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Rene and Bert have been here this week, so we had an excuse to go to Rococo in West George Street. We did want to go to Etain but they are closed for refurbishment at present.

Rococo is in the basement of one of the Blythswood Hill tenement blocks, but is light and welcoming, with large leather banquettes and comfortable leather armchairs. Service was attentive and friendly, although they failed the water test at Stage 2*. Surprisingly, the restaurant was only half empty at 8pm, and there were only two tables occupied by 9.30pm, and this was the start of the payday weekend!

The food was well executed and tasty, and presented well on large plates. Most of the ingredients were locally sourced, and the chef was accommodating enough to convert one of the starter dishes into a main course.

Amuse bouche: deep fried ball of duck confit (the oil was a little too hot, so the breadcrumb shell was a touch hard).

Green bean salad, red onions, chicory.
Ballotine of French rabbit, girolles.
Tian of crab, guacamole and tomato relish.

Loin of wild venison, cabbage, bacon & mushrooms
Oven Roasted Fillet of Scotch Beef with Glazed Green Beans, Roasted Gnocchi and Root Vegetables, Truffle Jus
Roast pigeon, pea risotto.

Caramelised apple mille feuille with salted caramel
Pepper cannelini with lemon ice cream and strawberries
Trio of panna cotta.

Coffee and (home-made) petit fours.

We all agreed that the star of the meal was my caramelised apple mille feuille.

* The water test
Points are awarded for:

• Stage 1: Providing a jug of iced tap water when requested (a bonus point if it appears unrequested);
• Stage 2: Leaving the jug on the table. If the restaurant is one of those pretentious ones that seem to think that diners can’t be trusted in pouring their own drinks, then the maximum time a water glass should be empty is 5 minutes.

Jacqueline received her Irish passport from the Embassy this morning. She’s now able to travel as a fully paid-up Irishwoman.

I wonder if having Irish passports will be an advantage in an independent Scotland come 2010? Come to think of it, we’ll be able to apply for a third (Scottish) passport each if Scotland does become independent (heaven forbid!). Handy for crossing the border at Gretna.

Update 22/02/2007: The article was actually written by my aunt Fay!

I was just googling the BBC website this evening when I came across this article on Markethill RUC Station during WW2. The article mentions the following events that my Mum has always mentioned:

• American GIs at Gosford.
• German PoWs at Gosford - and also at Markethill RUC station.
• Sounding the air raid siren at Markethill.

My grandfather William Thompson was the station sergeant during the War and my Mum remembers him sounding the air raid siren, and also visiting the PoWs and GIs at Gosford. She remembers that the GIs brought bananas, oranges and chocolate for the first time in many years.

My Mum has a good picture of Markethill RUC station before the Troubles made external alterations essential! I must get a scan of this…

Other links of interest:

• PoWs in Gosford - I think the foundations of the PoW huts are still there, except the model chapel built by Italian PoWs seems to have disappeared from the main car park.
• American GIs in Gosford
• History of Gosford Castle.
• History of Gosford

We met up with the extended family (all twelve of us) for a leisurely Sunday lunch at the Peat Spade Inn in the beautiful Hampshire village of Longstock, tucked in among a ribbon of thatched cottages along a narrow road.

Nice simple lunch menu:

Lentil & bacon soup
Salt cod puree, poached egg, hollandaise sauce, on toasted brioche
Waldorf salad

Roast pork, apple sauce
Haddock and chips
Glamorgan sausages

Bakewell tart, clotted cream
Chocolate tart
Spotted dick

Back in time to watch the second half of the rugby!

Gav had originally planned for us to surprise Lisa at the Greyhound at Stockbridge, to celebrate her 40th. Unfortunately the restaurant called Gav just after 7pm to tell him that they had a problem with the gas supply, and were unable to open that night. We were within 200m of the restaurant at the time!

So Gav called the Yew Tree, a Marco Pierre White pub and restaurant at Highclere near Newbury, who were able to give us a table for later that evening.

The restaurant is in a whitewashed half-timbered building, with low beamed ceilings, white table linen and an original art deco mirrored room divider. The service was excellent, friendly and welcoming with good advice on wine and food. Although England has still to implement a smoking ban and people were smoking in other parts of the pub, it wasn’t too bad.

So, to the food. From a very large menu, we had:

Smoked salmon on rye bread, horseradish sauce
Chou farci (stuffed cabbage), tomato coulis
Croustade quails eggs Maintenon, sauce hollandaise

Half lobster, herbs, bernaise sauce
Lamb confit, creamed haricot beans
Roast partridge, chestnuts, sprouts, bacon, crumbs, gravy
10oz ribeye steak, escargots, garlic butter

Rice pudding, red fruit compote
Harvey’s lemon tart
Creme brulee

All washed down with a nice sauvignon blanc and an Argentinian malbec.