Day thirteen in Oxford

So somehow I managed to miss a few days of posting: my apologies!

Here's the pic of the day:

Little Clarendon Street at night.

Review: Cardiff Castle

This week we took an overnight trip to Cardiff, simply because none of us had ever been to Wales. As I go through the pictures and organize my thoughts, I'll be giving you some feedback on the various sites.

First, Cardiff Castle.
We went to Cardiff Castle because it seemed to be one of the big things to do in Cardiff. There’s a lot of history there – the castle dates back from the Roman times, and was knocked down and rebuilt various times over the years.

For me, the high point of the history was the tunnel that had been used as an air-raid shelter during WWII. With the metal bunks, authentic propaganda posters, and piped-in music, the scene was haunting.

The low point of the attraction was the informational video that preceded the self-guided audio tour. It was one of the cheesiest and least information films I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot!). The concept has a Welsh girl and boy running throughout the city, encountering historical figures, as an illustration of the castle in the center of the screen changes with the years. While I thought the concept was creative, I didn’t really learn anything from it (and I promise, I was trying!).

The in-betweens included the castle itself, perched high upon a hill, and the spectacular views of Cardiff from the top.

We went into some of the castle buildings, which had awesome old décor and furniture and stuff.

There were also some birds of prey in a pen, including this huge owl with awesome orange eyes, and two peacocks roaming the grounds.

I’m at a point where I’m pretty burnt out on history, but Cardiff Castle was worth it!

Review: Kazbar on Cowley Road

After three nights at Oxford’s Grill (if you missed it, check out my review here), we decided to give some of the other food in the area a shot.

We decided on Kazbar, a tapas restaurant on Cowley Road, which had caught our eye earlier because of their “half price tapas” deal from 5:00-6:00 on weekdays.

The atmosphere of Kazbar is worth the price of admission; cozy banquettes are lined with colorful cushions, punched tin lanterns gently light the room, and the gentle smell of incense wafts across the entryway as you make your way to the back.

The service is friendly and helpful; the hummus is tasty, although the bread it’s served with is warmed slices of Italian bread, not the authentic pita I was hoping for.

The sangria was very lovely, with a gentle, warm spice to it, and the pitcher held more sangria than we thought from looking at it.

We ordered a total of eight tapas between the three of us. I’ll start with the ones that were fine or good, and move up to the best.

First, my mom’s orders. She ordered the pimientos piquillo con alcachufas, a roasted pepper and artichoke dish with goat cheese. She also got the albondigas, spiced meatballs, and gambas al pil pil, prawns in a chili garlic herb butter.

While all three were fine, the best was absolutely the spiced meatballs. They were incredibly tasty, and spicy enough that I needed a bit of tzatziki to cool the bite. Next, my orders. I ordered the fabada asturiana, which consisted of chorizo, black pudding, and butter beans in a tomato paprika sauce. It was very tasty. My escalivada, or char-grilled vegetables, was lovely, but consisted of a thin slice of zucchini, a thin slice of eggplant, a strip of roast pepper, and half of a tiny artichoke. I was hoping for a heartier portion.

Finally, as always, dad seems to be the superstar at ordering. First, he ordered the chorizo a la sidra from the specials menu, a baked chorizo with cooked onions in cider. I would absolutely order this again; in fact, we spent a good part of the meal discussing other ways we could use this onion and cider combination in recipes.

Second, he ordered the merguez, a sausage made from beef, lamb, and harissa, served with tzatziki. This dish was soooooo fantastic; I’m pretty sure I made inappropriate noises while sampling it. I would absolutely order it again.

He also ordered the pork ribs, which were delightful; I wouldn’t put them on my short list, but only because ribs are a dish I’ve had many times before. If you like ribs, order them: you will not be disappointed.

We ordered the Turkish Delight for dessert, more out of curiosity than anything else. I was expecting to like the rosewater flavored pieces, but they were too strong and sweet for me. Dad enjoyed the lemon ones.

