At Steel City Kitchen they love blogging, eating and talking about food, especially Sheffield food. I thought they’d be the ideal folk to write a guest post with a couple of hot n spicy tips for the eatSheffield Restaurant Awards 2010, which are coming up in October to recognise Sheffielder’s favourite places to eat. Over to you Steel City Kitchen:
The reputation of Sheffield’s dining scene is still unfairly maligned despite a growth in quality venues across the city. As the votes are piling in for eatSheffield’s Restaurant Awards 2010, you’ve still got time to give your support to your favourites and celebrate many of the exciting eateries we have in the city. Here are two which have got my vote this year:
Favourite British/Modern European: El Toro, Newbould Lane. This place – only a short distance out of the city centre in Broomhill – deserves to be a lot busier than it sometimes is, and I’ve recently had some of the best-tasting, most authentic tapas I’ve eaten outside Spain here. On my last visit, I loved the chorizo and lentil stew and the fried aubergine but as the menu changes daily, there’s always something new to try – though it means you may not see your favourites for a while. El Toro’s food is a mix of home made foods such as their daily baked bread, and authentic Spanish ingredients which come from suppliers such as the famous Brindisa in London. There ain’t many places round these parts that you can get a bit of decent Iberico ham and whilst you may find prices at El Toro a bit higher than some tapas restaurants, I think their prices are reflected in the authenticity and quality of the food.
Favourite café/deli: The Greedy Greek Deli, Sharrowvale Road. It’s not particularly glamorous, or smart, or stylish, but what they do well is delicious Greek food and for me it hits the spot every time. I’m talking about pork gyros wraps, with salad, tzatziki and feta cheese tumbling out and all down your chin – it’s unavoidably messy but worth it. Their deli counter offers a wide selection of olives, butter beans in tomato sauce, chillies stuffed with feta and their own lemon potatoes, which are my favourites. You can buy home cooked meals ready to buy at home from their chilled cabinet, including classics like moussaka, spanakotyropita (feta and spinach pie) and sweet treats too – try their baclava or kataifi. If you’re feeling lazy, they deliver takeaways from their extensive menu to give you a taste of the fantastically messy delights at home too.
Vote for your favourite Sheffield eatery
I spent some quality time with my memory and my laptop to pick my choices, musing back over the finest – and not so fine – meals I’ve had over the last year. But this isn’t a time to dwell on the not so fine, it’s a time to shout about how Sheffield restaurants are hitting the mark. Don’t let your favourites go unnoticed – take your chance to vote for them at eatSheffield Vote Now. Voting closes at midnight on Monday 4th October.
I am ready to eat because i can not control my taste.