Salvo's - Take II

I managed to squeeze in another date with Salvo's before I left Leeds for five seasons. I wouldn't normally write a review for every visit I made to a restaurant, however, my second experience at Salvo's was quite different to my first, so I thought this post was necessary.

Surprisingly, my many food experiences do not include gnocchi. Where better to try gnocchi other than the best local Italian voted by Gordan himself? As I couldn't make up my mind on my starter, I went halves with the skewered fresh king prawns grilled with chilli and lemon, and the gnocchi.

The gnocchi was doughy but not by too much. The dumplings were so bouncy that you could almost play a little bouncy ball game with them and your tongue in your mouth. The gnocchi was served in a mozzerella, cherry tomato and basil sauce which was gently complemented the personality of the lively little potato balls.

I ordered the braised lamb shoulder with wine and rosemary, served with a grilled lamb chop and dauphinoise potatoes for my main dish.

The lamb was just beautiful. It had an incredibly soft texture that fell apart the second you touched it with your fork. It melted in the mouth. The meat was rich and succulent. The initial burst of flavour across my tastebuds reminded me of just how much I love lamb.

I would have, personally, preferred the sauce to be a little thicker and there to be more of it. The flavours in the sauce were very mild, so I think I would have also enjoyed a stronger flavoured sauce. Minimal vegetables accompanied the dish, which I was disappointed about as I do love my veg. However, there were many options for vegetable side orders. I was tempted to order the zucchini, aubergine and mint but actually completely forgot when I placed my order.

The panna cotta completely overwhelmed me on my previous visit to Salvo's, so I decided to go for the whole thing as my dessert on this visit. To be quite honest, it was a little disappointing.

The smooth silky texture was there but this time it was much too sweet for my liking. I accompanied my panna cotta with an americano (in attempt to warm up as it was getting rather nippy at this point of the evening!) and a sweet and aromatic Frangelico.

Perhaps because my expectations were so high of Salvo's because my previous visit was so enduring and I had left on such a massive high. The drizzly weather and our soggy feet most likely dampened our spirits a little too - and being sat outside excluded us from the firey Italian atmosphere which I very much enjoyed on my first visit.

Don't get me wrong - this visit has not put me off of Salvo's, not at all. I am pretty gutted that I wont be able to dine here until atleast September 2011, when I return from California. Hey, I'm sure there's plenty of lovely restaurants over there to keep me entertained...!

Salvo's - Headingley, Leeds

I am so shocked that I have lived in Leeds for almost two years and have only recently experienced Salvo's. For some reason or another, any plans I had previously made to go to Salvo's had fallen through. I've wanted to dine at Salvo's even before it became famous by its well deserved win of 'Best Local Italian' on Gordan Ramsay's F word, which only adds further to my attraction.

My Grandparents happened to be in Leeds for the weekend and so we arranged to meet for dinner. Fortunately, they agreed to follow my recommendation of Salvo's.

We arrived on a very humid Friday evening just after 6pm and were preparing for about an hour's wait (because we were aware that Salvo's is exceptionally popular). We were warmly greeted and to our surprise we were seated immediately!

As soon as we were given our menus, three slices of freshly baked doughy focaccia drizzled with olive oil arrived at our table to nibble on while we contemplated every delicious dish on the menu. I had previously looked at the menu online before we went, (massive loser, I know) to try and speed up my decision making process. I always struggle to make choices in a restaurant, as I pretty much love everything!

As my family generally do, we agreed to sample each others dishes. This (you would think) should have helped speed up my decision... but after much deliberation, I decided on my choice.

As my Grandparents hadn't seen their eldest Grandaughter for three whole years, they decided to go all out (brilliant news!!). We ordered the pizza marinara for our 'pre-starter' - pizza style bread with tomato, garlic and oregano.

I chose my starter from the daily specials; seared scallops with pancetta, roasted red peppers and rocket.

The scallops were cooked to perfection, and there was a successful subtle balance in flavour combinations.

I also ordered my main dish from the daily specials; char-grilled venison with mash, creamed leeks and a red wine sauce topped with two grilled king prawns.

I can't remember the last time I ate red meat and have been dying to eat venison for years. This was the first time I had seen it on a menu so went for it! The waitress recommended I had it served pink. It was so tender and juicy - totally satisfied my craving!

After attempting to finish off my Granny's king scallop and langoustine risotto (truly stunning - how they can make something that looks so plain taste so divine is beyond me!), I truly felt the stretch in my stomach, however, there is always room for dessert!

To save deliberation, we ordered the dessert taster platter. This included the Sicilian lemon sorbet, amaretto-soaked cherries, Sicilian lemon cheesecake, dark chocolate truffle torte, panna cotta and tiramisu.

The Sicilian lemon sorbet had invigorating fresh and zesty flavours, it had a tanginess that made it unique compared with any other sorbet I have tried. The amaretto cherries are always a winner with me. Panna cotta would never be my first choice for dessert, however, this panna cotta melted into a luscious creamy vanilla puddle in your mouth - heaven! The moisture of the tiramisu was well balanced, not soggy and not too dry.

It's not hard to believe that Salvo's own the title of 'Best Local Italian' when every dish served was so well executed.

We topped off the meal with a spot of liqueur - Frangelico for me (hazelnut and herb flavoured liqueur flavoured with cocoa and vanilla berries) and Strega for Grandad (sweet and bold with strong minty notes).

The meal, the atmosphere and the company were faultless. It was exactly what I needed during the horrific stress time of summer exams. Thank you Gramps! :)