Another good place opens in Chezzy

[DerbyTup 10]

If you live southside of the city you might consider a trip into Chesterfield as an alternative for a night out?

 

A couple of years ago I don't think I could honestly have recommended to anyone but in recent times there have been a few decent places opening up.

 

Calabria Italian restaurant, on Glumangate in the town centre, is only a small place but serves superb regional Italian cuisine. A bit different to your average Italian restaurant. A lot of the food is sourced in the Italian region of Calabria and flown in, same with the wines. The result is really authentic Italian food and well worth a visit.

 

Another new place which opened only in the past few weeks is Coco's. This is a very nice trendy bar, situated a short distance from the railway station, on Corporation street (opposite the Pomegranate theatre). It has some comfy informal seating areas around the bar and a number of tables for dining. The food looks great - scallops and black pudding, barbecued ribs, tapas, fish, steaks, all sorts of things really. They have an open serving area to the kitchen where you can see them preparing the food. They also have real ales on draft and a big range of imported beers. We only popped in for a drink the other week but wished we'd have booked in for a meal. They were fully booked so it looks like it's going to be a popular one.

 

There's also a nice big Nonna's restaurant on Chatsworth road just out of town. Although we have one here in Sheff already so...

 

If you're out that way, worth a visit for sure.

[CharLou 10]

A lot of the food is sourced in the Italian region of Calabria and flown in, same with the wines.

 

Travel from Sheffield to Chesterfield and eat food flown in from Calabria... who cares about your carbon foot print, or the fact that many local businesses can produce delicious ingredients right here in Yorkshire, when the taste is authentic.

[DerbyTup 10]

Travel from Sheffield to Chesterfield and eat food flown in from Calabria... who cares about your carbon foot print, or the fact that many local businesses can produce delicious ingredients right here in Yorkshire, when the taste is authentic.

 

Oh it's my friend CharLou again, popped up to have another pop.

 

Excellent news about local businesses producing delicious ingredients here in Yorkshire. Give us some recommendations then, I'd love to try them. (I do eat locally as well y'know!).

 

It's a short trip to Chezzie for some of us and I've really never worried about my carbon footprint as I've made that journey. Neither does it bother me that this small family run restaurant flies some of the ingredients in directly from Calbria in Italy. I think that's fine - I understand a lot of their produce is sourced locally as well - but it's the stuff that is local to that region that you can't get anywhere else that I'm referring to. I think that's really nice because it gives people a chance to try something different and I don't see anything wrong with it. I drink Calbrian red wine when I go there - that's been flown in too - but it hasn't come as far as the Australilan wine that you've got in your fridge! (I've been peeping).

 

You must live the life of a saint CharLou if you too aren't guilty of consuming food from outside of the local area. The supermarkets are full of stuff flown in from all corners of the world just so people can eat foods out of season (and so the supermarkets can make huge profits as well).

 

I take it you'll not be joining me for a candlelit dinner there then?

[Stoatwobbler 10]

As my other half is an ex-employee of Nonna's, we won't be eating there in a hurry.

 

The one places I have been for a meal in Chesterfield is Dynasty, which is a very good Chinese and which I can quite happily reccomend.

 

As to bars, I'm afraid I just can't get past the Beer Parlour on that front. I know it's an off-licence but it's a better place for a pint then a good many pubs! And then afterwards to the Derby Tup for some Harvest Pale.

[DerbyTup 10]

As my other half is an ex-employee of Nonna's, we won't be eating there in a hurry.

 

The one places I have been for a meal in Chesterfield is Dynasty, which is a very good Chinese and which I can quite happily reccomend.

 

As to bars, I'm afraid I just can't get past the Beer Parlour on that front. I know it's an off-licence but it's a better place for a pint then a good many pubs! And then afterwards to the Derby Tup for some Harvest Pale.

 

Interested to hear that Dynasty is still going strong. Haven't been in years but it used to be good.

 

I know the Beer Parlour on Whit Moor - a most peculiar place with an amazing selection of beers and a few on hand pump as well. Most unusual for a small beer off.

 

The Derby Tup used to be one of my favourite pubs at one time - when it first opened. (That's not why I have that as my board name though - but some will know that the Derby Tup is a traditional folk custom (or was) which was performed only in a few North East Derbyshire villages - one of which is where I am from). But the Derby Tup pub went downhill many years ago as far as I'm concerned. And the beer you mention, "harvest pale" isn't one of my faves. In fact, I'm not very impressed by much of those Castle Rock beers - but each to their own of course. I think you'll get a better pint in the Chesterfield Arms or Rutland personally. Or Coco's even! I was impressed with their brews the other day.

[Stoatwobbler 10]

Interested to hear that Dynasty is still going strong. Haven't been in years but it used to be good.

 

I know the Beer Parlour on Whit Moor - a most peculiar place with an amazing selection of beers and a few on hand pump as well. Most unusual for a small beer off.

 

The Derby Tup used to be one of my favourite pubs at one time - when it first opened. (That's not why I have that as my board name though - but some will know that the Derby Tup is a traditional folk custom (or was) which was performed only in a few North East Derbyshire villages - one of which is where I am from). But the Derby Tup pub went downhill many years ago as far as I'm concerned. And the beer you mention, "harvest pale" isn't one of my faves. In fact, I'm not very impressed by much of those Castle Rock beers - but each to their own of course. I think you'll get a better pint in the Chesterfield Arms or Rutland personally. Or Coco's even! I was impressed with their brews the other day.

