Anthony's Restaurant - Feb 2010

Where: Anthony's Restaurant - Leeds
With whom: Me and Northern Mum (Vole absent without leave)
How much?: 3 course set lunch was a reasonable £24 but wine and coffees took it to nearer £35 per head


Not known as a gourmet city, Leeds. Its one contribution to my culinary upbringing had been the potato scallops I'd craved as a young boy (a layer of flaked white fish sandwiched between two layers of potatoes, battered and fried.. the stuff of schoolboy legend) and so I'd followed the progress of local chef Anthony Flinn with interest. I'd been wanting to eat at Anthony's Restaurant in Boar Lane for years, having had a most interesting culinary experience at his brasserie above Flannels, a high end and amusingly snooty designer boutique round the corner. 


The city feels on the slide currently. Shockingly so, with entire streets turned over to pound style shops, half the Headrow closed and fewer people than I'd seen for some time (even taking into account the fact it was early February and that particular Yorkshire cold that I really appreciate). It also probably explains why, when the two of us walked into Anthony's at 12.30 on a Saturday, we doubled their number of paying customers. 


"Always best to book sir, we do get busy" I'd been told by the optimistic man on the phone, the expansive (and expensive) beige basement felt slightly chilled and echoing as we were oddly seated right next to the other guests. I shrugged an apology at them, feeling a little like a wierdo on the bus...


Following a slightly unnecessary "trio of butters" to go with our Hix style mini loaf of bread, an amuse of  duck, scallop and walnut ravioli in a duck consomme arrived. They'd gone to the effort of checking allergies and then totally ignored Northern Mum when she told them poultry was a no no. She refused to make a fuss (don't you love the Northern mother mentality) and so I hoovered up two little parcels. Great flavour in the consomme, though the ravioli didn't really give much. Another pair of diners arrived, and were seated next to us. We must have looked cold...


We moved on, and after a wait, I had an oddly paired beef carpaccio with a smoked feta mousse. Flavoursome, though the mousse edged out the more subtle beef and was a little more 'solid' than a mousse ought to be. Northern Mum's Smoked Mackerel Salad did exactly what it said on the menu, but was very attractively displayed (as were all of the dishes, in true Michelin fashion, with different styles, shapes and sized plates and bowls for each specific dish) .


We both plumped for the roast lamb rump from the succinct and slightly disappointing lunch menu (only three dishes offered for starter and main and a choice of two desserts). A rather pedestrian choice but the menu gave no real sight of Chef Flinn's past experience at El Bulli. I wasn't expecting a Heston experience, but could have gone for something more than the choice of Poached Baby Chicken or Steamed Plaice. Both, as the lamb, no doubt superbly executed, but nothing that stood out as the hallmark of  an adventurous kitchen.  By the time the lamb arrived (with another glass of an excellent Pitchfork Shiraz) the diners were up to double figures, and there was now a definite buzz in (one half) of the room.


The lamb was great. Perfectly cooked, with a lovely gravy, green olive mash (exactly as you'd expect) and a roast shallot. Certainly not one to complain about, but I'd been building this up for maybe too long in my head and was certainly expecting more from Anthony's. His fault or mine? Probably a little of both to be honest. 


The dessert went someway to making up for it though. An absolutely cracking dish of pineapple served as raw moorish slivers and also as a perfectly roasted, slightly charred but sweet hunk. This came with a coconut ice-cream and a comely tarragon sauce that set the two off perfectly and made the perfect finishing touch to the meal.


Coffee and a selection of chocs from a local artisan store to finish. Enjoyable - yes, undoubtably... the company was wonderful and the food was perfectly done, but it wasn't the Anthony's Restaurant of my excited dreams... I'd go back, but I certainly won't be making it a pilgrimage.