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posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 11:52pm on 12/09/2008 under , ,
Location: 62 Mount Pleasant, Liverpool, downhill from the Catholic cathedral, uphill from the Adelphi

It's an innocuous Georgian townhouse in a quiet stretch of Mount Pleasant Road, not too far up from the Adelphi hotel. The chalkboards outside advertise that, up the steps, is a restaurant. [livejournal.com profile] austengirl recommended Heart and Soul for groups, and a group we had, the BSHS Strolling Players and I. In a comfortably large room tastefully done up in neutrals and enlivened with artwork, the eight of us gathered along a spacious table to eat.

The menu presented all sorts of good choices, from the pizzas and pastas made in-house to a variety of interesting mains tied up in two- and three-course bargains. Even the pizzas and pastas were, with the dish plus a glass of house wine coming in at UKP 7.50. The appetizers were appealing, but desserts were even more so, so we agreed to hold out for them. I resisted the blue cheese and parma ham pizza, and instead had my third risotto of the week, wild mushroom and madeira. It was wonderful, rich, sumptuous, but not overpowering.

Let me tell you something important: I really like sticky toffee pudding, but most of them dissapoint me. At Heart and Soul, I ate the second-best sticky toffee pudding of my life. It was full flavored, with light cake unctuously suffused in lovely toffee sauce, dense without being too sweet. It was a pleasant. So too was the bite of J's grapefruit and campari sorbet, the tart cutting refreshingly through the sweet of mine. L's cherry ice cream was understated and confident and creamy.

Heart and Soul is lovely, accessible, reasonably priced, comfortable, and offers very nice food indeed. You should try it too.

P.S. The woman working front of house says that, for the sake of all Liverpool, currently lacking an independent one, [livejournal.com profile] austengirl needs to open her own bakery. Well?
There are 9 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
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posted by [identity profile] hobbitblue.livejournal.com at 01:11am on 13/09/2008
Oh wow.. all sounds fab, and I just read the menu on the website and I want to go RIGHT NOW (even though its 2am and likely not a good plan). Definitely going to try it, thanks for the tip - and out of interest does your definition of the perfect sticky toffee pudding include dried fruit or not, cos when I used to eat such things I liked 'em plain, but other folks swear the fruit is essential.
owlfish: (Default)
posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 09:37am on 13/09/2008
I like my sticky toffee puddings to be free from dried fruit. They're always slightly disappointing with for me. So yes, theirs, as it appeared on my plate on Monday night, was plain.

I hope - whenever you end up going - that your meal is as satisfying as mine was!
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posted by [identity profile] hobbitblue.livejournal.com at 11:48am on 13/09/2008
Aha, a person of taste! I wish Forest liked sweet things, then I could get him to order the pud and I could have a mouthful...

I'll be sure and bounce about it suitably :)
 
posted by [identity profile] ervinspeed.livejournal.com at 04:20pm on 09/10/2008
And would again could whispring grassies wake him and may again when the fiery bird disembers. And will again if so be sooth by elder to his youngers shall be said.
 
posted by [identity profile] celestiagelstr.livejournal.com at 03:56pm on 09/10/2008
Even though Iowa is famous for good meat I'm not sure if any good steakhouses exist. Bit the bullet, broke the piggybank and went to Joseph's in Iowa City some time ago and was very disappointed.
 
posted by [identity profile] austengirl.livejournal.com at 07:07am on 13/09/2008
I appreciate her support, but I need to find a partner for this enterprise that actually lives in Liverpool (my main candidate, unfortunately for me, is in Newcastle). And I need a lot more training, making a business plan, finding premises, etc etc etc.

But someday...

 
posted by [identity profile] daisho.livejournal.com at 09:23am on 13/09/2008
I'm glad you had a nice meal -- anywhere you can say provided the nth best you've ever had of a favourite food merits some praise.

I must confess, though, my view of the place is slightly coloured by the name. As soon as I saw your post's title, I just couldn't shake the impression a bad pianist is sitting in the corner playing Heart and Soul while everyone eats. ;)
owlfish: (Default)
posted by [personal profile] owlfish at 09:38am on 13/09/2008
Fortunately, on Monday at least, all the music was pre-recorded and unobtrusive.
 
posted by [identity profile] my-tw0-cents.livejournal.com at 02:52pm on 13/09/2008
I miss sticky toffee pudding so much--haven't had any since abt 2001 or so. Also, I really like Heart and Soul's lack of pretension. If I ever end up in Liverpool, I'll check this place out.

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