Canapés, Cupcakes and Cocktails goes to...Center Parcs, Longleat Forest

It just doesn't feel like Christmas until the annual trip to Center Parcs is in full swing and trust me, seeing Longleat Forest aglow with hundreds of twinkling fairy lights – not to mention a tastefully decorated Christmas tree at every turn, festive edition Pieminister* on demand, reindeer (from the mechanical variety which sing Christmas carols to the real duo which overlook Santa's grotto) and a scarily lifelike Polar Bear called Bjorn - will never fail to turn even the most stubborn of Scrooges into Santa's Little Helper! ... You'll be partaking in the merry-making and donning your Christmas jumper before you can say ho ho ho!

Date: Friday 2^nd December – Monday 5^th December 2011

Name of Establishment: Center Parcs*

Location: Longleat Forest

Reason for Visit: The annual long-weekend of cabin-based exuberance and an inevitable festive foodie foray!

Arriving at Longleat on a beautifully frosty yet sunshiney day and, on my part, unashamedly decked out in festive attire, the scene for our relaxing winter break was set. Initiating the proceedings with a toffee nut latte in Starbucks which, situated in the main Plaza is one of two of this hit and miss corporate big-wig, I was reminded of the fact that here, the likes of big chains Strada and Café Rouge are particularly well attended. Existing side-by-side with such lesser known establishments as Ortega and Center Parcs' own creations; Rajinda Pradesh, American-style diner, Huck's, The Pancake House and The Grand Café, this diverse line-up of eateries can afford to hike up their prices with little danger of their clientèle deviating beyond the costly reaches of their picturesque forest setting. Thus, although many opt to 'eat-in' in order to save the pennies, a candlelit dinner for two (outside the comfort of one's cabin) is practically unattainable!

Dasher?!

It's a game of Musical Reindeer!

For me though, each visit to Center Parcs constitutes a new favourite restaurant or watering hole...this time around highlights included the unlikely venue of the 'Aqautique' bar (adjacent the bowling alleys) for a blimmin' good mojito and our two-fold-visit to The Pancake House. Popular enough to command a queue at the door and set within the Christmassy Village Square, this venue offers a tempting line-up of sweet and savoury creations - freshly prepared pancakes and waffles generously slathered with your topping of choice. Given my notorious sweet tooth, it will come as no surprise that I elected to indulge in the caramel crunch waffle which had been drizzled with warm caramel sauce, adorned with sizeable chunks of honeycomb and, washed down with a well-made, rich roasted Lavazza Cappuccino, made for an entirely decadent breakfast. I went the whole hog on our second visit, choosing the ultimate in chocoholism; a single chocolate pancake topped with whipped cream, hot chocolate sauce, Maltesers and two scoops of good-quality ice cream. This ensemble was finished with a whole Cadbury's flake...heaven! Others made more nutritious choices; The Boy reported that the tuna melt pancake was packed with good-quality ingredients; succulent flakes of fish, the zing of spring onion and mature cheddar and yet unfortunately, his selection the following day didn't quite warrant the same praise, the New Mexico omelette hid a multitude of sins; dry chunks of chicken, anaemic-looking meatballs which bordered on inedible and an over-processed and luminous pink ham that masqueraded as salami...disappointing...

Did someone say cocktails?!

Caramel Crunch Waffle (£5.95)

We decided upon Ortega for our Saturday night nosh-up; a small chain restaurant with two further branches in London and Milton Keynes. Specialising in Spanish fare, our party ordered a selection of Tapas; calamares, chanquetes (deep fried whitebait), chorizo and Albondigas, (succulent pork and beef meatballs in a rich tomato sauce) to share between us. The Boy and I also decided upon the Ortega Paella; a well executed dish which had been colourfully arranged with chicken, chorizo, roasted peppers, juicy mushrooms plus a scattering of mussels and one rather ample king prawn! I think that the chorizo proved the only disappointing aspect of this dish due to its overly fatty tendencies. In addition to this, the service was a little stand-offish especially given the distinct lack of clientèle at the time of our visit and the cocktails were a little lack lustre to say the least – The Boy in particular, finding himself forced to return his Long Island Ice Tea (a typically pungent combination if you are not familiar) in favour for something, 'a little less like breakfast juice'! That said, the birthday boy of our party was allocated a free cocktail which, albeit, not quite up to scratch in terms of its alcohol content, was a nice touch! The last hurdle before calling it a day was remedying our miscalculated bill, an issue which, I have to say, our specific server dealt with efficiently and without any undue fuss.

