Demise of The Donnie

For quite a number of years I've been stopping in at The Doncaster Hotel on Anzac Parade, Kensington before band on a Tuesday night. It started out that it was just too hard to go from work at North Sydney, back home to the Great Unwashed West, and then into Kenso for band. Just not enough hours between 5 and 8pm to do this little trek comfortably.

So I'd hang around at work till 6:30-ish, drive over to The Donnie, have a couple of beers and a light dinner. Usually there'd be someone else who could come along, probably Dr Mal, or one of the girls. All very nice. At one stage, the pub even had lingerie waitresses on the Tuesday night between 6 and 8, so it was very cosy. Totally not an influence on me going there, of course. <cough/>

But a number of changes have occurred. The comfortable lounge bar has turned into a trivia quest every Tuesday night starting at 7. Therefore, no peace and quiet, no conversation that doesn't revolve around what colour Betty Rubble's underwear is, or who David Beckham is currently shagging. [By the way I think it's this chick.] They've moved those horrid poker machines into the bar as well, so even if you're not battling an amplified pommy asking inane questions, you are battling the seductive sounds of coins clinking and pong-like beeps. The air-conditioning has been mucked with in some way, and you cannot enter the room for five minutes without leaving smelling like an ashtray.

And let me just say that I have NO PROBLEM with people smoking in pubs, I've done it myself, and if you're going to a pub then you should probably expect it. But for heaven's sake, let's get the air-conditioning right so that people don't need a knife and fork to see their conversation companions through the haze.

It used to be good for food as well, but for the $15 average for main meal you can get a whole lot better. Last night Alison ordered the veal and she was offered the choice of mash potato or jacket potato. Mash. Fifteen minutes later, the little counter chicky comes out to tell Ali that they were out of mash and would jacket potato do instead? Yes no problem, but Ali raised a couple of questions:

1. Why couldn't they simply mash the jacket potato? Even I know how to do this.
2. Does this mean they use packet mash? Yuck-o!

I think it's time to give the Donnie The Flick. It's just not doing it for me anymore.

The only problem is that of a viable alternative. I think some research along the lines of Gary & Tony is required.