A bit of a tasty evening ahead....

More foodie exploits ahead tonight when I'll be attending a taster evening at LSQ2 for the launch of their new menu. I'm really glad I managed to get a table because the whole event sold out within around 90 minutes of it being announced.

I've eluded to the website and Facebook page on the blog before but I'm still impressed by their design and the photography in both. The same company are going to be looking after my sites.

The menu itself is so varied and it all sounds wonderful so I'm going to have a struggle choosing what to have !! Best get there early I reckon, especially as there is a Champagne reception.

Following that I'll be heading over the The Forbury Hotel where my buddy is having catch up drinks. He's been away for 5 months working in Indonesia and I picked him up from Heathrow this morning. I'm informed that 10 bottles of Dom Perignon have been pre-ordered and are all expected to be consumed.........booking tomorrow off work really was a good idea.

Following on from my write up about the West Indian Womens Circle yesterday I'm going to keep working back through my schedule and put down a few words about The Warwick Thai Bar & Restaurant.

I believe that the bar used to be operated by Greene King as a friend of mine was the tenant there for a while but since then it's changed hands an is now being run by Spirit House.

Their website states - "Just in case you were wondering, a Spirit House is a Thai home for any previous Spirit occupants of your building. So as not to anger the dispossessed beings, suitable accommodation is thus provided, allowing a harmonious living arrangement for all."

The Thai influences are seen in the decor and of course in the food. I've not actually eaten in the Warwick but I have indulged myself plenty of times at their other establishment The Moderation in Caversham. In fact the only time I have been in the Warwick since Spirit House took over was to take part in the first round of Reading, steady, cook 2010.

The Lyndhurst Arms just on the edge of Reading town centre completes Spirit House's pub triple making them a big name in the Reading independent pub circuit. I certainly remember my first ever experience of The Moderation which was during my very first trip to Caversham when I was considering moving down from Watford. I had a room viewing just around the corner and I was a little early so I popped into the pub for a pint.

There we're guys in there with tattoos on top of tattoos. Well at least they looked like guys. I was wearing far too little leather and felt just a little bit to hygienic to really fit in so supped up quick and decided it was probably best to wait outside the house.

I also remember going in there once before heading into Reading festival. I ordered a pint of Guinness and I noticed that the glass actually had a hole in the bottom of it, not sure how that happened, maybe it hit a pointy object but anyway I pointed it out to the person (again not sure of actually sex) behind the bar to which the reply was "Well you better drink it a bit bloody faster then ain't ya"

Aaaah those were the days.........Anyway now it's completely different. The decor is stunning, the outside area is nice and cosy and the food is way above average in standard and very reasonably priced. You can have two courses and a drink for £10 on Monday night over at the Mod anyway.

As it happens the day before the RSC 1st round at The Warwick I was speaking to Andy (Part owner of Spirit House) at The Moderation and I was delighted to hear him say that they always try, whenever possible, to source their produce locally from local producers and I was even more delighted to see that they stocked wine from Twyford's Stanlake Vinyard. I live just down the road from the Stanlake Park Wine Estate and they really do make a good drop of English wine which can quiet easily compete with some of Europe's best.

So that's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with not only a stinking Champagne hangover but a review of the evening at LSQ2 and some words about Vintage Roots Organic Wine Merchants......toodlepip xx

Still Building....

OK the webpage is still being built but at least it's getting there and I do want it to look good so it'll be worth the wait.

I've been given my timetable for Eat Reading Live and I'm pretty much going to be involved from 11am right through to the close of each day.

Saturday 4th is opening day and first to open on the Market place stage will be the one and only Gennaro Contaldo.

Gennaro has links to Reading through his involvement in the Jamie's Italian chain of restaurants. I've been loving his latest TV show Two Greedy Italians with Antonio Carluccio and I simply cannot wait to meet him.

I probably won't be able to catch all of his demonstration though as I'll be heading up to the Town Hall square stage for 11:30 to introduce the first demonstration on that stage from Tampopo.

(I'll give a full list of the demonstrations and times for both stages for both days at the end of the blog.)

Up next on the stage at 12:30 will be Strada followed at 13:20 by organic wine merchants Vintage Roots.

My next action is not until 16:00 when I go back down to the Market Place stage to introduce and judge the semi-finals of Reading, Steady, Cook 2011. Luckily for me that means I do not miss the demonstration by the amazing Daniel Galmiche.

I didn't really get to enjoy his demo last year because I was so nervous about my own semi-final so it'll be brilliant to be able to see this Michelin starred chef in action.

That'll be the end of day one so I'm guessing a few relaxing glasses of vino will be in order ready for the next day.

Sunday 5th at 11:00 I'll be kicking off the Town Hall Square stage introducing an as yet unnamed food demo which is followed at 12:30 by The Warwick which is a pub that specialises in Thai cuisine. They also run The Moderation in Caversham and The Lyndhurst just on the edge of the town centre.

Then............at 13:30 it's my own demo :-) very much looking forward to it too.

Finishing off the Town Hall Square for this year is the West Indian Women's circle. I have a soft spot for West Indian food although I don't really know too much about it other than the Goat curry we used to have at the Watford Antilles club functions that we used to go to with my mum and her buddy Ricky. Introducing the ladies to the stage will be a real treat and I cannot wait to see what they cook up.

At 16:30 I'll be hot footing it over to the Market Place stage to introduce and judge the final of this years Reading, steady, cook and I'll be doing this alongside Reading's very own food hero Paul Clerehugh.


Paul is the owner of both London Street Brasserie in Reading itself and also The Crooked Billet Gastropub in Stoke Row. It's going to be quite surreal sharing the stage with the person who was judging me last year and the person who gave me such high praise backstage after the final. It was those comments that really made me decide that I wanted to take my cooking to another level so if I use the word "inspiration" to describe him then it's fully justified.

That wraps up the Eat Reading Live festival for 2011 but I'm expecting some more events to spring up out of it as the year goes on so hopefully I can play a part in that too.

As promised here is the full schedule for the Eat Reading Live stages -

Saturday 4th

Market Place -

11:00 - 11:39 - Gennaro Contaldo
12:00 - 12:30 - Pepe Sale
13:00 - 13:30 - LSQ2
14:15 - 14:45 - Cilantro
15:15 - 16:00 - Daniel Galmiche
16:30 - 18:30 - Reading, steady, cook! Semi-finals

Town Hall Square -

11:30 - 12:00 - Tampopo
12:30 - 13:00 - Strada
13:30 - 14:00 - Vintage Roots
14:30 - 15:00 - CEBEP young chef 2011
16:00 - 16:30 - Déjá Vu

Sunday 5th June

Market Place -

11:00 - 11:30 - Las Iguanas
12:00 - 12:30 - Malmaison Brasserie
13:00 - 13:20 - Mya Lacarte
14:15 - 14:45 - River Spice
15:15 - 16:15 - Paul Clerehugh
16:30 - 17:30 - Reading, steady, cook! Final

Town Hall Square -

11:30 - 12:00 - TBC
12:30 - 13:00 - Warwick Thai bar & restaurant
13:30 - 14:00 - Ben Zagorski (That's me just incase you we're unsure)
14:30 - 15:00 - West Indian Women's Circle