The final verdict; for ambiance, half-price tapas, and sangria on a weekday evening, absolutely go to Kazbar. However, if you’re really more concerned with having a solid, phenomenal meal, go two doors down to Oxford’s Grill.

Day ten in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

Tasty tapas at Kazbar on Cowley Road... review to come!

UK Tip of the day

Something I have noticed since being in England:

My skin is very, very dry.

So dry that I've had to borrow my mom's face and body moisturizers almost every day, and I'm glopping my Rosebud Salve on my cuticles like there's no tomorrow.

Even though I never, EVER use moisturizer.

(Yes, I know, I'm ALWAYS supposed to use moisturizer even though I'm pretty sure my forehead could singlehandedly end our dependence on foreign oil).

I don't know if it's because summer is turning into fall, and the change of seasons can do weird things to a body (sniffles, sore throats, etc.).

I'm tending to blame it on the water, as I think this is what's called "hard" water.

So anyway

my point is

even if you don't usually use any moisturizer, you might want to pick some up just in case.

And if you do, maybe spring for something thicker and more hardcore.

I, for one, will be heading to Boots to look for a gentler face wash (even though it will be hard for me to buy something WITHOUT salicylic acid) and an oil-free, light moisturizer. If I'm feeling indulgent, I may also treat myself to something luxurious from the Lush on Cornmarket.

Anyone else having this problem?

Day Nine - more Cardiff!

Picture of the day:

Cardiff Bay - standing on a sunny dock, watching ominous clouds roll in over the bay.

Day Eight - In Cardiff!

Picture of the day:

The view from the top of Cardiff Castle.

Day seven in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

The sky finally clears after a windy, rainy day.

Review: Oxford's Grill

Oxford’s Grill… where do I start? Well, I’ll start with last night.
That was when my parents went out to dinner and I stayed home to watch Doctor Who. While “The Power of Three” was well-done (if a bit cheesey – does anyone else dislike Amy’s voice-overs?), I apparently missed out on the best. Dinner. Ever.
SO, when it came time to decide on a restaurant for tonight, there really wasn’t any question.
Oxford’s Grill it was.
When we got there, we quickly decided that the two-course special for £9.95 would result in too much food, as my parents had come home stuffed to the gills last night. We decided on two appetizers each (plus a seventh to be split). This, as it turns out, was the perfect balance.
We’ll start with dad’s choices.
The sucuk – Turkish sausage – was beyond phenomenal. It was heavily spiced but not spicy; the impression I got was a very light, delicate flavor that built and built to a dense, flavorful crescendo.
He also ordered the Inegol Kofte, a minced spiced lamb. While I’ve had kofte at Greek restaurants, this was just a little more special: small meatballs with a subtle, full flavor.
Next, mom.
Mom ordered the calamari. While the calamari itself was good but not special, the tartar sauce it was served with was a delight. I’m not sure what made it different from a more typical tartar sauce, but it was. (Sorry I can’t be more specific; I’m a food fan, not a food expert!).
Now, the Sigara Borek. Mom ordered these filo rolls stuffed with feta, spinach, and parsley, based on her positive experience last night with the goat cheese and vegetable appetizer.
I have never heard her speak more highly of a dish.
She said things like “I could die right now and I’d go to heaven” and “I would order this for my last meal.”
She also used the word “nirvana” a lot.
Third, my orders.
I ordered the Cop Lamb; tender, marinated cubes of lamb grilled to perfection. Now, I adore lamb, even though I don’t get to eat it very often, and this lamb was potentially the best I’ve ever had. It was flavorful and tender while still giving the impression of being very basic and home-cooked.
I have to admit that I feel bad for the Borek that I ordered. These filo triangles filled with roasted vegetables and lentils, and served with a Cacik sauce (similar to a tzatziki), were definitely the underdogs of the evening. The tragedy is that had I ordered them by themselves, they would have been wonderful; compared to all of the lovely meat dishes that I ordered, they were simply fine. However, do not write them off; they paled only in comparison.
Finally, we ordered a Beef Carpaccio to share. According to dad, it was the best he’d ever have. I’m inclined to agree. It literally melts in your mouth (and I do not use the word “literally” lightly!). Oh my god. When I move to my dorm room on the other side of town, I will still venture to this side of Magdalen Bridge specifically for that dish.
When we finished, we were full but not stuffed, so we ventured to the dessert menu, deciding on the baklava (dad’s favorite) and the crème brulee (to be shared by me and mom). Well, “shared” ended up being a strong word, as I finished the majority of the dish myself. It was beautifully caramelized, subtly sweet, and served with a sauce that I believe was currant but cannot remember, but was delicious as well.
I did not try the baklava, as I was too busy making sure I got my fair share of the crème brulee, but I hear it was delicious.
The bottle of La Linda Malbec was lovely.
The service was warm, attentive, and unobtrusive.
We spent most of the meal rhapsodizing over the food; I have to imagine that this is a good sign. We also agreed that it was in the top ten we’d each ever had; that is a bold statement that we do not make lightly.

