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Blog Food Writing Travels

Restaurant Review | The Drum & Monkey, Harrogate

November 24, 2021 No Comments

The second meal to come out of our recent trip to Yorkshire sees us visiting Harrogate for a delicious seafood feast. All courtesy of The Drum & Monkey…

One of the top priorities of my trip to Yorkshire earlier this month was to visit Brontaè’s Bar & Restaurant in Horsforth. The other was to have an afternoon tea in the famed Betty’s Café Tea Rooms in Harrogate, the elegance of which I marvelled at when it was featured on an episode of Remarkable Places to Eat with Fred Sirieix and Nadiya Hussain. It was impossible to book, being just the one of me. And so I had to chance it. With my luck, it wasn’t a surprise to see a queue around the side of the building. Absolutely no hope of getting in quickly. Having made the journey from Leeds to Harrogate (a modest half-hour), I went off in search of an alternative. An alternative that I eventually found in The Drum & Monkey seafood restaurant.

Harrogate reminds me a lot of Brighton in its Lanes-like series of little streets and walkways. With all manner of delights on every corner, and plenty in between. It was through this otherwise aimless exploration that I found The Drum & Monkey. The dining area is quite small; seats 20 covers at most, I’d say. Perfect for the solo diner to stay out of the way.

STARTER: BOUILLABAISSE

The Drum & Monkey BouillabaisseThe last time I had bouillabaisse, it was a waste of time. I was deathly ill with tonsillitis at the time, and so I barely tasted a thing. There was me thinking a hot fish stew would be just the thing to soothe a pained throat and give me a load of goodness. I was very wrong. So when I saw it on the menu of The Drum & Monkey, I couldn’t turn it down. And the second time was truly the charm.

You might be looking at that picture and thinking the bowl is quite small. I will tell you now that, while that may be the case, it was jam-packed full of fishy goodies. The stew itself was sumptuous and rich, the salt of the seafood perfectly balanced with sweet-umami tomato flavours. And I have to give a huge shout-out to the croûtons. None of your tiny, rock-hard bread nuggets here. These were two proper pieces of bread, deep-baked and (I believe, anyway) infused with garlic. A match made in Heaven if ever I tasted it.

MAIN COURSE: FILLET OF HAKE

The Drum & Monkey Fillet of HakeWhy not follow one rich sauce with another? I felt the fish in this dish (as is so often the case in seafood pieces) played second fiddle to its accompaniments. Which included among them braised leek, pancetta, and a Pedro Ximénez sauce. The latter, a sherry wine, is believed by some to be the sweetest wine in the world. And when combined with all those other flavours – the onion notes from the leeks and the salt from the pancetta – the end result, somewhat magically is a rich, almost brandy-caramel kind of taste.

As I say, I really feel this dominated the hake, which ended up being little more than a vehicle, albeit a very succulent one, for that sauce. Don’t mistake that as me regretting my choice. Overall, I was very pleased.

DESSERT: LAYERED CHOCOLATE BOMBE

The Drum & Monkey Chocolate BombeLike my trip to Brontaè’s, I had to seriously consider whether or not I could manage a dessert. In my earlier restaurant critiquing days, I don’t think I would have thought twice. We talked ourselves around, don’t worry. And while I was a bit underwhelmed when the Layered Chocolate Bombe I ordered first arrived, in truth it was just the ticket. Neither too big nor too rich; something relatively light to draw a line under the meal.

I pictured something more like a sphere, whereas this was more of a mound, as you’ll see from the image. A very hard outer chocolatey shell, concealing some delicious cherry filling deeper down. We all know chocolate and cherry are a happy marriage, so there were no complaints coming from that combination. The pistachios adding a bit of greenery to the otherwise dark dish did pretty little else, I won’t lie. In retrospect, I wonder if the chef was aiming for a forest floor kind of presentation?

THE DRUM & MONKEY – THE FINAL VERDICT

Of my two meals out in Yorkshire this trip, The Drum & Monkey has to take second place, sadly. While all three dishes were commendable in terms of flavour and presentation, I felt there was a lot to be desired in terms of atmosphere. I also felt the service was only as attentive as it needed to be; there seemed to be no real effort to go above and beyond. All the same, if you’re in Harrogate and fancy a seafood dinner, definitely give it a go.

For more author news and views, my Facebook and Instagram pages are here. And drop a subscription to my YouTube channel to remain informed of the latest, plus some exclusives. Furthermore, my fortnightly podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show, is available to listen to here on Spotify.

