Glad to hear that Duk / Pond are still offering high quality and tasty food! I went to Pond a few months back and i only had one criticism of it. They need bigger tables. 4 of us ordered around 12 dishes. We had to put some on the floor. I went to Parmesan and Pepper (Abbey Village)last Sunday. Was lovely and a real bargain.

^ totally agree! However, i had a very good curry at the Syhlet Indian Restaurant.

I totally agree....Mark Hughes would never make it as a manager either because of his temperment. Hope he doesn't attempt it.

Royal Oak, Riley Green - very poor now! I shall not be returning.

haha! This has to be the best question ever! Absolutely NOT! The town is on its backside with regards to central dining. However, 10/20 minutes away we have an abundance of fine eating establishments. Covering a whole host of different cuisines but i personally think we excel in the "pub grub" category.

Sounds interesting...you should invite people from the messageboard too!

Yeh i have been there a couple of times. Never really enjoyed my meal or the set out of the room to be honest. I was sat so close to the next table i could have been sat on the lap of the person on the next table. The food was bland and over priced! For me Hollytree is the best but fancied a pint as it is bring your own!

Sorry I forgot to mention it was only available on a Tuesday. I went to the Butlers on Sunday and had a lovely homemade soup, the main was typical pub grub and decent but the desert ruined it by being a frozen mass produced messy slop. But for £13 per person I could not complain. I must note that it is quite surprising how many restaurants which serve decent food round Blackburn, Chorley and Preston don’t have any web presence. I like to have a look at the menu and any special offers before a make a move on a new place sometimes. On a different note, we go to Thyme at the Sir loin a lot as we live locally. It is very good food for the price on a Sunday! Certainly recommended. Anyone know the name of the Chinese / Cantonese restaurant on Darwen Street that used to be the Welcome? It used to be really good and I fancy eating out at a Chinese restaurant this Sunday. We only have two or three left in Blackburn now which is a shame. Hollytree – in my opinion the best I have had but very small. Guide – Wasn’t that impressed Welcome? – Always decent food Blackburn Buffet City – Never been….should I try it at my own risk?

I have been tempted so many times to try this again as it was good the last time i went. However, they really should have a website in this day and age. Do you have any idea as to what sort of dishes are on the tapas menu? That is a decent list of dishes for £10. On another note...not tried it. But the Butlers at Pleasington (think they now have a proper chef too) is offering 2 steaks, homemade chips, peppercorn sauce, onion rings and vegetables with a bottle of wine for £20 (for two people)

TCO - how was it?

Awesome as always is the Clog! Best pub grub around here! The Butlers at Pleasington has moved forward over the past month or so. I think they have a new chef! I went to the Royal Oak a week or so ago and while i really like the place, the food has started to go down hill a little. I was looking at the extensive specials board when i popped my head into the kitchen. I saw the chef tipping the contents of a microwavable dish onto the plate. It put me off!

Has anybody been to the Fisherman's Retreat in Ramsbottom? Thinking of taking the old dear for Mother's Day!

Yes, they would be a good substitute but the large fresh ones are cooked down in the water until they turn into a mush and form part of the sauce. Try it and let me know

I am talking crap sorry! Well, i have quickly jotted down my curry receipe whilst on my lunch break. This is located below: Knob of Ghee Olive oil 2 large chopped onions 6 cloves of garlic (Crushed) Two inch knob of fresh ginger (grated) Fresh Spinach Lamb Leg Pre-cooked chick peas 2 fresh green hot chilies Tub of natural yogurt 8 large freshly chopped tomatoes (quartered) Chopped coriander Tomato sauce Salt Pepper Vinegar Spices (1 tea spoon of): • cumin seeds • coriander seeds • mustard seeds Spices 2 (1 tea spoon of): • Ground fenugreek • ground coriander • cumin • chilli powder • garam masala • turmeric • 2 table spoons of hot curry powder • Heat the Ghee and olive oil in a saucepan • Add Spices 1 for three minutes on a medium heat until they start popping and then add the onions and a pinch of sugar to quicken the caramelisation (sp) process. Cook for a further 3 minutes in total. Add the crushed garlic and ginger and sauté for a further 5 minutes on a medium/high heat (do not burn!) • Add the meat for 3 minutes and then add Spices 2 – cook for 5 minutes stirring regularly in order to coat the meat. • Add the quartered tomatoes, a large squeeze of tomato sauce, a large pinch of salt, large pinch of sugar, plenty of pepper, a large dash of vinegar and a large handful of freshly chopped coriander. • Pour in enough water to cover the lamb by 2.5cm/1in. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1.5 hours. (You may need to add more water if the mixture begins to dry out.) • Blend the two chillis with 300ml of water, plenty of coriander and plenty of spinach. Add this to the mixture in order control the heat of the curry to your preference. I put it all in! • Stir in the natural yogurt and cook for a further 15 minutes (stirring on a regular basis) • Add the peas and spinach. • Cook for a further 5 minutes. • Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve Tip for rice: Cook it in coconut milk and not water! Hope you enjoy it....everyone i have cooked it for has!

We cannot wrap or rap! Where did that w come from?

White men cannot wrap either.....

A truly great post! You have a fantastic way with words! However, it is hard to actually stay clear of Halal meat in Blackburn and surrounding towns. My Chinese is and always will be Hollytree but my delivery chinese (when i have had a few sherberts) has now changed to Halal, the Subway chain at the top of Montague Street is, KFC in Burnley is and so on. Good job i can make a fantastic curry at home eh? (Lamb, spinach and chickpea - YUM!)

Alghero's does not claim to be fine dining! What it set out to achieve it does very well in my opinion. It is quick, decent tasting grub in an informal and fun environment! A typcial example was late last year! After returning from an away game we wanted somewhere to go for a quick tasty meal as it was pretty late. We opted for Alghero's and we had a lovely garlic bread, pasta dish and a few beers in around 45 minutes. No complaints. I have eaten here over 50 times and have never had a bad meal as i know to stay away on a saturday evening when it is very busy and so on.

The Boatyard @ Riley Green, Hoghton! Very decent Sunday lunch and a nice place with ample parking.

I still think DUK is one of the best restaurants in Lancashire but i visited Calypso this weekend and the food was absolutely spot on! It is under the Woodlands pub and specialises in Caribbean food. It was very different and a fun evening was had by all. The chef Dave is very talkative and comes to meet all diners. He takes your ideas on board and is a really nice guy. Hope is stays open.

Anyone tried that Maida Restaurant yet? Used to be Shere Khan, looks very swanky for Blackburn.

How does the Hi-life card actually work?? Is is just main meals that are 2 4 1 ? Any help much appreciated.

I too have also eaten out a couple of times in the last week. First was DUK in Preston, superb meal as always and really good service. I really couldn’t complain about anything. Second was the Hoghton Arms. Now, the last time I visited this place it was empty and the food was very poor. The food is now good but the prices are even better. On certain nights they have really good deals but the menu is also very cheap. Off the top of my head the deals are as follows: Monday – Rump Steak, Chips, Peppercorn Sauce and veg - £4.99 Tuesday – Pie Night – Choice of 5 homemade pies Wednesday – Curry Night – Choice of 6 curries a pint, naan bread for £5 Thursday or Friday was BOGOF on fish meals.

A free curry is available at Oceana (Darwen Street) with no strings attached. Enjoy!

Is that called Bungla Cafe or something along those lines. It always looks busy and i too have heard good reports.