Now onto those festive edition Pieminister which are available from the Grand Café or the Sports Café in the 'Jardin des Sport' (which incidentally, advocates a menu not too dissimilar from that of your average High Street Wetherspoons). First things first, they aren't cheap – you may well pay under a fiver for a pie, mash and a moat of lovely gravy in our beloved hometown but here, you're looking at approximately £12 for the same fare. Then again, previous experience denotes a good-quality and altogether satisfying experience guaranteed and sometime later, tucking into my 'Three Kings' Pie packed with British turkey breast, smoky bacon, outdoor reared pork and herb stuffing and cranberries, I decided that it was well worth the money and then some...even given that it had clearly been microwaved giving the pastry a less-than perfect disposition!

'Three Kings' Pieminister with all the trimmings!

Finally, no trip to Center Parcs would be complete without a trip to the Aqua Sana spa and their exclusive Restaurant and Bar, Zilli, (the namesake of Italian-born celebrity chef Aldo Zilli). In my view, this is one of the best places to dine on-site and, sipping pink Prosecco from a plush leather sofa and snuggling into an over-sized bath robe, I lined-up my post-spa snack. Paninis, fresh salads, antipasti and made-to-order flat breads are top of the bill, and, with a focus on healthy eating and the vibrant flavours of the Mediterranean, I was spoiled for choice. I decided that at only £7.75, the Ricotta and spinach cannelloni baked with tomato and béchamel sauces sounded fantastic and yet, sizing up the plump, home-made looking scones behind the counter as well as the impressive line-up of herbal infusions, a spot of afternoon tea would have also gone down rather well. Topped off with polite table service and clean, comfortable surroundings complete with heated floors (combating that bare-foot chill) and floor to ceiling windows showcasing the beauty of the forest, this was indubitably the epitome of calm and hence, a fantastic place to conclude a relaxing weekend away.

All in all, Center Parcs provides a sufficient level of catering; as well as the variety of on-site eateries, the well-stocked Parc Market has a fantastic patisserie which includes a range of lovelies from Pullins Bakers Ltd.* alongside a freshly-baked selection of breads, cakes and pastries. The in-house takeaway service, albeit a tad on the pricey side, covers Chinese, Indian and Italian cuisines which can be delivered directly to your cabin. Let's be fair, this is a complex designed to suit couples, groups and families alike and to that end, fine dining just isn't on the cards. Yet, you aren't exactly expected to slum it either as there are a number of venues (given that you visit outside of the peak hours) in which it is possible to have a good-quality (and reasonably peaceful) meal. I've never actually taken this trip outside of the festive season and for me, a December Center Parcs break embodies all the best things about this time of year – the most obvious being that elevated degree of excitement that the anticipation of Christmas establishes. Perhaps this is one of those things that you must experience for yourself but rest assured, fellow foodies, that you certainly won’t go hungry...just make sure you have more than a few pounds in your pocket!

References:

*http://www.pieminister.co.uk/ 
*http://www.centerparcs.co.uk/villages/longleat/index.jsp

*http://www.pullinsbakers.co.uk/

Café Rouge – Cabot Circus, Bristol

I love the ooh la la of French food; the in-your-face richness verses the delicate complexities of its fare and the chic appeal that, given its authenticity, can take me back to starry-eyed Parisian visits whereby my love-affair with this genre of cuisine began. Now, I'm not deluded enough to pile these expectations on a chain restaurant that provides a touch of le français for the masses and yet for me, visiting Café Rouge (in this case the branch situated amidst the plethora of eateries within the Cabot Circus composite), almost constitutes a guilty pleasure – perhaps in the same way that you know that X Factor will never be the same without Simon Cowell…but that doesn't stop you tuning in each week 'just to see if it's any good' and let's face it, finding that you enjoy the alternative for what it is regardless..!

