Breakfast at Bill's

Last Saturday we decided to go to breakfast in Sheffield. 

We went to Bill's Restaurant near the Peace Gardens, we have been a few times and they're really good.

I had a homemade peach and mint ice tea. It was very refreshing.

We got a bread basket to share which comes with some toast, croissants and pain au chocolates with home made Nutella. 

I had an Eggs Benedict. They put some seeds over it too which makes for a nice change.

It's a great place to have a bite to eat if you get the chance to pop by.

We also took some time too look around the Sheffield Food Fest which was just round the corner from the restaurant. 

How was your weekend spent?


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Celebrating at Piccolino's

As a lot of you will know, I am from South Arica. I have lived in the UK for 10 years as of April 2016. I'll not bore you with the semantics of it all but I recently sent in for British Citizenship and on Saturday 14th May 2016 I received a letter saying I had been granted Citizenship. 
So naturally my parents and I went to Piccolino to celebrate. 

We are very fond of this restaurant as it has quite a high standard of food, service and a great atmosphere.  It is a bit pricey but it's well worth it if you love Italian food and that Italian charm too!

You always get some fresh bread for the table and usually a bottle/jug of water for the table too. 
I love their olive focaccia. As with most Italian joints, the table is set with olive oil and balsamic vinager for your bread. I'm not so much a fan of olive oil but I do love to drizzle the balsamic over the bread. I could honestly eat bread and balsamic vinegar till I was blue in the face!

I opted for a glass of rosé with my meal, we normally have a bottle of Prosecco but my dad opted for a G&T this time. 

For starters I had Calamari with a garlic mayo.
It's rare that I get to eat calamari as so few places do it here in the UK, so when I get the chance, Im all over it! This was fresh and delicious!

For mains, my dad and I shared a steak board. The meal is for two people, as you can see, that's a lot of steak! This came with roasted potatoes and a sauce of choice. We chose a peppercorn sauce. It was very tasty. 

The steak we had done medium-rare and it was perfection! The right amount of char on the outside and perfectly pink on the inside!

Finally for dessert I chose the chocolate fondant cake. In all the time's I've been to Piccolino, I've never had this. I don't know why because it was glorious! 
It came with caramel ice-cream which is different but was very complimentary of the rich dark chocolate oozing from the cake.

I got a nice little surprise from my parents too whilst we were out celebrating, a Union Jack charm for my nomination bracelet now that I am a citizen. It was a very sweet touch from them. 

Where is your "go to" place to celebrate?

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An Italian Affair with Piccolino

At the weekend we decided to go for a nice meal for lunch.
We are pretty picky as a family when it comes to eating out because we have ran our own food restaurant before so we have a certain standard we expect. But we certainly don't mind paying for that standard.
So we went to Sheffield city centre, went for a nice walk through town and through the Winter Gardens and when we came out we stumbled upon Piccolino.
Its an authentic Italian joint, this is made very clear by the smells as you walk into the place, and the old style bread cutting machine, olives being handed out and the charming Italian waiters walking around humming and being jolly.

The Iconic Sheffield Silver balls just out the front of this place help top add a special touch to the look of this place.

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The place is very open and bright which is always great, the huge floor to ceiling windows catch the light of the sun so wonderfully.

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We got a bowl of fresh cut rustic bread, it was still warm from the oven, it smelt delicious, covered in herbs. There's a little bowl ready for your olive oil and balsamic vinegar, I couldn't wait to dig in and get dipping.  I love anything that gets dipped in balsamic vinegar so this ticked the boxes for me!

We ordered a table starter of Calamari which we ate so fast I didnt get time to take a decent pic.

It came with about 10 rings, which is surprising. We all chomped away whilst talking to one of the waiters about Italy and the village he grew up in.

For mains I had a chicken dish called Pollo Alla Valdostana.

It's Chicken breast with Prosciutto and Fontina Cheese, battered in breadcrumbs and friend in light butter. It was served on a bed of peppers, tomato and onions with capers and a pesto sauce.

It was sublime!

Dad had a steak and Mom had a veal cutlet.

For dessert I had a Coppa Di Ciocolata which is a Sundae really. 

Made with a mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hazelnuts and chocolate sauce with champaign infused pears and biscotti.

I love hazelnuts so this was a nice treat for me. The pears were a surprise, I didn't realise they had champaign in them but it really worked well with all the flavours.

Some more of the interior.

I am so happy to have found this place.
It cost just shy of £100.00 including a tip but its so worth it for the exceptional service and hospitality shown. AND to finally find somewhere that serves Veal.  I know it's not everyone's cuppa tea, almost everyone in this country does not agree with veal at all, but for us veal is a firm fave.

