FOOD & DRINK

Mission Control has moved temporarily to the South West. We have tried various hostelries en route ~ an excellent Butcombe in Lyme Regis followed by a beautiful Thatchers in the Blue Flame in Nailsea.

There followed a bit of a burn down the M5 to find our present home in Mousehole. It's a fine spot with none of that frosty nonsense of East Angular. Indeed the palm trees in our garden are positively thriving. It's nothing to do with the North Atlantic Drift, GLobal Warming or its proximity to the equator. No, I put it down to the excellent 'Doom Bar' and the fine range of St Austell Ales in the Ship Inn. Tested so far: 'Proper Job', 'Tribute', 'Tinners', and 'HSD' along with a fine rum & shrub.

So ~ the drink's good; how's the food?

Tonight we ate at 'The Cornish Range' ~ a smart little seafood restaurant with rooms in Mousehole. Seemed to be full of the London Set and the prices reflected that too and everything went well until the food arrived. It looked and tasted really good, but Good Lord Above! I know I bang on about the size of my belly but, Heavens to Murgatroyd! The quantities served in this establishment are huge!

My starter chowder was enough for a main course. When my main course arrived I just couldn't help laughing out loud.

I had chosen a 'luxury fish pie' but what appeared was a bowl the size of a large dog bowl full to the brim accompanied by two of the biggest doorsteps of garlic bread known to man. They had been hewn from the granite bread cliffs with large axes and dunked in a bucket of garlic butter and then left to set for a day or so.

How on earth the chef expected to receive clean plates back from his diners I cannot imagine.

So ~ if you haven't eaten for a week the Cornish Range is for you. We are here for a while and will not be going back.

The picture is of Mousehole harbour where the have these very pretty lights throughout the village at this time of the year.