Last weekend I was invited along to #ScranSocial, an afternoon of food and networking with like-minded bloggers from the local area. It was held at Gusto, a lovely restaurant right on the bustling, tourist-friendly quayside in Newcastle. Find out what I got up to and what lovely food I tried... don't blame me if this post makes you hungry though!
photo: Gusto via TwitterTo start, Jonny took us for a wine-tasting class. I'm not really a wine drinker but all three that we tasted were really nice. The Sauvignon Blaunc to start was really light, followed by a red (forgotten what it was though!) then the dessert wine which was really sweet. Jonny was really informative about the wines we were tasting and I found it really interesting to know about the tastes, the grapes and the location where the wines were from. Clearly he knows his stuff and he was more than happy to answer any questions that we had. Not that I had any, of course, as I'm a bit of a wine novice!
Following our wine tasting, the food began! First a deli selection of cheese and meat platters were distributed among the tables and they were really good! A great selection of Italian cheeses, cured meats all served with rosemary focaccia and tomato chutney. You can select which meat and which cheese you want on your board, to tailor to your own taste.
A selection of dishes from the new summer menu were available for us to try, pasta dishes, salads and pizzas were laid out and up we all went to get a taste, like a fancy buffet! To top it off, each table was brought a Saffron Risotto with a white crab salad and I think that for me, was one of the highlights of the dishes. Annoyingly, I didn't take a photo of it though, but when I go back, it's probably going to be what I'll order so expect a few snaps then!
For dessert we tasted Bombolini, (homemade mini doughnuts, whipped cream and chocolate sauce for dipping) and Italian Mess (a spin on the classic Eton Mess). Both were amazing and I don't think we left even a spoonful of chocolate sauce!
With outdoor seating perfect for the 3 or 4 sunny days we get up North (hah, I'm joking) and plenty of tables inside over two floors (you need to see the area upstairs - it's amazing, trust me) you won't feel crowded by other guests and the pricing is fab, especially for the quality of the food. I'd really recommend Gusto if you're looking for a nice meal, maybe for a celebration or even just for a treat. I'm sure they'll be seeing all of us there again soon!
Thanks to Lauren for organising the event (with Jess) and inviting me along. I had a great time and I'll be back again!You can follow me onBloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
