20190809 Schnithouse and Steven ter Horst

It's in the depths of winter and we are truly rugged up against the bitter winds and rain. The last few days it has poured down. Definitely needed our umbrellas.

I was the first in the pub as usual - the pre-booked booth works well. Stephen wasn't far behind and in came Con and Chad around the same time. Richard was a little later. Because he is usually the last to come, he has to get a chair and sit on the end of the booth.

The pub was packed tonight. I had one drink and then went onto the orange juice and water. Richard was also drinking water. It was also lovely to see Jen. She made a surprise visit. It's always lovely to see her.

Chad brought 2 books for Stephen - it's funny how things come around. A couple of years ago, we had a Christmas in July and I bought all the crowd a small something from the second-hand bookshop. Well, that same book turned up. Chad had read it and was ready to pass it on.

Richard was asked if he was a VIP member when he bought his drink. He replied no, but was told that if he had been a member he would have saved a couple of bucks on his drink. The next day, I emailed the Elephant and let them know that I've been coming every Friday for the past 7 years. They offered me VIP membership! Great stuff. I will go into the pub during the week to pick up my prized key-ring.

When we were coming out of the Elephant and making our way to Schnithouse (Stephen's choice) we passed a busker next to a log fire in the alleyway. It was a lovely setting despite the cold.


We all shuffled into Shithouse (as we like to call it) and we were escorted to a table at the back corner. Perfect - away from the cold of the door. We all had to go up and order which is great when you're in a group - no need to worry about splitting the bill later.

It was typical pub type food and we didn't disappoint in the ordering of the fare.

Richard had the Roger Federer - a chicken schnitzel with avocado and Swiss cheese. He complained that it was a bit tough and gave a 7.5 out of 10 to reflect this.

Jen has the Schnitt hot pork. She admitted that she is hard to impress and ended up after the meal with a score of 7.5.

Another 7.5 was given by both Stephen and myself. Stephen had the Lazy Schnitzel with pepper sauce - nothing can really go wrong with a basic like that.... and I had the Fish O'Fillet - Barramundi burger and chips. It was deep fat fried and crumbed. It was lovely and crispy but a bit too heavy on my stomach.

 Chad had the highest score of the evening. He had the same as Jen (except chicken) and gave his meal an 8. He liked the hot chilli sauce and smothered his schnitzel with it, whereas Jen was dipping her meat into the sauce, pacing herself.

That only leaves Con. What to say about Con's meal? He had the Schnitt House special pizza. It looked lovely. Nice thick crust and lots of toppings. However, Con wasn't impressed with it at all and could only give it a 5 out of 10. His comment was 'it's nothing special, a bit thick and stodgy'.

We all went to Steven ter Horst for a hot chocolate, but Richard only had 10 minutes so ordered his Mocha straight away. We were all sitting in the cafe with our beanies on - sitting right by the door so every time someone came in, a blast hit us. Never mind, the hot chocolate made up for it. Jen had another single chocolate with her meal. That was it. No-one else had desserts.

I was telling Con about how much I like listening to Willie Nelsen and we had a rendition from Stephen on what country music really sounds like... boom, boom, da, da.. yeeee-haaaa. His impression was nothing like Willie Nelsen but I can't convince him to listen to my style of music. Sigh.

Stephen and I will be in Sydney next week - visiting his father. I think Chad said he won't be there either. And Richard is doing something else. It may be a quiet one then. Con will have to let us know what happens....

Until next time... safe travels and keep warm...