Mom salvaging the last of the Cacik sauce.

Day six in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

Empty dessert plates at Oxford's Grill. Review to come soon!

Observation

The porn store on the corner is open on Sunday. The health food store next to it is not. We're not in Jersey any more.

Day five in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

The colors are starting to change in the Cotswolds!

UK tip of the day

Important thing you need to know:

Hot water in England tends to be hot. Like, really REALLY hot.

This is especially annoying when you're using a sink that has double faucets.

My personal recommendation is to put the soap on your hands first, and use the hot water faucet to rinse, finishing your rinse before it gets too hot.

But that's just me...

Day Four in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

The sign to the sex store around the corner from our apartment. So polite!

Review: Taylors Sandwich Shop

I’ve visited Taylors Gourmet Sandwich and Deli Co. twice in the past two days, since it’s around the corner from my room. One of my visits was much more enjoyable than the other. The freshly-made sandwiches are pretty good – mom and I both had the crayfish salad (as that’s something we don’t really get in the states). They were fresh-tasting, filling, and reasonably priced.

Given the positive experience on the first day, we decided to stop there again the next day; when you’re tired and walking all day, you want familiarity. However, since we stopped there after lunch, there was a MUCH more limited selection (two chorizo pepper sandwiches, one mozzarella sandwich, and one duck wrap). Disappointed, we walked across the street to the other Taylors (I’m not quite sure how it works… this one had more pre-made food – pre-packaged sandwiches, etc.). I grabbed a smoked salmon sandwich, and mom went with mozzarella. Sadly, the mozz sandwich was bland, and the cream cheese to salmon ratio in my sandwich was a little high for my taste (also, while the spicy mustard was tasty, it seemed a bit out of place on a smoked salmon sandwich).

So, the overall verdict is go for the fresh food, avoid the pre-made stuff.

Day Three in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

Sausage rolls from the Tesco Metro for breakfast. Bonus: they were six for a pound! In other news, how do I make my American keyboard make a pound sign?

Day Two in Oxford

Oxford picture of the day:

Rearranged my bedroom. It looks a bit haphazard, but it opens up part of the room, and I like that my bed is now by the internet hookup.

When I used to visit Oxford, I always wondered how people could live their everyday lives somewhere as beautiful as this. Now that Oxford will be my everyday life, I get it. Just walking around, I haven't been stopping to look at pretty things or take pictures or explore. I don't know if that's because I've had other things on my mind like what I need to get to set up my room or what I have to do as far as my college goes, or maybe because I know I have time to get to know the city.

Day One

Oxford photo of the day:

The sign for Banbury road, where I power-walked the 2.5 miles to the housing agent's office to sign my tenancy contract, then the 2.5 miles back... my feet will be hurting tomorrow!