The array of military artifacts is staggering.
If you have a moment to spare and are interested in Britain's military history, why not head for the Headland?
Historic Headland
The array of military artifacts is staggering.
If you have a moment to spare and are interested in Britain's military history, why not head for the Headland?
HUFC Lottery
We are starting a joint venture with Hartlepool United.
A 20% offer at all our restaurants in the week following the Matchday Lottery ticket date.
The holder will get 20% off his or her food!
Last season I won £500 on the Pools Lottery but I hope I won't win it this year, otherwise it could be seen as a "fix" ;o)
Summertime Blues at the Marina
Back in the late seventies, well before I got bitten by the restaurant bug, but just after deciding that Naval Architecture was not for me, I worked on a rusty nail for a few months, and sailed around the Mediterranean to many east and west African countries including Madagascar. The Indian Ocean impressed me so much that I promised myself to sail back one day on my own yacht. A pipe dream that has sadly not materialised yet.
Over the years, I have met many of those sailors who realised their dream. They come from all walks of life and various European countries. Most tend to go up the North Sea coast to the Caledonian Canal and then down the Irish Sea or the other way round. As they enjoy their food and drink at Krimo's, I get to discover fascinating seafaring stories.
Last week I met a Ukrainian couple in their sixties who came in for dinner after arriving to Hartlepool. Once they detected my interest in boats, they invited me on board one of most modern yachts I have ever seen. A 6-berth beauty, loaded with the very latest gadgets and even a desalination unit! They recounted several international sailing stories that really made me jealous.
Back on terra firma, I have begun toying with the idea of taking boating lessons...
Should I abandon my folding bike for an inflatable canoe?
Friday Evenings at Krimo's
We have extended our Dinner Offer to Friday Evenings for a limited time.
Two delicious courses for £13.95 from 6.30pm.
If you would like to be an early bird and arrive before 6.30pm, then the same menu is also available for £11.95
Check out this fantastic offer here!
Krimo's Family is growing...
In August, Jen our Casa del Mar manager had a lovely girl called Annabel.
Rachael our long-serving bar manager from Krimo's and Luke, Casa del Mar's second-chef also had a girl, Elisa.
And Stacey, Krimo's assistant-manager has started her maternity leave. Her baby is due in November.
Noel, Portofino's head-chef who became a dad last November got married on August 26th at the same place where Colin, Krimo's head-chef and Tracey, another Krimo's employee tied the knot five years ago.
After a long engagement, our Adam and Hayley, Krimo's manager who left last year to have our lovely grandson Isaac are getting married in November.
Well done to everyone! (Must be something in the water!)
PS: Lydia, our longest serving member of staff has now clocked 23 years at Krimo's.
Loyalty Pays
We have been running a loyalty scheme since 1995 but over 3 years ago,we found a card that our regular customers can use in all three restaurants, both for saving points and spending them.
Each restaurant has a terminal and, once a week the data is collected onto our main computer. At the end of each month we mail out a "gift" to our customers whose birthday falls in the next month. Usually, this comes in the form of a personalised certificate that allows the bearer TRIPLE POINTS if he or she pays us a visit.
If you don't already have our loyalty card, please feel free to pick one up the next time you dine with us.
July Quiz Winner
Our July Food Question What is Pinot? was won by Liz Iles of Granville Avenue, Hartlepool.
She wins a meal for two at Portofino. Congratulations! http://krimos.co.uk/QuizResult.html
TWENTY SEVEN YEARS!
May the Fourth 1985 saw the start of a pleasant adventure. Krimo's our tiny 32-seater restaurant opened its doors at Seaton Carew and the rest is History.
From an unknown ex-student in Naval Architecture and his beautiful colliery lass, Karen and I became Mr. and Mrs. Krimo, famous restaurateurs! A cowboy cook and housewife transformed the eating-out scene in Hartlepool. An AA rosette in our second year. Michelin just after that. And most important, a lot of happy diners.
We had no inkling that the saga would last 27 years, see a steady and successful expansion and that I would still be as enthusiastic about the whole thing as those early days.
From cook to waiter, bottle-washer to barman, scrubber to trainer, food and wine, my CV looks like a varied and enjoyable journey.
Twenty Seven Years!
The customers who crossed our threshold!
The employees who helped us get here!
The suppliers who kept us well supplied!
The friends we have made.
The food we ate.
The wine we drank.
MAY the FOURTH be with you!
New Look Krimo's
New chairs and bare tabletops are Krimo's new look.
Changing the look of a successful restaurant is a very difficult decision to make.
Customers do not like change and if change is necessary, it has to happen very gradually.
Over the last two weeks, having bought 4 chairs and borrowed our own from home, I experimented with them in various parts of the restaurant and quizzed the people who had used our new look "clothless" tables. 90% of them really liked the change. 10% were not impressed with the lack of tablecloths. My mind was made up.
I ordered the new chairs and discarded the cloths.
Sunday afternoon, after a very busy Mother's Day lunch, the table were stripped and reset, minus the new chairs. The restaurant looked bare and I really began questioning my decision.
