This weeks “louder then the rest” tunes:
- Fishbone – Change
- House of Pain – Jump Around
- Wolfmother – California Queen
- Queens of the Stone Age – The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
- Dr. John – Jump Sturdy
Songs of the Week 17.07.2016
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Food Quest: Chez Jules, Chester
Chez Jules, Chester
OK, so I have to admit: French food is not really my thing. I love France, having travelled there many times, but other than the fabled Croque Monsieur I could take or leave the grub. Or most Northern European food, for that matter. Typically, I much prefer more exotic fare.
I was to be pleasantly surprised by Chez Jules, however.
The restaurant has been offering French meals for many years, though I have never visited before. I was tagging along in a family party. Chez Jules was immediately impressive with its continental style and warm welcome.
We were visiting on a Tuesday evening, when Chez Jules offers a pretty unbeatable offer: two courses and a bottle of wine for just £17.50 each. That’s a whole bottle of wine, to myself. With two courses of food. Absolutely crazy.
The menu changes regularly, but appears to offer a wide variety of temptations. For my entrees, I opted for pork rillettes, served with caramalised onion chutney and toasted French bread. That didn’t mean much to me, but I can tell you I was reminded of pate in style. As always with pate, I ran short of toast – however the excellent staff had provided bread for the table, so I hoovered that up as well. Fantastic start.
For the main, or “plats de resistance”, I ordered a pork, apricot and sage roulade, with potato puree and red wine jus. Think along the lines of a little dome of pulled pork. This was an exceptionally tasty centre for my meal. “Jus” turns out to be like gravy, which was a bit of a relief as I was slurping the (very good!) red wine too easily. I think I was worried that Chez Jules would realise their offer was ridiculous and would want their wine back.
The main courses were accompanied by vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, carrots etc) – plenty to be shared amongst us. This was the only part of the meal that left me under whelmed – I’ve never been a fan of vegetables of this type. No fun at all.
However such is the standard of French (and English) food, so to be scathing here would be like complaining in a Mexican restaurant that they don’t do fish’n’chips. Plus the dauphinoise potatoes were pretty fine.
To finish my meal off, I couldn’t resist a dessert. I had a chocolate and raspberry confection – it was like a mousse – served with creme fraiche. This was new to the menu, me being the guinea pig. And I could have pigged out all day on this, it was wonderful!
My visit to Chez Jules left me very happy and somewhat surprised. The food, though not my personal choice, turned out to be extremely good. The Tuesday night deal was unbelievable value and the staff were professional, yet friendly and down to earth. I would definitely visit again.
Food Quest Test
- Food: Confusing menu choices but you can’t go wrong – very tasty. Even the vegetables!
- Drink: I drank red wine. No complaints what so ever. Bargain.
- Service: Professional and friendly.
- Cost: Go on a Tuesday. Surely the best value ever?!
Chez Jules, 71 Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2HQ
01244 400014
The Chez Jules website is here.
Songs of the Week 10.07.2016
Here are five more tunes that stood out from my listening over the last week. Enjoy!
- Johnny Cash – Bigfoot
- Ramones – Psycho Therapy
- Jimi Hendrix Experience – Stone Free
- Public Enemy – 911 is a Joke
- The Presidents of the United States of America – Lump
Songs of the Week 03.07.216
Presenting a new feature at the Virtual Hot Tub, my Songs of the Week. Each week, I will pick five songs that I’ve enjoyed listening to over the last seven days, and share them here for your enjoyment.
Now I listen to probably hundreds of songs in any one week, so choosing just five won’t be easy. Each track will have stood out for some reason or other – perhaps it was poignant, perhaps relating to something going on in my life. Most likely it will just be a proper banging tune that I’ve loved.
This is intended to be a regular weekly feature, but we’ll see how that goes. It’s not easy running this Virtual Hot Tub, you know.
