The New Arrivals (June 2004)
This is an archived article from 2004.
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Natural selection is always at work in the restaurant game with venues opening and closing on a regular basis. Some places, though, seem to see a little more action than is healthy and if you are a frequent Poulton diner you could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at the fun and games at the former Lawdy's (now Bedd) on Hardhorn Road. In a relatively short space of time, the upper floor has been home to Mammas, Serdrianos, La Piazza, and most recently Camasitos and the Indian Buffet. With the latter two no longer trading, the merry-go-round looks set to continue. Let's hope that some of the other new arrivals on the Fylde dining scene have a longer shelf life.
Italians generally do well locally and Caffé Luigi (pictured above) at Wrea Green's Ribby Hall Village looks set for success. It's housed in the main site building and is split into two areas - a bistro overlooking the pool area where you can choose from pizza, pasta, burgers and other light bites and the more upmarket ristorante pizzeria with a more substantial menu and an all-Italian wine list. Caffé Luigi is part of the Hilton Leisure group with sister restaurants across Lancashire including Papa Luigis in Wigan and Euston, Francos in Longridge, Verdes in Lancaster and Tiggis and Gibees bar in Blackburn. Ribby Hall itself also has a French restaurant -- La Maison Rouge.
Lorenzos in Freckleton used to be the home of Caravela, the area's only Portuguese restaurant. Now it's in the hands of the Lorenzinis, who ran an Italian restaurant (Arcobaleno) in Lytham. Wife Sue is chef and trained in Italy with celebrity chef Roberto Crescini. Dishes like Pollo Fantastico (Chicken supreme stuffed with mushrooms encased in pancetta, champagne sauce, £11.90) you won't find elsewhere and many of the mains here are a little more upmarket and sophisticated than you might expect from your typical neighbourhood Italian.
On the outskirts of Blackpool, heading towards the motorway off School Lane, is a new carvery restaurant, Buffalo Bills. Housed in what was a garden centre, the restaurant has an American theme with flags outside and a contemporary feel to the dining area. The menu offers steaks, salads, soups, chicken, ribs - even a half-yard kebab - but the big draw is the carvery with five different meats available. Buffalo Bills is open 7 days a week from 8am until 12 midnight.
Who would have thought that a Japanese restaurant would flourish locally but two of them opened within a week of each other last November. Both offer the theatrical and social teppanyaki style where diners congregate around the grill station watching expert chefs prepare the food to order. Yamato is in St Annes and Tapan Yaki in Poulton and both make for a very different night out to the norm. If you're feeling extra adventurous, sample some sashimi or sushi off the a la carte menus and wash it all down with hot or cold sake.
Poulton also has a new Chinese restaurant, China Red. It's a modern and sumptuous venue, far from your typical neighbourhood affair and more akin to something you might find in Manchester. It can seat 120 and the décor features wooden floors, spotlighting, even a koi carp pool. It's always busy but if you can, try and snag one of the luxurious booths with their mustard leather seats. Their Plum Beef (£8.50) is a speciality. In a similar vein, Michaels is a modern new Indian that's opened up in Thornton on Fleetwood Road North. With its low ceiling, subtle spotlighting, cream interior, leather chairs, and linen tablecloths and napkins, you can dine here in some style. Interestingly, there's a pizza menu and a kids menu which make Michaels a good choice for parties that aren't all necessarily partial to spicy food.
Another modern new venue is Sugar Sugar in Cleveleys. Right opposite Pulcinella, it's a new venture by comedian and singer Joey Blower. Spread over two floors, with floor-to-ceiling windows, there's a bar downstairs and modern British restaurant above. It promises to be a real fillip for the Cleveleys dining scene, adding the kind of hip, cosmopolitan venue that even Blackpool struggles to provide. Blackpool does have a welcome new addition on Topping Street in the form of AJs Bistro (view a 360 movie). Serving modern British cuisine with a Med twist, it's candlelit and a cut above some of the local competition. AJs makes a point of catering to customers with special dietary requirements, and if you do come under this category it's one of the only local restaurants where you can be assured of special treatment by chefs that are used to dealing with these kind of requests.
Hot off the press, a new American diner-style restaurant is opening in St Annes. It's a sister restaurant to Antonios At The Island and housed in the same seafront building. Hollywood & Dine is movie-themed, with film stills on the walls, and will offer ribs, chicken and upmarket burgers.
Read More Features: Pub Food In The Fylde (2009) | The Hastings (2009) | Locanda Bragagnini (2008) | Exploring The Food Chain (2008) | Septembers (2007) | In The Know Where To Go (2007) | Twelve (2007) | The Bistro Experience (2007) | What's New For Fylde Diners (2006) | Chicory (2006) | Dining With The Stars (2006) | Gurkha Buffet (2006) | Where To Have A Party (2006) | Fylde Rugby Club (2005) | Three New Italians For The Fylde (2005) | Where To Eat By The Sea (2005) | Dining Choices Along The M55 (2005) | Whelans (April 2005) | Breaking The Mould (April 2005) | Michaels (Febuary 2005) | A Michelin Tour Of Lancashire (Febuary 2005) | The Gastrotourist (December 2004) | Bar Culture Comes To Town (December 2004) | Joya (October 2004) | Where To Eat In Warton And Freckleton (October 2004) | Fish & Chips, The Nation's Favourite (August 2004) | The Villa (August 2004) | Frankie & Benny's (June 2004) | The New Arrivals (June 2004) - The Italian Orchard (May 2004) | Where To Eat In Kirkham (May 2004) | The Gastrotourist (April 2004) | Indian Food In The Fylde (March 2004) | La Mezzaluna (March 2004) | Twelve (February 2004) | Fylde's Romantic Rendevous (February 2004) | The Atrium (January 2004) | Clifton Arms Hotel (December 2003) | Winter Warmers (December 2003) | Samurai Nights (November 2003) | Morena (November 2003) | Dangerous Liaisons (October 2003) | The Derby Arms (October 2003) | County Country Carvery (September 2003) | The Business Lunch (September 2003) | The Choice Is Yours (August 2003) | The Gastrotourist (August 2003) | Casa Verde (July 2003) | Where To Eat In Fleetwood (July 2003) | Bistro Gerry (June 2003) | Eating Al Fresco (June 2003) | Portofino (May 2003) | Thai Food On The Fylde (May 2003) | Eating Out Over Wyre (April 2003) | Rigby's Farmhouse (April 2003) | Terry's Balti House (March 2003) | In Search Of The X Factor (March 2003) | Great Fortune House (February 2003) | A Grand Night Out (February 2003) | Censored (January 2003) | Banthai (December 2002) | Simply The Best? (December 2002) | Dining With A Difference (November 2002) | Italian Food In The Fylde (October 2002) | Where To Eat Out In St. Annes (September 2002) | The Park Brasserie (August 2002) | A Room With A View (August 2002) | Chinese Food In The Fylde (July 2002) | Jack's Bistro (July 2002) | Where To Eat Out in Thornton-Cleveleys (June 2002) | The Red Fort (June 2002) | Set For Summer: 10 Fylde Country Pubs (May 2002) | Kwizeen (May 2002) | Where To Eat Out In Lytham (April 2002) | Tolley's Ryecroft Hall (April 2002) | The Best Hotel Dining In The Fylde (March 2002) | The Plough At Eaves (January 2002) | Greens Bistro (February 2002) | Where To Eat Out In Poulton (February 2002)
