Question for the Americans, rate our food...

[chas]

I haven't been to the UK, only Ireland and a few continental countries. I agree with Ron that the food in Ireland is good. In the metro areas there's a good variety of different foods, and in the country, it may not be fancy, but it's good, honest food. (Once you realize that "restaurants" can't serve beer, only pubs can.) There's nothing like stopping at a takeaway place in the middle of the day and getting fish and chips in a newspaper.

Probably the best meal I've gotten in Europe was at the Portuguese equivalent of a truck stop -- i. e., a little place right off an exit from the motorway. We knew some numbers in Portuguese, but not much more, and not one person in the place spoke a word of English. We just ordered the special, which was beans with ham, sausage, etc., with excellent bread and cheese. The sardines grilled right on the beach were great, too.

I'll bet those bands would hate the sardines and the beans.

[Dale]

I liked the food in London. Actually, the hardest thing to deal with was trying to get water with meals. There were Starbucks everywhere but it was really hard to find water. We felt kind of dehydrated.

Dale

[anniemcu]

... The sardines grilled right on the beach were great, too.

I'll bet those bands would hate the sardines and the beans.

Ah... they need a lilttle bite of reality... many do tend to get rather wrapped up in themselves and the artificial life bubble that tends to be built around them. I much prefer the ones that remember they are humans rather than believe they are gods.

[Dale]

Oh and ice. There's no ice in England.

[Flyingcursor]

I liked the food in London. Actually, the hardest thing to deal with was trying to get water with meals. There were Starbucks everywhere but it was really hard to find water. We felt kind of dehydrated.

Dale

Hmm. You've mentioned this now a couple of times. The plot is thickening.

What I couldn't comprehend in Merry Olde England was the lack of air conditioners.

Imagine, here I was, bright and delightfully ill after an evening of competition with members of nearly every corner of the Empire on how well we, as representatives of our respective geographies, could consume mass amounts of vile distilled liquids, and no air conditioning to cool the sweatsoaked brow.

[claudine]

Do you all think that Europe's, and specifically the UK and Scotland's food sucks?

You should not compare british food to continental european food. While most continental countries have very good food, british food is "different", special, challenging... hm ... insular ....
I'm really trying to be polite.

[Flyingcursor]

Do you all think that Europe's, and specifically the UK and Scotland's food sucks?

You should not compare british food to continental european food. While most continental countries have very good food, british food is "different", special, challenging... hm ... insular ....
I'm really trying to be polite.

You have a lovely mischevious smile.

[Jack]

Do you all think that Europe's, and specifically the UK and Scotland's food sucks?

You should not compare british food to continental european food. While most continental countries have very good food, british food is "different", special, challenging... hm ... insular ....
I'm really trying to be polite.

You have a lovely mischevious smile.

I agree. It's very Mona Lisa-ish.

[Walden]

I figure Scottish food ain't that bad, as it's sort of close related to our own grease-soaked traditional cuisine.

[avanutria]

I liked the food in London. Actually, the hardest thing to deal with was trying to get water with meals. There were Starbucks everywhere but it was really hard to find water. We felt kind of dehydrated.

Dale

Just ask for "a pint of tap water", and most pubs will give the options of ice and lemon if you ask. The "tap" bit is important, otherwise it will be bottled spring water. If you ask for a glass of water it will be half sized, though often if you ask for a pint they'll give a glass anyway.

One thai place we went to in 2003 didn't offer tap water so we (party of three) left. Martin still laughs about that one, and wants to see if they offer it now.

[anniemcu]

It can't be too bad, as those that eat it most seem to be thriving on it.

I have a very tolerant palette. If someone else is paying for it, it tastes pretty darned good to me.

[Nanohedron]

Cran, you won't believe it: Nettle Haggis.

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/nettlehaggis.htm

Scottish AND vegetarian.

No, wait. There's bacon in it. You could substitute seitan or soy "bacon" instead.

[Jack]

Cran, you won't believe it: Nettle Haggis.

http://www.selfsufficientish.com/nettlehaggis.htm

Scottish AND vegetarian.

No, wait. There's bacon in it. You could substitute seitan or soy "bacon" instead.

Now that scares me! There's even a link to a recipe for nettle beer!

[Innocent Bystander]

Nettle beer is liable to make you drowsy.
Try Fraoich! Heather Ale!

[Redwolf]

I loved pretty much everything I ate while in England. Now, being a vegetarian, I didn't, obviously, eat as much traditional food as a meat eater might have, but the people I was with were all meat eaters, and they seemed to enjoy their meals (and I saw quite a few things that would have tempted me back in my meat-eating days...particularly the fish and chips from the place next door, which really smelled and looked wonderful). I particularly loved being able to get a jacket potato with any number of great toppings in virtually every pub we entered. We had a wonderful time trying new things from the supermarket every night (we cooked in most evenings and ate our lunches out).

I think a lot of people aren't comfortable eating things that are even remotely unfamiliar to them...which is a shame, because it really limits one. One little girl who was with us couldn't stand the whole wheat bread we bought at Tesco (which I thought was absolutely wonderful!) because it was "different" from the whole wheat bread she gets at home. Another kid couldn't get used to the idea of having something like arugula (rocket) or fresh basil on a sandwich instead of iceberg lettuce. Personally, I enjoyed pretty much everything I tried.

Everybody's going to have something they don't like. When my English friend visited us, she fell in love with root beer, but thought that peanut butter and jelly (jam) sandwiches were about the nastiest thing she'd ever tried. Our German exchange student fell in love with Mexican food, but thought that America potato salad was totally inedible. But most people, if they're honest, will find something they really like as well, wherever they happen to visit.

Redwolf