The Court Inn, Court Lane, Durham

Mar 21 2010 by Eddy Eats, Sunday Sun

Mrs Eats got chatting to the gentleman sat next to her, who, it turned out, was an academic from Missouri, USA, here on an exchange programme with Durham University.

The gentleman was an expert in scripture, so I sighed when Mrs Eats and he launched into a discussion about the various merits/discredits of the Bible. It’s something I try to avoid, but Mrs Eats can get passionate about it.

Luckily, just as she was about to launch into an “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” tirade, the food arrived.

And what food! Mrs Eats’ fish was crisp, a magnificent size and came with mushy peas and fish-shaped chips.

And in case those chips weren’t enough (they weren’t for Mrs Eats who put in a sterling performance after suspending her diet), another bowl of chips came along.

My roast was similarly excellent with a fat Yorkshire pudding, delicious gravy and a combination of vegetables.

The lamb was tender and went down a treat.

Hearty and well-cooked, our meals were just the ticket after our perambulations.

Our waitress was excellent too, managing to be courteous and attentive despite the packed pub being filled with hungry diners.

Because we had settled into our seats and Mrs Eats had thrown caution to the wind with her diet, we decided to have sticky toffee pudding for our dessert after a suitable interval.

When it arrived it was delicious. Served generously, it was certainly sticky and came with thick, creamy custard.

Needless to say we tucked in with gusto and, after another pint of Geordie Hinny, I was content.

That meant I was more than happy to ignore Mrs Eats, who had again engaged our American neighbour in theological discussions.

After some disappointments in recent weeks it was a pleasure to eat at a pub with great food and excellent service.

I’m sure a return visit will be in order at some point.

However, I’m not sure I can speak for the American gentleman next to us.

His expertise was pushed aside by Mrs Eats, who gained her superior knowledge at Sunday school more years ago than she cares to remember!