The Ten Great Restaurant Swindles - not at Intimo though - we guarantee it!

We were interested in a report issued this week on the Ten Greatest Restaurant Swindles.

1. Sea bass or not?

Once cooked, the prime fillet of sea bass can be hard to identify – and there are many lookalike, imposter species being dressed up as the original. Among the counterfeit fish recently identified in Britain's kitchens by local authorities were the Patagonian toothfish – which is often sold under the moniker of "sea bass".

Intimo Sea Bass is ... Sea Bass. Guaranteed!!

2. Plastic salads

Supermarket bagged salads are full of additives, deteriorate rapidly, and have been vilified as an environmental disaster. But while it may be acceptable to crack open a bag in the comfort of your own home, there's no excuse for serving the stuff in a restaurant. But most pub chains do use pre-prepared salad to garnish their burgers and fries.

Our kitchen is crammed with rael, fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers - honestly!!

3. Instant egg, and other powders in a packet

According to Government food policy officer Les Bailey, the appearance of the words " made from natural ingredients" on menus should set alarm bells ringing. The officer, who oversees trading standards in British restaurants, has heard of countless examples of the less work-intensive powdered egg being passed off as scrambled. Less common is powdered potato – often conspicuous by its ever-present lumps – but still passed off by crafty caterers as genuine mash.

Powdered Egg????? Michael would kill us!! Our eggs are laid by real hens!

4. Reformed ham, chicken or scampi

It's common for eateries to pass off scampi tails glued together with additives as "scampi" pieces. They can even be minced scampi that has been breaded. This is " reformed scampi", a turn-off for menu-writers.

Reformed? NO!!!!!

5. When "organic" equals factory-farmed

Foodies love organic meat, and are willing to pay vastly inflated prices in the belief that it's healthier and tastes better. But not every restaurant plays by the rules. In December, a Notting Hill eaterie frequented by Kate Moss, Robbie Williams and Kylie Minogue was fined £7,500 for falsely claiming that meat it was using was organic.

When we do say Organic, we mean organic. But more often than not we serve honest to goodness meat. And we cook it well too!


6. Dodgy drinks

Drinks can account for half a typical restaurant bill, so it's little surprise that canny outlets use every trick in the book to increase their margins. Always check that the label on your wine bottle tallies with the menu – cheaper vintages are often substituted in the hope that a diner won't notice.

Check our wine list - it does what it says on the tin.

7. The fishy business of "wild" salmon

It is little wonder, given how many times we are told that farmed salmon is full of toxic nasties, that people are prepared to pay a fortune for the wild variety. However, research by the Food Standards Agency reveals that up to 15 per cent of fish labelled as "wild" is actually farmed. Its survey found that 10 per cent of "wild" sea bass on menus was farmed, rising to 11 per cent of sea bream and 15 per cent of salmon. The reason is purely financial. Farmed fish is much cheaper than wild: in markets wild salmon can cost £30 per kg, while the farmed variety can cost from just £4.20 per kg.

When we use Salmon, we always tell you the source. We sometimes use farmed salmon - which cooked right tastes just great and is priced reasonably to reflect its quality.

8. When "home cooked" means microwaved

The term " home-cooked" that is scrawled across many a pub chalkboard is meaningless. Ideally, steak-and-kidney pies, pasties and apple pies should be prepared on-site with enough genuine effort to be called " home-cooked ".

When we say home cooked, we mean home cooked. Period!

9. Boil-in-the-bag main course

The "pub grub" industry needs to produce reliable food, fast. Many outlets therefore resort to serving "boil-in-the-bag" main courses, which chefs tend to call " sous vide" – a nebulous (if gourmet-licious) term that literally translates as "in a vacuum". It is, for example, almost impossible to lay one's teeth on a freshly cooked lamb shank in UK pubs (including Mr Dancer's), because it can take up to five hours to cook. Boil-in-the-bag can be heated up in minutes.

Not even worth commenting on. Our competitors may - but we never use boil in the bag!

10. Line-caught lies

"Line-caught" conjures up images of an artisan fisher with a rod. What it actually means is that an ugly great trawler has crossed the ocean with several hundred yards of nylon and hooks hanging out the back, indiscriminately killing all sea life as well as the occasional albatross. Even then, line-caught fish is more expensive than farmed or netted alternatives, since it is normally fresher and its flesh firmer. Most consumers cannot taste the difference, and an estimated 5 per cent is mislabelled by disreputable outlets or suppliers.

We serve unpretentious food. So 'line caught doesn't enter the equation.

Christmas is coming!

We're really gearing up now for Christmas - and our Christmas Party menu is proving poular.

