There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 2)

Well, I don't call myself the PROCRASTINATING Novelist for nothing.  After almost three months, I'm finally ready to give you all my second food-based installment of my travels.  Now, there is a problem with putting this off for so long, and that is that my memory (which has never been great) has faded a bit.  So there will be no order to these meals as there was the last time.  I'm fairly certain I'm putting them in the correct order, but I make no guarantees.  Thankfully, I did have the presence of mind at the time to jot some notes in my phone, but they weren't nearly as extensive those from Cardiff.  My hope is that as I get going, my natural penchant for embellishment will help me remember the particulars.

The Firehouse Rotisserie

After doing a (free) walking tour through Bath, I decided to scope things out again on my own.  I missed lunch and my travels kept me out until dinner time, and so I kept my eyes peeled for a likely dinner spot.  It was difficult to make a choice, because so many of the places in Bath were very expensive.  Though beautiful, Bath is and always has been a prime tourist spot.  So it was with great delight that I found this restaurant.  I saw the special on the window, and knew both my palette and my wallet would appreciate what I found within.

The Food: Half Texas Spice Rubbed Rotisserie Chicken with Jalapeno Coleslaw, Spicy Fries and a glass of house wine 
I have only recently realized that the 'salad' I mentioned in my notes was in fact the advertised coleslaw.  Perhaps it was an English version of the stuff I'm used to, but it was more like an incredibly spicy side salad.  And indeed, it was a perfect complement to the rest of the meal.  The chicken was juicy with crispy skin, and the barbecue sauce they used was sweet, smoky, and a little spicy itself.  The fries were perfectly crisp this time (it helped that I actually remembered to ask for once).  I don't usually drink wine, and the host/waiter was incredibly accommodating.  He let me try a few different wines before I settled on the Prosecco Rose.  He added a crème de cassis made of black current, and was kind enough to explain was that meant.  I don't really remember, which is why I've thrown in a hyperlink on that term.  All told, it was a delicious meal.  Everything was satisfyingly spicy, and the wine was a perfect pairing.

The Dessert: Banoffe Cheesecake with Peanut Brittle
I debated with myself on whether or not I would have any dessert.  Based on the fact that I was still hungry from missing lunch, and had consumed just enough wine to not care about my wallet, I indulged (I was also still stinging over the lack of dessert in Cardiff).  This treat was a divine revelation.  Generally speaking, I rush through my meals, but I will never hurry cheesecake of any kind.  I almost feel bad for eating this dessert in public, because it felt like I was was putting on an indecent performance.  However, the taste and textures of my dessert were too good to worry about what other people thought of my reaction...if they cared at all.  The peanut brittle was unlike anything I've had in the States, and tasted more like a peanut butter laden caramel.  The cheesecake was light and creamy and the perfect blend of cream cheese and peanut butter.  I was definitely sad when it was gone.

The Service:
As I said above, the person who seated me and took my order was wonderfully accommodating.  The restaurant was pretty empty, as I came in around 6:00, but he still made sure I was taken care of even when other people arrived.  He even went to far as to write down the spelling for the cassis so I would know what to ask for if I ever wanted it again.  Halfway through my meal, a waitress replaced him.  My guess was she had just shown up for her shift, and she kept the good times rolling.  Of course, she could have thrown water in my face and I still would have been happy once my cheesecake arrived.  Luckily, I didn't have to test that theory, and I left a incredibly satiated and satisfied customer.

The Price:
So the damage at the end of my meal was £16.95.  I ended up leaving £5 for the tip, and never regretted a penny left on the table.  Was it a little rich for my blood?  Sure, but I felt justified in the expense after missing lunch.  Was the food itself a little rich?  Oh baby, you bet it was!  But boy, was it worth it!

The Rating: 10 of 10

The Kennard

Let me start off by saying I give this hotel my highest recommendations.  Those who have traveled with me before know that my hotel-choosing skills are suspect at best.  However, in this instance I hit it out of the park.  The atmosphere was welcoming and homey, and the owner, Natalie, made me feel like an honored guest.  She was so sweet and made sure I was getting the most out of my experience in Bath.  I hope to go back again some day, and I will certainly try to stay there again!

