Food Delights || August

After setting up my new home in Newcastle England, I've made it a priority to try some of the local food. A lot of things I could find in America, but there's nothing like getting the authentic culinary skills of The Brits.

During orientation, we were offered an authentic Afternoon Tea  at a highly regarded hotel called The Vermont  in Newcastle upon Tyne. And it didn't disappoint. The scones were delicious, as well as the custard! Oh my, it was devine! And I don't think I need to say anything about the tea, I mean... we are in the land of Earl Grey tea after all.

Trying out some mouth watering fish and chips! I think the first week I was here I had 3 of these. The fish is so fresh, the breading so crispy and the fries... I don't think you can find fries made like that in America. Or at least, I've looked...

My father came to visit for a couple of days and we ended up sharing this specific meal. He was able to enjoy the fish and chips and I had the steak and fries at Pitcher and Piano.

Pizza.... Ah, what can I say about pizza. I'm in love - I was born in the South of France, about an hour away from Italy, so I'm really picky when it comes to a good slice of pizza. This pizza here comes pretty close to the style that I love, so any chance I get to pop over to Grainger Market in Northumbria City Center, I will get my hands on one! The dough is light and thin without being crispy, and the marriage of tomato sauce, cheese, and herbs are in perfect harmony. My friend decided to try the ham and mushroom, but honestly... you can't go wrong with any of them and the serving sizes are pretty great for the price!

The pub grub is pretty damn spectacular as well! Here is the Sunday Lunch at Tanners Arms. The best way to describe the way this taste is to imagine that your mother spent all weekend trying to cook this meal, and after a week of hard work and sleep exhaustion, it's exactly what the doctor ordered (or at least I did!) I've been there a few times now, so here is some of the things I ordered. At the top, it's beef and gravy with pork skins and puffin. In the middle, there's chicken and chips with puffin - and once again gravy... it's like a Thanksgiving dinner every time. You can see all the sides that could come with the dish. Honey grazed carrots, peas, mashed potatoes, cabbage and bacon (my personal favorite!), and whole cooked potatoes. And finally at the bottom, the latest dish I ordered was sausage, onions, and mashed potatoes surrounded by a moat of amazing juices - I honestly don't know what was in that but I couldn't get enough of it!

Tanners Arms, like many of the pubs here, has a very relaxed atmosphere. Very quiet, hole in the wall kind of feel. But man, it's exactly what you need after a rough week. And they even have a pool table, live entertainment at night, and even board games sitting on the mantle waiting to be played. My kind of place!

Eating out is fun but it sure burns a whole in my wallet. So here we have a few meals that me and my friend made. Living close to the sea, Newcastle receives some of the freshest fish I've ever seen, and I have a specific fishmonger I like to frequent because of the quality of the salmon. Here I have pan fried salmon and a side salad. Simple in preparation and one of the best dishes I think I've ever made. By cleaning off the scales, the skin becomes a crispy little treat and the favorite part of this whole dish. My friend makes the salad to the right almost everyday. It is one of the most colorful salads I've ever seen prepared and brought to class. Her culinary skills make me quite envious, but I'd probably get fat from all the amazing dishes she creates! Find her on her blog here.

Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for the food finds I had in September!