A touch of Hollywood glamour: Amélies
Formerly an old smokehouse, then a derelict building, Sam and husband Mark have breathed some much needed love back into what is now Amélies At The Smokehouse: café, bar and restaurant in Porthleven. Just over a year old, the venue has an enviable position overlooking the harbour and as the rain beats down on a July day, families escaping the cold and walkers seeking respite, have taken up residence to while away a few hours.
And this is just what Sam wanted: “People can either glam up and come in for a romantic dinner or come straight in off the beach. It really adds to the vibrancy of the place, we have different tables for different occasions.” A winning formula? Down in Cornwall, in our recession-ridden times, it may well be the secret to their success. Sam used to work in film but has always had a passion for food. And there is something of the stage set at Amélies: coloured paper lanterns are dotted across the high ceiling, the space is dramatic, with a bar at one end, a vast glass wall looking out to the harbor and a sweeping wooden ‘stage’ where diners indulge in the main act: eating.
Food here is local, seasonal, original and fresh. So much so that Sam worries about people ‘from up country’ being unhappy when they run out of certain ingredients. “It’s all fresh and when it’s gone, it’s gone, we simply have to wait for the next delivery”, explains chef Peter. And when you are sourcing from local fishermen, availability and ‘selling out’ are key consequences as well as calculated risks, both of which single Amélies out as a top seafood destination.
My crab, hand picked up the road by the Porthleven Crab Co. contains not a single fragment of shell, potentially a meal ruiner for me. It is a crab fit to star in any Hollywood blockbuster: huge chunks of the freshest white and brown meat can be confidently shoveled in with mouthfuls of pesto dressed salad (a little rich with the sun blushed tomatoes). The crayfish tales are sweet and fresh and the side of home baked bread (in the wood-burning oven) is absolutely delicious. The homemade bread is head chef Bruno’s addition, who used to be a baker. His Slovakian influence speaks out in the addition of caraway seeds and a little grated potato (to keep it moist), similar to a light rye bread, very healthy.
Other than bowls of mussels, scallop-topped rounds of black pudding and Cornish catch of the day, the restaurant offers more informal dishes such as their own wood-fired pizzas, chunky prime steak burgers and a real regular favourite: the slow roasted belly pork, cooked for hours in the wood-fired pizza oven. Pasta and ciabatte also feature at lunchtime.
Amélies At The Smokehouse has got it right: they can be all things to all people and Sam’s enthusiasm for supporting local fishermen is admirable. This is one class act I will be happy to return to for more feasting. My tummy is set on the slow roasted pork. Sam also runs Gourmet Picnics, chef made picnics filled with restaurant quality, delectable goodies for those special occasions or simple indulgence wherever or whenever you are. They are deliverable anywhere in mainland UK within 48 hours. Order online at www.gourmetpicnics.co.uk