Here’s the five for week ending 03/07/2016:
- Devo – Gut Feeling
- The Donnas – It’s On The Rocks
- The Doors – You’re Lost Little Girl
- Alice Cooper – Generation Landslide
- Cypress Hill – Can’t Get the Best of Me
There you go – five killer tracks. No explanations necessary. Unless the multitudes of readers want to know why songs are chosen, then I’ll reconsider.
For now – keep rockin’.
Root Beer
I remember the glory days; back in the late 1980’s, when we used to be able to buy root beer in McDonald’s. We used to go skateboarding, and always choose root beer to accompany our meal if ever we went to Ronald’s.
But root beer proved too bizarre a taste for the staid British market, and soon enough it was impossible to buy any from Maccies. Around that time, I embarked on a long personal veto on visiting the burger clown (for several reasons, not just the drinks).
Eventually root beer started cropping up in some super markets, and with the arrival of American sweet shops cans of the stuff were available again. It was like repealing prohibition, but prices were high. 
Root beer is essentially a non-alcoholic (despite the name) fizzy drink. It’s never quite translated well over here, unlike many of it’s soda compatriots.
To be fair, it is something of an acquired taste. I’ve previously described root beer as tasting similar to Dandelion & Burdock with a whiff of Germolene. It’s often compared to mouthwash.
Yet I (and many of my friends) have developed a love of the sweet fizzy stuff. Perhaps it’s the thrill of the rare and exotic. More likely, it the fact that root beer was featured in US comics, films and TV – so just like Twinkies they became a part of a fascinating pop culture.
And don’t forget that classic British skate punk band The Stupids were known to refer to it (see “Root Beer Death” on the Van Stupid album).
Top of the crop is A&W Root Beer. I remember trying this for the first time on my trips to the USA some while ago. I probably tried a few different brands, but this is the only one I recall. This brew is smooth, not too fizzy and not too sweet. Unfortunately it’s usually only available at a premium price from specialist sweet shops. 
A cheaper option, also from a US sweet shop, was the Day’s root beer. This only came in at just under a quid. However, it’s not quite the quality drink that A&W offer.
Another choice is Carters Refreshing Root Beer. This can be purchased much more cheaply, in packs of six from your local Asda. However, this version is cloyingly sweet to the novice, and not as mellow a taste. Still, for the price and ease of purchase it’s worth checking out.
So there you have it: a synopsis of my love of root beer. An under appreciated and derided beverage, it beats a cup of tea any day. ‘Cos I hate tea, me.
Cool Car Pics
It’s about time for some action in the Motors section. So here are a couple of photos I took at the recent Wales Comic Con in Wrexham.
First up is a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, which I’m guessing was in attendance due it’s appearance in Smokey and the Bandit. It’s an iconic car, and an old favourite of mine. Probably had a Matchbox toy of this one, long ago.
Then we have got Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from Transformers. Bumblebee is a very nice yellow Chevrolet Camaro. I’m not a huge Transformers fan, but seeing these vehicles was pretty cool.
Hope you enjoy the pics!
Pontiac Firebird
Camaro
Trans Am
Apologies for any inaccuracies in my descriptions!
Florence: the Jukebox
Forget using your super smart, internet enabled portable phone as a means of playing music. And forget iPods, too – sadly the swines at Apple have decided to sacrifice their master product, in order to concentrate on their vile mutant phone. My mate Greeny has a much better music playing machine than any of those.
Greeny has a jukebox.
The jukebox is named Florence. After Florence and the Machine, as she’s a machine, obviously. Florence stands proudly in the corner of the lounge, neither dominating the room or sitting back like a wall flower. But Florence has presence: when the lights are on and the tunes are spinning, you will be drawn magnetically to this wondrous device.
He’s been collecting 7 inch singles since he were a lad, has Greeny. Now Florence is a treasure trove packed full of delightful vinyl gems. There’s a wild variety of musical genres in Florence, spanning the decades. She’s regularly re-stocked and/or has the records switched out and replaced with others, keeping the music selection fresh and entrancing.
