Lunch at the Red Door, West Kirby

This weekend we were back on the Wirral to spend some time with Joe's mum and catch up with friends (including watching the football - the less said about that, the better!)  Joe's mum was on great form and it was lovely to be back.  We made the most of a non-rainy weekend by some running - me doing a paltry six miles compared to Joe's 18!  The last long run before the marathon so things are looking good for a strong finishing time.**

After all that hard work we (well, Joe) deserved a nice lunch so we headed for the Red Door in West Kirby.  It's a great "neighbourhood bar" serving solid food and a great range of drinks.  It's kitted out really well - stripped back decor, cosy without being stifling and looks like an excellent place for spend a Friday night checking out some of the very interesting rums and tequilas they offer.  The music, even at a Saturday lunchtime, was great and it had a really nice buzz.

Joe and Sue - thumbs up!

Me and Sue with our lunchtime wine

Food wise, they offer a limited, but good, range of small and large plates.  There's deli boards, including a compile-your-own option of various meats, cheeses and vegetables such as home dried tomatoes, waldorf salad and mustard seed and red cabbage coleslaw. They also do a range of "ploughmans boards" which include the traditional, a daily quiche, pate or a old spot pork pie.  If looking for something more substantial, the menu has larger plates of whole or half chicken, fish and chips, kebabs and burgers with a selection of rubs and toppings.

The wine menu is either by the bottle, or they class their glasses as cheap, decent or good (a red and white of each) which means they can change the wines on offer without messing up the menu.  I tried the "decent" white - a South African Sauvingnon Blanc which was indeed quite decent. The bottled beers also look good and Joe enjoyed a couple of post-run Staropramen.

For lunch, Sue tried the daily quiche, which although she only asked for salad, also came with a rather large pile of chips (many more than on the picture - they ended up on Joe's plate).  The quiche was good, nice and light and a good size for a smaller appetite.  I had a small chicken Caesar with chips (we didn't need quite so many!)  The Caesar was very good - juicy chicken and not all breast which is a good thing for my tastes, crispy leaves and a light but tasty dressing.  I'm always a bit disappointed when my Caesar doesn't have fresh anchovies, but they're not to everyone's tastes.  The chips are awesome - crispy, well seasoned, far too easy to eat.  Joe had the beef burger topped with beetroot and horseradish.  He was offered a choice of pink or well done (pink, obvs), and although there was a little hiccup at the beginning (that beetroot and horseradish topping being missing) it was quickly rectified and we had a great lunch.

Overall, I'd recommend the Red Door to anyone looking for an easy lunchtime or evening dinner and drinks - the staff are friendly and attentive and clearly care about giving good service, and it was a very good experience.  A solid 8.5 out of 10.

** sponsorship for the marathon is still very welcome - a lot of hard work for a great cause: http://www.justgiving.com/joerees2012

Quiche, salad, and some more chips

Chicken caeser

The beef burger

A weekend in Edinburgh

This weekend we were in Edinburgh, combining some important wedding planning (the food!) with baby Tom's first birthday.  It was a fantastic weekend and Joe and I stuffed ourselves silly with home cooked delights and some wedding food, which will not be previewed here - that's just taking it too far! We also got to catch up with friends and family, including Werner and Zita who dragged themselves from lovely sunny Germany where it was 25 degrees, to Edinburgh where it was about 10 and rained most of the time!  That's dedication to your loved ones...!

Joe and I arrived on Thursday night after a rather treacherous drive up the A1 - torrential rain all over Yorkshire, the A66 closed by flooding, and heavy cloud all over - not so fun!  That said, its rare we ever have a straight forward drive to Edinburgh so it should not have been a surprise.  It was all made better by a warm welcome of spicy pork stew with mash and cabbage and a nice glass of white wine - what could be better.

Mum's pork stew with mash and cabbage

Friday was quite the glutonous day, starting with two food and drink tastings and a wander around Edinburgh.  Zita and Werner arrived on Friday afternoon and joined us for dinner - and with mum in the kitchen again we were quite spoiled!  Dinner was roasted seabass on ratatouille with new potatoes and garlic bread, which was all fantastic and topped off with a lemon tart and a Mississippi mud cake.  As I said, totally stuffed stupid.

Roast seabass with ratatouille, potatoes and garlic bread

lemon tart and Mississippi mud cake - well, how could you choose between them?

On Saturday Michael and Kerstin threw a first birthday party for Tom.  It's hard to believe its been a year since he was born - and its a world away from the tricky times they had at the start.  No more feeding by syringe - he is a healthy little thing who is now rapid on his feet!  He would definitely outrun Michael in the marathon!

Kerstin and Michael cooked up a storm for all their guests - home made pizzas, quiches, breads, cakes and all sorts.  I chipped in on a minimal level with some Thai prawns, tandoori chicken bites and cheese and pancetta straws.  It was a great afternoon, the sun was shining, the drinks were flowing and Joe even now has a tan!  It was lovely to catch up with lots of the family and we had a great time - thanks very much Michael, Kerstin and Tom!

The table, groaning under home made pizzas, breads, quiches, cakes and salads.  All so very good.

Very proud grandparents - Zita and Mum

Home made pizza with courgettes, mushrooms and chorizo