Dinner

Press, 14 July 1982, Page 24

Dinner

Paul Revere 813 Colombo Street Phone 799-099 Licensed

(Bv

S. CARGOT)

Il is impossible for those of a certain generation to go to the restaurant now known as the Paul Revere without feeling a certain amount of nostalgia for the old Malando. its previous incarnation.

The Malando may have been nothing special as licensed restaurants go these davs; but it was important in its’- day as the first proper restaurant in Christchurch and for many years the only one. outside, of hotel dining rooms.

How many romances were begun in its dim alcoves? How many proposals accepted and rejected? It has changed today but you can still identify the spot where Doug Caldwell's trio played under the stairs, the site of the pocket-handkerchief

dancefloor, the place where Carol Cummins and. later. Malcolm McNeil sang. Ah. nostalgia. The old Malando pre-dated the "theme" restaurant. As the Paul Revere, the restaurant now bears more than a passing resemblance to a stable. Stable doors adorn the facade, and the interior has been done out in bloodred and dark brown with barn beams overhead, exposed brick wails, lanterns, cartwheels and items of horse harness everywhere. Paul Revere was the American patriot. who rode hell-for-leather to Lexington and Concord on the eve of the American revolution to carrv news of the approach of British troops. The restaurant's staff is accordingly attired in the costume of the 1770 s — the serving wenches in long skirls and mob caps, and the waiters in tricorner hats and knee breeches.

The effect is very successful. and so is the restaurant's policv of smiling friendliness. The customer is greeted with a cheery good wish, and

waitresses and waiters are most solicitous throughout the meal. The warm feeling thus engendered was spoiled a little by the delivery of.plastic coated menus which were greasy to the touch and stained with blobs of gravy. A quick swipe with the scullerymaid's. dishcloth would have fixed , that. And placemats would be a good idea on the painted tables, if they don't want to run to tablecloths.

Last time we were there, the Paul Revere divided its customers into two classes - the hoi polloi on the ground floor with the basic menu, and the top-drawer diners

upstairs where they could order gourmet dishes at proportionately higher prices. All that has changed and we. on the ground floor, were assured that the fare now was the same upstairs. Those below could go upstairs to dance later.

■ Perhaps the bill of fare now falls somewhere in between. democratised in view of the success of Paul Reveres side. To start, we had smoked eel — a tasty dish; and deep-fried prawns, succulent and fat. accompanied by tartare sauce served in a hollowed half-of-lemon.

Steaks appear to be a specialty of the house. Our

fillets seemed about two feet thick; they were done just right and proved most rewardingly filling. They had different names but ' both were served with a "Paul Revere" cream sauce which was faintly reminiscent of the peanut’ flavour found in the satay sauce of Indonesia.

Mine was topped with pineapple rings and cherries, which is traditional for Hawaiian ham steak but was a bit out of place on beef.

The steaks were served with carrots and onions, plus the almost obligatory jacket potato, with optional mixed salad.

From their perfectly adequate wine list, we chose a 1978 Montana Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.00) which went perfectly with the steaks. Desserts were a trifle restricted because of the season. The "apple pan dowdy” was a good apple crumble, but the fresh strawberries or raspberries were of course not available in mid-winter (boysenberries instead), and the’ pavlova came with pineapple as its "fresh fruit." Four or five varieties of coffee are offered, enlivened with different liqueurs. Plain black seemed safest, and it was. (Meal for two. including wine. $46.80.)