Bristol - Shake Wrap and Roll

Most people that know me will know how much of a procrastinator I am and today was no different. After sleeping in, packing my bag for a weekend in London, and tidying my room it was clear no work was getting done today. So food presented the last bastion of distraction, and for all you edgy folk out on Gloucester Road, this one's a real gem.

Hard to miss, Shake Wrap and Roll colourfully occupies a central position along one of Bristol's busiest roads. What first drew me to SW&R were actually free vouchers I picked up in Freshers Week (yeh, it pays to actually look at all the free stuff that get's forced down your throat - excuse the pun!) and I've been a fairly frequent visitor since.

I imagine most Bristol-dwellers will have heard of the amazingness that is Magic Roll, however, SW&R certainly gives it a good run for its money. Essentially the same concept, what SW&R offers that differs is the much bigger range of ingredients and, in my opinion, bigger wraps, all for the same price - what's not to like! (both Magic Roll and SW&R have hoiked up their prices recently, but I think they now both cost the same). Nice range of meat options, including a personal favourite of mine - brie and bacon, and unrestricted choice of the available salad fillings and interesting sauces. All locally-sourced (so tempted to write 'sauced', but one pun's enough) and home-made ingredients and served by welcoming, knowledgable staff make this a must-visit to anyone in the area. B-e-a-utiful!

I actually took a photo this time!

A

Bristol - Cafe Poco

Cafe Poco is a great wee tapas bar that's found opposite the Canteen on Gloucester Road. The kitchen is placed much like a bar, in the middle of the room, and all down one side of the wood panelling is a huge array of fresh fruit and veg. I occasionally saw the chef wander out and deliberate over for it while, before plucking a unpeeled beetroot from the pile.

The menu had a huge variety of both hot and cold tapas, (as well as puddings), and it was all written on a massive blackboard on the back wall. Up on here they also had what sounded like foraged juices - namely Dandelion and Burdock, and Apple and Rhubarb. I alighted on the latter, which was delicious, as although the apple made it sweet the rhubarb then made it zingy, and it has spurred me to make rhubarb crumble very soon.

We ordered a lot of food... We got the traditional warm hummus with flatbreads, the manchego and membrillo, beetroot, butternut squash and chickpeas, and the pork belly.

It was all delicious. And always like with tapas, although I have suspicions that it won't fill me up, the act of picking and choosing and the slow way in which you approach your meal means that it always does. The hummus was probably my favourite part, and was fairly similar to that at Yalla Yalla, which had me holla-ing from the rooftops. (A review for which was written in January). However, the pork belly was a close contender, as it was cooked with lime and fennel and had the best crackling ever.

We then seriously indulged, getting a chilli hot chocolate each and sharing a pomegranate molasses brownie. The chilli in the hot chocolate had a proper kick and when I drained the mug my face may have shown momentary alarm as the chilli residue invaded my mouth. This was, however, only momentary, and subsided swiftly to a warming, pleasant feeling. The brownie had the pomegranate molasses inside it, and not just as a topping, which slightly baffled us with the first few bites - we couldn't work out what that errant taste was - but with creme fraiche it really worked, and made it a moist and yummy brownie with a twist.

As ever, if you order wildly it could end up a tad on the expensive side, but with dishes ranging from £2 to £4/5, it really needn't be too much. It was a really lovely meal and a perfect stop-off if you're on your way to the Canteen. Us third years, however, were far too tired and boring for any of that, and come 10.30, decided it was time to trot off to bed.

J

Bristol - The Bristolian

I heard about The Bristolian a while ago from a friend, and so we wandered down to Gloucester Road yesterday to check it out. To give you some bearings, it's over the road from Kino Cafe and the Arts Cafe, and its prettily lighted front looked old fashioned and inviting on that cold, cold evening. Inside is, as ever - as I am learning in these rambles around Bristol restaurants - incredibly welcoming and friendly.

They serve a range of food, from salad-y goodies in the glass counter and gluten free cakes and shortbreads on top, to a series of (yep, gluten free) breakfasts. The main Bristolian one has everything except the mushrooms! Perfect! The supper menu was quite small, and although it had great dishes they were quite expensive, particularly the starters/tapas as most came in at about £7.

We both alighted on the chorizo quesadillas, which came with onion, aubergine, courgette, pepper, cheese, and a homemade salsa and guacamole. These were pretty tricky to eat, (although I developed the knack), but were really delicious, and so filling.

I would definitely recommend The Bristolian, and hope to return sometime soon to try one of these mushroom-free breakfasts.

J

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Thought I would add a bit to this!
'The Bristolian', lighting up a dark alley deep in the heart of Stokes Croft, is aptly named for it exemplifies what Bristol is all about - quirkiness, independence, and amazing, locally-sourced food.

The quesedillas immediately stood out to us both on the rather limited menu, albeit containing many delicious-sounding meals. After toying with the prospect of a fondue-esque option as a starter, I decided to stick with the quesedilla (which, despite multiple attempts I still can't seem to pronounce properly) thinking it was a type of burrito/tortilla/enchilada-type meal.

