GOGSoc Episode V: The GOG Strikes Back

Original post by Drogue

They've turned River Bar into a (mediocre) steakhouse?! That sucks, it was where Helen and I had our first date. Quite a time ago now...

It still looks the same inside. And it wasn't that great to begin with, food wise

Reply 1962

Drogue

19

Original post by Craghyrax

It still looks the same inside. And it wasn't that great to begin with, food wise

Admittedly I've only been there once, and my focus wasn't entirely on the food, but I thought it was pretty decent. I remember having a lovely loin of venison. Having said that, it was 5 years ago and it's the kind of experience that you look back on with rose-tinted glasses. I love the Cambridge Chop House too. Meaty goodness. Nom.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1963

The Lyceum

13

Guys, I'm seriously thinking of applying to America next year. But I doubt I will. A) I love Europe so hard, I love that I can go from Greece to the UK no problem and there's so much of this continent I want to see! It's the home of my subject! B) How will I do that if I can't even contact potential supervisors? A professor here has passed on my details to someone quite famous in a field I like who now wants to hear me from me, what can I even say? I feel absolutely stupid no matter what I write down.

Reply 1964

Original post by Drogue

Admittedly I've only been there once, and my focus wasn't entirely on the food, but I thought it was pretty decent. I remember having a lovely loin of venison. Having said that, it was 5 years ago and it's the kind of experience that you look back on with rose-tinted glasses. I love the Cambridge Chop House too. Meaty goodness. Nom.

I was there twice before the management change, and while the food was ok, it was certainly overpriced for what it was. The Chop House is much better. I've left a message with the latter, and I'm crossing my fingers that they can do what we want.
Its a shame about their name, because they do fantastic vegetarian food too, but people always assume they only do meat!

Reply 1965

Drogue

19

Original post by Craghyrax

I was there twice before the management change, and while the food was ok, it was certainly overpriced for what it was. The Chop House is much better. I've left a message with the latter, and I'm crossing my fingers that they can do what we want.
Its a shame about their name, because they do fantastic vegetarian food too, but people always assume they only do meat!

True, it was/is a bit overpriced, though I'm used to London where it would be pretty fair. You're paying a bit for the location too.

To be honest, I thought the same about the Chop House when I first went (just after it changed from being No. 1 Kings Parade) - bit overpriced, but nice and given the location understandably priced. However the prices seem similar now, whereas everywhere else has become more expensive, so if the standards have stayed the same it doesn't seem overpriced anymore.

I've been meaning to try 22 Chesterton Road when I'm in Cambridge, but have yet to have a chance. Might try the night before my brother's wedding.

Reply 1966

Original post by Drogue

True, it was/is a bit overpriced, though I'm used to London where it would be pretty fair. You're paying a bit for the location too.

To be honest, I thought the same about the Chop House when I first went (just after it changed from being No. 1 Kings Parade) - bit overpriced, but nice and given the location understandably priced. However the prices seem similar now, whereas everywhere else has become more expensive, so if the standards have stayed the same it doesn't seem overpriced anymore.

The Chop House's food is way nicer than the River Bar's, even in its heyday. How many times have you eaten at the former?

Reply 1967

Drogue

19

Original post by Craghyrax

The Chop House's food is way nicer than the River Bar's, even in its heyday. How many times have you eaten at the former?

I've only eaten at each once, so I may have just got lucky. I liked The Chop House, and it seemed to use better ingredients, but I also liked what the River Bar did with them when I went there. Also, The Chop House seemed more expensive at the time (about the same as now, but 5 years worth of inflation ago), though that's not the case anymore. Plus I thought the River Bar was a nicer space with better service.

But as said, I may have just got lucky when we went to the River Bar, plus it being a long time ago.

I tend to think of them both together, since they both got a bit outclassed when we went to Sketch and Patterson's a couple of months after, when I'd moved to London (which surprisingly weren't actually that much more expensive, as they both had/have really good deals).

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1968

Original post by Drogue

I've only eaten at each once, so I may have just got lucky. I liked The Chop House, and it seemed to use better ingredients, but I also liked what the River Bar did with them when I went there. Also, The Chop House seemed more expensive at the time (about the same as now, but 5 years worth of inflation ago), though that's not the case anymore. Plus I thought the River Bar was a nicer space with better service.

Hmm, that's odd. The service in the Chop House has always been superb! The staff always cracked jokes and were very ready to make adjustments.

I tend to think of them both together, since they both got a bit outclassed when we went to Sketch and Patterson's a couple of months after, when I'd moved to London (which surprisingly weren't actually that much more expensive, as they both had/have really good deals).

