The Sun Tea Rooms

High Street, next to the Sun Pub

Hawkshead, UK

If you're walking through Hawkshead, you won't be able to miss The Sun Tea Rooms with its giant display of cakes in the front window. We all gaped at the sheer massive size of the cakes, and then when we had a chance to sit down and order them, we did - lemon blueberry, chocolate and strawberry and carrot cake. My favorite was the chocolate, I think - but I will be a little harsh and say that they look more tempting than they taste (I am not a sweets person so this may have a bit to do with it). Still, if you get a table in the sunshine and want a piece of cake that is larger than your head, this is a good pitstop in Hawkshead.

Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill

I know I usually write my travel posts as a day-by-day recollection, but I'm going to do it differently this time. A and I were in North Carolina for about five days, mainly so we could go to M and J's wedding in Durham. But since M is one of my oldest friends from Texas, this trip included lots of pre-wedding things (bachelorette party, bridal shower, baseball games, etc.) and we also stayed with another brilliant couple, N and J (who should be getting married next year, woohoo!) Point is, a lot happened, but it was a mix of eating / drinking / hanging out with friends / celebrating an awesome marriage, which I will just throw into this one post. Here goes.

The night of M's bachelorette party in Raleigh, we started with dinner at Gravy (135 S Wilmington St  Raleigh, NC 27601). For some reason I wasn't feeling like pasta (though a lot of people ordered pasta dishes and they looked delightful). So I went with a starter of poached egg and pancetta on polenta, which was so not something I would ever recommend eating BEFORE you start in on a main course, but did wonderfully for my purposes, along with a gorgeous side dish of broccoli which was flavored with anchovies (speaking of, the anchovy-broccoli combination is absolutely genius and I can't believe I ate broccoli for over 20 years without tasting it in harmony with anchovy).

The next day A and I wandered around Chapel Hill, where we picked up a Snowy-the-dog keyring at Chapel Hill Comics (316 W Franklin St  Chapel Hill, NC 27516), and also toured the Sarah P. Duke Gardens (420 Anderson St  Durham, NC 27708), commonly known as the Duke Botanical Gardens. They are stunning, and with full sunshine it was an ideal afternoon. But you're not reading this to hear about comic books and gardens are you? So instead let us gaze upon our lunch at Bullock's Bar-B-Cue (3330 Quebec Drive, Durham, NC 27705), where we attempted to order a normal amount of food for two people, to our waitress's distress. After explaining that we wanted to try the Brunswick stew (a local specialty), ribs and pulled pork, but wanted to order the smallest amount of food possible, she came up with some sort of combo platter arrangement for us to share. The coleslaw that accompanied it was actually amazing - really finely chopped cabbage, with barely any dressing (whoa have I just decided that I might like some forms of coleslaw?!) And I found the hushpuppies slightly addictive. But alas, this was nowhere near as good as Melvin's in Charleston. 

Onwards to Full Steam Brewery (726 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701) where A was carded and found out that North Carolina state law doesn't accept foreign driver's licenses as proof of age. Thankfully no one thought I was under 21 so I was able to get drinks for us both. Outside of the brewery, the Chirba Chirba dumpling truck was offering plates of soup dumplings and gyoza - they were a nice snack but not anything I'd make a special trip for.  And finally, a Durham Bulls minor league baseball game to properly Americanize A and introduce him to the national pastime of drinking beer, eating hotdogs, and very occasionally watching some sport.

The next morning was my birthday, and we had the best birthday breakfast ever. No, really. If someone could wake me up for every birthday with a chicken cheddar biscuit I would die a happy woman. Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen (1305 E. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill NC 27514) is a little drive-through biscuit place in Chapel Hill. That glorious biscuit above was eaten while standing outside on the edge of a parking lot, looking at a ditch. And it is still one of my favorite memories.

