Bread of Heaven; and Little Donkey

Before queasy memories of massed male-voice choirs and primary school assembly singalongs come rushing to mind, let me explain.

I am not a big bread eater. Well, I suppose I'm fairly big, but a great consumer of bread I am not. Which makes it all the more surprising that some of my favourite local things to eat recently have been bready in the extreme- indeed, bready to the core.

First up, 'El Cubano' from those redoutable Hang Fire ladies ladies. I've wittered on at length about my admiration for what Shauna and Sam are doing- here, for example- but from the moment they posted a preview picture of that weekend's Special, I was hooked. I even- and yes, this may well be a worrying indicator of some deeper isssue- found myself drifting off at bored moments that week in work, antipating meeting the damn thing. By the time Friday 1730 hours came I was almost hallucinating.

Which may be a slight exaggeration. But oh my sweet potatoes, it was good. Feast your eyes.

Just look at that. A crisp soft Italian roll struggling against all odds to contain the meaty avalanche within. That's smoked turkey, sliced sliver-thin, under strata of smoked ham. All propped up by Hang Fire's justly renowned pulled pork.

Oh and I almost forgot the oozing Swiss cheese and the homemade pickles.

Just look at it.

Yes, it tasted even better than you're thinking right now. If they feature it again, you know what to do.

The advent of any new, local, independent outlet in the City Centre is always A Good Thing. As our towns become increasily homogenised, it's our local restaurants going out on a limb to bring us something different who will save us.

Whcih brings us to the estimable The Grazing Shed. Mere yards from the identikit logofest of TGICafeNandoPizzaWagamama- almost backing on to them, in Barrack Lane (head for the light and turn left if you're marooned in St David's 2) is a startup serving a small but intriguing menu of burgers. The emphasis is very much on a fast, high quality product using trusted local suppliers, many of whom are featured prominently on their walls (their picture that is- they don't suspend them on hooks). Drinks are refillable (good) and a far cry from your McKing Pepsi/Fanta/7 Up choices. The ginger beer was especially good.

I've been a few times- they're brilliantly situated near Cineworld and make a superior pre/post-film bite- and can't help but applaud. A lot of thought has gone into the menu and a list of customisable extras merely makes the choice even more of a quandary!

First time out we had the John Wayne- smoky bacon, cheddar fondue, cajun and barbecue sauces, a confit of red onions and ketchup- with added chorizo.

Dense but moist, flavoursome and deeply satisfying (and the chips were a world away from your 'chain' skinny fry) this burger was an instant hit. A cracking example of how a much-derided dish can, when done well, be a wonderful thing.

Our next visit, this Hallowe'en, had me trying the Japanese-influenced Yokozuna! Despite the restaurant being almost full, service was brisk and friendly and the addition of seasonal 'Treats' in the shape of hand-wrapped paper bags of sweets was a nice touch. The wasabi mayo gave a decent 'kick' while the sesame and ginger did their work. All in all, another success. Ginger beer was the perfect accompaniment.

A special word for the bread, too- by happy coincidence the local baker supplying The Grazing Shed is 'our' baker; Penarth Bakery, Cornerswell Road, where Gareth Spray has for some years now perfected an exemplary range. The Grazing Shed bods have clearly done their homework and sourced some of the best local product they can get their hands on. These rolls, soft and buttery and with a slight hint of cumin-seed warmth, are a triumph, which is to be expected given their origin. (They don't have a website- yet-  but a detour would be well worth your time- the G.I. loaf in particular is superb, even to a part-time 'Breadist' and Mrs S will eat nothing else!)

The Grazing Shed looks to be making the right kind of name for itself. Long may it flourish.

And now I'm going to Oscillate Wildly and applaud the arrival of Mission Burrito in The Friary- a chain (yes, one of them!) that actually seems to care about offering some choice and flavour and educating people about Mexican food (the eponymous 'little donkey' of the title) through a wide choice of additions andoptions.

I emerged from one of the shopping centres and pretty much did the whole cartoon dog thing (waddaymean, 'no change there then...') - following my (ample) nose to the doors of Mission Burrito, which had opened that day. I threw myself on the mercy of the charming Anna and ended up with a mighty beast; slow-cooked 'carnitas' (pork), sour cream, lettuce, rice and no doubt several others combining to a pretty substantial package.

It made for a remarkably satisfying meal- portions are very generous and the textures and tastes mean this is (again, mere yards from your normal Queen Street fare) a very credible and interesting alternative to the lunchtime sandwich or shopping-day McDonald's. Whether you'd get much work done after trying one of these for lunch is yet another thing; they aren't exactly skimping on the servings here. But there's little doubt it makes for a good addition to the street food options in town.

There you have it; three bready (ok, two bready wheaty-tortilly) treats within easy reach of the city centre. You know what to do.