The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
The Cotswolds
Our first stop was in the Cotswolds but we were seriously hungry when we got off the plane, so we made our way down the road a ways and stopped for lunch at a restaurant in Oxford. I was impressed! My prior experiences with British food were disappointing at best and this place had a very professional feel to it, an interesting menu and attractive plate presentations.
We stayed with John & Lynn Holder in the little town of Droitwich Spa, about 20 miles south of Birmingham and at the edge of the Cotswold region of western England. We were, in fact, their very first ATC guests. Neither of us really knew what to expect from the visit but, as usual, it turned into "old home week" over a couple of bottles of wine by their fireplace. They took us out to one of their favorite pubs for a taste of the local life ... which is what we really like most about traveling this way. I was tempted to steal one of these street signs and put it up on the road through our little development in Gig Harbor!
The strangely-named town of Broadway is one of the postcard villages of the Cotswold area. Ancient buildings, big trees and a wonderfully cozy feel. As I recall, the hotel dates back to the 1600's but has been completely renovated and is gorgeous. Only the tour bus in front foretold of hidden dangers lurking somewhere just out of sight ... but I am speaking as a traveler and not as an operator.
The Crown & Trumpet, a classic local pub, was closed for the afternoon by the time we ran across it, so we couldn't get the faggots or the spotted dick! But it still felt like a spot where you could easily linger for hours and hours over a few pints and some good conversation. Click on the photo for a larger picture of the menu.
© 2003 Restaurant Doctor
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