The Food: 

I once again did the full English breakfast.  Most of the pictures on my blog have been taken by me, however I forgot to take one of my lovely breakfast.  Luckily for me, the Kennard's website helpfully provided one on their page.  I hope they won't mind me borrowing it for this.  I must say, they certainly use better lighting than my phone can produce.   Unlike this photo I had my eggs scrambled, but otherwise this is a perfect representation of my meal.  The eggs, bacon, and sausage were all done to perfection.  The eggs weren't a bit runny, and my bacon was the perfect amount of crispy.  This breakfast came with a potato cake mixed with some parsley.  It was a little plain on its own, but it cut into the saltiness from the other foods well.  And when it came to toast, I had as much as my little heart could desire.  They would have kept bringing me little salvers of toast until the kitchen closed.  I was good though, and stopped at one serving.  The meal also came with fresh tea (of course), and I chose the English Breakfast tea...because I'm cool like that. They also had a sidebar with fruits, pastries, juices, and condiments.  I chose sparingly from these to save room for my FEB, which is probably one of my favorite dining experiences in the UK.

The Service:
Given my accolades above, I'm sure it won't surprise you to know I had a wonderful experience here.  It was pretty funny, because this was a family-run B&B which has only been owned by this particular family for a short time.  When I went, they had bought the place only five months earlier.  I say this is funny because I got to see the family dynamics with Natalie and Guy (her husband) teaching their daughter how they wanted breakfast served.  I unfortunately can't remember the young lady's name, but she was very sweet and it was nice to see her getting in to the family's new business.

The Price:
This was a best price of all, because it was included in the cost of the room.  When one includes the fact that I got a small break in price because I booked on a weekday, this was a definite steal.  I only stayed two nights, but I had to leave the hotel at 5:15 on my second morning.  When I told Natalie this, she made sure to pack my room with goodies the night before I left to take on the train.  While I would have loved a second FEB, my flight times just would not cooperate.  Well, I guess that just means I absolutely HAVE to go back again ;)

The Rating: 11 of 10 (yes, I'm aware I've broken my scaling system.  But it's my system, and I'll do with it as I please!)

The Jane Austen Centre

Here is the crux of my decision to see Bath. Though this is not the place where Jane Austen grew up, it is the setting for two of her books--Northanger Abbey and Persuasion--both published posthumously.  The Centre is not where the Austens spent their time in Bath, but is the best representation the local Jane Austen Society could procure.  When I was done with my tour of the house, I showed myself to the Regency Tea Room for a spot of tea.

The Food: Lady Catherine's Proper Cream Tea with Chai
There were several choices on the menu, but my heart was captured by two words: clotted cream.  Some of my first (and favorite) romance novels are set in the Regency Era, and almost every one mentions this purely English condiment.  It was basically a creamier and sweeter version of butter.  Much like it sounds, it tasted like a thick cream.  I received one plain scone, and one with what tasted like currants.  Tea also came with regular butter, strawberry jam, and raspberry jam.  I chose a spicier tea than I planned, mostly because I was suffering from a slight sore throat.  The extra spice helped me taste the wonderful tea I was served.

The Service:
The woman who served my tea was very kind, and she obviously enjoyed her job.  I can't say as I blame her, because she and the other staff got to dress in period costumes and take on personas from Austen's novels.  If they weren't having fun, I would be happy to throw on my Empire-waist dress and show them how it's done!

The Price:
Normally this tea is priced at £7.90, however with the price of my admission into the Centre I received a coupon.  So for me (and other guests who partook) it was £6.95.  For the food and the experience of soaking up the Jane Austenesque atmosphere, I felt this was more than fair.

The Rating: 9 of 10

You may think my ratings are all a little high, and you could be right.  I don't think it's the fault of my memory however, I think it's purely prejudiced by how much fun I had while in Bath.  I preferred Bath to Cardiff in fact, because of the overall atmosphere of the city.  Someone (or some committee) in Bath has worked very hard to keep the city from becoming too industrialized.  There's something overwhelmingly satisfying about walking down the streets and seeing things that have been the same for almost 200 hundred years.  I think it's perhaps more significant for an American who rarely gets such a chance.  Either way, I'm totally down for a girl's trip with my mom and sister at some point around the Jane Austen Festival (which is currently in full swing...or quadrille as the case may be).

There Are No Calories While Travelling! (Part 1)

Okay, this is a blatantly false title.  However, as I don’t count calories when I’m home, I found no reason to start while I was journeying around the UK.  Unfortunately, I didn’t start doing all of this while I was in Budapest.  I know that I got some wonderful lunches and dinners, I just forgot to document them in pretty much every way.  Though I did get one picture of a lovely rosemary chicken with fried potato slices.  Now I’m gonna warn you, this will be a long one.   I will never skimp on a post about food.  And while this started off as one veeerrrrrrrrrrry long post, I’ve decided to split this between Cardiff and Bath.  So…you’re welcome.

