West Cornwall Top Picks, by Josh Barrie

Josh and his girlfriend in Mousehole

After my recent post on a trip to Cornwall, I got chatting to Josh Barrie, a West Cornwall based food writer who spent his teenage years in Oxford. Just before he recently upped sticks and moved to London, Josh very kindly wrote a guest blog for me with his guide to the best food spots in West Cornwall - a big thanks to Josh for these fab recommendations.
Foodie x 

My time in Cornwall was fleeting. Ten months at The Cornishman passed quickly – just long enough to enjoy the fruits of summer and meander through winter under wind and rain.

Noting the weather may be tedious a beginning, but when seasons are so integral to food and food’s such a defining feature of the county, it’s hard not to. After all, it’s throughout the warmer months some of the finest fish in the world is at its best; it’s throughout those dark, damp weeks of November when soups and roast dinners are all the more satisfying.

Having journeyed to the distant west since a child it was odd to actually live there. Waking up every morning to the smell of the sea is wholly different to two weeks in August. And in staying there a while longer I was able to immerse myself in the food culture. It means so much more; it’s an industry relied upon and most importantly must never be heralded as fish and chips or pasties alone (however gorgeous they may be).

Great produce at a local grocer's

It’s in the small, independent farms such as Trevaskis near Hayle, or St Just Community Farm that produce some of the earthiest, most natural vegetables around. And the beef, such as that of Bollowal’s Red Ruby Devon’s – I remember talking to farmer Jeff Thomas at The Royal Cornwall Show and his love and care for his animals transposed to the steaks that resulted.

There’s the cheese too of course, and the luscious treats – ‘hevva’ cake, which sounds something so unglamorous with all its lard and simplistic nature (no polenta or agave syrup to be found) was as pleasing with a cup of tea as any at a hip Jericho café.

But let’s get down to some of the pubs and restaurants. It was there I enjoyed most what I believe to be west Cornwall’s greatest asset: fish.

First in line is The Rum & Crab Shack in St Ives, my last review for The Cornishman. For fear of repeating myself I’ll keep my gushing brief – but really, it’s a wonderful experience. A vast array of rums – more than Raoul’s, would you believe – is married with the coast’s tender and succulent crustacean. The food is Cornish with a Caribbean twist, such as a warming jambalaya or fragrant crab and rum soup, harnessing what’s good and sprinkling it with the exotic.

Rum Selection at Rum & Crab Shack

Marazion’s Ben’s Cornish Kitchen is a largely different affair. It’s somewhat more refined, yet retains the land’s casual charm. The menu is as seasonal as a tree, with touches of sheering wonderment nestled alongside rustic notes. You might have curried tempura John Dory fillets, with orange, fennel and baby caper salad and sweet chilli jam. Perhaps you might follow that with pan fried turbot and crispy ox cheek, alongside other delightful concoctions.

Another great spot is The Tolcarne Inn, Newlyn. Perched next to the sea the chef, Ben Tunnicliffe, is as loving of his fish as the fisherman are of their lighthouses. Sitting in the pub feels as if in a cabin, where rural comfort, such as ray and potato terrine or monkfish tail with grilled polenta, is cooked with expert hand.

These are just three of west Cornwall’s finest offerings. The list is endless. It may not have Rick Stein’s cemented stature, Nathan Outlaw’s two Michelin stars or Jamie Oliver’s name – all very much a part of the landscape east of Truro – but the trip to the edge of the country’s well worth it.

Cornish Capers

MiniF1 had a fabulous time running around on the beach in Newquay

Last May, with MiniF2 due to make an appearance three months later, we headed off for a 'babymoon' to Cornwall, because there's nothing quite like a good waddle along the beach when you're several months preggers. With MiniF1 quickly approaching 'terrible twos' though, holidays were no longer the calm, relaxing break they once were - as any parent will know, a holiday with kids can be more like hard work than any day at the office. But what the hell, it'll be fine, right?

With friends in Penzance, we planed to stay somewhere nearby. Hours of searching through holiday cottage websites left me feeling somewhat disappointed, with most places too far north, in the middle on nowhere, or appallingly decorated (seriously...? that much chintz?!). We were relieved to find a little gem of a cottage, based almost bang on one hour from our friends and 15 minutes from the coast. Booked through Sykes Cottages, The Boat in Tregony is a three bedroom, double-fronted stone cottage, with separate dining room, a bathroom, a shower room, off-road parking and cute manicured gardens. Comfortable and traditional, with solid pine furniture and neutral tones throughout, The Boat came with stair gates provided (by prior arrangement), so all we needed to take for MiniF was a pop up bed - result.