In the afternoon there was a lovely bridal shower tea at the Washington Duke Inn, and then N, J, A and I headed off to Lantern (423 W Franklin St  Chapel Hill, NC 27516) for a dinner to celebrate my birthday and N & J's engagement. This was my favorite "fancy" meal of the trip - I find it hard to describe the food other than saying it's Asian with Southern influences. For example - a beautiful appetizer of crispy five-spice pork belly, pickled radishes, and chicharron was a balance of salty, fatty, crisp and sweet. The salt and pepper shrimp with fired jalapenos, coriander and sea salt were as good as my favorite salt and pepper shrimp from Tien Jin in Austin. And my Japanese pot on fire main (braised Red Poll brisket, oxtail dumplings in broth with rare sirloin, local vegetables and potatoes, fresh wasabi, sea salt) was something I wanted to last forever. Great cocktails were ordered, fun was had, and we teetered out into the night with big smiles.

 

We all know how dangerous it is to attend a wedding without eating beforehand (the bubbly is just going to go straight to your head!) So we all piled into Hog Heaven (2419 Guess Road, Durham, NC) for a pre-wedding lunch. A was still seeking barbecue (specifically pork ribs) - but in a giant misunderstanding he ordered the pork at Hog Heaven, which was pulled pork (I don't think they even do ribs). I went straight for the fried chicken, which was the right decision. Man I would kill for another plate of that crispy crackly goodness. Sides were merely ok, collard greens were too salty and fries were fine though not the kind that you just can't stop eating. But you know, this capped off a week of some terrific eating - and I can't wait to get back to North Carolina.

Lobsterfest 2013 @ Belgo

50 Earlham StLondon 
WC2H 9LJ

Let me start by explaining how much I love lobster. Last time I was in Maine with my parents, I ate about 3 or 4 lobsters a day. There were evenings where all we did was buy a bag of lobsters and then hunker down in the hotel room to feast. I planned another trip to Maine with A, purportedly to show him New England, but mainly so I could eat some more lobster. So when Belgo invited me to Lobsterfest this year, there was absolutely no way I was going to miss it. The evening kicked off with fantastic Belgian beer - one of my favorites was Grottenbier (pictured above), a dark and ever-so-slightly sweet beer. Then Muir, lobster-chef-extraordinaire, demonstrated how to construct a lobster cocktail salad and also how to humanely kill a lobster (and even gave some other intrepid guests a chance to try their own hands at it). S and I were happy to just eat lobster in several forms - the salad had a citrussy dressing that I enjoyed (and we got a chef's tip to microwave lemons briefly if you want them to be juicier and milder in flavor). The grilled lobster was buttery and garlicky and delectable as well. By the end of the evening we were drinking sour beers with Belgo's brand manager and squeezing in some waffles with decadently rich dark chocolate sauce. Thanks to the entire Belgo and Relish PR team that made this possible - I've had quite a few great nights at Belgo in the past but the lobster element made this one even more fun!

Lobsterfest runs until 31st August 2013 and in another charming move, Belgo is paying for a lobster to be set free in Cornwall for every lobster ordered, so don't feel guilty about eating as many lobsters as you want.

Charleston / Savannah Day 4 & 5

Before heading off to Savannah, we stopped at Early Bird Diner (1644 Savannah Highway, Charleston, SC 29407) for the best chicken and waffles of the trip. Look at this! It's one portion, split between two people - that half portion made me so full that I could barely have dinner later in the day.

Upon arrival in Savannah, we took one of the trolley tours which was a great way to get oriented and hear quite a lot of history in 2 hours. The trolley driver suggested that we head to Rocks on the Roof (102 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401) for a drink in the sunshine with views of the city, so we did. My bloody mary was perfect and came topped with an enormous shrimp and pickled okra.

The afternoon was spent wandering around Savannah's beautiful squares - we knew we had a dinner reservation at Paula Deen's restaurant so attempted to build up an appetite. Alas, all the walking in the world was not enough to burn off our chicken and waffle breakfast, so by the time we sat down at The Lady & Sons (102 W Congress St, Savannah, GA 31401), we knew we were going to have to skip the fried chicken buffet. Instead, we ordered a Lady's Choice Salad (mixed greens with hard boiled eggs, bacon, shredded cheese, tossed in a tangy ranch dressing, topped with fried red onion rings) and the broiled fresh seafood platter with shrimp, scallops and squid. Considering we were ordering the NOT fried, NOT butter-drenched, NOT heart-stopping items on the menu, it was pretty good, though of course now that I am not overly full I wish I had a chance to sample the famous buffet, which most of the rest of the diners were ordering.

