Ha Ha Bar and Grill, Spinningfields, Manchester

Last night, being one of the few Friday nights we ever get together, we decided to go out into Manchester for a meal and a few drinks. We'd decided on the place, mainly as we had a voucher, and we'd called in there a couple of times for drinks and the wine was nice.
We chose Ha ha Bar and Grill in Spinningfields.

Buying garlic at the French Market

Beforehand we'd gone up to the French Market to replenish our garlic supply. We'd previously bought one of those massive bunches of garlic from the Christmas market with the promise that it would last us all year. This would be true in the sense it wouldn't go off, but we'd got through it all in 8 months rather than 12, and couldn't get back into using the tiny garlic bulbs that are available in supermarkets.

Some of the market stalls were shutting down, but we did find a large quantity of garlic and other fruit and veg, a cheese stall and a woman selling all manner of sausages including the not-so French Chorizo. We just picked some garlic but we would have stocked up with loads of interesting produce had we not been going out.

We'll definitely keep an eye out for further accessible French markets, and look forward to stocking up on all sorts of European goodies at the Christmas markets.

Back to Ha ha. First of all, we'd just like to say that from now on we will be trying to avoid the big chain restaurants, despite what vouchers may be emailed to us every day, trying to entice us in. Basically this is because the food is OK, but nothing special, and we did feel that whatever we chose from the menu, we could do it ourselves at home. Maybe to a similar standard, maybe better. We're not saying that Ha ha had the "counted out peas" feeling that some chain pubs give, but we'd rather spend our money elsewhere on food that is more special really.
We started off with a drink at the Mark Addy pub, on the opposite side of the canal to Ha ha, and decided that we'll try there for food sometime, as it is award-winning apparently. Although the expensive wine, was just OK rather than great.

We got to the restaurant and the bar area was full - mainly shirt and tie brigade, and rather noisy. All added to the atmosphere though. Plus Ha ha was clearly the most popular place along that stretch of restaurants. Maybe because of the separate bar area.
We were seated along the edge of the restaurant area, and given menus and we asked if we would like to order drinks. We said we'd like to look at the wine menu first, but actually decided on one of the recommended wines that we'd tried before. We were also offered water; still, sparkling or tap. So we went for a jug of tap and noted the plus point that tap water was actually offered.

We explained to the waiter that I was eating gluten free and he said he would find out exactly which dishes I could have. It turned out to be anything that was obvious, in other words no pasta or bread. I fancied a steak and he explained that the Stilton and mushroom topping was gluten free, but the other sauces were bought in and therefore couldn't be guaranteed gluten free. Top marks for the waiter, as he was very thorough in explaining everything, obviously knowing how serious food allergies and intolerances can be, but why, when there were at least two chefs on show to the restaurant are the sauces bought in? Counted out peas springs to mind.

We placed our order and sat with our wine for a bit. The pace of the service seemed good, not rushed at all. I had opted for the melon and serrano ham starter. I generally am not someone who goes for a sweet/savoury mix like that, but thought I'd give it a go. Tim ordered the pate. The waiter came over and said that the melon wasn't good enough to serve and asked me for another order. Again, top marks for the waiter, the manner in which he did this was great, and I'm sure some places may have just sent out the melon. But again, why did this happen? Early on a Friday night you would have thought that everything would be available. In the end I ordered the garlic and chilli prawns which was another one of my three options.

Pate

Garlic and Chilli Prawns

Tim said that pate was nice enough, but a slab of pate from Morrisons deli with some leaves and bread could have been made up at home. The Prawns too, were OK. I was expecting more of a chilli hit, but there wasn't that much.

The main course came. I had ordered the Sirloin Steak with the Stilton and mushroom topping and skinny fries. Tim has the Meatballs, mainly because it promised his favourite ingredient of the moment: Fresh Basil.

I'd asked for the steak to be medium, and it was a little more than medium really - the waiter did ask if it was OK, but I couldn't be bothered saying it was a little more well done than I'd expected. The steak itself did have a nice barbecued/grilled flavour and the sauce was rather tasty too. But really was a little tough and my first mouthful contained gristle. Tim was rather disappointed with the lack of fresh basil in the meatball dish. There could have been some dried sprinkled over, but we weren't too sure what it actually was.

We took a look at the desert menu, which for me was ice cream. The waiter did say that the chef could make up an Eton mess without the meringue as the meringue has flour in it. Not sure what kind of crazy recipe was going on there, but what he was proposing was basically ice cream and fruit. So I decided on just plain ice cream. Tim had the Profiteroles with cream.

Again, everything was nice, but kind of ordinary. The sort of thing we could do at home.