Date and Time: Sunday 11^th September 2011, 17:45

Name of Establishment: Café Rouge*

Location: Cabot Circus, Upper Ground Floor

Reason for Visit: Avoidance of the Sunday dinner-time roast-up fiasco in addition to a buy-one-get-one-free offer courtesy of 'Voucher Cloud'!*

I think every Café Rouge I’ve ever set foot in has the exact set-up – vibrantly red colour scheme (obviously), token French words scrawled across the paintwork and an old-school Bistro-effect brought about by deep wooden panelling, gold lighting stemmed from the ceiling as well as a multitude of gaudy framed mirrors and pictures tightly arranged side-by-side. Not to mention the soundtrack which ranges from ambient sax to a cheese-fest of characteristically Eurovision ditties! That said, I've never known Café Rouge to be anything other than buzzing with a near-to-full occupancy and the evening of our visit was, in fact, the only exception. Our server mused that the lack of bodies was; 'probably subsequent to half of Bristol flocking to the establishment the previous evening' and although we smiled in agreement, it didn't alter the distinct lack of pizazz that is usually enjoyed as part of the 'Rouge' experience. However, it did mean that The Boy and I could pretty much choose where we sat and opting for an intimate corner booth, comfortably upholstered with cherry-coloured velvet, it proved a rather romantic setting, especially with tea-ilghts flickering from within their small stained-glass containers.

Red Threads!

Dining on a two-for-one basis (as mentioned above) and with an extensive range of typical French favourites to choose from, (Coq au Vin anyone?!), I probably picked a dish which was a little beyond the capabilities of my appetite and yet 'when in Rome'...well France actually...it would have been rude not to indulge in one of their specialities; and so, the Confit de Canard (£13.50) made an entrance. Amply presented, accompaniments consisted of French beans (perfectly crisp) and creamy dauphinoise potatoes topped with Gruyère cheese. I was a little disappointed with the potatoes which, although beautifully textured, proved a little bland in the flavour department. That aside, the meat itself was rich-tasting and succulent with a wonderfully crisped skin which just melted in the mouth – delicious! The finishing touch was a generous dousing of plum sauce which although in my opinion would have been better described as a jus due to its viscosity, had a pleasant twang which both contrasted and complimented other aspects of the dish and added a definite oomph where required! The Boy chose the 8oz Bavette (£12.95); a traditional French cut of steak marinated in rosemary and garlic. Although he assured me this was well-cooked to his medium-rare instruction, I thought it seemed a tad on the chewy side, (that said, I'm not a steak person by any stretch of the imagination so what do I know?!) His dish was served with French Fries, heaped in a appending ceramic bowl and then, in another smaller bowl, a runny yet satisfyingly punchy 'garlic beurre maison' which although was rather well received, was somewhat lacking in volume. Lastly, I have to mention how regimentally organised this plate was, each element segregated into its individual vessel – something which I'm not sure appealed, proving fussy just for the sake of it. We were too full for desserts but I did consider the crème brûlée (£4.95) which, made with vanilla pods and cream, was considered suitably decadent!

8oz Bavette

Confit de Canard

Service was chatty and polite – our waitress in particular proved efficient and commendably un-pushy given the fact that we paid with a voucher and and stuck to tap-water for the duration of our visit! The Boy and I didn't choose to partake in beverages of the alcoholic variety on this occasion as we both had early-starts the following day and besides, neither of us fancied forking out almost £4 for a small glass of vino which, although seemed a little pricey, I guess was moderately in keeping with restaurants of this calibre.

And so, just as anticipated, Café Rouge was fine...fine for eating-out on a budget and fine for avoiding twilight washing-up duties and yet, not providing the wow factor of other independently run and more authentically arranged French restaurants and cafés I've discovered*, (not to mention the eateries I found in Paris itself – high standards as they may be!) Perhaps it just tries too hard to achieve an atmosphere that we Brits will perceive as French culture – I mean the serving staff might as well wear horizontal stripes and a wreath of garlic bulbs around their necks to complete the stereotype! Yet, accept this chain for what it is as well as the notion that subtlety really doesn't work on a National scale and it can indubitably offer an enjoyable, and reasonably-priced night out, (with the lure of an offer that is and with a Prix Fixe menu available 12:00 noon – 5:00pm daily and a Du Soir Set Menu offering two courses for £10.50 after 5:00pm Sunday to Thursday, there are devices in place even if your money-saving 'apps' desert you!) Nevertheless, it's fair to say that overall the most important aspect of this establishment, its cuisine, is of a commendable standard and for that reason we can again settle on summing up Café Rouge as...fine, or as the French would say 'bien'!

And now for the male opinion...

The Boy gave Café Rouge a rating of 7/10 and in three words, described this venue as 'haw-hee-haw'! (Methinks he wasn't taking this seriously!)

References:
*http://www.caferouge.co.uk/

*http://www.vouchercloud.com/

*Bistro La Barrique, I will be paying you a visit very soon!!