The Damage: £35ish because Al was kind and didn't make me pay for the wine. This means that he enjoyed nearly an entire bottle on his own. I'm sorry, Al.
The Background: Ever since Al & Louise moved to Archway and Gerry & Ben moved to Holloway, I've been expanding my geographic horizons. I've been getting to know the London bus system better, assisting me in my "Year of the Bus" campaign. (At 90p, how can you not take the bus???)
I'd heard raves from both couples about St. John, so I was really eager to give it whirl. Al managed to get a late booking for a Friday night, which I felt awful about because it meant bundling up baby Oscar and keeping him up past his bedtime. (To clarify, Oscar is Al & Louise's baby; not mine.) But really, Oz didn't seem to mind and we didn't hear a peep out of him all night, bless him.
So–Entrance: Entrance is good. I like it. There's a bar up front and a restaurant in the back. I like the restaurant decor. There are many portraits on the wall, seemingly by the same artist. It's cool. It's somewhat library-esque too, although it's not a library. I can't explain it. Gentleman's club maybe? Regardless, it was dark and warm and inviting. And it's raining outside (again). So we're all very cozy.
Random Thoughts about Alcohol: So I'm taking a break from alcohol this January. I noticed Girl Dates London is doing the same, although January doesn't seem to be slowing down Stonch over at Stonch's Beer Blog or Douglas over at The Daily Wine. In veto'ing the vino, I've noticed a couple of things: 1. There's a lot of food out there with alcohol in it. (More to come on this in a bit.) 2. People look at you funny on a Friday night when you order a cranberry & soda. (I think C&S is much more interesting than just sticking with tap water.) 3. Some waitstaff can handle the non-drinkers more maturely and appropriately than others. (I will come back to No. 5 Cavendish Square in a few days and highlight how annoyingly pushy they were, and insensitive given that we were dining with a number of Muslims–obviously so. And maybe I was over-analyzing it the other night but I think the servers at Roka were desperate for us to order something besides water and tea.) 4. It's amazing what you can accomplish on a Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
I digress, so let's get back to the food…
The Starters: I order the crab bisque. And then I realize that there's probably alcohol in it. Al tries to reassure me that all the alcohol has been cooked off, but if I'm going to do this no alocohol thing, I'm going to do it right. I switch to the artichoke soup and it is FANTASTIC. I would love nothing more than to come home to this on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining outside, Nina Simone is on the radio, and there's a yellow lab at my feet. (For the record, I'm allergic to dogs, but this is a nice image isn't it?) We are off to a good start.
The Mains: I can't choose. I end up with the ribeye and chips which is odd for me because I'm not a steak person, really. The chips are nothing special. The ribeye is kinda messy. How can a steak be messy? It's almost like it's part braised or something. Or perhaps cooked once to rare and then cooked again to medium? I can't explain it. But it was just not for me.
The Dessert: I ask for the caramel ice cream. They're out. But our server recommends the rum raisin ice cream. No no no…alcohol–it's everywhere! I opt for vanilla and it's served with a little piece of shortbread that almost redeems my steak.
The Loos: Dirty, dirty, dirty. And cold. Cold and dirty is a bad combination. A good power washing, a smelly candle, and a flower or two would do wonders.
What I Learned: Abba assures me that there are NO monkeys in Delhi. This is interesting because my co-workers swear they were mauled by a swarm of wild monkeys in Delhi.
The Verdict: I'm going to give St. John another shot. It's the artichoke soup. I can't stop thinking about it.
The Drapers Arms 44 Barnsbury Street N1 1ER Tel: 020 7619 0348
Date of Last Visit: Friday, October 12th, 2007
The Victims: Feathers, Jill
The Damage: £35 quid each
The Background: I’m going to let Feathers do most of the commenting on this one. But I’ll give you the background. Jill was in town from the US and Feathers wanted to do dinner and on a Friday, well, I believe in making a booking. Big pet peeve–wandering around town, just "looking for somewhere good." (Feathers would never do this to me. I just wanted to mention it.) So I called around a bit and everywhere was booked, but then I struck gold with The Drapers Arms. And it all worked out very very well.
Over to Feathers: Atmosphere was romantic with great candlelight. I thought about kissing Krista.
My soup had a lovely robust flavor and I like it when I can add my own toppings to make it cheesier, creamier or crunchier. Yum! [Krista: It was a fish soup of some sort, right?]
