Thanks to everyone who read last weeks blog. I needed and enjoyed the break but it’s nice to be back writing again. And you know I love writing about food so here goes.

Spice Hut, 24 Bradford Street, Walsall.

It was August 28th, the town of Walsall was gripped with League Cup 3rd round draw excitement as we waited to find out who our team would get. The draw was scheduled for 22.15 (eventually happened at 22.45) so to kill a bit of time before this I went to see if the extended Heron in the Saddlers Centre had reopened. Upon reaching the car park of said centre I looked across and saw the balloon arch outside here and thought this reopening was more exciting. On my penultimate food review blog I was on about how the former Kebab Ranch had a new name just before Easter. Well now it has another moniker. Changed it’s name more times than Cheryl Tweedy this place.

I walked in and looked up at the menu but then a nice man rushed out and handed me a paper copy which I could sit down and peruse. I thought with a name like Spice Hut it would do curry but no. The spices didn’t stretch that far.

They do smash burgers. I have no idea what these are, I’m intrigued but always too scared to ask. I opted for 8 peri chicken wings and peri fries. There must have been an opening day offer on as he charged me less than the peri wings should have been.

They didn’t hang about with the food and I even got an apology for them being served in a box and an explanation that they had been let down with their plates delivery. I did think that they could have nipped to one of the local Greek restaurants, and borrowed some of their plates to save them from a sad demise but didn’t mention this as I had food to demolish.

The chicken wings were amazing. Service was very friendly, he’d rushed to bring me bottles of sauce even though I didn’t want or ask for them but it was a nice touch. There was no music which I was fine with.

I popped to Heron afterwards and it hadn’t reopened but it had by the next day and now it serves booze. Extended it to get a beer fridge in. See, not every development these days is rubbish. Anyway, top marks to Spice Hut and as I pass it on the way home from work I’ll be back.

Bun & Peri, 269 Wednesbury Road, Walsall.

I had a little spare time post work and pre Walsall v Fleetwood match and needed to line the stomach. I’d been craving Wotsits all day but didn’t think a pack of those would soak up the beer so went for food. I’m currently just Mayfair short of winning £100k on McDonald’s Monopoly but opted against trying to glean that and headed to Pleck instead.

Completely new tick this one. Smash burgers available. I was scared to ask again. I will have one one day I promise. I opted for a peri chicken burger (no lettuce). Medium spice wasn’t listed as an option so just to be awkward I asked if I cold have it and he said yes. I also asked what Ghetto Niblets were. “Spicy” came the reply. Sod it, I’ll try them.

I sat down facing the window and played my freshly invented game of guessing which passing cars were heading to the match and which were looking for prostitutes. The food didn’t take long to come and the burger was good and the Ghetto Niblets were epic. Spicy yes, nose running spicy in fact.

No music, save for a bit from a fellow customer who had remembered his mobile but forgotten his headphones.

Good visit this but in hindsight with the match being such a disaster (we lost 6-2) I maybe should have skipped the food and just started drinking. I finally had the pack of Wotsits 2 days later.

Brownhills Cafe & Grill, 34 High Street, Brownhills.

I think this is quite new having seen it on the Brownhills Bob Facebook group so I jumped on the number 10 and headed over.

There is a menu in the window so I gave that a gander. There are 11 set breakfast options, with more permutations underneath. Mavis from Open All Hours would be in her element deciding what to have. To be far, it was to early for me to even consider making such an important decision so I opted for one which required minimal “no…” requests.

I marched in and asked for “set breakfast 1 with no mushrooms please.” “Do you want anything else instead?” I like it when this is allowed so requested black pudding which was fine. They young lady serving was very friendly and pleasant and the tip tray on the counters seemed to be doing good business so others ms have thought so too.

I studied the menu more while waiting and it turns out that you can make two swoops on the set breakfast. Sense. They do a Bounty milkshake, and a hot chocolate with cream and a Flake. Ok, you got me. I’m definitely coming back for one of those.

Food came quickly and I’d got two slices of black pudding and the toast was cut horizontally which earns many bonus points. More cafes should do this.

