First, a belated shout-out to readers who answered my post about eating in New York. We had boudin noir at Florent, Mario Batali’s pizza at Otto (you’d be crazy not to try the olive oil gelato), quiche lorraine at Cafe D’Alsace, wild boar at Sfoglia, bagels & lox at Barney Greengrass. Sunday brunch at Prune was as unreal as several people said it would be. My only regret is that Momofuku closes between lunch and dinner so I had to try some sushi across the street instead. While the wife took some time to shop I basically walked laps of lower Manhattan looking for food. It was a blast.
Now a tip from me to you: if you’re in New York, Boston or DC take an hour to check out Best Cellars wine shop. Where most wine stores offer hundreds of mostly uninteresting choices, Best Cellars stocks what owner Joshua Wesson considers the best grape available for under $20. There are maybe a hundred different bottles that cover most varietals, I’ve had them fill up four cases blind and nearly every one has impressed. The DC branch is just off DuPont Circe on CT Ave, the New York branch is near 87th and Lexington.
With that done, here’s your latest assignment: if you only had a few days in England to visit York and a few more to see Stratford-upon-Avon, where would you stay? What would you eat? Let’s assume that you like bed and breakfasts and you’re not looking to dress up or spend too much on food. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
chopper
sorry dog, but if you want good bagels and pizza you have to cross the bridge to brooklyn.
jbarntt
Hi Tim,
Sounds like NYC was good for eatin’. Does Best Cellars have a website ?
Never been to England, so couldn’t say where to eat in York, but who goes to England for the food anyway ? York is in the north isn’t it ? Go up to Scotland and try haggis, I’d like to hear a first hand account of that infamous dish !
bend
chopper is wrong, at least on the bagel count.
I was at Barney Greengrass just yesterday for the Nova platter. The bagels there are the best anywhere EVEN better than the ones found at the greatest jewish deli on the planet, Art’s Deli in Los Angeles.
chopper
sorry, but i’m right. brooklyn’s bagels put the rest of the world to shame. seriously, manhattan has the buildings, the culture, the shows, the lights etc. but at least we got the bagels and the pizza here.
Dayv
Thanks, I will.
Mr. Tactful
I hear a place called McDonald’s has scrumptious chicken “nuggets”, I believe they are called.
Litlebritdifrnt
Okay this is MY topic, I got this one :) First of all if you are going to stay in a bed and breakfast then you will be given a full english breakfast (or at least the choice of one). That consists of bacon (the English stuff not the fat filled US version), sausages, mushrooms, fried bread, tomatoes, fried eggs and probably baked beans. (I know, I know it sounds strange but you have to try it). Anyhoo, after eating that with copious amounts of bread and butter to mop up the juices and washing it all down with copious amounts of hot tea then you are probably set for the day and can get by with a light lunch. Lunches I would say are best eaten in pubs, most good English pubs have a fantastic lunch menu which is generally REALLY good value for money, try the Ploughman’s Lunch, it varies but generally consists of crusty bread, various cheeses and meats (cold roast ham is the most frequent), with a light salad garnish and various pickles (onions, gerkins, picallili, chutney etc.). With that have a glass or two of Shandy (half bitter beer and half fizzy lemonade – 7 Up would be the US equivalent). It quenches your thirst but doesn’t get you drunk. On a couple of days skip lunch all together and go for “afternoon tea” preferably a “cream tea” which consists of sandwiches (with the crusts cut off:) generally cucumber, salmon, watercress whatever), scones with butter, strawberry jam and clotted cream, and a selection of cakes (try the battenburg it is to die for). Finally for dinner both York and Stratford have a dizzying array of restaurants, from a simple “greasy spoon” offering up fish ‘n’ chips, meat and potato pies etc., to really impressive fine dining, so it will be your choice. There is also an impressive amount of ethnic restaurants in both towns, so if you fancy Indian, Chinese, Greek, Armenian, Italian, you name it you probably got it. Pubs again are a really good place for dinner, their food is generally good and the prices are right. I would however recommend after a night on the town (a good old fashioned pub crawl that is) that you end the night with either a chinese takeaway (its tradition!,) a donner kebab (just don’t ask what’s in it) or a really, really hot curry at an Indian restaurant. If you want to be weird, like me, go to a fish and chip shop and ask for chips and curry sauce. *swoon* There is something magical about walking home (or to your hotel) eating chips and curry sauce out of newspaper on a chilly night. *sigh* wish I was coming with you :) York is a truly magnificent City, the history will make your head spin (as will Stratford) If you need any further info about your trip please let me know, I would be more than happy to help in any way I can.
