Irish Wedding Follow up

I've had a few requests for pictures from the wedding in Mayo and as I aim to please, here they are.

Enjoy!

The best thing about an Irish wedding? The food!

Paul claims that I was worried about attending my first Irish wedding... no nerves here, just lots of curiosity. What would the bride wear? Would I have to dance a jig? Would Guiness be the only beverage served? I'm happy to say that the bride wore a lovely, traditional dress and no and no.

At first it looked like I might have gotten my hopes up for nothing. Someone who won't be named forgot to bring the invitation which was posted on the fridge and we weren't sure what time the wedding was. We both thought it was a 1pm so decided to go for that. When at 12:15 we were still finishing breakfast and chatting to Paul's mom, it looked like there was no way we'd make it to the church on time. Surprisingly, I was ready well in time and someone, who also won't be named, held us up by insisting he needed to iron his shirt. Lucky for us, we both have questionable memories and when we arrived at the church at 1:20pm, there were still others arriving and people milling around the front of the church. At 1:35pm, as we tried not to slide off the narrowest pews I've ever sat on, the music started and the wedding began. Perfect timing as usual.

The ceremony was like most Catholic wedding masses with the exchanging of the vows and rings, readings from the Bible, and Communion. But you don't really want to know about the ceremony do you? Thought not!

After a quick stop off for a few drinks in town, the party moved to a hotel just down the road from Paul's parents house, the Park Hotel, where guess what, more drinks! The hotel bar was packed with wedding revelers and there was a great buzz... especially from those crowded around the big screen tvs... no, not the World Cup - that was still a week away. No, it was a Gaelic Football match of Mayo (Paul's home county) vs. Sligo. If you've never seen Gaelic Football here's a link to an match from 2006 between Mayo and Kerry. It's quickly becoming a sport I quite enjoy watching... how could you not like a game that is basketball, soccer, and rugby all rolled into one?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ke_fS_o3TE&feature=fvw

Sadly, to the disappointment of the majority of the wedding guests, Mayo lost and so we all made our way to the dining room to drown our sorrows in a plate of thick cut beef, a mountain of mashed potatoes, and fresh veg. One of the interesting things about the dinner was that as we went through from the bar to the dining room, wait staff were there taking our order for starters and main courses. I realized earlier in the day that we hadn't had to send in our meal selection with the RSVP. I assumed that meant it was a buffet so I was surprised to be asked for my choice just before the meal. The starter options were chicken and bacon salad or a mushroom vol u vent which I could not pronounce for the life of me and kept having to have Paul request for me. It was basically puffed pastry with mushrooms and a creamy sauce. It was lovely and warm and very saucy - just how I like anything that comes with sauce. Following the starter, everyone was given soup. It's been over a week now but I think it was leek and potato soup. I very rarely get soup as a starter - for me soup is good enough to make a meal of. But this soup was quite a nice interlude between the starter and the entree. It was light and flavorful and I would have gladly eaten only that for the main dish. There was a shortage of rolls at our table and I was glad that for once, I wasn't the only one speaking up for more bread.

Then came the most enormous plate of food I've ever seen at a wedding. You would have thought we were down the pub for a Sunday roast! It was so hearty and homey - it was a big difference to the neat and sometimes fussy meals you often get at weddings. The staff came around and served everyone individually which seems a bit silly to me... especially when there are 200 people who need to eat! It seemed like every course, ours was the last table to be served. Before the entree fixings came out, we were giving piping hot plates and by the time the platters made their way to us, they were luke warm at best. For me, this is not a big deal but for Paul, a warm plate is an essential part of every meal. Paul grew up in a house where the plates are warmed up in the oven. I know this is common in alot of homes but not ours. For me, it is just not a part of my meal prep and I have yet to make it a part of my routine. This leads to a complaint or two at just about every meal I cook - one of these days... I'll get those plates in the oven.

The main course was so large that no one at the table came close to cleaning their plate. And before long, another plate appeared in front of each of us. Now normally, you would expect such a plate to arrive with a piece of wedding cake (pictured above - what do you think Brian?). But no, we were treated to a medley of desserts. According to Paul, the wedding cake is often not served to the guests but instead taken home by the family. Dessert is one of my favorite parts of a meal and getting to have four different desserts at once is pretty close to heaven. I can't say that these four were quite my cup of tea. The profiteroles were the best of the medley, followed by the meringue nest with fruit and whipped cream. I can't say I love mint ice cream so I let Paul dig into that. The final dessert was I think supposed to be a sort of cheesecake but was far from anything you'd find in Boston's North End.

