The Willoughton Wanderer

"Eating my way through life one bite at a time!"

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Eating my way through life one bite at a time! My Willoughton Wanderer blog tells the story of my various visits to eateries, pubs and restaurants, both good and bad, on my travels together with the occasional recipe thrown in for good measure.

  • The Mansion House Restaurant, Louth, Lincolnshire

    The Mansion House restaurant is located in a splendid looking Georgian building which fronts onto the pavement of Upgate. Once through the black double doors we climbed a small flight of steps and entered the restaurant. We were faced with a central table located immediately through the doors on which stood a delightful floral display.

    We had been invited for Sunday lunch by a couple of dear friends and on arrival we were greeted by the proprietor Andrew with a smile and he led us directly to our table for four next to the blazing fire.

    The room itself is a delight: very roomy, light and airy due to the spectacular glazed roof. In various niches around the restaurant marble busts stand, each wearing a quirky top hat!

    Our friends ordered a bottle of Merlot as we perused the menu of starters and mains. The menu has just the right number of dishes on it, enough to give you a good choice but not too much to over-tax the kitchen.

    I chose the Lincolnshire Poacher and wholegrain mustard twice-baked souffle as did Mrs Wanderer and one other. Our other companion went for the Crispy Duck Gyoza Dumplings with an oriental broth, pea shoots and roasted cashew nuts. For the mains I went for the pan-fried seabass with a chorizo sauce whilst the others variously chose the roast topside of beef and roast loin of pork.

    The room was well occupied but the service was attentive and the starters arrived quite quickly. One thing I would say is that everything was hot and the portions substantial. No skimping here.

    The souffle was beautifully cooked and the poacher cheese came through well. Our companion enjoyed his dumplings having admitted he’d never tried them before. The broth was rich and tasty as was the sauce surrounding the souffle’s.

    Our mains followed in short order and I was impressed with the presentation of my seabass (photo above). This turned out to be the ‘lighter’ choice for the main, which I was happy with. The roast beef and pork dishes arrived and again there was no skimping with regard to the quantity or quality of meat. The roast topside had been beautifully cooked to the requested ‘medium’ and all the dishes were served with shared sides of freshly cooked vegetables and roast potatoes. I avoided those, preferring the lighter option after the souffle of simply vegetables but they looked to be very well cooked.

    We were pleasantly full after our mains and all four of us declined the dessert choices although they looked wonderful.

    All-in-all a lovely visit and one to be repeated quite regularly I think. Thank you Andrew and the team.

  • No Carb Mushroom and Pea Penne

    This lovely no carb pasta dish serves two and is a joy for a light lunch. Wholly veggie and wholly healthy!

    Ingredients:

    4 medium sized chestnut mushrooms

    Petit pois peas

    1 small shallot finely chopped

    1 large garlic clove finely chopped

    2 tablespoons tomato puree

    160g ZENB penne pea pasta

    200ml warm water

    1 tablespoon olive oil

    1 teaspoon of dried chilli flakes for a polite hit of heat (omit if necessary)

    Parmesan cheese

    Salt to season

    Method:

    In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and add the chopped shallot. Gently sweat down on a medium heat for a few minutes then add the garlic. After a few more minutes add the mushrooms and fry gently for a further five.

    Dissolve the tomato puree in the warm water and then add it to the pan. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes with a few twists of salt and stir gently. After a further five minutes add the peas and gently simmer.

    Meanwhile bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the ZENB pea penne. Cook for the time required on the packet. Before draining add a ladle full of the pasta water to the saute pan and stir in to add a silky texture.

    Drain the pasta and dish up into serving bowls adding the mushroom and pea sauce. Purists say to add the sauce to the pasta pan and stir in but I like the look of the sauce on top of the pasta. Grate a generous amount of the parmesan over the dish and eat – enjoy!

  • The Masons Arms, Louth, Lincolnshire

    We had booked the Masons Arms in Louth for a birthday treat for our close family. We arrived shortly before the booking time and were immediately shown to our table.

    The chairs are of a very low back design and not suitable for hanging coats on so the four of us resorted to putting the coats on the floor in the corner. Not ideal.

    I ordered the Lincolnshire bangers and mash with an onion gravy and parsnip crisps. Mrs Wanderer had, on a previous visit, the buttermilk chicken and said she was going to try something different but the draw of the chicken was again too strong! Testament to the chef’s abilities. Our companions chose the same.

    The dining room was reasonably full and we waited half-an-hour for our meals to arrive. Not unreasonable for freshly cooked food.

    When my sausages arrived the overwhelming impression was that there was too much gravy. Note to the chef: the mash doesn’t need to be swimming in the amount that was served up. I would have preferred the gravy to be dished up in a jug or some-such to enable me to control the quantity and pour it over the mash rather than surrounding it. A small point though and I have to say the meal was delicious and the sausages beautifully cooked.

