Canberra - Debacle, Italian and Sons, and Knightsbridge

After nearly 24 hours of travel, I was greeted by chaos in the Sydney airport. The dust storm the day before shut the airport down, and there was hell to pay Thursday morning when it reopened. My connecting flight should have gotten me to Canberra in time for a hearty breakfast, but instead I languished in Customs while my plane took off.

I arrived in Canberra famished, but right in time for lunch. James knew of a casual lunch place, Debacle, with an amazing beer selection. I tried beers from Perth - Little Creatures Pale and Bright Ales were both excellent but the Beez Neez stole the show. It had a hint of honey that enhanced its taste, but didn't overwhelm with its sweetness. We ordered the mezze platter - my favorites were the Spanish Chorizo, Samosa (the cucumber yogurt was fantastic), and Arancini Balls (the most addictive fried balls of rice and cheese I've encountered).

Later that evening we headed to a new and oddly named restaurant, Italian and Sons. In spite of the name, the atmosphere was cozy and the food was delicious. I had the spinach ravioli with burnt sage butter, and it was exquisite. The wine selection was good as well and I was surprised the Sicilian red we chose went so well with my meal.

We stopped by Knightsbridge Penthouse for post-dinner drinks. I was shocked to see a mint julep on the menu! (Before to moving to DC, it was nearly impossible to find a mint julep outside of Louisville.) Better yet, the bartender thought it was cool I was from Kentucky! AND the drink was well made. My trip was off to a good start.

Tim Tams

I heard about Tim Tams long before I booked my ticket to Australia. I can't honestly say I traveled halfway around the world for those cookies alone, but they certainly gave me hope during the 15 hour flight to Sydney.

I was not disappointed.

Words don't do justice to their chocolaty goodness, you just have to try them. How might you do that when they are not sold in American stores? I was wondering the same thing myself in the midst of a painful Tim Tam withdrawal which not even Sausalito cookies could shake.

It's times like these when I love the internet...until I remember Twitter. I was able to google Tim Tams and found out that they will be hitting U.S. shelves seasonally in ten days!!! You can even track the Tim Tam boat's progress. Brilliant.

Now everyone knows where I will be next Sunday morning...camping out at Target waiting for them to open.

Sad News

Ben Ali, the founder of Ben's Chili Bowl, a landmark D.C. eatery that has fed presidents, celebrities and the common folks of city, died last night of congestive heart failure at his home in Washington. He was 82.

Ben's Chili Bowl is one of my favorite places in the city, and Ben Ali's perserverance and spirit are insipiring. It's a great loss to his family and our community.