Florence holds around 84 records. Don’t forget that there’s a song on side A and B, so that’s a generous amount of music to enjoy.
It’s a lot of fun gathering around the jukebox in Greeny’s front room, with a few beers and spinning some records. I would love one of my own, one day – though they cost a few hundred quid, so it’s unlikely. I’m collecting a few cool 7 inch singles just in case, though…
Here’s a list of the records that are currently stocked inside Florence. Remember Greeny has to rotate the records, as he has far more than this! Which songs would you choose to play?
And if you’re interested, this jukebox is a Rowe AMI RI-3.
The tracks:
- AC/DC – a. Dirt Deeds Done Dirt Cheap/Big Balls b. The Jack
- Billy Paul – a. Me & Mrs Jones b. Your Song
- Blind Melon – a. No Rain b. No Bidness/I Wonder
- Blondie – a. Rapture b. Walk Like Me
- Blue Swede – a. Hooked On a Feeling b. Never My Love
- Bob Dylan – a. Subterranean Homesick Blues b. She Belongs To Me
- Bruce Springsteen – a. 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On) b. Part Man, Part Monkey
- Catatonia – a. Road Rage b. I’m Cured
- Chris Isaak – a. Wicked Game b. Cool Cat Walk
- Crash Test Dummies – a. Afternoons & Coffeespoons b. In the Days of the Caveman (Live)
- Creedence Clearwater Revival – a. Bad Moon Rising b. Lodi
- DNA feat. Suzanne Vega – a. Tom’s Diner b. Acapella
- Duran Duran – a. The Wild Boys b. (I’m Looking For) Cracks in the Pavement (1984)
- Echo & The Bunnymen – a. The Killing Moon b. Do It Clean
- Elton John – a. Tiny Dancer b. Daniel
- Elvis Presley – a. Suspicious Minds b. You’ll Think of Me
- Everything Everything – a. Cough Cough b. A.D.
- Faith No More – a. I’m Easy b. Be Aggressive
- Fleetwood Mac – a. Oh Well (Part 1) b. Oh Well (Part 2)
- Florence & The Machine – a. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) b. Are You Hurting
- Franz Ferdinand – a. Take Me Out b. Truck Stop
- Glen Campbell – a. Wichita Lineman b. Back in the Race
- Guns’n’Roses – a. Patience b. Rocket Queen
- Huey Lewis & The News – a. The Power of Love b. Do You Believe in Love?
- Ian Dury & The Blockheads – a. Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick b. There Ain’t Half Been
- Iggy Pop – a. Lust For Life b. Home
- Jimi Hendrix – a. Purple Haze b. Foxy Lady
- Joan Jett – a. I Love Rock’n’Roll b. The French Song
- Johnny Cash – a. A Boy Named Sue b. Folsom Prison Blues
- Journey – a. Don’t Stop Believin’ b. Natural Thing
- Julee Cruise – a. Falling b. Twin Peaks Theme
- Kate Bush – a. Running Up That Hill b. Under The Ivy
- Katrina & The Waves – a. Walking On Sunshine b. Going Down to Liverpool
- Kiss – a. God Gave Rock’n’Roll To You II b. Junior’s Gone WIld
- Led Zeppelin – a. Rock and Roll b. Four Sticks
- Lemonheads – a. Mrs. Robinson b. Being Around
- Lenny Kravitz – a. Always On The Run b. Instrumental
- Live – a. I Alone b. Pain Lies On The Riverbed
- Lou Reed – a. Walk On The Wild Side b. Perfect Day
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – a. Freebird b. Sweet Home Alabama/Double Trouble
- Magazine – a. Shot By Both Sides b. My Mind Ain’t So Open
- Neil Young – a. My My, Hey Hey b. Hey Hey, My My
- Nena – a. 99 Red Balloons b. Ich Bleib Im Bett
- New Order – a. Blue Monday b. Beach Buggy
- Norman Greenbaum – a. Spirit in the Sky b. Milk Cow
- Otis Redding – a. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay b. Respect/Mr. Pitiful