Breakfast was ace and it was £8.50 for it and a mug of tea. Once finished I relaxed for a couple of ,minutes but the picture of the hot chocolate kept winking at me. For once I’d got time on my hands and as it’s now October, the first month of the year where you are legally allowed to drink hot chocolate I had one. And it was ace.

There is one unisex toilet, located up the back passage. Music was Absolute Radio which suited me but not at an intrusive level. Highlight was Snap Out Of It by Arctic Monkeys.

Very pleasant visit this. I’m already looking forward to that Bounty milkshake on my next visit.

Project Bun, 23 Caldmore Green, Walsall.

It was last Sunday. It was wet but I still fancied getting a review in so I donned appropriate clothing and headed into Caldmore.

This place opened on the 30th August and I passed it on the bus a couple of days before and spotted the sign and 50% off offer on opening night. Opening night though I was at Josh’s eating a massive home cooked mixed grill so it’s taken until now for me to tick it off.

It’s very smart inside. Lots of tables and you have to walk passed a row of 9 circular mirrors to reach the counter. So if your hair looks rubbish as you walk in, you have 8 more mirrors to perfect it before ordering.

I was intrigued by the Game Changer Fries. These came with in house spicy sauce topped with parsley. I’m a sucker for a good name and this one worked for me. I hope you’re sitting down for this but I ordered a Smash Burger (no lettuce). This came witch cheese and Hannibal Sauce. Service was very friendly and the lady advised if I had a drink it would work out the same price. I don’t drink pop anymore but requested Pepsi Max thinking all the other cans of pop in my fridge could use a new friend.

The music was low and it was all unfamiliar. I wasn’t sure if one song was a Craig David track that I didn’t know or if it was somebody trying to sound like Craig David, whilst singing a track I didn’t know.

Food came quickly and the burger was good. The fries though? Deffo game changer. I’ve not had fries with sauce like that, it had a kick. At the risk of sounding like the advert I had to reach for the Pepsi Max. Apologies to the cans in my fridge. Your new friend isn’t coming home.

Nice visit this. Not sure about future visits as it’s in a part of Caldmore that I don’t really ever walk through but I certainly aint ruling it out. Can I be totally honest at this point? Despite having one, I still don’t know what a Smash Burger is. Everyday isn’t a school day in my life.

Uncle Phil’s, 498- 500 Pleck Road, Walsall.

Formerly Mother Hubbard’s which I liked but it didn’t last long as that and now Uncle Phil’s – Fresh Taste Of Bel Air. If you Google it, it comes up as Walsall’s best chippy but it’s not like a normal chip shop as it only does fish and chips of the standard fayre. So if want a battered jumbo sausage you’ll be out of luck.

This was another straight from work jobbie on Thursday this week, and walk able from the Manor Hospital so had to be re-ticked.

For once I’d done my research before and checked out the menu online. They do a “super jumbo” fish and chips which costs £19.95 which they say feeds up to 4. I went for the large at £11.95, I also had curry sauce which brought it up to £13 something (I wasn’t listening to be honest).

She advised it would be 15 minutes which was fine. Gave me time to study the menu and decor. They do Philly’s Phinest which is a massive locking baton with rib eye steak and cheese sauce which looks amazing. A sign on the wall asks which 9 letter word means perfection? Fish & chips. Quirky but I’m not sure that Susie Dent would be allowing it on Countdown.

The fish was epic. Chips were ok but Uncle Phil if you’re reading if you could introduce Black Country Gold i.e orange battered chips, then yeah the best chippy claim would have more legs. The curry sauce was good but needed to be bigger. They did provide two other pots of sauce, the spicy mayo being good.

I didn’t know what the music was but it was low so not a problem. This was a decent visit. I love fish so it wasn’t going to be rubbish. It’s open until 2am on Friday and Saturdays and 1am the others. Good job this wasn’t here back around the Millenium when I used to walk from The Fitters Arms (near the Arboretum), via Pleck Road back to Darlaston. I’d have been a regular. I won’t be a regular now to be honest but it’s certainly likely to be revisited ahead of a Tuesday night game or two.

Apologies for the lack of Fresh Prince Of Bel Air references. I only watched it once and that was decades ago.