A funny place, Llandudno . .

Dog gone dogfish

I found this fabulous dried out dogfish on the beach in Llandudno yesterday.  It's very crispy and perfectly formed but whiffs a bit.  The family were quite horrified at the aroma it gave off in the hot car but I quite liked it because it reminded me of bottarga - the dried roe of the grey mullet.

I used to frequent Pane Vino in Kentish Town where they served bottarga grated over pasta.  The only trouble was that I had difficulty finding dining partners.  My friend Matthew refused to eat there again with me after he said my pasta smelled like the bottom of a hamster cage.  He should know as he had a ginger hamster called Bianca at the time.

A funny place Llandudno. After a thrilling speed-dinghy ride (only £4 p person) we spotted La Taverna and, fancying a bit of Greek, in we went.  It was Italian.  I had no idea the Italians used the word 'taverna'.  Anyhow, the house Pinot Grigio was crisp and dry, the garlic and rosemary bread was flat and delicious (but confusingly called 'foccacia'  which I thought described the soft dimpled stuff) and the hazelnut ice cream with espresso just divine.  I must have had a main course - oh yes, prawns with garlic and chilli.  Disappointingly without their shells but tasty enough.  Joe (6) was playing the grown up and asked the waitress, "Please may I have the antipasto misto and then the filleto al pepe".  I butted in with the answer of, "Not on your Nelly, young man. You'll have the spag bol and be happy with it."

We picked up two leaflets for peculiar hotels - one was The Lighthouse which has only three rooms to let and is well worth a visit.  The second was for The Tynedale which is described as 'a cruise on dry land'.  More on that later.