The Blue Bar Porthtowan

A rare blue day in between the storms that have battered the south west this week, and promise to come howling in again tomorrow. I can see the sea at Porthtowan from my window, but on a day like today I wanted to be nearer to it, and, other than the beach, there is nowhere closer than The Blue Bar.
When I moved to Porthtowan friends looked blank, until the penny dropped and they would say - Ah The Blue Bar. It's known way beyond its own locality, partly because it is one of the few places this far west where you can have a glass of wine or a pint only a few steps from the beach. It's not, strictly speaking, a cafe but as I often sit outside and just have a coffee, and as it's my local, I'm happy to include it on this blog.
Today though, I'd decided to have lunch, then sit and write. The Blue Bar seems to encourage people to feel at ease. It provides free wifi access and there are often people sitting with coffee or a pint, and an open laptop. I prefer pencil and paper, but its good to have the option.
I'd already decided what to have before I got there. I was momentarily distracted by Halloumi fajitas from the Specials board, but the lure of burger and chips was too strong. The Blue Bar burger is offered with blue cheese and mushroom sauce, but I prefer a cheese burger, and fortunately they are happy to go off menu. The burger was good with a generous helping of melted cheddar, and the salad a nice mix of leaves (important to have a bit of green!), but the outstanding feature was the chips. Cut with the skins on, and perfectly cooked, the chips were a thing of joy. It wouldn't do to have chips every day, but when you do they should be like these chips, slightly frayed round the edges, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, and served with mayo and ketchup.
The service is always friendly, even in the summer, but especially so now in the low season. I will of course be back.
The Blue Bar is at Eastcliff, Beach Road, Porthtowan, Cornwall TR4 8AW  http://www.blue-bar.co.uk/  01209 890329

Johnny's Cafe Hayle

A walk, lunch and a chat is a great way to spend a friday. Friends Caitlin, Eve & I ventured out on this rainy Friday for a gentle stroll down St. Georges Walk along the estuary, spotting the odd bird scuttering in the mud, and making a wild stab at identifying what they were.
Then back to Johnny's cafe and a seat in the window overlooking the harbour. One day there might be a busy, bustling marina there, but at the moment it has its own neglected charm.
Johnny's Cafe is well-known to residents in Hayle. It's unashamedly vegetarian, and serves up great breakfasts, lunch and cakes. None of us are vegetarian, but I don't think any of us felt the lack of meat. The food is lovely - I've not had a bad experience on any of the occasions that I've visited. I chose an aubergine and coconut curry from the specials board. It was delicious, spicy but not too hot and served wth brown rice, which is so much more satisfactory than white rice; Eve had a spinach quiche which she said was excellent, and was particularly impressed by the interesting leaves and seed salad with which it was served; and Caitlin had umm'd and ah'd quite lot, skittering through the menu and finally settling on the bean burger which, she said, was the best she had ever had.
We were tempted by the dessert and the yummy looking cakes, but resisted. We'll go back another time.
Johnny's Cafe : http://www.johnnyscafe.co.uk/
50-51, Penpol Terrace, Hayle, Cornwall. TR27 4BQ

Eltham Palace tea rooms

Back in the Smoke visiting friends. Decided to take a trip to Eltham Palace - I lived just a few miles away for years and never managed to make the visit, so had it as a priority now I'm back as a tourist.
I'd heard about the tea rooms; I'd heard about the art deco and the courtaulds; I'd heard about the gardens.
It all sounded very lovely.
Friend Jo & I trotted off with expectations of a picturesque reminder of bygone years. Well - it was certainly a reminder of bygone years. We were directed down a pea green corridor that looked very much like a school gym; went into a tiny room where people were packed into every corner; and sat down, bemused.
The waitresses were pleasingly dressed in little black & white uniforms with pinnies and head wear; and cakes were piled up under glass covers.
We expected Trevor Howard to walk in any minute.
We shared a very ordinary ham sandwich; and a piece of Victoria Sponge that would have met with WI approval.

Eltham Palace itself is fantastic and the gardens a delightful place to wander - but the tearoom? Well worth going in for tea & cake and it's an experience! Though one that we felt could be very much improved without losing that authentic feel.

Cake is on hold

It's January, the time when sad people everywhere give up cake, and fool themselves that if they join the gym again they will remember to go. If ever there was a time of year when cake was necessary, it is surely January. Even those of us inclined to a glass half full feel a bit gloomy in January (unless you live in Australia in which case substitute July) and a lovely piece of cake would work wonders. But here in Cornwall nearly everything shuts down around about the second week of January.  This week a few places are hanging on, as the New Year Holiday makers are still here for few days, but by next week almost everywhere will be tucked up for the winter.

I shall be out and about in search of, and in praise of , the valiant few who keep their doors open and keep the flag flying for hot chocolate and cake through the very dead of winter.

I'd also just like to point out that although in theory it is the very dead of winter, my geraniums are still blossoming with many fresh flowers coming through, and the first of the daffodils are brightening up the lanes and the fields.

Holiday makers should come to Cornwall all through the year - its mild, and lovely, and last Tuesday I watched a pod of dolphins playing in St. Ives bay.  And if you were all here, the cafes would stay open and I wouldn't be deprived of cake.