- Paul Simon – a. You Can Call Me Al b. Gumboots
- Powder – a. Afrodisiac b. Shave Me
- Prince – a. When Doves Cry b. 17 Days
- Propaganda – a. Duel b. Jewel
- Queen – a. Don’t Stop Me Now b. In Only Seven Days
- R.E.M. – a. Crush With Eyeliner b. Instrumental
- Regina Spektor – a. Fidelity b. Music Box
- Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – a. It Takes Two b. Instrumental
- Rolling Stones – a. Gimme Shelter b. Sympathy for the Devil
- Roxy Music – a. Virginia Plain b. The Numberer
- Spitting Image – a. The Chicken Song b. (I’ve Never Met) A Nice South African
- Stealers Wheel – a. Stuck in the Middle b. Jose
- Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – a. Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me) b. Another Journey
- Stevie Wonder – a. Superstition b. You’ve Got It Bad Girl
- Stone Temple Pilots – a. Plush b. Sin
- Super Furry Animals – a. Northern Lites b. Rabid Dog
- Supergrass – a. Richard III b. Nothing More’s Gonna Get In My Way
- Talk Talk – a. It’s My Life b. Does Caroline Know
- The Babys – a. Isn’t It Time b. Give Me Your Love
- The Beatles – a. Hey Jude b. Revolution
- The Breeders – a. Cannonball b. Divine Hammer
- The Buggles – a. Video Killed the Radio Star b. Kid Dynamo
- The Doors – a. Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) c. Take It As It Comes
- The Housemartins – a. Happy Hour b. The Mighty Ship
- The Kinks – a. You Really Got Me b. All Day and All of the Night
- The Knack – a. My Sharona b. Let Me Out
- The Mamas & The Papas – a. California Dreamin’ b. Somebody Groovy
- The Smiths – a. How Soon is Now? b. Well I Wonder
- The Trashmen – a. Surfin’ Bird b. Liar Liar
- The Undertones – a. Teenage Kicks b. Emergency Cases
- The Who – a. Who Are You b. Had Enough
- Tori Amos – a. Cornflake Girl b. Sister Janet
- T-Rex – a. Jeepster b. Life’s a Gas
- U2 – a. Stay (Far Away, So Close) b. I’ve Got You Under My Skin
- Van Halen – a. Why Can’t This Be Love b. Get Up
- Vic Reeves & Wonderstuff – a. Dizzy b. Oh Mr. Hairdresser
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs – a. Maps b. Countdown/Miles Away
Another Random Skateboard Playlist
Repetitive, moi?
I love lists. These random playlists serve no purpose other than to remind me of music that’s buried away in my iTunes, waiting to be rediscovered. One song leads to another; one band creates a ripple effect leading to another needing to be heard again.
I was out on the longboard this time, on a beautiful sunny afternoon. I didn’t have long, however, before other commitments would tear me away. Here are a few songs chosen at random by my iPod as the skate soundtrack that day.
- King Crimson – “Happy With What You Have to be Happy With”
- Senseless Things – “Watching the Pictures Go”
- Neck – “The Star of the County Down”
- Soul Asylum – “String of Pearls”
- Johnny Dowd – “True Love”
- Sonic Youth – “Creme Brulee”
- Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Christine”
- Siouxsie & The Banshees – “Peek-a-Boo”
- Nuclear Assault – “Live, Suffer, Die”
- Rolling Stones – “19th Nervous Breakdown”
- Shirley Bassey – “Reach for the Stars”
- Jimmy Eat World – “Cautioners”
Well, two different Siouxsie and the Banshees tracks, from different albums, one after the other. Most strange. Great songs, though.
I remember really enjoying the Stones track; the Shirley Bassey number was a bit out of the blue. But then, random is what this game’s all about.
Till next time, groovers!
