Restaurant Launch: Red Dog Saloon Opens in Nottingham

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog!

Today's blog post is about a recent restaurant launch I went to and my first initial experiences there.
The Red Dog Saloon is an American themed restaurant that is already well established in Hoxton Square and Clapham North, London. But it has now made a home in Nottingham.

The overall theme of the restaurant is smokey food, due to the way a lot of their meals are cooked. Some of their courses are smoked for up to 18 hours, giving it an authentic American taste (apparently). As you can imagine, it's a meat eaters paradise. They serve burgers and wings and other BBQ dishes. Unfortunately there is only one main course that is vegetarian.

I can't review the food too much due to only going to the opening and not receiving much.  However, after looking at the menu what I can say is that it isn't the place for a vegetarian to go, due to there only being one option for them on the menu (this may change after the publishing of my blog- hopefully)!

Prices are very similar to those of the other smoke houses located around Nottingham, so there is no difference there really. From the food that I did try (a bbq wing), it was quite tasty. The other food product I was given was one of their 'original' wings. I'm unsure as to why these are called original, as you get an extremely spicey shock after just tasting some of the sauce. As someone allergic to spicey food, an indicator or the spice should really be indicated in the dish's name, for example, 'super dooper hot wing'. The server may have made a mistake so if you do go, just ask!

(Sample size for tasting at the launch)

The drinks are possibly the highlight for me. There is such a wide variety of drinks on offer. I had a margarita which was nice and also one of their wines. However, if wine, cocktails and spirits isn't to your taste (or legal drinking age), there are also milkshakes in three non-alcoholic flavours (alcoholic ones are also available) and other general soft drinks.

The interior is another highlight for me. It's really well decorated, spacious for its occupancy and the bar area is also of a good size. The toilets are up some stairs so you can work off your burger if needed on the way up, but don't drink too much because there could be a few trips.

I really hope you enjoyed a little insight into the Red Dog Saloon Restaurant that has only just opened in Nottingham!

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A Trip to Wales

A challenging year at university calls for a holiday!

After finishing what had been an extremely tough year at university for me, it was time for a break. During my break, I was fortunate enough to have a trip away to Wales.

I had never been to Wales before, or at least, never a time that I could remember. The drive down wasn't actually that long from where I live, so I managed to entertain myself for the journey. It was good to have a change of scenery, pester my boyfriend for conversation and sing along to some oldies but goldies with my parents.

I would recommend going for walks if you can. We did two long walks, with the longest being 7.5 miles. A lot of car parks and beach parking is free, so for a few days, we explored nearby areas. The places I enjoyed visiting will be listed below, along with some of the best attractions and restaurants from the trip.

On one of the walks 

We walked all the way to that point. This was also where we saw a seal, which explains the grainy, zoomed photo

A meal with a view

On our first full day we walked along the seafront. We discovered on that journey, a very nice restaurant called Bryan Williams at Porth Eirias, so we decided to make a reservation for the following night. Once we got there, we were welcomed by a really friendly waiter. The service he gave was first class and it made our experience even better. The restaurant was placed on the beach front and so when the sun set, everyone was getting out their cameras. I had the fish fingers, which was simply a posh version of the traditional. The food was cooked to perfection. My boyfriend had the lobster to start and that was one of the meals that stood out for me. Therefore, if you enjoy posh nosh and excellent service I'd go there for a meal out.

The view out of the window of the restaurant

Trams, tourists and taste buds

Llandudno was another nice seaside spot. And when at the seaside, ice cream and chips are a must (not at the same time obviously). I was very happy just scoffing those to be honest. Before this treat however, we went on the Great Orme Tramway, that takes you to the top of the Great Orme summit. Once we were at the top, the wind was immense, the rain hailed down and yet, this seemed to add to the character of the place. It's full of history as its tower has had many uses over the years, including a ww2 radar tower. There is also a small nature reserve and educational cove with lots of interactive things to look at.