Continue reading
Reading time: 4 min
Written by: Dale Hurst
Blog Food Writing Travels

Restaurant Review | Brontaè’s Bar & Restaurant, Horsforth

November 14, 2021 No Comments

A recent, first-time trip to Leeds inspired me to revive an old blogging niche. Namely, writing restaurant reviews. Beginning with a dream of a meal at a place called Brontaè’s…

We take as the subject for today’s review, Brontaè’s Bar & Restaurant, situated in Horsforth, within Leeds. I recently ventured up north for the first time in my life, with one primary purpose: to visit this restaurant. Ever since owner and founding head chef, my Northern Namesake Dale Spink planted the seed back when I interviewed him for an article much earlier in the year. Last week, I finally made it. And I’ll say right off the bat that it was well worth the wait.

STARTER: SMOKED MACKEREL PÂTÉ

There were several contenders for the role of starter at this meal. Confit Duck Leg. Pigs Cheek and Chorizo. Scallops with a roe tuile and parsnip purée (among other things). But in the end, I could not resist a classic pâté to begin my dinner. Except the pâté dish at Brontaè’s is anything but classic. For one thing, it shares its stage with a rather striking co-star, a pea tart.

Brontaè's Smoked Mackerel PâtéIn all the years I’ve reviewed restaurants and sampled pâté dishes, I had never seen anything like it. And that uniqueness transferred right into the flavours. The  pâté, which the menu revealed contained white chocolate, soft cheese and horseradish among other things, was a vehicle for fierce, fishy saltiness. A saltiness that was balanced out, in turn, by the pea tart, with its subtly savoury filling and perfectly flaky pastry.

Honestly, it was a massive fight with myself not to scrape the ceramic off the plate for every last morsel. Of all those delicious-sounding starters, I definitely made the right choice!

MAIN COURSE: SLOW-BRAISED JACOB’S LADDER

Wow, where to start with this one…

Brontaè's, Horsforth's Slow-Braised Jacob's LadderSince following Brontaè’s on social media earlier in the year, I’d come to understand the Slow-Braised Jacob’s Ladder is something of a fan favourite among the main courses. So, despite the presence of Herb-Crusted Coley, Ham Hock & Wholegrain Mustard Pie, and Crispy Pork Belly on the menu, how could I have anything other than the Jacob’s Ladder?

(Jacob’s Ladder is a ribs dish, for anyone wondering).

Certainly a colourful, eye-catching entrée. The meat still clinging to an utter weapon of a rib, and surrounded by all manner of vegetables (roasted, pickled, steamed). You don’t get this at your common-or-garden Sunday roast, nor your everyday barbeque. This was something truly special. And the meat just fell apart with the fork and, to affect an age-old cliché, melted in the mouth. If you wanted to illustrate the word ‘succulent’, just order this dish.

DESSERT: LEMON CELLO TART

Brontaè's Lemon Cello TartIt was a struggle to know whether or not my stomach could take another hit with dessert. But one that we worked through. And thankfully, our choice was perfectly light and understated. A delicate note to follow two hefty portions. In the form of what Brontaè’s calls a Lemon Cello Tart.

I guess you could argue that this dessert was “deconstructed”. In the sense that the lemon curd filling was lying on the plate, a slice of pastry lying otherwise separate on top of it. Not by any means a disappointment; just not a tart in the same way as the pea tart from the starter.

Semantics aside, the dessert was delicious. The person who discovered the dream team that is lemon, raspberry and white chocolate, is a genius. And it was a joy to see all those elements playing parts in this dish. Speaking of combinations, the sorbet was a surprising thing — it was raspberry and peppercorn. It still amazes me now as I’m writing this how the dry heat from the pepper could cut through the tartness of the lemon and the raspberry and actually improve those flavours, rather than ruin them.

BRONTAÈ’S — THE FINAL VERDICT

As I was paying my bill, I turned to the waitress and said, “If I get COVID tomorrow and that’s the last thing I ever tasted, I’ll be very happy”. Nothing could be truer. The best meal to kick off a city break in Leeds. Even in restaurants where I have counted the staff among my good friends have I received such a warm welcome off the bat as I did at Brontaè’s. And throughout, the line I kept repeating after finishing each dish (or sometimes just partway through) was “Dale Spink is a genius”.

Getting to see the man himself in action, even for just a couple of minutes, was the icing on the proverbial cake. The restaurant floor gives on to the open kitchen, which allows you to watch the chefs work their magic if you’re sitting in the right place. All adds to the overall experience in my opinion.

