Das Kino, Nottingham - Restaurant Review

Foreword: Not sure whether to title this review with Das Kino or Oscar & Rosie's; the pizza professionals in residence in the kitchen. But together they have most definitely achieved something enhancing to the city, and delicious!

Das Kino is a relatively new to Nottingham ping-pong bar, with a great youthful trendy vibe, reflected in their quirky rustic interior styling and the crowd it attracts every night of the week. (And I'd recommend heading there in the week, it gets rammed on the weekend!)

Interior styling

Oscar & Rosie's 'pizza as it should be' is renowned in Nottingham, and not without reason! Having been previously based in a takeaway only kitchen in downtown I can only hope this residency is long and prosperous. I intend to visit again! 

The food; We ordered the Brooklyn sausage party 14" to share (basically a pepperoni pizza) with Mac and Cheese on the side. It was all very (yet nicely) filling - I'd be amazed if one person could finish a whole one! The tomato sauce was rich and the cheese was perfect - not too oily but stringy and moreish. The pepperoni was a good safe choice however the menu boasted a lot of others I'd love to sample. 

Food!

Of course the secret to pizza I feel is the base - and this was right up my street. Very thin but perfectly cooked, which is not only pleasant to eat (the texture almost melted in your mouth!), but also you know you're not just getting filled up by cheap bread! 

The Mac and Cheese was very very  good M&C (simple yet effective). As with their pizza list they have a great range of sides and lunch specials (a little lighter.) Alternatively they also sell pizza by the metre, if you feel like utterly and totally devoting yourself to becoming a pizza fiend. (I wouldn't blame you)

Rum and Raisin DIY cocktail

The drinks; admittedly I haven't explored as much as the drinks menu as I might have liked - but they do have a great selection of draught beers! (Czech Krusoviche anyone?) I had a fantastic DIY icecream float cocktail the first time I visited. It came with a scoop of icecream, a shot of rum, ginger beer and chocolate raisins. - shame I couldn't fit another in after the pizza 

Check out Oscar and Rosie's web page here (with links to the menu and Das kino's address) - http://www.oscarandrosies.com

Happy customers

I've told my pizza obsessed sister I have found her a little slice of heaven in Nottingham... I'll definitely be back.

Branding ME!

A funny coincidence occurred today. In one of my business lectures (an especially fascinating one at that - a.k.a not cash flows...) we were developing our knowledge about branding. 

A case study into the Tate really caught my attention considering the last post I wrote on this blog. Pretty much agreeing with my opinions but with much much more contextual and historically factual backing-up. 

My current creative project requires me to do 'extensive' market research, and consider retail price points etc, as if to put my work into a real-world context. I'm still in the early stages of this admittedly, however I'm intrigued by new and innovative methods of retail, publicity, and even making money. An example being Supermarket Sarah - see more at my Pinterest; - http://uk.pinterest.com/izzymitchell77/

As I always say, I wish I could just get paid to have ideas. I have a million and one of those! Not many are worth anything, but one thing I am captivated by at the minute is the psychological art which is branding. 

Shadow Play

Light's shadow echo; A shape without line or colour, a trace of what was but not complete. A memory, of a moment. 

Tate Britain and Tate Modern

In light of my recent acquisition of a Tate Membership (an xmas present which I have surprisingly never received before), I felt very excited and determined to visit both London galleries as soon as possible. So the second day of the new year it is! (A necessity as I have to hot-step it back up to Notts and several exhibitions finish this Winter.) 

Tate Modern viewed from Millenium Bridge

One thing I love about Tate is their offering of regular late-opening hours, suitable for artsy pre-dinner dates, after school refresher and/or late night pre-bar solo outings. (Tonight fits into that final category if anyone was interested.) But still, Tate is Tate. I've been many times to see the permanent collections, and keep coming back for their well-curated dynamic range of temporary exhibitions. Which my shiny new card gives me free entry to... 

Tate Britain Rotunda

One motivator in particular to this visit was the soon-ending Turner exhibition (which you can always tell by the ticket queue.) Despite being mad busy, I greatly appreciated getting to see this show. I had not planned on seeing the large London Turner/ Constable (at the RA) shows when they were announced last year, due to the amount of times I've seen and studied their work. However this exhibition proved to me that I have changed (hopefully improved) my tastes and thoughts critically and culturally. So I had a different experience viewing the work as I might have done a few years ago.

For the full review click here (link to come)

Gaining entry to the gallery tailored  members rooms felt pretty special in these spectacular buildings. Unfortunately, due to choosing to visit on a day the world and his wife seem to be off work, both were horrendously busy. I look forward to future visits on a quiet weekday daytime. The Tate Britain rooms overlook the recently renovated Rotunda, which makes a stunningly opulent yet tranquil space. The Modern's channel the modernist sleek vibe, with stunning views across the Thames to St.Pauls. There also seemed access to a balcony, but it was far too cold and windy to investigate. I'm glad to know I can come back on a more pleasant day and hopefully do some drawing. 

Tate Modern members room

In all this appreciation of Art and Architecture, inside and outside the walls of these great institutions, I feel quite nostalgic in leaving London. 

(Though considering the hike in rail prices and the amount I spend on drinks I'm quite glad to be heading back to pound-a-pint Nottingham, even if only temporarily.) 

Goodbye 2014. Hello 2015

New Years I have always found an odd thing to celebrate. Yes it is a good time for reflection and after the over-exerting joys that Christmas brings (eating, drinking, napping etc) I can see the appeal in viewing the New Year as a clean slate. A fresh start. A clean break. Or a whole lot of pressure if you ask me...

This year my NYE celebrations were a little different to usual. I essentially spent it with people I hardly know, in a place I've never been, and stayed up and awake to a time I haven't managed... I think, ever! But I think it was the best New Year's Eve I've ever had. 

Rather than having a subdued affair with friends or family, or working (as I had anticipated originally), I was in a situation where everybody seemed happy and thankful for what the past year has given them, and what the new year will bring. I still value those near and dear to me, but being in an environment where everything is new, exciting and different perfectly suits the perspective that there are so many opportunities waiting for me in the year ahead. 

So don't expect to find me bombing about in a club when the last clock strikes twelve in 2015, but I've got to find a way to spend it that tops this year. Though saying that I had no way to predict that I'd end up in this brilliant situation. Suppose I shouldn't knock it until I've tried it...

Best New Year wishes to us all.