Tuscany, East Parade, Whitley Bay

May 30 2008 by Jane Hall, The Journal

LAST week I took part in the Bio Bank research study. It’s a fascinating process. First you answer a host of health-based questions via a touch screen computer. Then you give puff, pee and blood samples (all totally painless) and get measured in various ways.

After that you get a health printout, which the British Heart Foundation nurse analyses and tells you your cholesterol status. It was at this stage that my glowingly healthy pointer flickered and moved down the scale a notch or two.

The single factor missing from my dietary regime was the cholesterol combatant, oily fish. All the greens, exercise and positive weight-to-height ratio couldn’t compensate for the lack of mackerel, so, with that in mind, I scoured the Tuscany menu for my seafood salvation. I didn’t have to look far because there, at the top of the specials board, were sardines and in the main fish section, tuna steak. My companion, who claimed she’d had some pilchards already that day, chose Tuscan bean soup and locally farmed pork loin.

It’s great when healthy tastes good and the sardines ticked both boxes. Two hefty fish, their pan-fried, silver skins glistening with healthy oils, criss-crossed a pile of softened spring onions, fresh chillies and chorizo sausage. The white, meaty flesh drifted away from the myriad bones, so that it couldn’t be easier to eat. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice lifted the flavours again and added extra sparkle. This was a great little dish… and not so little.

The Tuscan bean soup was less sensational. It was distinctly under- seasoned with little if any sense of fresh herbs or thoughtfulness in the flavour. The very thick broth promised flavour but produced a filling starter without that satisfied smile. If we’re thinking healthy I suppose the lack of salt was good.

Her next course raised the bar. A handsome, roast pork loin steak, its caramalised top glowing with meaty confidence, sat proudly in a pool of fruity apple sauce. The layer of crisp and soft fat wrapped around the meat helped to keep it moist and flavoursome, while the sauce was a happy balance between sweet and savoury. Some excellent al dente vegetables, broccoli, turnip, potatoes and carrots with a glaze of melted butter, produced the smile we’d both been waiting for. My tuna was presented in classic Mediterranean style with a host of healthy options on one plate. Cholesterol-busting fish brushed with olive oil and lightly seared, came with roasted olives, vitamin-packed tomatoes and wilted greens. It’s easy to eat healthily when food tastes this good.

The only tiny blot on my copybook was a glass or two of wine but, if you think about it, wine comes from grapes, so it could count as one of your five a day. As we all know, tuna is in the “minus cholesterol” zone, so it’s bound to redress the balance of any excess in other dishes… which is why, with a clear conscience and a smug expression, I chose the Mandarin cheesecake dessert. The chef produced a successful unbaked version with a crispy biscuit base and a decent serving of cream cheese topped with mandarin jelly and a slice of the fruit. Swishes of juice swirled decoratively around the plate as I worked my way through to a very happy ending.

A vanilla panacotta appeared on the other side of the table, her reasoning being that, with all her horse riding and double digging on the allotment, the occasional cream- laden, calorie-rich dish hardly mattered. The pudding had a firm texture but a lingering flavour reminiscent of UHT milk. Tiny scoops of raspberry sorbet alternated with fresh raspberries around the plate making this a very stylish dessert.

It strikes me Mediterranean cuisine makes it easy to eat healthily and well and you can still have dessert! What could be better?

INFORMATION

Address: Tuscany, 10 East Parade, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside. Tel: (0191) 253-3050.

Open: Monday-Saturday 5-10.30pm.

Where is it?: Right on the seafront, on the strip with other restaurants and bars just south of the old Spanish City.

First impressions: Very busy and relaxed without any clatter or OTT Italian theatre nonsense.

Welcome: Friendly and efficient.

Style, design and furnishings: Caramel and chocolate, various bits of pottery from the region and a mix of brick and woods to keep it rustic.

Cuisine: Italian mainly but pulling in dishes from other cuisines.

Wine: Sangiovese di Romagne, 2006. Violets on the nose with gentle red berries below. Fragrant rather than fruity. £16.

Service: Good team who work well together. A happy band of young women happy to serve.

Value: £64.54 is a good price for good food.

Parking: Street parking is available if you look around. Beware of permit parking zones.

Disabled facilities: Fully accessible.