Porta Bella, Carmel

A pleasant day driving down and up Highway One in mixed cloudy and clear weather generated healthy appetites.

We tried one Italian restaurant which in the early evening was unable to fit us in, so we tried Porta Bella on Ocean Avenue.

Cosy and friendly, the beer that smelled like parmesan cheese was replaced without quibble, we chose four different dishes. Eight-hour cooked beef short ribs, Chicken breast in lemon, garlic and Dijon mustard, both with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and seasonal vegetables (carrots & green beans), Dabs and a good looking Carbonara.

All followed with a shared Tiramisu.

All good, and we are slowly getting to grips with US prices and how tips are handled.

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The Craster Arms, Beadnell

We spent the morning walking along a truly beautiful Northumberland coast, to the east of Bamburgh. Wide stretches of clean, soft sand and mudflats with a wide variety of shore and sea birds. This sharpened the appetite and we found The Craster Arms in the seaside village of Beadnell. Two pork belly with mashed potatoes, crackling and seasonal vegetables, followed by one bread and butter pudding with custard and one Cointreau Irish coffee. And a bowl of water for the dog we had borrowed so that we could talk to strangers.

The Artichoke, Amersham

This record of Old People Eating began on 17th February 2022 with atrip to the splendid Artichoke in Amersham. That was a celebration of our 15th wedding anniversary and today was a birthday treat. I am very happy to report that this restaurant remains an excellent choice. We once again had the tasting menu (the full one, of course, rather than the lunch version) and it was thoroughly and deliciously enjoyable from start to finish. Perhaps the hand-dived scallop had been cooked for a few seconds too long, but that was easily forgiven and forgotten as the meal continued. I posted the menu in 2022, so feel I should do the same here: For special occasions and a real treat, we will return.

Pedyr's Bake House, Polperro

After a pleasant coastal walk from Talland to Polperro on the south coast of Cornwall and a wander around that charming harbour town, we called in to Pedyr's Bake House and bought a traditional pasty for each of us. Pasties had been taken three times already on this trip, but this one felt deserved as the path along to coast had some steep sections. It was only a mile and a half from point to point but felt longer. Lovely views, a memorably close encounter with a chiffchaff and kind weather in both directions. The pasties were consumed on a bench overlooking the harbour where the resident gulls were kept under close observation by us and we by them. Only one raid was attempted and this was partially successful. The pasties were excellent. Fresh, not too hot and filled with softly cooked beef, potato and swede. Crusty short pastry and enough moisture to avoid any hint of heaviness. A trip to the roof garden of the Three Pilchards rounded off the lunch before a final tour of the vi...

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