Litlebritdifrnt
Oh BTW while in York you HAVE to go to Clifford’s Tower (site of the Jewish massacre in 1190 the English were not so tolerant in those days)and then the Shambles, where you will find the tea shops for your afternoon tea, York Minster, and the Jorvik Center, which is a really cool trip through York’s past. I wish I could remember the name of the B&B we stayed in there, it was so cool, spooky rooms, staircases with strange exits, uneven floors, ancient beds, you get the idea.
Litlebritdifrnt
Oh if you have the time you might want to take the time to take a trip across the Pennines (giving time for having to stop for sheep sleeping in the road) and go to Lancaster, my home town.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancaster,_Lancashire
If you go to any of the museums The City Museum, The Maritime Museum, or the Cottage Museum you might bump in to my Mum (she works at all three), I used to work at the Judges Lodges Museum before I joined the Navy. Lancaster like York is a beautiful old city, although I have to admit that Lancaster is smaller and more walking friendly than York. If you do decide on a side trip to Lancaster I would definitely recommend a stay at The Royal Kings Arms hotel, right in the shadow of the castle.
http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?iata=&promoCode=&corpID=&propertyCode=83892
I had my 18th birthday party there, and the reception for my marriage blessing (which was held at the 11th Century church just by the castle).
Okay I am gushing now, I am so excited for you about the trip.
jake
Oh yeah, we’re going to tell you so you can gloat about your trip to England. I. Don’t. Think. So. Pffffbbtt!
w vincentz
@ Litlebrit,
Two words: Blood pudding.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
Kathy
You just had to mention Best Cellars just after I returned from D.C. :(. BTW I highly, highly recommend the Jury’s Washington Hotel in Dupont Circle. Just $139.00 on the weekend ($199.00) during the week. It has an amazing breakfast and the Dupont Circle area has amazing restaurants and is a great place to boot.
Sorry, no UK suggestions. My husband goes to London frequently but not the areas you were asking about.
Cheers!
Litlebritdifrnt
*LOL* “black pudding” is a truly Lancashire thing, and is truly vile, I mean really, my Mum insisted on feeding it to my poor US born husband while he was visiting, I mean really cruel and unusual punishment, he has sworn off it for the rest of his life….strangely enough there is now a completely vegetatarian black pudding out there now, which is hugely popular from what I understand…..
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/171/171868_veggie_black_pudding_a_world_first.html
keith
Black pudding is great.
I’ll second the recommendation for the Jorvik museum. They put you in a little cart on a track, turn on an audio commentary, and take you through a reconstruction of a Viking village. They even make a best-guess reconstruction of the smell, which is something that will stay with you for a while . . .
When I travelled to York, I just got off the train, went straight into the tourist information place right outside the station, and gave them my requirements. I ended up in a pretty standard cheap-but-comfortable B&B within walking distance of York Minster and everything else. Ask the experts, is my advice.
Stratford is a tourist trap of the highest order. I’d ask yourself if you really, really want to see Ann Hathaway’s cottage that much.
chopper
mmm…eel pie…
ann
For European travel, you join the website tripadvisor.com, join their forums for Britain and York, ask questions from the experts on the forum, read the posts, check out the favorite hotels/bb’s and read the trip reports of the various hotels. Trip Advisor is the most important website to visit before planning a trip overseas. Also watch out for any Trip Advisor meet-ups at the time you will be there….they are hugely fun, usually at a local pub, and you get to meet people from all over the world who have been posting on Trip Advisor. You lucky dog.
Litlebritdifrnt
Keith – I would agree with the assessment about Stratford, if I was making recommendations I would say go to Bath instead, or even Salisbury, (Stonehenge is not far from there, kill two birds sort of thing). Or if you are into writers I would suggest (again) going across the Pennines from York and “doing” the Lake District, home of Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter plus many others. Finally if I had to say go to ONE place in England (other than London of course) I would say go to Glastonbury, the place is just ethereal, the Abbey is supposedly where Arthur and Guinevere are buried and is truly magical.