If you're new to Edinburgh and you like food too, then my blog might interest you, but if you're not new to Edinburgh then feel free to give me a piece of your mind, but, er, only if it's constructive, please. I'm not really a fan of anonymous verbal abuse; a growing pastime for many people on internet forums and such.
I've been in Edinburgh for just over five months now. Up until recently I was annoyed with myself for not starting this blog earlier, but now I think it's best I've had some time to settle first and get acquainted with this very fine, ridiculously charming city.
So why have I bothered with a blog about eating out in Edinburgh? I guess because I really, really like food. I mean I really, really like it. And also because I'm from Melbourne, where I think generally we're spoilt or choice when it comes to food. We have easy access to great quality produce - fruit, meat, vegetables and dairy. Scotland has great produce too, and I'll talk about this in this blog.
I absolutely love eating out (partly due to laziness - I love cooking but...) and I think the standard of dining in Melbourne, including cheap eats and middle of the range dining is generally good. I've missed it a lot actually, since I had my favourite local Thai, pub, Italian bistro, cafe, chocolate shop...*sigh*
Edinburgh eh? Well, er, my boyfriend and I wanted to live in the UK, and Edinburgh sounded like exactly the package we had in mind. It's compact and so easy to get around, and yet it has everything we need. It's beautiful, and so old - so rich in history. Argh, I LOVE its little basement shops, cafes, pubs and bars. So damn cosy, and something I'll miss like crazy when I'm back in Melbourne, as is the plan. On the downside, Edinburgh is bloody cold, which I'm unlikely to miss, except for getting away from it by geting into a cosy little basement nook. Ahhhhhhhhh fireplaces and hardcore heating.
Why such a dumb name for a blog? I dunno. I tried for something that was slightly catchy. I thought about it for about two minutes, so give me a break.
Not really into fine dining - I like good quality, well executed cooking, but I'm probably more at home with rustic Italian and fragrant, zesty Thai than white tablecloths, proper manners and foie gras. And I get awkward when someone tries to put a napkin on my lap or pour my water (I think I can manage - thanks anyway).
I don't pretend to be a 'foodie' or any kind of expert, and when I write about my experience of eating out, it's exactly that - my experience. Yours might be completely different.
When I first got here I really missed the food at home. Generally, the food here is heavier here (not always a bad thing by any means). As I said, Scotland can be a bitterly cold place, so heavier, richer, more carb-laden food can be appropriate here, especially in winter, but I missed what I was used to in Melbourne. I craved things that I wouldn't say were particularly Australian but that were easy to find in Melbourne. OH GOD, HOW I MISS breakfast out! Here in Edinburgh it's perfectly easy to get a Scottish breakfast of potato scone, pork sausage, scrambled eggs, haggis and or black pudding - awesome in its own right - but not so easy to get ricotta hotcakes, corn fritters, or huervos rancheros (Spanish baked eggs). In fairness, there are some spots with food more like this, and on most menus there'll be porridge and maybe muesli/granola but I still ache for those corn fritters with bacon, relish and avocado.
Anyway, I'm quite content now. I've found my local pub. Well, it's relatively close to my house, because if you live in inner-city Edinburgh, then most things within walking distance here.
I've found great Thai, decent Italian, excellent bistros...
... but I think there's much more to try.
I've also found some depressing food. I mean I think my tastebuds cried, or just uttered a subtle 'meh...' But this happened in Melbourne as well - of course - and I'm sure it'll keep happening as I travel and try new things.
I hope that anyone new to Edinburgh - maybe from Australia but hopefully anywhere - can visit my blog, see where I've eaten lately and feel motivated to try it out... because although I miss my Melbourne food, there's good and bad food everywhere, and definitely much to enjoy in Edinburgh.
If nothing else, I hope you can poke fun at my clumsy use of the English language.
2 comments:
I am contemplating a trip to edinburgh and found your blog. If I do go, I am sure I will thank you emmensely for your efforts in finding a good cup of coffee. I do like tea, but I really really need my morning cup of joe to get the rest of my day off to the right start. I would be so disappointed if I got one of those bad cups of coffee. I can probably say it would ruin the rest of my day or to be more realistically at least my morning until I had something for lunch that would get me back on track. By the way I enjoyed your writing style and even if I decide not to take the trip, I enjoyed a trip through your reviews. Roxy
Hi Roxy, thanks heaps for your kind comments. My blog's very new but I enjoy writing it so I'm glad you found it useful. Edinburgh is an absolutely beautiful city and easy to get around because it's so compact and the buses are good. I'm sure you'd love it here. Yes, finding coffee can mean a bit of a trek but there is at least one good place in each corner of the city. You'd be able to get your fix! If you do decide to come, I'm happy to give you some good tips on finding good spots for coffee and food. Meanwhile, this blog offers far more about coffee than mine does at this stage: http://edinburghcoffeelovers.blogspot.com/
Andie :-)
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