Sea Cow innit

[Nigello]

Went about three weeks ago after a long absence and had a great time. The fish was good, the chips too and the mushy peas were spot-on. The service was prompt and friendly, the wine was cool and totally acceptable, and the child portion was good value and enjoyed by the eight year old. It wasn't too busy and therefore not noisy. I'd go again.

[Mick Mac]

All seems a bit too good to be true that one.

[StraferJack]

Without denying the truth of anyone who had bad service/food At SC, I'm going to weigh in with a more positive take

To my undying shame I don't eat seafood so would normally give this place a miss, but the house and guests and pretty much everyone else does like seafood so I end up in here a bit, usually take out but ocassionally sit in and in all those times, not once has the food been off or the service mardy. The chips have been hit and miss over the years, with the misses not actually being bad but just a bit wooly compared to some others

By all means flag up the bad instances but there is a danger of painting a one-dimensional picture of a broken business here and it ain't

(as a non seafoodie I use the chipper next to ED Station with occassional visits to all the others mentioned)

[Annette Curtain]

Ditto what nigello & staffer said

I've not had a bad one in there in all the years it's been open.

[woodrot]

people do bleat more often than praise though- I woud have been unlikely to have started a thread in support of the SC without prompting. maybe the woodrotettes have been unlucky getting hit with a couple of rotters in a few months. this aside, we gave it 10 years of use.

[StraferJack]

oh for sure woody - thought your OP and follow ups were sound, and then others gave theirs.

But usually there are a few counterbalances and this time there weren't, and then people started ripping Fay Maschler in the toasted thread for bigging up Sea Cow and it was started to look like an alternative reality. Good to see some more balance on there now

(you STILL confined to the Lounge btw?)

[Mick Mac]

woodrot Wrote:

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> people do bleat more often than praise though- I

> woud have been unlikely to have started a thread

> in support of the SC without prompting. maybe the

> woodrotettes have been unlucky getting hit with a

> couple of rotters in a few months. this aside, we

> gave it 10 years of use.

I think the test should be how they would react if you did complain about the take away - it would be nice to think they would compensate you in some way and show you that they value your custom.

[Sue]

Mick Mac Wrote:

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> I think the test should be how they would react if

> you did complain about the take away - it would be

> nice to think they would compensate you in some

> way and show you that they value your custom.

xxxxxx

I can't understand how a fish shop would not notice that they were cooking bad fish?

[numbers]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Mick Mac Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

>

> > I think the test should be how they would react

> if

> > you did complain about the take away - it would

> be

> > nice to think they would compensate you in some

> > way and show you that they value your custom.

>

> xxxxxx

>

>

> I can't understand how a fish shop would not

> notice that they were cooking bad fish?

well they didn't have to eat it so maybe none the wiser. perhaps when they cooked it the rotten smell escaped them over the waft of oil/ammonia/vinegar etc

(On that ToastED thread, small wonder that locals who don't hold Sea Cow high in their estimation based on recent experience, took Fay Maschler's review of new place with a pinch of salt. Not that that would stop me from going to try it as I don't really go by what food critics say and I'd rather judge for myself. However, agree it was rather unfortunate that she'd somewhat tainted an otherwise good review by including praise for somewhere local that has, in many people's eyes, gone downhill)

[woodrot]

to be fair, fish can turn very quickly, but you can feel the difference in raw fish as you handle it- hard to explain, but you can tell when its on the edge

This isnt a slagfest, I cant be arsed with that, more of a heads up for the owner to get on top of it - it doest seem to have affected anyone else, so maybe we woz just unlucky

pinhead refernce deleted

/ends

[Jeremy]

numbers Wrote:

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> it was rather unfortunate that she'd somewhat tainted an

> otherwise good review by including praise for

> somewhere local that has, in many people's eyes,

> gone downhill)

Seems an unfair criticism - can't really expect her to continually re-visit a restaurant to check that it hasn't slipped.

[numbers]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Seems an unfair criticism - can't really expect

> her to continually re-visit a restaurant to check

> that it hasn't slipped.

yeah fair point jeremy but really I'd not be keen to add it to any review unless I was pretty damn sure.

[Annette Curtain]

Fay Maschler's gone of years ago

So much so, that i'm more inclined to visit the places she doesn't like

She reviewed one place in the depths of the last winter, then mentioned that cold air blasted in when the door was opened.