Reading Roars!

Wetherspoons.

That word provokes instant thoughts doesn’t it? Teenagers. WKD. Aggressive young men with pierced ears and VD.

Or perhaps it’s other incarnation comes to mind – the day time version of Wetherspoons, full of the retired ale-drinking gentlemen of ‘advanced years’, reading The Sun and flirting with the barmaid.

I have to say I prefer the latter. Hopefully that doesn’t prematurely place me in the same social sphere as these people. Actually, to be fair, they seem happy enough. What better way to spend your day than sat in a pub drinking modestly priced bitter and studying the form for the 2.40 at Kempton Park?

Most Wetherspoons around the country are fashioned out of old theatres, or disused civic halls, or in one Northern case close to my heart, an old Turkish baths, but Reading has defied this trend and the three town centre ‘spoons are all non-descript, low ceiling’d places with nicotine stained walls and sticky wooden tables.

It was 2pm on a Tuesday and the most central of Reading’s Wetherspoons, the Monk’s Retreat in Friar Street, was absolutely rammed. We managed to find a table, right at the back, up the stairs below the swinging monk, dangling precariously above our heads like a 12^th century fathers4justice campaigner, and parked ourselves at the only table available.

I was with two female companions and, other than the barmaid quietly going about her business, they were the only two girls in the whole place.

The service was swift and friendly. I had a pint of Black Adder, which is a light stout, more drinkable than I expected and thinner than a Guinness or a Murphy’s. A nice compromise when one is unable to decide between a pint of the black stuff or something more traditional. The sauvignon blanc which my friends were drinking was smooth and fruity, and more than worth it’s modest price.

Foodwise, this is where Wetherspoons can also justifiably claim value for money. My fish and chips was £2.99, cheaper than a McDonalds, and much more fulfilling. It even came with a free cup of tea (which I shunned in favour of my Black Adder), and I feel it would be remiss of me to complain about the hardness of the peas when the fish was covered in such delightfully crispy batter and the chips were so fresh that I had to wait for them to cool down before I could begin eating them.

The girls enjoyed a cheese and tomato quiche and a steak and ale pudding with deliciously salty gravy (I dipped the odd chip) and had very little complaints at all.

Yes Reading has great independent restaurants and a good selection of national chains serving pretty much anything you could imagine. And I appreciate that Wetherspoons hardly needs any publicity on a website such as this, but you know what? Them £2.99 fish and chips were the dogs.

There’s not exactly a shortage of coffee shops in Reading, but now we’ve got one that promises something different to the mediocre-coffee-mass-produced-pastry-and-free-wifi crowd. Workhouse Coffee - until now located only on the Oxford Road, away from the town centre - has begun trading from its new branch after a low-key opening on Monday.

Based in the George Hotel, it’s directly opposite Starbucks and slap bang on coffee corner near where King Street meets Broad Street.

We popped along yesterday and can happily report it’s a world away from the homogenised chains that dominate this end of town. Even though the place isn’t yet finished (there are no prices on the wall and the back half of the shop is empty), it’s in a nice old building with a one-off, independent feel. And the coffee is excellent.

That, certainly, is no surprise. Anyone who’s taken the trouble to visit the other Workhouse branch will already be familiar with the company’s range of single-estate coffees. Founder Greg Costello promises “gourmet coffee” and the staff are on a bit of a mission to make really good coffee more accessible to those of us who don’t work in the industry.

That’s important, because buying a drink somewhere like this can be intimidating. You can’t just order a black coffee; you need to choose the beans you want it made from too.

Even the simplest of choices tend to confuse this particular Reading Roars writer, so thankfully when we visited the friendly staff were on hand with lots of advice. The filter coffee we tried (the 1576 variety) was first class and even at £2.70 seemed worth the asking price, especially given the care and attention that went into making it.

Although there was a delicious-looking range of pastries, quiches and cakes on display and more food is planned to tempt the lunchtime crowd, don’t be fooled: this place is all about the coffee. Encouraging people to try different varieties and helping them to appreciate the flavours seems to go to the heart of the Workhouse philosophy.

Life in the town centre isn’t easy for independent businesses, and we really hope Workhouse Coffee manages to emulate fellow independent outlet Picnic and thrive in its new location. It brings another much-needed slice of diversity to Broad Street, and offers a quality of coffee never before available in the town centre.

