**
Being visitors, we spent a lot of time eating, drinking and being entertained. Both in people's homes and out and whilst my waistline expanded at a greater rate than my steely will evaporated, boy are things expensive. Noticeably so since last year. For sure, we spend a lot of time during the course of the year in Penang, which is a lower cost environment, but really. On our first visit to a supermarket, we saw a cauliflower priced at $11.99. It has always been the way that local produce was expensive, but it didn't feel like this. On the other hand booze and beef in supermarkets aren't that expensive but put them into a restaurant and vroom! Apparently restaurants mark up wine a minimum 4 times these days so good luck with finding a $50 bottle of wine at a restaurant.
This said I did go through my list of favorite things to eat in Bermuda. Pretty much.
i) Multi-grain roll with tuna fish and chopped egg, lettuce and tomato, butter on the bread and those cute little yellow peppers that go pop in the mouth. Cost $13.95
Only from my friend Paul at Hickory Stick on Bermudiana Road in Clarendon House. I used to eat this sandwich probably three times a week when I was working just down the road. On the other days it would be Paul's fish cakes on Tuesdays and on the other day I'd go somewhere else. I know... traitor. Creature of habit...me? No way.
The Hickory Stick
Clarendon House
2 Bermudiana Road
Hamilton HM 11
Tel: (441) 292-1781
ii) Beef patty. Cost $3.99
Quite a few places do patties but I found one of the nicest to be from Supermart on Front Street. Find them in the hot shelf near the whole chickens. One is not enough, two is too many. These are great hand held foods for maybe a morning after. On such days, an apple doesn't quite cut it.
The Supermart
125 Front Street
Hamilton HM 08
Tel: (441) 292-2064
iii) Club sandwich with coleslaw. Cost $16.95
 |
| OK, with French fries! |
Loads of places, some up market, do perfectly adequate club sandwiches but my favorite is at The Spot on Burnaby Hill. It may not be the best but I like it. You eat at the counter and get to drink their famous coffee which they generously refill whenever you want.
Spot Restaurant
6 Burnaby Street
Hamilton HM 12
Tel: (441) 292-6293
iv) Bermuda fish sandwich. Layered pieces of fish, lettuce and tomato, butter on the white toasted bread, ketchup, tartar sauce and lots of hot sauce on top. Cost $19.50 for both Mahi Mahi and local fish such as Red Hind.
 |
| Mahi Mahi |
Many places do fish sandwiches, most aren't that good. The best tend to be in the least attractive looking places. Viv went to Woody's in Somerset and raved about it. I went on a search for a fish sandwich on a public holiday and found none of the best places open so had to settle for a very poor second best. However I was recommended to the Seaside Grill on North Shore next to the Clay House as the fish was purported to be really fresh. We went twice, the first being mahi mahi, the second and best time being when I had red hind. Boy, was that good.
Seaside Grill
81 North Shore Road
Devonshire
Tel: (441) 292-1241
v) Liver and onions, maybe with bacon but always lots of gravy. Cost $29.95.
I really like liver from several places but finally settled on the Red Carpet on Reid Street which serves it with mashed potatoes, veggies and lashings of gravy. The maitre d' Chris asked me how I'd like it done... cooked of course. You don't have liver medium rare. It is the gravy that makes it for me and this was pretty terrific.
Red Carpet
37 Reid Street
Hamilton HM 11
Tel: (441) 292-6195
vi) Linguine Vongole in white wine sauce. Cost $19.95 lunchtime, $26.95 dinner.
Only one place did linguine vongole properly so far as I saw it, and that place was Portofino's on Bermudiana Street. Note the WAS, for a few years ago quality fell sharply as management moved a little and some chefs left for pastures new. Scroll forward a few more years and for some reason, maybe old times sake, I went back and had this dish. It was fabulous. So much so I raved about it to Viv and we returned and she had it too... and also raved about it. So it seems like they've rediscovered their mojo along with the refurbished premises, and both together made for an enjoyable time. Second time around we went for dinner when service was pretty poor but the food did hold up. I didn't try my other favorite from this restaurant which is linguine vongole with red wine sauce but NO SHELLS. Next time.
Portofino's
20 Bermudiana Road
Hamilton HM 11
Tel: (441) 292-2375
vii) Auntie Blanche's cherry and walnut cake.
This is almost undescribable as it is so sublime. Traditional Bermuda cakes are rum cakes, Christmas cakes laced with rum, mince pies and somewhere along the line fruit cakes the king of which is the cherry and walnut cake. Our old neighbors Blanche and Brenda were great bakers and fine exponents. Blanche in particular did wonderful cherry and walnut cake. She once told me that her secret was the gin she soaked the fruit in. Others are much dryer but Blanche's are moist and simply lovely. She only made these cakes at Christmas time as she would soak fruit in their respective booze for a month or two before and make them a couple of weeks or so before the big day. More latterly she would make cakes ostensibly for me as I am a fanatic about them. As she has become older, these occasions have grown fewer but a week or so ago, she made me a beautiful cake. Simply lovely. Thanks Auntie Blanche!
