Liverpool – Hitting the Sauce

Chew Steel returned to our hotel room from his conference and saw me washed up and in bed, scrolling on my phone. He asked if I had eaten, and I said yes, I had gone to McDonald’s, but it was even worse than the one back home in Canada. He shook his head in disapproval and told me to get ready, as the night was still young. Let’s listen to “Hello, Goodbye” by the Beatles for this post.

Chew Steel took me to The Bridewell, a converted historic Victorian correctional facility now specializing in beer. I’m so glad I don’t live near this pub as it would be the death of me. The bones of Bridewell still reveal that it was once a police station, as the old cells with sliding doors are left intact to confine customers. I preferred sitting out in the main room, where I could see the bar and watch the crowd gather.

When Chew Steel bought me my first gin and soda (£5), I noticed several blueberries peeking out from the ice cubes. I used my compostable straw to poke out the berries, and later, when it disintegrated, I used my piano fingers to fish out the sugary balls of fruit. The fizz was clean and bubbly, while the gin was perfectly boozy and sweet from the blueberries.

I went up to get a second round, and I told our bartender how much I loved the garnish in my drink. He smiled and presented me with this masterpiece. Oh boy, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and orange slices! It was like a fruit salad topped with gin. I felt like I won the lottery. I leaned back and happily ate my fruit.

The next morning, I was on my own. I ventured over to Liverpool Cathedral, which is the largest cathedral in Britain and the fifth-largest in the world. Stepping into the cathedral was an experience. There was a heatwave, so the moment I entered, the cathedral’s cool hush was like a calming balm on my skin. It’s a vast sanctuary of towering columns and impossibly high ceilings, chapels and wooden carvings.

Multi-coloured stained glass windows bring your eyes up to the expansive stone and woodwork. I was surprised to learn that Liverpool Cathedral is relatively new because it looks so old. Construction began in 1904 and was completed in 1978.

Next, I walked over to another St. George’s Hall, but it was closed for a private function, and I didn’t want to buy tickets for a light show. I bought some biscuits from Marks & Spencer for my mom and dropped by the hotel to change. Chew Steel came back from his conference, and off we went to explore the streets before our dinner at Belzan, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in the suburbs.

Belzan is a must-visit spot. It’s a tiny restaurant, and from appearances, it seems to have been a café at one point. The modest room features a half-dozen small seats and a bar with a small countertop. The staff were exceptionally personable, recommending dishes and taking the time to describe the beer, wine and food in detail.

We both opted for the fixed-price menu (£40), which included a glass of wine, an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. We added an extra course, the Guinness Rarebit Potato (£13). For our appetizers, we selected the Barbecued Courgette, Butterbean Hummus with Pine Nut Gremolata and Broad Beans with Goat Curds and Caramelized Honey.

A courgette is a type of summer squash, similar to zucchini, with a light, melon-like flavour. Initially, I thought this was an odd combination of ingredients, but the mint pesto and sweet raisins worked surprisingly well with the hummus, adding a pop of herby freshness and a touch of sweetness. I also liked the buttery taste of the roasted pine nuts.

The other appetizer was just as good. The broad beans were so sweet, perfectly blanched, so each bite was toothsome. I liked the stiffness of the creamy yogurt and the subtle sweetness of the honey. Simple and delicious.

The rarebit was interesting and our favourite appetizer. It tasted familiar yet surprisingly unique, similar to a delicate layered potato cake, but topped with a rich, heavy cheese sauce.

For our mains, we chose the Barbecued Pork Collar, served with Provençal Sauce and Paprika Aioli and the Steamed Sea Trout, with Vichyssoise, Watercress, and Mussels.

The steamed sea trout had a delicate freshness, tender and buttery, almost melting on the tongue. Its richness reminds me of salmon, flavourful and slightly fatty. I loved it. The mussels, on the other hand, were pickled, cold, and tart, which didn’t work for me personally.

The pork collar was really succulent, and I liked the smooth texture of the meat. The mustard added a gentle and clean flavour with no lingering aftertaste. I especially enjoyed the briny, salty bite from the olives and the tangy tomato sauce.

For dessert, we ordered English Strawberries, Crème Fraîche Ice Cream, Malt, and Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnuts and Rapeseed. The ice cream was light and icy, melting quickly on my tongue. The strawberries were stewed and juicy, topped with a buttery crumble. The combination reminded me of a McDonald’s strawberry sundae, but so much better.

Chew Steel took a bite of my ice cream and immediately got buyer’s remorse. I ended up switching desserts with him. While I love ice cream, nothing quite beats the silky richness of a good chocolate mousse. The whipped chocolate paired nicely with the crunchy hazelnuts. I looked up “rapeseed” as it sounded off-putting, and learned it comes from the Latin word rapum, meaning turnip, a distant relative in the plant family.

The meal at Belzan was one of the best we’ve had in a long time. Chew Steel wondered which restaurant in Calgary would be comparable. I heard Bar Gigi offers a similar vibe and style of food, though snagging a reservation there at a decent hour is nearly impossible. Either way, this experience has inspired me to visit Bar Gigi sometime soon. In any case, Hitting the Sauce gives Belzan two phat thumbs up.

