The End of the Beginning

So, here it is the last day of 2011, and my new year's resolution is complete!  I'm sitting at the computer is my best frock and tiara, ready to hand out plaudits to the cafes I have visited this year.  It's not so much the oscars and the Buckingham Palace garden party - a handshake and a smile for everyone and thank you for making it such a fun year.  Here goes with the thanks and the awards...

I'd like to thank the friends and family members that have accompanied me on my travels and made helpful comments and suggestions.  I could have done it without you, but with you it was more fun.

Thanks too to my 'followers' and the people who have commented on the posts and to everyone else who has read the blog.  I've had over 3000 page views this year and I'm delighted with that.

All the cafes I've visited have been special in their own way, so I'm not including a category for best tea or coffee - that's down to personal taste.  These mentions are just a way of highlighting memorable events of the year (in Grace's terms), so here goes:-

Cafe with Star Quality - the Oven Door for it's association with the late Norman Wisdom
Best Little Nook  - Lisa's Coffee House
Nicest Ambience - The Heaton Perk and The Settle Down Cafe
Specialness - The Basement Coffee House (the one that started it all)
Best Cafe at a festival - The Hungry Elephant at the Green Festival
Best Cake - Cafe Bar One for the best chocolate cake ever
Most Helpful - Chelsea Dock (for the tea towel) and Aurora Deli (for cooking breakfast)
Most Unusual - Tea Sutra
Most Popular in page views - The Fat Hippo (seems like everyone wants to go there)
Best contributor to the Big Society - Coffee Cottage
Best decor - Chelsea Dock and Tea Sutra

But in general a big hurrah for everyone!

Now, what for 2012?  I intend to keep Let's Say Grace going as an occasional blog, revisiting places and possibly including meals (can you eat your way round the world in Newcastle?).  But my 2012 resolution is to do a walk a week.  No distance specified, not only new routes, but I do have to do that walk.  I hope you'll be joining me.  All the best for the new year and for your resolutions too.

Starbucks opposite Central Station

This is kind of cheating (not what you expect of me I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures) in that I actually visited Starbucks before Christmas but as it was my last full day in Newcastle till after New Year, I'm going to count it as my cafe of the week, and indeed my last cafe of my resolution.

It all came about like this, I was feeling grotty with a bad cold, and then I got more time off over Christmas than had seemed possible at first, and then I realised that I had to do one last cafe, and then not one but two of the hit list were closed on a Friday evening and so I ended up at Starbucks with a friend who I'd promised to meet up with before Christmas.  So it was a last resort, basically, but not without a certain something about it.  I wasn't feeling well at all but well enough to appreciate the latte and the berry scones.  Starbucks is Starbucks the world over after all.  On a grey evening we sat and observed a transitory crowd of fellow coffee drinkers most of whom were heading home for the holidays I guess.  Cases and shopping - the whole atmosphere was a tired but happy end of day, end of journey, start of journey, say goodbye, bitter sweet mixture played out in a cafe waiting for its evening clean and Christmas decorations waiting for twelfth night.

It was a slightly melancholy end to the quest, but I've done it!  Kept my resolution for a whole year!  On New Year's Eve, I'll be announcing the awards, the future of Let's Say Grace and next year's challenge.  Until then...

Cafe 120, Heaton Road

I'd been told this was one to visit for the cakes so, bearing in mind the season, I was dreaming of a slice of Christmas cake smothered in marzipan and royal icing.  It was not to be, however, but once I saw the choice on offer I wasn't worried. 

I should mention that I'm being a brave little soldier this week, going out for tea and cake despite the remnants of a nasty cold (well you do feed as cold, don't you?) and I think this is devotion above and beyond!  So I awarded myself a slice of some kind of tiffin (it began with B but the cold has left me a bit deaf so I didn't get the rest) to be washed down with tea.  The tiffin was a biscuit base, with a chocolate topping and coconut and somehow, despite cold-related numbing of tastebuds, my tongue managed to communicate withh my brain that it was indeed very, very sweet, and nice, and  unlikely to leave room for the pecan and caramel slice I'd also fancied (never let it be said that my cold was hungry).  I must admit to a flicker of disappointment when a mug of tea arrived and not a pot, but it was a Tetley's brew so all was not lost. There's an extensive menu and a takeaway service too, so all tastes catered for.