Last night, I was fortunate enough to experience the Las Iguanas launch party, held at their new Reading restaurant at The Oracle Riverside.  This was my first Las Iguanas (Spanish for “The Iguanas”) visit, although I’ve had a peek inside two of their other restaurants, in Brighton and on London’s South Bank.

I’m grateful to Lucy Harwood, Las Iguanas Marketing Manager, who responded to my Twitter request to attend the party (after I read about the getreading prize draw).  I explained that I was a keen local blogger (as I am) and the invitation promptly landed in my inbox.  Top marks.

There was initial confusion at the door, however, when I turned up just after 9.  After I was asked by the lady with the clipboard which company I was with, I said that I represented myself (which was true).  This raised eyebrows.  I added that I was a “local blogger”.  This led to some hesitation.  Eventually I was admitted into the bar.

After scanning the crowd (and not recognising anyone), I headed straight to the bar (as I normally do).  Waiting to be served, by attention was drawn to screens above the bar, showing Carnaval scenes from the famous Sambódromo in Rio de Janeiro.  My thoughts immediately turned to Brazil, a country I’m closely connected to for reasons I’m not explaining here.

I ordered a caipirinha.  It was fine.  I surveyed the crowd again and plunged right in.

The chaps, most of them anyway, were drinking beer.  The ladies were drinking mojitos and other cocktails.  A familiar scene.  A number were enjoying nibbles.  Staff moved around clinically, busily clearing empty glasses and bottles throughout the evening. 

I ordered another drink, Cusqueña (there was also Negra Modelo, a Mexican brand, in the fridge).  This was paid for by the lady standing beside me at the bar, so whoever you are, thank you again. 

A Michael Jackson track was played as I stood, observed and listened a while longer.  I flicked what looked like an intricate paper lantern above my head, as I like playing with things (indeed, Las Iguanas has a number of interesting design features), and then I left to enjoy the warm outdoors.

The verdict after last night:

• Las Iguanas is a good drinks venue (and should also appeal to Reading’s growing army of salsa lovers)
• it is also an attractive “entry level” Latin American experience, if that makes sense, that incorporates elements from different cultures in the region.  The Cuban mojito and Brazilian caipirinha might become as familiar as G&T and Pimms to the average Oracle shopper.  Or perhaps a number of Oracle visitors have been to destinations like Cuba, Dominican Rep. and Mexico already, and want more of the same
• Las Iguanas get a gold star for social media engagement (it’s also worth noting that a Facebook fan page has been set up for Las Iguanas - Reading).  Other businesses planning similar events might want to consider inviting online influencers if they’re looking to spread word of mouth.

The next Las Iguanas test will be their food.  Having enjoyed authentic Brazilian cuisine, I’m keen to compare, and I’m curious to know what their Mexican street food is like (Wahaca is the UK benchmark for me).

Spring is definitely on its way, as confirmed by this weekend’s bumblebees, butterflies and brilliant sunshine.

Appropriately for the season of rebirth, The Lamb at Satwell, near Henley, slaughtered in the recession, will be reopening this Friday (20 March), just in time for Mother’s Day.  The fantastic country gastropub was closed by previous owner, celebrity chef Antony Worrall Thompson, last month.

The new owners are Chris and Emma Smith, who will be joined by a few faces from the previous team, including head chef Lukasz Ostaszewski.

Most main courses will be priced around a tenner.  There will be a new wine line list and “an increased emphasis on real ale” (yes!), described by Chris as his favoured tipple.

The Lamb joins Reading pub The Kennet Arms in making a comeback in difficult economic times.

Has anyone tried The Oracle’s new Giraffe yet?

I went just before Christmas, perhaps even on its opening day (my festive memory is a bit hazy).  The restaurant, which has a global theme, showed promise, though there were clear customer service teething problems.  Prices were on the normal side for an Oracle restaurant.

What I liked best was the name, as it can be used for puns such as “Giraffe reaches new heights” and “Giraffe shows lofty ambitions”.  Has anyone visited Giraffe in Safari yet?  I’ll end there.  You’ve got to draw the lion somewhere.

Are you looking for somewhere cheap(er) to eat out in Reading?  I have compiled a list of local restaurants offering current promotions and offers (not entirely credit crunch-related), below.  

I am hoping to grow this list to make the definitive credit crunch lunch guide to Reading.  So, if you are a diner or restaurateur with information to contribute, please tell me what you know and we will lengthen the list together!