Nando’s on Mermaid Quay

I was walking around Cardiff Bay (basically fangirling over Doctor Who stuff) and found this Nando’s facing the water.  I realized later I actually had a great view of the Doctor Who Experience as I ate (squeeeeeeee!!).  Since I didn’t figure that out until later, I focused on planning what I would do the following day (well...that and eating).  For the most part, I stopped at Nando’s because I remembered a Buzzfeed article about this uniquely British restaurant.

The Food: Butterfly Chicken; Medium heat Peri-Peri sauce; corn; chips (French fries)

The chicken of this South African-Portuguese fusion experience was juicy and well-prepared.  The peri-peri was initially a little underwhelming, but created a slight burn after a few seconds.  I added a (super small) dollop of the hot sauce.  Using only a touch of sauce on each bite was like being slapped in the mouth with a torch.  It was wonderful.   The corn was fire-grilled to perfection.  While there were some strings still attached, for me this only meant they used fresh ingredients instead of frozen.  The chips weren’t as crispy as I would have liked.  However, I didn’t specify, so for most people they would have been perfect.  In fact, for my grandmother, they would have been too crispy.

The Service:

As someone new to Nando’s, I was a little uncertain of the social norms.  So I’m not sure if this is the practice of all Nando’s, but I needed to go to the cashier to order.  This left me a little nervous because the restaurant is pretty much open to the public, so I took most of my things with me.  The ordering system felt a little like a Dairy Queen, where you order at the front, but the food gets delivered to your table.  The sodas were on tap for the customer, and unlike a fast food place they gave their customers actual glasses.  I didn’t know at first I was responsible for getting my own sauces and cutlery.  I'm a smart girl though (sometimes), so I caught on pretty quick.  The food was brought to me, but with rice instead of corn.  Frankly I can’t remember if I accidently said rice, but the waitress quickly brought me some corn.  I also had at least two people check on me throughout my meal.  When it came time to leave, I wasn’t sure what to do about tipping.  Looking at two other tables, I saw that no tip was left.  As an American I felt like a massive jerk for not leaving a tip, but I followed the social cues as I saw them.

The Price:

It was all a bit pricy.  All told, my meal came to £13.00.  This included my “bottomless” Coke (a luxury I didn’t expect).  However, the combination of taste and atmosphere was well worth it.  This Afro-Portuguese fusion restaurant (which I’m told is a favorite of Niall Horan of One Direction…it’s a British boy band) is definitely on my list of “Will Go Again.”

The Rating: 8 of 10

Missoula on St. Mary St

Frankly, I chose this restaurant based on location.  It was literally right next to my hotel.   I was planning to go to one of the restaurants in the vicinity, and this was just the first one to catch my eye.

The Food: Fish & Chips; Peas

I knew I couldn’t leave the UK without having fish & chips at least once.  The battered cod was flakey and perfectly crisp.  Their tartar sauce was tangy with more of a relish taste than I’m used to.  This complemented the cod perfectly.  The chips were hot and fresh.  I once again forgot to ask for them extra crispy, but I’ve never turned down a fried potato in this lifetime.  The peas were unexpected (I’m sure they were on the menu, but let’s face it, I was blinded by the main attraction), and not necessarily something I would have chosen if left to my own devices.  At first I thought there was something off about them.  Then I realized I’m just not used to fresh peas!  Generally I’ve only encountered these legumes as mushy green-brown pulps from a can.  These were plump and full of flavor.  While I didn’t finish them, I blame this on the fact that I filled up on fish & chips.  Plus, I  don’t think my body would know what to do with the sudden influx of a food that’s technically good for me.  As you might see, I also had a Guiness with my meal.  Sure, it's technically an Irish beer, but it's one I like.  This is a little confusing to most people I know, because I generally dislike beer; people in general dislike Guiness the first tie; and I loved it the first time I tried it!  Either way...beer must go with fish & chips.

The Dessert:

I was regrettably unable to get any dessert.  I only mention it because I need you all to feel the tragedy of my dinner.  My first choice was the “Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice,” which offered “layers of chocolate truffle and salted caramel on a chocolaty biscuit base, served with salted caramel sauce and ice cream.”  When I was told they were sold out, I tried to assuage my heart break by ordering the “Cookie Cup Explosion.”  This one seemed like a S’more’s wet dream with its “cookie cup filled with chocolate brownie, marshmallow, and chocolate honeycomb and served with ice cream.”  Alas, this was also denied to me.  While the “Chocolate Fudge Cake” and “Blueberry Pancakes” were both available, my tastebuds were clamoring for one (possibly both) of the first choices.  [Please note, those dessert descriptions were direct quotes from the menu.  I believe that should be a testament to how seriously my soul was wounded by this denial of sweets.]