    My wife’s chicken was as good as on the last occasion and the point I had previously made about the chips overflowing from the plate due to the large portion sizing wasn’t repeated. Good move.

    All in all an excellent lunch and one to be repeated. I give this restaurant 4 stars on this occasion, dropping one star from my scoring simply for the quantity of gravy on my dish.

    https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g315979-d1998903-r883484297-The_Masons_Arms-Louth_Lincolnshire_England.html#

  • Caldero Lounge, Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough

    We popped into Caldero Lounge in Marshall’s Yard, Gainsborough for a quick coffee on Monday morning.

    We were greeted by a “Please Wait to be Seated” sign which appears to be completely redundant as when the young chap came over from the bar we were told we could sit wherever we wanted and then to order at the bar. Maybe do away with the sign so that staff aren’t pulled away from what they’re doing to ‘seat’ customers.

    I went to the bar and stood there for five minutes (no joke) before I was served. The barista was busy making coffees and the young man that had greeted us was clearing away plates into the kitchen rather than serve me. I finally ordered and the coffees, two Americanos, were actually quite quick in coming.

    Service picked up slightly when another young man emerged from a back office, although at one point he was seen to sit at one of the stool tables and play with his phone. Perhaps he was new and not sure of what to do (he looked a little like a rabbit in headlights) but maybe he should busy himself with other work-like things. He then went off to serve at the till and dish up food from the kitchen.

    The place was less than half-full so I wouldn’t want to go there when their busy.

  • Monkfish & Prawn Tagliatelle

    Ingredients: Serves 2. Cooking time 20 minutes.

    1 monkfish tail chopped into chunks

    6 cooked large prawns

    1 onion finely chopped

    1 garlic clove finally chopped

    1 tablespoon of olive oil

    3 chilli’s finely chopped

    4 chopped tomatoes

    10 chopped asparagus stalks

    4 Tagliatelle

    Glug of white wine

    Salt to taste

    Recipe

    Heat a large saute pan and add the olive oil. Sweat down the onions, garlic and chilli for 10 minutes on a gentle heat. Do not brown.

    Add the white wine, tomatoes and asparagus stalks reserving the heads to add in towards the end. Season to taste and then cook down for a while until the tomatoes are cooked and the sauce has reduced by about half.

    Add the monkfish chunks, prawns and asparagus heads to the pan of sauce and cook until the monkfish is tender.

    Meanwhile bring a pan of salted water to the boil and then add the tagliatelle. Cook for as long as the packet suggests.

    When everything is cooked add a ladleful of the pasta water to the sauce to silken it. Drain the pasta.

    Dish the pasta up into suitably warmed bowls and top with the monkfish and prawn sauce.

    Enjoy!

  • ✨ Snow, Samphire & Starry Suppers at Morston Hall ✨

    Date of visit: 9th and 10th March 2023

    Having picked up a copy of chef Galton Blackiston’s book Hook Line Sinker last year, Mrs Wanderer and I thought it only right to pay homage in person with a stay at his Michelin-starred Morston Hall on the Norfolk coast.

    We rolled up to the 17th-century hall on a snowy Thursday afternoon, just after check-in. A warm smile on the doorstep soon thawed us out and before long we were shown to our suite – Samphire – tucked away in the pavilion, a short stroll from the main house.

    The suite itself is split-level, the bed perched up top with a couple of steps down to the sitting area. Two very comfortable armchairs faced the TV and French doors, which opened out onto a private terrace. Sadly, March’s grim weather meant no al fresco lounging this time, though a summer return may well be in order.

    Dinner was announced for “6.15 for 7” – which at first sounded rather a stretch, but all made sense when we were ushered into the lounge for pre-dinner drinks and canapés. To our surprise and delight, none other than Galton himself appeared with our nibbles: Venison Tartare, Tempura Halibut, and his famous Wells Alpine Cookie. Each came with his own careful explanation before he vanished back to the kitchen to tend to the next round of guests. A lovely touch.

    At seven sharp we were led into the restaurant – a bright conservatory space bolted onto the old hall – where the evening’s tasting menu awaited:

    • Jerusalem Artichoke Velouté, Binham Blue, Lovage
    • Chicken Liver Parfait, Cherry Gel, Parsley, Sourdough
    • Hand Dived Orkney Scallop, Caramelised Cashew, XO Sauce
    • White Asparagus, Wild Garlic, Winter Truffle, Morels
    • Norwegian Skrei Cod, Crab, Baby Leek, Citrus Gel
    • Middle White Suckling Pig, Celeriac, Burnt Apple Purée, Sauce Robert
    • Lemon Posset, Blackberry Sorbet, Almond Crumble
    • Chocolate Delice, Malt Ice Cream, Caramel

    There was the option of a cheeseboard supplement (£17.50) and a wine flight (£90 per head), though we contented ourselves with a couple of bottles of New Zealand Eradus Pinot Noir.

