Top Place Has Its Chips

Well, as they say on Football Focus, there's confirmation. One of Ramsgate's top nosheries has closed its doors for good.

Reader Steve has just sent me this snap of the front door of Eddie Gilbert's in King Street. The sign says:

Dear Customers,

It is with great sadness that we have to announce that, after more than 5 years serving the Ramsgate community, Eddie Gilbert's has now ceased trading.

We thank you for your custom.

What a shame. I had heard rumours that, since the tragic and untimely death of its owner Johnny a year or so ago, things had been tricky. Or perhaps it's just the current, crappy economy that did for them. What with the ferries gorn too, it's been a bad week for the Millionaires' Playground. Or, to put it another way, maybe some of the millions being spent on regenerating Margate should now be diverted to the sunny south of the island!

Bugger. You know what this also means? Bloody KFC for tea! Grrrrr!

Eddie The Fish

Being as I don't get out much at the moment, I'm having to rely on one of my informants for the fact that the excellent Eddie Gilbert, who, bizarrely, is actually called Johnny (and not to be confused with Eddie the Beer, who really is called Eddie) has now opened a restaurant and fish 'n' chip takeaway at his stylish King Street premises here in the Ms' P. Yet more proof that the town is on the up! Yay! I'll have to borrow Betty my neighbour's Davros undercarriage later and go check it out.

I'm hoping his nosh will be as good as, if not better than, the superb Newington Fish Bar as it'll only mean a toddle for my Friday supper, rather than a trip out in the jalopy. Pete's Fish Factory next to the Belgian Bar is pretty good too, although I'm not a fan of the traditional, surly British service they dish up with their traditional, yummy British fish 'n' chips.

Of course, the one thing a chippie usually needs is a punny name. We have the Codfather here in Ramsgate, which is a fair effort. But my favourite has to be the one I clocked a few years ago next to Sizewell nuclear power station in Suffolk - Fission Chips! Needless to say, their mushy peas glowed in the dark.

Restaurant News

Hurrah! It looks as if the Millionaires' Playground is to get yet another fine dining experience! Not only is the Cannes of Kent home to one of the best eateries in the south east, Age & Sons (dubbed 'the finest restaurant in Thanet' in today's Observer), but now top chef John Burton Race is re-opening Harveys, on Ramsgate's rip-roaring royal harbour, as a fantastic fish restaurant.

According to the excellent yourfannitinnit, JBR has coughed up 250 big ones to transform this formerly hideous boozer, which has been boarded up for the last year, into the dogfish's bollocks of piscine cuisine. The celebrity chef already has Michelin-rated nosheries under his belt. Shame, though, that Thanet College alumnus Gary Rhodes, who was once rumoured to have been in the frame to open up here, seems to have got cold feet. His puddings are yum! Of course, we already have one fish restaurant on the Croisette - Atlantis. But being a Thorley establishment I have to say from experience that that's more like Captain Digby Deluxe.

So, Ramsgate now has two top restaurants to Margate's one (the superb Indian Princess). And as reported exclusively by yours truly, Eddie Gilbert the fishmonger on Ramsgate's 'King Street will soon be serving fish and chips fit for a, er, king. But what about the poor old Dickensians? Surely the betweeded grannies, second homers and perma-tanned builders' wives in Boredstares deserve something a bit better than scampi in a basket? The deliciously delightful Oscar Road Cafe is all well and good for the best crab sandwiches in Kent during the day, but what about sophisticated dining once the sun's gone down? Well, step forward this joint:

Restaurant 54, the new gaff at the top of Harbour Street, opposite the Dolphin meat market. It's had umpteen different guises in the past few years, prompting the double glazing and conservatory millionaires who were leaving as I passed by last night to ponder whether the name referred to the number of owners it's had since the turn of the century.

Still, from what I overheard they appeared to have enjoyed their meal, and of course it was only a short waddle for them down the hill to Harpers wine bar, where they no doubt rounded off the evening by larging it with the WAGS (of other double glazing and conservatory millionaires) before belling the missus to come and chauffeur them back to Kingsgate in the old V8 Range Rover.

Harveys in yourfannitinnit
The Observer raves about Thanet - and Age & Sons
Er, John Burton Race declares himself bankrupt

Whelkome News

As if to prove that Ramsgate isn't being completely left behind in the culture stakes, I see we now have a whelk stall to rival Mannings on Margate Pier, promising to sell all sorts of seafood and fresh fish seven days a week.

It's run by the ubiquitous Cannons, who've been boat and fisher folk here since before the Vikings invaded. They've just been given their licence by TDC, so yesterday was their first day. And already they're becoming a bit tired of people shouting: 'Have yer got any crabs on yer, cock?'