Chew Steel has a work thing in Liverpool, so I tagged along for a little June getaway. For this post, let’s listen to “Mr. Postman” by the Beatles.

We flew from Calgary to Heathrow and then took a series of trains to Liverpool. After we checked into our hotel, we headed out for some fish and chips. My first choice, Yanni’s, was closed for the day, so we supped at Johnny English Fish and Chips. You order at the front counter and then find yourself a seat.

We shared an order of large fish and chips (£11.50) and a pint of beer to accompany it (£6). The fish was fried to order, so we waited about 10 minutes. As long as a Subway sub and double in width, the batter on the fish was brittle and golden brown, so thick it almost overpowered the delicate notes of the fish. The fish was so hot I poked pieces apart and waited for it to cool. I noticed the piece I cut was much thinner than Chew Steel’s portion, which was at least twice as thick. I started forking into his portion to reach the denser white flesh.

The chips were extra crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. At nearly four times the size of Canadian fries, they had a deeper, more authentic potato flavour. I prefer these fatter, stockier UK-style chips over our thinner Canadian ones.

We capped the night with beer at Albert’s Schenke with Chew Steel’s colleague, BK, and his sister, Daisy. The staff were extra welcoming. I found the vast majority of people I interacted with in Liverpool were exceptionally friendly.

While Chew Steel worked the next morning, I took a Liverpool Heritage, History & Culture Guided Walking Tour ($44). I was the only one on the tour, so my guide, Paul, a recently retired math professor, gave me a private tour.

I’ve had tours by drama majors, and it’s always fun. However, with a math professor, it was a different beast. There’s no whimsy or frivolity. Paul was all about historical accuracy and would test me on the meaning and value of numbers so I could visualize the enormity of the industry throughout Liverpool’s maritime history. I learned how the docks played a significant role in the city’s development and economy, as did Liverpool’s investment in the slave trade with the Confederate States of America.

It was a hot morning, so we stopped in the shade and visited historical places, such as the Cunard Building, the Port of Liverpool Building, and the Liver Building. The architecture was deliberately designed to impress all who entered, from sailors seeking letters to those engaged in all acts of commerce.

I asked Paul how it felt to transition from lecturing on mathematics to history, and he said it was nice to move from teaching something no one wanted to take to something people genuinely have an interest in. Some of the last stops were more solemn and sad. He talked about the city’s ties to slavery, from the capture of the very last Confederate vessel in Liverpool to a more recent event in which Confederate sympathizers came to Liverpool to celebrate their heritage and put up a plaque honouring Confederate soldiers.

We walked over to St Nicholas’ Church Gardens. Paul stopped by a bench and pointed to a bronze sculpture of what appeared to be a man wrapped in a blanket lying on a bench. He pointed to the wounds on the man’s feet from being nailed to a crucifix. Paul explained how the Canadian Christian artist sculpted a homeless man to represent Jesus and the public’s, churches, and the pope’s reaction to the sculpture.

Paul switched over to the Beatles and gestured to the sculpture of all four musicians. He referenced a picture of two people taking a photo with the statues and Paul McCarthy photobombing them in their picture. After two and a half hours of walking and learning, I headed to Yanni’s for fish and chips.

This chippery gets a lot of love from the local newspaper, the Echo. I ordered a large piece of fish (£7.50) and waited about ten minutes. I ordered fish only, but I was still bestowed some complimentary chips!

The batter was lighter and thinner than Johnny’s Fish and Chips, and the fish was sweeter. The chips were softer and had a fresh potato taste. Overall, I preferred the texture and flavour of the fish at Yanni’s to those at Johnny’s.

I booked a second tour for the afternoon. Next up was the Mystery Beatles Bus Tour ($44), which turned out to be a mixed experience. Things got off to an awkward start when the tour guide and bus driver had to step in and scold a few guests who were jostling to get on board, “We’ll all get on—please be civil.”

The guide himself looked a bit weary at first, but once the tour began, he perked up and did a great job narrating the stories behind the songs and landmarks we passed—Strawberry Field, Penny Lane, and the former homes of the band members.

What let the tour down was the sound system. For a tour centred on the Beatles’ history and music, I expected higher audio quality. Instead, the music came through like it was playing from the CD/tape combo system my dad bought me in the 90s. I sat in the very front, and even then, the sound was muffled and flat. The bus was stifling, and the landmark stops were more like peeking through a keyhole and then jumping back on the bus. In hindsight, I should have booked a walking tour. I would have seen less but learned more.

The tour ended with a free pass to the Cavern Pub. Based on what I’d read, I expected something like a UK version of a Nashville watering hole, buzzing with live music and atmosphere. I stayed for two performers. I made the mistake of requesting “Paperback Writer,” which I learned is not the sort of song you ask from a performer without a band. I ended the evening with a meal at McDonald’s because, at least there, I knew what kind of disappointment to expect.

Tag: Liverpool

Liverpool – The Bridewell and Belzan (Bib Gourmand)

Liverpool – Johnny English and Yanni’s Fish and Chips