General Chat

Even the Guardian knew that the french cuisine had gone downhill, although, like with many of the young British chefs here things are probably improving:


www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/16/the-rise-and-fall-of-french-cuisine

Actually, one of the best restaurants in Winchester is the 'Black Rat', and one of the best pubs, with lovely food, is the 'Black Boy' (my old local) just around the corner.

Just outside Wincheser, at Exton, is 'The Shoe Inn' - another superb pub, where, I can assure you, gluten-free food isn't a problem!

All 3 places are privately owned - in other words, not dictated to, by a brewery.

Goodness, I have just realised that it must be about 20 years since my BIL moved away from his quiet little road behind the Cathedral.

Nowadays it is just the odd shopping trip when we want a change from the norm.

But I have made a note.

The Black Rat was established just over 10 years ago.
It was formerly 'The Kings Head' pub.

Daughter's friend used to live in a quiet little road behind the Cathedral, too!
:-D :-D

I have an admission to make - a 'rellie' - yes, a real one, my grandaughter, works at 'The Shoe Inn', and as she suffers from caeliac disease, has ensured gluten-free food is on offer. She's worked there since she was 14
She also trained most of the waiting staff who work there now

Currently, she's mainly working as trainee deputy manager at a pub bought by the same landlord in June last year 'The George and Falcon', but still occasionally works at 'the Shoe'.

I haven't been to 'The George and Falcon' yet, so will pass no comment, but as grand daughter has promised to take me on a pub crawl, I could be visiting there soon! :-D :-D :-S

In both cases - the reviews speak for themselves

This isn't her career - she's applying to train as a nurse.

I have always meant to o in the Shoe. Never got around to it yet.

Mind you, I was twenty-eight before I ever went into one of the pubs in the village.

The Shoe does quite a bit of vegetarian food.

Twenty-eight!
I was 16, and already sloshed from drinking half a bottle of parsnip wine, found behind a board in the unused fireplace, whilst decorating.
Oh yes, and me and the friend who had been decorating,(and drank the other half of the bottle) went to the pub in our paint splattered clothes :-D :-D

The pub opposite the local police station always seemed quite relaxed about ones age.

OH’s local landlord would get very annoyed when his regulars celebrated their 18th birthdays.

Happy days!

We did have two other pubs in the village in those days and it was the posh one on the harbour I had not been into.

Posh pubs?

I just remember pubs and grotty pubs.

Memory is shocking but we have had several good meals (taken by daughter when she lived near at an Asian (maybe fusion or maybe Thai) restaurant some years back ( (probably 10 years), and three years ago we stayed in \a hotel right in the middle of the one way system (took ages to find how to get to it including a few hundred yards going the wrong way down a one way street that some joker had turned the no entry sign round in. anyway I digress, we did a 3 point turn.0 I can't remember the name of it, it had a nice garden and we were a group of 9 and I don't remember the food being bad. I seem to remember it was good. we were dinner bed and breakfast) But the best lunch we had was at the restaurant in the Abbey grounds which was excellent.

Oh, by the way I actually don't like raw vegetables except salad veg.And, I don't like undercooked vegetables either. never have.

My sister in law would deliberately under cook parsnips because she didn't like them, one time our son asked her why they were raw and he didn't like them that way, she went off in a huff and didn't show her face for an hour or so.
Also if she helped anyone in any way there was always a sting in the tail.

I prefer parsnips roasted.
I actually nibbled a raw one a few weeks ago - it wasn't too bad!
I should imagine fresh young ones could be quite nice.

We do too maggiewinchester, with regard to puddings she would make an apple pie and put cloves in it knowing full well that most people there didn't like them.

She sounds a right 'charmer', ZZzzz!

Is she the sort of person, who, if you refuse something (like apple pie with cloves), then does the 'offended and hurt' flounce? :-D

Yes that is exactly what she does. We were supposed to say how lovely it is / was, saying was nice wasn't good enough.
One year she bought me an umbrella knowing I rode a bike everywhere.
She would go out of her way to buy or cook things that was the last thing in the world you wanted or needed.

Crikey! She has problems, and money to waste! :-(

Surely, after the age of 8, it's much better to ask what present / sort of present someone would like?
The only time I don't ask my grandchildren's parents what the child would like for their birthday present, is on their 6th, when I buy them a ukulele.
Though I failed in this endeavour on grandchild number four, as she was 6 during a lockdown, and it seemed it would be a little cruel on her parents! :-D

There's always Christmas, though :-D :-D :-D

She doesn't have a problem she IS a problem, there are lots more horrible things she did, however I got my revenge when I put all the things she ever bought me in a box and gave it to her, well if a person could explode with anger she would have done. :-D :-D :-D :-D

So that i where my mother went!

:-D :-D :-D :-D