In conclusion. The food was OK to poor really. Nothing special. We will not be going again, unless of course it was booked for someone else's do or occasion. We weren't that offended by the place. The service was very good, the waiter was excellent but the restaurant wasn't busy at all. This type of restaurant does serve a purpose, perhaps for taking out the parent that likes "normal" food and not too much way out flavour, (by that I mean doesn't like flavour) but really, we'd probably find a nice independent pub somewhere, or cook ourselves, unless there was a really really good voucher available!

We finished off the evening in the more pleasurable surroundings of Epernay Champagne bar for a couple of glasses of Champagne (Henriot and Louis Roederer - sorry Jenny!) and some exciting, spicy cocktails, and decided that along with the Mark Addy, this should be a place we'll test the food offerings. They only do a selection of nibbles, but well worth trying we reckon.

Prawn Saganaki and the Loss of a Vintage

As the tradition goes and due to Tim being at work, last night was another "Champagne Friday". Not sure where or when it started, but it did have something to do with Lost.
Anyway, recently having to sacrifice some potentially lovely vintages to the god of the sink following some very upsetting sherry tastes, a friend and I have decided not to save the posh stuff for special occasions (I don't know, the Pope visiting, or Daniel Craig/George Clooney/Brad Pitt turning up on the doorstep) but to drink and to experience the posh Champagne we've been hording for a couple of years since our last trip to Reims.
We had a rather posh 1995 Joseph Perrier "Josephine" cuvee, and either a Joseph Perrier Blanc de Blancs or Rose to go at, and we decided to try and team it with food that wouldn't detract from the champagne flavours.

1995 Joseph Perrier "Josephine"

Again, we are not pretending to know anything about food and wine matching, but the normal Friday night food of pizza, pringles and dip and cheese stuffed chilli type things probably wouldn't work with the vintage. After a quick google, we found that fish, seafood, cream and other lovely things were supposed to work with champagne (although the more you look into it, everything seems to go with it, and don't even ask about what goes with different vintages as opposed to blanc de blancs!). So here was another opportunity to cook the lovely version of Prawn Saganaki we found since returning from Crete.

While in Crete we were told by a very helpful waiter (more about him and the food over there when we get round to posting about it) that Saganaki means sauce, and that there are large and obvious differences between Cheese Saganaki and anything else Saganaki. Everything apart from Cheese Saganaki has, like the name suggests, a sauce.

We discovered Prawn Saganaki on our last day in Crete, and we're rather glad we didn't leave without trying it. It was lovely. Cheesy, tomatoey, with lovely large prawns. The setting was great too, this was eaten at the Blue Sea Restaurant in Elounda, on a jetty type arrangement, with the sea lapping below us.

Prawn Saganaki at Blue Sea Restaurant, Elounda

After loving this dish out in Crete I decided I would try and recreate it at home, and started by googling the recipe. The first that came up was this so I tried it. We also cooked the Stifado recipe from that site, and even though it was different that what we had tasted, somehow all the ingredients and flavours came through in the finished dish so we thought the Saganaki should be good too. The result was first tried out on the parents who enjoy food with flavour, and was a great success, so I thought it would work nicely for "Champagne Friday".

While it was in the oven, and the Josephine was chilling, we decided on the Blanc de Blancs. This was lovely, and re-affirmed our faith in that all our champagne that was bought a couple of years ago would not be of the sherry variety. It also re-affirmed our faith in the Joseph Perrier brand. We'd had a couple of bottles of the brut and vintage that hadn't been as good as we remembered, but this BdB was far nicer than any we'd tried before.

Joseph Perrier Blanc de Blancs

The Prawn Saganaki was done, so out of the oven, served with leaves and bread. This was different to the one from Crete, which had a smoother sauce, maybe blended, but we didn't really care!

I forgot to take pictures as soon as it came out, so the resulting few don't look as appetising as I'd hoped. But believe me, it tasted yummy.

Homemade Prawn Saganaki

The Josephine. Well. The cork popped - we have perfected the art of opening without a pop, and therefore no potential wastage. That was the first sign. Then the cork was rather brown at the end. The second sign. And didn't expand. the Third sign. We are, rather upsettingly, used to certain signs of off champagne.

The wine did have the sherry smell, and a slight sherry taste, but after a while - and a few mouthfuls this went away. We were very disappointed as this had been waiting to be drunk for a year since a 30th birthday party, (sorry 28th ;-)). We don't feel we can comment on the taste etc as we don't think, sorry we know, that it wasn't supposed to taste like this. After a period of grieving for the Lost Vintage, we did decide to finish it! And as with most champagnes, no hangover the morning after.

Josephine

Moral to the story, champagne is to be drunk, not kept for a special occasion that may never happen.