Eating Out
| TALKING POINT | | | EATING OUT |  | | | EATING IN | | | | PAST TIMES | | |
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Michaelangelo’s, Darlington Road, Neville’s Cross
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| LANDMARK: Easily found, Michaelangelo's occupies a prime spot in Neville's Cross |
FOR those of us who have been
around long enough, we have
seen many pubs and restaurants
come and go in Durham City over
the years.
Many have had a chequered
history, changing their format to
fall in line with new eating fashions
and fads.
For generations, an imposing
building flanking the main junction
at Neville's Cross was once a
favoured pub where regulars and
overnight guests were given a traditional
regional welcome.
A well-known landmark, the
Neville's Cross Hotel has, in recent
years, undergone a number of
changes - including a costly revamp
transforming the former
pub into an upmarket Indian
restaurant.
For whatever reason, the
premises was to take on yet another
persona when, in 2001, it
changed hands and the cuisine
switched from that of the subcontinent's
to traditional Italian
fare.
Situated on the first floor of the
imposing premises, Michelangelo's
restaurant has a roomy and
pleasant atmosphere.
Staffed by waiters who hail from
Rome to Amalfi, the menu offers
familiar Italian dishes, including
calamari and antipasto to pasta,
meat and fish main courses.
The welcome to our pre-booked
table was brusque and I am assuming
that a large party of diners
had probably put the kitchen staff
under some pressure and contributed
to our wait.
Scanning the menu, I was reminded
of a time many years ago
when one of my favourite starters
was deep fried white bait and I decided
to give it a try in its Italian
guise of bianchetti fritti.
Maybe it was my poor attempt
at Italian pronunciation, but instead
of the whitebait I was presented
with bruschetta - homemade
bread with chopped tomato
and garlic.
The mistake, whether it was
mine or the waiter's, was pointed
out and with no fuss the plate was
whipped away and in what
seemed no time at all I was served
with the little fried fish.
The mix-up, I suspect, led to the
whitebait being too hastily cooked
in over-hot fat, resulting in them
being slightly burned.
My dinner guest chose the soup
of the day, which included a
tomato and basil base and pasta
and was, he judged, a little short
on flavour.
For the main course, I selected
pollo campagnola - chicken
breast in asparagus, spinach,
brandy and a cream sauce.
It was tender and tasty, the asparagus
and spinach were fresh
and delicious, though the side
dish of new potatoes, green beans
and carrots was again overcooked
for my taste.
My dinner guest selected pollo
cacciatora - chicken breast in
onions, mushroom, mixed peppers
and tomato sauce.
His chicken was also well
cooked and the dish he declared
to be very enjoyable and he had
no complaints about the side dish
of vegetables.
Moving on to puddings, it was
disappointing to be handed a
menu which was clearly a selection
of bought-in desserts.
There was, however, a very
small selection heralding homemade
puddings, including
tiramisu and cheesecake.
If there was a no nonsense air to
the service, you could not fault the
candour of those serving at the tables.
One of the waiters had already
told us the pizza's were not as they
would be served in Italy, thin and
crisp, but had been adapted for
the more British taste for thicker
bases.
And the cheesecake, the waiter
conceded, was not homemade.
Faced with Hobson's choice, I
chose the tiramisu - which was
fine - and my companion opted
for one of the bought-in selections,
which he enjoyed, along
with a sample of a profiterole,
which he did not enjoy so
much.
Michelangelo's is clearly a popular
restaurant. The main courses
were very good indeed, but maybe
I should have stuck with the bruschetta,
and I feel it is a pity
there are not more homemade
puds.
The bill, which included a bottle
of red Italian Dolcetto wine, was
£57.70.
2:16pm Friday 4th July 2008
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