Anyone for a threesome?
CThec ng out The Three Cranes, Turvey
he Three Cranes is a regular watering hole perfectly placed at the end of a favourite walk. It has undergone a recent refurbishment transforming the dated and somewhat gloomy pub into a smart, light and fashionable space. When you first
walk in, the interior is more restaurant than pub. But they welcome drinkers and eaters alike and there is a roomy bar area to one side. Given that food is clearly a priority, it was time for us to check it out.
Nine of us made our way over there on the hottest day of the year. We met up in the big garden area at the back and were more interested in catching up than sitting down for dinner. The staff were more than happy to let us take our time and it was a while before we eventually took our seats. The rest of the tables were full and there was already a buzzy, friendly atmosphere. Lots of smiling faces - always a good sign.
The menu is a good one. Not too long, but still plenty of choice. And one up from standard pub grub. Nine starters, including four very nice sounding sharing boards. Our team covered four of them, seared scallops with leeks and lemon chilli butter being the most popular. The kitchen staff weren't phased either at being asked to create a dairy free version -top marks. My choice was the baked pear and roquefort cheese with roasted pine nuts. This smelt divine with a big hit of blue cheese meeting the nose on arrival. Tasted good too. Pear perfectly poached, the flavoursome cheese nicely balanced. There was a beautiful looking smoked duck salad and a pretty as a picture ham hock and pea terrine in the mix too. Every plate went back to the kitchen empty. Starters range from £5-7.
Main courses include three fish choices, a couple of vegetarian items, and for the carnivores - belly pork, lamb chop and of course, steak. I'd had a tip-off the belly pork was the way to go and indeed food envy went my way that night. It's served with a smoky marinade. Again a superb smell on delivery - this meal I have been eating as much with my nose as my tongue. The pork was spot on with the fat layers rendered down to nothing. The sticky marinade had managed to do more that sit on the surface and the pork had a lovely smoky characteristic. Good mash alongside. The rest of the table was mainly fish and all met with favour. There was a lamb chop too and a slightly odd mixture of sweet chilli chicken and pork ribs. Once again all the plates were returned clean to the kitchen. The main courses are around the £15 mark with the steaks a little more expensive.
Now I don't normally do dessert, but there were some lovely light choices o n t h e m e n u i n c l u d i n g p e a c h a n d p r o s e c c o s o r b e t , e l d e rf l o w e r p o s s e t w i t h summer berries and my choice, fresh strawberries with balsamic syrup and mascarpone cream. All of these are served with a marvellous home­ made shortbread. The cheeseboard, featuring only British cheeses, also looked amazing. £6 or £7 for dessert.
In summary, we had a lovely night. Good food, lovely atmosphere, great company. Nice to see some imaginative choices on the menu, executed well and priced about right. Any complaints? The best we could do was a mere suggestion - a hunk of bread served with the scallops to mop up the yummy lemon and chilli butter would have been a nice touch. With empty plates and smiling faces all round this is an excellent addition to our local restaurant choices. Already looking forward to my next visit. HB