I think we will definitely return here.

Have you found any new hidden gems of the food world?

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Reds True BBQ Leeds

I previously did a post on this BBQ joint back in 2012, seen here

I have since been back to the Leeds Red's a few times, this is probably my 7th time back here in the last 2 years. (addicted maybe)

The menu has changed a bit over the past few months, it's still great quality, with a few yummy bits added on.

Here's a link to some pictures of their succulent delights.

If you don't believe me, believe the pictures!

The sauce's presentation has changed too, but the flavour was still there!

I chose a house-made Sweet Ice Tea made with real Yorkshire Tea!

SO SOUR! 

And I also had a Chocolate Milkshake later on.

Bucket of Bones ... fitting for the meat-arian I am! 

This was 3 different kind of ribs, between the 3 of us we still bought a doggy bag home from this bucket.

My mains, I had the Texas Combo which is Texas bbq Pulled Pork and Texas Brisket. 

With slaw and pickles, skin on fries, an onion ring and pit beans.

The pit beans still have to be my favourite, what's honestly better than 2 kinds of beans, pulled pork, bbq sauce and burnt ends? NOTHING!

You can read their blog here. Or follow their Twitter & Instagram, or follow the hashtag #therewillbemeat.

** I have not been paid to review this food joint, nor have I received free food from them, I just LOVE this place!**

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Caramel Milkshake Treat

As I am off for two weeks now, I have all the time in the word to read my fave blogs, and yesterday I happened upon Nancy's blog Sugar, Darling? where she had a gorgeous recipe using something I have been dying to try. It's Lotus Caramelised Biscuit spread, I got a tub of the crunchy one.  I'll be honest, up until now, I have just been spooning this right from the jar into my gob, as you do! Here's Nancy's milkshake recipe. I used: 1. A few scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream 2. Three'ish Spoonfuls of Lotus Biscuit Spread 3. Some milk

Go Go Milkshake Time!Look at my little smoothie maker go!

And here is the end product!  Mmmmm Delicious!

Honestly, this is just divine!!

You should definitely try this if you're a milkshake fiend! links:
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Birthday Weekend Happiness

So I turned 26. And this is how I celebrated it!

Friday:

It was super warm, so I decided to rock the head scarf to keep my hair off my face and neck.
Glasses are from Rach.
What I Wore:Dress (skirt as dress) - Primark
Belt - Clothing Swap
Denim Gilet - New Look
Trainers - Primark (VERY OLD)
Headscarf - Clothing Swap

(waiting for the train)

On my nails are two varnishes I got from the clothing swap too.

  

 (nearly in Sheffield)

 I got myself a delicious fresh Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher.

So the afternoon was spent monging with Rach and watching trashy tv.
She gave me 2 necklaces which are awesome! And we made lipstick.

(on the way to Rebs')

Then we made our way to Rebs' place after stocking up on some alcohol and getting friggin ID'd in Morrisons, bitch didnt even wish me happy birthday!

We pretty much started the drinking as soon as we got there, Leah and her man piece arrived shortly after.
Him and Rebs' man piece soon left and went to a gig in town and almost as soon as they had left, we started getting naked! ha.

 Leah licking the flesh lamp, its a tradition when you come to Rebs'! PROMISE!

 Rach and I being babes whilst waiting for chinese.

I don't think Dodworth was ready for the four of us... as demonstrated by Rach!

We got some chinese and more alcohol and when we got back, it all went terribly terribly AWESOMELY drunk!

The drinking games began!

 

All in all the night was full of laughs, discussing our fave Rad Fat babes, complaining about certain other not so rad fats, more laughs, hugs and boob touching.
Pretty much an average party at Rebs'!

Saturday:

(On the way to the gardens)
The next morning I went back with Rach and her man piece, we got well deserved MacD's, then made our way to the Sheffield Botanical Gardens where we later met Leah and her man piece, Rebs, Bettie and Jen.

 

Badges from Bettie and Leah (funkimunki badges)

 Thanks Rach for taking this babely pic at the gardens.

Then I went for a coffee whilst I waited for my parents to pick me up.

 We went to a South American Steakhouse in Broomhill called La Vaca.

 Sunday:

 I went out in town with a man friend, I took him to The Rutland for lunch, which was gorgeous!

 And we went to the Winter Gardens and Millenium Galleries.

 Then went to Leeds where more debauchery and muffins was had.

 Just showing my babelyness for you all!

Monday:

  Home time.

 It was such an incredible 4 days off celebrating my birthday!

Thanks everyone for helping me celebrate 26 years alive without contracting any diseases and dying.
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