Bull and Co serves up steaks, burgers and other dishes inspired by American style steak houses, also including sharing platters, loaded fries and milkshakes. The emphasis is very much on indulgence here, with hefty quantities of rich food being the order of the day. I’ve been meaning to visit since its opening but the loosening of restrictions over the last year haven’t merged with an appropriately free bit of time to call by, so a delivery was the perfect way to right that wrong. The delivery arrived on time on a Friday evening, perfectly timed to relax into the weekend.

We kicked things off with a Bull and Co York sharing board which borrowed from a few of the other starters to pull together a selection of wings, ribs, onion rings, cheese bites and fries to pick at along with sauces and pickles. This generous selection was a great way to get our fingers and chins dirty, there’s no elegant way to engage with food like this! We then set about loaded fries that piled on rich pulled pork and a generous round of pickles to sharpen things up, I can see these being a winner as it becomes socially acceptable to share dishes in restaurants again!

Next up were signature Bull and Co York burgers, making great use of Haxby Bakehouse buns and good quality meat as a basis for embellishment by cheese, pickles, salad and other accoutrements as appropriate to the burger’s theme. The New Yorker threw sauerkraut and pastrami into the mix to make a compelling case for a repeat order and the classic burger was just as satisfying a way to break the days calorie allowance.

It would be a little odd to go for a meal as indulgent and calorific as this without having something sweet so a gooey chocolate brownie and a banana milkshake finished things off on a suitably over the top note. In a few months’ time we’ll have a better idea of where we stand with eating out and what the role of a takeaway will become, but eating dishes like this in the comfort of your own home where there’s nobody to witness the inevitable minor indignities of this wonderfully comforting food is an attractive prospect.

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That diner was Katz’s deli which is a New York institution completely independent from its credentials as a film set, (here’s the scene in question if you’re the one person who doesn’t remember it) and the Reuben I ate there while on a trip celebrating my first wedding anniversary around 18 months ago was a winning combination of sensible price, intimidating quantity and stunningly executed food. I can’t imagine anywhere else in the world matching up to Katz’s, but there’s still not much that can beat a well done Reuben. What could be better than pastrami, cheese, sauerkraut and gherkins on rye?

Last week I had cause to be in Leeds for an appointment (hint: expect a focus on family friendly dining at some point next year) and wanted to make sure it was followed by a suitably indulgent brunch, which is where East 59th came in. Along with Angelica and Crafthouse, East 59th Leeds is a rooftop establishment situated in the Victoria development that nestles against neighbour Issho.

As we arrived on a sunny Sunday morning without a reservation, we weren’t seated on the terrace, but didn’t regret that much when I realised that people seemed allowed to smoke out there. Regardless of fresh air content, or otherwise, the East 59th Leeds dining room was a comfortable place to be that didn’t exhibit any teething problems associated with the freshness of the establishment.

The headline brunch offering including “Free flowing prosecco or Bloody Mary’s” for £25 a person held no appeal, so we picked out a smoked pork & cheese ‘dog to accompany the customary Reuben along with some fries and truffle puffs. Our friendly server took our request for truffle puffs to arrive quickly entirely as seriously as it was meant and delivered them with good grace and expediency, helping to explain exactly what a truffle puff is. For the record, it’s a creamy breadcrumbed potato with a delicious spike of truffle through it, demanding only to be served in portions consisting of equal amounts to aid sharing.

The ‘dog would have been more pragmatically served on a plate, though the board upon which it made its bed at least had a moat to minimise loss, and was memorable for the lightness of the sausage. Outside of my currywurst preoccupation, I’m struggling to think of another hot dog that was memorable for being anything other than a slightly guilty pleasure. This superlative sausage came with a happy bed of sauerkraut and blanket of mustard to set a bar for the Reuben to hit over.

It’s easy to admit that this wasn’t a sandwich to best Katz’s, but that’s not the criticism it might appear as and neither is it damning with faint praise. The pastrami, gruyere and sauerkraut were all present and correct to carry one through a Sunday morning in the best possible way.

The coffee and service also hit the right marks, though I could have done with being another couple of feet distant from the server’s station. I’d also be happy to dispense with the DJ; even though the taste in music coincided with mine, I’d take issue with anything played through a PA on a Sunday morning.

All this came to a smudge under £35 including tip, proving fair value for the location. East 59th is the nicest rooftop dining spot in Leeds that I’ve tried to date and one that deserves a return visit, even if it’s (thankfully) unlikely that you’ll get to see Sally having a Katz’s experience.

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One does wonder if this is the kind of place that’s going to really worry about quality when, for many, quantity would be the main attraction, but I’d heard good reports from a few people I trust so we fired up the yoafmobile, filled it with a few moderately reputable friends and hit the road.

Early discussion around the table centred, after the drink order, on if any of the group would succumb to peer pressure and tackle a food challenge. Thankfully the answer was yes, though it must now be said that the individual in question has requested his identity be omitted (if you’re wondering why the pics are strangely cropped, it’s for the sake of his modesty). The challenge in question was “Man vs Dog”: a pair of hot dogs smothered in chilli and topped with cheese. If that sounds achievable, remember they’re actually two feet long. Each. Four feet of hot dog, could be tricky.

The rest of the table showed more restraint and went for a variety of sliders, platters and meats which started to arrive in fairly short order as we watched our intrepid companion exhibit some nerves at the prospect of what he was about to take on. The whole party agreed that the various cuts of beef and pork reflected long and careful cooking processes with ribs and shredded pork gaining particular praise. Sides of corn, onion rings, fries, coleslaw and salads all hit the spot without being allowed to get in the way of our mission to consume large quantities of various animals.

While all this was going on, our companion was girding his loins ready for battle having been christened “The Sausage Slayer” by our server. The hot dog arrived, the comedy headwear was donned and the clock was started. Initial progress was made at a sensible pace so as not to over face his stomach, so things were looking good for a very respectable performance,but I don’t think anyone really expected victory by this point. Thankfully the difficulty of the challenge was reduced by virtue of the food’s quality. Good quality hotdog and bread were slathered in chilli with well-judged heat and a good balance of flavour with gooey cheese on top and all elements were being hoovered up with enthusiasm. At this point our server clarified a point for us. Just as the sausage warrior was starting to look a little defeated, it was confirmed that this was but half of the challenge as the question “Shall I get the second one now?” dropped on the table to a thinly disguised look of pain. ‘He who shall remain nameless’ had performed well, working through roughly three quarters of the first ‘dog, and done us proud. The server admitted that most people didn’t even get that far and a penny dropped in my brain as I requested the remaining two feet and chilli to go, an uncharacteristic feat of foresight that took care of several meals.

I can’t say you’re going to see me at Nathan’s hotdog contest any time soon, but I have to admit, I get it now. We had a thoroughly good time at Holy Moly’s Deep South Kitchen, the food was good quality and well-priced and we walked away with a load of leftovers, so nothing was wasted through our excess. It still seems oddly negative to me to force yourself to eat until uncomfortable, but each to their own and the sight of it gave us all a good chuckle. Now who else can I find who will bow to peer pressure?

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