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Eating out - Alghero
Just like a fine wine, I always believe that the best restaurants get better with time.
That, and the fact that I'd enjoyed an excellent experience the last time I went, drew me back to Alghero, in Abbey Village.
This time I enlisted the help of my two close friends, Joanne and Lianna, to be my fellow critics for the night.
My colleagues at the Guardian find the fact we were known as the Beverley Hills girls at school hilarious, but glammed up for the night it would be easy to see why!
For the other girlies it was their first chance to sample the delights of Alghero, but judging by their rave reviews on their way home, I certainly don't think it'll be their last.
I was the appointed driver for the night, and as I drew up to the restaurant they were both amazed that they had missed it in the past.
It was a Wednesday evening, a special occasion as it was Jo's birthday, and so although the restaurant wasn't packed to the rafters, it was certainly much busier than you'd expect on a weekday.
This, added to the roaring fire, made for a fantastic atmosphere and as we sat in the conservatory perusing the menu, my friends were quick to comment on how nice the venue was.
My choice was getting the thumbs up – even before the food arrived!
As we wanted to save ourselves for the biggest desserts we could find on the menu, we decided to keep our starters simple and opted for a garlic bread to share.
This made for a perfect appetiser for our main meals that consisted of a spaghetti bolognaise for me (7.50), lasagne (7.95) for the birthday girl and tuna pizza (7.95) for Lianna.
Although they weren't the most daring of choices, and just a little bit obvious, they were absolutely delicious.
The spaghetti bolognaise was hands down the best I have tasted in a long, long time.
This might not sound like much of a yard stick, but as the biggest spag bol fan you will ever find (I ordered it five nights in a row on my first holiday with my fiance!), it was a tall order.
The authentic homemade flavours oozed from the dish and the consistency was just right.
Lianna had definitely played it safe with a pizza, but she too was bowled over by what she was served and managed to clear her plate in record time.
For Jo, her lasagne proved a real birthday treat and she gushed about
how good it was the minute she put her fork down.
To our surprise, and for the first time in my life, the waiter brought a tray of drinks to us from "the man in the corner".
Very James Bond I know, and for a whole 30 seconds we tried to contain ourselves before turning around to find it was... Jo's boss!
Our images of Brad Pitt at the bar may have been a bit wide of the mark, but the drinks were appreciated all the same.
Then to the favourite part of our night – the desserts! A large sticky toffee pudding with ice-cream for me (4.50), and two equally large portions for the girls.
Again the dishes were given top marks.
If I had been Len Goodman (of Strictly Come Dancing fame) then they would have been given one of his famous 10s!
Staying on the Strictly theme, the dancers are always keen to stress that it's practice that makes their routines perfect.
Although the team at Alghero were never in need of any practice, in the 12 months that have lapsed since I last visited, they have polished off their offerings to perfection.
It will be difficult to see how they'll top it on my next visit, that's for sure.
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Weather for Chorley
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -5 C to -0 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
