Advantages: A book of sumptuous recipes many of which are used in Rhodes' own restaurants. Disadvantages: Recipes are generally for more people than you find in the average family.
I?ve always had a soft spot for Gary Rhodes right from his first series for the BBC back in 1994. No, it wasn?t the spiky hair (which I hated) or the puppyish charm (which grated) it was the fact that it did seem that the man could actually cook and his love of the food shone through in everything that he prepared.
It didn?t even worry me that he?s thin when no chef has the right to be thin. He?s a cook; it?s what his life is about, whether he?s appearing on television, running his restaurants and brasseries or writing books. They are all part of a seamless whole. Go into the kitchens of his brasseries and you could well find that the chefs are working from photocopied pages from my latest find: his ?New British Classics?.
First published in 1999 ?New British Classics? is not just a cook book; it?s a work of scholarship too ...
Advantages: Family friendly, all inclusive, next to beach Disadvantages: Insects in rooms, no cash machine, not enough toilets
Last week I came back from a holiday in Greece. We went to Rhodes and stayed in the Rodos Village in Kiotari. The Rodos Village is a 5 star all-inclusive resort which is situated in the east west coast of the island.
We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel (this was a pre-paid transfer from our holiday provider) The taxi took around an hour to get to the hotel. Since our flight was overnight, we arrived at the airport at 4.45am, so it was great to hop into a taxi and get to the hotel quicker than the coach would have taken.
We got to the hotel at around 6am. There are not only steps up to the hotel, but also a ramp. It was quite steep but it meant that I could wheel my bag up instead of carrying up the steps (always good if you're tired!)
Check in was quick. No one was around at that time since it was so early, there was ...
Advantages: see summary in review Disadvantages: see summary in review
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Atlantica Princess Hotel
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I have just returned from two weeks staying at the Atlantica Princess in Rhodes and had such a wonderful time that I felt compelled to write this review. Rhodes is a Greek Island which is situated in the eastern Aegean Sea just 11 miles from the Turkish Coast (on clear days you get a magnificent view of Turkey).
Our choice of this hotel and destination was purely through last minute panic at the beginning of the year where we realised that everywhere was quickly getting booked up! We began hunting through the various Thomsons brochures whilst checking availability on the internet. We were attracted to the all inclusive package that the Atlantica Princess offered as it worked out at around £12 on top of half board per adult per day and £8 on top of half board ...
Tris Village, 11km (7 miles) south of Rhodes Town, New Town
Telephone
22410 91 824
Manufacturer's product description
Once rated by the London Guardian as one of the world's 10 best restaurants, this unique place offers an exquisite gourmet experience. Creative, artistic Michael Koumbiadis, known in Athenian society as "the Colossus of Rhodes," founded Kioupia in 1972. Koumbiadis has uncovered the true harmonies of traditional Greek cuisine, using the best local ingredients and village recipes. In this elegantly decorated, rustic old house, the meal begins with a rinsing of hands in rosewater, and then perhaps a choice of three soups, including the unusual trahanas, a Greek wheat-and-cheese soup. Soup is followed by an amazing array of appetizers: sautéed wild mushrooms, pumpkin beignee (dumplings), and savory braised red peppers in olive oil, accompanied by home-baked carrot bread and pastrami bread. The main dishes are equally superb -- broiled veal stuffed with cheese and sprinkled with pistachio nuts in yogurt sauce; or delectable pork souvlaki with yogurt and paprika sauce on the side. For dessert, try the light crepes filled with sour cherries and covered with chocolate sauce and vanilla crème. Many of the foods are prepared in clay pots in a traditional wood-burning oven, source of the faint woodsy scent permeating the restaurant. The grand fixed-price meal, like the Orthodox liturgy, requires fasting, devotion, and time (roughly 3 hr.).
