A. L. Kaplan

Tag: Good food

  • My Trip to Scotland: Part 9 – Glasgow and World Con

    My Trip to Scotland: Part 9 – Glasgow and World Con

    We spent the next six days in Glasgow.

    August 8-12, 2024 was the 82nd World Science Fiction Convention which was held at the Scottish Event Campus.

    Trying out VR was really cool.

    My panels were fun. “Look! I Have Raised a Geek!” and “Why Do We Still Love Paper and Tangible Things?”

    We went on a walking tour of the bridges.

    And saw some of the many murals in the city.

    Neat buildings.

    Some sculptures

    Scottish people have a great sense of humor.

    This is a display in the Kevingrom Art Gallery and Museum.

    Also spotted this Pterosaur fossil. It looks a bit like the one I found at the Yesnaby coast. (see My Trip to Scotland: Part 5)

    The Heads by Sophy Cave

    Near the museum.

    Langoustine for Lunch.

    How often do you see pull chain bathrooms? I found two!

    Glasgow Cathedral was founded in the 1200’s as a Catholic church, but became a Protestant Kirk in 1560. Before the Protestant Reformation, the interior was beautifully painted.

    The Tardis!

    This pretty building is the City Chambers in Glasgow.

    George Square and it’s decorated sculptures.

    A pint of beer and dinner at The Citizen after a long day. The food was excellent.

  • PARADISE

    Krka National Park Kendall Bullen
    Photo courtesy of Kendall Bullen

    “How long are you going to keep us here?” asked Bridget, through chattering teeth.

    Fear of hypothermia was overriding the threat of the stranger’s rifle. It was hard to enjoy nature’s beauty while freezing your naked bum off. She could barely feel her legs in the frigid water. Jason’s arms were tightly wrapped around his chest. Behind them crystal clear water cascaded over steep rocks. Their well-worn surface turned the waterfall into a musical lullaby. Both she and Jason had fallen sound asleep after their long hike. Then the stranger showed up. Now the sound knelled like a death sentence.

    “Y’all just enjoy your little bath,” said the stranger. He lounged in the sun on their blanket eating fried chicken. Empty containers lay scattered about; all licked clean by their captor. “I haven’t eaten this well since I killed my ex.”

    Bridget’s heart jumped. This was supposed to be paradise, not a nightmare. “You promised you wouldn’t hurt us.”

    “Don’t you worry, darling.” He bit into a lemon tart and moaned with pleasure. “These are delicious. Sure you won’t consider staying?”

    She glanced at Jason and saw the panic in his eyes. If he thought for a second that she’d consider the offer, he didn’t know her at all. Being one with nature didn’t include becoming part of it.

    Bridget turned away. “No thanks.”

    The stranger smiled and put a lighter on the blanket. “Too bad. Y’all get a fire going now.”

    With one last wink, he vanished into the forest.

  • Restaurant Review: L’Albatros

    Smack dab in the middle of Case Western Reserve University’s campus is a little gem of a restaurant called L’Albatros. It’s one of those places that college students ask visiting parents to take them because it’s a tad pricy for the average student. It’s also worth every penny. The decor is fresh and elegant, without being stuffy. We wore jeans to lunch, but clearly could have dressed up. Even though we arrived twenty minutes before opening, we were seated right away and served warm bread. The olive oil had a fresh, crisp flavor, which was perfect for dipping the crusty rustic bread. There was a real danger of filling up on the stuff before our lunch arrived.

    009My husband ordered the Mussles with Pommes Frites and Spicy Aioli. A generous portion of tender mussles came in a bowl of butter broth topped with fries and a drizzle of aioli. Yum. The fries were crisp and delicious.

    I had the Watercress “Caesar” salad. 011Served with both black and green olives, it was topped with a liberal portion of shaved parmesan. The anchovies weren’t those shriveled bone filled things you get in most places. These were fresh, fileted, with a slightly pickled flavor reminiscent of herring, but much milder.

    The Braised Shoulder of Lamb my daughter ordered had a rich and comforting flavor, good for a cold day in Cleveland. It was served with pasta risotto and rosemary jus.

    Fresh made pasta, tender, and cut in wide cut strips filled the Pasta Du Jour my other daughter ordered. It came with a healthy helping of roast root vegetables, eggplant, and kale. Shaved parmesan completed the dish.010

    This fantastic lunch for four was reasonably priced. If you ever find yourself in Cleveland, Ohio, Don’t forget to stop by L’Albatros.

    11401 Bellflower Road
    Cleveland, Ohio 44106
    216-971-7880
    http://www.albatrosbrasserie.com/

    I should mention here that L’Albatros is one of Chef Zack Bruell’s restaurants and that wonderful olive oil is his own unfiltered extra virgin olive oil made from California olives.