TIP JAR ZINE COMES TO LIFE!

Tip Jar Zine is officially printed and finished, and here it is! Really looking forward to selling the first issue at Nottingham Zine Fair, this saturday 11am to 4pm at the Hopkinson Gallery! ANNA

THE ZINE MAKING PROCESS

What making a zine is all about! Nearly finished here though! ANNA

TIP JAR HAS THE EDGE

After researching a number of food and restaurant review websites, including www.foodreviewed.com, www.reviewcentre.com and www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/reviews, we soon found that visually they were quite harsh and formal, as can be seen in the image above. With our zine we wanted a more home-made aesthetic, which would include colloquial language and that would be visually pleasing. It would be something that people could keep on their kitchen shelf, for when they don't feel like cooking (for us this is pretty much all the time) and want to dine out! Our zine would be a keep-sake, and for this reason would stand out from other food reviews.

ANNA

NOTTINGHAM GREEN FESTIVAL

Nottingham’s only green event runs annually and is the event that brings everything that is wholesome and healthy for you to Nottingham's Arboretum. This years event is bigger and better than ever having over 100 product, information and food stalls, kids rides, workshops, alternative therapies and technologies, live performers, entertainments throughout the park, live music bands performing from the bandstand and Veggies Catering nearby.

After visiting Alley Cafe Bar, and trying the healthy range of vegetarian and vegan food that they offer, we feel this event is a great way to introduce the people of Nottingham to the great food that is on offer all over the city, something that we also intend to do with our zine!

ANNA

PUT AN EGG ON IT!

We looked at another food zine, PUT AN EGG ON IT, for inspiration. We liked the bold, bright font which is quite childlike and gives an informal feel, as well as the mix of photography and cartoonish drawings with make it seems less commercial and has a handmade vibe.

NOTTINGHAM FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

The Nottingham Food and Drink Festival this year is a 12-day celebration of the fantastic Food and Drink offer in Nottingham City Centre.

We have spoken to all your favourite places to get them to craft some delicious special menus; these are all grouped into four different price categories that you can browse and make your selection from. The price categories are £10, £11-£15, £16- £25 and over £25. There’ll be no excuse not to eat out every day!

From the 30th June to the 3rd July Old Market Square will also feature a speciality Food and Drink Market with over 70 stalls for you to browse.

This annual event is something that we find very exciting as obviously WE HEART FOOD! Its showcases all the yummy eateries we have hear in Nottingham, and this year's festival should be just as exciting as ever! We can't wait to go out and try some more delicious food!

ANNA

MAKE SURE YOU COME TO THE ZINE FAIR!

The Tip Jar flyer/poster

ANNA

OUR VERY OWN TIP JAR!

ANNA

MUCH MORE INFO...

Dont forget to buy our zine at Hopkinson Gallery on 28th May at the Raw Print Zine Fair for so much more info on our irresistable restaurants as well as maps, offers, links to websites and photographs and illustrations..

AMAZING MILKSHAKE!!!!! DO NOT MISS...

We're missing home and our mums delicious homely food! So todays mission was find somewhere that offers tasty, fresh food thats homemade instead of a lot of the dishes you get in chain restaurants which dont have that wow factor as theres a suspicion they've just come out the microwave!
Homemade (that is actually the name of the restaurant) offered the most DELICIOUS MILKSHAKE ive ever had! Crushed brownies and hazelnut, it also featured chocolate sauce! And a mountain of whipped cream on top! Obviously not the option to go for if your on a diet but definatly try once. AMAZING!

AWARDS, AWARDS, AWARDS...

Heres a link to the Delilahs website, the restaurant has won 'Best Deli/Cafe' four years running in the Nottingham Best Restaurant awards.

http://www.delilahfinefoods.co.uk/index.asp

LIGHT LUNCH IN THE ALMOST SUNSHINE...

Altough the british weather may not be up to scratch, a light lunch in the outdoors is always tempting after a long day of lectures indoors!
We stubbled across a quaint fine foods delicatessen which also has an outside dining area. Watch out for a slight invasion of pidgens though that seem to fly in and out. There was also another strange aspect to dining at Delilahs but you ll have to buy Tip Jar Zine on 28th May from Hopkinson Gallery to find out what that is as well as our reviews on the menu. Fine foods or not so much??

OSTRICH? IN A BURGER? RANDOM!

Those were my exact thoughts, when i heard about 'I love Ostrich', as this is literally all they sell! Apparently ostrich is the healthiest meat in the world, due to it's very low fat content, and while I was in Nottingham city centre the other day I thought 'what the hell, lets give it a try!' Before doing this, I personally had heard some quite negative reviews about the food, with ostrich disagreeing with a couple of people's stomachs! So with a little caution I ordered a ostrich burger from the counter with toppings of cheese and rocket. All toppings are 50p however many you have, and there are nice selection to choose from including Jack Daniels soaked onions! I went for cheese and rocket as I thought it might mask the taste of the ostrich enough if i didn't enjoy it!

However I was very pleasantly suprised, it tastes like a regular beef burger! At one point while eating it I actually thought I had just paid for an expensive beef burger, but I was assured it was ostrich, although it wasn't too pricey anyway, with a drink it came to £5! It was really nice and worked well with my chosen toppings!

