Friends, Fairylights and Fine Dining

Much to my boyfriend's dismay, one of my favourite things to do is go out for food. It doesn't have to be expensive, just somewhere with a nice atmosphere and good food. 

Luckily for him, best friend Lisa makes an excellent culinary companion; having been friends for just about forever, I'm pleased to say we've built up quite a repertoire of go-to dinner destinations across the North East. 

Oddly enough, there's a restaurant just a stones throw away from our houses called The New Exchange Brasserie we've always wanted to try but never got round to doing so. So when I spotted an offer for The New Exchange for a meal for two with wine on NEoffers.co.uk, I told wor lass to dress to impress and be ready for our date. 

From what I gather, The New Exchange in North Shields has changed hands over the years, but its secluded courtyard location has remained one of its biggest assets. The patio/courtyard terrace is magical thanks to the stylish rattan tables and chairs and strings of twinkly fairy lights festooned and wrapped around every available surface. Sadly we would not be dining alfresco tonight thanks to the wild North Sea wind that threatened to blow our hair from our heads but it was a pretty sight all the same. 

Walking into the restaurant, I instantly liked its laidback atmosphere and effortlessly cool interior. Exposed red brick walls contrast with soft leather chairs, while the inky night sky hangs above you, seeping into the room from the glass walls and lean-to roof. 

After presenting our voucher, we were shown to our table, where we popped open the cork of our bottle of house white and spilled the contents of our lives to each other until prompted to make a decision from the menu. 

It's probably worth noting that the £19.99 deal from NEoffers.co.uk will get you a bottle of house wine and a main course for two - any additional drinks, starters or desserts are extra. 

We decided to sample the black pudding and chorizo 'bombe' with redcurrant jus and micro greens to start and share apple crumble and custard for dessert. The black pudding and chorizo starter came encased in flaky puff pastry which was a surprise (who can refuse extra carbs?) and we both thought the portion size was generous. 

I'd like to say we were wildly adventurous with our mains (the menu did tempt us with pan-friend sea bass, Barbary duck breast and wild mushroom risotto), but the trouble with dining out with your best friend is that inevitably you'll both like the same thing - so pan friend pork loin with peppercorn sauce, glazed carrots and handcut chips it was! 

Both the pork and the peppercorn sauce was delicious and I thought the sticky sweetness of the carrots was a nice touch too. Unfortunately, our chips had to be sent back to the kitchen as they were still quite hard and threatened to spoil the dish. 

Dessert arrived shortly after our mains and we happily tucked into warm, gooey apple pie and custard served with a side of cinder toffee. Being an avid dessert fan, I have to say I was a little disappointed that the crumble was more of an oaty granola rather than the good old stick-to-the-ribs flour and butter crumble topping you would make at home, but I would still give it 4/5 as we managed to clean the plate. 

VERDICT: The New Exchange was just the right kind of busy for midweek and we're glad we finally got the chance to try it. I'm sure we'll be back, if not just to sip something delicious on that twinkly outdoor terrace! 

The restaurant is a true hidden gem and what better excuse to uncover it than with a voucher on NEoffers.co.uk?

Pssst, quote PROSECCOANDPIE when buying your voucher online 

and enjoy an extra 10% off on me - cheers! 

Double, Double Toil and Trouble; Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble!

I've never really understood why people make such a fuss about Halloween. Not only am I the biggest wimp ever, my family didn't celebrate Halloween when I was little, so naturally at the age of 22 I feel like I need to make up for lost time! 

I invited a few of the girls round for a pumpkin carving session and bought the biggest pumpkin I could find (£2.50 from the cash and carry - I highly recommend it). It was literally so big I had to use a hacksaw to cut into it.... 

The girls settled on the traditional scary face, but I had a better idea...

Look familiar? 

After toasting our pumpkin seeds and making the obligatory pumpkin soup (which by the way was a complete success despite my severe lack of cooking skills), it was time to get dressed up!

Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures on All Hallows Eve. The idea is to gather family and friends to pray for, and remember those who have died. The day is even a bank holiday in Mexico. The dead are honoured with ornately decorated sugar skulls, food, drink and flowers. To me, it seems like such a beautiful event (and because I am such a big wimp and the thought of plastering fake wounds all over my face scares me) so I decided to dress up as a sugar skull for Halloween this year, while Emily went as the beautiful Marie Antoinette. 

I didn't fancy any of the bars in town, this year I wanted to try somewhere new and exciting. After getting our costumes on we headed to the BALTIC's Panic Room Party, which I have to say was the best Halloween party I have ever been to! The party was held in the Terrace, which boasts floor to ceiling glass walls and a heated outdoor area that overlooked the river Tyne. It was such a nice change from a stuffy, smelly bar in town and there were some fantastic costumes!

Look at that view!

Emily and I challenged ourselves to get a photo with as many people as we could - 

did we spot you? 

Thank you for another great night BALTIC Mill! 

Happy Birthday Jurys Inn

I don't know about you, but I love birthday parties. So when I was invited to Jurys Inn's 10th birthday party in Newcastle, I couldn't resist.

Stepping across the light-filled threshold, our group of six walked up the red carpet to an arch of balloons. Stepping into the lift we ascended into a fantasy world none of us wanted to leave. After depositing our coats with some of Jurys helpful staff, we were rewarded with a glass of champagne. Excellent start I thought.

The party comprised of numerous rooms, each one more delicious than the last. The first we encountered was filled with bodies, the tinkling of glasses and unmistakeable smell of Krispy Kreme donuts. My heart leapt as I noticed the huge oven in the corner, and like a curious child, I itched to go over and explore. We were soon invited to decorate our very own sugary ring of heaven, a queue of adults turned five year olds waiting excitedly in their paper hats to dip a donut into chocolate and sprinkles, then devour it just as fast. We were also given a box of DIY donut decorating to take home with us and share with/goad loved ones. Nice touch.

With all of the excitement going on from Krispy Kreme, I only just noticed the enormous cart filled with pick and mix from Deluxe Occasions. Invited to pick up a pinstriped paper bag, we filled our boots. Despite a recent trip to the dentist, I gorged on chew bars, chocolate eggs and sherbert spaceships... well we were at a party after all.

The next room was a slightly more grown up affair, a cocktail demonstration and rather professional looking powerpoint that explored the science behind our drinks. Pink in colour but strong and sugary, I sipped mine inbetween intermittent bites of donut and a drumstick chew bar. It's fair to say that after a busy day we left the office feeling tired and weary, but 10 minutes of being in this 10th birthday party certainly brought colour to our cheeks. We laughed our way through the games room, playing lifesize versions of family favourites operation, connect four and kerplunk, before trying our luck in the balloon room to see if we could win a prize.

No doubt bemused by the sheer happiness and excitement on the faces of the adults before them, Jurys staff were wonderful and very helpful. Being a big foodie, my favourite part was what I call the networking room, filled with tiny tasters of beckleberrys ice cream and their indulgent mini desserts. Canapes of chicken kebab, mini sliders and sweet treats floated around the room while we propped up the bar with Wylam Brewery, posed in the photobooth with deluxe occasions, and chatted to other party-goers.

The night flew by and before we knew it, it was time to get a taxi home with our bag full of goodies and go to bed with a big smile on our face, but not before trying our hand at Jurys final surprise. Each of us were given a key and if that key flashed green in the mystery door somewhere in the hotel, we would win a trip for two to Prague. Sadly none of us won, but that didn't matter, we had a brilliant night and look forward to the next big birthday!

Thank you Jurys Inn for having us, and to Krispy Kreme, Beckleberrys, Deluxe Occasions, Wylam Brewery and everyone else for making our night great.

You can follow me on twitter (@proseccoandpie) for more photos of our evening, and say hello if you attended too!