The Golden Phoenix

This glonous establishment stands resplendent in its exotic gardens in the Garden Quarter (location G11). It has 12 double rooms, 18 smgle rooms, and two restaurants, the Velunese Grill and the Celene Feast Hall. The Velunese Grill does breakfasts, high luncheons, afternoon herbal teas, and light suppers: the Celene Feast Hall opens only for High Luncheon (lasts until 4 PM ) and Grand Supper (8 PM to 2 AM ). Set meals cost 10 gp to 15 gp; a la carte costs 25%-100% (1d4 x 25) extra; and a chefs specialty can cost as much as 35 gp. On the last day of each month, and on any public holiday, a Grand Feast is held in the Celene Feast Hall, which costs 50 gp per head for a ten-course meal with wines and liqueurs which lasts six hours and is accomparued by musicians, bards, Jugglers (who sometimes stagger diners with their flambe-juggling acts) and such like. This place is amazing. Do not come here unless you have plenty of gold and can afford to put on a lot of weight. Of course, only persons of refinement, good manners. and sound dress habits are allowed in here.

As examples of foodstuffs, the kitchen staff of 12 chefs (eight halflings and four half-elves) under the direction of Grand Master of Repasts Suleril Aleris (also a half-elf) consider the following dishes among their finest work.

Rabbit Velunaise: From an old Velunese recipe, joints of succulent young rabbit are basted in a fine stock and cooked with browned carrots and onions to which herbs and garlic are added. The stock is drained and the rabbit meat glazed, and then the meat and vegetables are simmered in sparkling uskberry wine, which is drained before serving. The dish is usually accompanied by a green vegetable and a baked potato stuffed with small, delicious fungi sauteed in garlic butter.

Almonan Stuffed Stirge: The rich meat of the stirge Is leavened by a stuffing of chestnuts and whole meal bread with herbs and lemon, the skin of the bird be ing rubbed with yarpick nut oil and ground pepper. The stirge is fully boned prior to cooking, with the chefs expertly folding the flesh of the bird so that it remains intact during roasting.

For a group of four or more, a whole cooked stirge may be dextrously mounted atop a ribcage of the bird in a swooping posture, with some local delicacy such as dormouse stuffed with olives and capers being added to the platter below the beak of the stirge. Buttered green vegetables, an astringent yogurtlike dip with breads, and a delicious relish made from a cranberry-like fruit usually accompany this dish.

To these notables could be added Celene Moonberry Cakes, Trout with melted Perrenland cheeses cooked encroute with herbs, Ixitxachitl fillets served with a sauce of cream, prawns, lemon butter and dill, and hundreds of similar delicacies. The wines and liqueurs are of the same high standard.