Cat is a new contributor. She has a younger perspective on ‘style’ and disability. She is studying for a Masters in Information Management and Preservation (Archives).
ASK in Springfield Quay is part of the Ask Italian franchise. I’ve been going here for years and I have to say the staff are really nice as they always remember me. It’s easy to get to the door, it’s all flat. You’re best to get dropped off at the bottom of the slope rather than going the cinema end or you could get dropped off at the casino and then go that way. If your wheelin’ in then you’ll need someone to hold the two doors and since most people eat out with someone else, that won’t be too much of a problem. The doors are medium heavy if you have a problem pushing and pulling but once your in, it’s all very spacious and relatively easy to navigate.
Now onto the food. It has such a wide range of food, and it’s pretty good quality. I usually get Bruschetta Capra (bruschetta with goats cheese and olive tapenade) or Bruschetta Classica. The tomatoes in them are lovely and I normally hate eating tomatoes unless it’s ketchup. You have your classics like Lasagne and Spaghetti but you’ll probably want to try and give everything a go, even the seafood stuff. I always finish the Lasagne but for Christmas I had the pizza which had bacon and all sorts on it. You had to cut it yourself with a pizza cutter and Oh my god, I nearly jumped out my seat, it had a sparkler on it! I always have Tiramasu, it’s light and it’s good with a coffee or wine. Starters are around £5.25, mains £7 to £10 and desserts about £5.
The décor is really warm, the tables are dark wood, the lighting isn’t too bright and they have heaters. It’s a clean place but the wooden aspect makes it less clinical than some restaurants. In terms of seating there are just wooden chairs but they also have a soft couch. The wine glasses are very stylish; they have short stems. Unfortunately they don’t do cocktails but they do a good Jack Daniels and coke or Southern Comfort and coke. I don’t know much about wine, I’m a Zinfandel rosé fan, but they do seem to have a good range.
There’s a online booking facility which makes it easier if you don’t or can’t communicate on the phone.
Now the toilets are interesting. They have two toilet cubicles, they are small and you could use the sink to stand up, I do sometimes if I want some exercise and a little bit of adventure. I like the décor of the smaller toilets, it’s very nice lighting. But when I’m feeling unadventurous I use the disabled toilet. The door is a wooden sliding door. The last time I was there, it was broken but when it works it’s relatively light, and its not a radar lock so no worries about another person unlocking the door. The toilet is very spacious and it’s got all the relevant handrails and its clean and…it’s not being used a storage room. There’s a good sized mirror to reapply any makeup or fix up the old hair.
Next week I’m going to the casino restaurant next door which is even more swanky. Look out for the review!!