food / drink
URBAN DINER ***
175 Kings Road , Cardiff . 029 2034 1013 / www . urbandiner . com Step inside your local “ American-styled diner ” and it ’ s more than likely that you ’ ll face an unapologetically clichéd interior design complete with awkward 50s throwback plastic seating and an uneventful menu packed with underwhelming chilli dogs and tasteless chicken wings . Or maybe I ’ m just unlucky . Urban Diner manages to offer something a little more nuanced , with a comfortable and contemporary interior which takes a step back from the endless enthusiasm for hackneyed American knick-knacks . Urban Diner ’ s menu is certainly American in stature and their weighty main courses and excellent selection of sides provide plenty of temptation . We were soon loosening our belts in anticipation . With a sweet strawberry shake ordered to get us in the mood , we kicked off our meal with a delicious cobb salad . Perfect for sharing and reasonably priced when split , the moist chicken pieces found comfort in the arms of avocado , smoked bacon , Roquefort cheese and a Dijon mustard dressing . We followed this with an Urban Juicy Lucy , which consisted of two 6oz burger patties stuffed with Monterey cheese , salad and gerkhin . The burger , although simple , was ample in size and a struggle to finish completely . We also opted for a T-bone steak which came with a large Asian-style salad . With its complementary garlic and chilli butter , the steak was moist and nicely cooked to order , but again a challenge to finish completely . Sweet potato fries , onion rings and appleslaw completed our sizeable meal , and although our eyes were undoubtedly too big for our bellies , we opted for a simple New York cheesecake and Mississippi mud pie to round off the meal . Uncomplicated , no-nonsense , and simply well executed throughout , Urban Diner ’ s American-styled menu delivers on value , taste and quality . GARETH LUDKIN
AMICI ’ S BAR & RISTORANTE ****
24 Churchill Way , Cardiff , 029 2034 3424 Toni Venditto has been a fixture in the Welsh food scene for the last 20 years . Having owned and run several very successful restaurants – Il Padrino , Topo Gigio , Da Venditto ’ s – and awarded two AA Rosettes , several accolades and a couple of clubs in between , following a few years ’ break he ’ s back in the capital with his latest venture , Amici ’ s . A cosy basement restaurant with rustic decor and simple furnishings , the emphasis here is on the food . The menu boasts a vast selection , made easier to navigate with the enthusiastic help from the head chef , who makes a point of explaining the dishes and takes the orders . For Antipasti we had polpette , homemade beef and pork meatballs cooked in tomato sauce , with fresh basil and parmesan cheese ; and the homemade salsiccia con fagliolini , grilled pork chilli sausage cooked in cherry tomato sauce with fine green beans . Mains comprised tagliatelle spezzatino and pepperoni ( tagliatelle with fillet steak in an onion , tomato and pepper sauce ), and one of the chef ’ s favourites , Chief Risotto – arborio rice with crabmeat , courgette , fresh clams and calamari . There is also a lobster version , Bob ’ s Lobster – enquire about the name ’ s origins when you go . A mango cheesecake was our chosen , shared dessert , with pear and honey tart coming in a close second . Herbs are grown in the restaurant and sauces are made to order : if you ’ re in a rush , this isn ’ t for you . However , if you love your food , want genuine hospitality , savour good Italian wines , ( sidenote : the Granito Casavecchia here comes from their family vineyard outside of Naples ) and salivate at the thought of trying authentic home dishes from Southern Italy , Amici is for you . This isn ’ t cheap , but you pay for , and receive , quality . ANTONIA LEVAY
THE GALLERY ****
2 Broad Street , Barry . 01446 735300 / www . the-gallery-restaurant . co . uk Having opened for a couple of years back in the early 2000s , The Gallery is now in its second phase . At that time , the vision and dining experience was perhaps a little too ambitious for Barry , but now it ’ s reopened with a fresh look , a stunning bar area and a carefully thought-out menu . The emphasis still lies on quality ingredients , fresh local produce and dishes cooked and made on the premises . Homemade breads , sauces and dishes all feature heavily , as do a list of suppliers based in the Vale . Seasonal produce is a big thing at The Gallery and the menu changes weekly to reflect this . We dined in mid-June when some of the choices included broccoli and Perl Las soup and rabbit and pigeon terrine with pickled mushrooms . We went for the asparagus and crab cakes and the smoked mackerel with a trio of beetroot . For mains we plumped for Trealy Farm Cassoulet Castlenaudry with a crisp salad , and a herb-crusted pollack with panzanella salad – a salad of bread , tomatoes , sometimes onions and basil , dressed with olive oil and vinegar . Other options include braised lamb shank , samphire and broad beans and sorrel gnocchi with broccoli and sea spinach ; all very tempting . The desserts are homemade , and although the Merlin bread and butter pudding evaded us as we were very full , we did share a cherry pavlova which hit the spot perfectly . For the quality and inventiveness of dishes , the genuine care and attention that goes into all the prep , the price is more than worth it – two courses cost £ 18.50pp and three courses came in at £ 23.50 . With a passion for good food , a series of wine tastings , guest celebrity chef evenings and at some point a microbrewery in the pipeline , The Gallery deserves to be supported . ANTONIA LEVAY
BUZZ 28