January 25, 2025

Charlie Rogers

Blog, Travel, Travel Blog

Travel Blog: Australia- Part One: New Year, New Continent

January 25, 2025

Charlie Rogers

Blog, Travel, Travel Blog

PART ONE:

Day One

Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia

Of late I’ve decided I’m going to spare you all the boring details where the flight portion of my trips have been concerned. I hope that is alright with you all. Here’s all I’ll say in that regard. Evan & I departed Nashville on Saturday, December 28th around 4 PM, we had a three hour layover in LAX before departing there at 10:40 PM aboard a Sydney bound American Airlines flight. As per usual, we treated our flight attendants to a care package as a thank you for the time they were about to put in on our behalf. The flight was around fourteen hours & in fact we ended up landing an hour earlier than expected which resulted in us getting to sit on the jetway while we waited for a gate to open up. The local time of our arrival was around 8 AM on Monday December the 30th. After breezing through customs & immigration we met our friends Isabella & Logan & off we went to Bella’s mother’s house in Maroubra where we were to stay for the next two nights.

Before we venture farther I want to tell you a bit on the above mentioned pair & their importance to the story here within, especially in this first part. Isabella is an incredibly talented singer/songwriter who is originally a Sydney native, but now lives in Nashville, where we met. We met through our friend Blake & immediately hit it off. I think it’s because we share a lot of the same interests, but back in the summer when we all went camping, Isabella invited Evan & me to spend Christmas & New Year’s Eve in Sydney at her mother’s. I told her that my own mother would kill me if I didn’t come home for Christmas, but we took her up on transitioning into the new year abroad. Logan, Isabella’s boyfriend & a ludicrously talented fashion designer, came into the picture back at the end of the summer & he too took Bella up on her invitation, only he also ventured over for the Christmas holiday.

Isabella’s mother, Barbara, retired to an apartment on the East Coast of Australia, in a suburb of Sydney called Maroubra. Her two bedroom sits literally across the street from the ocean & the very famous Maroubra pool, Mahon Pool. We dropped our bags at hers before we went off in search of coffee, the local time now being around 9 AM. The plan was to dress for the pool, grab coffee & pastries from down the hill, then go to the pool to swim, sun, & eat.

The spot we ended up was a local Sydney chain called The Grumpy Baker. We each got a couple of pastries from them; I got a Lamington (an Australian dessert made of spongecake that is dusted in cocoa & coconut) & a Seafood Meat Pie (Salmon, whitefish, & prawns in a white wine creams sauce packed in a flaky pasty crust), as well as an Affogato (espresso poured over vanilla gelato). The roaster for TGB is called Single O, & in all honesty, it was the best coffee we found during our time in Sydney! With all of our baked goods & caffeinated beverages secured we walked back up the hill to the pool.

The Australian coast has its fair share of “natural pools,” especially around Sydney. They’re man made structures that are built right into the side of the coast & sit below the waves during high tide being fed & cleared by the ocean. In addition to the concrete incasing, the pools feature built in steps with hand rails & an additional drainage system but still maintain the natural rock work & often the natural flora & fauna as well. They’re honesty lovely. So we sat about in the sun, eating our selected delicacies, sipping our espresso, & catching up, eventually venturing into the cool ocean once the sun got too intense.

After our morning in the salt & sun we made our way back up to the house where Evan & I formally met Barbara. We then sat around in her garden chatting & getting to know one another truly enjoying the 70 degree weather & the company.

Around mid afternoon Isabella proposed a hike. She said we’d take the bus up to Coogee & hike the coastal trail from there to Bondi. Logan had scouted a restaurant for us to dine at once we arrived there & had booked us a reservation, so off we went.

The bus from Maroubra to Coogee was a short one & we instantly found Coogee to be far less ‘sleepy’ a town from neighboring Maroubra, where unlike the casual neighborhood vibe we found Coogee abuzz with tourists & locals enjoying the holiday. We set about the Bondi to Coogee trail, in reverse, weaving up the coast line making our way through the coves, parks, cliff sides, & beaches. The walk was stunningly beautiful & the weather was sheer perfection. All in all it took us between an hour to an hour & a half before eventually we landed at the famous Icebergs of Bondi Beach, another natural seaside rock pool. We had about forty-five minutes until our reservation but, unlike the Maroubra Pool, the Bondi Iceberg is privately owned & has a cover of $10 AUD per person. We opted just to go down to the beach & take a dip.

Spaghetti With Swimmer Crabs & Cuttlefish

Our 5 PM reservation was at an Italian restaurant called Bondi Trattoria. We were greeted by one of the owners who sat us, explained their specials, & got us situated. I ordered a drink called a “Boom Boom” which was a gin/limoncello/prosecco/lemon spritz & Evan & I split an order of Focaccia, ‘Bugs’ in Garlic Butter, Truffled Four Cheese Pizza, & a citrusy Spaghetti with Swimmer Crab & Cuttlefish.

I’m sure for my Americans the term ‘bugs’ was a jarring one to read. Believe you me, I was a touch put off when I saw it listed on the menu. However, bugs are a local crustacean known as al Balmain Bug. It’s like a smaller, flatter lobster. They’re quite good eating!

After dinner we hopped an uber back to Maroubra where we each took turns showering before we settled into the couch to watch a show the three of them had been watching over the holidays called Head. I didn’t make it very far into the episode though before the day in the sunshine & the lack of sleep started to catch up to me & before I ended up falling asleep on the couch I got myself up & took myself to bed.

End Of Day One

Day Two

I’d like to say we slept in, we didn’t. I have this obnoxious thing happen when I’m abroad where I wake up naturally fairly early. Australia seems to have been no exception. We awoke to a bright, shining New Year’s Eve & as was meant to become routine we once again started it off with The Grumpy Baker & a dip in Mahon Pool.

My bevy of choice was once again an affogato, only this time I opted for something smaller to snack on as Barbara had expressed interest in the five of us all going out to brunch at a cafe down in Little Bay where she knew one of the owners.

The restaurant in question is called Piccola Baia. It’s an Italian bakery that sits at the end of a strip a little inland from the beach. As per expected, we were greeted by the owner, who sat us & showed us around the menu & talked their specialties. Most of the group went for full on breakfast spreads but I opted for the Muesli with a Hazelnut Macchiato. Many coffees & conversations later I snuck off to grab the bill, a small thank you for allowing us to stay, & we went about making our plans for the rest of the day.

Barbara opted to not join us for the rest of the afternoon’s escapades so Evan, Logan, & I sat at the restaurant for about twenty minutes while Isabella returned her mother home. We talked life & travel while sipping bitter Chinotto Sodas & Mango Smoothies before Bella returned & we continued on farther south.

Isabella took us down to Botany Bay for a peak at the fort & a potential swim. Botany Bay is where Captain Cook first landed in Australia & is currently the home to the Bare Island Fort as well as a number of stunning beaches & reefs. Isabella bought us all ice cream from one of the trucks parked there & we went down the promenade to peek around the fort, which was closed for the holiday. We followed this up by walking back to the car where we changed into swimwear before making our way down to Congwong Beach.

We didn’t stay at Congwong long, mostly just long enough to dip in the ocean & go poking around the rocks & tide pools for small critters. The beach was stunning though; clear blue water, minimal waves, soft white sands. Stunning.

The plan for the evening was to have a charcuterie dinner complete with Aperol spritzes but for all of that we needed a few things from the shops. That’s where the mall comes in.

Once again, for my American audience, that last sentence may seem a bit confusing. I didn’t realize that is where we were headed until we got there, but before groceries we had to make a throwback of a stop at Kmart.

Yes. Kmart. No, not the same Kmart as is in the US, but also not not the same. I would say this Kmart situation was about halfway between a Walmart & an American Target, because yes, there is Australian Target, & no it is not the same…it was bought & is not operated by…kmart.

Side bar. This will come up a lot in this blog series. This ‘x’ thing exists, just like in the states, except ‘x’ thing is entirely different here. There’s also the inverse where you have something like Burger King in the US which is Hungry Jack’s in Australia. Same restaurant, different name. There are even brands that are the same item with different names or items with the same name but an entirely different product there within. It’s like being in an alternate universe where the seasons are switched, the healthcare is universal, & a lot of the animals can kill you.