That looming grey cloud didn't stay for long. This was the view on the tram from Great Orme

Llangollen Explorations

The aqueduct at Llangollen was a bit scary- if heights aren't for you, then maybe skip the walk along the top. If you aren't phased by heights or the narrow walkway next to the canal, then you'll definitely enjoy the views. However, once over the bridge, there is an interesting information centre and I'd say the experience was worthwhile. Llangollen itself was nice to walk around and we ended up having a tea break at the Cottage Tearooms. The cuisine in Wales allowed me to discover some new dishes that I hadn't had before, such as Welsh cakes and something that resembles a Cornish pastie called an oggie.

The viaduct (the train version of the aqueduct) 

You see why I felt a bit scared? Great views though

Conwy Castle, Knights and Chips

Conwy is the final place I would recommend on my North Wales tour. On the outskirts of Conwy lies Conwy Castle. It's castle walls stretch and encircle the small sea-boarded town. The castle has seen its fair share of fights, captures and seizures and so the history here is also vast. For me, I was more interested in exploring the towers, to gaze on the views of Conwy harbour and beyond. The castle offers student discount which is always a positive for me, however, I felt the pricing was a little steep for what you can see and for how long you spend there; however, it's about the experience isn't it. After this we explored the harbour which allowed us some relaxation time; to look at the boats, the sea and enjoy a mouthful of fish and chips at the same time. There is also fresh fish sold on the front in small cups, which I always enjoy. The town is host to a knight shop, the the smallest house in Great Britain and a selection of lovely cafes.

Conwy Castle

I hope you enjoyed this blog post

Comment and let me know if you've been to Wales or where you'd recommend to visit. 

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The British Tag!

I was just watching a few YouTube videos when I found this tag. I liked the sound it that much and decided that it'd make an interesting blog post. I thought the tag would be fun for me to write and it's something different, so here you go....

1. How many cups of tea a day do you have & how many sugars?
Ok, so anyone who knows me really well or someone that has been to my house will know that I am a tea ADDICT. I'm runner up to my Grandad who drinks tea like there is no tomorrow, which explains where I could have got my love for it from. I recently stopped at my Grandparents house and I lost count of how many cups I had. The bad thing about tea is that it really does stain your teeth so I have little detox weeks/days where I'll drink plain hot water, hot water and a slice of lemon or lime or a peppermint tea. All of the other options are a lot healthier for you as well but I do love a good cuppa. To answer the question simply, I have about 5 a day and no sugar, I'm sweet enough ;)

2. Favourite part of your roast?
My favourite has to be a Yorkshire pudding. I remember when I was younger, if my Mum had made too many Yorkshires, we'd have them for pudding with jam in (sort of like a bowl shaped pancake). I also really like roast potatoes but in all honesty, I love almost every part of a roast dinner.

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?
My favourite biscuit...This is a tricky one and I'm sure not all of my answers are British, but I love a Jammie Dodger, Bourbons and Shortbread

4. Favourite 'British' past time?
I sometimes enjoy walks, not all the time, but I do think of these as a nice thing to do. My parents love walking and we do regular walks around Derbyshire and at local nature reserves. It creates good memories, makes you feel better and is good exercise! I don't always enjoy these walks because my parents will walk from early morning until the evening and you will end up just wanting to lie down, but the feeling once you've sat down from one of their killers is amazing and food always seems to taste better when you've 'earn't it'. I will walk come rain or shine, just get your coat on, put on your wellies and off you go. I also like watching British drama's or soaps (especially with a cup of tea).

5. Favourite 'British' word/phrase?
Flipping 'eck

6. Cockney rhyme or slang that you know?
Recently, I was winding up my Nanna by telling my Grandad that she'd locked him out of his car when she hadn't. The phrase she came up with was a 'tea leaf' which means thief. She was really trying to call me a liar, but I understood what she meant and it made me laugh.

7. Favourite Sweets?
Haribo Tangfastics, Vimto rolls, lots of things

8. What would your pub be called?
I think I would call a pub something traditional like 'The Old Gent', or something different like 'The Lemon Tree', but it'd all depend on what my pub looked like and where it would be built.

