I have been trying to complete the previous day's blog post before leaving for the next day's activity. But the last post defeated me, with all the detail of making sure I was calling the right Tor by the right name [Co-pilot's note: What's in a name, dear readers, what's in a name. As Shakespeare didn't say "Would a Tor by any other name still look as grey?"] the time from 5.30am to 8.30am went by so quickly that I had to finish the post before showering etc in time to leave for today's activity. So, I didn't have time to write about last night's wonderful meal at Barbeque 13.
Barbeque 13
Those who read last Saturday's post will know we had a wonderful experience eating at Barbeque 13. We noted at the time we wanted to go back, but perhaps hadn't expected it to be as soon.
On Tuesday, after eating at the Mexican, we began to think about Friday as we had Wednesday and Thursday already sorted. As Friday is a fish day for me we thought to book another visit to Rockfish, but even by Tuesday evening the restaurant was full unless we wanted to eat at 9pm or later, which is too late for us. It was then that I thought of trying Barbeque 13 again, and they had space for us.
We left the house at 6.40pm and arrived at 7pm for a booking at Barbeque 13.
We started with a Chapa bread each, having enjoyed the one we shared last time so much. It was as tasty as we both remembered.
I opted instead for the Fresh Exmouth Crab Benedict with charcoal hollandaise. This was extra-ordinary. While the key ingredients of the Benedict were all there, delicious salty fresh crab, an amazingly well-cooked egg with solid while and runny yolk and a sturdy bun holding it all together, the real surprise was the black/purple colour of the charcoal hollandaise. The flavour of smoky charcoal took me back to one of my earliest childhood memories - eating coal out of the coal scuttle while waiting for dinner. It is a memory reinforced by the telling off I got for doing it. So, the charcoal flavour had a sense of me 'being naughty' as well as enhancing the flavour of the rest of the dish.
Drew's starter was Grilled watermelon, heirloom tomatoes and feta salad with candied walnuts. The feta was strong and salty, a genuine Greek flavour of cheese. The tomatoes were of various types each with a distinct flavour. The green ones were sharp, the orange ones sweeter and the reds more like the tomatoes we eat at home. The watermelon had been slightly barbequed so it had a charcoal taste without losing its juiciness, it was a lovely, refreshing dish.
For mains I had the Red Gurnard with Provençal sauce. I like a gurnard, with its funny name, and for many off putting shape. But the meaty texture of its flesh and the delicate but definitive flavour is delightful. To have that flavour delightfully present in this fish which had been cooked on the barbeque seems like some kind of cooking miracle, it retained all its own flavour with the delicious charcolly flavour of the barbeque - a delicious delight, I can't speak to highly of the simple, but astounding food her at Barbeque 13.
The Provençal sauce was a great accompaniment with its tomato, onion, garlic and herby sweetness balanced with lemon juice - a refreshing summery tingle to go with the fish.
Butterfly Seabass with salsa verde
Drew had Butterfly Seabass with salsa verde, one of the dishes I'd considered. The fish was butterflied to ensure it cooked all through. The charcoal cooking kept the fish firm and flavoursome with a charcoal enhancement. The salsa verde went well with the fish, it was sharp and fresh.
Side Dishes
As a restaurant with six side dishes on the menu and having had three on Saturday we opted for the other three tonight. These were: Scallop roe fries were crisp and salty from the roe adding just a hint of flavour to already well-cooked fries; Buttered Samphire which was nice and crunchy again it was perfectly seasoned; the Chargrilled Med Veg was a treat, small slices of squash and corgette barbegued on the edges made for a soft, sweer middle and a crunchy earthy outside. What a wonderful idea.
For dessert Drew opted for Smoked Sticky Toffee Cake with butter-scotch Ice-Cream. The ice-cream was perfect for him, a lovely rich taste and, unlike to many restaurants, it had not been over chilled. The oozing delight of the cake had to be tasted to be experienced. Drew says the toffee sauce was so delightful that he could have drunk it by the pint!
We finished with a double espresso each.
Back to the House
Car Charging
The 83.6 miles to Dartmoor and back took 67% of the car's power. So with 33% remaining charge and 43 estimated miles to go we put the car on to charge at 9.10pm and it was completed on Saturday morning at 8.25am - 11 hours and 15 minutes, 25.88 KWH.
Our walking by the end of the day was 9.81 miles and 24,700 steps. A very good day's exercise.
Wow that was a distance! You would need to replenish the calories with the meal! Again your cheese board sounded lovely. I was wondering have you ever had a meal you did not think was as good as you expected?
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteThe Mexican on Tuesday night was an example of not being as good as expected. It is clear the place was focussed on the Margaritas and other cocktails and the food was an after thought - or at least that's the impression I got - lots of little errors in the cooking that could have been easy to remedy with a bit of time and effort.