Thursday 13 September 2012

Out to Lunch.





A friend and I seem to have got into the tradition of lunching out for one another's birthdays. As her birthday was a couple of weeks ago, we decided today was a good day to go to lunch at The Deanery in Ripon and then after lunch cross the Close and visit the Art Exhibition in the Cathedral.

Our table was booked for 12.30, so after parking the car we had a little time to walk to one or two of the lovely Galleries along Kirkgate in the town. There are always paintings and various 'objets d'art' to look at and - as usual - we drooled over various things on display.

Then it was back for lunch. I have photographed mine for you.
First course - Goat's cheese, mousse and a poached pear.
Main course - Butternut squash risotto.
Dessert - Vanilla cheescake, strawberry mousse and strawberries.

Each course was served on slate. There were white tablecloths, white damask napkins, a nice jug of water with lemon pieces in it and excellent service. When I showed the farmer the photographs on arriving home, his comment was that it was not his sort of lunch if there weren't heaps of vegetables on the table to help oneself to!! Men.

We had elderflower presse to drink and coffee to follow. It was a lovely lunch in pleasant surroundings - who could ask for more?

Now to the exhibition. As usual, for us it was like the curate's egg - yes there were some really exciting pieces - notably the work of Piers Browne - (Dominic and his wife own a Piers Browne and they find his work exciting too) but there were also one or two exhibitors who we felt were not really of the right calibre to be included. This is a prestigious show and it is sad that in some ways the standard seemed to have fallen a little. However, as always, it is a good show to visit and gives us plenty to discuss on the art front.

We were back home by four o'clock this afternoon. It had been an enjoyable outing all round. I am looking forward to my birthday now (even if it is a big 'O' I am not enjoying the thought of!


8 comments:

Rachel Phillips said...

Um, dinner on a slate. Last time this happened to me I asked for a plate. Someone else commented it was like eating dinner off a floor tile.

Anyway, glad you enjoyed yourselves.

John Going Gently said...

my eyes are going.. thought the first photo was some sort of jellyfish xxx

Irene said...

Lunch goes seem a little unclear somehow unrestricted as it is by the limits of no plate. I'm not sure I would be comfortable eating like this unless it was a Porterhouse steak and I am an adventurous person and willing to try lots of things. Somerimes things are done just tobe different and not because they are better, don't you think?

I trust your opinion on the exhibition and that its standard is falling. That ssems to be the general tendency nowadays. We don't reach up but down to the easily attainable and non challengeable. I like to be stimulated a little bit more as I'm sure you are too. It's okay to be slightly uncomfortable with what you are confronted with.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting food presentation Weaver, but I think my husband would side with yours. I can remember husband's disgust with a sliver of cheesecake,not even a token dab of straweberry and a tapas birthday celebratory lunch left his stomach still rumbling!lovely to have a civilized lunch out though.

Cloudia said...

Lovely outing. I have recently had a '9' birthday and am feeling extravagantly aged!
For our non-UK friends I share what I discovered:

" A curate's egg
Meaning:

Something bad that is called good out of politeness or timidity.
Origin

The origin of the phrase is the George du Maurier cartoon "True Humility", printed in the British satirical magazine Punch, on 9th November 1895. "
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/163300.html


Aloha from Honolulu
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Heather said...

Your lunch sounds and looks delicious - a work of art in itself and the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. I can understand the farmers comment in a way as I always judge a restaurant by the way it serves the vegetables.
You are young at heart and that is more important than the impending big O!

Dave King said...

Delightful day out - it comes through very clearly in your writing.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for the comments - mainly favourable about the meal. It probably tasted better than it looks in the photographs!