Aug-11 - The Honours

We were expecting great things from The Honours and we were not disappointed. Firstly, the decor by the marvellous Ian Smith is spot on. The food was excellent brassiere fare with a Martin Wishart twist. TB had 6 Oysters to start. A bit pricey at £15, but worth it given the quality and plumpness of those wonderful Cornish Oysters. BH had the Pigs Head Terrine. Meaty, succulent and extremely tasty, served with wafer thin toast. TB managed to wangle a taste and was impressed – in fact, had a slight twinge of food envy! Mains were equally as good. BH had the Presa Steak of Acorn Feb Iberico Pork and TB had a medium rare Rib Eye, both with a red wine sauce on the side. The chips we ordered on the side were so good that we had to order a second portion. The additional side of creamed spinach was so tasty that even BH (who usually hates spinach) sampled some and pronounced it “very good”, both washed down with a nice bottle of Montepulciano D'Abruzzo. Finally, the pudding. We were both totally stuffed but there is always, in our view, room for a good pude. We shared "The Honours" ice-cream sundae. Frozen caramelised bananas, caramel ice-cream, crushed crunchie bar and a caramel sauce. This hit the spot as a great end to a great meal.

Aug-11 - The Wee Restaurant

We’ve been doing an awful lot of eating out recently. In fact, we are sick of it. However, it was a huge relief to return to the wonderful Wee Restaurant. Craig Wood never disappoints. TB had the house signature starter of large succulent mussels in a pine nut, bacon, red onion and cream sauce. Total heaven in a bowl. BH had the terrine. Both BH and TD had Sea Bream served on a bed of Crab Risotto with Salsa Verde. Fresh, light and tasty. Puddings were a Raspberry Frangipane tart served with Chantilly cream and Sticky Toffee pudding served with homemade Ice-Cream. Both were excellent. The Wee Restaurant constantly performs at a high level. The staff are warm and welcoming and the food always good. What’s not to like.

Aug-11 - Ristorante Leon D'Oro

This restaurant is large and the place to sit is on the side with views of the lake. We ate here twice the food was so good. We shared Bresaola with Rocket and Parmesan as an Antipasti and were glad we did because the portion was large enough to feed a small army. The beef was succulent and very tasty. It would easily have fed someone as a main. We also had an Insalata Mista served with Olive Oil and White Wine Vinegar, perfectly adequate and fresh. For main we both had Tagliatelle with Porcini mushrooms in a light cream sauce. It was heaven. The pasta was obviously freshly made and just perfectly al dente. The sauce was light and fresh and not too cloying. We could have licked our plates! Service was good in a typical Italian style!

Aug-11 - Pizzeria La Campanga

This pizza place is a rare find, positioned along a side street off the main square in Orta San Guilio, it is family run. There is plentiful seating outside, but the weather was so warm we chose to sit inside. There isn’t much character inside because most people want to eat outside. However, that didn’t matter. The food here is great, so good in fact that we ate here twice in one week and would have gone for a third but TB felt her waistline couldn’t take it! BH would have eaten here every evening.

The pizzas were as they should be, wood fired with their crusts thin and crispy. The toppings fresh and tasty. There is a vast array to choose from. We had two insalata mista's each night simply because they were so good. The wine list is limited, but very affordable. We had a Barbera D’Alba which was a steal at 12 Euros.

Aug-11 - Al Boeuc

As the Rough Guide says, Orta San Guilio is the cat’s whiskers. So is Al Boeuc for drinks. A cosy little nook of a wine bar, just off the main square in Orta. There is no wine list. Wines are sold by the glass and there is a blackboard at the door listing them. If you want a bottle, you simply choose it from the racks on the walls. Prices vary from around 15 Euros right up to over 150 Euros. We had a 40 euro Cabernet Barberesco blend. Fantastic!

Al Boeuc provides platters of food to munch with your wine. Don’t go expecting a menu or a traditional meal. The food is fresh snack food prepared there and then.  We had everything going. Firstly a large platter of bruschetta with tomato, basil and oregano, radicchio cooked with balsamic and mushroom with truffle oil. This was followed by a fonduesque affair of cream, anchovy paste and garlic in olive oil,with assorted vegetables to dip in. It was good but not spectacular and we probably wouldn’t go for this option again. It just didn’t feel right dipping lettuce into this hot goo. Finally, we had a platter of ham and cheese with mint infused honey on the side and a basket of bread. BH was in heaven. The hams were heavily smoked, sweet, tender and absolutely delicious. The cheeses were thinly sliced local choices which went well with the hams. A good choice for an evening of wine and snacks.

Jul-11 - Corrigan's Mayfair

TB went to Corrigan's without BH, as she was on a girl’s trip to London. Ended up calling BH from the restaurant mid course to tell him how wonderful it was. This restaurant is a gem of a find. We were half an hour early and were shown the bar for drinks. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, but not overly attentive which was just perfect. I had a taste sensation for my starter; a rich, smooth fois gras quinnellle with a tarte marmalade puree served with brioche. I was delighted with my choice. I then went on to have rabbit with sides of creamed spinach and goose fat chips! Heaven!! My dining companions had a kilo of beef and I have to admit to extreme food envy when it turned up. A huge slab a succulent beef arrived and was cut at the table. There was so much that I had to help them out and have 2 slices. There was still some left over. If you are going to have the kilo of beef forget having a starter!! Maitre d', Johann, was great. Welcoming, friendly. Loved it! Can’t wait to go back.