Smiths Beach and Canal Rocks

Visited Smiths Beach. Bella loved running through the sand and splashing in the creek. There were about 30 surfers in the water.
On the way we did some tastings at Credaro cellar door. It was Virgin Block but now run by the Credaro family who are largely grape growers in the region. Their wines are very young but pleasant. The building is very good and has a magnificent outlook.
 

Then had lunch at Lamonts at the Smiths Beach Resort. Actually we didn't feel like a large meal so sat in the patio of the deli also run by Lamonts. Pam had a really yummy toasted sandwich with goats milk cheese and spinach. I had a great steak pie.
 

Visited Canal Rocks. This is spectacular coastal scenery and great watching the waves crash onto the rocks

Hayshed Hill

Went to Hayshed Hill for lunch yesterday. It is a lovely relaxed setting with a great view over the vineyard.  Their wines are very pleasant. Pam really liked their chardonnays, especially from Block 6. This surprised her very much as she for a long time hated chardonnays as they were too oaky. I enjoyed a Shiraz Tempranillo so much that I bought an extra couple of bottles.

Pam had a French Onion Soup and I had a pizza from a menu designed to be light. Both serves were excellent. The place was quite busy but still very relaxed. So relaxed in fact that we went back to the cellar door, bought our wines, and then left without paying our bill for the meal. Fortunately they had remembered we were from Loaring Place B&B and called me later and I was able to apologise and give them my card details over the phone.

Also went to the Margaret River Chocolate Factory as that was close by to Hayshed Hill.  Very decadent and seductive. They have tastings of their chocolates but they still made a handsome profit as Pam bought some macadamias coated in chocolate (of course) and she bought me some Buderim ginger coated in dark chocolate (also very nice).  A great day. Not so for Bella as she got car sick and had to sit on Pam's lap on the way back.

Duckstein for Lunch

Pam has gone to Vasse Felix with Anne and Joe to buy some wine, then I will meet them shortly at Saracen Estate and Duckstein Brewery for lunch. I'm looking forward to some bratwurst, sauerkraut and pilsner.

Providore Garden Greens

Lunch spoilt by a few garden greens. Went to the Providore on Harmans Rd South today. Beautiful day and a good crowd there as usual. Jill, Brian, Pam and myself. Jill had a pie, Brian a good feed of snapper, Pam had a lamb curry and I had 12 hour shin. Described as cooked for 12 hours, with mashed potatoes and garden greens. 


I was feeling quite hungry as I had missed dinner by going to bed at 6.30 the previous night after the Nicols garden party at Karridale and nursing a headache that would not go away. So the thought of some mashed potatoes and garden greens with tender beef swayed my decision.  When the meal came, there was a good serving of beef stew with some onions and carrots, and a good serving of mashed potatoes, and sitting on top were four little leaves of Italian parsley (like celery leaves). The ridiculous thought crossed my mind that these must be the "garden greens" but I immediately dismissed that as being impossible - not 4 miserable little leaves.


So I said to the waitress that the meal was missing the garden greens, and she blithely said no, they were there, the bits of parsley. She then went off in a huff.  Now the Providore prides itself as having an organic vegetable garden which they use for their kitchen.  This garden was right in our view, and although largely for show (it is not nearly large enough for the kitchen), it does look good and it had a large range of garden greens. Lettuce and a whole range of other vegetables that could have made my lunch complete. All it needed was a bit of lettuce, some sprigs of parsley and perhaps a bit of cucumber or peas.


Although the stew was good, wanting some greens and not getting them really took the edge off my lunch. Even half a bottle of lovely rose' and baked cheescake could not lift my spirits. I asked the waitress to tell the chef that I was not happy with the lack of garden greens, which she grudgingly said she would do, but I doubt in fact that she did.  Last time that we were at the Providore, Pam asked for the salad, which was a bowl of lettuce and some tomato and a bit of dressing. She complained that there was no cheese or bacon or anything substantial in it, and that she felt like a rabbit. The response she got from that complaint also left her wondering if anybody was listening.


Every breakfast we serve to our guests at the Bed and Breakfast, we put a garnish on the side of the plate. This consists of a large sprig of Italian parsley, and either some garlic chive, or a sprig of crinkle parsley or lately a sprig of mizuna lettuce and some of its flowers.  Thus to have 4 leaves of Italian parsley masquerading as "garden greens" made me quite angry.


I guess if I go there again, I will have to remember to bring my own parsley and fetta.

Coq au vin

Two couples wanted to have dinner here tonight and Pam was in the mood to do some cooking so she agreed. She decided on Coq au vin, which she had tried in a restaurant in France. Unfortunately I didn't have any cheap wine or brandy, so she put in it some of my best Napoleon brandy and half a bottle of Watershed Zinfandel. She served it with potatoes cooked in milk plus some carrots and broccoli. For desert she cooked apple cake with a custard filling. Jill and Brian came down from Perth to have a few days of R and R with us so the guests and ourselves had a veritable feast and everyone said it was fantastic, especially the sauce.

Tracey and David from Adelaide spent two nights here, after a few days in Perth. This was their first visit to the west and as they are serious wine lovers, Margaret River was high on their agenda.

They visited a large number of wineries, and really enjoyed Swallows Welcome, where Pat Negus showed them around the garden and their lovely mud brick chapel. Tracey said some of the wines from Watershed were really great and they also enjoyed a Voyager Estate Cab-Merlot, especially with the duck from Ze Arc of Iris restaurant in Margaret River.