I was rather caught by surprise at what turned up. As the photo shows, they are nothing like enchiladas... I wondered how such minimal food could fill me up, but what seemed like barely anything had my hearty appetite quashed. A rather messy meal ensued with Little J mastering the technique to avoid the quesedillas failing apart - me not so much and now my trousers have a nasty compromising stain on the thigh. Can't take me anywhere.

Although the place is a little cramped and I was rather nervous about leaning my head against the wall which was adorned with candles at hair-burning height, it is absolutely worth a visit. They offer a great range of alternative hot-chocolate flavours, including cinnamon, chilli, and mint, and the breakfasts look very appetising. They even have a 'Bristolian Challenge', which is a £12 massive pile of breakfast foods and has most certainly been pushed near the top of my bucketlist of things to do before leaving Bristol.

Go visit! It's also close to the Croft and The Canteen, so if you're heading to a gig and looking for some pre-mosh munch, maybe check it out.

A

Bristol - Maximillion's Deli

A few weeks ago, my friend went to this place and offered me a bite of the roll he bought. One bite and I was sold. It was incredible - certainly the best 'bite to eat' I'd had in a while. So I made it my mission to find this place.

Snuck away, just beyond the beautifully colourful Nelson Street (the 'grafitti street'), it looked like any old humble cafe from the outside. Stepping inside, you're surrounded by food everywhere. There's just so much of it.

 

Shamelessly, I'll admit to having looked up 'Bristol food challenges' a while back in lieu of an English-equivalent to Man vs. Food and this was one of the results that came up. Here's why.

Firstly the roll presented to you is about as big as a human head, and that's not even hyperbolic. You're then offered 'meat' or 'non-meat' and, as a self-respecting man, obviously I chose the former. Then this is the catch - you then get 5 'sides', as they refer to them ('toppings' to normal people). You've got the standard ones - various types of cheese, cuts of meat, chillis, assorted veg. Then it gets a bit more strange - scotch eggs, different pasta salads, numerous potato salads. Potato freaking salad ...in a roll. Carb overload. It had to be done though.

There were probably around 40, maybe 50 sides to choose from. The very kind server told me that I should "come back on a weekday and [they] have sooo much more". I'm intrigued to see what other wonderful things they can think about putting in a sandwich. You could spend years trying out all the different combinations and unlike most places, they don't cut you short on the portions either - almost as if they want to get rid of their ingredients.

So I chose an unusual combination of pork with stuffing, filled with cheese, jalapenos, some sort of chilli salad creation, salami, and a curried potato salad. Costing a measely £3.50 for a roll as a big as my head. I'd say that's a bargain and a half.

Sitting down to eat it (you would have to sit down to eat one of these bad boys), I took in what is positively best described as a 'man-wich' - the highly generous portions made it almost as tall as it was wide, even Joey Tribbiani would be contemplating sharing one of these. But there was no sharing today. For such a strange mixture of ingredients and flavours, it was incredibly tasty. I couldn't put it down. Although slightly wary that on this occasion my eyes may have been bigger than my stomach, I powered through - a significant achievement if I do say so myself.

I will definitely be returning when my stomach feels ready to take on the challenge again. I'm also shocked at how few have heard about this remarkable place. Go and try it out!

A

P.S. Once again, I've forgotten to get photos (obviously couldn't put the tasty thing down long enough to be able to), but next time I will!

London - Yalla Yalla

This is one of the best rated restaurants on the Time Out website, and having now been, I completely agree with their recommendation.

Yalla Yalla translates, (or so the waitress told me), to 'Come on, come on!'. This is a fitting name, as I am now repeatedly urging friends to 'come on!', to join me in an expedition back there, as I really long to return.

Yalla Yalla can be found down an unassuming side road in London's Soho. It seemed to appear out of the blue as we wandered through the alternating grey, and rainbow coloured district, and as we alighted upon it, the cosy scene within the windows was a warming sight. It is a simple but tastefully done place, and the staff were very friendly in helping us to navigate through the multitude of wraps on offer.

We both went for the spicy chicken wrap, and ordered some hummus to share. What could have been a simple and tasty, but forgettable meal, turned out to be one of the best that I have ever had.

On first sitting down you are given a bowl of olives and a bowl of pickles to nibble at, and then a beautiful carafe also appears, one that far surpasses any jug. Even the word 'jug' now sounds unsatisfactory, please, I want a 'carafe'.

The wraps were truly delicious. They were free from gimmick and seemed intent on presenting you with just wonderful tasting food. Meanwhile, the hummus was similarly fantastic, and appeared in a bowl in which olive oil and chickpeas were nestling in its hollowed out middle. This also came with two other dips, both of which alas I can't identify now, but which were fun to mix with the wraps and pittas in different combinations, and which without fail, worked every time.

With the student streak living strong within me I can't resist my loyalty cards. I have practically a whole purse full of them. So when I saw that Yalla Yalla, too, had loyalty cards, well, I was over the moon.

J