02.11.08: Corktree Cellars, Carpinteria, CA

His flatiron steak with sweet potato fries

We stopped in this little joint on the sleepy main street of this charming little beach town for an aperitif, intending to roll down to the old hotel down the road for a slap-up seafood meal. But. One glance around the dining room of The Palms - brightly lit salad bar, dimly lit and dreaded 'carving station' - and we fled back to the cosy Cork.

HE SAYS: I had the flatiron steak with a pinot noir reduction gravy and a green salad with blue cheese, walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette dressing. On the side, I tucked into some crunchy sweet potato fries with a creole mustard dip. We sat at the bar, and the staff were friendly and prompt.

My steak was cooked just right and very tender. The pinot noir reduction was darkly flavoursome with a fruity note. I loved the fries, which were very crispy and slightly sweet, glazed with rock salt. The mustard dip, although a little weird, really balanced the sweetness and delivered a little tang to my tongue. I was happy to have stumbled upon this quiet little Sideways-esque bistro in such a quaint little beach town.

Her lobster melt and nice salad

SHE SAYS: I've not been able to avoid bread as much as I normally do while travelling and still enjoy an affordable, satisfying meal. So I went for broke: the lobster melt with havarti and an excellent salad of field greens, purple haze goat chz, caramelised beets and almonds, plus a citrus vinaigrette, proved not too bloaty and didn't break the bank.

The lobster chunks were sweet and tender, and the havarti was judiciously applied to merely bind bread and seafood, not overwhelm. The vinaigrette was v. light with a hint of grapefruit, and our barmistress later confirmed they put no oil in it. Casual gourmet, all in all, and well-suited to both our needs and wants for the evening.

14.09.08: Polenta, and pho

SHE SAYS: I prepared a gorgeous meal of baked fish with herbs, and roast beets with avo, plus the aformentioned polenta with corn kernels - BUT, halfway through the cooking came down with bad tummy cramps and, erm, lots of visits to the loo. Amidst all the turbulence, the polenta was the only thing that even remotely appealed. It did its job as sickie food, s'all I can say. Except: I'm fairy certain this is the result of last nite's Thai terror - apparently food poisoning can manifest in your gut up to 48 hours later in most cases.

HE SAYS: Having indulged in some heavy meals of late I was looking for something a little lighter and I found it at Kim Fung, a little out of the way Chinese place at the end of a dark strip mall and another recommendation (thanks Blair).

Unfortunately I got all flustered and ordered the wrong thing, I was there to sample this thang called PHO, so when asked what I wanted after having just sat down I requested the very first PHO item on the menu, consisting of rare pieces of steak, brisket, tendon and tripe??? I know, I know it sounds disgusting, and the tripe was a white chewy fatty substance and really gross, also the tendon tasted as nice as it sounds - not good. The broth was pretty tasty though and I did my best to navigate the bowl's murky waters, searching and eating everything but the aforementioned nasty bits. I emptied out the accompanying plate of mint, lime, bean sprouts and also green peppers which added a little bit of aromatic wonderfulness to the meal, except the green peppers were extremely hot and having bit into one I proceeded to guzzle down a whole glass of water before fishing out the remaining green devils and throwing them out the pool.

After such a to-do I ended up quite enjoying my first PHO. The meal came to less then the price of an M&S sandwich. So, while I cursed the choice I'd made I marvelled at the value, of the food and also my judgment.

19.05.08: Lamb steaks with mash, peas, mangetout and shiitake gravy

Comfort food to kick off the week: lamb steaks marinated in a Mexi spice mix and topped with shiitakes cooked in the pan juices and finished with some white wine; Exquisa potatoes mashed up with marge and milk; plaincooked peas and mangetout; and a salad with the remaining halloumi cheese, new fresh bunched radishes, plum tomatoes and lotsa leaves.

SHE SAYS: It was a nice, hearty meal, but I agree with Him that the lamb was gristly and put me off a bit. What is it with lamb right now? Isn't it lamb season, shouldn't it be at its best? The potatoes lived up to the hint of luxury in their varietal name, and the double-pea dish made for a very pleasing, subtle-tasting green veg portion of the programme. The radishes were the real star, though: finally, a little heat to go with the earthy crunch!

HE SAYS: Apart from the lamb being a little too tender, after grilling for a few more minutes it turned out great, although lamb leg steaks are a little gristly, I find. Still, the meal was quintessential rustic French fare. The mash was yum and so were the peas, covered with a little white wine gravy, mmmm... gorgeous!