Eating Out: Miller and Carter, Newcastle

The good people at Miller and Carter kindly invited us along to their newly opened Newcastle branch to check out their menu. We were unable to make it to the opening night so we were very excited to see this drop into our inbox.

Miller and Carter which are known for their steaks offer premium-grade British beef which has been carefully reared on sustainable farms. They claim that all their beef can be traced back to the field where it came from which is pretty impressive, if only I had the guts to ask which field my dinner came from! That being said Miller and Carter don't just offer steaks and have a vast menu that includes a carefully curated selection of starters, burgers, fish, chicken and vegetarian options. Steaks can be upgraded which various options that include lobster mac and cheese and lobster tails. They also offer their version of a 'surf and turf' which in this situation doesn't apply to the dish itself but it is actually an add on of lobster thermidor and king prawns so that anyone is able to turn their choice of steak into a surf and turf if they desired.

Claire and I decided to share a couple of starters and decided on the pork belly and the black pearl scallops. No complaints here and both dishes were incredibly well presented and as equally delicious.

Pork Belly

Black Pearl Scallops

For our steaks we both chose a a T-bone steak which was a cut we had never had before. The menu promised this to be one of the more flavourful steaks due the meat being cooked on the bone. Claire chose to have hers with chumichurri while I opted for the classic bearnaise sauce. All steaks come served with parsley butter, seasoned fries, a slice of their classic onion loaf, a balsamic glazed tomato and a choice of one of their iceberg wedges.

The onion loaf was great. I can only describe as a slice of onion bhaji without the spices? I hadn't had anything like it before. I think if you visit Miller and Carter and you don't get a steak to order it as a side to have a taste, you won't regret it!

We couldn't just have our steaks the way they came and upgraded our steaks.  I chose a lobster tail and Claire went for the surf and turf. Both were great. The lobster tail wasn't huge but I wasn't expecting it to be for the price and it was a lovely accompaniment to my meal.

"Surf and Turf"

Lobster Tail

The meal was absolutely brilliant and I would definitely go again. I have and will continue to recommend Miller and Carter friends and family. It was actually only last week where I overheard a colleague trying to decide where to go in town for steak to which I demanded she went to Miller and Carter and I am pleased to say she did go and throughly enjoyed her meal.

So, what do you think?! I'm dying to go again.

Bryden

Eating out: Browns, Newcastle.

Claire and I were kindly invited to sample some of the food on offer at Browns Newcastle. Both of us hadn't been before so we jumped at the chance to take a look.

Arriving at the restaurant it was clear that Browns is very popular and there were lots of different groups of people there - Ladies nights out, couples and families. The menu offers a great choice of dishes including set menus for large parties, a lunch time fixed price menu, breakfast and sunday options.

We started our meal off with a glass of fizz and decided on our starters. Claire and I usually get a couple we both want to try and share them so this time we went for the boxed baked camembert and for the pate.

We both found the sourdough soldiers which accompanied the camembert to be a little dry but the addition of the gooey cheese made it seem not so much of a big deal and it certainly didn't spoil our enjoyment. The pate was a small but satisfying portion and which didn't overwhelm you before your meal. The pate itself was very rich and packed a punch. Brilliant!

In true Trebles and a Mixer style Claire decided to go for the wild boar and chorizo burger for her main and I chose the fillet of beef which came with a truffled mash (it looks like this has now been taken off the menu and has been replaced with a their version of fillet steak and chips which sounds delightful). The fillet itself was very tender, as expected, and cooked to perfection, the words melt in the mouth spring to mind. I would order their fillet steak again for sure. The fillet was one of the more pricier options that Browns offer but it didn't disappoint and I would be prepared to shell out the extra pounds to order this.  Claire's wild boar and chorizo burger was stacked high with manchego cheese, onion rings and pico de gallo salsa served with the obligatory fries and coleslaw. I had a big bit of it myself and the burger was flavourful and was not as spicy as I would have expected from the description. We also ordered a side cabbage and bacon that also looks like it has been taken off the menu which is a shame because it was absolutely wonderful.

For dessert we went for the Browns Eton Mess and Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake.  It appears that Brown's must offer a seasonal Eton Mess as the version on the menu at the moment is a different version to what we ate.  At the moment they're offering a cherry, almond, lemon curd and dark chocolate version that sounds delicious.

All in all, we would definitely go back and try lunch time menu. I think Browns would be perfect for one of those 'meet the parents' type of situation. There's something for everyone on the menu!

Have you been to Browns before? What do you think?

Bryden