Our accommodation for the week, The Boat. Booked via Sykes Cottages

One of the big ticket attractions in Cornwall, other than the beaches and the food, is of course The Eden Project. Which turned out to be one of the more, well... eventful days - consisting of projectile vomiting pretty much throughout, as one of our friends' children started coming down with some kind of bug. But, I must admit, even though I had my doubts about Eden (not being particularly excited by plants or greenhouses), it turned out to be pretty cool, minus the puking. The two main 'biomes' (which are basically big bubble-shaped greenhouses) are made up of a rainforest biome, all big plants and humidity, and a Mediterranean biome, with a lovely cafe, olive trees, terracotta planters and children's entertainer singing along with his guitar. The Mediterranean biome was my favourite, evoking feelings of being in a rural Greek village, basking in the sun, while the wind and drizzle outside became a distant thought. I could have happily stayed there all day!

A brief break from waddling through the rainforest biome

We had to leave in a bit of a hurry, as the poorly little girl we were with was literally chucking up all over the place. If we had more time though we would have checked out the large dining area, between the two biomes, which seemed to consist of row after row of long 'kitchen bars', where chefs were preparing all manor of treats right in front of eager looking diners. MrF did manage to grab me a swift pasty on the way back to the car though - well done MrF, you made a pregnant woman very happy! There is also a visitor centre if you have a little longer to linger than we did - worth checking out.

FOODIE HIGHLIGHTS

Before our trip to Cornwall, I'd researched online, as per usual, for the best places to eat in the area. Many of the more renowned places were a little further afield, quite pricey, or a bit too formal, and with MiniF1 in tow we didn't want any of those things. We ended up mostly dining at highly rated cafes, uncovering some utterly wonderful dishes (without a single pasty or cream tea in sight!).

The Victoria Inn, Perranuthnoe, Penzance

Clockwise from left: Victoria Inn; Provençal Fish Soup; soup accompaniments Parmesan, Aioli and Croutons; Slow Braised Primrose Herd Pork and Peppercorn Faggots, with Champ Potato, Local Greens and Onion Gravy

Tucked away in the small village of Perranuthnoe, The Victoria Inn looks like any traditional village pub from the outside, the only hint you get about the quality within is the window display of various accolades. 'Chef Stew' trained with Raymond Blanc and Michael Cains, plus, as their website understandably boast, "has achieved recognition in all the major food guides every year since 1998"... pretty impressive qualifications! 

The traditional theme continues inside with dark wood, stone walls and a small cosy fireplace. An extensive menu lured us in with a fine selection of shellfish, pate and steak, but we were ultimately captured by the same dishes - Provençal Fish Soup for starters, then Slow Braised Primrose Herd Pork and Peppercorn Faggots for mains, served up with Champ Potato, Local Greens and Onion Gravy - how goo does that sound?!

The soup was gorgeous - just rich enough, topped off with croutons perfectly flavoured with garlic and herbs and accompanied by plenty of parmesan and aioli. The faggots were bloomin' marvellous; tender, meaty, flavoursome balls of delight. The vegetables complementing the dish were tenderly prepared and equally pleasing. Overall this was an excellent meal, it was just somewhat unfortunate that the intimate setting didn't quite fit with a troublesome toddler, so we made our exit swiftly after the mains. 

Little Kahuna, Newquay

Clockwise from left: quiet corner of the cafe; stunning chicken Nasi Goreng; amazing sticky ribs with 'slaw and fries

In need of lunch en-route through Newquay one day, we stopped off at Little Kahuna after a good run around nearby Towan Beach. Small and simple, the cafe is far from OTT, with a small galley kitchen and the remaining space taken up by plain wooden tables and chairs.

The menu was my idea of heaven.... Mussels, Pad Thai, Sticky Ribs, Slow Cooked Beef, Halloumi, Seafood Linguine... they literally could not have designed a better menu for me. For MrF, who had been desperate for some "fragrant food" all week, there was also plenty to choose from. We both ordered in record time, me desperate to get my hands on Slow Roasted Sticky Ribs with Coleslaw & Fries, MrF salivating over the Chicken Nasi Goreng, accompanied by shallot, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and chilli.

MrF's Nasi Goreng was stunning - you could literally taste every single flavour, all of which were perfectly balanced. My Sticky Ribs were to die for! These were, by far, the best ribs I've tasted, even better than the ones I had in New York. Simmered for three hours to render down the fat, then marinated in homemade sauce before being slow roasted for a further three hours, these ribs were melt-in-the-mouth, fall-off-the-bone, sticky, sweet, perfection. The salad was fine, the fries and coleslaw tasty, but the best thing, other than the ribs, was the combination of fries, coleslaw and sticky rib sauce... umami heaven!

