Finally, spring has sprung from its winter hibernation and brought with it some much-needed sunshine and new seasonal fayre.
But after all the fun of the EAT! Festival, Chinese New Year, and NE1’s Newcastle Restaurant Week, I’m wondering how I can keep up all this eating out without needing to run a mini-marathon on a daily basis to compensate.
But the fabulous food and drink scene in the Toon just keeps tempting me out.
The team at Nudo Sushi Box in Haymarket have been supplying me with oodles of noodles and fabulous sushi recently. Opened by the guys behind the Nudo Noodle Bar, this local business now has branches in Sunderland and Jesmond, all with fresh, funky interiors and a delivery service that’s free for orders over £10. The menu also lists calorie and fat content for each dish.
The Cook House in the Ouseburn Valley is still on my most frequented / favourites list, and the last few times I’ve been in to see fellow appetite columnist and owner Anna Hedworth, the place has been heaving. If you’ve not yet visited, you must go!
I can’t wait to try the pigs’ cheeks hanging in the window as I write, and if they’re as good as the roast celeriac soup with walnut pesto and homemade sourdough bread, I shall be a very happy girl.
I also came across the wonderful women of Wheatberry a few weeks ago at one of the city centre food markets, and I love what they do. Their salads, sprouts and spreads packed into nifty little boxes are the ideal lunch option for a great price.
Who knew so much goodness, flavour and colour could be crammed into one amazing, gluten-free lunchbox? They are hugely busy with their pop-up appearances so look out for them across the region, and they’re also soon to be doing deliveries.
The Herb Garden is continuing to cook up some seriously good food that’s just that little bit different. Aside from the hydroponic floor-to-ceiling herb wall – the likes of which I’ve never seen anywhere else – their food is lip-smackingly good.
I recently sampled the stunning Tiko Tapas sharing platter, which was inspired by head chef Lucy’s travels to Costa Rica.
Packed with a spicy mango and coriander ceviche (fish cooked in citric juices) served with tortilla chips, jerk chicken skewers, creole prawns, a mango-topped salad with a chilli dressing and a spicy Creole and fennel-seed flatbread. Luckily that little lot is for two people not one – or I’d have to be wheeled out and deposited on the pavement, but this is certainly a dish I could eat more than once!
Finally, Uno’s Trattoria on the Quayside has a new menu featuring all the traditional favourites and some new delights to boot. The Arancini starter and Risotto Salmone were tried recently and are utterly delicious, while the range of gluten-free options is unusually extensive for an Italian restaurant.
So bring on the joys of spring and some (slightly) warmer weather, and with summer not far away, things can only get better!
