Sisters Dine Out

So I was lucky enough to spend three weeks in the autumn travelling down the west coast of Canada and the US.  We could have spent a lot more time there but I'm hoping to bring you some of the culinary highlights of my trip there over the next few months incase you are ever there and lucky enough to experience the beautiful area. Our first stop was Vancouver, B.C. (such a beautiful city would highly recommend a three week visit itself!) and our first night we weren't sure where to head to.  Our hotel was very central so we decided to just walk and see what we fancied.  Heading into Yaletown there were a huge number of restaurants and bars to choose from so was a tough choice, but we both liked the look of the Wildtale menu and decided to give it a try. The restaurant itself is really lovely - a contemporary feel with clean lines and stainless steel but with warmth from wood panelling, open brick and strong colours. Very comfortable seating at various levels - we were ...

If you venture ever so slightly out of the centre of Winchester, just down past the train station, you will find a lovely little row of shops. Amongst the local take aways and convenience stores, sits Pi Pizza Winchester. We stumbled across Pi Pizza last year while looking for somewhere different to try. Using my trusty Instagram account to search for local food #hashtags, we were pleasantly surprised to find Pi (a great example of how social media can facilitate support for local businesses). Looking extremely festive this time of year, Pi is warm and welcoming as soon as you walk through the door. Covered in mirrored tiles. the huge pizza oven is decorated in a rather ‘interesting’ style, but it does make a statement. As always, we opted for the sharing pizza which allows for two or three toppings. We love goats cheese on pizza so the first topping had to be the goats cheese, crispy kale and caramalized red onion. The second topping we picked was the wild boar sala...

Mid-October we headed into the New Forrest and made our way to the picturesque village of Beulieu and The Montagu Arms. The Montagu Arms has a special place in our hearts as Emma hosted her wedding reception in their beautiful grounds. Based on how magical and perfect her day was, we were looking forward to testing out a Traditional Afternoon Tea. (Source : https://www.montaguarmshotel.co.uk/ )  Given its elegant build and serene setting, we weren’t surprised to see that The Montagu Arms offers a traditional approach when serving its Afternoon Tea. No odd shaped cakes with glitter and fuss, just traditional sandwiches and sweets. Seated in the stunning panelled dining room with the country gardens opposite, you are transported to a place of relaxation and tranquillity. As you would expect, the service is top notch and the staff are impeccable with their manors and dress.       To start, we were offered a homemade pallet cleanser which was delightf...