food

The Book Bag: Concealed Pockets – Sonnet Restaurant

I’m going to be opening the Concealed Pockets of The Book Bag every now and then. First up, my thoughts on Sonnet Restaurant.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I visited Sonnet Restaurant, a 14-seater restaurant that serves a 14-course tasting menu across a few hours in Alnwick, Northumberland  where all diners eat at the same time. Food x Poetry = a dream for me. This was a belated promotion / early anniversary celebration.

I could go on and on about the food however, I will simply state it was excellent, (Michelin and Conde Naste both agree) and we’ll be visiting again for a smaller lunch soon.

The experience was incredible, from the service which was friendly and attentive without being over the top and the wine flight paired perfectly with the courses.

This is a perfect place to eat when visiting Northumberland and I highly recommend if you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion. The space is intimate and bright and ends itself perfectly to relaxed fine dining.

A great finishing touch was the song ‘Sonnet’ by The Verve playing at the end of the meal. Another great detail was the course guide that was rolled into a scroll.

As sonnets go, the restaurant is comparable to Shakespeare’s 18th Sonnet. A marvel.

Hope you enjoyed this 14-line ( as it appears on laptop) response.

Stay tuned for more bits and pieces as I open more of The Book Bag’s Concealed Pockets.

Advent Calendar Haiku #21

Welcome back! Good Morning! It’s day twenty-one of the Haiku Advent Calendar.

I hope you’re enjoying the mix of haiku I’m producing on the run-up to Christmas Day.

Today’s haiku is a true story that happened a few years ago…

The turkey’s too large,
another midnight axe job;
tin foil hysterics.

Come back tomorrow for day twenty-two’s haiku.

Take It Easy

Paul

At Christmas

Christmas is my time of year
I can get drunk on the scents of clementine and clove
I like to sing along with Bing & Bowie, Wizzard & Wham
dance around the tree tryIng not to trip
over well-wrapped gifts and tins of roses
I get hypnotised by the shimmering of baubles
against twinkling lights and tinsel
every year I sit and lose myself in the magic of the snowman
like it’s my first time seeing it.

Get me round the table on Christmas day
pulling crackers with prizes I never win
a toast and then a race for the pigs in blankets
and last roast potato
smiles of happiness, wine and champagne
from all the faces,
leaves the best taste.

Does it really matter to you,
if the odd day, my breakfast is Bucks Fizz, coco pops and orange matchmakers
and afternoon hot chocolates
sometimes have Bailey’s in, sometimes not?
We celebrate in our own ways.

I’ve always enjoyed Christmas
ever since I watched letters with burnt edges
float up the chimney as a child
when Dudley Moore was a runaway elf
and presents spilled from tree to settee
and the whole family was happy and together.

Christmas is my time of year
let’s celebrate together
all in our own ways.

————

Thanks for taking the time to read my poem.

Take It Easy

Paul