Damn good chilli: Mathilda's Chilli Bar, Stokes Croft

I've always been a firm believe in quality over quantity. I'd much rather have a small, concise menu that doesn't cut corners, than a sprawling menu that takes on too much. 

As such, I bloody loved the concept of Mathilda's: you want chilli? they do chilli, and a damn good one at that. 

Don't expect much else. But if that's a problem, head to your nearest chain pub for a sub-par plate of literally whatever the hell you want. 

Tucked away underground, in the Bearpit between Cabot and Stokes, Mathilda's is easy to miss. It's unassuming amongst the graffiti'd tunnels. A very cool looking place nonetheless. 

Golden syrup pots hold cutlery, glasses are redundant when a can does the job, and decor is minimal. Stylish in a no-frills way. Very Stokes Croft.

Speaking of no frills, the prices are very very reasonable. For £8.50 I had a full meal, and a can of Stowford Press. In fact, the deal was £6.95 for a bean chilli and drink, but I extravagantly splashed out £1.50 to upgrade to a mixed brisket chilli, topped with cheese. Feckin' bargain. 

As my attractively filtered photograph hopefully demonstrates - it's a tasty dish. Thick, well-flavoured chilli was packed with different beans, alongside tender chunks of brisket. 

I'm also pleased to say that, unusually, I didn't even need to reach for the Tabasco because it packed just the right punch of heat. 

The rice was nicely cooked, and the addition of guac and jalapeños were the icing on the cake. 

Ate it all up. Just sorry I didn't leave room for a Sundae.

The onion rings and FRIED PICKLES (!!!!) looked impressive, so you bet your bottom dollar I'll be back to try em.

I really urge you to try this place if you're around - it's so nice to support local, and when it's this good there's no excuse not to. No frilly, just good chilli.

Twitter's here for you folk to keep up on their deals/drool over their photos: 

https://twitter.com/MathildasChilli

Kaspa's Desserts

As this is my third-consecutive sweet-food themed blog post, it does not perhaps need to be clarified that I'm a total dessert person.

I have often mused, whilst pondering a restaurant menu, that I'd rather skip straight for dessert - or better - choose three sweet courses.
Imagine my delight, then, to hear of the opening of Kaspa's Desserts on Cardiff's City Road.

The place seems perpetually busy and its Instagram-worthy waffles are the talk of the town. I visited to see what all the fuss was about, and four visits later, I thought I'd share my thoughts about the place.

Firstly, it is a chain with branches popping up at lightening speed. In fact, a Kaspa's is currently being fitted out on Cardiff's St Mary Street - a far more central location that I'd be more likely to visit.
Finding out that Kaspa's is one of many makes the place a little less special for me, as I generally prefer to support local business'.

That being said, there are very few dessert restaurants, fewer still that stay open late. In this sense, Kaspa's is definitely filling a gap in the market; the almost guaranteed wait for tables is testament to this. Families, teens looking for a place to hang out of an evening, and dates seem to populate Kaspa's.

The interior is pretty funny - the first descriptor that comes to mind upon entering, if I'm honest, is 'stripclub'. The hot pink and black colour scheme, glittery walls and thumping R'N'B music genuinely make me think of some sleazy nightclub.
Ultimately, though, I'm there for the desserts and don't let the tacky aesthetic faze me.

The eye-popping menu is a treasure-trove of treats; colossal ice-cream sundaes laced with rainbow bright syrups, milkshakes made with every candy-bar imaginable, hot cookie-doughs, and crepes and waffles loaded with toppings.
The counter is also home to various cakes, pies and cheesecakes.

The prices are reasonable for the sizes; a giant waffle or crepe with a couple of toppings will set you back £5.

Personally I'm not crazy about this place - their syrups are cheap tasting, the ice-cream served with the waffles is soft-serve out of a machine, the crepes can be rather rubbery, and I'm fairly sure they buy most of their cakes in (the luminous blue 'bubblegum cake' looks very suspect).

BUT, when my stomach's inner-child calls, and I have an oreo-topped-waffle shaped hole to fill, this place really hits the spot. More to the point, it is the only place around of its kind (as far as I am aware).

Their hot cookie-dough - available in Smarties, Milk or White Chocolate Chip and served with ice-cream - is my top recommendation. It's stodgy, sweet and the ultimate in comfort food.
My most recent visit  surprised me with a delicious pecan pie; I can definitely see myself returning for another slice of it.

Kaspa's isn't upmarket, it isn't high-quality, but nor does it pretend to be.
Actually, I think it does exactly what it sets out to do: providing inexpensive, generously-portioned sugar-feasts whenever kids (or big kids like myself) should desire them.