Pizza

Pizza.  That doesn't sound very inspiring does it.  Well, after the day we have had and our plans for this evening, it was the perfect choice.  The day started early with a trip down to Holbeck to help set up for Holbeck Gala.  Plenty of furniture moving later, I was back home in time to freshen up so that we could head out for a pub lunch.

Our destination was The Roundhay Fox as we were planning to spend the afternoon at Tropical World.  I had called ahead and booked a table for the four of us.  Gary* had told me that there was a large party in over lunch time so there would be a delay in food orders but that didn't put us off.  Perhaps I should have heeded Gary's advice.  Our wait was so long that we were given complimentary drinks, which was nice.

When the food did turn up it was good.  I have been complaining about a lack of seafood on restaurant menus so felt honour bound to order the Grilled Plaice.  It was well cooked but it was missing the prawn, lemon and parsley butter that should have been its sauce.  Z had Spanish chicken and Mum had the steak and ale pie.  All were eaten with gusto but the happiest diner was R who devoured his scampi and peas.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in Tropical World.  I was mainly chasing after R, while he chased after butterflies and discovered the amazing game of running back and forth through the plastic curtains that divide the rooms.  We noticed a thermometer at one point that was registering 43 degrees which would explain why I was so hot and exhausted by the time we left.

After a big lunch and fun and games with the meerkats, pizza was exactly the right early evening meal.  We still had some of Z's home made pizza dough in the freezer which we defrosted and rolled as thin as possible.  Pizza number one was a vegetable feast with peppers, courgette, artichoke, passata and mozzarella**.  The second was a meat feast with salami, chorizo, Parma ham, passata and mozzarella.

With our stomachs suitably lined and R asleep, Z and I took the opportunity of a live-in babysitter.  Leeds is full of great bars and there seem to be new ones opening up all the time.  We ended up in Dock Street Market where I had some great beer by Flying Dog and Z had one of their superb cocktails.  Then we moved onto Friends of Ham for more craft beer, fino sherry and a tasting plate of wonderful meat including finocchiona which you have to try!  I'm just left wondering when I'll be able to try it again.

*the extremely chatty employee of The Fox who took our reservation.
**Britain's second favourite cheese after cheddar.