Bird's Yard Cafe

Recently I popped into Bird's Yard for the first time, to try out the retro tea room on the ground floor. You can read more about the background to the shop itself on Culture Vulture here. I didn't have time to do any shopping on this occasion, but I'll definitely be heading back, as there were plenty of things that took my fancy.

The tea room is lovely, the tables are set amidst the vintage and handmade goods that are for sale which you can't help but peruse whilst you sit. The menu is presented in a retro bird spotters guide book, which lists the various (and interesting) drinks and snacks. Tables are decorated with crocheted doilies and flowers in glass drinks bottles which gives it a lovely vintage feel. The cakes are displayed in a cabinet on the counter and I defy you to resist trying some! If that doesn't satisfy your sweet tooth, there is also a pick & mix stand of retro sweets, what a great idea. 

When I was there it was quite late on in the day but there was still a choice of delights such as rose & pistachio cake, peanut butter cupcakes and chocolate guinness cake. They also do homemade crumpets, and a group on another table were having quite a lavish afternoon tea. 

I had the rose & pistachio cake, which was just the right balance of gooey and sweet - and beautiful to look at! The orange and coconut infusion was delicious, and a lovely alternative hot drink if you don't fancy caffeine. This was served in beautiful vintage china, which is so much more special than an ordinary tea service in my opinion. 

The prices are very reasonable and it's only a short walk from the main shopping part of town. Well worth a little detour to find something special.  

Zizzi - Leeds Light

I was tempted back to Zizzi in The Light after a previous slightly mediocre lunchtime visit. This time we were there at prime time, Friday night at 7pm, for a family meal.

First impressions were that of a light, airy space with a fantastic open kitchen and a great atmosphere. It took us a few minutes to realise that there was no music playing, the buzz was purely people chatting and the enticing sounds of cooking from the kitchen.

The service was spot on from the minute we arrived. The waiter offered to get the doughstick starter from the kid's menu for Millie with our drinks. This gave us a few minute's peace to look at the menu as she happily chomped away whilst colouring in the menu sheet provided. It was clearly no problem to order some things and add to it later, which instantly felt relaxing. 

For starters we shared the giant olives and garlic bread with caramelised onions. The bread was particularly nice, with the onions being a different touch to the norm.

For main, Tom had the belly pork with greens and rosemary potatoes - this was nicely presented, rich and tender. I had the linguine gamberi, which was nice and spicy with perfectly al dente pasta. Millie enjoyed a bowl of spaghetti, and managed very well to get most of it in her mouth using the child sized cutlery provided! The kids ice cream was a generous 2 scoops, which was very tasty and creamy. 

The bill was £56 including drinks (the kids menu was £6.50), which seemed reasonable. I can't fault the food or the service, which was attentive without being intrusive, and the open kitchen was an interesting backdrop and talking point. A really good family friendly experience. 

Rib Shakk

After all of the recent blogger's buzz surrounding Anthony's latest diversification, I thought I had better check it out. Primarily as I had heard that they do coke floats.... And who doesn't love those? Rib Shakk seems to be aimed at being a reasonable price, fast-ish food style joint for those who can take on a pile of meat. It is not for vegetarians, people who want a high end dining experience or people on a diet. 

There are many good points about this place, but the glaringly less positive aspect is the first impression you get when you arrive. It is not immediately clear when you go down stairs in the corn exchange as to where Rib Shakk actually is.... There is a lot going on down there with the restaurant, cafe, various specialty food shops, etc and there is no obvious themed decor. As other bloggers and tweeters have commented already, they could do with sorting this out so that it's easier to find! When we visited, there was only one other table occupied, which did seem like a shame.

On the positive side, it was well worth hunting it out. The menu had an appealing selection of USA BBQ style dishes, and the service was some of the friendliest we've had anywhere recently. I also liked the presentation of the drinks in the old fashioned American style cups, and the food on wooden boards.

I had a coke float and Tom had a cream soda float, which felt like a proper treat, and nice to have an interesting non-alcoholic selection on the menu. When it came to food, Tom sensibly went for the 'Beef Dandy' ribs, which were really tender, and a generous portion including fries and coleslaw. He was impressed that it wasn't just pork ribs on the menu, as beef ribs seem a bit more tricky to find in restaurants.

I (perhaps stupidly) ordered the 'Boston Butt' - as I absolutely love pulled pork - despite it saying it was really meant as a sharing portion. What arrived on the board was an astounding amount of food for £14, it would have easily fed 2, if not 3 people. The pork was really tender, but the mustard & cider sauce was a little too sweet and sickly for me. Shame you couldn't choose the sauce, like you can with the ribs. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it, but I wouldn't order it again unless it's possible to choose a less sweet sauce and get it in a one person sized portion! 

The total bill was less than £30, which seemed like a bargain for the quality and amount that we had. The sevice was friendly, but the atmosphere somewhat lacking on this occasion. We would definitely go back, but maybe with a group next time.