BARNARDS - Hambledon road, Denmead.

Barnards is a restaurant in Denmead that I first became aware of around 10 years ago. I took Rachel there. She had a cheese soufflé and was instantly addicted. Thankfully, they still serve said soufflé, so every now and again, my dear wife gets the craving, and today was a day where that craving had to be satiated. It never takes much to convince me to go out for some good food, so Rachel, George and I jumped in the car and headed to Denmead.

There are a few parking spaces outside Barnards, but it is usually best to head for the car park just over the road. You are always greeted warmly upon entering, before you are shown to one of the two dining spaces. There is also a garden out back for when the weather is behaving. Options are vast and varied when eating at Barnards, including breakfast, brunch, lunch, and afternoon tea. A full English is still available at lunch time, which makes George happy, this being one of his favourite meals on planet Earth. With George sorted, and Rachel obviously feeding her cheese soufflé urges, that just left me. I picked the grilled salmon on wilted spinach with carrot puree, new potatoes and a chive hollandaise. Sounds rather good doesn't it?

Once the food arrived, it only took me one mouthful to realise I had something special in front of me. I had been handed a good sized peace of salmon that was cooked beautifully, with perfectly crisp skin. The potatoes were of the small variety, comparable in size to a Malteser if you're interested. The carrot puree was velvety and deep with flavour, while the hollandaise was stunning, and a perfect best friend for the salmon. This plate of well crafted food set us back £12.95. I don['t care what planet you are from, that is a good deal. Rachel's soufflé was up to its usual high standards, and was accompanied by sauté potatoes, perfect for dipping in the cheese sauce, . This comes in at £13.75. George's breakfast was also a beautiful thing. Many is the time we have taken friends and family to Barnards, often for the breakfast. One of these will set you back £9.50.

I'm happy to say that we were tempted in to deserts. George and I opting for the chocolate brownie with crunchie ice-cream, £6.50. Rachel chose a coconut sorbet with a homemade biscuit, £6.20. After a brief consultation, George agreed that this was one of the best brownies we had tasted, and that the crunchie ice-cream was a touch of genius.

It is hard to find fault with our trip to Barnards. The service is always friendly, the chef, David, is extremely talented, and the overall atmosphere was topped by the cherry of a classy playlist including Jack Johnson, who I like. I love the imagination and effort at work here, from the home made scones to the freshly baked bread for the sandwiches. Everything is done properly here and without fanfare. It's a lovely place to come with friends or family, even on your own. It's a place where you can get a high standard of restaurant food in a relaxed atmosphere. If you haven't been before, I recommend that you give Barnards a try.

Atmosphere                     8

Service                              8

Food                                  9

Value                                 9

Verdict                              5*

THE CRICKETERS INN - Curdridge lane, Southampton.

In the true spirit of pub exploration, we were actually looking for a different pub when we came across The Cricketers. Rather than risk wasting time searching for the pub on our hit list, we decided to go with the hand of fate and see what was on offer.

Firstly, there was a car park, so that's a good start. Secondly, and most gratifying, was the warm welcome we received upon entry. It is the easiest thing to do, and has a huge effect on your first impressions of a pub, but it still astounds us how rare it is. After the standard drinks, menu, table scenario, we got stuck in to the menu. It wasn't massive, but that is no bad thing. When the food is made from scratch, it makes sense not to overload the menu, creating a nightmare for those in the kitchen. Most mains came in just under £14, which is pushing in to the pricy bracket, but we try not to be too judgmental about pricing until we have tried the food.

Since it had been a while, we stripped it back to basics, both opting for a pub classic. Fish and chips for me, and ham, egg and chips for Dad. After our order was taken, we settled down and soaked up the surroundings. We both came to the conclusion that this was a good place to be. A comfortable and relaxed vibe, ably assisted by some appropriate music at an appropriate level, a perfect temperature, and a good amount of light. Now it was all down to the food to finish the job.

My fish and chips came out on a long rectangular plate, which I liked. The main bulk of the meal was bookended by a pot of pees on one side, and a pot of tartar sauce on the other. The fish was cooked perfectly in a light batter. The chips were hand cut, homemade, and all together wonderful. Dad of course had the same chips keeping company with his honey glazed ham, which was apparently very good ham.

