Articles and Reviews
North Devon Journal, March 2007
MANY parents will know finding a child - friendly place for a quality family meal out can be a challenge. Proprietors of the Boardwalk Restaurant in Woolacombe, Katie and Martin Russell, discovered this when they became parents, and as a result resolved to create a welcoming environment for families, while simultaneously offering their customers a fine dining experience.
Katie said she was horrified by how few restaurants offered high chairs or changing facilities. As parents of two, Amelia (pictured) who is three years old and seven week old Thomas, she and Martin are going one step further to accommodate children's needs this Easter. They're holding a one - off family day, inviting children's entertainers, including a stilt walker, magician and face painter – and offering free milkshakes.
Katie said: 'If successful it's something I'd like to do on a weekly basis.' But she added: 'Our fine dining for adults only is as important as the child bit.' As a result there is a children's hour at the Boardwalk from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, after which dining is adults only. Katie said: 'A lot of customers say to me it's professional but relaxed. Even though we do fine dining in the evening we don't insist on people wearing collars and ties. People come in shorts and T - shirts – because we're a holiday resort.'
Re - opening for the season tomorrow, Friday March 2, Katie described the menu as French with a Mediterranean twist. She said: 'My chef, Mike Bird, has been here for about ten years. He's a sauce man and it makes the meal. He can cook fish, meat, you name it, but it's the sauces that I think are the wow, and his soups are fantastic.'
Committed to using local produce, such as lobster and crab from Mortehoe, Martin's favourite meal on the menu is the rack of lamb with Dauphinoise potatoes, Katie's the lobster, while Amelia enjoys the homemade fishcakes. You can get a light lunch at the Boardwalk for under £10, a range of platters to share – including a vegetarian option, again under £10 and the set three course fine dining menu is £22.95.
Katie said: 'Our average spend is £30 a head – and that's someone going for it, and with an Irish coffee afterwards.' Sunday lunches are on offer, too, at £7.95 for adults, £5.95 for children, and there's a choice of four options: two types of meat, fish and vegetarian. Where the roast beef is concerned, Katie laughed: 'My chef is such a snob with produce he will only do a sirloin.'
The Boardwalk is a licensed bar as well as a restaurant, and with warmer weather on its way it boasts a beautiful terrace overlooking Woolacombe Bay where you can sit either to eat or to have a drink. One interesting twist Katie and Martin bring to the Boardwalk is a three - wishes rule – within reason. Katie said: 'Someone says ‘You haven't got any tuna on the menu' and the next week there's tuna on the menu. We have this joke that if someone asks three times for something, it goes on the menu.'
Having run the Boardwalk for two seasons now, Katie said she'd 'never, never, never' return to work in London. She said: 'It gives us exactly what we came here for .. I always say to my customers 'the grass IS greener,' “
Article reproduced courtesy of the North Devon Journal
North Devon Gazette, May 2006
If you love the Mediterranean, then you will adore The Boardwalk, Woolacombe. The welcome from owners, Katie and Martin Russell and their staff, is as warm as the décor, which, together with the wrought iron furniture, made me think of Spain, and the sea view across Woolacombe Bay to Putsborough and beyond to the Hartland Peninsula is phenomenal. The night we were there, the 50 seater restaurant, together with a patio overlooking the sea, had a real buzz.
We were greeted with delightful home made canapés, deliciously tempting and a great start to the meal. There is a set evening menu or a la carte, we chose from the set menu, I started with Boardwalk fishcakes - homemade of white fish and salmon, and served with sweet chilli sauce– superb. David ordered the home made soup of celery and Danish Blue cheese - what a great mix of flavours!
The dining room was steadily filling up with people all enjoying the relaxed ambience and the gentle background sound of Norah Jones. We chose the house red to accompany our meal as it complimented our meal perfectly however, the fully licensed bar is very well stocked.
The main course saw David ordering the braised lamb shank in Provencale sauce while I opted for red roasted peppers filled with the creamiest wild mushroom risotto ever, topped with melted brie! The accompanying vegetables also proved to be delicious, and saw me trying roast celery for the first time - to be recommended.
Although rather full up, we just had to have a pudding - a passion fruit crème brulee, together with a passion fruit jelly, and banana crepes with a drizzle of chocolate sauce made a delightful finish to what was a most enjoyable evening.
The Boardwalk is open for lunches, including special Sunday lunches, evening meals.
Sue Rawle
The Gazette June 2006.
|
|
|