 

All I will say about Harvest Pale is that for a light summer beer it pretty much hits the nail on the head.

 

As to the Derby Tup, I don't think there is any denying that it lacks atmosphere outside of matchdays, but it has it's uses after a bit of time spent in The Beer Parlour.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Stoatwobbler
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[bslbabe 10]

Yes Derby Tup, I agree Calbria is really fab, far superior to Italians in Sheffield (not including Milano's), there is a fairly large contingency of Italians living in the area of this restaurant and it usually has locals eating in there, always a good sign. I too have chosen to ignore daft posts, from daft people, who probably only learnt about carbon footprints in the last week. (A word of warning though about this restaurant....the word is obviously out, you definately need to book in advance).

[Prestige1000 10]

So derby tup recommends a restaurant and charlou goes on about carbon footprint not sure what the point of that was! really maybe you upset charlou in the past!

[happyaslarry 13]

One place in Chesterfield certainly worth a visit is the Old Post, upmarket modern British. Not cheap as you might expect but well worth exploring. Excellent meat and clever ways with mushrooms. Start with the Sunday lunch. Run by a Scottish couple. And as for beer, they do a decent range of local bottled beers.

[Stoatwobbler 10]

Went in Raw Brewery's new place, The White Swan on Saturday. I can't reccomend it highly enough. Being new it still lacks a bit of atmosphere right now but the range of beers is spot on and the bottled exotica is very reasonably priced compared to places like the Sheffield Tap.

[DerbyTup 10]

Went in Raw Brewery's new place, The White Swan on Saturday. I can't reccomend it highly enough. Being new it still lacks a bit of atmosphere right now but the range of beers is spot on and the bottled exotica is very reasonably priced compared to places like the Sheffield Tap.

 

I went in there on Saturday as well Stoatwobbler. I decided to give it the ultimate test - so I took the wife.

 

The good news is, you can get a decent glass of wine in there - my dear wife approved - which means I can take her in there again sometime. (i don't think the wine was anything special tbh - but it was drinkable - which is more than you can say for some real ale pubs).

 

Now - my view on the White Swan is as follows:

 

First - they've done a great job on renovating the place. I love the way they've retained all the traditional old features and created a nice relaxing atmosphere in the main bar. The use of sofas and tables gives a really comforting feel and the huge expanse of windows means it is light and airy.

There's a small decking area outside which is congested with rather cheaptack tables and chairs. I managed to get a splinter in my finger off one of them and the place had only been open a few days - so I don't think that furniture is going to look so good in a few months time.

 

But - never mind the decor - what about the beer?

 

I have to say I was slightly disappointed overall. I was pleased to see such a wide range of beers and many that are not commonly perched on the bar of most pubs. But on closer examination the majority of the beers (maybe 10 or so out of the 12 handpulls) were pretty light in terms of strength. Most ranging from 3.5% -4.2%. They had a Doctor Morton's at 5%, which was a tasty tawny old ale but the only other one over 4.5% was a dark Porter.

 

There was a lack of big blond hoppy beers, (or big blond ladies for that matter). I thouight that was a bit unusual because they are so popular nowadays and the Raw brewery do a good one called Grey Ghost.

 

If they get a few stronger beers on, as a regular thing, I'd be making fairly regular visits. But if they do as the 3 Tuns in Dronfield do - and major on the lightweight quaffing stuff I think I'll not be going in there so often.

 

It's a nice alternative though when in Chezzie.

[Stoatwobbler 10]

But - never mind the decor - what about the beer?

 

I have to say I was slightly disappointed overall. I was pleased to see such a wide range of beers and many that are not commonly perched on the bar of most pubs. But on closer examination the majority of the beers (maybe 10 or so out of the 12 handpulls) were pretty light in terms of strength. Most ranging from 3.5% -4.2%. They had a Doctor Morton's at 5%, which was a tasty tawny old ale but the only other one over 4.5% was a dark Porter.

 

There was a lack of big blond hoppy beers, (or big blond ladies for that matter). I thouight that was a bit unusual because they are so popular nowadays and the Raw brewery do a good one called Grey Ghost.

 

If they get a few stronger beers on, as a regular thing, I'd be making fairly regular visits. But if they do as the 3 Tuns in Dronfield do - and major on the lightweight quaffing stuff I think I'll not be going in there so often.

 

It's a nice alternative though when in Chezzie.

 

I take it that wasn't you with the huge black dog on Saturday afternoon then!

 

If strength is your thing they had Dark Star Revelation on keg and the bottled exotica is reasonably priced and well worth examining (especially the excellent range of De Molen bottles). I think the strong stuff will appear on cask in time. I had Wellbeck Abbey King Tom on Saturday. That actually wasn't too bad at all for hop-lovers. When I popped in last night they had Hop Back Entire stout, which is my all time favourite beer.

 

My only beer gripe in there is Raw Silver Pale Ale on keg, which I found bland and over carbonated.

 

I think the emphasis on cask is mostly local stuff, which I'm fine with. And I would also mention that if the beer scene round here might seem frustating to fans of strong / very hoppy beers try drinking in Norwich as I did last week! I think we need to send SteelCityAle down there to sort some of 'em out in East Anglia.

Edited July 31, 2012 by Stoatwobbler
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