RSSLifestyle Whispering in Scotland! – Part II
By The Real Todd Harrison | July 03, 2008 | 10:32 AM | 3 Comments
Lifestyle whispering in Scotland would not be complete without details on our accommodations, favorite restaurants, and local cuisine.
When we first arrived, we checked into the Macdonald Marine Hotel and Spa in North Berwick, about an hour away from Edinburgh Airport. 
The hotel was a Victorian goddess in its heyday, but lost its luster after braving years of fierce winds and ocean waters. Fortunately, it was restored back to all its glory a couple of years ago. The rooms were spacious and the views were amazing. The hotel sits on the North Berwick golf course, which looked every bit as good as the other courses discussed in part 1 of this article.
The complimentary breakfast was great, but trying to get food at the hotel or anywhere else in the town was next to impossible after 9pm. I eventually managed to convince the staff to make us tuna sandwiches at 11:30 p.m. Of course, it costed me about $100 bucks. Being a lifestyle whisperer has its perks! 
After a couple of nights at the Marine, we headed to St. Andrews. When we arrived, we checked in to the Scores Hotel. The property was located directly across from the Royal and Ancient Club House and the 18th green of the Old Course. The location was perfect…but then I saw a little sign that said, "Best Western." Now, I have nothing against Best Western hotels, but I can’t remember the last time I stayed in one. I know--I am a hotel snob. Anyway, we checked in and ventured to our room. Here’s where the record screeches. We opened the door and I screamed, "Say it ain't so! Two twin beds?! Come on!" 
I am 6’2 and 220 pounds…okay, 229, but who is counting? The mattresses were horrible and the place was only marginally clean. I guess it was a trade off for the location. Yeah, right.
To add insult to injury, we unpacked and walked over to the Old Course Hotel. It was recently built by the owners of the plumbing gaint, Kohler. This hotel was amazing. It rested on the 17th fairway of the Old Course and views were limitless. The bar on the 4th floor had floor to ceiling windows, allowing you to watch every shank of about 5 holes, including the 18th. I will also say that the martinis put a dent in the pocket book--$25 bucks a pop! Needless to say, I only had four of them. Nonetheless, if I had to do it again, I would've definitely 
stayed there. It is also a good place to stay if you are traveling with your wife, although that would never happen, because of its world class spa. It is not that I wouldn’t want to take my wife on a golf trip (wink), but the courses frown on female golfers. I am not kidding. They are very vocal about it. I don’t have to worry because the wife does not play golf.
There are a lot of small hotels in St. Andrews. If you're planning a trip there, I recommend doing thorough research on the hotels. If money is not an issue, stay at the Old Course Hotel. If you have back problems or don’t like spooning on a twin bed with your golfing buddy, stay away from the Scores Hotel.
Surprisingly, St. Andrews had some fantastic restaurants. We will get to them in a second. Everywhere you go in Scotland, two local delicacies show up on the menu: Haggis and black pudding. The names alone make me want to hurl. Haggis is an oat and cow intestine concoction and black pudding is a combination of oats and cow blood. Need I say more?
Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish. Most Haggis recipes have sheep's "pluck" (heart, liver and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, mixed with stock, and traditionally boiled in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. It basically looks like stuffed intestines. The Haggis looked like a giant slug or a prop for a Jenna Jamison picture. Either way, I wasn’t having any.
Black pudding is not much better than its Haggis friend. Black pudding are sometimes called, "blood pudding," a British term for sausage made by cooking blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. Sounds great…right? Most often pig or cow blood is used with fillers such as: meat, potatoes and oats.
Restaurants:
La Potiniere, located in Gullane, East Lothian, is a restaurant that primarily caters to the wealthy. 
The quiet, romantic restaurant holds about 30 people. The peace was easily distrubed when eight lumbering Americans stumbled upon the place after a long day of golf looking for a cocktail--we didn’t quite fit in. That’s the story of my life.
La Potiniere has a pre fixe menu for $80.00. Keith, the owner, not only ran the place but he was also the chef, restroom butler, bartender, busboy and everything else. At first, Keith was not interested in our antics but quickly warmed up to us when we started popping bottles of wine. Our menu started with asparagus soup and a baked goat cheese tart. Next, we moved on the sea bass and loin of Scottish roe deer with Dauphinoise potatoes, root vegetables and Damson Gin sauce. Most of us finished the night with a cheese plate. Yes, they serve cheese plates in Europe for dessert. Despite the fact that we ruined a romantic evening for 22 other people, this was one of the best meals we had on the trip.
The Dolls House in St. Andrews was a fantastic restaurant that served up some of the freshest meat and produce I have ever had. The menu constantly changed. They offer a wide variety of seafood and game, and a great selection of home grown vegetables. The Doll House was also one of the few restaurants with an extensive wine list and actually knew how to make a martini. We, literally, only found two places that knew how to make a martini…a little odd. The restaurant was charming and the food was exceptional. I highly recommend the Doll House if you head to St. Andrews.
The Balaka, also in the heart of St. Andrews, is a traditional Indian Restaurant. The curry dishes were phenomenal and the selection of nan (traditional Indian bread) was out of control. Our group just about had one of everything on the menu. Aside from the curries, the Chicken Tikka, Lamb, Chutney and vegetable dishes were our favorites. The restaurant uses Scottish produce, including organic herbs grown from the proprietors' own garden. Balaka is currently listed in the top 10 curry houses in the UK and after eating there, I can see why. In addition to the great food, this was one of the few restaurants where you can dine late at night.
The Supper Room at the Russell Hotel was another one of my favorites. Finally, I was able to order a filet the way I liked it--charred rare.
If there was a typical steak-house style restaurant in St. Andrews, this was it. If you're with a large group, you'll be asked to be seated in the locker room. The locker room is a private room lined with--you've guessed it--lockers. This was a great old school-type place with good food.
For pub type food, we went to two places multiple times. 1 Golf Place was our favorite pub. It had great steak sandwiches and a little thing called a "beef pie." Sounds about as good as Haggis, but it was actually very tasty. When ordering a hamburger the server asked how I would like it prepared. I said medium rare--a little pink inside. She said, "No, I was talking about your bun." I guess we didn't speak the same language. 1 Golf Place turns into a happening bar at night with live music. St. Andrews is a college town so the place was full of students. The drinking age in Scotland is 18 and the kids there definitely took advantage of the drinking age.
Grey Friars is another pub. Although we didn’t eat there, we had plenty of drinks there. If you are looking for a cool place to drink some scotch, jack or a little vino, this is the right place for you. Tell Yvonne the Lifestyle Whisperer sent you. You may even get a free drink!
St. Andrews is a historic place and the architecture exemplifies it. 
If you are ever in St. Andrews, you should walk to the St. Andrews Castle, Arches and cemetery. Many of the sites date back to the 16th century. Walking through the cemetery, you will see headstones dating back to the early 1700’s.
So here is to Haggis, twin beds and spooning with your buddy! Cheers…
The Real Todd Harrison
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