Review: Free State Kitchen, Liverpool

As soon as my trip to Liverpool was booked, I set about looking for a burger joint. I came across Free State Kitchen in the student part of town which had rave reviews. Naturally I dragged my friend across town as soon as it opened to feed our slight hangovers. A burger sorts out every hangover right?

I didn't hesitate when I saw the menu and opted for the Barbecue Cheeseburger. The medium rare beef patty was smothered in a sweet BBQ sauce, smokey Applewood cheddar, carmalised onions and a yummy baconnaise. It was perfectly messy but the toasted bun held up and it didn't break apart in my hands. Always the sign of a great bun when it soaks up the juices!

The rosemary chips didn't really qualify as rosemary apart from a few specks of herbs. I couldn't taste any rosemary at all. But they were still tasty. Crunchy on the outside by soft on the inside is always a winning combination.

I always struggle to find great burgers outside of London - #burgersnob – and while this wasn't the best I've ever had, it had me rubbing my belly with glee after I finished. It was delicious and I'd recommend checking it out if you're ever in that part of the world.

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A Liverpool photo diary

Last weekend I was very kindly invited by Travelodge to try out their hotel in the heart of Liverpool. Armed with my best friend, wine, glad rags and lots of gossip, we were up bright and early to catch the bus from London. Despite the journey taking a nightmare 10 and a half hours - we could have flown to NYC sob! - we didn't let this dampen our spirits.

We arrived at about 8.45pm so quickly ordered some pizza and poured some wine to get ready for a night on the tiles. Liverpool is a cracking night out! Once again I'm going to do a separate city guide with all my favourite haunts. It was a great weekend spent dancing, eating too much and basking in the sunshine. I really didn't expect to love the city as much as I did. The people were so friendly and there's so much to do. I even got swept up with Beatlemania despite not being too much of a fan!

It was so lovely to spend a few days away with a friend who I really don't see enough of. I can't believe we're celebrating 12 years of friendship this year - how did we get so old?!

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Dinner with Strada

Last week I was kindly invited out for a blogger dinner with the Italian restaurant Strada. We were treated like Queens! Alongside free-flowing prosecco and white wine, we were given canapés and three courses in front of one of the city's most famous landmarks - London Bridge. It was such a wonderful evening and so lovely to get to know like-minded bloggers who are obsessed with food!

I have to be honest and admit that I tend to stay away from most chain restaurants as I think the food scene in London is of such a high quality, it seems a shame to go somewhere with mass produced food. But I will eat my hat! Strada has bucked the trend and is producing fresh, tasty food for its customers.

We were given plump green nocellara olives to start. Next up was a fresh caprese salad consisting of creamy buffalo mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, basil and a generous drizzle of olive oil. The perfect dish to help soak up the summer! Then I tried Burrata for the first time draped on top of proscuitto ham with crunchy toast - my favourite of the tasters. Creamy risotto and tender rare steak followed. Finally we were presented with a crispy veal covered in crunchy breadcrumbs. My belly was already feeling full and then we were told we would be treated to a three course meal of our choice. Wow!

For my starter I couldn't help but opt for the Spring Veggie Bruschetta on such a warm evening. Peas, spring onions and soya beans were mixed with creamy ricotta, mint and a squeeze of bitter lemon. It was the perfect portion size and the soft cheese went brilliantly with the crunchy slice of bread. For my main I chose the Cavatappi Genovese. El dente corkscrew pasta was smothered in basil nuts, topped with crunchy pine nuts alongside a scattering of soft new potatoes and fresh green beans. Delicious! I never wanted the bowl of pasta to run out! Finally for my dessert I wanted something light to counteract such a huge meal! The lemon sorbet was a no brainer. It was incredibly refreshing - just the ticket to end such a fantastic meal.

I joined the head chef of the restaurant to attempt to spin my own pizza base. He certainly made it look a lot easier than it was. Simply covered in a tart tomato sauce and nutty pesto, the pizza was divine. It tasted all the better knowing that I spun it myself. Not bad for my first attempt - but lets look over the fact it looks slightly oval!

I finally got the train home with a full belly, feeling a little merry and armed with an amazing personalised Strada apron. It was a lovely way to see out a Thursday - thanks for the invite guys! Big thanks to Angela and Felicia for catching me in action too!

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