23 on the 23rd

I wanted to celebrate turning 23 with a group of my absolute closest friends and loved ones. I haven't done something for my birthday in a long while, finding it really difficult to get everyone together at one time, but this year I was determined to have those I love the most around me. 

We celebrated at B-Soho, a great place for cocktails and pizzas, sofas and live music to dance and sing to. It's a good place to head before carrying on the night elsewhere.

I had the biggest smile on my face all night. I'm definitely framing some of these!

Homeslice

A little brag to be made. I had Homeslice when it came from a stall in Netil Market and also when they popped up in Browns of Brockley. I am a Homeslice fan from the beginning so this was always going to be great.

I headed to their bricks and mortar home in Neal's Yard, Covent Garden to pick up a slice. It was a gorgeous sunny day and the front windows had all been thrown open, giving a lovely inside/outside Mediterranean feel.

They change their menu on a fairly regular basis, always including some garlic based pizzas, classic tomato and some cream based ones.
Unfortunately, they only have a select few pizzas available by the slice. I really wanted to try the ox tail one, but I just couldn't eat a 20 inch pizza by myself, so instead I went for a slice of the garlic and lemon based artichoke and courgette pizza.

Really flavoursome and lovely. Fresh and garlicy, but not too strong that I felt I would keep away vampires for the rest of the day. They really are some of the best pizzas I've ever had.

They will do a 20 inch pizza with a half n half of toppings, so you can try more than one kind, or share with someone. I will definitely be doing that soon!

Prosecco is on tap, the wine comes in a magnum and they simply measure how much you've drank and charge you accordingly. Pretty cheap stuff. Just don't drink the whole thing, that will set you back £44.

The slices are pretty large and mine filled me up nicely! For only £4 a slice and £20 for a 20 inch, it's a steal.

Get yourself down there and support these great guys who make really fantastic pizza!

Il Paradiso del Cibo: The Best Italian in York!

One of the best things about York is that it is full of good independent restaurants and cafes. There is a little street called Walmgate, where this Italian is also located, that has about 7 other restaurants along it that I would also regularly eat in. Although York is very popular with tourists, the prices have stayed fairly low (damn cheap in comparison to London) which is great for us students as we can afford to support these local businesses.

My absolute favourite Italian in York is this very shabby chic-looking little restaurant. They have spruced it up a little recently by painting, adding a permanent sign at the front replacing the temporary plastic thing they had since it had opened about 10 years ago and adding plants. Honestly, if I had not been recommended it I would never have set foot inside, it looked awful! Though it is true, never judge a book by its cover.

Inside, however, little has changed with the tired linoleum flooring and rickety tables and chairs, but this just adds to the overall charm of the place. Besides it's all about the food anyway. A TV inside is constantly on an Italian channel, usually showing football. I love that the people who run the restaurant are so proud to be Italian.

The bar area....

Birthday Girl!!

The most expensive dish on the menu is a special at something like £14. They do an amazing deal between certain times that we all flock there for: a pizza/pasta and a glass of wine for £6.95. Their food is not expensive anyway, a pizza is roughly £7.

Usually I'm more of a pasta girl (their pasta specials are delicious with options like lobster and scallops in a saffron sauce) but this time I chose this bad boy:

Prawn and asparagus pizza.

All pizzas are presented on wooden boards, which is a great touch. I do like a wooden board. Wasn't too keen on the presentation of this one, but I don't really care because it tasted fantastic. Classic, thin pizzas with crispy crusts and smothered in mozzarella. My absolute favourite.

The other ladies all chose the same, the Cortadina, with peppers, aubergine and courgettes:

Delicious.

I have been to this restaurant so many times and never have I ordered their homemade tiramisu. Usually I am too full by the time dessert comes around. On this occasion, however, I was going to eat that damn tiramisu whether I wanted to or not. I just knew that this being an authentic Italian restaurant, their tiramisu was going to be amazing.

Luckily I really really really wanted to.

And just look at it:

One of the best tiramisu's of my life: It was creamy but still had flavour, which many lack, was moist and rich and ooooh so good.

I was the only one who ordered a dessert and yeah I felt like a greedy cow but I was in heaven. I needed to remember this moment:

If you happen to find yourself in York, get down here immediately! But book. Unfortunately word has spread amongst the locals and not-so-locals that this place is fabulous.