That was until Sunday. Not only did Edinburgh become the first Scottish team to get to the quarter finals in eight years, but they actually topped their group and got the first Scottish HOME quarter ever.

That’s absolutely superb rugby news. We might have to look into streaming options in order to see the boys soundly thrash their former group nemesis Toulouse!

Tues: Roasted Mushroom & Asparagus Salad

Wed: Feta, Spinach & Red Onion Pizza

Thurs: Avocado & Basil Spaghetti

Fri:  Rainbow Trout with Endive & Artichokes

Lunch: Mango Salsa & White Bean Lettuce Wraps

Today will definitely be a menu planning and grocery shopping day.  Of course, that will all have to wait until after the football.  Go 49ers and Broncos! 

First the Old Guardian Barley Wine Style Ale. It had pleasant burnt toffee notes to the nose and somewhat earthy undertones when tasting.  Though still far from my favourite style, the lower sweetness made this quite a pleasant (if strong) drink.

The Double Bastard Ale is, as the name might suggest, an American Strong Ale (and yes, at some point I did realise that I had mostly bought >10% ABV beers for this trip’s reports ). Double Bastard has a very nice yeasty smell and in spite of the strength is deliciously easy-drinking. It has an initial bitterness that you think will build and become too much, but it doesn’t.  Very nice!

And then we have my current favourite style in the 15th Anniversary Escondidian Imperial Black IPA.  This poured very dark with a chocolatey foam and smelt like pure unfiltered IPA. Apparently there is a version made with espresso beans, but this “plain” bottle still had a rich coffee taste with plenty of hops. Mmmmm.

With that one mediocre experience behind me, I have to say that I find Stone to deliver some very tasty, if dangerously potent, beers.

So without further adieu, here is a selection of some of the noms I made for New Year’s Day:

Smoked Chicken Wings

Coleslaw & Cranberry Broccoli Salad

BBQ Pork Ribs

Though the temperature is supposed to drop tomorrow, we were fortunate enough to have a lovely, mild winter day today.  It’s been sunny and 65 F (18 C) all day; surely this heralds good portents for 2012.  Fingers crossed. 

We hope you’ve all had a festive and enjoyable holiday season too!

Hog Heaven is a Barley Wine style ale – a style I often find too sweet for my palate. This one thankfully wasn’t overly sweet, and in fact, it reminded me of another enjoyable beer I’ve had before, though I couldn’t put my finger on which one.  :)

Avery’s 17th Anniversary Ale is a dry-hopped black lager that was a winner from the very dark body and chocolate head it poured. Similar to a black ale in flavour profile – minus the citrus – it was pleasantly low on lagery carbonation.

The Beast (2009 release) Grand Cru growls menacingly at 15.09% ABV. The beer was a beautiful red colour and had a very intriguing hay and gravy smell. However, for all the oomph of strength, it was a pretty average drink.

All in all, Avery was a very welcome discovery, with the Anniversary Ale being the real winner of the bunch.

We came with a list of restaurants we wanted to try, and so far we’ve managed to hit a few.  Before Christmas we tried Urban Stack, a burger lounge specialising in “Killer Burgers and Manly Drinks.”  The burgers were cooked pink, and the meat was juicy and flavourful.  The cocktails were also very well made.  We were over the moon when our drinks arrived with no ice!    My Manhattan was delicious, and the brandied cherries were a nice touch, and while Scott felt his Sazerac was a little sweet, it was still one of the more enjoyable examples he’s tried lately.

Today we managed to cross another venue off our list.  After a fun filled day of shopping, we went to Champy’s for a spot of delicious fried chicken.  Champy’s might look like a dive bar, but it’s across the street from the UTC dorms, so it’s most often filled with university students.

Fried jalapenos, fried chicken, fried catfish- it’s not going to win any healthy living awards, but if you want to splurge, they really do have the BEST fried chicken. . . Mmm.

When we got home, Scott and I went for a much needed run! 

We haz it! 

Coming out of Nashville, this is quite a smooth tipple.  I made the mistake of not specifying that by “on the rocks” I didn’t mean a whole glass of ice, but it was a very delicious end to the meal.

I’d go back to Chato Brasserie for sure, and I’ll definitely keep my eye out for Collier and McKeel.

Grape Garden is my current favourite hole-in-the-wall style eatery in the Lemon Grove in Chatswood. Run by a couple from Beijing (who have had a sister restaurant in Willoughby by night for many years), they make their noodles from scratch for every dish. Turns out, they were also happy to demonstrate making fresh shallot pancakes for the visitors I took to lunch.

Although they can do some mean spice in some of their dishes, I plumped for the medium spice beef noodles.  I’m sure it has a name in Chinese, but I call it absolutely delicious.

The Local Taphouse is one of Sydney’s best beer pubs, so I took a visiting American colleague to ensure he tasted some good Australian beers before he left. As with most beer pubs, they do tasting paddles – five generous serves for a decent $15.

I stuck with dark beers and IPAs.  I was really looking for big flavours. I’m a fan of giving something a proper chance, so I won’t bore you with the details of the more disappointing beers.  However, there was one stand out favourite: Feral Brewing Company’s Karma Citra.

This American Black Ale (aka Black IPA) was so good that despite an incredible range of beers (they even had Nøgne out of Norway), we both ordered full pints.  Combining light citrus and hops with rich caramel and malts, it was a great way to chew the fat on a sunny Sydney Saturday afternoon.

Oh and by the way, we’re currently out of the country on holiday.  More on that later. . .