Our dinner in Cornwall was at the secluded, serene and oh so English resort
called The NARE. It overlooks Nare Head and its south coast beach with beautiful
gardens running from the hotel down the hillside. I am sorry we didn't have more
time to spend here, but am glad we made it to this remote (only small one lane
roads covered by arched grassy foliage lead in and out) yet classy spot.
There are two restaurants and we chose the set menu classier one and
enjoyed every bite. I mentioned to the sommelier that we really liked the
English white dry Bacchus and he said he had a Cornwall Bacchus 2011 from Camel
Valley right nearby, it was an instant hit.
We chose the appetizer trolley (how old fashioned is that) which allowed us
to try oh so many different items which included, but are not limited to,
Chicken Salad, Asparagus, Sundried Tomatoes, Celeriac Salad, Portloe Crab(caught
right offshore)--which actually mixed with the celeriac was a big hit--Pickled
Herring Roll Mops, Anchovies, and buttery Scallop Ceviche. The breads were
simple and tasty: seeded white and brown, but the butter, as always, was rich,
local and worth the indulgence.
The next course was what I liked to call the "inter" course, excuse my
terminology.It was a MACKEREL FILLET with Curried Mussel Broth, Coriander and
Cress, The small plate was another great taste of local fish and produce.
Samuel adored the Escalope of VEAL which came with Sweetbreads, but since
each dish is served tableside, you can pick and choose what items you want more
and less of! He chose the scallops rather than the sweetbreads and skipped the
Broad Beans in favor of the Potato Galette.
Will had a superb HALIBUT with Sauteed Potatoes, Spinach & Asparagus in
Bearnaise Sauce while I went whole hog for the amazing local Grilled PORTLOE
Lobster, caught offshore just that day by a young intern at the hotel we met
earlier!
The lobster can come cold, Americaine, Newburg or Thermador, but this
simple seasoned and grilled version needed nothing else, not even the seasoned
garlic butter.
The sommelier suggested a South African chardonnay that we forgot the name
of because it was so intensely cloying of oak that I was taken back to the days
of early California oak splintered chard.
The dishes also come with vegetable bundles of asparagus, carrots and green
beans each wrapped in a slice of zucchini that were simply adorable. Other sides
served family style included Braised Chicory and Buttered Cornish
Potatoes.
Samuel thought about ice cream but when the dessert trolley arrived went
right for the CHOCOLATE BROWNIE DELICE GATEAU, which Will joined him in.
I had fresh local Raspberries, Strawberries and Peaches with Cornwall
Clotted Cream, as I knew this would be my last chance for the amazing treat we
had with our cream tea earlier that afternoon in the hotel.
As if the clotted cream was not enough, we went on to the cheese which here
was served with a yummy chutney for a change and we revisited some of our new
friends:
Sharpham Elmhirst triple cream
Sharpham Elmhirst triple cream
but also made new friends with
Sue's Celtic Gold which is an intense cow curdwashed with cider
White Nancy-a nice soft goat
Montgomery Cheddar
Cornish Crumbly which is a creamy treat from Whalesborough and
of course Cornish Blue.
Again we enjoyed a Noble Late Harvest Riesling from South Africa but this
from 2007, even better.
