Andy Lynes

Just to clarify, how many of you were dining? Totally agree that the lunch menu is a relative bargin, as is often the case with 2 and 3 star restaurants. Unfortunately, I never really have the opportunity to enjoy a relaxed lunch when I am away working so have to stomach the cost of dinner if I am to try these sort of places.

Looks like whoever said that the award of European City of Culture to Liverpool had overturned 30 years of prejudice in a moment was quite possibly fooling himself.

I feel like the woman in the Fast Show where the blokes take no notice of her and then repeat what she said. (See post in between Thom and Andy's!) Mrs Woman, looks like you posted at the same time as I did, yours hadn't appeared when I responsed to Thom. So thank you as well.

Thom, thats great. I'm there for 2 nights so Ziba and Hope Street sounds like a plan, although I have had some very good experiences in Heathcotes places in Manchester and Preston so maybe I'll check out the menus before making a decision. Its been quite a few years since I've visited the city and am quite looking forward to seeing how it changed since the last time.

Next week I return to the land of my fathers to bathe my feet in the Mersey, to stand on a manhole in Matthew Street and to try and answer the question "Where is Beatles band?". Obviously, at some point I will need to eat. Any ideas?

I think I'm more excited about the idea of Krispy Kreme invading Harrods than the actuallity of eating them. The incongruity of it is appealing, it's an act of thrilling subversion and as such far more important than Gordon Ramsay storming the barricades of the Savoy. In addition, and to paraphrase and Woody Allen, I've never had a bad doughnut, even the worst one was pretty good.

No price for the reduced a la carte, which is in fact just a choice from the gourmand. I am hoping that it won't be full price. Murchison lasted less than 2 years. I think Galmiche is really going to have to do something special to make the place work.

Daniel Galmiche, formerly of Michelin starred Harvey's restaurant in Bristol has taken over the kitchens at L'Ortolan from Alan Murchison. He's offering a limited a la carte and gourmand menu until the full launch on 23 August. I'll be heading there next week and will report back. Restaurant website.

It the most exciting London food news this year so far, Krispy Kreme donuts will be opening in Harrods in October. Caterer news item here. Krispy Kreme website here.

Restaurant manager Angelo Maresca has quit. News item here.

Did anyone catch Circeplum's 2 stars out of 5 review in Metro today? I assume she has now taken on a full time body guard and gone into hiding as I'm sure that it won't be long before Ramsay issues the fatwa after he reads it.

Well, I'm glad I posted that now, thanks for the background LML.

The Plough is a " bar, dining room, lounge and garden" (a converted pub then) located in the Buckinghamshire countryside, close to Amersham. The chef is David Bennett, ex-Marco employee, and the menu has been created in collaboration with another of White's "boys" Darren Bunn. Bunn is in turn head chef at The Greyhound in Stockbridge, Hants, another property in the same group owned by developer Barry Skarin and Paul Smith, the latter also being the owner of Thackeray's in Tunbridge Wells. Complicated enough for you? Here's the menu. The Plough Winchmore Hill Amersham, Bucks, HP7 0PA 01494 721001 (Info courtesy of Network London).

Several of your books not about food and chefs deal with other crafts and craftsmen i.e. Wooden Boats (boat builders) and Walk on Water (surgeons). What is it that draws you back to the subject in its various forms?

B.Right.On Food Co have a good range of dried chilis.

Clear as in not clouded i.e. properly skimmed and reduced. A good trick indeed.

I see he's loaded up on the comedy crockery. The pictues are a bit small to really see the food though, which is a shame.

No way. It's got to be Mezzo's.

Only if you wash it first, I don't know where it's been (cue canned laughter).

They were laughing at my almost endless stream of scurriless jokes about Restaurant magazine and it's staff. They liked the ones about the marketing department in particular.

Please note : some of these links may require free registration to view. It's all Greek to Matthew Norman (place postmodernist ironic exclamation mark here). Jan Moir is in Penzance . My half-brother lives in Penzance, haven't seen him for a while. Hello Phil, if you're reading this. He won't be through, highly unlikely I would have said. Matthew Fort is at the The Jolly Frog. In Shropshire. Christ on a bike it's another Gastropub. Last week he went to St John Bread & Wine. Thats more like it Matthew. Jay Rayner is on holiday or something, so the no doubt delightful Harriet Lane is at Fleur. Lucky old Harriet, eh? I'd like to be at Fleur right now, possibly with Harriet, depends what she's like though really. Perhaps I'd be better off by myself. Table for one, Marcus me old mate. Giles Coren eats at Fleur as well and is under the mistaken impression that the gold wallpaper has been slapped up since it changed it's name from Petrus. It's been up ages actually. I went over a year ago and they it was up then. You would think someone like Giles Coren would know about these sort of things wouldn't you? But he doesn't. Amazing really. AA Gill went to the West Cornwall Pasty Co, but the funny thing is, it's not in West Cornwall actually, it's in the Kings Road. Well, it's probably easier for him to get to Kings Road than it is to Cornwall as he lives in London. Makes sense really doesn't it? When you think about it, it's logical. Rowley Leigh is making ice creams. That's good isn't it? As it's summer and everything, nice and seasonal. He shares a house with Alastair Little you know. Well, at least he used to, not sure what he's doing now. And blow me down if Heston Blumenthal isn't whipping up some sorbets! It's a July time feast. It really is! Apparently "Zuma’s chef Rainer Becker has the recipe for a fast Japanese supper that tastes as good as it looks". You can't argue with that, now can you? (Saved me writing something clever to introduce the link. I'm usually flagging at bit by this point anyway, you've noticed I'm sure). Andrew Catchpole on Tasmanian wines. Oh look, there's that nice Nigel Slater. He's got some currants. Go and find out what he's doing with them. Share I compare thee to nut and vomit? Well, thats how Oz Clarke described the aroma of chenin blanc according to Tim Atkin . Jan MacQuitty's Star Buys for getting pissed with. Well, that's what it's for at the end of the day isn't it? Lets not pretend otherwise. Jill Dupleix is cheesey. Better than being fishy I suppose. That's next week. Probably.

The correct answer was "lurking". Obviously the whole of the British food and drink media in all its forms depends entirely on eGullet for its source material. Haven't you noticed that yet?

For which we are grateful Jay. Good spot by Mrs Woman, well remembered, but to contextualise this, a leading UK food and drink editor/restaurant reviewer told me that his peers and collegues speak of "little else" other than eGullet. Jay is here regularly, under his own name. Where are the rest of them (Circeplum excluded of course)?

No, no connection with the Winchester hotel, but have spent a couple of days in the kitchens in brighton which I think I have mentioned elsewhere. I was on the hot starters, not puddings though.

Thanks Slacker, glad you enjoyed it. In defence of poor old Brighton, we do have the excellent and reasonably priced Hotel Du Vin and I have recently had very enjoyable experiences at China garden for Dim Sum and Woodies Diner for burgers and fries. But in my experience, restaurants in my home town of a similar size and price point to Margot's don't deliver to anywhere near the same degree.