Back to Kmart.

Bella had a few things she wanted to pick up there but we had all decided that we wanted to get this matching pair of pajama pants that Logan had bought a few days prior for hanging around the house in the evening with. Did I mention the Kmart was in the mall? I may have said it but glazed over the specifics. From Kmart we then went to the chemist for sunscreen, Aldi for cheese & other charcuterie offerings, & the liquor store for Prosecco & Aperol, all of which were within the mall. Yes, the mall also had your clothing stores, your shoe stores, your what have you, but it also had a full on grocer, liquor store, smoke shop, etc, etc, etc. Truly an all-in-one experience. With all of the bags secured we headed back to Maroubra to prepare for the evening’s festivities.

I suppose it’s worth noting, as I’ve had people ask, why we didn’t do Sydney Harbour for New Year’s Eve. Well it was proposed, but the options surrounding it were basically camp out all day to try & get a good view of the bridge & the fireworks, pay around $500 a person to get into somewhere with a good view, or have a lowkey ringing in of the new year & watch the fireworks down the coast from Maroubra. We all opted for the latter.

We all got into our matching pjs & Bella & Logan made the boards & the spritzes. We all enjoyed them in the garden, conversing & watching the people gather in the park in preparation for the 9 PM fireworks they did for the kids. It wasn’t too far into the evening that Isabella’s friend Barbara (not to be confused with her mother) joined us. A lovely, beaming light of a human, we got to know Barbara & hear of her many adventures before darkness fell & we wandered down into the park with the rest of the folks to watch the festivities unfold.

From Mistral Point, the park at the top of Maroubra, you can see all the way down the coast to Bondi. Coogee, which is about halfway between the two, does their fireworks at 9 PM so that people can get their children off to bed. It apparently used to be that Bondi would also do theirs then & you would get two shows for one simply by being at Mistral Point, we only saw Coogee’s.

Following the fireworks we went back to Barbara’s & continued to lounge, eat, drink, & enjoy each other’s company.

About an hour later we were joined by another friend of Isabella’s who had just come from a singing engagement in the city. Felicity, she told us stories of her singing gig mishaps & we all continued along laughing, eating, & drinking until Midnight rolled around.

We weren’t really sure if anyone along the beach was planning to do a midnight launch of fireworks, but we went back out to the point anyway. We were pleasantly surprised when we were able to see almost the entirety of Sydney Harbour’s show sans the bridge bit, just from where we were sat! There were an additional two or three shows going on as well but none of us could decide where they were based out of.

With the second set of fireworks finished out we went back to the apartment once again where we packed up the board, finished off our drinks, wished each other a happy new year, & drifted off to sleep.

End Of Day Two

Day Three

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2025!

We DID actually sleep in on the morning of the first of January 2025, all of us. I think until at least around noon. We all groggily emerged from our respective sleeping chambers & stations & began the day as the newly minted ritual insisted, with The Grumpy Baker & a dip in Mahon Pool, finding a rather large Huntsman Spider hunkered in the gutter along the way.

Evan & I were set to depart Maroubra on this day so after about thirty minutes to an hour at the pool we returned to the house, showered, cleaned up, repacked, & assembled all of our belongings in preparation for our turn in downtown Sydney.

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

It was fairly late in the afternoon when we made our way into Sydney proper. Isabella had offered to give us a ride in to our hotel so that we didn’t have to take an Uber. She also gave us a bit of a tour of the different districts as we drove through.

Our hotel, Aiden by Best Western Darling Harbour, was, as the name suggests located in Darling Harbour. I had found it while looking for post NYE accommodations in the city through a TikTok where an influencer had stayed there. Taking advantage of the exchange rate Ev & I booked the King “Influencer” Suite for what equated to us to be about $200 a night.

Bed with Custom Mural at Aiden Darling Harbour

The hotel was charming, featuring a bar & restaurant as you walk in & filtered still & sparkling water on tap on each floor.

We were given the corner room on the 6th floor. It had a wrap around balcony with views of the harbour & surrounding city & a number of darling (get it?) details including a hand painted mural by the bed, a seating nook, a ‘mud room’-esque entrance, an espresso machine, & amazingly, a fully enclosed shower!

This is where I go on a bit of a rant.

This one goes out to The UK, Australia, & Europe. Y’all. What is up with the half glass showers?! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, all over The UK, Australia, & Europe you will find a shower with a sheet of glass that only covers about two-three feet & then the rest of the shower is entirely open to the bathroom. So, no matter how hard you try, you end up getting water everywhere, all over the bathroom. It’s not like there’s a pane of glass, then a curtain, no. It’s just this sliver of glass right where the shower head falls & that’s it. Yes, there’s usually a drain in the middle of the bathroom floor as well. Yes, there’s sometimes a tub that accompanies this, but why is this the standard?! Just enclose your showers. You don’t even have to use a full pane of glass, just add a curtain.

-End of Rant-

Addendum: I’m sure Evan will want me to add in the fact that upon arriving at our room the couple in the room next to us was very clearly… *clears throat “engaged” in certain activities…very loudly. Like we’re talking loud enough that we could hear them from the balcony clear on the other side of the room from the shared wall. Other than that, we never heard a peep from our fellow hotel goers the remainder of our stay.

Isabella & Logan are not out of this story yet, btw. In fact the plan was for them to drop us off, allow us to get checked in & drop our bags in the room, then head over to the main part of the city for dinner. So that’s exactly what we did.

I had found a place in the city called King Clarence, a contemporary Asian fusion restaurant. We arrived right around the time that they opened & without having a reservation they told us that they were able to seat us for about an hour & some change but that was about it.

I don’t want to break off in another rant here, but I feel I must. Something I noticed about Australia is that restaurants & bars are not afraid to rush you the hell out of the door. They come around grabbing plates & empty cups as soon as they look even the slightest bit empty, to the point where I often had to stop the waiter & say “sorry, still working on that.” This is not an exclusively King Clarence issue, in fact I understand their rush, they told us we had limited time, but this is a phenomenon I noticed all over the island to the point where I often perceived it to be a little rude. Anyway, back to dinner.

At King Clarence they offer something that I found common amongst a lot of Aussie restaurants as well, where you can basically order an ‘I trust you’ for a set price per person & they bring you basically a prefix menu of their choosing. Kind of enjoyed that…even though that’s not what we ordered anywhere…

At King Clarence Evan & I ordered Fish Finger Bao with Mustard Greens, American Cheese, Pickled Chili, & Salmon Caviar, Duck Tsukune with Water Chestnuts, Hoisin Tare, Shokupan, & Onsen Tomago, Mapo Tofu with Red King Prawns, Smoked Marrow, & Baby Corn, & then the four of us split an order of the Rangers Valley Wagyu MB5 with Chickpea Miso, Horseradish Oroshi, & Sweet Soy, the Wood Roasted Pork Belly Ssam with Leaves, Pickles, & Condiments (think lettuce wraps), Wok Fried Greens with Strange Flavour, Typhoon Shelter, & Szechuan Peppers, & the Short Grain Claypot Rice with Char Siu Pork Jowl, Garlic Chive, & Egg Yolk. Additionally I got a bomb cocktail, though now I can’t recall the name or anything about it. My bad.

I think all in all our favorite things that we ordered were the Duck Tsukune, the Wagyu, & the Claypot Rice!

At dinner Logan informed us that he had surprised Bella with tickets to Nosferatu in the city & their showing was around 8:15 if we wanted to join. We opted in & made our way back across Darling Harbour to change into comfier clothes & hop in the parked car to head to the movie.

On our way to the Palace Norton St Cinema, the theater Isabella & her father used to go to, we passed their old home. Located off of Glebe Street, the townhome had a charming New Orleans-esque style to it. The area itself perpetuating that feeling.

We got to the theater fairly early, fortunately it had a bar & snack stand open. The theater is known for their “Choc Tops” an ice cream cone of varying flavors dipped in chocolate. I got a Macadamia Nut & Caramel one & woof, it was fire. In addition I got an Alcoholic Ginger Beer, something we must do more of in the states, & a bag of their famous Olive Oil Popcorn!