Krista said I ordered the boring dish but I love butternut squash with feta and the rosemary was the perfect herb. The speghetti was perfectly cooked and the sauce was creamy but not too rich like an alfredo. [Krista: Yes, I was very surprised by the deliciousness of the vegetarian spaghetti.]
The Service: My favorite part of the night was Jill (the visitor from the US) said Krista should say, "Great food but OK service." Meanwhile, Krista and I thought it was very good service. Welcome to England. Americans like nothing better than a recommendation and the staff was more than willing to accomadate. I also love when you ask about a dish and they give you a lukewarm response. It means that they aren’t just saying everything is good. Krista asked about (what dish was it?) and she said it was fine so Krista went straight for the highly recommended pork chop and she got the best dish of the night.
And More from Krista: I thought Jill’s scallops were wonderful. They were topped with a delicious garlick-y pesto of some sort. A very generous serving too–six or seven very large scallops. (No idea of provenance.) The lemon tart was smooth and silky, although I do perfer lemon tart when it’s a bit more solid. Other things I liked–the bread was great. I like hummous, but I thought that was a bit of an add choice. (There was butter too.) Oh yes, and my pork chop was fantastic. It was served with beans–and my only complaint is that I could have used some more beans.
Oh yes, and we had two JUGS OF TAP WATER! We didn’t even have to ask for the second.
And Hello to Our New Friends: Out front on our way out, we met Rory and Leonora. Rory lives around the block and Leonora is his mom and he was taking her out to dinner. (And enjoying a smoke break.) They were kind enough to take a photo of us and we enjoyed a nice chat out front about how delicious the Drapers Arms was, Americans in the UK, my blog, and many other things. Feathers invited them to her Christmas party and she is very serious about her Christmas party invitations, so perhaps we shall see them again.
What made me love The Drapers even more was that a staff member came out mid-conversation to check in with them and make sure everything was okay and did they want anything else, etc. It was quite friendly.
The Background: Al & Louise are THE BEST. They've got a sitter for the evening for Baby Oscar and they've organized dinner at one of their new locals. I've never been to Tufnell Park, so I am excited! Field trip! And you know what…my local bus goes STRAIGHT there. Which is nice.
The Entrance: I like it. It's pub-y. And large. And friendly. We have about three different people waiting on us and they are just all so nice. Particulalry the French guy. He's a keeper.
The Starters: We start with some bread and olives which are nice. The bread is good. And then I go for the squid and it is really just average. It needs salt. The menu says it's spiced. It's not. Note, however, that I said the same exact thing about my Katsudon at Sasa Sushi earlier in the day, so maybe it's me that needs salt! But I mentioned the blandness out loud at the table and there were many nods of agreement–not enough salt.
The Mains: Because I am so addicted to Risotto now, I go for the pea and mint and mushroom risotto. And it is nice. Better than nice, but less excellent than the risotto the other night at Osteria dell'Arancia. I am not disappointed. But I am not enthralled either.
The Company: EXCELLENT. We make plans. We form a dinner club. An interesting and different dinner club. So I can get my fix on Ethiopian. And Korean. Yey! I can't wait.
The Verdict: Oh, my friend Sarah will get mad at me for this one. See, even though my food was only OK, I actually quite liked The Junction, so I'd probably go back. It's just a nice and friendly unpretentious place. But I wouldn't use the Loo there…because it's filthy.
The Background: The movies on my flight back from LAX sucked. With one exception. The Bourne Supremacy. I don't normally like Matt Damon, but man is he great as Jason Bourne.
Well, The Bourne Ultimatum was set to debut in the UK on the 17th, but somehow, we found it at the Coronet in Notting Hill on Thursday the 16th. This was perfect because I had to catch a flight the next day to Sardinia.
We chose The Mall for its proximity to the theatre, and man am I glad we did. Because it was a really good meal. (With one exception, which I will mention in two secs.)
The Starters: We get a plate of hummous and babaganoush to start. The hummous is fine. The babaganoush is lackluster. It's missing something. A lot of things, actually. It's just plain eggplant. No seasonings. Weird. Anna and James get the prawns and they look really really nice and fresh.
The Mains: I get the roast chicken with broad beans, and man, I gotta tell you…it was PERFECT. Really really great. I was so very pleasantly surprised. It was a nice and simple dish, perfectly executed.
The Service: A bit spacey. And did not know what beers they had.
The Loos: Eh. Saloon style doors are weird.
The Movie: FANTASTIC. If you haven't seen it yet, you should go immediately!
Language Lesson Learned: Theatre vs. Cinema. You can drink beer at the theatre, apparently. The Coronet is a theatre.