    The food? Superb. Exactly as one hopes from a Michelin-starred kitchen: inventive, balanced, and deeply satisfying. The whole experience is a leisurely affair – around three hours from start to finish – but the pauses between plates gave us time to sip, chat, and anticipate what was to come.

    By 10.30 we were happily replete and strolled back across to our suite for a well-earned sleep.

    Breakfast the next morning was just as impressive. After another cheery hello from Galton, we settled into the restaurant to browse the menu: the usual array of grapefruit, porridge, kippers, and smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, alongside the inevitable Full English. We both opted for the fry-up with poached eggs, which arrived piping hot, perfectly cooked, and refreshingly free of unnecessary herb sprinkles (we’ve suffered the “Michelin thyme treatment” elsewhere).

    All too soon it was time to settle the bill – £590 in all for dinner with champagne and wine, bed, and breakfast. Certainly not a budget getaway, but for the cost of a week frying on a sun-lounger in Benidorm, I know which experience I’d rather have.

    Would we go back? Without hesitation.

  • Etto, Lakeside Outlet Village, Doncaster

    Date of Visit: March 2023

    Etto is an independent brasserie located in Lakeside Outlet Village, Doncaster. They describe themselves on the Lakeside Village website as having “an elegantly minimalist Scandi style…with an understated design featuring an airy space, filled with light.” They’re not wrong.

    We have been going to Etto for some time now and always thoroughly enjoy what they have to offer, and this time was no exception.

    It was a Friday lunchtime in March and as always the place was rammed, which is always a good sign, but we managed to find a table for the two of us. I ordered at the counter and the teas, good old Yorkshire Tea (none of your catering quality) was delivered to our table quickly. The brunches and lunches on offer vary from a glorious Yorkshire Rarebit to an open smashed avocado sandwich. There is a nice array of dishes on offer and they have the balance just right, not too many choices to stress the kitchen.

    I ordered the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs with avocado on sourdough bread and my wife chose the spicy chicken wrap. Despite the number of people in the restaurant the food arrived quickly and was piping hot (again the kitchen can cope). I really can’t fault this eatery and the food lived up to both our expectations.

    The scrambled eggs were light and creamy with a sprinkling of cracked black pepper on top and the smoked salmon and avocado were placed to one side of each other on the eggs. Mrs Wanderer was delighted with her chicken wrap and said that, unlike offerings from other outlets, it was light and tasty and had a good amount of heat.

    As I say I can’t fault Etto and it is the place to eat at if you ever find yourself at the outlet village. I thoroughly recommend it!

    Score: 5 Stars.

  • The Willow Tree Restaurant – Kirton Lindsey, Lincolnshire

    Now known as Jack’s Patch Garden Centre this review relates to The Willow Tree restaurant within the store in Kirton Lindsey.

    We had previously stopped for coffee at The Willow Tree restaurant a couple of weeks before and decided that we would try their lunch menu on Friday as it seemed quite interesting and very comprehensive.

    We arrived at 12.15 and were quickly shown to our table (we then quietly swapped tables as the wicker bucket chairs were too low for me – I preferred a proper chair). Our order was taken and my wife opted for the chicken club sandwich. I went for the open steak sandwich, both with chips.

    We then sat patiently waiting. The restaurant was only half full and there were plenty of empty tables. Even so it took over 50 minutes for our meals to arrive, a ploy I suspect to encourage you to order more tea which was cold by the time the meal was served. The portion sizes were very generous which I can’t fault but my wife said that although the bacon in her club was lovely the chicken was a little dry. One portion of chips would have done for both of us so I’m afraid a fair few were wasted.

    Clearly the kitchen can’t cope with preparing the array of meals on the menu. Perhaps simplifying it would be a better bet. During our waiting time the couple at the next table were overheard to say that if their meals didn’t arrive soon, they would leave. The lady asked a member of the waiting staff if there was a problem and was told there was a back-up in the kitchen. Another table also asked where their meals were having waited just as long as us.

    My pet hate in any restaurant is seeing someone who ordered after you receive their meal first. This happened in reverse for us and we were served before the couple that entered before us (theirs arrived about 5 minutes later). It was also before another couple who were clearly already waiting when we arrived.

    Remember I said that the restaurant was half full? Well it seems to be policy to tell new arrivals that there is a long wait for food and that they should come back in 20 minutes. This happened at least 3 times by my reckoning even though there were plenty of tables free. Even so I’m not sure I would wait if I knew it was to be 50 minutes. It was clear that the kitchen couldn’t cope with a half-full room, so I would be interested to see what happened if every table was occupied.

    I’m hoping that we pitched up on a ‘bad day’ and that maybe some kitchen staff were off sick and that normal service is better. I can live in hope but it wasn’t the greatest experience.

    We are debating whether to try again another time if only for the Moules Mariniere!