London Calling

Many of you have returned from Thanksgiving stuffed to the brim and ruing the day you ever laid eyes on a turkey. However, if you instead managed to impress yourself over the break by stretching your stomach just a little farther than you did last year, I have a special treat for you.

Without a Thanksgiving buffer to ease me into London's Christmas season, I've been thinking quite a bit about food (at least, more so than usual). Before I arrived here, everyone in the States was quick to provide me with advice, and one recurring warning had to do with British food. But I couldn't figure out for the life of me what there was to be so worried about.

Just think of the quintessential British dishes and try not to salivate uncontrollably: bangers and mash, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and corned beef with more mash. Okay, so maybe post-Thanksgiving, these are more likely to induce a paralyzing stomachache than make you hungry for more. Ordinarily, though, such perfect marriages of meat and starch would be placed on an altar at any American's holiday feast. What isn't there to like?

A friend recently made me realize that the problem with British food is that it is utterly one-dimensional. Judging from the above list, I can't really deny that. But luckily for me, it happens to be my favorite dimension.

Right now, the only things stopping me from gaining the London 15 are the prices and the horrible exchange rate. But there is no reason that you should not be able to enjoy British cuisine back in Providence, even if you tell yourself that you're preparing for winter hibernation. So, here are four ways to experience the single best dimension in gastronomy.

English Cellar Alehouse

165 Angell St.

You may have noticed the entrance to this dungeon next to Phonatic, just off Thayer Street, but, like myself, never dared enter. As it turns out, this place has a genuinely British atmosphere and menu, albeit a short one, that includes bangers and mash, fish and chips, and much more. The cod is fried to crunchy, golden perfection, though the ketchup, thank God, is American. Most impressive, and absolutely imperative, however, is the extensive selection of good beer, of which the Web site boasts they have 200 choices and rotating taps.

RiRa

50 Exchange Terr.

This establishment has been a popular staple among PC's Irish-American contingent for many years. And though it is actually a chain stretching along the East coast, its success is not unwarranted. The menu is broad with an interesting blend of American and Irish foods, and portion sizes are beyond satisfying. Admittedly, the party vibe at the bar can be far from British. Then again, bonding over a pint of Guinness should always be universal.

The Abbey

686 Admiral St.

Many students are already familiar with this off-campus pub, and some don't quite remember it for obvious reasons. It doesn't attract as big a crowd as Clubbie's or Old's, which means that the Abbey can maintain its warm, homey quality. With a ginormous homemade menu that is the staff's pride and joy and a 92-item beer list, the Abbey might just make you feel at home during the winter months.

Kabob and Curry

261 Thayer St.

Believe it or not, kebabs have become as British to me as spotted dick. London has a huge Indian population and, naturally, a wide array of delicious Indian restaurants. Chicken tikka masala was even allegedly created in the U.K. by Indian and Pakistani immigrants. The dish is so popular here that it was deemed a British national dish. Kabob and Curry on Thayer is rather one-dimensional in its own way, but you could blindly pick anything on the menu and fall in love with its creamy, spicy sauces.