I deeply enjoyed Nosferatu…as an art piece. I don’t think that it’s a film I would see again, or seek out to see again, but I did still find it incredibly enjoyable & macabre. Most of the reactions of the people coming out of the theater were along the lines of “WTF did I just watch?!” Which I think is fair. Roberts Eggers (the director) is not for everyone I suppose.

With the day’s events wrapped & more than enough food to carry us into the night, Isabella took Evan & I back to our hotel & off we went our separate ways, capping off a truly wonderful New Year’s Day!

End Of Day Three

Day Four

Back in Nashville, & frequently in LA, Evan & I attend Barry’s Bootcamp classes. Barry’s is an international fitness brand that utilizes fifty minute HIIT classes, alternating rounds between lifting/HIIT & use of a treadmill or bike. You also have the option to “double floor” if cardio isn’t your vibe for whatever reason. Australia is home to several Barry’s locations, the majority of which are located in Sydney. We decided to make our way to one of these locations. The Barry’s we found our way to was located in Surry Hills.

Making our way from Darling Harbour to Surry Hills we made a pass through Thai Town. While in Thai Town we stopped at a coffee shop that I had found previously called Kingswood Coffee, where I got an Iced Hazelnut Latte.

Kingswood Recyclable Glass Iced Coffee Jar

Australia is famous for their coffee, truly. They revolutionized the industry a few years ago & since then they have been a hot spot for quality coffee the world over, so there is no shortness of incredible coffee to be found.

Kingswood is located on the outer edge of the World Center in Thai Town. Hidden amongst the collection of mostly restaurants with a few shops dotted throughout, Kingswood does something that drives me, as a consumer, nuts. They don’t have a menu, you just order what you want & hope they can make it. They do however give you your iced coffee in a reusable/recyclable glass jar which they instruct you to either wash & reuse yourself, or chuck it into the numerous recycling bin that dot the Sydney streets. I liked that aspect of it.

We got to Barry’s pretty early, but that allowed us to do a bit of shopping. I have Barry’s merch from all over the world; Singapore, London, LA, Nashville, etc, so I was excited to get some from Australia! I ended up getting a yellow “Barry’s Australia” Dry Fit Shirt & a hella comfortable, sky blue, “Barry’s Sydney” pullover.

After our class we had a little bit of time to burn. I had wanted to see about getting another pair of running shoes, the ones I came to Australia with had the rubber layer of the soles coming off. So we went up to Westfield Sydney, a mall at the center of the downtown area.

Initially we found Sydney to be a little sleepy as well, we were wondering, as we walked to Barry’s why all of the streets were so dead despite being in the city & where all of the people where. We found them, they were all at the mall.

I didn’t end up finding any shoes at the mall, but we did end up in Aesop. I needed some sunscreen & a post sun product as well as Evan needing a few things & the conversion rate, along with Aesop being an Australian brand, made it hard to pass up. Our sales associate there, Victoria, went above & beyond & even gave us a list of coffee shops, bars, & restaurants in Sydney to check out. The first of those was Edition Roasters, a Matcha/Coffee bar around the corner.

I didn’t necessarily want another coffee so I went with their signature Iced Matcha. It was heavenly, truly may have been one of the best matcha lattes I’ve ever had in my life.

We had an afternoon date set with Isabella & Logan at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. So we walked back to the hotel to change & freshen up before the museum.

We met the two of them on the steps of the museum after our Uber dropped us off. The Art Gallery is two separate buildings set in the middle of a park called The Domain. We only did the southern building on this day.

We walked around the gallery a bit with Bella & Logan, drifting in & out of the exhibit halls, before we nestled into the cafe for the duo to get a coffee. We sat there & chatted for a bit before making our way to the Aboriginal art section & then lastly venturing into the gift shop where Evan bought a few postcard sized prints to take home of pieces that we had seen around the gallery.

Here is where we, & our tales, say goodbye to Isabella & Logan. they had been our hosts & companions for the four days prior but it was time for the four of us to go our separate ways. Isabella & Logan had plans to go with her mother up to an Onsen in The Blue Mountains & we were departing the next day from Sydney to go up to Cairns (see part two for that). We hugged them both, exchanged wishes of great times & fortune, & off we went.

Ginger Blossoms in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens

Isabella had suggested to us that we walk north from the gallery through the Royal Botanic Gardens & from there make our way up to the Sydney Opera House, just so we could say we’d seen it & the Harbour Bridge. Being a massive lover of botanics, you didn’t have to tell me twice.

Giant Fig Tree in the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens

Before making our way through the Botanic Gardens, we stopped at one of the stalls for a snack. Evan had become a bit hangry, so we split a sandwich, planning to have dinner on the early side.

The gardens were stunning! There was a whole section of all different kinds of Ginger, each blooming their own unique style & variations of the waxy, honeycomb like flowers they put out. There were tons of varietals of Bird-of-Paradise, a shaded Fern garden, & some of the largest Fig trees I have ever seen in my life. Some of the trees had to be hundreds of years old & were spread out in all directions in just as many feet. They were mesmerizing!

At the top of the Botanic Gardens sits the Sydney Opera House. What kind of ends up happening is that you’re walking along, walking along, looking at the trees, looking out into the harbour, then BAM! Opera House. They still had the barricades up from NYE & the parts of the Botanic Gardens that over look the are still had the remnants of what were clearly food & drink stands with white covered tents.

We didn’t go inside the Opera House at all, in fact we kind of skirted the edges. There weren’t too many people about but neither he or I really had a great deal of interest in being overly ‘touristy.’ We’d seen the thing that you’re meant to see while you’re there, we’d seen the thing we’d seen a million & a half pictures & references to & I think that was enough. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful building, it’s just that neither of us needed that full on selfied photoshoot in front of it.

From just up the road from the Opera House we grabbed an uber back to our hotel. We had gotten the recommendation to go to a restaurant called Ante from Isabella, Victoria, the internet, TikTok, etc. So we said “enough” & made it a priority.

Ante brands themselves as a “sake & sounds” bar & to their credit, that is almost exactly what they are. Located in Newtown, Ante offers sake, yes, but also a wide range of incredible Japanese inspired dishes, all set to the backdrop of a moody space that still has a vintage flare thanks to the vinyl racks & the duel turn tables that line the bar.

We got there just before their opening at 5 PM. Ante, does not take reservations & for all intents & purposes, they seem very popular, as the line of people outside the door prior to opening would insinuate & certify.

I really have got to start writing down my cocktails because Evan & I both had two incredible ones. For dinner we ordered a bit of the menu. We got the AP Bakery Sesame + Fenugreek Bread with Kasu Cultured Butter, the Plate of Pickles (mostly Carrots & Beets), the Fried Potato Mochi with Everything Bagel Sprinkles, the Torched Bonito with Calamansi, Makrut, & Urfa Pepper, the Grilled Baby Corn with Nori Butter (I’m a sucker for baby corn), the Beef Tongue Katsu Sandwich with Cabbage & Curry Mustard, the Tagliatelle with Fermented Shiitake Mushrooms, the Casarecce with Prawns, Kanzuri, & Clementine, & the Moonacres Lettuce with Burnt Honey. I told you, we ordered the menu. Additionally, lol, we also had the Panna Cotta with Black Splendor Plum & the Warm Madelaines with Yuzu Curd for dessert. Or.Dered.The.Menu.

Our favorite things, of the many we ordered, were the Bonito, the Baby Corn, the Beef Tongue, & the Casarecce, though none of the items listed about where anywhere short of entirely delicious. I preferred the Panna Cotta dessert, while Evan preferred the Madelaines.

After our amazing dinner it was time for more drinks. I do think we ended up spending about two & a half hours at Ante, so by the time we left, it was starting to get dark out.

Our next stop was Cantina OK!

I am a frequent follower of food & drink lists. I love me a good accolade, James Beard, Top 50, Michelin, etc., though the hidden gems are also not to be out done. Cantina OK! is one such place that I found through their accolades as they are currently rated the 41st best bar in the world. Yes, you read that correctly, the 41st. best bar. in the world.

