THE TROUGH

We know how to travel. We have a style of our own. We are trip-wise and budget-conscious. That’s somewhat of a contradiction in terms. Anne and I will search online for hours to find a room for $30 (to save money) and then drop $100 on a meal. Think of it like a military operation … and as you know, the army travels on its stomach. We don’t miss many meals. The foods … the groceries … the restaurants … they tell the story of our journey.

You could plan an entire trip around the cuisine of a country. We don’t … but, it’s not a bad idea. This year we are going to London. Here is our culinary dilemma … there is no British cuisine. What there is instead is ethnic diversity. The cuisine of London is all about the neighborhoods. I want to taste Ethiopian London … and Burmese London … and Iranian London … and Indian London … and

To make it more interesting, there are four of us. Anne tends to enjoy more delicate flavors. Louis and Susan are meat-and-potatoes oriented, but they are game. Me? I have been known to partake of a tripe sandwich for breakfast. I want something different … something unusual. And of course … a must on every trip … the local hot dog! The four of us have one thing in common – we can do a number on some groceries!

I decided to blog about our eating experiences on the trip. I needed to come up with a title for the series. This Little Piggy Went To … was interesting, but felt too wordy. I came up with an alternative. Close your eyes. Relax. Listen. Can you hear it? Metal on metal. The sound of a large metal spoon clanging the sides of the battered bucket. “Here, pig, pig, pig.” Can you hear the squeals? Welcome to The Trough.

Let’s get started. I did some pre-trip research and have ruled out a number of restaurants already. We live in a democracy. If the others choose to go, so be it … but I will not be at:

Cabbages and Condoms
Butty Boys
Phat Phuc Noodle Shop
The Golden Stool
Bung Hole
The Slug and Lettuce

But, what’s in a name? I dug a little deeper. I found a restaurant called The Pale Blue Door. There are no listed directions there. You book and make a deposit on the meal. They email you directions on how to find the restaurant. When you arrive, you are greeted by a performance artist in red lipstick and fruit attached to his chest and it goes from there. “Cancel my reservation, please.”

Another find, is Dans Le Noir. Sounded romantic, but it is not candlelight dining. It is a concept restaurant. No lights … you eat in the dark … pitch black. Actually, the concept is pretty cool. It is about re-evaluating our food enjoyment using senses other than our eyes. It is also a social experiment dealing with empathy and role reversals. Did I forget to mention that the wait staff is blind? The diners are sightless but the staff is blind. In a sense only the blind can see. Eat in the dark? I don’t think so! I just can’t see it.

Bon Appétit!