If you're looking for a great place to share your Christmas fun with friends, family or colleagues then you should look no further than Intimo.

Great food - unpretentious; great prices - good value; and a great atmosphere - warm and welcoming.

Just how restauarnts should be in our opinion.

So, what are you waiting for - book today!!

Think before you eat!

We saw an interesting article on the web yesterday. A foodie writer was suggesting that there are a number of questions you should ask of a restaurant before sitting down to eat.

Well, that's fine if you must be so intense – so we’ll put the questions to the Intimo test!

Here are the questions:

1. Does the restaurant use organic/local/fair trade produce?

Intimo tries wherever possible to use local and fresh produce.

2. Fast food is full of salt, sugar and fats – often twice the recommended daily amount.

We cook good food as quickly as we can – we don’t do Fast Food!

3. Is the food cooked fresh or microwaved?

Our food is cooked fresh and to order.

4. Are you looking for sparkling crystal and starched linen or plastic beakers and Formica tables?

Intimo does not do ‘pretentious! But we do believe in standards and quality – you’ll find our restaurant just about right!

5. Many burgers contain 48% chicken, water, beef fat, beef heart, rusk, starch, onion, salt, spices hydrolysed vegetable protein, etc – but no beef!

Then you’ve never eaten an Intimo Burger!!

6. Is the restaurant child-friendly?

We welcome well-behaved children for lunches, snacks or dinners.

7. Mark-up on wines can be as much as 400%.

All we can say is – not at Intimo!

8. Service charges are discretionary.

Absolutely - we couldn't agree more!

Salty scandal

An investigation into the culinary offerings of some of the UK's favourite fast food restaurants has found "shockingly high levels of salt in some family, individual, and children's meal options", which in many cases could result in children receiving well over their maximum daily recommended limit in just one sitting.

That's according to Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH), which surveyed a total of "346 individual food and drink items and 264 advertised meal combinations" from Burger King, KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut.

CASH cites the example of a family of four tucking into Pizza Hut's Cheesy Bites Meat Feast, one Medium Pan Super Supreme, one Garlic Bread, one Potato Wedges, one Saucy Chicken Wings (Buffalo), and four individual Madagasca Vanilla Cheesecakes. They would, the organisation claims, consume an astonishing 12.3g of salt each - "over twice the recommended daily maximum limit for an adult (6g), and almost two and a half times the limit for a seven to 10 year old (5g) in one meal".

Down at KFC, meanwhile, a Deluxe Boneless Box "shared between four could contain 5.2g of salt per person", which is "almost a whole day's salt limit for an adult and over the recommended maximum daily limit for a child".

Menus aimed specifically at kids fared little better. CASH probed 21 such menu items and 48 meal combinations. It reports: "The salt content of the meal combinations varied from 4.3g of salt in a Pizza Hut children's meal (nearly 50 per cent more than the 3g upper daily limit for a child of four to six years) to 0.6g in a McDonald's Happy Meal of chicken nuggets and a fruit bag."

Intimo has a novel approach to salt on it's customer's food.

You'll find it in a small pot on the table - just next to the pepper.

Here at Intimo we don't offer fancy promotional dealsor Family Fun Packs. Instead,we believe in providing good food, home cooked and at honest prices.

So, the next time you fancy taking the family for fast food - think again and come and try us.

Intimo - a breath of fresh air. With no salt added.

What planet do these people live on???

The 2008 Good Pub Food Guide has just been published and, according to these so-called experts, the price of pub food has soared to an average £20 for a two-course lunch and glass of wine.

What?

They also go on to say that unless pubs rein in their prices, they risk losing customers. According to them, the price of a pub main meal, such as steak and kidney pie, costs on average £10.50.

Well we don't know what planet these people live on - but one thing we can guarantee you - it doesn't need to cost anywhere near that at Intimo. Our current lunch menu boasts a range of great home cooked and home prepared food for just a fiver.


Yes, that's right - a fiver!

We've alos got a great range of meat, fish, pasta and salads to tempt you - and they'll cost you nowhere near £20 a head we can assure you!!

So what are you waiting for - why not try us out?

Christmas party bookings are now starting to come in - so don't forget to get your places booked asap. We'll be promoting our Christmas menus very shortly.

What a stink!

The introduction of the smoking ban in public places on July 1st has had a number of effects - some businesses claiming that they have lost business, others bemoaning the fact that the non smokers have still not returned in the numbers they promised to do prior to the legislation.

Here at Intimo, we retain a strictly neutral view of smoking believing that non smokers have the right to enjoy their food and drink in a smoke-free environment - and we cater for those who enjoy tobacco, with a seated area outside.