Cantina OK! is a literal hole in the wall. I am not hyperbolizing here, it is probably a five foot by twelve foot (if that) space located in an alley. There’s a single bar, no chairs or stools, & standing room for I would say around 15-ish guests at a time. Cantina OK! is a mezcal bar. They are a group of tequila fanatics that fly to Mexico every year, going around to tequila distillers, trying & buying product. The bar menu has six items total, not counting their extensive top shelf tequila selection. Those cocktails include two constants; the Margarita OK! (regular margarita) & the Spicy OK! (Spicy Marg), three seasonal drinks currently themed around the zoo; the Argo OK! (Tequila, Crocodile Pechuga, Pine, Apple, Pineapple), the Jumbo OK! (Tequila, Peanut Sorbet, Palm Sugar, Lime Leaf, Salsa Matcha), & the Bongo Ok! (Mezcal, Montenegro, Umeshu, Whites, Watermelon). The last menu item changes week to week, this time it was the Christmas Special (Tequila, Mezcal, Lime, Fresh Cherries, Orange Oil.)

We initially had to wait in line for a spot to open up, but it truly didn’t take longer than about five-ish minutes. Ev & I worked our way through the menu. We started out basic with the Marg. Truly might be the best margarita I’ve ever had. They finish off the drink by pouring it over a bed of shaved ice that they manually shave. After that Evan got the Spicy, I got the Argo. Then I pulled ahead by ordering a tasting of Fortaleza Añejo neat (if you know, you know). Then we closed out the night with Evan ordering the special & me getting the Jumbo. Truly not a bad drink in the bunch & the staff were super friendly & knowledgeable!

End Of Day Four

Day Five

The next day it was a struggle to get Evan up & out of bed. I asked him around an hour ago & a half prior to the scheduled time if he wanted to go do Barry’s again. He had grumbled me off & told me no. An hour later that tune changed. So we scrambled to get dressed & went down to the corner market to get a quick snack so that we would at least have something in our stomachs to work out on.

We ended up at the locale in the downtown part of the city, Martin Place. The class was once again death but the lack of food & heavy amount of drink from the night before made it even more so.

After death by trainer we ended up wanting coffee. I had pointed out Gumption the day prior while we were in The Strand Arcade, as it was one of the coffee shops on my list. Since it was only about a ten minute walk from us & was on the way back to our hotel we made it our heading. At Gumption we got Chinotto Espresso Tonics, which were bomb AF, & continued about our morning.

We had asked for a late checkout from Aiden, but there was still a lot of time between noon & our flight at 3-ish, so we went back to the hotel, packed up, asked the desk to hold our bags (which they lovingly did), & went in search of food.

Earlier when Evan had decided we weren’t working out I had started looking for Brunch spots. I had actually stumbled upon one just down the street from our hotel called the Quick Brown Fox.

The Quick Brown Fox is located in a sandstone corner cottage from the 1840s. It’s a breakfast/lunch spot that is apparently famous for their XO Congee, which is exactly what I got & let me tell you, it lived up to the hype! Ev got a burger & we both ordered non-alcoholic spritzes & we sat in the gorgeous afternoon sun & passed away the minutes until it was time to return for our bags & head off to the airport destined for Cairns.

Day Five To Be Continued…

END OF PART ONE

Part Two

September 26, 2022

Charlie Rogers

Travel Blog, Travel, Blog

Travel Blog: United Kingdom: Part Three- Pack It Up

September 26, 2022

Charlie Rogers

Travel Blog, Travel, Blog

Hi! Welcome back! As per usual, when it comes to my multipart blog series, this is your pre-blog reminder to go back & read my previous two installments before continuing down the page below. If you’re in need of the two previous installments to this series they will be linked just below this paragraph & we will see you back here once you’re all caught up. If on the other hand, you are an avid reader of mine, thank you as always for your patronage, feel free to skip on to the title card below! Cheers!

Part One

Part Two

THE UNITED KINGDOM

PART THREE:

Day Seven

We last left off in Dumfries at the home of the Donowhos. In spite of the more than gracious hosts they always are & the loveliness that Scotland always provides, it was time to head back down to London. We loaded up the car fairly early in the desire to beat the evening London traffic. Our plan was to sweep in from the Northeast side of London, drop our bags in Covent Gardens, take the car back to Heathrow, & take the tube back into London, more on that later.

If you have read anything from my previous UK trips you’ll know that I require a stop on the road south out of Scotland. Thanks to the gents that played the original Parkfest set with me back in the day, Tebay Services, Farmshop, & Kitchen is now a must stop, of course this time it was no different. We stopped to fill-up both the car & our bellies with a buffet style Full English Breakfast before on down the road we went once again.

There’s not too much eventful that happened along the road to London other than a rather rambunctious, down to the wire change of plans. My father had been gracious enough to lend us some of the Hilton Honors points he’d accrued in his travels over the years. I’d had him book our stay the night before at what was meant to be the Doubletree in Russell Square, sat on Southampton Road. However, when I called to confirm the room they had no booking for us anywhere on their computers so I called my dad back to make sure the reservation had been set. Now, let me be very plain that this is not a dig on my father nor is it meant to come across as unappreciative, I just think it’s a rather humorous story that deserves its slot in the annals of my blog page. It’s also worth noting that my father has never been outside of North America, The United Kingdom is entirely foreign to him. He had indeed booked us a reservation, only when he had pulled up “Doubletree, Southampton” that’s exactly what he got, a Doubletree in Southampton.

If you don’t know where Southampton is it’s about a two hour drive Southwest of London, sat on the Southern coast of England. Needless to say that wasn’t going to work so we not set about frantically looking for not outlandishly priced hotels in London that weren’t booked out for the weekend & that number was rapidly dwindling. Forgoing the plan to drop bags at our hotel & instead switching to dropping off the car first we made our way to Heathrow. It was only after returning the car & dropping down into the tube that our reservation at the only available, none lavishly expensive hotel was finally booked. That’s not to say that the hotel wasn’t lavish, it was gorgeous & we ended up at The Waldorf Hilton, London. After settling in to our *toss toss* upgraded room, we slipped down to the basement gym for some quick cardio, dressed for the evening, & went down the road to drop in on our friends Victoria & Rhys.

I had spent most of the day looking scrubby in my travel clothes but what became my official OOTD was the following: a Gold J. Crew Sweater, Blue Tellis AG Jeans, & Grey Suede Calvin Klein Boots.

We rolled up to the now Jones’ flat & before we could even call to be let in, Rhys noticed us through the window. We were buzzed in, climbed the stairs, & were met at the door by the duo & an almost completely empty flat. You see Rhys & Vic had come to the decision that when they left London to fly back to the states for their wedding, they were leaving for good & starting their life together as a married couple in America & when they flew out, the same day as us, it would be their last time in London until they returned for visits at a later date. Needless to say the apartment was quite different from the last time we’d seen it in April.

We sat exchanging stories before asking to see if they wanted to join us at dinner at Seven Dials Market. They politely declined with exhaustion rapidly setting in & Ev & I departed their company for the evening to grab some much needed sustenance.

Seven Dials was moderately busy, but not over the top. We went back & forth trying to decide on dinner but ending up with the same general consensus. Dinner was to be Thai as the main course, Dumplings/Bao as a side, & frozen Israeli beverages to drink. I got Chicken Pad Kee Mao at Yaay Yaay, Evan Papaya Salad. Evan & I both got a Pork Bao & Pork Dumplings at Yum Bun, then the drinks were a Lemon/Mint Slushy & a Blue/Pomegranate Slushy from SHUK. Once dinner was completed we decided to make a night of it. We invited Victoria & Rhys once again but they were already well in bed.

Our first stop of the evening was The Alchemist. A flashy cocktail bar with locations all across The UK, we actually skipped out on the drinks there this trip, I had my eyes set on one thing, their cocktail book. Once attained we headed over to EVE for our nightcap(s).

If you read my last UK blog from April you would’ve seen me rave & rant about Frog By Adam Handling. You also would have read about their sister bar, locked in the basement, feeding off their scraps, EVE. That last sentence is not a jab, EVE literally feeds off the kitchen scraps from Frog which it uses to create new & interesting gastronomy for the bar & the cocktails they sling. We only dipped out toes into EVE last time, this time we claimed a table & sat in for a while.