We popped into Moon River Brewing Company (21 W Bay St, Savannah, GA 31401) for an after dinner drink - it was nice enough but nothing to rave about. I think exhaustion took over at this point.

The next morning we went to our trolley guide's other recommendation, J. Christophers (122 E Liberty, Savannah, GA, 31401), for brunch. They serve breakfasts in skillets, which is cute - because the menu is so big and diverse it took us ages to pick out crab cake benedict and a skillet with chorizo and chicken - both were wonderful, especially sitting outside in the sunshine with fresh squeezed orange juice. And all too soon, it was time to leave Savannah and its charms behind.

Charleston Day 3

I have this weakness for Waffle House's hash browns, maybe because of nostalgia, so before dropping off V at the airport, we had a quick breakfast there and the hash browns were as satisfying as I remembered. AG, A and I also decided to have a quick whirl around the Tanger Outlets - I love shopping with boys as it is so ridiculously efficient. We all loaded up on exactly what we needed, and then headed off for Folly Beach to enjoy the sun. 

We took a long stroll down the sandy beach before finding the Folly Beach Crab Shack (26 Center St, Folly Beach, SC 29439) which seemed like a good sunny spot to enjoy a cold beer. The waitress also recommended the crab dip so we ordered it - what arrived was this mix of artificial crab, cream cheese, and some spices, which sounds like something I would usually hate, but instead it was surprisingly good on club crackers - we polished off the whole plate very quickly.

On our way back to Charleston proper, I noticed that we would be passing by Melvin's BBQ (719 Folly Rd, Charleston, SC 29412), and in the interests of educating A on the difference between South Carolina BBQ and North Carolina BBQ, we stopped for a plate of ribs and pulled pork. Fries and mac & cheese were the two sides we selected - neither of which were amazing - but the ribs more than made up for it. AG and A were both delighted and A spent the rest of our US trip looking for ribs but nothing was as good as these.

While we usually don't go back to the same place twice in one trip, we had noticed that there was a jazz happy hour at High Cotton that advertised a gypsy jazz / bluegrass band (complete with electric mandolin player!). Since A and I both play gypsy jazz and have recently ventured into a bit of bluegrass as well, we couldn't pass it up - and the $5 cocktails certainly helped. 

Continuing with the happy hour theme, we headed to The Gin Joint (182 E Bay St Charleston, SC 29401) which also had a short $5 cocktail menu - you could either have a Bee's Knees or a rye cocktail with Fernet Branca. I'd vote for the the Bee's Knees but my bias against rye whiskey might have a bit to do with that...

One more happy hour at Cypress (167 E Bay St, Charleston) - they do $5 burgers (but we hadn't even made it to dinner yet so we didn't partake). Instead, cocktails were ordered, including a twist on a mint julep for A, and fried mac & cheese (I know! Fried! What?!) 

Last but not least - Xiao Bao Biscuit (224 Rutledge Avenue, Charleston, SC) for dinner. While we were at Husk the day before, we started chatting with a couple who spend a lot of time visiting Charleston and eating well, and they highly recommended XBB (and especially the okonomiyaki, a cabbage pancake) to us. It's in an old gas station that's been painted in this beautiful shade of mint green and has a lot of exposed brickwork - perfect for their fusion Asian "soul food". I will second the recommendation - and definitely get the okonomiyaki.

Charleston Day 2

AG was happy to go to a jazz brunch with me and A, so on Sunday morning we got up and headed to High Cotton (199 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401). The band actually plays in the bar area, so we abandoned our restaurant reservation and sat at a bar table in order to see the action up close. Thankfully they serve the same menu in the bar, so we didn't have to sacrifice any food options. I went for crabcakes benedict, while A chose chicken and waffles (but this was done fancy-restaurant style, with a chicken breast rolled around sausage, sliced and then fried in discs). Everyone was happy, and the jazz was good, but like the last post, you'll have to wait a bit to see the chicken and waffles of our dreams.

