Eating Out

by Clement Harding

The Old Mill, The Quay

The Wardleton, Sussex

Open: Tuesday-Sunday 7-11.30 p.m.

This week we decided to look at a small family-run restaurant in village of Wardleton. "The Old Mill" is newly opened and overlooks the River Wardle, and we had heard several favourable comments about it. Because we had been advised to book early, we managed to get a nice table with a view of the quay. We were made very welcome and service was excellent because it is a small family business. The proprietor, Jeff Dean, runs the kitchen himself and his wife, Nelly, showed us to our table.

Although the choice of items on the menu was very extensive, it was rather traditional. A long menu always worries me, because a large menu often means a large freezer! We started with Wardle Trout and although it; fresh, it was spoilt by a number of herbs. For my main course I chose pepper steak, which was the speciality of the day. I thought it was almost perfect because the chef had chosen excellent meat and it was cooked long enough.

My wife ordered the roast lamb, and although the quality of the meat good, she thought it was a little underdone. Though the vegetables were fresh, they came in very small portions and were rather over-cooked for our taste. However, the bread was fresh because it had been baked on the premises. I have often complained in this column about the difficulty of finding any restaurant which serves a fresh fruit salad. Luckily, this one did. Even though it must have been very time-consuming to prepare, it was a delight to see, and I had a second helping. As usual, I chose house wine, as this is often the best way to judge a restaurant’s wine list. It was a French-bottled table wine which was quite satisfactory and reasonably priced. The bill, including coffee and brandy, came to 37 pounds, which was acceptable for the class of restaurant, although that did not include service.

 

Note:

1. quay [ki:] a built landing place for vessels

 

Ex. 1. Translate the following words and phrases:

1) Family-run restaurant; 2) overlook the River; 3) run the kitchen himself; 4) extensive; 5) were made very welcome; 6) the proprietor; 7) herbs; 8) the speciality, of the day; 9) was a little underdone; 10) were overcooked; 11) it was a delight to see; 12) a second helping; 13) wine list; 14) French-bottled table wine; 15) reasonably priced.

 

Ех. 2. Give English equivalents to the words in brackets:

1. "The Old Mill" (недавно открылся) but it has already received (благоприятные отзывы).

2. We managed to get a nice table as we (рано заказали столик).

3. You’ll be surprised by Jeff Dean (владелец ресторана) runs the kitchen himself.

4. His wife, Nelly, (проводила нас к нашему столику).

5. (Выбор блюд) on the menu was very extensive.

6. The fish (мы заказали) was spoilt and the roast lamb (был немного недожарен).

7. The bread was fresh because (его пекли здесь же).

8. I was suprised because they (подали салат из свежих фруктов).

9. It (занимает очень много времени) to prepare, but it looks (восхитительно).

10. The bill (был вполне приемлемым), but it didn`t include (обслуживание).

Ех. 3. What do we call places where people go to eat? Match the words in the left column with the definitions in the right column.

1. snack bar		a) a place where guests normally come fairly late and stay until the small hours. Always with dancing and often also with floor shows.
2. cafe/cafeteria		b)a nice place where meals are served to customers.
3. pizzeria		c) a place where students or workers have their lunch, usually connected with a school, office or factory.
4. buffet		d) originally a British public house licensed to serve beer and other alcoholic beverages. Customers get their drinks from the counter and either stand there or sit at the tables. Some light snacks like pies and sandwiches are served.
5. night club		e) a modest restaurant where customers collect their food on trays at counters and carry it to tables. Choice of dishes is based on convenience and speed, with food like hamburgers, sausages and sandwiches.
6. canteen		f) a restaurant specializing in pizzas, and other Italian-type food.
7. pub		g) small restaurant mainly concentrating on cakes, sandwiches, coffee and tea. Choice of food is often very limited.
8. restaurant		h) a counter where food and drink may be bought and eaten (e.g. in a railway station or on a train)

 

Ex. 4. What types of restaurant would you recommend to the following people?

1. A young couple who want food and some entertainment late at night.

2. A man who wants a meal in a place where he can meet some local people.

3. Someone wanting a quick, cheap meal.

4. Someone at a railway station.

5. Someone who wants non-English food.

6. A student staying at the university all day.

7. A family who wants to celebrate some special occasion.