With dessert served and the speeches done, it was time to take a break in the bar and enjoy some traditional Irish music and a few more drinks while the dining room was changed over into the dance floor. Now if you think that dessert was the end of the eating, you are very wrong. After some good music from the cover band, a good bit of dancing, and a few more pints, out came the platters of sandwiches and mini sausages. It's such a great idea and nice to have some nibbles after a good stretch of drink and dance. Not surprisingly though, we were all still so full from dinner that not too many went for a snack. And I have to say, if the mini sausages were wrapped in a biscuit, I'd have eaten alot more of them!

It was not long after that the DJ took over and a new round of dancing began. At 2 am, the party was still going strong and Paul and I had had our fill. So it was back to the farm and into bed to dream of more plates piled high with meat, potatoes, and veg smothered in gravy.

Eating Bristol with Kyla

Now I know this blog is supposed to be about me and Paul in Bristol so it may seem odd that in only the second post, I'm writing about eating that happened without him. But since Kyla's visit (my first guest!) is so fresh in my mind, I thought I better recap it now. Sorry Paul!

So the lovely Kyla joined me in Bristol for a fun-filled 5 days. We had an intense schedule of site-seeing activities which included Horseworld (which is basically Disneyworld but with lots of one-eyed horses, the two cutest potbelly pigs ever, and lots of weird horse-themed sculptures), the Bristol Zoo, Blaise Castle (and the surrounding woods that are NOT the public footpath despite what the signs say), the Roman Baths and the new and luxurious Thermae Spa baths which feature a spectacular rooftop view, and much, much more. As you can imagine, we worked up quite an appetite! So you ask, what did we eat?

Well, for starters, I introduced Kyla to one of Paul and my's favorite spots for breakfast - The Boston Tea Party. Now I know what you're thinking? Two things: 1. that I only like going there because of the Boston reference and 2. the great irony of a cafe named for such a significant historical event that kicked off America's battle to kick England's butt (just like they'll do again in the first match of the World Cup!) Actually, Paul and I just stopped in because we were looking for a quick and easy breakfast that you can get all day during our first official week in Bristol. I don't think either of us would say it's the best breakfast, but it does the job, has a nice atmosphere, and is close by. www.bostonteaparty.co.uk

Kyla's usual (we went there two or three times mainly because of misinformation on the web about others' opening times) is the Boston latte and the veggie breakfast which features scrambled eggs with tomatoes, toast, beans, a grilled tomato, and mushrooms. On all occasions the mushrooms were inedible...and rather unpleasant to look at I have to admit as a breakfast spectator.

My usual is poached eggs on a bagel with ham and a side of beans with an Earl Grey tea. I'm always surprised the poached eggs on a bagel don't come with beans but on the upside, when I ask for a side of beans, I generally get a large bowlful. As you'll note, beans and tea will feature often on the blog.

All-in-all, Boston Tea Party offers a basic breakfast in a quirky setting.

For a better breakfast and a charming experience, we went to Primrose Cafe just off a small park called Victoria Square that has fast become a favorite spot of ours. It is just up the road from our flat and you enter through a lovely bower of trees. There is a stone paved and walled walkway leading to the other end of the park and on either side are nicely-kept lawns perfect for a picnic or to enjoy the rare sunshine with a good book. At the end of the walkway, you cross the road and walk under a stone archway which has a gourmet deli tucked inside it on the left. And once you're through the archway, you've entered Clifton Village.

Primrose Cafe is a great little spot with a vibrant blue storefront and is just next to an arcade of shops. We sat outside and enjoyed a brunch before heading off to the shops...and the Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Camera Obscura in the lookout tower and the cave under the tower and a trek to Long Ashton estate that ended just before the estate at which point we turned back and went to the zoo. Good thing we ate breakfast! Primrose is supposed to be an excellent place for a romantic dinner (hint, hint Paul) so I look forward to going back on a summer evening. www.primrosecafe.co.uk

So that was breakfast.

Despite eating alot and at alot of different places, I think Kyla and I both agreed we could put together one good dining experience by taking things from a few different meals as none were really outstanding on their own. Here's what that meal would have looked like:

• A Caipirinha from Brown's Restaurant for the cocktail. The caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail and is made with cachaça, sugar, and lime. The one at Brown's was delicious and my peach bellini paled in comparison. I'm not much of a drinker but I'll definitely go back for one (or two or three) of those.

• The pan-fried goat's cheese with onion marmalade for the appetizer at haha bar and grill. We tried to go to haha on Friday night but when we arrived we were told they were fully-booked - as in no tables available at all for the rest of the night. Kyla and I were quite perplexed by this but decided we'd go elsewhere and book in immediately for Saturday night at haha. The menu looked excellent and we were dying to try it. Despite the promising sound of butternut squash, bleu cheese, and walnut risotto and an extensive dessert menu, the goat's cheese appetizers was the only stand out of the meal. Haha does have a really nice bar and outdoor patio. The vibe was good and I think it would be on my list of places to go for a drink - and a goat's cheese snack.

