Buyers' banquets
Hardman Street bar/restaurant the Buyers Club turning a year old at the end of this month, so time for a proper knees up.
‘Buyers’ Birthday Banquet’, on Friday 30 September, will see chefs putting their own spin on party-buffet favourites “taking diners on a nostalgic culinary journey”.
From cheese and pineapple sticks and mini sausage rolls to party rings and trifle, expect a four-course menu of British dishes like you’ve never seen or tasted before, they say.
Organisers also promise a special "throw-back" cocktail menu - but whether that's a description or an instruction is unclear.
Celebrations continue the following night (Saturday 1 October) with the return of Buyers Club’s hugely popular foraging dinners.
“Meadow” will explore wild and local ingredients that can be found and foraged on the Cheshire plains.
Buyers Club chef Daniel Heffy goes out 'foraging' for your dining pleasureDaniel Heffy, head chef and co-founder of Buyers Club, says: “Our first year has flown by and we’ve loved every minute of it! We want to celebrate our birthday in the way we know best and that’s with lots of good food and drink. Buyers’ Birthday Banquet and Meadow are set to be two fantastic unique evenings and events you don’t want to miss!”
'Buyers’ Birthday Banquet’ Friday September 30. Tickets, £30 from here. Meadow, Saturday October 1. Tickets, £60, from here.
Gin and frolic
The Buyers Club chefs also have their fingers - or should that be Fincas? - in the pie of another trendy city oasis.
The Botanical Garden, down in the wilds of the Baltic, is one of the success stories of the summer with its film screenings, live distillations, gin tastings and parties organised by some of the best of Liverpool’s club scene. To go with that there is Cuban food from Heffy and co in the shape of Finca.
But all things must pass and it’s time to turn off the 2016 juniper tap with a party, giving you a last chance to enjoy a few scoops of mothers' ruin.
Saturday October 1 is the day. Noon to whenever is the time. Naturally there will be a special cocktail menu to stave off the autumn nip in the air, with food ballast including Cuban tacos and three different types of croquettas
Let the music play in the shape of Katy Alex and Loose Moose Band and DJ sets from Morph and James Morgan.
Botanical Garden Closing Party, New Bird Street, Baltic, L1. Saturday October 1, noon to falling over time.
Smell a rat?
The Dispensary pub in Renshaw Street has racked up an interesting profile on TripAdvisor, to say the least, but loathe or love its alleged Fawlty-esque style, it continues to keep some of the best ale in town and what's not to like about that?
Dispelling the myth that cask beer is a bloke thing, this pint of delicious White Rat pale ale, above, comes in a special ladies glass with the distinctive marque engraved on the side. But catch the Rat while you can.
For alas, Pauline reveals, not every female enjoying Osset Brewery's finest asset is a lady.
"We haven't got many of these glasses left," she told us. "They've all been nicked."
To cut a long story short...
OLD romantic Tony Hadley might not release many records these days, but there’s nothing stopping the Spandau Ballet frontman from going for Gold by launching a beer or two.
Moonstone IPA is the latest ale from Hadley’s Brewery, which has been going for about eight years, and the public can take their first sips this week at the The Philharmonic Dining Rooms on Hope Street.
But it turns out they are all at it,
The historic pub - or rather its owner Nicholson’s - has tied up with a number of ale-ing pop stars as part of it month-long Beer Showcase “of all that is great and good in cask and craft ales”.
The promo will see various pubs partner “with some of the best local and national breweries”- and features "a plethora of fantastic beers and events including craft beer masterclasses, giveaways and celebrity brews".
So as well as launching a Hadley ale you can enjoy a glug of Suggs with three beers from Madness Brewery (Absolute, Lovestuck and Night Boat) New Order (Stray Dog) and Iron Maiden (Trooper) all, naturally bidding to be Top Of The Hops.
The Nicholson’s Beer Showcase will run nationally from the 17th September to 15th October. For full listings of events and dates visit here.
A tipple from Spital
The rise of gin goes on, and Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa, in Thornton Hough, Wirral is the latest to get in on the act. The luxury hotel/restaurant has launched its own distinctive blend of gin, which is distilled in Spital, a village never before known for its thirst inducing name.
The new drink, known as Torintone Gin, takes its name from The Doomsday Book reference to Thornton Hough, Torintone, where Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa is located.
It uses local water and a blend of botanicals
including juniper, coriander, caraway, lemon, cubeb and elderflower.
Torintone Gin is available at Thornton Hall Hotel and Spa which is also home to the 3 AA Rosette restaurant The Lawns. It will also be available to buy online here.
Talking Italian
Last month we brought you news of the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse revamp at Hotel Indigo.
But you know, across the land Marco has his stock invested in more kitchens than a Knorr cube. So over in Hoylake, his New York Italian brand has had a menu makeover too.
Dining staples, including the baked New York Italian meatballs, lasagne and mushroom macoroni, will stay, to be joined by a chicken Milanese burger, an Italian burger with pesto and mozzarella and the like, and a New Orleans seafood kebab. Add to that spag Napoletana, seared seabream with caponata, and a Long Island seafood platter.
Commenting on Marco’s New York Italian, Marco Pierre White says here: “If I had to choose only one cuisine to eat for the rest of my life, it would be Italian.”