As far as drinks went, we had a few. I got the Amber Fizz (Johnnie Walker Black, Maraschino, Banana, Berries, & London Essence Ginger Ale), followed by the Lazarus (Appleton 12 Year, Santiago Blanco 3 Year, La Yuzu, Verjus, & Guava), but the star of the night, tasting like a Salted Caramel Espresso Martini was the Little Rise (Santiago 8 Year, Galliano, Coffee, Caramel, & Bitters). Evan has some form of Colada that was a special of the evening & an Il Conte (Patron Reposado, Kumquat, Madeira, Smoked Cocoa Nibs, & Prosseco DOCG).

We sat in the basement bar for around an hour & a half before we decided it was time to call it a night & off we went back to our hotel just down the street.

End Of Day Seven

Day Eight

Thursday we managed to sleep in a little big. I was still desperately craving a workout so we booked something in the early afternoon at Barry’s Soho. Needing caffeination & craving a croissant we made our way over to Monmouth Coffee Company where we both had a Pour Over, I got an Almond Croissant, & Ev got a Chocolate. We sat outside in the drizzle because it was honestly tolerable & we’d actually gotten to wear the raincoats we packed for once!

After our coffees & pastries we still had a little bit of time to burn so we went & perused the shops near Covent Gardens. Starting first in Barbour, I tried on several flannels & a sweater or two before designating it a loss for the day. Across the street at Scotch & Soda, where I’d had so much luck the previous trip, we tried on a varied assortment of the store but never landed on anything that we were head over heels for so off we went towards Soho for our appointment with Barry’s Bootcamp.

The class was a Barry’s Lift class which neither of us had ever taken, the sole difference between it & a traditional Barry’s class being that there was no cardio. That didn’t mean the class was easy, in fact it was one of the hardest ones I’d done, simply because of the massive amount of core work it entailed.

After class we grabbed protein shakes from the shake bar & made our way back through the city to our hotel to shower & get ready for the rest of our day ahead.

My “last night in London” OOTD was a Green Rag & Bone Sweater, Khaki Tellis AG Jeans, & White Goodfellow Trainers, a similar outfit, yet still different, from the one I wore for my Living Room Session two nights prior.

Vic & Rhys had to be out of their flat by 3 PM so we met them just across the street at their local pub, The Round House, where they sat surrounded by luggage, still working remote while sharing a pint. We sat with them awhile until hunger set in & we swung around the corner to Old Chang Kee for one of their “world famous” Singapore Style Curry Puffs! Ev & I both got our own Chicken & Curry Puff which we enjoyed immensely, then walked over to The Espresso Room for a Flat White & another Almond Croissant but unfortunately they were out of the latter.

While Victoria wrapped work, Evan, Rhys, & I formulated a plan for the evening. The soon-to-be Jones were staying at Heathrow for the night but still wanted to kick around London with us for a bit so we decided that we would drop their luggage off at our hotel room just around the corner, go about our business, & they could return with us, grab their stuff, & hop the Piccadilly Line to Heathrow. Victoria ended up moving one last appointment we had up so that we could all go out so Evan, Rhys, & I sat enjoying The Waldorf’s Cocktail & Canapé hour while we waited sat pretty in the Executive Lounge (*adjusts monocle). Hey, free booze is free booze. When Victoria arrived we sat enjoying the hors d’œvres for a while longer before hopping a cap over to Tayēr + Elementary.

T+E might sound familiar to any of you that are return readers of mine, it’s another spot we hit back in April & just happens to be considered one of the best bars in the world. Now if your plan is to say that we weren't too adventurous with new things this trip to London I think you’d be slightly mistaken. You see, much like EVE, Tayēr + Elementary’s menu is constantly changing & evolving inviting new experimental gastronomy into the mix so no two people’s experience at either place will ever be exactly the same. We also had only sampled “Elementary’s” menu last time as the two have completely separate menus & feels.

Though residing in the same building Elementary is the front bar & Tayēr the back. Sat around a large, chef’s table/tasting menu type set up I would say Tayēr is the sophisticate while Elementary the playful lending more towards the neighborhood bar feel.

We were actually the first people to enter Tayēr that night. Sat on the corner we each began picking out cocktails as well as little finger foods to nibble on. I typically go for the recommendations of the staff & this was no exception. I got the Haucate as well as a drink that consisted of Etna, Mandarin, & Pachouli & a Makrut Lime cocktail. In addition we ordered a Piña Colada Cheesecake to split, Prawn Couchette’s, & some form of Corn Dog, of which I cannot remember its contents.

Fairly buzzed we all stumbled back into a cab & returned to Soho & The Waldorf where The Jones’s retrieved their bags & Evan & I went off in search of more food.

Really wanting Nando’s seeing as it would be good & quick we made our way that way. The site said they closed at 10:30 but for whatever reason they’d decided at 9 PM to call it early so on our search for food went. We ended up happening to pass Blacklock, a chop shop that I had had on my “travel list” from the last go round. Blacklock readily let us in & we were shown to a seat near the entrance.

We were truly looking for an abbreviated dinning experience, feeling almost entirely ready to call it a night but still rather famished so we just threw in & went with the “All In,” a pre-chopped selection of Beef, Pork, & Lamb, along with two sides & Grilled Flat Bread. We devoured it though quickly the stuffiness of the basement restaurant, the heat, & the meat began to get to us & we had to evacuate the premises.

I truly wish that I could give Blacklock more of a glowing review, I do. The food was very good & the diversity of menu options, lengthy, but I fear falling just short of having a full blown panic attack in their primacies due to the stuffiness of the place, I’d be hard pressed to feel warm & fuzzy about it.

Anyway, feeling stuffed, but still wanting to satiate the dessert stomach we went in search of ice cream/gelato. Unfortunately all of the shops were closed so we called it a night, returning to the hotel defeated.

End Of Day Eight

Day Nine

Our last day in London we pushed that “late checkout” to the limit. We awoke & packed before we decided to make one last hoorah of London & heading over to Heathrow. We had stumbled upon Abuelo the day prior & I had made some joke about the restaurant simply being called “grandpa.” It decided to pull a full on Uno Reverse & say “look who’s laughing now” as it popped up for one of the top listed brunch spots in Covent Garden, so it became the destination of where we were to break our day’s fast.

Surprisingly enough, Abuelo is an Australian coffee shop, well, Australian with South American influences, & it did not disappoint. Evan & I order to share, something savory & something sweet, of which we would each eat half of then swap plates. Evan order our savory course, The Big Bondi (Avocado, Dukkah, Goat Cheese, Pickled Jalapeños, Cress & Flowers, & Egg atop Sourdough) & I the sweet; Banana Bread w/ Caramelized Cinnamon Peaches, Dulce De Leche Marscarpone, & Ginger Biscuit Crumb, in addition to a Cappuccino & a Pour Over respectively.

After a glorious breakfast we made our way to Tesco to grab a goodie bag for our flight attendants & made our way back to The Espresso Room in hopes that the Almond Croissant had made its triumphant return, it hadn’t, they were still out. So we shuffled, defeated, back to The Waldorf to collect our things & hop the tube to Heathrow.

Normally this is where I would leave you all. I would conclude the travel with our last meal or interesting feat we accomplished but in fact the intrigue of our voyage is not yet over. About halfway between Covent Garden & Heathrow the tube operator came over the speakers & announced the the Piccadilly Line would not be making its normal stop at the terminal that feeds Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3. As we were in Terminal 5 this was of no concern to us, though the rest of the passengers seemed less pleased. After each subsequent stop the same announcement was made until it changed, subtly. I truly think it was a slip of the tongue but the announcer added “due to its evacuation for public safety” to his announcement of the lapse in stop. I immediately pulled out Twitter.

The reason the train would not be stopping at Terminal 2 & 3 was that there had been a bombing threat upon Terminal 2 & the entirety of Terminal 2 had been evacuated. There never ended up being an actual bomb, as far as we know, but when we rolled through the train station for those two stops the feeling of unease in the car was palpable. The terminal was like a ghost town, not a person in sight. It was eerie. I’m just glad that no one got hurt & the threat itself ended up being nothing, again, as far as we know.