SeaDrift Kitchen Cafe, Porthleven
Clockwise from left: Outstanding Salmon, Crab & Tiger Prawn Risotto; inside the cafe; Crispy Duck Salad

After a couple of shocking night's sleep, thanks to MiniF, we were keen to ensure our little monster caught up on some Z's. Deciding to use the old 'get him to sleep in the car' trick, we drove all the way to Lizard Point, the most southerly part of the UK, then back again via the small fishing port of Porthleven, where I'd earmarked a little place to visit called SeaDrift Kitchen Cafe. With décor that's part nautical, part retro diner, SeaDrift feels fresh, warm and inviting. The staff were lovely too - each incredibly helpful and hospitable, very well suited to the venue.

Clearly a popular place for both locals and tourists, there was a steady stream of customers throughout our visit, but then, with the cafe currently featuring as number one on Tripadvisor for Porthleven, I expected the food to be good. What I hadn't expected however, was one of the worst cases of food envy. Drinks ordered and MiniF settled in a booster seat, we got to work on devouring the menus.... steaks, salads, brunch, plus lots and lots of fresh seafood. In a moment of stupidity, I ordered the Crispy Duck Salad, while MrF chose a Salmon, Crab and Tiger Prawn Risotto.

Now ordering the Duck Salad wasn't stupid because it was bad (it was actually very tasty), ordering the Duck Salad was stupid because we were right by the sea, and because it had no chance of living up to the seafood risotto! Cue one very green eyed monster. Whilst I was enjoying my dish though, I only had eyes for the Risotto, and thankfully MrF was happy enough to share. The taste was outstanding, reminiscent of Moules Marinière - creamy, garlicky, with the delicious taste of crab, salmon, and wine coming through, topped off with great big juice king prawns and shaved parmesan - flippin' amazing!

Bathing in the afterglow of great grub, we were happy to stay a little longer. MiniF had been tucking into a lovely children's portion of sausage, chips and fresh vegetables with a portion of ice cream to follow, so I decided to keep him company with a very majestic Mixed Berry Pavlova. When I think back, that phenomenal risotto will always be one of the stand out dishes of the trip! 

Sam's, Fowey
Clockwise from top left: Tempura Fried Red Mullet; Eden Mess; the interior; Sam's fries

Our holiday in Cornwall was coming to an end and for our final day we decided to drive up the coast, through St. Austell to Fowey (pronounced Foy). Arriving in Fowey is like going back in time, with narrow one-way streets, old buildings towering over and bunting strung above - we decided to stop for lunch at a local cafe dating back to the 80's.

On entering Sam's, you can't help but be smacked in the face by it's interior design - racing green banquette seats; pink candy stripe furnishings; exposed stone walls; wooden floors, bar and tables; Americana posters and memorabilia. The word garish does spring to mind. Checking out the menu, we found a decent selection of burgers and grills - the obligatory ham, cheese, veggie and chicken burgers, along with a few extra burgers and steak. If you're looking for something a bit fishier, they also offer cod, salmon or red mullet burgers. 

Our interest lay elsewhere though, we had our eyes firmly fixed on the specials... specifically on the Tempura Fried Red Mullet! So, Red Mullet ordered for each of us, plus a side of fries to share, we settled in with a couple of drinks. MiniF was beginning to stir from his nap at this point, so thankfully it wasn't too long before our impressive plates of food arrived. Consisting of a large mix of salad leaves, vegetables and herbs, the salad wasn't your boring 'out of a packet' variety. I'm not sure the black olives went particularly well with the Asian flavours, but the rest was fab - fresh leaves; crunchy red cabbage; cucumber; tomato; onion; chives; plus mangetout (which I wasn't quite feeling the love for). The mullet was definitely the highlight though - fresh fingers of fish, with a fragrant coriander and chilli rub and ever-so-light tempura batter... delicious, all mopped up with some well-matched sweet chilli sauce. 

Deciding we had just about enough room for dessert, we both opted for the towering Eden Mess, with berries, meringue, clotted cream and ice cream. Whilst also enjoyable, I found mine lacking in meringue. Based purely on that Tempura Red Mullet though, Sam's was a worthy finale as an end to our culinary adventure in Cornwall. 

