Date of Last Visit: Saturday, April 12, 2008

The Victims: K&A

The Damage: £50 each?

The Background:K & A are leaving me. I'm devastated. There's something nice about having someone (K) around who you've known since you were 18. (A's not so bad either.) They are heading back to New York. Shortly. Like within the next thirty days. This is our first of what will hopefully be many farewell dinners. 

They've picked Vama, a Chelsea Indian restaurant, despite telling me on the phone that they really want some fish and chips. I triumph over London Transport YET AGAIN and figure out how to take the tube to the bus to the restaurant all by myself in my new shoes–gray, patent leather, Mary Janes with a heel. I am trying to save my feet as much as possible. I seriously still do not understand how women walk in this city. I am constantly carrying around "traveling shoes." (Proving, yet again, that you can take the girl out of Long Island, but you can't take the Long Island out of the girl.)

The Food: We are off to a solid start…complimentary bhajis are on the table when I arrive. We get some tikka masala, some spinach and potato thingies that arrive as deep fried fingery looking things (not what I was expecting) and some more bhajis. We're happy, more or less.

The Mains: I order one of their specials, lamb cooked in a spicy spinach sauce. While the spinach sauce is great, the lamb is stringy and old looking. Hmmm. I push it aside. K gets some more tikka masala, which is nice, but my local curry house does it better–and cheaper. A gets a chicken dish whose name escapes me. All in all, it's all "nice." They're nice. It's fine.

The Verdict: Fine. But I probably won't be back.

The post Indian: Vama first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Thursday, September 13, 2007

The Victims: Many UK/London food bloggers. Including Johanna, Jeanne, Andy, Aidan, Walid, Sara, Steve, Sarah, and many others

The Background: Have you read my About page? The page where I say I don't accept free gifts? Well, I am a liar. A big one. Sister Virginia Maria would be very unhappy with me right now.

Because I have accepted free gifts. Two of them. One, a wonderful tour of Borough Market with Celia Brooks Brown, sponsored by the London restaurant review site, Trusted Places. The other, a fabulous dinner at Osteria dell Arancio the other night, sponsored by San Lorenzo.

San Lorenzo makes all sorts of delicious things…like risotto…and porcini mushrooms…and wine! And they are very Web 2.0 in that they are looking to build their business via social networking. And Osteria dell Arancio? Well, it's just enough off the King's Road to make it somewhat normal. And it's just a friendly and fun place.

So see…the Web 2.0 bit is why I don't feel so bad about accepting this free gift. It's because I follow Sara. I read her blog. I've met her in person. (That's her in the photo above, along with her colleague.) It's like a friend inviting you to dinner and paying for everything!

The Entrance: I am LATE. Late, late late. Like AN HOUR late. I am NEVER late. I am always early. (German and very serious about time. Not in a serious serious way, but well, if sometimes starts at 9, I am there at 8:50. That's just it.) But to make a very long story short, I've been waiting for my new bank card, and apparently, I don't exist, so they've been having trouble finding me. So I am stuck placing the UMPTEENTH call to my bank and to the courier, trying to get them organized. I think I'm successful, but I learn on Friday that I've failed. Sigh. You know, in America, they just mail you your card.

But the folks at Osteria dell'Arancio are very happy to see me. I arrive just in time for the rice tasting (Yes, who would have thunk it! We have a rice tasting, and I can truly say that not all rice is created–or cooked–equal.) The only thing that would have made the rice tasting better was little sample bags to take home with me. Because now I totally want to make myself some risotto. (Yes, yes! Can you believe it? Me, who doesn't cook!)

The Starters: After the rice tasting (I'm now in love with Carnaroli), we head downstairs to dinner. We start out with two risottos…a porcini and a radicchio. Now normally, I don't like risotto. It's like wet rice. Nothing exciting.

But that's because, apparently, all the risotto I've ever had before has been CRAP. Because I can honestly say that it's one of the best darn things I've ever eaten. Really, it was lovely and creamy and rich and exciting–not monotonous. I think that's the best word I can use to describe how I normally feel about risotto…it's normally pretty monotonous…to me anyhow.

The Main: It's chocolate cake! No, I'm a liar. It's DUCK PIE! But it looks a heck of a lot like chocolate cake. I'm serious. Check it out. And feel awful that you can only appreciate its deliciousness virtually. Because this dish was so unique and different and interesting and fun. It was made with black risotto! On the downside, it was super-rich and heavy so I started worrying about having room for…

The Dessert! It's rice pudding! But it's not. It's cheesecake. But no, it only tastes like cheesecake. Because I don't believe there's any cheese involved. (Another suggestion for Sara re: how to do these events next time…GIVE US THE RECIPES!) It's really good. (And forgive the exposure on these photos…my Digital Macro setting got into a fight with a bottle of Pinot and lost.)

The Wine: All washed down by some lovely Barolo and Barbaresco.

The Verdict: Loved the food. And the company of fellow UK food bloggers and fellow social-networkers. And the venue. And San Lorenzo. And here is the shameless plug–these guys are trying to break into the UK market by way of export…support them. Buy some risotto from them. And some mushrooms. And whatever else catches your fancy. All via mail order. They're nice people.

The post Italian. And Shameless Plugs. Osteria dell’Arancio and San Lorenzo first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Date of Last Visit: Friday, September 1, 2006

The Victims: Too many to mention. The booking was for 17 people.

The Damage: 50 quid a head for music, food, drinks, service.

The Background: It was James’ 31st birthday, so Kellie wanted to arrange a surprise night out. Well, it was supposed to be a surprise. 🙂 But it wasn’t. But that was okay.

The Approach: I was terrible and took a taxi all the way there. I don’t think I’ve ever been that far west before. It was crazy. Crazy rich people in their crazy big houses! What do all these people do for a living. Anyhow, when you get to the 606 Club, you have to ring the doorbell! It was crazy. In a good way. As Julie noted, it was like that episode of 90210 when the kids had to get the egg from 7-11 in order to get into the party.

The Atmosphere: Dark basement bar. Rec room feel to it. Suitably jazz-club-esque.

The Food: I ran 2.55 miles earlier in the evening, so I felt entitled to the Mexican nachos, which were really just corn chips smothered in cheese and salsa. They were good, but not great. I took the server’s recommendation and got the fillet steak, which was a big hunk of meat. It wasn’t as fillet-y as I thought it would be, but it was still good. I wish, in hindsight, that I had gotten the lamb tangine and the eggplant dish. They looked awesome. The chef is from North Africa. (Alergeria? Libya? Tunisia? What does that mean?)

The Music: The singer was AWESOME. Very strong voice. The music itself was a little too soul-y for me, but it was still pretty good. The best was when the singer dedicated Try a Little Tenderness to Kellie and James. That was cool.

The Verdict: I’d go back with out-of-town guests. It was a cool night out.

The post Basement Jazz: 606 Jazz Club first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.