Doug E. Fresh

No, it’s the Trans Siberian Express across Russia that’s going to get us.

Nice. I haven’t thought about the protest angle and general disruption/unrest. At this point, we’re still going but watching the situation closely. Traveling from London, so worst case, it’s easy for us to redirect and go somewhere further west.

Supposed to go to Budapest in 3 weeks.

He also has no reason to be in the car because he is a shit driver.

Almost time. Closing my tab at the pub shortly and walking across the street to watch at home.

I have tickets to The Killers on June 3 & 4 at the Emirates and again on June 14 outside of Dublin (Malahide Castle). I think these were bought back in 2019 for a 2020 tour that was postponed twice. Need to find away to start unloading these as I am really only interested in one of the London shows.

Europe travel restrictions and testing look to be coming to an end soon for those that are vaccinated. Booster might be required depending on timing of 2nd jab. UK likely to bin all remaining Covid restrictions later this month, about a month earlier then anticipated. In London, the talk about and concerns around Covid are quickly fading. It’s not something I think about much at all these days.

No surprise that Scotland beat England at Murrayfiled. They were slightly favored and England had several players out with injuries.

Nah, lockdowns and severe restrictions are likely done.

Europe will open up over the course of the next 2 months (my prediction). U.K. was first to reopen, mainly because we were 4 to 6 weeks ahead of the continent with respect to Omicron.

I did it once, around 11 years ago. Was moving from London to Houston in August and had to find a way to get an 18 month old buildog back. Most airlines had banned flying brachycephalic dogs in the hold, plus being August weather there was not another option (outside of giving up the mutt). So, we flew business class, bought an extra seat to create some space (which we ultimately didn't need) and it was fine. I wouldn't want to do it again but was a bit of a necessity at the time.

Excellent, let me know what you’re planning for Budapest and will do the same.

Resurrecting this thread as I’m going to Budapest in March. I’ve been 4 times before so know it reasonably well but it has been over a decade since the last trip. So, I’m looking for any recs on the restaurant scene plus thoughts on day trips. Always wanted to do Eger - anyone been and is it worth a day? Other suggestions?

It’s beautiful country out there. My FIL lives in Sequim, about an hour west of Port Townsend. We were up there in November and went by Fort Worden when we were spending the day in PT. Didn’t realize this was filmed there until my FIL told me.

Both those places are great for food as well. I mention Sorrento (and Da Marco) because it fits the "quaint/classic" atmosphere better than those two, which have a much more casual feel.

Ledbury decided to reopen, just announced yesterday. Opens on the 28th to “friends and family” so should be open to the public in February. I booked a dinner on a Friday evening in April and looking forward to it.

Yeah, Da Marco is clearly superior. All depends on how much one wants to spend.

If you like Italian, look into Sorrento or Da Marco. Both in the same area, on Westheimer near Montrose.

Don’t really see this one as a OHW. The Verve had a lot of other songs that did well - Drugs Don’t Work, Lucky Man, Sonnet

Ahhh but they had a bigger hit, at least in the U.K. Their top song on the charts was Letter from America, which is a good one. That being said, when I lived in Scotland, people went nuts to 500 miles (and still do).

Yep, it couldn’t be any more obvious. The info below is the latest trend in the UK, which is roughly a month or more ahead of the U.S. Daily cases are basically 3x the same time last year and hospitalizations are half. We should be out of this in a few weeks here.

Yep, that was a bummer. He’s going to open another restaurant but it will be more casual - brasserie type place. We did roast at the Harwood Arms, where he’s focusing now, and it was great. Just too pricey for a roast.

I’ve heard it will reopen this year but nothing official yet.

Happy to help. Fortunately London restaurants have generally survived the pandemic well, although it has been difficult. There have been a couple of big closures at the high end of the dining scene, notably The Ledbury (my fav in London), The Greenhouse and Bar Boulud. One thing I have really noticed is that London has become much more casual. Some of that was already happening, but the pandemic has taken it to a new level. All the restaurants below can be done with relatively casual dress. I went to Restaurant Gordon Ramsay over the summer and wore a suit, as I have always done, and felt over dressed. But, lots of new places have popped up and are surviving and some even thriving. Here are some of the key ones: Core by Clare Smyth (Notting Hill) - I think this is hands down the best place in London now. Nearly impossible to get a table but if you get on a waiting list or check open table, you might snag a spot. Kol (Marylebone) - This place is really cool. Santiago Lastra is doing a Mexican tasting menu sourced from only local ingredients. And he is doing it really well. There is also a great Mezcaleria in the basement that is good for drinks and snacks. London and the UK are finally discovering good tequila and mezcal. When I first lived here 10 years ago, Cuervo Gold was generally the ceiling. Frog by Adam Handling (Covent Garden) - did the tasting menu here before Christmas and it really impressed. Cool vibe, great food and just on the edge of Covent Garden. Osteria Romana (Knightsbridge) - this little Italian gem was something we discovered after a night out at the V&A. Really great Roman cuisine, reasonably priced and a good local haunt. Louie (Soho) - now this place really delivered, went there last weekend for dinner. It is a former chef from Brennans (NOLA) that opened up a restaurant in the old L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon space on West Street. It is definitely worth a look, but don't expect a Brennans menu. There is a classic French twist to it (Paris Society group backs it) and the food is not as rich/heavy. Carousel (Fitzrovia, formerly Marylebone) - they have rotating chefs that come through for a few weeks at a time. It is usually someone about to open a new place in London or a solid guest chef Kingly Court (off Carnaby Street) - tons of great casual restaurants here and a fun place to eat and drink. I would recommend Imad's Syrian Kitchen, Korean Dinner Party or Dishoom Two Texas themed places I am dying to check out are Sonora Taqueria (Hackney) and Texas Joe's (South Bank), just haven't made the trek over there yet. Other than that, just let me know what area you are staying in and what you like to eat. Will do my best to recommend, although the areas I know best are Marylebone/Fitzrovia/Mayfair and to a lesser extent Soho and Covent Garden.

Ahhh but it’s not Scott. It’s Scut