Text 48, 137 rader
Skriven 2006-04-06 09:33:43 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Michael Loo
Ärende: FROM AUSTRALIA 467 60406
================================
 -=> Quoting Michael Loo to All <=-

 ML> [I'm not sure why Kevin wants me to post these things
 ML> on the echo instead of doing it himself; anyhow, this
 ML> one does refer to food and to other friends of ours.
 ML> I have slightly emended this for obscenity, but the
 ML> flavor is distinctly Aussie and distinctly Kevin.]

In self-defence I am forced to add my comments to Kevin's report.

 ML> Then I was accosted by Gerg, and Dort... We wandered around for a few
 ML> minutes, then at 1042ore acknowledged some skinny white-haired codger
 ML> standing beside us, screaming!!!

In best railway practice, I had arranged to meet the others precisely
15 minutes before departure time.  I even saw Leonore as she was
typing out a text message on her mobile phone to tell me she had
arrived.   With her vision impaired free pass, she has no trouble
passing the turnstiles.

 ML> boring trip out. We arrived at Gawler Central about an hour later...
 ML> Then, as Gerg had a plan of attack. We wandered down the ?3km to the
 ML> hotel as chosen by Glenge!

It was actually only about 1 km, but being the main street of an old
country town, it was full of lovely old buildings, including about 6
pubs, and an old emporium "where the change hums on wires" - a system
of flying foxes radiating from a central raised cashier's platform.

 ML> Leonore and I went ahead, having a good perv at whatever there was...
 ML> Hotels, bottleshops, antiques, food joints etc. They eventually caught

 ML> Leonore commented that all the shops seemed so old fashioned. Clothes
 ML> on racked in the street... It is obviously still a country town. Low
 ML> crime rate.

Prices shown on the open-to-the-street greengrocer's displays were
quite low, reflecting the town's proximity to the main vegetable
growing area supplying Adelaide.

 ML> The Kingsford Hotel had a normal pub frontage, a public beer garden

 ML> We eventually decided to dine in the back, covered, beer garden. I
 ML> ordered a stone-grilled fillet steak, Glern a stout beef pie, Gerg a
 ML> dish that I cannot recall, Leonore a vegetarian lasagne, and Dort a
 ML> Roast of the Day... pork.

Greg and Dorothy both had the "roast of the day" pork; one with the
roast veggies and the other with salad and chips.

 ML> I bought a 1L carafe of Hardy's Cabernet Sauvignon [$10]... 

Which could have been ordered by the glass.   At $2 a glass for house
wines, the cheapest I have seen anywhere in a pub.

 ML> Our meal arrived... Glenges' was a strange comnination of a largish
 ML> mould of mashed potato [I presume], covered with some stout marinated
 ML> beef [Nice, but slightly dry, IMO], and some mescul.
 ML> Dorothy's pork roast looked elegantly sufficient.

More than sufficient, in fact, but Kevin had had the forethought to
bring a plastic "take-away" box, which he later filled with left-overs
from his and Dorothy's plate.

 ML> Leonore's lasagne looked HUGE!!! It looked superb!

She was surprised that she ate the lot.

 ML>  I was too overcome with what I had ordered, suggested by, and
 ML> all the main courses paid by Glen.

And all the 1.5 litres of wine paid for by Kevin.

 ML> My meal arrived. It was a plastic plate with an almost red hot 2cm
 ML> thick slab of granite, or what ever. I never took much notice!

The hot rock sat on a foil dish on a tray, with separate dishes
alongside holding vegetables and meat and a sauce.

 ML> There were three largish slices of fillet beef, and two slices of
 ML> chicken fillet grilling on the stone. Alongside, as part of the
 ML> 'plastic' tray were a large pile of cheese broccoli/cauliflower/boiled
 ML> 'horse' carrot, decidedly spent/withered green beans, a whole red
 ML> ?'cherry' tomatoe [it was oval in shape...]
 ML> The vegetables were mainly smothered with a lovely cheese sauce...
 ML> It was accompanied by a small saucer of plebian BBQ sauce.

I tasted the steak, which Kevin seared, then allowed to cook a little
more as the stone cooled.  Perfect medium rare, tasty and tender.  The
sauce, which remained untouched, was a very ordinary, commercial steak
sauce.

A nice touch was that we were told to help ourselves to rolls and
butter from the dining room, so Greg collected them and brought in a
basket.   Lovely fresh sesame seed bread rolls and room temperature
packets of butter.

 ML> I then got another 500ml of red [$5.50] and the top dessert [$6.90],
 ML> which we all devoured rather eagerly...

The dessert was a Knickerbocker Special - a wondrous concoction of
cream, fruit and assorted toppings.  We ordered just one, with 5
spoons so we devoured it by stages as it was passed around the table.
It made about 4 circuits before Kevin finished it.  All of us were
completely filled by then.

 ML> I left a "Thank You, Love, Kevin XXX" note on a serviette...

In lieu of a tip.  All payments for food and drink were made in
advance when ordering, to the barman.  The waitress was quite chatty,
and regaled us with stories of dealing with Saturday night drunks in
the bar.

 ML> We then staggered across the road to a welfare shop. I bought a couple
 ML> of pairs of trousers [still haven't tried them on!], Dorothy chatted

Just as well, as the trousers he was wearing were falling apart, and
barely decent.  The secondhand ones apparently fitted perfectly.
Leonore bought a winter jacket, and later Greg got shoes.

 ML> We then set off again. I suggested another pub, but they kept
 ML> walking... [bladder near exploding!!!]
 ML> Leonore, the officially blind one, then led us through warrens and
 ML> unchartered paths to a coffee-incensed mall! I found a suitable place
 ML> to relieve myself... [at the back of the coffee bar, no less!!!]

There was, in fact, a toilet in that area...

Arrived home at about 4.30pm.  A very pleasant day's outing.  And
there are quite a lot of pubs in Gawler still left to try.   We now
have ideas about that kind of "stone-grilling", possibly using cement
pavers.  Something to be considered for a barbecue on summer days in
the bush-fire season when there is a total fire ban.
___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]

--- FLAME v2.0/b
 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)