Dinner at the Tontine

Sorry folks I cant bring myself to call it the Cleveland Tontine to me it will be the Tontine and equally McCoy's Tontine. Many a wild night was spent here as locals rubbed shoulders with rockstars.The only reminder of those days is a picture of Munro in the drawing room as it would have been now more of a snug sitting area. Tales like the local farmer who escorted one famous Brigitte around the North Yorkshire countryside until daybreak I feel are now part of a history sadly never to be repeated. The legendary Eugene McCoy and the Tontine seem to go hand in hand. We have to be brave and face winter 2013 .A bestie friend Louise and I set out to see how the food fared on Monday evening. The dining room lit with candles,crisp white table clothes and odd plates a little of the past remains. We settled for the 3 course tea time menu even though it was after 8pm. I had never had eel before and razor clam so that was my choice of starter. Interesting starter with treacle? brioche perhaps with a little taster of a deep fried oyster with advocado puree. I went for fish again -beautifully executed sausage of lemon sole.Louise had lamb pie. Pudding was heavenly mascarpone ice cream, hot chocolate soufflé and yet another sausage this time of fresh fruit.Kindly sent over by another diner for us -champagne. We toasted to the old days,the magic and memories that Eugeene McCoy create and to the new Cleveland Tontine for the delicious food we had eaten. Unfortunately with the light been low the photos are quite blurred

Welcome to Yorkshire event at the Cleveland Tontine

Did you remember when eating your first mince pie of the season to make a wish. So that is why I had to have another. My excuse as I had forgotten to make my wish.These were indeed the most delicious mince pies created. Gary Verity,David Shields and Rosie Fyfie were all in attendance from Welcome to Yorkshire.A good gathering of folk -some more famous than others but indeed a good crowd to support the Cleveland Tontine and their new look.It was organised by the lovely Heidi Hatfield who is now freelance. Rhiannon Piasecki is now the house manager.A delightful vibrant approachable soul. If you could team a building and business with a person the new owners have already got it right. The Tontine was always a place I held in my heart. Sad the days of the McCoys are finally over.I always thought I would bump into the likes of Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull dining here,maybe Picasso in any earlier light. Times move on and with it comes changes. But the changes are good and the things that remains truly "The Tontine" before Cleveland was added and the new twists appeared. I had pleasure of meeting the famous William Tillyer and his wife. My connect to William would come not through him being a famous artist but to his daughter Kim.I met Kim through the North York Moors National Park workshops organised by Susan Briggs and Catriona McLees. Her father must have passed a lot of his genes down the line as I think Kim is so talented.William has sold his work to David Bowie. No mention of Mick Jagger but the same era. You can see his work at MIMA from 25th October to 9th Feb 2014. MIMA stands for Middlesborough Institute of Modern Art. Friendly staff gave us a tour of the hotel. I already have my eye on some of the wallpapers they have used.