Monthly Archives: November 2024

They did what?

Posted on by
Reply

Eating out is always a treat to be savoured. But just occasionally, it’s raised to another level when you get to ponder the question… they did what?

Restaurante Lebeche in Santa Cruz (Tenerife) is definitely one of those moments.

Arriving there a few minutes before opening already provided me with that rare few moments of being in my own private restaurant. I was greeted by name, from the reservation made earlier, and briefly enjoyed being outnumbered by the attentive staff.

My appetite dictated that I was going to eat light this evening. The Prawn Carpaccio may resemble a contemporary art installation, but it also provided the ideal starter of a delicate mix of flavours.

I was thinking salad as a main course. However, a combination of tomato, watermelon, ice cream, and a topping of pistachio certainly wasn’t what I was thinking. Ensalada Lebeche is quite something to behold… a dish that asks you to double-check that you’re still on planet Earth. Other worldly definitely describes this dish… in a very good way.

Now, I’m not one who usually indulges in the desert end of the menu. That local white wine needs my full attention. But I’d seen from previous reviews that this place does something original in its presentation of Tiramisu. Eating light has the advantage of leaving space for the unexpected. And was this Tiramisu unexpected…

Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you… the gorgeously balanced dish arrived in a cafetiere!

Until we speak again, it’s nice to identify a wonderful restaurant while gazing down on the street below from your private sun terrace…

Syd meets Santa

Posted on by
Reply

For those of you looking for a feelgood Christmas tale, look away now. This is a tale of architectural wonder… of reality, not make belive fairytale. This is where Santiago Calatrava stamps his signature on various places around the planet… and we gaze in awe (well, some of us do anyway).

He was born in Valencia and first came to my attention when visiting the Freedom Tower in New York City in 2017. Santiago Calatrava was responsible for the futuristic design of the new World Trade Center Transportation Hub.

So, where does Santa come into this picture, you ask. Well, seeing as you asked so politely… here I am in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, and would you believe it, Santiago Calatrava got here before me. He designed the Auditorium de Tenerife Adan Martin… a stunning performance venue on the harbour…

And what of Syd, you ask. Well, it’s just my random thinking that if you take a look at the Sydney Opera House when you’re next passing by that way, have a think of what those architectural curves remind you of.

Until we speak again, as Juno often remarked… I might have been her erstwhile servant, but get a proper hobby fella, and pack in these random trains of thought 🤔

Saucy times in Cardiff

Posted on by
Reply

I wonder what you were thinking when you read this blog post title… well, sorry to disappoint 😞 I’m sure saucy times are to be had in Cardiff, and I……. no, I think I’ll get back to the actual subject of the post.

I’m talking egg yolk, double cream, mushroom, blue cheese, parsley, black pepper, and parmesan. Add some chicken and a pasta of your choice (penne does it for me), and you have Cardiff Sauce, a carbonara dish that defies most peoples preconceptions of Cardiff cuisine.

Chips and rice with curry sauce are so Caroline Street at midnight after a session on the falling down juice. For those in the know, with time and cash to be a little more discerning in culinary tastes, a treat awaits a mere 200 yards away from the world renowned Chippy Alley.

Ciliegino is a small independent Italian restaurant that quietly goes about its business in the city centre. In my albeit highly biased opinion, it has one major setback… it’s located in the heart of shopping mall foodcourt terrain. A place where chain restaurants thrive at churning out consistent mediocrity.

So, I can happily report at being amazed by the fresh quality of an antipasto duo starter…

The sparse wine list even managed to offer a Puglia gem of an Italian red wine…

Until we speak again, saucy times in Cardiff have taken on a broader outlook, and the Beef lasagne was a homemade treat as well…

Dumbfuckistan returns

Posted on by
Reply

What’s the difference between Russia and the USA? The leader of one of them going forward hasn’t been convicted of any charges… yet? Only one openly boasts his misogyny, while the other enacts it more secretly.

Beyond that, they seem to broadly share psychopathic, narcissistic, lying tendencies on an industrial scale.

On the morning of 6th November 2024, a deeply troubled world took a devastatingly darker turn, as one of the few bastions of freedom and openness embraced it’s full on Dumbfuckistan character.

That this wasn’t the will of the minority is perhaps the most shocking outcome of the last 24 hours. Even the popular vote has underpinned this world tragedy. For once, it seems the anachronistic Electoral College, famed for truly stealing elections from the people, has provided the American people what they want.

Until we speak again, I will uphold my personal principles of so-called, lefty liberal elite wokery by enacting my own boycott of the USA. I don’t intend to spend…

… on an economy of a country that can shut down its collective mind to the behaviour of a narcissistic racist misogynist and promote him to Liar-in-Chief.

The years ahead will be interesting… for all the wrong reasons. Goodbye, America… from someone who visited quite often and loved many things about your former country!