Now what of my surroundings?  Very swish I have to say!  Dark coloured laminate flooring, walls half tiled in greys the rest painted a very warming shade of red/orange, grey blinds, mirrors, a kind of sculpture of (possibly Indian) musicians.  There were coffee tables and seating in the windows, proper tables and leather covered dining chairs elsewhere.  When I arrived the only customer was a businessman engrossed in his computer, but within a few minutes a younger man and a retired couple (all regulars I would guess) entered as did a lady for a takeaway bagel.  There's plenty of seating - the 'lounge' area was closed during the afternoon but must be available at busy periods.

You know what, I felt at home.  Cafe 120 was smart, but not overpowering and the food looked good but wasn't overpriced.  And as I browsed their magazines, I found details of yet another unvisited cae that may just be next week's destination, only time will tell. 

Bits n bobs

Nearly Christmas and the year end!  Trying to tie up all the loose ends!  Urlspy tells me that this blog is ranked 3,710,927th in the UK!  I've no idea if this is good or bad - how many of us out there are blogging our little hearts out?
 
Only two cafes to visit from the hitlist and then what?  Well, to end the year, some of my companions have suggested an oscar-style blog ceremony, categories to be decided, honouring the establishments visited this year.  That will be coming up before the year end. 

For 2012 I intend to keep this going as an occasional blog (dv) continuing with as yet unvisited places on the hitlist and with other food ideas.  My New Year resolution for 2012 will involve another blog but of course I can't tell you about that until we have rung in the new year.

I must make mention of the cafe at Newcastle Civic Centre - very worth a visit - rekindled a love of institutional food first discovered in the NHS.  Also Libby and Pepi's cafe in Adelaide Terrace - an extensive menu of philipino and oriental food which I did not do justice to when I ordered a cup of tea and a Kitkat - their time will come!

The Coffee Cottage, Chillingham Road

Time for another excursion to the east side of town!  The Coffee Cottage has been on the hit list since the beginning so I don't know why it's taken me so long to get there.  I was spurred on by the fact that I've seen it advertised in the Journal businesses for sale section, and indeed there is a for sale sign over it this very day.  So, if you were thinking of buying what would you be getting?  Firstly, an exterior that could do with repairs and paint.  The front door could be a house front door, reclaimed and put in place as a temporary measure so time ago.  Inside, well the grey carpet tiles might have to go along with the faux half-timbered panelling...but wait!  there's more to it.  Sit down in the Coffee Cottage for a while and you'll see what I mean.

So, in I went.  The tables were covered in red gingham tablecloths and glass tops!  It's a compact space and the furniture is mainly dark wood.  The wall are decorated with plates and (now) with Christmas ornaments.  At the counter are homemade quiche and chocolate fudge cake (oooh go on then!).  There is an extensive menu of snacks and meals and a specials board.  I order cream with the cake and a pot of tea.  It arrives at the table in delightfully mismatched china and the cake is swimming in cream.  I summon untapped reserves of self-control to avoid licking the plate.

And the best thing?  This is not just a cafe, it's a community.  I was treated in a friendly way, and all the other customers were obviously regulars and the staff genuinely seemed to know and care about them and have their interests at heart.  It's great to have that kind of atmosphere, you can't buy or manufacture it.  Let's hope that whoever the new owners of the Coffee Cottage turn out to be, they can change what needs to be change and keep what needs to be kept.

Aurora Deli, corner Westgate Hill and Blandford Square

You know, I liked to think of myself as a model cafe customer - quiet, tidy, solvent, polite, complimentary even.  Today that changed, today I became the awkward customer, the one that tries your patience, the one you could do without last thing on a Monday.  How did I effect this transformation, merely by ordering an all day breakfast in a cafe that was closing in about half an hour!  Honestly, I didn't think!  And they were still advertising it!  And Mrs Aurora, well she just smiled, got out the frying pan and cooked away, she may have thought about belting me round the head with it, but she was professional to the end. 

The establishment she presides over does have a morning feel to it - light and bright, cheerful (and watered) pot plants in the window.  Coloured slatted wooden table mat adorn the square wooden tables and you will find yourself seated on a stacking chair (church hall c1960) that has been customised in one of a variety of finishes (mine was decoupage).  The Christmas decs were up, including a rather fine handmade star - black card and tissue paper giving a stained glass effect.  Other customers (who were leaving!) appeared to be regulars and that is always reassuring.  It all had a clean, bright, zingy feel to it.

And the breakfast?  For £2 I got sausage, beans, tomato, bacon, egg and mushrooms.  Can't grumble at that and it all tasted very good.  Afterwards, I reflected that the cafe where I was eating my breakfast was probably built over the Roman Wall.  I wonder what the average legionary got for breakfast?

And so, another tick on the hit list. Another one to go back to one day - but next time I'll be going early :-)