Continued

So we had our wine! I ordered a Prawn Cocktail (imaginative menu) and was disappointed that the two larger garnish prawns had no flavour (probably washed down the sink when they de-frosted under the tap). Had the price been £3.50 - £4.00, no worries but at almost £7.00 it wasn’t good.

I’d decided that I didn’t want any of the usual fayre to be found on the menu, so thought I’d have the Nicoise Salad, described appropriately as having Green Beans, Tomatoes and Potatoes (I’d missed the ’fresh salad leaves’). What arrived was 6 green beans, 6 boiled potatoes and some tomato n top of a greasy pile of Feuille de Chene lettuce. Ann ordered a salad in preference to vegetables to accompany her steak (again nice) and all she got was a big pile of the same stuff! I’d ordered a ’starter’ pizza bread (they call it something more exotic) with cheese to go with my salad but got a Margarita Pizza instead.

When we came to pay, they’d charged me for a main course pizza and we asked to have that changed – it wasn’t what I’d ordered (although I did check as it was served) and we asked to remove Ann’s wine, as mine had been paid separately. Chaos ensued. The computer said ’no’.

All in all – I don’t want to visit this hotel to eat ever again. Incompetent and in need of a good manager.

Some things really rile me. One is incompetent management and preparation of food in places where they really should be better.

For the last two nights, I’ve been staying at the Village Hotel in Leeds. My colleague Anne and me are working together at the nearby Weetwood Hotel, but for some reason have been ’placed’ here at the Village. On Sunday evening, when we approached the restaurant to eat, we were told that it would possibly be over half an hour before they might be able to seat us (this would make it well after 8.00pm) as "we have a table of 9 and a table of 3 coming in" and "I still have all this lot" sweeping her arm around the room "to see to". So we ate in the bar.

The bar is (was on Sunday) T.V. noisy, cool (verging on cold) and just not too clean. However, Ann was able to get herself a fairly credible steak but my Steak and Kidney Pie had just "run out" (can’t blame it) and as a knee jerk I ordered what turned out to be the very worst mixed grill I’ve ever eaten. They gave me the smallest piece of overcooked steak, two of the most plastic (cheap) cumberland sausage, two rashers of bacon, two fried eggs and half a tomato. It was a breakfast really and not a good one. But, hey ho - we would definitely eat in the restaurand on Monday.

So, last night we went at 7.00pm and asked for a table at 7.30pm. We were told (yawn) that they had a table of 13 and a table of 5 coming in at 7.30pm so could we make it 8.00pm. So we did. There’s so much I could say about this sort of customer service but why bother – they don’t.

Now, we should have known, because on Sunday they couldn’t make any slight changes to the menu in the bar, so it was no surprise that the restaurant had similar problem. And this was only the wine (oh and the potato – read on). In the bar there was a list of about six different glasses of red wine but "we only do two glasses here in the restaurant – you can’t have that one!" So I declined any wine so after about five minutes it occurred the chap in charge (barely shaving) that he could bring me one from the bar! But  had to pay for it separately.

more soon

This time I have a blog of praise to write.

Never mind the previous rants – I actually enjoyed a meal out last night. To be honest, I've had a few this year but they rarely raise enough bile to commit to opening the laptop (waiting an age) logging onto MySpace (another age – it's not the easiest blog tool around) and then thinking what I want to say.

As I write, I realise that the three most memorable meals this last six months have all been in Wales. The Ty Mawr http://www.tymawrmansion.co.uk/ near Aberaeron in August (I thought I'd blogged that – I'll have to check elsewhere) and the Copthorne Gardens Hotel in Cardiff. Both served me (and my companions of course) with excellent fodder. Last night we went to the Falcondale Hotel in Lampeter. http://www.falcondalehotel.com/

I was a bit sceptical as we drove up the long and winding drive as the hotel is a Best Western! But the meet and greet team and ambiance was splendid. We sat by an open fire and had a drink and canapés before going in to eat.  We had booked the 'restaurant' menu (as opposed to the 'brasserie' menu) @ £32 each. Four of us each had different starters which were delivered to our table after an amuse bouche of spicy carrot soup:

Rosie: Smoked Salmon and Mascarpone Pate, caper tartare, dill and sweet mustard dressing

Sharon: Toasted Muffin, black pudding, smoked bacon, poached egg and hollandaise sauce (without the black pudding – which she didn't want)

Steven: Smoked Ham, Mozzarella Cheese, Roasted vine tomatoes, rocket leaves and dressing

Me: Pork and Prune Terrine, apple and Plum Chutney, Toasted Walnut bread and Cumberland sauce.