Throughout my stay in Leeds, I spoke to a fair few people about Brontaè’s and it stunned me how none of them had heard of it. If you’re local to the area, you have no excuse. Book your table now! And if you’re on a city break of your own up in the area, make a plan to visit. You will not be disappointed. Full marks.

For more author news and views, my Facebook and Instagram pages are here. And drop a subscription to my YouTube channel to remain informed of the latest, plus some exclusives. Furthermore, my fortnightly podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show, is available to listen to here on Spotify.

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Reading time: 4 min
Written by: Dale Hurst

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Author | The Berylford Scandals (1. Lust & Liberty, 2. Sin & Secrecy) 📚
Podcaster | The Dale Hurst Writing Show (Season 2 coming soon) 🎙️

Dale Hurst // Author
Today marks 4 years since The Berylford Scandals b Today marks 4 years since The Berylford Scandals became an actual thing with the release of Lust & Liberty. Since then, there have been calls for an audiobook... a screen adaptation... an alternative ending 😆
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Everyone's comments, feedback, reviews, support and everything else have been indescribably amazing ❤️ and if you haven't read it yet, now is as good a time as any! Available from Amazon in paperback and on the Kindle 👍 (#linkinbio) 📚📖🖊️🎉
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📸 @jkw.media (@jamie.150 and @riccio_daniels)
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#authorcommunity #authorsofig #authorsofinstagram #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writerslife #novelist #bournemouth #amwriting #readingcommunity
So some of you may have caught the news in yesterd So some of you may have caught the news in yesterday's Insta story (and thank you for all the love that came with it 😊)... Yes, a funny little story I wrote about a man and his pet lobster with a penchant for cigars got longlisted for the @bournemouthwritingprize 📚🎉 while it didn't make the shortlist, it is getting published in not one but TWO anthologies, to be released this July!
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As a writer, rejection is par for the course. This story, Sunday on the Boulevard, has been rejected several times. So it teaches a lesson in perseverance when you believe in something! 💪🏆
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Needless to say I was over the moon with the news and look forward to seeing the story in print this summer 😁📖🖊️🦞
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#amwriting #comedy #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #writerslife #writingwisdom #authorsofig #bournemouth #fresherpublishing #authorcommunity
Throwback to 2019 and getting Lust & Liberty into Throwback to 2019 and getting Lust & Liberty into Bournemouth Library 😄 probably should think about getting the sequel in there too... 😅
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Right then, I'm off! . Taking a social media hiatu Right then, I'm off!
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Taking a social media hiatus for a few weeks. For one thing, I'm told it does wonders for the mental health (something I kinda need at the moment, not gonna lie 😑). But also it gives me a chance to work on the book, plus get loads of content together for when I get back! 😁
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As ever, thank you for your support. See you all soon! ❤️
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📸 @jkw.media 
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#amwriting #writingcommunity #readingcommunity #writerslife #creativewriting #novelist #writersofinstagram #authorsofinstagram #authorcommunity #bournemouth
Gazing down on two colourful characters. Want to o Gazing down on two colourful characters. Want to own them for yourself? Click the #linkinbio to head to Amazon and buy now, or ping me a DM and we'll sort it out from there 😉📖📝📚✍️🖋️
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Been very lucky to collaborate with other creative Been very lucky to collaborate with other creative and talented people thus far in my career (just a couple pictured here). Looking forward for better weather (and improved motivation 😅) to embark on some new collabs this year (and hopefully renew the old ones 😉)
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#creativegoals #collaboration #amwriting #writingcommunity #writerslife #authorsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #novelist #bournemouth #creativewriting #authorcommunity
When it comes to the first draft, I always advise: When it comes to the first draft, I always advise: "Write with your heart, not with your head". By which I mean, get the story on the page and worry about the rules you broke later on, in the editing process. Still, I think it never hurts to know a few of the rules that are so easily broken, you can do it without realising. My new blog post, available on my website (#linkinbio) deals with this exact topic 🖋️✍️📚📝📖
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#writingwisdom #writersofinstagram #writingcommunity #creativewriting #writingtips #authors #authorsofinstagram #amwriting #writerslife #novelist
Have you listened to my writing podcast yet? All t Have you listened to my writing podcast yet? All ten episodes of The Dale Hurst Writing Show are available to listen on Spotify now (coming soon to other platforms too) (#linkinbio). Some amazing insights from some awesome guests including authors, poets, recently published playwrights, filmmakers and more.
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Plus... A SECOND SEASON is currently in the works 😁 📖📝📚✍️🖋️🎙️
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