In the end we went out for a meal, here in Morecambe, to celebrate
our wedding anniversary. We decided to try somewhere we hadn’t been before –
the Clarendon Hotel.
We’ve often passed this hotel & wondered about it. It’s on the
way into Morecambe from here. However, it is also on the edge of the West End,
the rough part of town. It has a large car park but it doesn’t look safe,
knowing our car is only a couple of years old & vandals abound in the West
End. We decided to park on the prom, where we could keep an eye on it as we ate
in the “Waterfront Restaurant”.
Inside the restaurant, with its high ceilings & wooden
floors, was full of echoes. It clearly was a hotel that had been quite posh in
its Victorian heyday, but now looks in need of a little TLC. The staff were
friendly & helpful.
We both had the same starters – black pudding bonbons with
crispy bacon, apple sauce & a poached egg. The egg was poached beautifully –
good runny yolk & no trace of vinegar. The bonbons were tasty once you got
inside. However, the breadcrumb exterior was so hard we both nervously broke
into them as otherwise they would have rolled off the plate in the endeavour to
put a fork in. The apple sauce was fine. It went well with the black pudding
but not with the egg. The bacon was totally crisp, more so than we like but I
get the impression that was intentional.
For mains we went our different ways. I had pan fried trout
fillets & prawns with a hollandaise sauce & samphire. The samphire had
a pleasing saltiness to compliment the fish. The spring onion that was mixed in
gave it extra interest. In theory I had colcannon with it but to me it was
mashed potato with the odd slice of red onion mixed in. To me colcannon has
cabbage mixed in but there was no sign of any cabbage there, nor was there any
sign of the celeriac puree mentioned on the menu. The Fox meanwhile had a beef
& ale pie. He reported it was okay but not up to my standards of pie making.
The restaurant was pretty full. It has a good reputation but we
ended up feeling it was pretty much pub food level of cooking, not the something
special we were hoping for. I doubt we will be going there again. The
restaurant was certainly well booked & many customers were regulars from the
repartee between staff & diners.
On the way home, the Fox commented some of our friends think we
are too critical. However, I don’t see any point in not stating my true
opinion. As far as food is concerned I do not see the point in paying a lot
extra when I could get as good, if not better, at home. Maybe it is a reflection
of our own high standards at home, though I will admit sometimes we go so
disastrously wrong we end up throwing it out. I find myself wondering what
quality of food others must eat at home to find some of this restaurant food so
good. There are times when we are too tired or achy to cope with cooking &
are relieved just to eat out. For that we are happy enough with our local pub.
For something better we’re off to Ricky’s, our favourite Cantonese, in
Bolton-le-Sands, or Aspects at the Lothersale Hotel in Morecambe. Otherwise it’s
a case of going further afield, into Lancaster & beyond.
It is my personal dread that we will become so decrepit we have depend
on carers coming who can only warm up microwave meals, or go into a home, for
the rest of my life. I sincerely hope we never get to that stage. Or that my
taste buds pack up first.
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