My Terrine was a bit under-flavoured and bland looking but everyone else's starter was fine. The canapé's we'd had were nicely flavoured too. Spicy Chicken with prune, Lamb and apricot (both on skewers) and a small tart of something I can't remember – and olives.

We had just two 'mains' between us: Rosie and I had Duck, Pheasant and Pigeon breasts, white pudding, cabbage mash and roasted onion sauce, while Steven and Sharon both had Loin of Venison, carrot and swede puree, samosa – rosemary and redcurrant jus. Both were much enjoyed. The breasts were small portions and not full breasts but nicely done. If there was a problem, it was with the cabbage mash which, for me, didn't have enough cabbage but (and also) too much potato.

I'm not a pudding person, but as it was included in the price I just had (half of) the Vanilla Crème Brulee. All three of the others had Melting Chocolate Pudding with peanut butter ice cream (except Steven who swapped his ice cream for the Black Mountain Custard – which was offered with the Apple and Sultana Crumble.

I suspect that I've had better food but this was consistently good throughout. The service was polite and unobtrusive, something I value – there was no barging into conversations as ask a banal question or to announce their presence in some way. Why do waiters ask if everything is ok by the way? Surely if it wasn't they'd be the fist to know!

A good night.

It's been a while! But the time has come for another food rant. I really wish more things impressed me enough to make a glory trail instead, but sadly they don't. Perhaps it's the circles I eat in? Although today's rant is based around two major failures – Supermarkets (I'll leave it as that, although my main problem is with the Christmas Turkey) and white bread (at the Lygon Arms – sadly).

It must be 25 years since I bought a supermarket Turkey. That might not be exactly correct, but it's near enough to make the point. After years of buying from catering outlets and butchers; this year I went to Tesco's in Stockport. What a disappointment! I learned that 'ready-basted' meant 'impregnated with oil', something I will never forget.

I'd been looking for something about 15-20lb – or preferably, the breast off such a bird. However, 'butterfly' breasts (we used to call them 'fronts') cost more than whole turkeys with similar sized breasts – how does that happen? And, there only seemed to be 'ready basted' (I suppose I'd have found the un-basted types in the bargain basement freezer whereas I was looking at 'fresh'!) or variations of such. Organic Turkeys were about twice the price (between £45 and £60 each!!). So I bought a turkey that I hoped would feed eight of us and have enough left over for snacks on a second day. When I got it home, I decided as usual to remove the legs, bone them and make ballotine-like parcels to boil with the neck and gizzards for stock (and to prevent overcooking the breast which only takes half as long as the legs).

As I started to cut into the joints all the oil started to ooze out of the cavities and the whole chopping board got quite messy. It was like tying up fresh fish (not too dissimilar smell either). Anyway, long story short: the brown meat cooked fine and tasted of turkey. The white meat however, despite only 40 minutes roasting on each side and 40 minute on its back (on a water covered vegetable trivet) was as tough and stringy as old boots. At one point the knife just refused to cut across the fibres and the meat insisted on tearing off instead. Rubbish stuff. Last year we were lucky enough to share a local Turkey (local to Rosie and Steven) which was delightful and unless I can get the same in future – we'll do without. Supermarkets – I could rant for hours.

But I haven't got hours so I'll finish with my Lygon Arms story. Sharon kindly took me there for my birthday – a real treat and a big surprise. However not as big a surprise as the breakfast. The toast was made from soggy white or brown supermarket bread (come on Lygon Arms at the rates you charge you could buy in from a local BAKER) and the bacon was only cooked one side! A true disappointment from a hotel I've always held in the highest regard.

The Hive on the Quay - Aberaeron.

I've always wanted to eat at the Hive on the Quay but it's never been open. I've been coming to Aberaeron for years now but only very rarely in the summer time. I've had their 'famous' Honey Ice Creams before but never had the chance to eat here - despite its le routier recommendation (now for 2007 but was 2006 in April when I last came it was closed).

This restaurant is only open for a short period in the year and it shows. Despite its reputation, we found the service and the quality of food poor.

My friend and fellow chef, who still runs a restaurant reminds me that there are periods when he wished he didn't have to open - Mother's Day and Easter Sunday being two. These periods are when those who just wish to make money pile in the customers and wind down the quality (my friend doesn't - so gets lots of disappointed callers who are told - 'we are closed'). Holday seasonal restaurants must be the same: "pile 'em in - shovel up the grub and turn 'em around".