Off to Terminal 5 we went where security was a breeze & we sat in peace munching on Smoked Salmon Sandwiches until it was once again time to depart the dear United Kingdom.

End Of Day Nine

End Of Part Three

End Of Blog

May 13, 2022

Charlie Rogers

Travel Blog, Travel, Blog

Travel Blog: The United Kingdom-Part Three: There & Back Again

May 13, 2022

Charlie Rogers

Travel Blog, Travel, Blog

Welcome back to my United Kingdom travel blog! If you’ve made it this far, congrats, you’re onto the last part!!! If you’re reading this like “last part?! whaaaa?!” then I invite you to go read through Part One & Two before returning to finish out this most epic of trilogies. You can find links to both here:

Part One

Part Two

All caught up? Great! Let’s move on to Part Three then!

Part Three:

There & Back Again

Day Ten

We departed Dumfries right around 8 AM, our rental was due back in Camden by 5 PM & we had a long drive down from Scotland through England to make. We unfortunately didn’t get to say goodbye to Carolann on our way out but Ali & the rest of the crew definitely gave us the royal send off.

Our first stop on the way down is a must hit if you’re traveling up or down the Northwest coast of England, Tebay. I was first introduced to Tebay by the Liverpool/Manchester gents who played RNLI Park Fest with me back in 2019 who try to make it a stop anytime they play up north. Tebay, while technically a small English town, is also a service center. For my American folks think a truck stop but way way way way way nicer. Tebay Services, Farmshop, & Kitchen has two locations; one northbound, one southbound. It is exactly as the name states, a service stop in addition to a restaurant & shop. The beautiful thing about Tebay, aside from the immaculate view it offers, is that all of the food served comes from within only a handful of miles from the stop.

We arrived around 10:30 AM & breakfast was still in full swing so we went the full on English Breakfast route! I had Scrambled Eggs, Beans, Cumberland Sausage, Roasted Tomato & Mushroom, Haggis, Bacon, A Raisin Scone w/ Orange Marmalade, & A Drip Coffee. Evan did the same sans Mushroom, Scone, & Haggis & also got a Pork Sausage. After taking in breakfast with a gorgeous view of the English countryside we walked around their Farmshop! It’s really almost three shops put into one. There’s a genuine market selling uncooked ingredients from around the area, there’s a local clothing/item section, & there’s a section dedicated to foods distinctly from The United Kingdom including small batch chocolatiers, distillers, bakers, etc.

By the time we’d finished up & were getting ready to go the hand pie stand had opened up so we grabbed a few of those for the road. I got a Chicken & Mushroom Pie, Evan got the Onion & Cheese. We grabbed gas & a few drinks & down the road we went towards London.

To be entirely frank I was quite nervous about driving in London, especially since we’d be arriving around rush hour. When I picked up the rental our drop off options were Camden, Tower Heights, Gatwick, or Heathrow & I didn’t feel like driving an hour outside of London just to spend an hour & a half on the tube with luggage felt economical, so Camden it was.

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy I found driving in London rush hour, it was far easier than New York City even with the inclusion of driving on the other side of the road. We did end up dropping off the car a little late but the agency couldn’t have cared less. From there we walked to Euston Station & hopped the southbound train to Covent Gardens back to Victoria & Rhys’s.

Seeing as it was now around 6 PM the hunt for dinner began. We were presented with the idea of Seven Dials Market, a coalition of street food vendors that had come together in an old cucumber & banana storage warehouse, a theme that is still prevalent throughout. At Seven Dials Market you can order drinks from the bar to be delivered to your table but as far as food goes you need to go to the different stalls to picket what you want. I grabbed an Iced Masala Chai from Chai Guys & we began the task of picking which of the over a dozen food options we wanted.

Evan & I decided on splitting a few things. We were really craving a burger so we went downstairs to Truffle but found that we couldn’t decide between The Truffle Burger (Beef & Bacon Patty w/ Raclette Cheese, Crispy Onions, Fig Jam & Truffle Mayo) or the Cheeseburger (Aged Beef/Bacon Patty, Cheese, Pickles, Lettuce, & Truffle Sauce) so we got both in addition to some Truffle Parmesan Fries. On top of the burgers there was also a dumpling stand that was calling our names so we got an order of Pork Bao & Pork & Chive Dumplings from Yum Bun! All of the food was outstanding & for dessert Victoria got us all a Chocolate Hazelnut Finger Doughnut from Longboys to share!

Practically bursting at this point we waddled back to the flat, stopping at Tesco to grab some snacks (yes that includes Strawbs) & drinks to enjoy later on when we sat down to watch Shutter Island before calling it a night!

Day Eleven

In desperate need of a workout after almost a week without we joined Victoria at Barry’s Soho for their 8:45 Full Body class. Following my “I can’t workout in the morning rule unless I’ve had caffeine & food prior” I ended up booking double floor. I knew running wasn’t going to happen. I’d done a touch of carb loading before just to be safe though, having gone downstairs to Tesco to pick up an energy drink & some fresh baked goods from their untouched morning selection. Scarfing down a soft pretzel & a croissant along with an apple the three of us walked to Barry’s (Rhys went once again with his trainer).

The class was hard! It was a circuit set meaning it built. Four total exercises per circuit, each targeted for a minute at as many as possible before combining them for two. We ended up walking back separate from Victoria because she was in need of a shower & we had planned to wait until we got back to the flat to bathe.

Along the way we had decided that another caffeine source was necessary so we walked over to WatchHouse. The barista recommended the Iced Peruvian Pourer so that’s what we got! The coffee had a nice almost bread & jam taste, very similar to my Raisin Scone w/ Orange Marmalade the morning before. It smacked! We walked back the rest of the way before showering & dressing for the day.

We had been prompted with a text of “Borough Market tomorrow?” on our drive back to London the day prior. Victoria had a mind for a Sausage Roll from The Black Pig & I, for one, am always down for a trip to Borough Market so that is where our pre-afternoon began!

We walked the same path that Evan & I had taken the week before; past St. Paul’s, over the Millennium Bridge, by The Globe. Borough Market was a zoo! There were far more people there this Saturday than the one prior which was surprising seeing as the previous had been Easter weekend.

We made a beeline for Bread Ahead as our glowing doughnut review had left V&R wanting. I returned for the Blackcurrant Cheesecake, Evan for the Pistachio, V&R split a Blueberry Jam, thought naturally they all got passed around between the four of us.

Rhys got Cod & Chips from Fish!, Victoria went after her Sausage Roll, & Evan & I got in line for the special at Northfield Kitchen, an Aged Corned Beef Sandwich on Rye with Pickles, Spicy Mustard, Swiss, & Cole Slaw. We all sat around on a barricade munching on our lunch & sipping Prosecco Punch but heading over to hop the Uber Boat back up the river to Westminster.

V&R headed back to the flat but Evan & I decided to continue on back to Soho to hit up Carnaby, Regent, & Bond. We wafted in & out of a few shops, most of which clearly didn’t get the memo that the weather was nice out because they were blasting the heat like it was midwinter. After mostly coming up dry in our shopping escapades we ended up at Scotch & Soda where I almost bumped smack into Tom Felton & his girlfriend.

I have had an obsession with this sweater that was shown in one singular scene in one of the later seasons of a show that used to be on called “Penny Dreadful.” It’s an oversized button shoulder turtleneck sweater & while I still have yet to find something exact, I did manage to find two button shoulder sweaters at Scotch & Soda that worked for me! I was ecstatic to discover them & purchased them immediately & naturally I wore one of them to dinner later! However, if you or a loved one know where I can find my oversized button shoulder turtleneck sweater, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Post shop we took ourselves a little nap, having woken up at 7:30 AM & walked hither & yon. It was about 6 PM by the time we’d made it back to the flat & we he had a 9:30 dinner reservation at Frog by Adam Handling to look forward to! A glass or two of red wine made that slip into a nap very, very easy.

I’d made the executive decision to try to get to Frog about thirty minutes early, not because I thought they’d squeeze us into our reservation earlier, but because I thought they’d squeeze us into Eve, their companion bar…which is exactly what they did!