Food Quest: To Koutouki, Chester
To Koutouki, Chester
Well Mrs Platinum Al and I deserved a night out, so we packed off the little ‘un to Grandma and Grandpa and headed off to Chester. A table was booked at a new restaurant in town called To Koutouki, and we were both very excited to try it out.
After years of proclaiming that Chester really needed a Greek restaurant, I was delighted to see, whilst on a recent shopping trip, that the miracle had happened. Sat at the end of Foregate Street, out of the blue, was To Koutouki – obviously a Greek Taverna, the blue chairs resting outside gave it away. 
On entering, we were shown to our table upstairs, where the Greek style decor added a real holiday ambience. Think blue chairs, Greek music and photos of the islands and you’re on you’re way…
We were given some very nice mixed olives and some iced water to begin with. Drinks were a fairly easy choice for us – the ever reliable Kourtaki retsina and a bottle of Mythos for me!
Service was friendly and very quick, it wasn’t long before our starters arrived. My good lady ordered saganaki – a fried cheese. I had a try and it was exquisite! My own starter was white bait, or maridaki, which was also excellent – a real Mediterranean style dish that reminded me of warmer climes! Though small, I chickened out of eating the whole of the fish at first – leaving the heads on the plate. The waiter advised me to gulp the lot down – which I did! No problem at all, give it a go!
The main courses were very soon with us, and we were in for a treat. My lovely companion had chosen kotopoulo kokkinisto, a delicious chicken caserole which was served with rice. I was allowed to have a try, and it was very, very good indeed. I’ve never had this meal before, and would definitely order it on a return visit.
For my own main, I chose one of my favourite dishes- pastitsio. This is a baked pasta dish, with beef mincemeat and bechamel sauce, served like a slice of lasagne, but less sloppy. I’ve had pastitsio in Greece, and the To Koutouki version was simply excellent. Cooked perfectly, I was very impressed as pastitsio isn’t always readily available when we visit our favourite tavernas in Parga, let alone Chester!
Kotopoulo Kokkinisto
Pastitsio
Drinks
Finally, to finish off we chose some desserts. Mrs Platinum Al had portokalopita – a yoghurt cake with orange syrup (had a cheeky try, very nice). I ordered the classic baklava, with a little ice cream, which was fantastic. We both had a Metaxa brandy to bring things to a close.
To Koutouki was a great experience, excellent food and great service made a memorable meal and we can’t wait to visit again. This little taverna has managed to create an authentic Greek feel and welcome, with delicious food that demands a return visit. Highly recommended!
Food Quest Test
- Food: Extensive menu of traditional Greek favourites, expertly created and delicious too!
- Drink: All the classics are on offer
- Service: Excellent and friendly
- Cost: Very reasonable for Chester City Centre!
Greek Taverna “To Koutouki”, 112 Foregate Street, Chester CH1 1HB
01244 951725
The To Koutouki website is here.
The To Koutouki Facebook page is here.
Random Skateboard Playlist
It’s been a long while since I shared a random playlist with you.
I recently went out for a skate, split between riding my Mindless longboard and spending some time on a classic old school Santa Cruz Street Creep. Whilst skating around, I switched the iPod onto shuffle and these are the tunes I heard.
- Dead Kennedys – “Moon Over Marin”
- Steppenwolf – “Live Your Life”
- Little Richard – “I Don;t Know What You’ve Got, But It’s Got Me (Parts 1 & 2)”
- Motorhead – “Back At The Funny Farm”
- Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Gimme Three Steps”
- Orange Goblin – “Hounds Ditch”
- Rod Stewart – “True Blue”
- Wire – “I Am The Fly”
- The Wildhearts – “In Lilly’s Garden”
- Hypnos 69 – “My Journey To The Stars”
- Monster Magnet – “Slut Machine”
- Iggy Pop – “New Values”
- The Charlie Daniels Band – “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”
- Sisters of Mercy – “More”
Not a bad selection by the iPod there.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 