We certainly experience this today. Of the three dishes we ordered, two arrived and despite a reminder, the thrid didn't arrive until two of us had finished - it got sent back. There was no real customer care, the poor girl serving us seemed to be (she wasn't alone) drifting from table to table - so there ws no continuity. Betz had cold ham with eggs - fair enough, we'd asked how the eggs were cooked (fried) and accepted that - but there was no attempt at garnish or an offerof sauces, mustard etc.

The menu said one thing and refered the reader to a chalk board for clarification so 'Hive Chowder' (which had a very tasty explanation saying 'our chowders vary from being 'fishy' to 'meaty' - check board for details) became Crab Soup - NOT chowder. It said Frittata - see board (none on board). It said three bowl salad with crusty bread but we were told we couldn't have that - we could however a selection from the salad tray with bread on the side.

The whole experience was unsettling  -and we wee not the only table.

Experience coutns and when you're only open for 12 weeks of the year - you don't get enough of it.

I never want to go there again and wish I'd called at the pub on the corner for Cawl as I did in April (not the Harbour Master).

D

It's been a while (again), but I've been busy.

About Easter time, I had very little work coming in for the summer months - but all of a sudden I'm throng. So filling in things about my food and leisure experiences has had to take a second line to the main blog at www.village-e-learning.co.uk/blog.htm.

But I've been to some places and eaten some crap! (The odd oasis was found but it was rare). This week I've been at two conferences where the bog standrad buffet food was 80% fried. The only way to get a prawn at these things is to have it straightened, paneed (flour, egg and breadcrumbed), deep fried, frozen and then deep fried again for service! And bahjis, samosas and other stuff all (sometimes dripping) in oil. So not too good for the healthy eating regime.

The other side of that is eating out in the evenings. You'd think, wouldn't you (?) that people who make a living from cooking and serving food to paying customers would make an effort? But at the Bollocking Bishop type of outlets you find at the side of Premiere Travel Lodges, you just get plastic menu food, mainly deep fried or pinged in the microwave. The sad thing is that many people actually like the stuff and go there from choice!

The oasis' have been few but delightful and in this case, both Italian! The Old Gril's School in York again and a place in Sheffield the name of which, I didn't get. Well done chaps.

David

I've been researching computer history (well, I haven't - but I've been looking for good images and videos to use in a presentation I have to make next month)

and I came across these:

Well it's been a while since I posted anything up here. That's not because we  haven't been out to eat anywhere - more that I haven't had the time to write up the eating out.

One thing I do (partially) remember, is the food we had at the Holiday Inn West Manchester in April. Manchetser United were playing their first round match against AC Milan that night (so presumably that's why it was so quiet?). Four of us had food from the menu and evey bit of it was delightful. I can't remember what we had but I do know we enjoyed it. Well done you chaps.

This was a tap found in their Gent's - groovy!

See Video too:

We got back

Having got home, it was down to very mundane things like shopping and cooking and working. Rose came to join us for tea on Thursday and then she stayed the night. On Friday Betz went out doing teenage things all day and in the evening we watched '16 Blocks' which I'd ordered from Tesco, forgetting that I'd already seen it. Still, Betz hadn't and she didn't know who Bruce Willis was.

Yesterday, Friday, was a busy one stuck in front of the computer. I picked the cat up first (well after an 'on the flags' shop at TESCO) but it seemed like I was playing catch-up all day. So today, I got up and went for a ride on my bike up to Marsden. It was really good to be out this morning; the sun was shining and it was reasonably quiet. I called at John and Carol's for a cup of tea and rode back to meet Betony just about to go out to meet her mates. She said that she wouldn't be long because 'they' (her mates) were taking beer and going drinking. We talked and she said she was coming back because she didn't want to get involved in that. Besides, I think she had a better offer [read on].

So, having got home and had a drink, I set about the lawn again. It got me this time, despite the mask I bought in Slaithwaite this morning! All the moss makes it really hard going, it bungs up the blades after every two sweeps. I now have piles of rakings to go with the millions of buckets I've already emptied. But tomorrow, I plan to do a final raking - hopefully then, the grass will come through. That's Sharon's Camelia above. The picture below is a still image - although the Peony is growing so fast it could be a video clip!

I then went to town and bought a catapult for Magpie practice! Tonight we're going to John and Carol's for tea - because we were invited!

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