While traveling through England, every night I'm eating at pubs and restaurants I recommend in my England guidebook. And I have to say, the eating has been excellent. Here's a peek at the Dolphin Pub in Canterbury. (Notice the energy -- things feel pretty good in England wherever we've gone.)
We're just finishing our third TV episode in England this month, and we're coming home with three brilliant shows. As usual, elements I really like need to be deleted, as 30 minutes of TV is only 3,000 words. Here's the text that was in our Southeast England script but had to be pulled:
"England's pubs offer a warm, friendly welcome and, for many, an essential part of any visit to Britain. Pub is short for "public house" -- it's the neighborhood's extended living room. It's a multi-generational affair and, while children aren't served beer, the entire family is welcome. Whether you're drinking or eating, don't wait to be served. Go to the bar to order.
England loves its brews. Each village seems to have its own microbrew. Beer aficionados go for the real English ales and bitters. They're from the long-handled pumps literally hand-drawn from kegs in the cellar. For a lighter, colder, and carbonated brew -- ask for a lager. They fizz out of the short tap handles.
The standard serving is a full pint. While women routinely order a half pint, when a man does, it can make you the butt of jokes. But, if you don't know the various beers and want to double your experience (and can endure the ridicule), ordering by the half pint (which costs exactly half as much as a full pint) lets you double your beer-exploration experience."
This is Day 83 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I'm reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more on my travel blog.
(This post originally appeared at blog.ricksteves.com/blog/canterbury-pub.)