“A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy.” – Guy Fawkes, one of the leaders of The Gunpowder Plot No, don’t worry, I didn’t burn anything. It was more of a figurative “on fire”. It was Guy Fawkes’ Day/Night, or Bonfire Night, or The Gunpowder Plot Eve, or something of that sort. I know we heard… Read More Dinner on Fire

“Give that man a chocolate fish!” – popular expression in New Zealand to express thanks Y’all do love yer chok-o-lit. It seems, amusingly, that each time we’ve offered customers input into the planning of one of our dinners, notably our “Iron Chef” style approach, though others as well, chocolate leaps to mind. I do realize… Read More Chocolate Fish

“It is always surprising how small a part of life is taken up by meaningful moments. Most often they’re over before they start even though they cast a light on the future and make the person who originated them unforgettable.” – Prince Chulalongkorn, in The King and I (1956) Although of questionable historical accuracy in… Read More The King and Us

“To hand crafted beers made in local breweries, to yoga, to yogurt, to rice and beans and cheese. To leather, to dildoes, to curry vindaloo. To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou.” – Mimi, in Rent Our first brunch came off more or less without a hitch. We hadn’t realized it was Mothers’ Day here when… Read More The First Brunch

“The Gregorian calendar used by most of the world today is not very old. In 1472, Pope Sixtus IV asked an astronomer to reform the Julian calendar, which had been used since 46 B.C., and was 11 minutes and 15 seconds too long every year. By the fifteenth century the true vernal equinox was nine… Read More Lost Days and Nights

“In the navy Yes, you can sail the seven seas In the navy Yes, you can put your mind at ease In the navy Come on now, people, make a stand In the navy, in the navy Can’t you see we need a hand In the navy Come on, protect the motherland In the navy… Read More Naval Grazing

“When I was a boy we didn’t wake up with Vietnam and have Cyprus for lunch and the Congo for dinner.” – Lyndon B. Johnson, president of the U.S. Independence Day in Cyprus is likely a difficult time, after all, one-third of the island is occupied by Turkey and claimed by them as a sovereign… Read More Turkish? Greek? No, Cypriot!

Bruce Wayne: “Most Americans don’t realize what we owe to the ancient Incas. Very few appreciate they gave us the white potato and many varieties of Indian corn.” Dick Grayson: “Now whenever I eat mashed potatoes, I for one will think of the Incas.” – from the original Batman series, episode 24, Give ’em the… Read More Dynamic Duo