The Service:

It was pretty slow when I went, so while I wasn't expecting to be waited on hand and foot, I did expect a bit more attention.  Once again, I went to the bar to order.  I didn't feel as nervous about leaving my things at my table this time, as it was an open floor plan and the other two groups in there were nowhere near me.  The two young men who co-served me were nice, and the guy who delivered my meal was kind enough to make a run for more tartar sauce.  The bartender was pleasant and empathized with my dessert disaster.  Overall, I think it's a different experience with service overseas versus in the US.  Everyone's pretty nice, but they're not going to do cartwheels in hopes of a good tip.

The Price:

The prices here were surprisingly low for a restaurant situated smack in the middle of the city center.  My fish and chips - along with my absolutely necessary pint of Guiness - only cost £8.55.  The desserts were £4.45, and what made my above story more terrible was that (had they been available) I could have gotten both desserts together at that £4.45 price.  Sure, I likely would have horrified the wait staff with my overwhelming appetite, but those things looked delicious…and I always appreciate a bargain!  Once again, I was unsure of the tipping policy, but this time I decided to leave some money for whoever cleared my table.

The Rating: 9 of 10

The Royal Hotel Cardiff

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, but no I’m not doing this backwards.  I just caught a small breakfast the first day and decided to have my “Full English Breakfast” before my travels to Bath.  I wanted to try the breakfast at my hotel both because I wanted the experience, and because it fit well with the schedule I needed to hold to.

 

The Food: Full English Breakfast + Continental Breakfast

I’m splitting this up between the two breakfasts, because the FBE was cooked to order, while the CB was normal hotel fare.  The FBE came with bacon, eggs, and a tomato sliced in half and covered with ground pepper.  The bacon was a typical UK bacon, which is thicker than what people in the US are used to.  I knew to expect this from previous trips to the UK.  What I didn’t expect was to find my thick-cut bacon crispy.  As I love my bacon that way, this was an altogether pleasant surprise.  My eggs were a little runnier than I would have liked, but their overall taste was good.  My tomato was pretty fresh.  I believe it was baked, so I had the rare experience of a hot tomato.  As someone who enjoys combining the food on her plate, the overall combination of these three was delicious.  The salt of the bacon enhanced the eggs, while the acidic tang of the tomato gave both eggs and bacon a slightly sweet spice.

The continental breakfast was part of the package when I ordered my FBE.  So I got some tea (it is the UK after all) and apple juice, some fruit, and a piece of toast with honey.  The drinks and fruit were as expected, nothing especially wonderful or awful about them.  However, I will applaud the Royal’s use of fair-trade teas for their guests.  As for the honey, it was absolutely delightful.  It had that perfect taste of clover, like Spring dancing on my tongue.  I was a little surprised they used store-bought honey, only because they had signs everywhere highlighting heir rooftop beehive (in 6B in case you were wondering).  They also had honey-based shower gel and shampoo, but I forgot to check if that was locally sourced or not.  I’m guessing if they didn’t use their own honey, it’s something to do with their health codes or something to that effect.

The Service:

The servers were pretty aloof, so I didn't feel too bad about not having some extra cash on hand for tips.  I think part of their attitude stemmed from the fact that I came in toward the end of breakfast time, so they were all ready to stop serving.  Once again, they were nice enough and answered questions if I had them, but my American brain wasn't quite awake enough to deal with aloof.

The Price:

My full breakfast came with an equally full price.  The total meal was £11.50.  I would assume that is in part because a guest can choose more from the FBE menu than I did.  The fact that the continental breakfast was a buffet (from which I never get the full value) should also be taken into account.  Really, the full breakfast was only £1.60 more to get the bacon, eggs, and tomato.  Like most buffets, I think they raise the price a bit to offset the people who (unlike me) try to “get their money’s worth”…and then some.

The Rating: 7 of 10

As you can see, I kept myself pretty well fed as I walked around Cardiff.  And when I say “walked,” I mean I averaged 8 miles a day (so sayeth the Fitbit).  For someone in an office job, I can tell you my feet were KILLING me by the time I came home.  But even taking all of the awesome food I’ve detailed above out of consideration, I wouldn’t trade my experience for all the foot rubs in the world!  Now, I don’t want anyone to think I was overly frivolous whilst traveling.  I did have a few cheap, on-the-go, meals and snacks to keep me going as well.  Next I'll detail some of my meals in Bath…and I’ll hopefully have that up in the next couple of days.

Until then, stay happy, and eat well!