Eve is a cocktail bar that makes excellent use of its upstairs neighbor, Frog. The premise behind Eve is that they push the boundaries of craft cocktail using ingredients that would otherwise be wasted from the restaurant above, going as far as having a lab present to distill & infuse certain ingredients into their drinks.

When you’re seated in the stained glass anointed underground bar you are greeted with a welcome cocktail to cleanse the palette, this night is was an Apple Daiquiri. Bright, refreshing, & full of spring! I then proceeded to order the Tiki-Ero, a Clementine & Banana Peel infused Rum drink paired with Allspice, Coconut, & Lime. It was revitalizing & forward while still being warm & comfortable. We were then ushered upstairs for dinner service.

…

You ready for it?

Dinner at Frog started off in the normal tasting menu way, with snack courses! The thing to remember here going forward is that Frog is centered around tradition ingredients found within the UK, in fact the “menu” includes a map marked with the places each of their star ingredients were gathered from. Now, back to the snack.

The first of the snacks was a twist on Eggs & Bacon served in a ceramic eggshell nestled into a bed of straw with dry ice concealed underneath. When presented water was offed to the bed causing it to “fog” the table. In addition to the breakfast staples the custardy dish also contained Maitake Mushrooms otherwise known as Hen-of-the-woods. Adorable.

The second of the snacks was reminiscent of a Cucumber Sandwich. It presented as a one-two bite Tart filled with little Jellied Cucumber Drops, Edible Flowers, Dried Oyster, & Caviar. I’m not usually one to toot the horn of cucumber but this little tart was so full of life its hard no to! Springy, salty, savory, while still maintaining its effervescence!

The following dish, if I’m being honest, was my least favorite of the snacks, that’s not to say it was bad by any means though. It was Black Cod, a staple fish of British cuisine, served as a mandala’d Cracker. The spokes of its black wheels were hollow offering a very pleasant mouth feel & crunch!

The final snack was a Beef Tartare, a dish that I feel can be rather polarizing to most. I personally am great fan of the Tartares of the world. This varietal contained a Crispy Wrapping, a crown of Edible Flowers, & Kimchi harkening back to its roots as originally a North East Asian dish followed by its rise in popularity throughout Europe in the 19th Century. The mince was soft & moist & that added crunch brought me back to my favorite setting of beef tartare, served atop bread!

Onto the main courses!

The first official course is one that I’ve been talking about for weeks now. It truly warmed my heart to the core & reaffirmed the reason I love the shared culture of food so much. Food is often the story of our lives. Fresh Bread was served along side four other plates. The first of these plates contained a Stuffed Chicken Wing. Boneless, a singular bite, juicy & supple on the inside with a crisp skin pinned in place with a barb & a rooster feather. The next to plates were spread; Fresh Butter with Chicken Cracklin’ on top & Chicken Pâté. Both were meant to be spread & enjoyed with the bread. The final plate contained a card. On this card sat a story. It said the following:

““My sister, the fussy eater that she is, would only want roast chicken every family Sunday lunch. But Mondays were my favourite-leftover roast chicken in a white, floury Scottish bun with loads of salted butter. Delish!

This dish is my take on the happy memories of that Monday morning roast chicken sandwich.””

— Adam Handling, Bread, Chicken Butter

This. This folks is why I love the culinary arts, because they are exactly that, an art. They are an expression of ones life story through the food that made them the person that they are today. It is the culmination of heritage, culture, trial & error, failures & successes, life, love, loss, & time. It speaks to us not through merely our eyes or ears but through each of our five senses. It tells a story in a single bite & expresses the unseen or unheard effortlessly.

Sorry for the rant, back to our scheduled programing.

Dish number two! I know right, how do we follow up the tangent I went on with that one? The second dish was an ode to the Tomato served in the form of a Gazpacho. The three stars of this dish were Tomato, obviously, Pepper, & Basil. The gazpacho was presented patiently waiting below a Tomato Crisp served with a Red Pepper Granache draped over. I think this may have been my least favorite of the course, not because it wasn’t an amazing expression in its own right but simply because my personage tends to have an aversion to Bell Pepper.

The third course was simply titled “All About The Sturgeon” & much like the bar hidden beneath Frog, it too sought to use different parts of the fish to great success. The common sturgeon having been a popular choice specifically for its caviar is considered a “Royal Fish” meaning that they, along with Whales, are the property of the British Monarchy when in sovereign waters, much like Swans. This dish was absolutely one of my favorites of the evening.

Sat prim upon a Heart-shaped Waffle was a dollop of Sturgeon Mousse, topped with Sturgeon Caviar, & covered, in its entirety, by Maple Syrup. This dish was so complex in its flavor profile while still being entirely familiar. It blended salty, sweet, savory, all on the most perfect of levels, allowing each to take up battlements on the pallet & wax & wane over the who had control. Each bite a new battle always resulting in the consumer’s favor.

Course four was another favorite. I feel like I keep saying that, but y’all, this meal was truly exceptional! A Scallop from the Orkney Isles up off of the northern point of Scotland swimming in a Foam Emulsion & Herb Reduction featuring prominent flavors of Za’atar & tap root, specifically an assorted shaving of Rainbow Carrots. The dish had a very nice heat to it without being overbearing. It was earthy & smokey without compromising the natural citrus notes of the scallop. Absolutely wonder!

Next came a course with yet another card attached only this time it wasn’t a note or a story. Course five was a spoon full of Duck covered in freshly shaved Black Truffle & served on a plate of beach stones with a picture of a very satisfied looking black lab named Stanley. In the photo Stanley is standing overtop a bowl filled with freshly foraged black truffles. These were Stanley’s truffles & his hard work was being recognized in glorious fashion along with I hope heaps of belly rubs at home. I’m always a sucker for fresh truffles, especially when served with water fowl & a picture of a large dog. The spoonful unfortunately didn’t last too long seeing as it was a one to two biter, but that’s my only true complaint revolving around it.

Next we were back to Cod, only this time served as a filet, not as a cracker. Lemongrass reduction formed a moat the fillet itself. I wish I could recall the what made up the remainder of the dish, from the crispy wafer on top to the puree that elevated the fish out of the reduction. My notes mention something about there being Grape in the dish but I think between the wine & still fawning over Stanley being the goodest boy it’s been lost in translation a tad.

Course seven came with two options; Wagyu Beef with Hen-of-the-woods or Lamb with Sweetbread, & Morels. We went with both each ordering one or the other then swapping not only plates halfway through but also the paired wine. I’m going to go in order of my tasting starting with the Beef.

Served Medium Rare the British Wagyu came with the aforementioned Hen-of-the-woods Mushrooms in addition to some grilled onions & an Au Jus made from Beef Tongue. The steak was incredibly tender & truly melted in your mouth with the inclusion of the Tongue Aus Jus. I also really enjoyed the little stenciled leaves that were served along the side of the plate, separating out the vegetables. It was then my turn with the Lamb.

The Lamb was definitely the more eloquent of the pair at least as far as presentation goes. It included a Morel Reduction along with a few stocks of Asparagus. The slight gaminess of the Lamb lended itself wonderfully to the earthy/springy clash the mushrooms & the asparagus brought. I think between the two I preferred the beef, though Evan preferred the Lamb. I wouldn’t have been mad to receive either though. With savory courses now wrapped we moved on to dessert!

The first of the dessert courses brought Britain’s favorite springtime veggie to the forefront. Rhubarb. Appearing in the form of a Rhubarb & Wasted Wine Sorbet served alongside a Fresh Whipped Creme. The tart bouncy rhubarb was brought well into balance by the presence of the cream & it made for a very pleasant dessert/palette cleanser!

The final course of the evening, pre-dessert snack course, was a Yoghurt Cheesecake topped with little spots of Apricot & a serving of Lemon Thyme Sorbet. Another mellow dessert it was the perfect end cap for the warm spring night. Then came the snacks.

As I’ve mentioned before in other tasting menu blogs, it appears to be customary to end the evening with another snack course, just as the evening is started with one, Frog was no exception. They served what they call their Petit Fours…though there were five. (And yes I know Petit Fours refers to bitesized desserts, not the quantity of the bite sized desserts.)