9. No.1 British person?
Too many to say, but probably an actor or actress; we have some brilliant ones.

10. Favourite shop or restaurant?
I don't really have a favourite shop, but I enjoy going out to eat with my family. However to me, none of the restaurants are really 'British' bar some of the pubs we go to and of course, some good old fish and chips. I went to George's Fish and Chip Kitchen for my birthday and I love it there so go try it out!

11. British song that pops into your head?
Three Lions football song

12. Marmite?
I like it in small doses and marmite crisp!

Thank you for reading my blog! Sorry if the post seems quite long but I really enjoyed doing this tag and I'd love to hear any of your answers so go ahead and write in the comments section below

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Weekend in Lincoln

Hello again!

So this post is a bit different and a bit more personal. I thought I'd write almost a diary entry of what I got up to a few weeks ago when I visited my friends in Lincoln. I thought it'd be interesting to tell you what we got up to so that you can take inspiration from it if you're planning a trip out, if you're bored or if you like photography because Lincoln is beautiful, especially if the weather is nice.

So me and my boyfriend headed to Nottingham Train Station, planning to get on the 1:30 train to Lincoln. However, with my misjudgment and frantic manner, we ended up getting there over an hour early, silly really but I just wanted to be prepared....some might say a little too prepared. After this little hiccup, we got on the earlier train. If going on an early train journey, I recommend taking some breakfast food and enjoying the scenery. We had croissants but if I'd have thought more about it, I'd have made something of the outing to make it a little nicer. There are lots of little coffee shops around Nottingham as well, so a little stop off at one of these before the train would have made the trip feel a little more relaxing. If you're in a rush, you could always take a flask of tea or take your own drink. I think this is the best option because buying food or drink in the station is often a rip off!

Our first stop was to go and get some food, so we went to a good old, cheap as chips Wetherspoons, the one in Lincoln is called the Ritz. Now I am definitely a saver and I'm often called tight because of this, but I think that if you want a straight up, plain and simple but enjoyable meal, a Wetherspoon is worth a try. The drinks are good, the food is edible, so you can't complain. After feeling thoroughly fed, we headed to the shopping centre. They have a good variety of shops like Primark, H&M and New Look that are easy to get to. There are also some lovely little boutiques and cafes further up, closer to the Cathedral. The aptly named 'steep hill' is the name of the lane, that leads up to the Cathedral and the Castle and if anyone has already been there, you'll know that it is VERY steep- a good workout for you fitness fanatics.

For those who have a sweet tooth, you should visit the chocolate/fudge shop. The cheap skate in me was screaming when I saw my boyfriend (who would eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner) exit the shop with a bag of fudge, but it was only around £3.50 for the bag. Some might still say this was a lot, but we'd recently had a bad experience with fudge/nougat, in Nottingham's Market Square- a tip to others, make sure you have the confidence to say NO when stall sellers tell you that what you thought would be £2.50, then returned to be £5....Honestly, some of these market stalls are daylight robbers!

We walked to the Cathedral, which is on the right as you walk to the top and the castle walls are on the left. You have to pay to have tours of the Cathedral and can only enter up to a certain point until you have to pay, however, there are free to enter days. The last time I went in was at Christmas, when Lincoln does a brilliant Christmas Market to get you into the spirit. The Cathedral is massive and beautiful and that's really all I can say about it, since I'm no expert. But it is a good little trip and we were lucky enough to enter when there were some choirs on which just added to the atmosphere.

Our lovely friends had planned for us to go to Madame Waffle the next morning for breakfast. This was a new experience for me as 1) I'd never been to a waffle house and 2) I'd never had anything savory on a waffle. The cheapskate came out once again and I opted for scrambled egg, whilst the others had full English breakfast. I'd recommend going if you're ever passing as they serve all day.

I hope you've enjoyed my little diary entry style blog and I hope it has inspired you to go to Lincoln, have a trip out to somewhere new or to try out some new cafes!

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