Cover story: Oz some f east for the family: EATING OUT: Dalriada; TAM TAKES HIS OZ RELATIVES FORA SUNDAY BITE AND FINDS AUNT MARGARET HASN'T FORGOTTEN HER BELLSHILL ROOTS.

Byline: TAM COWAN 

YOU can take the girl out of Bellshill but you can't take Bellshill out of the girl - unless, of course, it's that American impostor Sheena Easton. Despite the fact she's lived in Australia for the past 43 years, there's only one way my aunt Margaret was ever going to describe the rather tough, chewy roast beef on her plate. 'It's a bit teuch,' she frowned. A great word - one you won't find in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Perhaps she'd have been happier with a kangaroo steak.Well, I believe all that bouncing up and down is terrific for tenderising the meat.

Anyway, I took Jim and Margaret out for a meal after they gave us a didgeridoo as a wedding present. Sadly, though, neither of them got food poisoning. Nah, only joking.This was a fantastic gift - and much better than the boomerangs I've collected over the years from their previous visits.

Keep trying to chuck them away, but... So, anyway, they joined us for Sunday lunch at Dalriada in Portobello.

Now, to be honest, I'd always imagined Portobello to be a dreary place - the sort of seaside spot that's so boring the tide only bothers to come in once a month.

However, the sun was shining, the sea was shimmering and I'm sure Jim and Margaret suddenly started feeling homesick as they gazed out across Lothian region's answer to Bondi Beach.

But instead of cracking open a few tinnies and lighting up the barbie - eating 'acapella' as my wee sister put it - we moved indoors for our 2.15pm table reservation - at 4.37pm. Officially - so far as whoever answered the phone at Dalriada is concerned - we'd had 'car trouble' before leaving Glasgow.

The real reason we were late? Myself and the present Mrs Cowan slept in big-style after attending a charity ball on the Saturday night.

We'd been planning to shoot the craw (there's another word you won't find in the dictionary) at midnight.

However, when the 'late-night mystery cabaret' turned out to be Tony Christie ... well, the sloshed kept on sloshing - until about 2am.

No worries, as myOz relatives would say.You see, even though they stop serving food at 5pmon Sundays, the very friendly Dalriada staff seemed genuinely pleased to see the party of five latecomers and we were shown to a window table overlooking the packed beer garden and kids' play area - kids are welcome until eight o'clock at night and you can fill their wee faces for just pounds 2.95. Not bad, eh? Talking of value, the five members of the Cowan clan enjoyed a three-course meal with drinks, coffees and two bottles of wine for just over pounds 100.

Ignoring the spring/summer menu (light bites, salads, sandwiches) in favour of head chef Iain Young's more substantial dishes on the specials board, Liz started with the sweet potato soup (piping hot and spicy) and I had the pan-fried coley (a delicious fillet of fish with minted garden peas). But the smoked salmon - enjoyed by Jim, Margaret and Mandy - was the pick of the appetisers. Very fresh, very tasty and a huge portion for pounds 4.25.

Actually, the plates at Dalriada were heaped from start to finish.

Go for a lie down on the beach after your meal and someone from Greenpeace will probably try to drag you into the water.

Three traditional Sunday lunch standards were up for grabs - roast beef, chicken and salmon.

The beef, as I say, was teuch (fingers crossed our visitors from Oz packed a spare set of dentures) but the salmon was exceptional - an enormous fillet bursting with flavour - and I really liked the nice 'n' simple roast chicken.

At no extra cost (great value once again considering all the main courses were just pounds 7.95) we also received a few heaped bowls of veg - baby boiled potatoes, peas and asparagus.

As you can imagine, dessert was a real struggle - particularly when we tried to pronounce something called chocolate bavarois ... eh?

Come on, chef, this is Portobello - not Monte Carlo.

Turns out it was just a fairly simple - and tremendously yummy - chocolate mousse and the females at the table absolutely lapped it up.

Meanwhile, the good quality ice-cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry) got the thumbs-up from Jim and, despite the fact my plate was plagued by some of those god-awful water biscuits, I must praise the generous cheese platter.

Three types of cheese (as I've told you before, unless it's Philadelphia or Dairylea triangles, don't ask me to name names) with dried apricots, loads of walnuts and strawberries.

Very impressive, indeed.

And I'll tell you what else I found quite astonishing - on the way out of Dalriada, my aunt Margaret didn't slip any of the cutlery into her handbag.

Maybe you can take Bellshill out of the girl after all

DALRIADA

Address: The Promenade, Portobello, Edinburgh Tel: [phone] Open: Mon to Sat 12-3pm and 5-9pm, Sun 12-5pm

Bill for five: pounds 105

Food: 4/5 - good, hearty grub, beef a bit teuch though Service: 4/5 - warm welcome even though we were late Decor: 4/5 - old-style dining-room with fab view Toilets: 2/5 - very basic, need urgent attention Value: 5/5 - fantastic prices for such huge portions

Total: 19/25