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Oxford Michelin Star Restaurants

With a city as diverse as Oxford, filled with plenty of food loving locals, you'd really think we'd have a Michelin star or two by now. We do have two Bib Gourmands (the award which recognises those establishments offering good food at affordable prices, the limit being £28 for three courses) to be proud of: Magdalen Arms in East Oxford and Rickety Press in Jericho; if you fancy a bite to eat at a Michelin star restaurant though, you have to hop in your car and get out of the city – but once you do, we have a pretty amazing selection to choose from...

OXFORDSHIRE:

Le Manoir aux Quat'Saison, Great Milton (2 star)

Image courtesy: Paul Lomax

MrF booked a table as a surprise for my birthday a few years ago, as I turned out to be pregnant though, I was unable to indulge in everything I would have liked - however MrF was pretty happy to have a designated driver! Technically masterful and delicious food, exquisite service in a truly stunning location - plus they are very child friendly. A la carte starters cost upwards of £40, the most expensive being plancha-seared scallop with cauliflower purée and curry oil, for £44. Mains range from £48 to £54; at the top end, roasted fillet of Aberdeen Angus beef with smokey mash, ceps and red wine jus sounds divine! Several tasting menus also available, starting at £79pp. 

The Nut Tree Inn, Murcott (1 star)

Image courtesy: David Hawgood, via Wikimedia Commons

Out in the sticks, with it's pretty thatched roof, olde-worlde low ceilings and wooden beams, The Nut Tree Inn feels somewhat 'story book'. Exemplary service, as you would expect at this level, plus fabulous food and an equally fabulous drinks list. Starters range from a very reasonable £7.50, though the pick for me would be foie gras terrine with spiced cherries and fresh almond, at £14. The mains, again, start at an affordable £17, given the star, but I'd head straight for the Grilled fillet of aged Charolais beef with triple cooked chips, baked tomato, onion rings, tarragon butter £30. Weeeell, you gotta push the boat out sometimes .Definitely book a taxi so you can delve into their fab wine list.

The Sir Charles Napier, Chinnor (1 star)

Image courtesy: Andrew Smith, via Wikimedia Commons

Now this one I haven't been to yet, but am intrigued to try. A la carte starters include seared foie gras with sweet corn pancake, pickled apple, cider and honey dressing, with prices starting from £10.50. Mains pricing is from £21.50 and include loin of local venison with bubble & squeak, braised red cabbage puree and parsley root. Yummy - when can I book?!

Oxfordshire Bib Gourmands:

• Magdalen Arms, Oxford
• Rickety Press, Oxford
• The Red Lion, Britwell Salome
• The Quince Tree, Stonor
• The Killingworth Castle, Wooton

With Oxford's flourishing food scene, and several Michelin star bred chefs running and opening restaurants in and around the city, don't be surprised if we see a few more accolades coming this way over the next few years. If in the meantime you fancy driving a little further afield though, there's plenty more to choose from. Oxfordshire's neighbouring counties have some pretty decent options too...

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE:

• Hand & Flowers, Marlow (2 star)
• Danesfield House, Marlow (1 star)

BERKSHIRE:

• Fat Duck, Bray (3 star)
• Waterside Inn, Bray (3 star)
• L’Ortolan, Shinfield (1 star)
• Hinds Head, Bray (1 star)
• The Royal Oak, Bray (1 star)
• The White Oak, Cookham (Bib Gourmand)

WILTSHIRE:

• The Dining Room, Whatley Manor, Malmesbury, Wiltshire (2 star)
• Bybrook, Castle Combe (1 star)
• The Park, Lucknam Park Hotel, Colerne (1 star)
• Harrow at Little Bedwyn, Little Bedwyn (1 star)
• Red Lion Freehouse, East Chisenbury (1 star)
• The Longs Arms, South Wraxall (Bib Gourmand)

GLOUCESTERSHIRE

• Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham (2 stars)
• Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter (1 star)
• The Tavern, Cheltenham (Bib Gourmand)
• Horse & Groom, Moreton-in-Marsh/Bourton-on-the-Hill (Bib Gourmand)
• The Gumstool Inn, Calcot Manor, Tetbury (Bib Gourmand)
• Owens, Tewkesbury (Bib Gourmand)

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE:

• Red Lion, East Haddon, Northamptonshire (Bib Gourmand)

FIND ALL OF THESE RESTAURANTS ON MY GOOGLE MAP

A Foodie in New York

This time last year, MrF and I were just heading off for a wonderful weekend in The Big Apple - my first visit to America and a much needed child-free break for the pair of us.