Never heard of Sketch and Patterson's. Is that London, sorry?

Reply 1969

Original post by The Lyceum

Guys, I'm seriously thinking of applying to America next year. But I doubt I will. A) I love Europe so hard, I love that I can go from Greece to the UK no problem and there's so much of this continent I want to see! It's the home of my subject! B) How will I do that if I can't even contact potential supervisors? A professor here has passed on my details to someone quite famous in a field I like who now wants to hear me from me, what can I even say? I feel absolutely stupid no matter what I write down.

Don't worry too much about sounding stupid. Likeliness is that you will feel stupid but not actually sound stupid. I still remember the time I chased one of the top ethnomusicologists in the world, to a seminar at the Open University. I had been chatting to him via email (wanted him to supervise me at Chicago) but the moment I saw him, I was like this: :eek2:

I talked to him after his seminar (my dissertation supervisor introduced me, which apparently confused people into thinking I was a very bright PhD student rather than some undergrad noob :lol:

) and desperately tried to sound intelligent but was so busy going ZOMGYOU'RESOFAMOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! that I sounded like a right muppet and went red and just babbled nonsensically about ABBA :facepalm:

Whilst I didn't get an offer from Chicago in the end (fair enough: I was applying for one of two places. Clearly I was too awesome for them :colonhash:

), uber-famous ethnomusicologist wrote to me once he was back in the US, to thank me for coming to hear him speak and for talking to him. I was like, you're thanking me? I bow down before you! :love:

So yeah, moral of that longwinded story: don't worry about feeling/sounding stupid. Just go for it and who knows: you might surprise yourself! :yep:

Reply 1970

The Lyceum

13

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Thanks TLG, you're right. I've actually almost finished drafting out what I wanted to say. =D

Reply 1971

Original post by The Lyceum

Thanks TLG, you're right. I've actually almost finished drafting out what I wanted to say. =D

Good good! Glad to hear it! :awesome:

Reply 1972

Right. I spent yesterday evening in a sea of -isms, doing prep reading so that I hope to have a half-decent research proposal in due course, bearing in mind I am applying for a course that I didn't do in undergrad. All this of course with the ultimate aim that I, too, can take part in the great TSR River Bar vs Chop House debate. :getmecoat:

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 1973

Original post by sj27

Right. I spent yesterday evening in a sea of -isms, doing prep reading so that I hope to have a half-decent research proposal in due course, bearing in mind I am applying for a course that I didn't do in undergrad. All this of course with the ultimate aim that I, too, can take part in the great TSR River Bar vs Chop House debate. :getmecoat:

Hopefully it will be worth it in the end. "The early bird catches the worm" and all that jazz :smile:

Reply 1974

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

)...uber-famous ethnomusicologist wrote to me once he was back in the US, to thank me for coming to hear him speak and for talking to him. I was like, you're thanking me? I bow down before you! :love:

:

Famous academics can be surprising. I met a Nobel prizewinner in economics a couple of years ago...(I really envy the mainly US unis that have these guys on their staff...) I was kind of like you described above, and he was like, really, really chuffed that I had a book of his I had asked him to sign!!!

Reply 1975

Original post by sj27

Famous academics can be surprising. I met a Nobel prizewinner in economics a couple of years ago...(I really envy the mainly US unis that have these guys on their staff...) I was kind of like you described above, and he was like, really, really chuffed that I had a book of his I had asked him to sign!!!

Awww! It's always reassuring to find academics who are human and humble and don't have their heads shoved far up their arses :yep:

Definitely envy the US for having the majority of the big names. Oxford managed to poach a homegrown one back from Chicago but he's leaving in September to join KCL. Very sad times for Oxford's Music Faculty :sadnod:

Reply 1976

Original post by The_Lonely_Goatherd

Hopefully it will be worth it in the end. "The early bird catches the worm" and all that jazz :smile:

Well, i decided to stop being daunted about the research proposal requirement and start doing something about it! I think i have a decent proposal idea actually, but obviously it needs to be framed in the proper academic approach. And even if I don't get in, I will have learnt a fair amount about a subject I am really interested in....it's not like I will feel I have wasted my time doing this :smile:

Reply 1977

Original post by sj27

Well, i decided to stop being daunted about the research proposal requirement and start doing something about it! I think i have a decent proposal idea actually, but obviously it needs to be framed in the proper academic approach. And even if I don't get in, I will have learnt a fair amount about a subject I am really interested in....it's not like I will feel I have wasted my time doing this :smile:

I'm glad you're looking at it that way. Knowledge for knowledge's sake is a great thing imho :yes:

Reply 1978