I would definitely reccommend trying this at least once as it was really very tasty. This is more of a takeaway lunch time place I would suggest, with the counter almost on the street and with only a few seats outside and a few more upstairs! Also it is only served on a napkin!

FINDING YOUR WAY...

So you can visit Ropewalk yourself, and don't have to venture through the graveyard in order to find it! here is a link to Google Maps to help you locate it! ANNA

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=google%20maps&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7ADBF_en-GB&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl

A WALK TO ROPEWALK...

So we were on the hunt for traditional pub food. Somehow we ended walking through a graveyard on our search, not sure what we thought we would find there, but after our trek, we came across Ropewalk! What caught our attention was the sign outside offering two main meals for £11, bargain! We went inside and the interior, although quite dark, is really interesting and quite unusual, with parts of the restaurant hidden away behind archways, it has a underground but cosy feel! (If that makes any sense!!) After browsing the menu, we ordered our food at the bar, and decided to get something off the main menu rather than the £11 one, as there was just so much yummy food we wanted to try, and still at very reasonable prices!

For the meat eaters go for the breaded chicken covered with salsa and mozzerella, and although it is served with new potatoes, treat yourself and ask for chips instead! The chips still have their skins on, and you will not be disappointed! They are best chips I have had in a while! ANNA

GOOD OLD PUB GRUB...

You're hungry, you want something filling and wholesome, you want pub grub. To be honest I have this feeling most days so now we're on a hunt for tasty, traditional english pub food.

TAKE A LOOK YOURSELF...

Heres a link to Jaimes delicious food menu

http://www.jamieoliver.com/italian/food-menu

ENOUGH ABOUT THE BUILDING WHAT ABOUT THE FOOD...

Now I've got over how cute the building is, onto the food. The pumpkin panzerotti is delicious for vegetarians, with Home-made pasta filled with roasted pumpkin, ricotta and Parmesan served with crushed ameretti. Yum!

So for the meat-eaters of this world why not try the Prawn Linguine; pan fried garlicky prawns with tomatoes, chilli, rocket and fennel. Was a really tasty light lunch, although the linguine was a tad difficult to eat so avoid this option if your with some you are trying impress! Not attractive!

For starters, try the Brushetta: Chargrilled ciabatta rubbed with garlic, drizzled with olive oil and topped oven dried tomatoes cooked with basil, garlic and creamy ricotta. Although really full of flavour it was not too filling before a main meal! Although the ricotta to tomato ratio was a little off, i felt it needed less cheese and more tomatoes, but for cheese fans this is a must try!

This lunch wasn't a cheap option however, and although it was delicious it depends how much value for money you are looking for, and how highly you would rate Jamie Oliver! ANNA

JAMIES ITALIAN...

Next to Paul Smith and looking like a Victorian townhouse Jamies Italian is THE cutest restaurant Ive ever been to. With a warm, homely atmosphere and decor that feel fresh and like a marketstall.

A review of Jamies Italian Nottingham says: "Caves, colour themed dining rooms and a building stepped in history make this restaurant a pretty exciting addition to the Jamies Italian family and a stunning backdrop for anyone wanting to enjoy beautiful, simple, rustic Italian food."

This is the perfect place for lunch with the parents as we all know when coming to visit they usually love somewhere visually appealing and the usual student restaurants are too noisy and "full of burgers and junk food" haha.

LUNCH WITH THE PARENTS...

So my parents are always coming to visit in Nottingham as they miss me so much obvs :) we always end up going to the same places though. We're on the hunt again, this time for a quiet restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere and tasty food. Any ideas???

MEAT EATING IN PITCHER AND PIANO....

So for the meat eaters, the Pitcher and Piano platter really does offer a whole host of options in a Tapas style of dining but with dishes inspired from all over the world, including some British favourites. The breaded mushrooms and potato skins are very yummy comforting food, while the samosa bowl and accompaning sweet chilli dip is simply divine. However, what really intrigued me was the scampi and chips option, I simply had to order it! How could this type of meal be served as one part of a larger platter? Well I wasn't disappointed, served in a bowl with Tartar sauce on the side, it was proper classic food at it's best! The portion sizes are also very generous! ANNA

LUNCH IN A CHURCH? ...

A converted church. Pitcher and Piano ,although quite dark inside is a quiet, relaxed place for lunch, that has to be said looks amazing inside and out. The church features really make an impact.

Perfect option on the menu...grazing plater. If you cant decide on just one meal why not have 3? Share with a friend and pick three small meals for £11.50 and incorporate your favourite foods into a lunch time feast. You can also get two meals for £7.50 but why would when the food is this good!

On the veggi front the brushetta with slow roasted tomatoes and brie was delicious! My favourite was the grilled garlic ciabatta with lemon and coriander hummus and olive oil and balsamic vinegar! Im getting hungry writing this..

SHARING WITH FRIENDS...

We're on the hunt. Two friends in Nottingham looking for somewhere with yummy food, for a lite lunch and a catch up

HERE WE GO...

Tip Jar Zine. Because WE HEART FOOD! We'll be visiting a variety of different eateries in Notts in the next few weeks and letting you know where the top places are for any occassion...