• For the entree? Dessert. I'll have to confer with Kyla on this but from what I can recall, there were no entrees that we really loved. Probably the most memorable mains experience was at Cosmo - or as I like to call it: The Crazy Asian buffet. Paul and I had walked by this restaurant often since it is on my way to and from work. It is always packed for dinner so one night we thought we'd give it a try. From the outside it looks very sleek and modern. When you get inside you realize that it is basically just a classy china buffet with all sorts of Pan-Asian offerings. The food is your average Asian buffet fare but it has quite an impressive dessert buffet - impressive to look at but not necessarily to eat. Oddly, most of the desserts look delicious but taste bland or strange. My favorite thing about The Crazy Asian Buffet is the big bowl of Eton Mess on the dessert station. Eton Mess has quickly become one of my new favorite desserts. It is basically berries, whipped cream, and meringue - pretty simple but very addictive. Unless you have it at haha where Kyla had a basically meringue-less Eton Mess. Eton Mess without meringue is like...uh... well it's just not right! (It's late and I couldn't think of anything funny to put there. Kyla? A little help?) However, at The Crazy Asian buffet you get iceberg-like chunks of meringue and loads of sweet berries and sauce. I really think next time I go there, I'll just take the bowl of Eton Mess to my table and dig in! www.comso-restaurants.co.uk

• And for dessert, to follow on the Eton Mess entree, it would have to be sticky toffee pudding. Kyla had always wanted to try this dessert and during her time in Bristol, definitely got her fill. It was ordered 3 times in total - twice by her and once by me. I'm usually not a fan of cakey-bread desserts like bread pudding but sticky toffee pudding has made me a convert and I wouldn't be surprised if Kyla requests it be added to her wedding dessert buffet. This is an extremely rich dessert - it's cake drenched in warm, toffee sauce after all. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have heaven. As the Bristolians say, it's lush.
  
  The final highlight of eating Bristol with Kyla was the discovery of a tasty cookie or biscuit that came all the way from South Africa. We were visiting St Nicholas Market which is a fantastic maze of indoor stalls selling clothes, jewelry, food, and lots of kitschy things. We happened upon a store selling South African goods. At first we were going to walk right by but then we noticed the boxes of cookies and biscuits in the window. They called to us to go in and a few minutes later, we left with a box of Chockits biscuits and a hardback comic biography about Nelson Mandela. Chockits are small, oval-shaped biscuits with a hint of toasted coconut and a smooth chocolate fudgy filling. I just finished the box tonight and despite the shopkeeper suggesting you'd only want to buy items from her shop if you'd been to South Africa and being very confused that neither Kyla or I had... I will be going back for more! www.biltongdirect.co.uk/images/super/chockits.jpg
  
  Oh and how could I forget - Swinky's Sweets?! This pink shop had caught my eye many times but was always closed when I wanted to pop in. The giant cupcake in the window was like a beacon! Kyla and I made it a priority to go and see what it was all about. Swinky's sells cakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, and Fluff... Yes, Fluff from the good ol' US of A! (Lynn, MA in fact) Swinky's has a little American treats corner with things like Goober Grape, Big Red gum, Jif peanut butter, and Aunt Jemima maple syrup. A little corner of processed and packaged goodness from home! Since we had just eaten, we didn't try out any of the freshly-made treats but Kyla made sure to get a jar of Fluff to take back to her fiance Andrew who is from Lynn... and I will be going back for a sundae very, very soon. www.swinkysweets.com
  
  Well - I think that about sums it up. Kyla - I hope I've done it justice.
  
  And for all those Paul fans, don't worry. He'll be featured in the next installment which will document me and Paul eating at my first Irish wedding. Let's hope it's more than a liquid menu!
  
  Goodnight and eat well from Bristol!

This is a blog about food...

Shocking but true. Did the title give it away? This blog is our attempt to document our eating adventures in and around Bristol and beyond. We thought it would be a great way for us to keep a record of our experiences as we get to know a new city and a new country as well as our travels beyond our new home. We hope it will give you - our family and friends (and potentially interested strangers) - a taste (pun intended, but of course!) of what we're up to and what life is like over here.

So let's start at the beginning - well sort of... It's been just over 2 months since I moved to Bristol and as you can imagine, Paul and I have eaten quite alot over that time. Between bacon and cheese baps (that's a breakfast sandwich for the Americans), lots of beans in tomato sauce, the most gorgeous lamb we've ever had (besides Paul's Mom's roasts), a crazy Asian buffet, Eton Mess, and more than a few takeaways - it's tough to remember everything and everywhere we've eaten so far. In subsequent posts we'll try to recap the highlights and the lowlights from the last 9 weeks and feature new eating adventures as they happen. We hope you'll check in with us from time-to-time to see what we're up to, where we've been, what we've seen, and, of course, what we're eating.