Tag Archives: Food

Top Pubs In The Cotswolds: The Mousetrap Inn, Bourton-On-The-Water

A very popular locals destination. The Mousetrap Inn had most tables reserved or occupied as we walked in Friday night at 6 pm.

The bartender was very friendly and seated us at one of the few available tables.

He quickly recommended the Roast Cauliflower with Chickpeas, dill, raisins and smoked almonds as a vegetarian entree selection. He then suggested two drinks: The Mousetrap house specialty, a Cotswold Dry Gin and soda drink with a unique long ice cube of lemons, cucumber, mint and bitters) along with a twin scotch Old Fashioned. Excellent.

Very unique food, drinks and atmosphere. A must visit.

Driving The Cotswolds: To Sudeley Castle And Upper Slaughter

After checking out of The Swan and a pre-drive walk of Arlington Row, we headed northwest to the historically interesting Sudeley Castle.

With over 1000 years of history, Sudeley hosted Kings Richard III, Henry VIII, Queens Ann Boleyn and Catherine Parr, Lady Jane Gray and a young (pre-Queen) Elizabeth I. All before 1550.

We then drove to Upper Slaughter to check in at Lords of the Manor Hotel.

A quick walk down to Lower Slaughter and a peek at The Old Mill Museum and store. A steady rain provided a very British touch to the walk down the narrow lanes amidst meadows filled with sheep and beautiful country houses.

We then walked back to Lords in time for a tour of the gardens Emily, the head gardener.

We then headed to warm up with a full English Tea with scones.

Road Trip To Oxford: Ashmolean Museum, Bodleian Library And The Radcliffe Camera

After a brisk walk through the Arlington Row, a very nice breakfast awaited us in The Swan dining room.

The drive to Oxford from Bibury is 30 miles, but expect traffic in the last 5 miles. Allow an hour to get parked in one of the many underground parking areas, such as the Gloucester Green.

Our first stop was the Ashmolean Museum, which was remarkably uncrowded at 9:30 am this Wednesday morning. We paid to see the special exhibit “Last Supper In Pompeii” and it was outstanding.

We then walked the remaining floors to view the incredible Renaissance and European Art exhibits including paintings, sculpture, ceramics and musical instruments

The three Stradivarius violins and one guitar, along with other priceless instruments were one of a kind holdings of this world class museum.

We walked over the Bodleian Library and purchased tour tickets for 1 pm. The we walked over to University Church of Saint Mary the Virgin and paid to climb the tower to view all of Oxford but especially the Radcliffe Camera.

No one should visit Oxford and not climb the tower. Spectacular is the only descriptor. We climbed back down and walked the streets nearby until it was time for the tour. Our guide was an amazing woman who studied history at Cambridge before falling in love with the Bodleian.

The history of Oxford University is centered around the 600+ year construction and evolution of its world famous library. A must see.

We walked over to the Christ Church Picture Gallery for a quick viewing and then had late lunch at The Bear, a classically old pub down a small alley.

Great day!

Driving The Cotswolds: Up To Stow-On-The-Wold, Bourton-On-The-Water & Bibury

Left The Painswick after a fine British breakfast (highlighted by fabulous, freshly made crumpets and a berry compote), we drove into a heavy rain toward Cirencester and the on to Bibury for a 3-night stay at The Swan Hotel.

The rain let up a bit so a walk of the village after checking in was next.

The rain resumed so we ducked into the Bibury Trout Farm cafe for a bottle of Rose wine and baked trout (directly across from The Swan.

Road trip time at 1:30 and a trip to Burford, “Gateway to the Cotswolds”.

Forbes has Burford listed as #6 best place to live in Europe.

The next stop was Stow-On-The-Wold, an ancient tub dating back to the Stone Age.

The finest brownie in the world (layered peanut butter, chocolate fudge) was waiting for us at Huffkins Bakery. That and an iced coffee is worth a flight to London and the drive to Stow.

A quick pull at The Porch House, which claims to be the oldest pub in England (dating to 947 AD), was an experience with beams that bang foreheads at 5’10”.

Bourton-On-The-Water was next up on the way back to Bibury.

A ten mile trip back to The Swan was directed through rolling countryside by the GPS. Lovely.

Into The Cotswolds: From The Roman Baths North To Painswick

A quiet night’s sleep was followed by a sumptuous breakfast downstairs at The Bird.

After checking out, we left bags in the car and walked into Bath via the Pulteney Bridge.

The Roman Baths site opened at 9 am today (Monday) and we took the self-guided tour with headset. It did not disappoint.