First up, served as a pair, were a simple Blackberry Jelly Gumdrop & a White Chocolate Frog Truffle filled with Yuzu. The jelly bite, as I stated above, was simple, none offensive, but carried with it a subtle charm. Their dashing little frog companions was citrusy with soft floral undertones.

Next on the list were the Chocolate & Miso Tarts. I am always a huge fan of the combinations of Miso & Chocolate. The umami of the miso really lends itself to the bold sweetness of the ganache-y chocolate. It had a nice give before finishing off with the crust.

Our final in restaurant dessert was the Strawberry & Cream Possett. Unlike the earlier egg custard dish this one was served in an actual eggshell instead of a ceramic one. It was a sweet little twist on the traditional “strawberries & cream” formula that made for a very nice introduction into the summer months coming ahead.

I regret to inform you that the last of the Petit Fours was not had by us. You see it was a take home item & in our more than now inebriated state we completely forgot that we had it on our walk home & left it in the fridge at the flat.

As I was writing all about this meal again & experiencing it vicariously through my words I had the following thought that I stand by adamantly. I would fly from Nashville to London just to dine at Frog again, turn right back around & come home. I would sit through 14+ hours of travel overseas just to spend another three house in this restaurant. That is the extent to which I recommend Frog by Adam Handling to you. If you find yourself in London or in The British Isles or hell, even in France, make the trip to London to eat here. Eat here before its well deserved two Michelin stars become three & this place is booked out for the next eternity. I promise you will not regret it or look back. The story of food that Adam & crew tell at Frog is that of many lifetimes converging to create spectacular art that fills you to your core. It is few & far between that the love gushes so freely from the likes of a tasting menu but I cannot overstate how beautiful an expression of food this place is. Run, do not walk to Frog.

I wanted to end this, our last full day in The UK with the note I wrote & sent to the Frog crew on the plane ride home.

Frog,

I wanted to pass along a thought to you. I know you neither asked for it nor is it by any means a slight or mark against you & your institution. I am also utterly aware that as someone who merely dabbles recreationally in the culinary arts I have no grounds to file suggestions based on your food. Again, not that you need it by any means, yours & your teams’ cuisine & masterful practice of the art form are up there in the highest of the upper echelons. What I can offer you is insight from one story teller to another. While I communicate with the world at large primarily through words, lyrics, music, & writing, yours is the craft of communication through food; you tell stories through experimentation, retellings of tradition, & personal connection. It’s that last bit that really struck me last night while having the pleasure of dining in your establishment. You see I have been fortunate enough to participate in many a tasting menu as life changing food is a true passion of mine. Today I find myself not so much discussing the items on your menu that I enjoyed most from a palette stand point but those which invoked a feeling of connection to you & your staff. In my many years of gallivanting the food scene I have never been presented with a story to accompany a dish, or I guess in this case a course. I’m sure at this point you realize I am talking about your “leftover” chicken dish. The subtle art of story telling is one that thrills me to the core & it was an honor to experience a slice of your life through the expression of love, admiration, & nostalgia you put into that. I applaud you on your candor & your vulnerability when openly sharing a shining glimpse into the food, events, & emotions that led you to cook the food that you do. In addition to this radiant moment, I also truly enjoyed the touch of perspective you injected into your truffle course with Stanley. You have created food that is deeply personal, not just to yourself but also to those involved in its construction & that is the true measure of great art. I am grateful for the experience & hope to have the fortune of dining with you all again very soon. These moments of passion & love are the subtle strengths that elevate you to the stars my friends, of course not discounting your impeccable preparatory skills, but I would be remiss if I did not express my hope that you continue to find places to insert them into the story that is an evening at Frog.

It is with the warmest of regards & deepest appreciation that I write you,

Your newest regular,

Charlie Rogers

Day Twelve

Even though all other COVID regulations for travel had been lifted at this point & even though both Evan & I are fully vaxxed & boosted US Citizens, we still had to get a COVID test to reenter the US no more than 24 hours before our flight.

Evan had scheduled us a 9 AM appointment to have a rapid antigen test done, we hadn’t gone to bed til at least 2 AM that same morning. In addition to lack of sleep we were hungover as all get out so crawling through Covent Garden to Soho at 8:45 was a struggle & a half.

Our tests were quick, only taking about 10 minutes total in the testing location, but once again we were in a facility with rude, entitled Americans.

I truly give Americans a bad rep in this blog series don’t I, or at least I have a knack for calling them out on their BS. I don’t mean to appear “greater than” it’s just, y’all, we have to be better.

Anyway, back to this rude American couple. They were both well in their late-60s & truthfully were not only rude to the French attendants at the clinic but also to us upon entering. They hadn’t made a reservation, an ongoing theme it seems, & were demanding to be tested asap. Luckily for them there had been a no show so they had tests available. The clinicians handled it much better than I would have too, I’d have told them to kick rocks & maybe plan ahead next time, have fun rescheduling your flight!

Now tested & still wildly hungover the daily hunt for coffee began. We decided to try a coffee shop just down the street from the flat called The Espresso Room. Ordering yet another Iced Drip I also was instructed to get an Almond Croissant, a pastry I had passed up a week prior at Monmouth. WHY DID I PASS UP THE ALMOND CROISSANT?! No one told me they were filled!!! This almond croissant was massive, like almost a foot long, & it was incredible. It has also instilled a new dopamine obsession for me, that of course being the almond croissant. Don’t sleep on her, she’s busin’.

We decided that a walk would probably help the hangover & the streets of Covent Gardens were completely deserted, so we went walkabout. On our voyage around the borough we stumbled upon a little courtyard that had a catholic church tucked in the back, St Paul’s Church. The exciting thing, to us, about St. Paul’s is that they had cats. Two absolutely stunning black cats that have been residents of the church all their lives & spend their days wandering Inigo Jones Garden. Even though we were only a day away from being home with our animals we had to stop & spend a little time with the kitties.

It had now become time to pack & prepare for our departure. Heading back to the flat we gathered our belongings, forgetting the breakfast offering from Frog, hugged V&R goodbye, & hopped the Piccadilly Line back to Heathrow.

From here the journey is pretty standard; security, snacks from duty-free for the flight attendants, one last smoked salmon sandwich for the road, a matcha latte, & finally boarding. We were sat in the same exact seats as our trip into the UK only this time the plan was stay awake at all costs. Remember folks, the rule is sleep overnight going East, stay the hell awake going West. I wrote the above note, did a bit of object writing, we caught up on Moon Knight & then proceeded to bing Heartstopper.

We arrived at JFK around 9PM EST ready to PTFO, unfortunately we still had to go through immigrations, customs, grab bags, hop into an Uber, & drive across Queens to our hotel just outside of LaGuardia, all of which turned out to be fairly painless.

We arrived at Aloft around 10:30 & were passed out, having had dinner from a vending machine, around 11.

Day Thirteen

We really only got around 5-6 hours of sleep, our flight out of New York was early, departing around 7 AM. We had to be in line for the shuttle by 4:30 AM & it was packed!

LaGuardia security was more of a pain than Heathrow & customs combined, so I’m glad we got there early.

There’s truly not that much more interesting to tell from here on out. We landed in Nashville at 8:30 CST, had to pay far too much for an Uber home, then stayed up all day to try & beat the jetlag…it didn’t work…

Afterward

If you’ve made it this far I’m grateful for you taking the time out of your day or night or whenever you’re reading this to do so!

Traveling, exchanging stories, customs, cuisine, art, music, & culture are the things that fill me with life. It is truly my honor to go one these adventures & share these experiences with you. I hope you gain something out of reading them & find them informative & or inspiring in one way or another.

I’d like to thank Victoria & Rhys for being so accommodating to us, The Donowhos for your years & years of love & support & willingness to help me & mine, the people of Dumfries for opening up your town & hearts so hospitably to me, & anyone I may have missed along the way. Shoutout to Ross for putting your sound & videography skills to use on my behalf, I can’t wait to show off the footage! Thank you to Evan for being the patient, easygoing travel companion you are! You all made this trip a joy & made my 30th one for the books.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for taking the time to give this a read!

Much love to you all,

-C

End Of Part Three

End Of Blog Series For The United Kingdom