I hadn't started blogging by this point, so a few pics were Instagrammed, but nothing more. It seemed a shame, given how much we loved the trip. So a year on, I'm finally putting pen (finger tips) to paper (keyboard) about our long weekend on Long Island.

The Roger Hotel, New York (previously Hotel Roger Williams)
Images: Adrian8_8 on Flikr

Having trawled the internet with MrF for the best deal on a hotel room, we stumbled across The Roger New York (previously Hotel Roger Williams). Centrally based on Madison Avenue, cosmopolitan, decent sized rooms for a reasonable price (rare in NYC) - done! Room booked.

The Roger turned out to be a great find. MrF was particularly impressed with mini bar offering - most notably the sleeping pills (!) which we swiftly purchased for our flight home. Me? Well, what can I say, the Oreos were calling to me. 

Part of the Mini Bar

Ready to embrace the cold

Once we'd gathered our bearings and wrapped up warm, it was time to hit the streets. We walked for hours and hours each day - we paced West towards the Empire State Building, Macy's and Madison Square Gardens; uptown to Times Square, Central Park, Niketown and Grand Central Station; we wandered downtown through Greenwich Village then all the way down to Wall Street and Battery Park... you name it, we walked to it. 

On one particular day, after having already spent a few hours in Midtown, MrF was insistent on taking me to see the Statue of Liberty. So off we went, block after block. One hour went past, still walking. Two hours past, still walking. About half an hour later, we finally emerged in Battery Park, with a view of the famous lady. By this point we were pretty knackered, having quite literally spent ten hours traipsing around, so.... TAXI!

Clockwise from top left:
Empire State, Macy's, Central Park, Grand Central Station, Times Square

As close as we got to Lady Liberty

This turned out to be the only cab we took. Being based in such a central location was perfect for walking, plus it was much more fun just wandering around, taking it all in. It also served to build up a good appetite... and boy did we eat!

The foodie highlights of the trip were pretty epic. First and foremost though, I have to say, I'll never enjoy one those dry, pre-packaged, British bagels ever again, after finally getting to sample the real thing... nor will I choose low fat Philly over full fat (screw the diet, it's worth it).

Every morning for Breakfast at The Roger, MrF and I slathered full fat cream cheese atop freshly toasted, doughy bagels. SO much better than what I've been used to in the UK (though New York Bakery Co's sesame seed or red onion and chive are the closest match I've found).

Another eureka moment was tasting proper Pastrami at Katz's Delicatessen (where that moment went down in When Harry Met Sally) And argghhhh, it's AMAZING!! Juicy, tender, salty, intense.... I haven't been able to eat the pre-packaged stuff since. It's clearly a big visitor attraction, with queues around the block and a bouncer at the door, you have to take a ticket on entering and wait behind another burly bouncer before you even get a table.

It's definitely worth it though - DO visit if you're in NYC.

Katz's Delicatessen

EPIC Brisket and Pastrami Sandwich at Katz's Delicatessen

Somewhere we'd already planned to visit was Grand Central Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station, having checked it out on-line. Open since the start of World War I, the place is vast, seating c400 people. The restaurant itself is made up of three separate dining areas, two with restaurant tables and one with horseshoe shaped counters to dine around. Serving up a whopping 30 varieties of oysters, along with the largest selection of seafood dishes I've ever seen, this is THE place to go in NYC if you love your fish and shellfish.

(The Oyster Bar Daily Menu - opens PDF in pop-up window)

MrF went for a Clam Chowder, which he thought was amazing, while I opted for the Bouillabaisse, which was hugely impressive - especially with a big old helping of lobster on top!

MrF at Grand Central Oyster Bar

Bouillabaisse at Grand Central Oyster Bar

Looking for some serious rib action, we also checked out Blue Smoke, on recommendation from the our concierge - a very good recommendation it was too. Part of Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group (of Shake Shack fame), Blue Smoke welcomes you in with a slap on the back, drinking with mates vibe. You want to get really drunk and eat lots of meat, as soon as you walk through the door - which is literally what we did! A few cocktails later, with ribs, brisket and fries devoured, we felt incredibly gluttonous, but with big stupid smiles on our faces.

Ribs, Briket & Slaw at Blue Smoke

That pretty much sums up our time in NYC though, as we spent the entire time with full bellies and big stupid smiles on our faces, thoroughly enjoying this awesome city. 

I'd never been particularly excited to visit the USA, maybe the stiff Brit in me was put off by all overly cheery "have a nice day"s. Whatever the reason, it turns out my preconceptions were way off the mark - I freaking LOVED it.

Track My Trip at Google Maps: Foodie in NYC