: Taste Test - A meal for all Seasons; Glyn Mon Hughes at Seasons, Tranmere.

Byline: Glyn Mon Hughes

THERE'S got to be something more to Tranmere than football teams and oil terminals. We think we may have found it. For, hiding behind Great Aunt Mary's peek-out-if-you-dare net curtains is Seasons Restaurant.

It overlooks the slightly down-at-heel bucolic expanse of Victoria Park, one of those breathing spaces built into Birkenhead by the far-seeing city fathers of days gone by and used extensively by today's residents.

A pity, then, that the restaurant was not that well patronised when we turned up. It certainly deserves to be, whether because of the range of menu, the quality and presentation of food or the service. There was, indeed, little to fault this place.

Just one question, though, as discussed by both waitress and assembled patrons. When will the people of Merseyside begin to understand they can go out for a meal any night of the week, not just at the weekend? For here is a small neighbourhood restaurant which should be full every night.

Transplant this place to London, Paris, Amsterdam, even, dare one whisper it, Manchester, and it would be full. And the reason it should be full? The inventive menu. Thoughtful ingredients. Attentive service. Being made to feel welcome.

Cleanliness. Decently appointed tables.

Right from the moment of walking in, we were made to feel - how should we say this nicely? - part of the family. The place is run by husband-and-wife-team Stephen and Sandra Murray.

There's no separate bar area, so it's straight to the table. That presents us with no problem but some diners might like time to study the menu. Without too much persuasion, we studied the wine list and asked for a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz, an infusion from South-East Australia.

``Jammy, juicy fruit with hints of vanilla and black pepper,'' said the menu.

``Smooth but far from heavy,'' said Mark, once we'd actually tasted the wine, and always a better wine barometer than the words on the menu. ``It's silky but not as complex as some Australian wines. There's blackcurrant and liquorice there. A powerful bouquet.'' Right. OK, then.

The menu itself is well thought out and vegetarians are looked after too. I thought about salad of smoke duck breast, the stir-fried king prawns with chilli, even toyed with the idea of Galia melon. In the end, I went all traditional and asked for soup of the day. Total joy! It was tomato, my childhood passion, still my all-time favourite... in this life, anyway.

It was good. Not acidic and not with the added fat content of those creations which come out of a tin. If a contradiction in terms, this was lightly filling. Read on...

Mark had to be difficult and ask for one item from the set menu. The deep-fried breaded garlic mushrooms with a mayonnaise dip were - what should we say? - substantial. ``There's a whole jar of Hellman's here,'' he remarked. ``It's not normally something I'd go for but these are really crispy, crunchy and garlicy. The salad accompaniment, along with satsumas, give it a real tangyness, to get away from the fat.'' And, after all that, he soaked the generous bread portion in the garlic butter. Hmmmm.

All the way there, Mark had said he wanted a curry. He kept going on about titillating jaded taste buds.

``The closest I can get is a Thai creation,'' he said, ordering Thai-style beef with buttered noodles, cooked with ginger, spring onions, lemongrass and coriander. ``This is quietly spicy, refined, not chippy-burn-your-mouth-off quality.'' I asked for pan-seared calves liver on a black-pudding creamed potato with crispy bacon. What a combination! The liver was tender, tasty, cooked to near perfection while the mash with black pudding - rapidly becoming trendy without a whippet or clog-and-cloth-cap joke in hearing distance - was a welcome addition.

Add to that the subtle combination of cabbage with bacon in a cream sauce plus broccoli, carrots and beans cooked to al dente perfection. And then the dauphinoise potatoes arrived.

``I'm in cream and garlic overload,'' said Mark. ``The smallest ingredient is potato. The cream and garlic make it incidental!'' In fact, the vegetables were over generous and we felt somewhat embarrassed at having to send so much back.

There are numerous fish offerings on the main-course menu and each dish is prepared individually and with a finesse rare to find to these parts.

And isn't it strange? We could still squeeze in a dessert. Mark asked for Eaton Mess - hopefully advisedly. When it arrived, his strawberries, crushed meringue, Chantilly cream, chocolate shavings and strawberry coulis surely would keep him quiet. ``Helluva a mess, isn't it?'' he smirked.

I asked for a sorbet selection. Tomato soup followed by liver fazed me completely. And it was just right. Fruity, cold, refreshing. Quite wonderful after such a carefully prepared and beautifully served meal.

Put this neighbourhood venue of the list of essential places to visit. For service and generosity it cannot be faulted and the food tastes simply wonderful. Book a place, now.

the bill

Two starters @ pounds 3.25: pounds 6.50 Thai beef: pounds 12.00 Calves liver: pounds 11.95 Eaton Mess: pounds 3.85 Sorbet: pounds 2.10 Bottle Shiraz: pounds 11.50 Total: pounds 47.90

notes

Seasons Restaurant, 18 Bebington Road, Higher Tranmere, Wirral. Tel: [phone]

Ambience: Quiet, intimate, front-parlour type venue.

Service: Excellent. Attentive and prompt.

Value for money: Good. Generous portions.

Payment: Beware! They don't take credit cards.

Disabled access: Good. Open: Tuesday-Saturday from 6pm. Last orders 9.45pm.

Sunday 12noon-3pm, for traditional Sunday roast. Parking: Ample on street.

CAPTION(S):

A REAL FIND: Seasons has it all if you want a great dining experience and a good night out