After a tour of Charleston, we did some more strolling about in the historic district, and a bit of lazing around in a waterfront park. But of course, before long, it was time for cocktails.

After some silly attempts to sit at rooftop bars (it was way too windy) we ended up at Husk (76 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401), which is a very good thing as it was my favorite cocktail bar of the entire trip. We drank our way through what seemed like most of the cocktail list (especially since V had his flight cancelled and came back to join us), with my favorites being No Whey, Jose? (Si Senor, whey, Chocolat Royal, jalapeno muddled tequila, mole bitters), Edmund's Sherpa (Sage gin, mole bitters, lemongrass and white pepper simple syrup, pickled elderberries, lemon juice, Himalayan sea salt) and Lee's Nest (Vodka, cardamon bitters, strawberry black pepper jam, whey, confederate jasmine bitters). A loved the the barrel-aged Manhattan as well, but my aversion to bourbon and rye whiskey makes me too biased to judge. We also made our way through some bar bites, including BBQ pork neck, and a burger where bacon was ground into the beef patty. All of it was excellent, this would be the first place I would head if I found myself back in Charleston.

Next stop was Charleston Beer Works (468 King St, Charleston, SC 29403), which was described as a bar with a huge selection of beers. I would describe it more as a sports bar with pitchers and wings, and a few interesting beers (their list was long, but a lot were unavailable, which seems a little bit deceptive...) It being Sunday, wings were 25% off, and pitchers of Bud were only $8, so that's what we went with. Those who know me know my buffalo wing cravings are frequent and usually denied, so I was delighted to fulfill them here, and they were meaty, spicy and crispy - everything one wants in a buffalo wing.

But as I was with three men, wings were not going to be enough for dinner, so we walked a few doors down to Closed for Business (453 King St, Charleston, SC 29403). This is a proper craft beer bar. Even if AG hated his beer (tasted too much like bacon, he says).

And they have ridiculously artery-clogging items on the menu. To wit: CFB Fries (fries with gravy, cheddar cheese curds & minced red onion), Crispy Green Beans (individually battered and fried green beans), the Pork Slap (fried pork cutlet, house-smoked ham, swiss cheese, green tomato chutney & house sauce served on a challah bread bun), and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich (fried chicken, spicy red cabbage slaw, pepperjack and cheddar cheese, hot pepper mayo, served on a soft baguette). The fries were really oversalted, so we left quite a bit behind, but the rest was great, although we were all a little disgusted with ourselves after dinner.

To drown our self-disgust in booze, we ended at the cocktail bar upstairs from The Macintosh (479 King St, Charleston, SC 29403) where I had a virgin cocktail (designated driver, fun!) and the boys all had Bulleit rye whiskey (and A had a snooze). Getting back to the hotel for some sleep was the only logical conclusion to this day.

Charleston Day 1

More travel posts to come. A and I spent a little over a week in the US, visiting Charleston, Savannah, and Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill. There were some real highlights on this trip, and of course we ate very very well.

We arrived in Charleston on a Saturday evening and headed straight out to meet some friends who happened to be there at the same time. Hominy Grill (207 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29403) was a recommendation from one of AG's friends, who is a native of Charleston (Charlestonite? Charlestonian? Whatever.) After ebullient greetings, we sat down to stuff ourselves silly. Shared starters included Fried Green Tomatoes with ranch dressing, Okra & Shrimp Beignets with salsa & cilantro-lime sour cream and Jalapeno Hushpuppies with sorghum butter. The beignets were my favorites, followed closely by the fried green tomatoes. For mains, I chose some lowcountry dish called pine bark stew (or something like that, it's not on the menu any more) - it was full of seafood and just what I wanted after all the fried starters. A dove straight into a Big Nasty Biscuit (pictured above) with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese and sausage gravy. He liked it, but you'll have to wait a few more posts to see the chicken cheddar biscuit of his dreams (and mine). And then of course, the dessert menu was so enticing that we ended up with pecan pie, red velvet cake, buttermilk pie AND a chocolate pudding. We all agreed the red velvet cake won, but there was a lot of disagreement about what should be second place. Let's just say it was all pretty damn top notch. Good start to a holiday, for sure.