This is the finest example of a Roman Bath in the world and established Bath as a destination to visit from all over the Roman and Mediterranean world.

We then walked through the town and boarded a double deck bus to tour the rest of the city.

We left Bath and headed north into the Cotswolds. First stop was a quaint village called Castle Combe.

Lunch followed at The Salutation Inn, a pub just up the road.

The Finger Fish and BLT sandwiches on dark bread were amazing.

The final destination was Painswick where we were booked for the night at The Painswick, the 2016 Hotel of the Year in England as voted by The Telegraph in London. We arrived in a slight rain and found fires going downstairs and upstairs.

We finished with dinner in the hotel dining room. Order the Grouse with a Negroni.

Road Trip To Bath: London To Windsor Castle & Bath

Picked up a very nice BMW 520 Diesel at Victoria Station at 9:30 am. GPS is a must as there is always a learning curve driving on the left side of the road.

Drove to Windsor Castle and arrived at about 11. Very light crowds as it was threatening rain, but the tour did not disappoint. Beautiful collections of gold and silver work, paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger (who painted Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell in the 16th Century), and amazing tapestries.

We then continued west and drove to the village of Lacock in the county of Wiltshire.

After a quick pint of a Wadworth Swordfish Rum Infused Ale, we finished the drive at our Hotel, The Bird, in Bath.

We went into town and visited the Jane Austen Center, well worth it for the animated presentation, and costumes to be tried on.

We walked through Bath and were amazed at the shops, restaurants and social scene.

We finished up with Fish and Chips and two Gin and Tonics at The Saracens Head, the oldest pub in Bath.

Top Pubs In London: The Viaduct Tavern

After visiting a few pubs during the walk from Somerset House to St. Paul’s Cathedral, we fortunately came across The Viaduct Tavern. It is ground zero for fabulous Gin Drinks. We had two:

The Gin of the week, No. 209, served with grapefruit, thyme and Fever Tree Tonic. Amazing.

The second was a Monkey Tree 47 with nectarine garnish and Fever Tree. Outstanding.

The ambience was lively, the decor charming and the staff very friendly.

Oh, and the ice was chipped off a block of ice.

Top Hotel Bars: “Everdene” At The Virgin Hotels San Francisco Has “Standout” Rooftop City Views

From a New York Times online article:

Everdene Bar San Francisco rooftop barA more recent addition to San Francisco’s rooftop bar scene is Everdene, a standout which opened this April atop the new Virgin Hotels San Francisco. Besides taking its name from the heroine of Thomas Hardy’s “Far from the Madding Crowd,” Everdene has a lush, garden party vibe that feels far removed from the crowds below in SoMa. The drinks program consists of brightly colored, flora-heavy sippers (tequila-based “Her Majesty’s Pleasure,” with cucumbers and sugar snap peas, is an early favorite), courtesy of the lead bartender Tommy Quimby, another Trick Dog alum. 

To read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/travel/san-francisco-hotel-bar-cocktails.html

Culinary Arts: Online Wine Courses Are Easy Watching, Still Evolving

From a Wall Street Journal online article by Lettie Teague:

Illustration by Joanna Neborsky for the Wall Street JournalMany self-styled “wine educators” online claim to be certified sommeliers, but that doesn’t mean they have worked in a restaurant. Others are winemakers, adjunct professors or simply oenophiles with a pedagogical bent. Whether via video or podcast, the education they offer tends to fall into two categories: basic (grape names, how to hold a glass) or wonky (the role of tannins, grapevine blights).

LEARNING about wine online seems easy enough—not to mention affordable. Yet after exploring all manner of internet wine education, I’m not ready to declare it the ideal forum—at least not yet.

The educational content actual wine professionals produce mostly falls into the latter camp, and podcasts appear to be the preferred format. The decidedly wonky “Guild of Sommeliers Podcast”(guildpodcast.com) features sommeliers such as Geoff Kruth and Kelli White interviewing top talent. In an episode last fall, Mr. Kruth and Virginia Wilcox, winemaker at Vasse Felix in Western Australia, discussed tannins in a surprisingly lively chat. “I think you can make or break a wine by getting the tannins wrong,” Ms. Wilcox said. She enumerated various categories of tannin, including “astringent,” “squeaky,” “toothy,” “tongue” and “green”—the ones that “push to the back of your throat.” I learned a lot and plan to invoke the term “squeaky tannins” very soon.

To read more click on the following link: https://www.wsj.com/articles/are-online-wine-courses-worth-your-time-11568321079