The Verdict: I liked it. If I'm ever in the 'hood, I'll be sure to stop by again. But I'll skip the babaganoush.
The Background: I’m not sure how I’ve missed The Eagle after all these years. Sure, I knew it was there. I walk–and sometimes run–by it regularly. But I always forget about it when I need an option close to home.
While waiting (and waiting…and waiting…no offense, guys) for the gang for drinks at The Dovetail the other afternoon, I had jotted down a list of possible dinner locations. The Eagle was one of them. So off we go.
The Entrance: I can only imagine what this place was like when smoking indoors was legal. (Very smokey.) It’s crowded and buzzy and we have to wait at the bar for a table. But no worry. We have some anchovies and chorizo and taramasalata and we’re fine. The taramasalata is fantastic. I remember this one time in college, my mom sent me and my roommates a basket of cheese and sausage. Included in the basket were a ton of cheese spreads. Months later, the taramasalata spreads were still sitting there. Well, as Cher said, if I could turn back time…who knew fish dip could be THIS GOOD.
The Starters: See above. Plus, the taramasalata was SO good that I ask for more. And Mark orders some bruschetta. When the bruschetta arrives, it’s amazing. It’s beautiful. It’s covered in tomatoes, mozzarella, and aubergine. Honestly, I will go back to The Eagle just for the bruschetta, it’s so fantastic. (OK, and the taramasalata. I will gladly have more taramasalata. And even more tarmasalata.) Actually, I’m writing this post from Mexico (more on that later), and I’m already thinking that when I get back to London, I’m going to take myself to The Eagle for lunch after my "I-just-spent-24-hours-traveling" nap and celebrate with taramasalata and bruschetta.
The Mains: I get the mackerel (I’m on a big mackerel kick at the moment) and it’s good. I’m so full from all the taramasalata and bruchetta though that I have trouble finishing it. I am not very sad about this.
The Verdict: I’ll be back the first week in August!
The Damage: £45 each. Plus drinks at the Covent Garden Hotel afterwards.
The Background: K has been traveling like crazy lately and I have been running around (literally) a lot lately, so it’s been too long. I’m also lucky in that smoking is now illegal in London, which means K&A are more likely to be tempted out. (They do not, most obviously, have the affinity for Febreeze and Clear Eyes that I do.)
The Tap Water Test: PASSED. A whole jug.
The Service: Friendly. Informative. Interesting. They know the food and the menu. The wine recommendation we got was one of the most enthusiastic I’ve ever received. (It would help if I could remember what it was…it was French, fruit-forward, and it started with a G.) I hope they don’t ever lose this enthusiasm thing. Also, I liked the fact that they didn’t automatically tack on 12.5%. They asked when they charged my card whether I wanted to add a gratuity.
The Bread: FANTASTIC.
The Starter: I go for crab on toast. It’s very meaty. It’s more than just crab and mayo. There’s something else in there. Worcestchire sauce? I don’t know, but it’s delicious. The toast is a little too crunchy though–it’s hard to work with. K has the onions and although served differently than expected (we almost expected a latke), she was very happy.
The Mains: K says her steak is the best steak she’s had in England. This is HIGH PRAISE. K&A have been ordering beef from an American butcher (John someone) somewhere out in the countryside because they are so not fans of British beef. They talk to butchers about beef all the time. They talk about the deplorable state of British beef fairly regularly. The fact that she likes this steak…well, this is good. I am pleased.
I have the rabbit. Because I am obsessed with rabbit these days. Here, it tastes like chicken, as it often does. It it served with little onions and little pieces of bacon. It’s all very nice. I am happy.
The best part? The alioli we had to beg for. We got a side of chips, and they don’t do ketchup. K looks imploringly at the server with her best puppy dog eyes…some alioli, certainly? Please? And he returns with some. And it was fantastic. So wonderfully garlic-y. And the mayo had to have been home made.
The Desserts: We don’t really feel like anything on the menu, but we did see that the large party at the front of the restaurant had some nice American pudding-like creations served in shot glasses. We ask about these–which are not on the menu–and they bring us one chocolate and one lemon. They charge us £3.60 each, which I think it a tad dear, but that’s okay. (Well, not really. I’d suggest £2.80.) They are just the right amount of dessert.
The Verdict: Good food. Loud. Fun. Excellent service. Clean. Neat. Not cheap. You should try it. And you should convince them to always offer the alioli.