On a day where destiny had guided us to the unexpected, all the elements of a perfect pub lunch aligned, leaving us both with absolutely nothing to grumble about. The service was friendly and faultless throughout, the food was great and as I said, The Cricketers is just a wonderful place to be. The food may be a few quid more than some other pubs, but we are happy to pay it when this is the result.

Atmosphere   9

Service         9

Food              9

Value            8

Verdict         5*

CHRISTMAS TIPS

Anything you can prepare in advance is going to make your life easier on Christmas day. Two things that will keep just fine are mashed swede and cauliflower cheese. These can both be made the day before, cling filmed, then wacked in the oven, (cauliflower cheese), or the microwave, (swede), when you need them.

Mashed Swede tips.

After topping, tailing and peeling your Swede, cut in to roughly even chunks, then cover in a pan with cold, salted water. Bring to the boil, then simmer until tender.

Drain the Swede, then leave in the pan for a few minutes, allowing excess water to evaporate.

Add a big knob of butter, plenty of pepper, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoon of sugar.

Mash and smash until the consistency makes you happy.

GASTROHUB CHRISTMAS TIPS.

Tradition may dictate that Yorkshire puddings should only be served with roast beef, but that's nonsense. In my mind, it's not a roast dinner without them. Here's a cunning tip to make your life easier on Christmas day.

Those of you who make Yorkshire puddings will know that once they are in the oven, you can't open it again for at least half an hour. This obviously stops you being able to remove anything else or add anything else to the oven. This is particularly awkward when trying to produce a Christmas dinner with multiple elements which need that precious oven space.

To avoid this stress inducing pudding nightmare, simply make your Yorkies a day or two in advance, let them cool slightly, then place in a bag and throw them in the freezer. Take them out about 15 minutes before you need them and give them around five minutes in the oven.

You might think that this would result in an inferior pudding, but you would be wrong. I did this a few years back to see how they turned out, and I've never looked back. They end up just as they would if you made them on the big day.

Other Yorkie tips.

Try to make your batter earlier than you need it, and leave it in the fridge for a few hours.

Preheat your oven at a really high temperature, around 220, ensuring that your tray is oiled and in the oven getting very very hot.

Fill almost the the rim when adding the batter.

Five minutes after closing the oven door, reduce the temperature to 180.

Once the oven door is closed, don't open it again for at least 30 minutes.

Have a wonderful Christmas with wonderful Yorkshire puddings.

PIZZA AT SPOON'S?

  We don't usually get too involved with chain pubs, but despite what some may think, I believe Wetherspoons does it better than most.

Their selection of drinks puts most other pubs to shame, not to mention the prices. We shall ignore the price of a pint for now though, as it's not a fair playing field when up against your average pub. Let us instead turn our attention to the food.

Wetherspoons have allways done food, and it has not allways been good. I remember the early years when the food was cheap, and tasted as much. However, over time, they have improved. What I really respect about Wetherspoons is their honest selfapraisel. For example, they tried to do roast dinners. At some point, someone high up the power chain realised that their roast dinners weren't that good, so they stopped doing them. They want to provide food of a decent quality that can be served quickly. You can't make a quick and easy roast dinner that's worth eating. Instead they focus on themed nights, where food can be prepared in bulk whilst maintaining a respectable level of quality.

The latest addition to the Wetherspoon menu is the pizza, and a few weeks back I ordered one. As with most Wetherspoons meals, their pizza is available as a deal which includes a drink, either soft or alcoholic. I chose a BBQ chicken pizza with a pint. This cost me, wait for it......£7.50. Now, in most pubs, this would be enough to scare me away from the menu, but Wetherspoons is different. I've eaten there many times, and rarely have I been disappointed. I am glad to say that this was also the case with my pizza. It was freshly made and tasty. I would have liked the base a bit crisper, but it's not a deal breaker, especially for the price. They have also branched out in to the takeaway market. This obviously doesn't stretch to delivery, but if you want to pick up a pizza to take home, you'd be pushed to find better value.

In summary, as a pub, it's worth being picky as to which Wetherspoons you visit, some being much nicer than others, but the food remains pretty consistent. I welcome the addition of pizza to the menu, and it once again highlights the ambition to deliver good food with maximum efficiency.