• Bella Italia -  20% off UCAS card, 20% off NUS card and Tesco Club Card tokens are accepted. 
• Carluccio’s -  10% discount on every product in food shop.  
• Ha! Ha! - A fiver off your food (when you spend £20 or more) by subscribing to the Ha! Ha! newsletter. 
• Ivory Lounge - A fiver off food and drink (when you spend £10 or more) between Sunday and Monday by registering your details with them. 
• Malmaison - Malmaison promotions include “festive crackers” (room only rates from £79), “tough prices” and “12 days of Mal”.  
• Old Orleans - Old Orleans promotions include 2 for 1 on fajitas, all day Monday to Thursday: 
• Ponti’s - 10% off for the over 60s.  
• Zizzi - 3 for 2 voucher.

It has taken me a long time - a little more than two months, to be exact - to update this blog.

I can’t explain my absence.  It’s just one of those things.  You stop doing something, and it sticks.  Only that this has a stuck a while longer. 

I’ve actually enjoyed this blogging break.  It’s nice, healthy even, to stop doing something for a while (I’ve been tweeting more regularly instead).  When eventually you do return to whatever activity you did, you see it differently at first before you settle into the usual routine (I find work and travel like that, such as when you return to the UK after a trip overseas).

I’ve also thought about the purpose of this blog and where to take it (if at all).  I’d like to continue producing Roarcasts (=podcasts), beginning with the third I promised in my last post, but I’m also mindful of the fact that 2009 is likely to bring pain to a number of local business owners.  Would it be wrong not to mention the downturn in any recorded conversation?

Without further ado, here is a run-down of things that I should have highlighted in the last couple of months:

• Tutu Melaku of Tutu’s Ethiopian Table won a Pride of Reading award last month in the Restaurant of the Year category (sponsored by The Oracle) for Tutu’s Ethiopian Table.  This is well-deserved, in my opinion.  The food, pleasingly different (Reading restaurants, in the main, offer too familiar food) and service are great.  Tutu’s coffee ceremonies are crowd-pleasing.  Tutu was also my first Roarcast subject recently.  Well done to all other award winners, too, as well as runners up.
   
• Young people and the Youth Engagement Service behind ReadingYouth.com demonstrated the new site to the general public at Broad St. Mall in November.  Like The Vibe, a new radio station aimed at the town’s young people, it’s a cracking initiative.  I hope they achieve success.  
   
• A reader named Charlotte Coad wrote in October to ask whether a creative writing club/group exists in Reading.  I have no idea.  Would anyone know?
   
• Reading Comedy Festival came and went (3 - 19 October).  I didn’t go (I’m not that into comedy gigs, though I was at the FymFyg fairly recently).   How did it go?  It’s exciting to have this sort of thing in Reading. 
   
• The University of Reading is once more placed in The Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings top 200 institutions worldwide (or top 2.5%).  Not bad!  It was also good to see progress made in climate research (e.g. Oceans may provide clues to future rainfall) and in artificial intelligence (e.g. Machines edge closer to imitating human communication).
   
• Channel 4’s “Eight Minutes to Disaster”, aired in mid-September, followed Reading ambulance 212 around the town.  It was gripping.  212’s crew members did well, I thought, especially when having to deal with drunken idiots.  They really do have tough jobs.

Highly positive reviews of Reading’s Picnic and Moondogs Art Shop Cafe have been published on Cosy Coffee Shops, a smashing blog set up by a 26 year old musician named Tom.

Moondogs is described as “beguiling”, “an unexpected oasis of colour” and “a simple pleasure”.  Picnic is “warm”, “friendly” and “fun”.

Zerodegrees has gone all Heston Blumenthal-esque again, coming up with two exciting new flavours.

Brown lager and Elderflower (or was it Elderberry?) beer are two of the latest from the microbrewery.  Brown lager really does look brown, occupying that niche between Czech-style black lager (which is a permanent product of theirs) and golden-coloured pilsner. 

Much more interesting, I think, than Stella or Artois, or whatever the beer’s called these days.

Late-night favourite (though not one of mine) Bodrum Kebab has gone continental, now claiming to offer relatively ungreasy breakfast treats such as danish pastries, croissants, fresh baguettes and cappuccinos. 

I used to think that putting a coffee shop inside a bank was odd, but this is truly bizarre.  Photo to follow.