23 Nov 2010: The Big Bang

Got a pen and paper, or a Sharpie and the palm of your hand? Good. Here is an address you'll want to jot down: 124 Walton Street, Jericho, Oxford OX2 6A. This place has more than just a little sentimental value, for it's where I spent one of my last mornings in Oxford sharing an incredible, slow-going breakfast with my flatmate Antonio. All term long, we had been talking about experiencing The Big Bang for ourselves, and since it specialized in gourmet bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes), we knew we couldn't leave the isle of Britain without a visit to this gem. Take a stroll down Little Clarendon street, right off of Woodstock/St. Giles in the city center, and you'll find yourself in the quaint neighborhood slash restaurant quarter of Jericho. Thanks to the boutiques, cozy corner cafés, independent bookshops, and small groceries that line Walton Street, it has a bit of that Notting Hill morning market feeling since it really picks up on weekend mornings. From the coffee-craving mum-and-dad show with kids in tow to the snuggling, touchy collegiate couple who want nothing more than a glass of freshly squeezed oj to sip as they gaze into each others' eyes, Walton Street's the place to be on a Saturday morn. Just a bit further down, where Walton meets up with Little Clarendon, you'll find the Oxford University Press, or as I like to call it, the brains of the entire world, upon which our intellectual and literary future seems to rest. If you work for or are published by the OUP, consider your life complete. Right next door to the OUP is an absolute treasure, particularly for those (like myself) who get intoxicated by the smell of books, ecstatic at the sight of densely packed bookshelves, and desire nothing more than a red armchair, a steaming cuppa, and a good read. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you The Albion Beatnik Bookshop.

The name alone exudes how cool this nook is. After browsing the poetry section for a bit, whose selection of American and British writers was impressive, the owner and I started chatting. He asked me why I was interested in American poetry when I had come across an ocean and was smack dab in a world-class city that embodied the best of English thought and writing. Point taken cheeky fellow, point taken. Nevertheless, I had already settled on a collection of Robert Frost. Really looking forward to revisiting this gem to browse the American poets to see what he'll say this time around. But I've got to hand it to the owner: he really knows his stuff. His selection of material is eclectic yet thorough, from creative, entertaining-based print to the classical, serious stuff. Whether you're a born-and-raised Oxfordian or a gawking tourist with the Nikon strapped on, Albion Beatnik is worth a good browse, followed by a late breakfast at Big Bang. As Antonio and I discovered, the organic ingredients of the bangers and mash are carefully paired to compliment each other, and no choice on the menu is a let down. The sausages are locally sourced from farmers and artisans whose passion it is to create a surprising array of dishes with unexpected twists. Moroccan lamb sausage, definitely on the spicy side, and vegetarian sausage, to rose-infused mashed potatoes with bright purple cabbage on the side. I had the Basil & Vine sausages, served over their rose mash... SO good. Antonio and I stopped in a bit late on the breakfast side of the day, but they graciously served us, and with French accents no less. By the time we had finished, they had closed for the afternoon to turn the place around for dinner, but they told us to take our time and asked if they could whip us up some more espresso, which is insanely strong French espresso. In the meantime, I have to shake myself from further reminiscing and finish my senior paper. Dear Azusa, I cannot wait to leave your concrete jungle for blustery winter weather and cobblestoned streets...