The new chairs were scheduled to arrive Monday morning. By 11am, I was frantic. There wasn't a sign of the delivery van. A phonecall to the courier. They had forgotten to load them onto the truck. They promised to send an express van all the way from Derbyshire to deliver them by around 3pm.
My mind began racing. Is this an omen that I'd made the wrong decision?
The chairs arrived at 4.15pm.
Colin, Dan and Simon helped assemble the 80 new chairs. A painstaking exercise. Karen placed them around the restaurant.
Having finished putting together the last chair, we all took a peek at the dining room. It looked really great.
I now feel I have made the right decision.
Phew!!
Pencils Galore...
When I pointed out the mistake, they apologized and said while they would send me the pens straight away, they did not want the pencils returning.
So, I got in touch with the Hartlepool Mail and asked if they could help me find someone out there, a school or something can find a use for these mini pencils.
Hey Presto! After a quick article in the town's paper, I got seven requests for a few of the pencils and among them, a school, a girl guide club, an African charity, etc...
I am very happy that the mini pencils are going to a few good causes, thanks to the Hartlepool Mail's help.
Breakfast at Tiffany's...
The people have decided! After two months of voting, our customers have decided that the iconic Audrey Hepburn should replace Marilyn Monroe on Portofino's balcony.
She got over twice as many votes as second place, Frank Sinatra.
128 artistes were voted for.
The top ten and their votes are: Audrey Hepburn 64 Frank Sinatra 29 Liz Taylor 20 Sophia Loren 18 Lady Gaga 15 Madonna 14 Freddy Mercury 12 Marilyn Monroe 11 James Dean 10 Michael Jackson 10
A little bird tells me that the saga is not over yet... Watch this space!
Gill Harland from Hartlepool was drawn from the customers who voted for Audrey Hepburns. She wins A Meal for Two at Portofino
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet....
Timothy Spall, of Auf Wiedersehen and various other films and television programs moored his Princess Matilda while on a tour of England filming Somewhere at Sea.
And of course, he came to Krimo's for lunch.
Elvis is back...
A few weeks after being forced out of the building by smoke and flames, Elvis is back at Portofino.
I searched the web high and low for the exact Elvis cardboard cutout and finally, I found a company which specialises in immortalizing famous people. It arrived this morning and I could not wait a single minute to unwrap him and place him back where he belonged for many years before the fire that occurred at Portofino in early March.
Marilyn Monroe adorned another balcony and, although she is a legend, I feel we may need to ask our customers who they would like to see up there with the King.
The Freshest Pasta Dish Ever...
Spaghetti al Vongole... Now, there is a dish I like!
I washed up at a pizzeria in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and, after watching the Italian chefs prepare this simple yet delicious Mediterranean dish, I often made it for my lunch! Al dente Spaghetti, Clams, Tomato sauce…
But guess what! I bet not many people can boast of having had Spaghetti al Vongole cooked from scratch on the beach!
When I was young, we spent most of our summer holidays at my aunties', uncles' or grandmother's as we lived about 60 km from the sea in the Atlas mountains.
It was not unusual for a dozen kids to sleep in the same room. The added bonus was when Gran lay in the middle telling us ancient fables.
Most days, she took us kids to the beach in the morning till late afternoon.
Our lunch consisted of a few chips and a slice of bread as food was less important than having beach fun. This amazing feast was washed down with a swig of cheap cola. Heaven!
However, Sundays were a different affair as the adults joined the party!
A copious larder was loaded in the boot of the car and off we went.
On our arrival at the beach, the children virtually dived into the sea from the moving cars, while the adults set up camp in a remote corner of the sandy beach. Tattered parasols turned the camp into a tented Saharan village. All we needed was a few camels and goats and we would have looked like nomads.
A grand competition then took place. Buckets at the ready each one of us began collecting clams from the shallows.
The women, in the kitchen part of the “camp” lit a charcoal fire in a terracotta burner and got on with the sauce and the pasta.
This is the recipe:
Heat 3 tbsp. of olive oil
Fry a finely diced onion until soft.
Add 2 finely diced cloves of garlic and fry until soft.
Add one tin of chopped and mashed tomatoes and 1tbsp. of tomato puree.
Add a glassful of water. Nowadays I add a glassful of white wine…Shhhhh!
Bring to the boil and then simmer for about half an hour.
In the meantime boil the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and cool under running water.
The clams need to be washed a few times to get rid of the sand. (Tinned or frozen clams may be used)
When ready to serve, heat the sauce up and add the fresh clams.
Once they are open, add some chopped basil and parsley.
You can either re-heat the spaghetti up in boiling water or just add it to the sauce.
Serve hot with Parmesan! Mmmmmmmm!
On the beach, once the Spaghetti al Vongole was ready, we were summoned to form a circle to wolf down this wonderful dish with thick slices of French bread to mop up the remaining sauce and our lips.
A cool drink and a slice of ice cold watermelon finished this wonderful meal. Ice cold because, on our arrival at the beach, bottles and watermelons were buried deep in the wet sand.
I would give up a gourmet meal at La Tour d’Argent to experience that once more!
Now, can anyone tell me if this isn't as near to heaven as life could really be...
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