I think I've commented before that coming to the UK from the US is like living in a Picasso painting. You think know what you're looking at, it's just a bit off. So lately, we've moved beyond our hunt for good Mexican food into a quest for Chinese. Most of the local Fish 'n' Chips places ("Chippies" in the local vernacular) sell either Indian or Chinese food - but I haven't been able to bring myself to try it. But our cravings for good Chinese cuisine got to the point where we ventured out to the couple of local restaurants and order take out. The menu is almost what we think it should be... Me: "... um, chicken fried rice & an order of potstickers." Chinese Waiter Guy: "Pot what?" Me: "Potstickers." Chinese Waiter Guy: "I'm sorry?" Me: "Pot. Stickers." Chinese Waiter Guy: "What's that, guv'ner?" Ok, he didn't really say 'guv'ner'. In fact, I haven't actually met anyone who says 'guv'ner'. Dickens was a liar. Anyway, how the hell do you explain "potsticker"? I've seen Eat. Drink. Man. Woman. I know for a fact they have them in China. Chinese Waiter Guy was just screwing with the American. He's not fooling anybody.

Never mind the fact that Bisquick is damn near a special order item in the UK, Giuia and I found what purports to be a "restaurant from the deep South" here in the UK. About 20 minutes drive away, towards Chester is a gigantic outlet center, with everything including the UK version of Service Merchandise (Argos), your basic multi-mega-cineplex, and even a TGI Friday's. Plus this little gem: "Old Orleans" - a restaurant that we immediately went into to test their claim of authenticity. It was surreal walking into a business in Cheshire, UK where the decor involved banjos as a major motif. OK, so it's Cajun style, and I'm not about to find biscuits and gravy a la Cracker Barrel, but hey, they do have gumbo on the menu. And, of all things, 'Swamp and Turf" featuring a ribeye and a healthy portion of Alligator. I settled for the jerk chicken, and the bride had the pork ribs, both of which were fair to middling. But when I asked for iced tea, the waitress just looked confused. We're not in (Ar)kansas any more, Toto.