The Background: I am on Day 2 of the conference, and I am so hoping it will be better than Day 1. It’s an online marketing conference, which had sounded SO great when I read about it online. But when they put up a slide in one session that explains what a Web site is (or maybe it was a search engine)…well, I get a little peeved. And then one person reads their entire presentation off a piece of paper, verbatim. That sucked. And a couple of speakers didn’t show up or got "stuck in traffic." The most oft-heard phrase? "This next slide…" (ARGGGH.) And the rest all spoke very vaguely, in a theoretical manner that DROVE ME CRAZY. I wanted some specific examples, not sweeping generalizations. And I gradually came to understand A. How Much I Already Know and B. My Presentation Skills are FANTASTIC.
Funnily, towards the end of Day 1, I run into Ben of Food & Drink. We make tentative plans for lunch the next day and I suggest the Duke of Cambridge up the road and east a bit. It’s a plan.
The Surroudings: Are very gastro-pub-y. There are many chairs, and few of them match. It’s a very wide and open space and I like it.
The Service: Even though it’s an "order at the bar" kind of place, there are folks meandering around the pub and they are very helpful and friendly. Paying the bill took a while, but I’ll forgive them for that.
The Food: I get the fish pie. And it’s good. But it’s got like three very large potatoes in it. I could have used something else in there–some veggies of some sort–all within the pie. The wilted greens served on the side are not super-edible. Maybe they are not wilted enough? Ben got the curry-ish chicken, and I say "ish" because it was like 1/4 of a chicken, not little chicken chunks. He seemed to like it. I will let him add details if he should so desire.
The Verdict: I liked the atmosphere. Thought the food was so-so. But I’d go back if the opportunity were to present itself.
The Background: I am on Day 2 of the conference, and I am so hoping it will be better than Day 1. It’s an online marketing conference, which had sounded SO great when I read about it online. But when they put up a slide in one session that explains what a Web site is (or maybe it was a search engine)…well, I get a little peeved. And then one person reads their entire presentation off a piece of paper, verbatim. That sucked. And a couple of speakers didn’t show up or got "stuck in traffic." The most oft-heard phrase? "This next slide…" (ARGGGH.) And the rest all spoke very vaguely, in a theoretical manner that DROVE ME CRAZY. I wanted some specific examples, not sweeping generalizations. And I gradually came to understand A. How Much I Already Know and B. My Presentation Skills are FANTASTIC.
Funnily, towards the end of Day 1, I run into Ben of Food & Drink. We make tentative plans for lunch the next day and I suggest the Duke of Cambridge up the road and east a bit. It’s a plan.
The Surroudings: Are very gastro-pub-y. There are many chairs, and few of them match. It’s a very wide and open space and I like it.
The Service: Even though it’s an "order at the bar" kind of place, there are folks meandering around the pub and they are very helpful and friendly. Paying the bill took a while, but I’ll forgive them for that.
The Food: I get the fish pie. And it’s good. But it’s got like three very large potatoes in it. I could have used something else in there–some veggies of some sort–all within the pie. The wilted greens served on the side are not super-edible. Maybe they are not wilted enough? Ben got the curry-ish chicken, and I say "ish" because it was like 1/4 of a chicken, not little chicken chunks. He seemed to like it. I will let him add details if he should so desire.
The Verdict: I liked the atmosphere. Thought the food was so-so. But I’d go back if the opportunity were to present itself.
The Background: The first time I ever went to Hampstead, I got a little lost, and everyone I stopped for directions was American. I thought this quite funny, although three years ago, I probably would never have phrased a sentence that way. (It would be more like, "Oh. My. God. It was like SOO TOTALLY funny!)
It’s hard to believe it’s been two and a half years, two flats, two passports, and one work permit renewal since I’ve been up in Hampstead, so I am excited to return for lunch with Sarah. (And as I write this a few days later on a lovely Sunday morning with Otis Redding playing on my iTunes, I am actually trying to rally myself to head up to my friend Mark’s place in Hampstead for a barbecue. No Hampstead visits in ages, and then two visits in three days!)
Well, Sarah and Arielle and I wander down Heath Street to check out the local Hampstead gastropub, The Horseshoe, and I instantly fall in love.
The Love: For £7, we get a lovely ceasar salad, a seat at the window overlooking a lovely little courtyard, and a lovely glass of white wine. Our service is perfect and the company is just what I needed.
The End: It’s very clean and neat and tidy and relaxing on a late Friday afternoon. I feel well-rested. I’ll be back.
35 Old Church Street SW3 0BA Tel: 020 020 7352 2908
Date of Last Visit: Saturday, April 14th
The Victims: DeeDee, K&A, Ann, Andy, Colin
The Damage: Oh I am so terrible. Maybe it was £50ish?
