From whichever direction one enters Stockton proper, 12 Harland Place cannot be avoided.
Far be it from me to suggest this is a negative, quite the opposite. I had the pleasure of eating here in August. It is a convenient distance from Newcastle, where I, then, resided. With my sister’s birthday coinciding with an influx of free time – I made my way to Northumbria from Warwickshire.
The family met in this idyllic village and celebrated my sister’s 20th birthday. A momentous occasion indeed.
We started with some cheesy garlic pizza for the table. I have eaten pizza from here before so had high expectations.
This pizza generally satisfies, but this one had a little extra something which made it more delectable. Not true pizza by any means but still delicious.
I feasted on Parpadelle Pollo funghi. A grand combination of c
Next up was Mother’s goats cheese and red onion marmalade pizza. Conceptually viable but poorly executed. The pizza was over cooked and the ingredients did nothing to counteract the dryness of the crust. It was gag-worthy, but not in the pleasantly surprising way. (For all the beastly people out there, that was a reference to RuPaul’s Drag Race, nothing crass.)
My sister’s white truffle and wild mushroom risotto felt right. I would say the grains were a little under cooked. It was just short of being optimal but on the whole a delight to eat. Just the right lightness of flavour from white truffles mixed with the earthy nutty tones of organic wild mushrooms.
Finally, we moved onto dessert. Banoffee cheesecake; salted caramel cheesecake and blueberry cake. All homemade, all home runs. Excellent all round. The salted caramel cheesecake is better shared between two. It can be overwhelming in excessive quantities.
I’ve been somewhat critical of this restaurant’s cooking timing but honestly, 12 Harland Place is a delight. The staff are friendly and attentive as well as efficient. The decor is well thought through and maintained to a high standard. The location is lovely and the food is not too expensive.
My family & I had a great time, and so too shall you.