in Soho, but that hasn't been there for what, 15 years.

More here.

www.classiccafes.co.uk/pollo_special.htm



MarshPhantom

9,658 posts

136 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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Blown2CV said:
Granfondo said:
MarshPhantom said:
Do we live in Italy?

Dom Joly agrees - "Whatever happened to the Italian Restaurant?"

www.cotswoldlife.co.uk/out-about/events/dom_joly_w...


I tend to post facts rather than opinion.

wink

"Why have we gone off them?" he asks.



Edited by MarshPhantom on Tuesday 17th January 00:09
Thank god we don't have to eat the food that the UK used to churn out in restaurants before the immigrants educated our chefs and our palette! wink
i'm pretty far from a brexiteer, but most of our rich culinary variety comes from stomping around the world and conquering it, rather than people bringing nice recipes here for us to enjoy.
Can't really agree with that. If, true how come British food was so crap prior to the increase in immigration, Curry houses are run by brown people, not white people. Etc

Vaud

50,285 posts

154 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
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Salvos in Leeds (well, Headingley) if anyone is ever in the area. Outstanding Italian.

Classic Italian restaurant and two doors dow, a true Salumeria offering light bites in the day and a 6 course tasting/regional menu on some evenings for £25-£35.

http://www.salvos.co.uk/menu/salumeria-tasting-men...

It has been a Leeds favourite for many years with a very loyal crowd.

Blown2CV

28,695 posts

202 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
quotequote all
Vaud said:
Salvos in Leeds (well, Headingley) if anyone is ever in the area. Outstanding Italian.

Classic Italian restaurant and two doors dow, a true Salumeria offering light bites in the day and a 6 course tasting/regional menu on some evenings for £25-£35.

http://www.salvos.co.uk/menu/salumeria-tasting-men...

It has been a Leeds favourite for many years with a very loyal crowd.
brings back memories, the mention of that place. Memories being them being so busy they were unable to accommodate the booking our group had, but they were kind enough to give us a spot to stand in outside on the street. They even brought us some garlic bread to eat off of a car roof... which seemed a nice gesture in a way... until they added it to the bill. But yes... the food was a decent standard notwithstanding the st service that often comes with popular places.

Not sure if the indian place on the corner nearby is still there but that was always decent and pretty busy. I also had a booking there and couldn't go in the end. Just as well as that was the night 2 blokes burst in to the main restaurant and shotgunned the owner dead in front of everyone.

I don't live in Leeds anymore!!

Vaud

50,285 posts

154 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
quotequote all
Blown2CV said:
brings back memories, the mention of that place. Memories being them being so busy they were unable to accommodate the booking our group had, but they were kind enough to give us a spot to stand in outside on the street. They even brought us some garlic bread to eat off of a car roof... which seemed a nice gesture in a way... until they added it to the bill. But yes... the food was a decent standard notwithstanding the st service that often comes with popular places.

Not sure if the indian place on the corner nearby is still there but that was always decent and pretty busy. I also had a booking there and couldn't go in the end. Just as well as that was the night 2 blokes burst in to the main restaurant and shotgunned the owner dead in front of everyone.

I don't live in Leeds anymore!!
It used to be a problem. They have got better since about 2003 in taking fewer bookings as well as expanding the seating (plus a bar upstairs)

Off topic...

Do you mean the Chinese? Dynasty is no more, it's a Thai now.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8076671...

Though it did become nicknamed the "Die Nasty"...

Blown2CV

28,695 posts

202 months

Saturday 21st January 2017
quotequote all
Vaud said:
Blown2CV said:
brings back memories, the mention of that place. Memories being them being so busy they were unable to accommodate the booking our group had, but they were kind enough to give us a spot to stand in outside on the street. They even brought us some garlic bread to eat off of a car roof... which seemed a nice gesture in a way... until they added it to the bill. But yes... the food was a decent standard notwithstanding the st service that often comes with popular places.

Not sure if the indian place on the corner nearby is still there but that was always decent and pretty busy. I also had a booking there and couldn't go in the end. Just as well as that was the night 2 blokes burst in to the main restaurant and shotgunned the owner dead in front of everyone.

I don't live in Leeds anymore!!
It used to be a problem. They have got better since about 2003 in taking fewer bookings as well as expanding the seating (plus a bar upstairs)

Off topic...

Do you mean the Chinese? Dynasty is no more, it's a Thai now.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/8076671...

Though it did become nicknamed the "Die Nasty"...
yes that's the one!!

TopGear7

339 posts

175 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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I have to echo what's been said already; portions sizes comically small and food largely tasteless.

Type R Tom

3,859 posts

148 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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TopGear7 said:
I have to echo what's been said already; portions sizes comically small and food largely tasteless.
Portion size is an interesting one and to some extent subjective. Would you complain about it? I'd be worried about being accused of gluttony.

Vaud

50,285 posts

154 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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Type R Tom said:
Portion size is an interesting one and to some extent subjective. Would you complain about it? I'd be worried about being accused of gluttony.
Many small portions is more accurately Italian in many ways.

There are many better Italian restaurants around.

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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One sous chef said clientele get used to small/er portions, no need to over feed them.
And, if on occasions, a new chef gives slightly more food - people are happy ecstatic! biggrin
Go figure...

talksthetorque

10,815 posts

134 months

Monday 13th February 2017
quotequote all
soad said:
One sous chef said clientele get used to small/er portions, no need to over feed them.
And, if on occasions, a new chef gives slightly more food - people are happy ecstatic! biggrin
Go figure...
"How much veg? Calm down with the portions love, We're here to feed them, not fill them."
Clumber Park Restaurant Manager to counter assistant. Summer 1990. In full earshot of the queue at the counter.
hehe


BrabusMog

20,083 posts

185 months

Monday 13th February 2017
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I wouldn't want a large portion of the slop they serve up at Jamie's. Any chef worth their salt wouldn't want to expand at the rate he did, as it just highlights the fact its chain restaurant microwave meal fodder that's ridiculously over priced, hence the fact there is always a voucher deal for it. At least places like Prezzo don't pretend it's haute cuisine.

ambuletz

10,690 posts

180 months

Tuesday 14th February 2017
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BrabusMog said:
I wouldn't want a large portion of the slop they serve up at Jamie's. Any chef worth their salt wouldn't want to expand at the rate he did, as it just highlights the fact its chain restaurant microwave meal fodder that's ridiculously over priced, hence the fact there is always a voucher deal for it. At least places like Prezzo don't pretend it's haute cuisine.
mircowave? the pasta is fresh and most of their stuff doesnt take long to cook anyway. and since when did it ever pretend to be haute cuisine?