However, our eyebrows were raised when we saw a report in the paper over the weekend regarding pub smells. Apparently, some pubs are planning to pump in artificial scents to mask the smell of stale beer, sweat and drains that used to be disguised by cigarettes before the smoking ban.

The smell of ocean breeze and freshly cut grass are being tested by one major brewery in an effort to disguise the locker room aroma in some crowded venues on warm Friday and Saturday nights. One pub boss reports: “Appetising food smells have increased but others are less attractive, such as stale food and beer, damp, sweat and body odour, drains and — how do you put this nicely? — flatulence.”

So, do you still want to eat in your local pub????

Well, we can assure you that Intimo has a very pleasant smell indeed - the smell of good, honest, home cooked food!

But don't take our word for it - come along and try it out for yourself!

We're open for lunch and dinner and we'd love to see you!

Come and see a show

The White Rock Theatre in Hastings has some great shows lined up for the Autumn with a host of top stars due to appear.

Frank Skinner is in town on September 14th; in October, Dr Feelgood and Marty Wilde and the Wildcats appear; November sees top tribute bands Think Floyd and Abba Mania on stage whilst in December the traditional panto Sleeping Beauty begins its festive run.

Check the latest list of shows on the left - but do remember to check with the venue for more information.

(Left) Abba Mania at the White Rock Theatre, Hastings, November 30th

Remember, if you are visiting Hastings for a show, why not visit Intimo for your pre-show dinner?

Call us to reserve your table on 01424 439080.

A great Bank Holiday!

We enjoyed a good Bank Holiday Weekend with a great crowd of people visiting us over the three days - it was good to see old friends and some new ones enjoying our hospitality.

Mind you, you shouldn't wait for a holiday weekend to come and sample Intimo!

Smoking

Reports suggest that cigarette sales have dropped by almost 7% since the smoking ban was introduced in England in July.

We don't moralise at Intimo but we do support the right of our customers to enjoy their food and drink in a smoke-free atmosphere.

However, for those of our customers who do like to smoke, we have plenty of outdoor space with seating from which you can enjoy your tobacco.

So, with just a few days of summer remaining, why not pop down to the coast and see us for a great lunch, dinner or snack?

Bank Holiday Treats?

Forget the miserable summer we're having, why not come on down to the seaside this August Bank Holiday?


Hastings is a great place to bring the family with traditional seaside activities for everybody - all within walking distance too.


The Old Town of Hastings is quaint with some interesting shops worth a browse. Then, of course, the seafront is always worth a wander - with a fun fair for the youngsters and crazy golf for all the family.


And when you've walked up an appetite, why not come along and visit Intimo for a great Bank Holiday lunch, dinner or snack? We've a brand new specials menu being developed - and we'll bring you news of that right here very shortly.


And remember - don't worry about the weather - just make sure you're not hungry!!

Another reason to visit Hastings!

The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery has now re-opened following a £1 million refurbishment.

The Museum now boasts a variety of new features and exhibits including a retro exhibition of memorabilia recalling the infamous Mods v Rockers bank holiday clashes of the 1960's. included in this new exhibition is a replica of the iconic Mod emblem - the Lambretta scooter.

A brand new exhibit dedicated to John Logie Baird, who chose the town as the venue for the world's first ever TV broadcast, includes replica equipment used by Baird in that first historic broadcast.

The museum also features displays of the Hastings-born conservationist Grey Owl and Robert Tressell, author of ‘Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’, who spent time living in the town.

For more information on the newly refurbished Hastings Museum, including opening times and admission details, visit the Museums website.

Of course, after a morning spent viewing this fabulous new facility in the town - it's time for aspot of lunch.

And where better than Hastings favourite lunch spot - Intimo!

We look forward to seeing you!

Phew! What a start!

Welcome to the Intimo Blog.

It doesn't seem like five minutes since we opened up Intimo - a great new place to eat in the centre of Hastings. Time has flown by but we've alreday built up a loyal customer base - all attracted by good honest food at sensible prices.

You'll find all you need to know about Intimo right here - including how to find us and how to make a reservation.

Intimo is a great place to meet friends, family and business colleagues for a snack, for lunch or for a great dinner.

If you work in Hastings - we're convenient for lunch and snacks. If you'd like to call your order through - then ring us on 01424 439080.

If you're visiting Hastings on holiday - we're right by the sea front and close to all the shops. A great place to dine for all the family - we believe in offering great food at sensible prices.

If you're planning a night out in Hastings - why not join us for dinner before or after your theatre, concert or show?

And if you just like great food - you must pay us a visit!

We'll keep you posted right here on our special events and new menus - so do keep visiting us.

We hope to see you soon!

Michael