The Background: DeeDee is in from Denver and I am so happy to see her. In true Deed fashion, no trans-atlantic nap is needed. We walk across the Millennium Bridge and we have a beer at The Rake. We walk through a very quiet Borough Market at 4 p.m., we hop in a black cab, and then it’s over to Chelsea for dinner at The Pig’s Ear.
You see…the other weekend, I was brunching with Jessica of Ripe London and she mentioned how much she likes The Pig’s Ear. And coincidentally, I had also heard that Wills and Kate (used to) love The Pig’s Ear. And so I made it our destination.
The Food: I had that rough kind of foie gras. You know…not the buttery kind, but rather the big chunky farmhouse kind. Not my favorite. But not bad either. And then I had the cod. And it was nice. It was a generous portion. People would like the food here.
The Rest: The service was odd. He was not very charming. He was flippant, and I was not. Very unhelpful. And bottled water is a scam.
The Loos: One day, I will start my own business: power-washing and feminizing loos. Would your mother let your bathroom look like this?
The Company: Perfect.
The Verdict: A good date, or a meet-the-parents. Or a hello and a goodbye to old friends.
Date of Last Visit: The most beautiful day in a long time, Sunday, April 15th, 2007
The Victims: Ben, Gerry, Julie, Renee
The Damage: Minor. Beer and nuts!
Sunday the 15th was gorgeous. I don’t think I have much else to say but that. Oh, and the beer garden at The Albion is beautiful. It would be even better if they kept the kitchen open all day. Beer and nuts does not a lunch make. And they would be even more better if the staff behind the bar on a Sunday would hussle a little bit. OK, one last thing and I’ll shut up–a Sunday afternoon and out of most beers on tap? Who is their operations manager?
The Background: What have I done for a Saturday? Um, I think the answer is nothing. Except six loads of wash (man, this country really needs to get into US washing machines). Oh, and I mopped the floors. And dusted. The excitement. I can’t take it!
But see I was excited…because Rutton never comes over to my side of town. And all I did was say, "Hey, let’s go to this gastropub that I’ve been wanting to try" and boom, there they were.
Well, not really. I was there at 7:55 for an 8 p.m. booking. They were there at 8:30.
Where I Digress. Yet Again: Now, I want to talk about being late for dinner reservations. It really upsets me. I have made the reservation and I am there on time. The restaurant has my phone number, and they can thus stalk me forever if I screw them over. I live in constant fear of this (yes, I know, it’s never happened so why think this way?) and the restaurant giving my table away because the entire party is not seated.
I don’t often bring reading material to restaurants, so there I was sitting there alone, playing with my cell phone. And drinking. Yes, drinking alone. Classy.
I debate telling people to get there 30 minutes before the actual reservation. But this seems like an annoying trick. Why is it okay to be late?
And what do you say when your guests finally arrive? I equate it to those times in grammar school when someone would ask if they could borrow a pen and you would say yes, but yet you knew that you would never see that pen again. And if you asked for your pen back, the borrower would look at you like you’re crazy.
Hey, I like my pens. And why is anyone else’s time more important than mine? (I am quoting my friend Kellie’s story here. Thanks K.)
The Entrance: Regardless of the lateness, everyone arrives and I am happy to see them. (The very strong beer I’ve had while waiting might have had an impact, but really, I swear it is nice to see everyone.)
Michael is still unemployed and homeless. Rutton has actually been in the country for more than three days in a week. Zarmina has just submitted her Kellogg app.
We order chicken livers to celebrate.
The Mains: We order #7. That’s about 1.865 kg of meat. Yes. For my American readers, that’s 4.1 lb of meat for four people. But it’s served on the bone, so back down. It’s also served with Yorkshire Pudding (which admittedly, I still contemplate and think, "Where is the pudding?"), roast potatoes, gravy, and cabbage. It’s all very lovely.
The Gimmick: Up on the wall, there’s a big chalkboard. And it’s full of meat. All different weights. You pick the weight you want, and it comes with all the trimmings. Nicely done.
The Taste: Pretty nice. The meat was a little too raw for me all the way around, but still pretty delicious. Particularly delicious were the roast potatoes, which are nicely roasted and golden brown. Especially the first batch.
The Dessert: We had some mead, which was fun.
The Verdict: I’d go back. It’s a good place for a group of friends and/or family. Communal. Good stuff. And next time, I’ll tell them to be there 15 minutes before the annointed time.
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