Andy Lynes

Read it and weep - clicking hell mate

This is very much about the dining experience and is entertaining so in my official capacity and eGullet Community Co-ord I pronounce that this is not a pie moment. I thank you.

Your cook is roasting duck in the out house????....that must have an unusual flavour.

Had a highly enjoyable 12th wedding anniversary dinner at Racine last night. I will write a full review soon, but for now : We sampled 6 of the 9 starters between the 2 of us thanks to a tasting plate courtesy of Henry. This included: the pot de crevettes au madre (which had been turned out onto the plate and were quite seperate and not too sweet I didn't think so perhaps they have been through a bit if a re think since circleplum had them); the pate de foie de volaille, made to Henry's Mum's recipe and as served at his Dad's much missed Brighton restaurant Le Grandgousier, quite the best coarse pate I have had; the bayonne ham with a wonderfully mustardy celeriac remoulade and some smoked duck with anchovy dressing. This was served with a pot of excellent cornichon and some sea salt. I then had the garlic and saffron mousse which was the highlight of the meal for me and reason enough by itself to pay the place a visit, whilst Gill had a massive salade lyonnaise full of black pudding, lentils, bacon, anchovy etc etc which she forced herself to leave some of in order to make room for a generous bowlful of Marmite Dieppoise, a stew of cod, mussels, clams, squid with cream, white wine and we think pastis and brandy. I had the tete de veau, served with a large slice of brain, new potatos and the braising liquor. Desserts were a slightly to firm Macaronnade de peche and the Mont Blanc. With house champagne, a bottle of Australian Chardonnay, a glass of Jurancon and coffee, the bill was around £90.00. Service was very good, but could have been more switched on when it came to wine. If they have a sommelier, I didn't see him or her.

Thanks for the link excelent article. Really looking forward to my meal this evening now.

Matthew Fort reviewed it this week see http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/...4444805,00.html (cant get the link thing to work at the moment!). I ate there a few years ago before the refit and the change in menu style. It was quite a dressy sort of place, fairly formal, great food and I got to talk to the chef Paul Kitching as he had worked for Shaun Hill. If you get the chance, do have a word with him, hes a bit manic, but a very nice chap.

We may have to save the Kit kat factory for next time! I am on holiday from 19th July so I would obviously prefer it to be before then. In all honesty, The Wenlock is not too difficult for me as I am based in the City, but it's much more difficult for others to get to though, especially after a days work (oh! what a hard life we all lead) so somewhere a bit more central might be more convienient.

Why dont you and Stella have a few at the Wenlock and the rest of us will meet you at the checkpoint to civilisation and we can take it from there?

It's "near" to where Simon lives is where it is. Sort of Old Street way in the City, Hackney I think.

Oh god does it have to be the Wenlock? Its very nice and all that, but its in the middle of nowhere, and it is sodding miles to the next drink, I dont care what anyone says. I come from Portsmouth, and when we went on pub crawls in my youth , it was literally possible, and sometimes necessary, to crawl on your hands a knees from one disgusting hostelry to the next. I'm just not used to the vast acres of nothingness, broken only by the sight of the odd burning car or hapless OAP being beaten to a pulp by a gang of disaffected and extravagently pierced youths that make up the passing landscape of an eGullet drinking expedition (and I use the term advisedly). Give me convienience or give me death.

Sorry, need all the money I can muster for my 12th wedding anniversary at Racine on Tuesday (yes I know it's not that expensive, but I can feel some champagne and a posh bottle of wine coming on).

Jan Moir of the Telegraph has http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wine....r08.xml Sounds like you are in for a great weekend.

Uptown top ranking (A joke predicated on a reference to a reggae one hit wonder in the late 70's in the UK. Wilfred and Simon will get it).

I could be wrong, but looking for true British food may be your greatest challenge in July. Am I correct in thinking that what you want is something that you can only get in the UK, not simply the best French, Italian or whatever that we have at the moment which may well end up being a very similar experience to the equivilent in New York, Paris or any other major city in the world? Some may point you towards St John, and although good, there is a strong French Bistro influence on the menu, and the room is very casual. So whats left after that? Rules, Simpsons in the Strand, The Savoy etc etc. Well, I've never eaten in these places, but although they may offer something more traditionaly British, I just don't know if they could be termed extraordinary. There are lots of great restaurants in London and around the country, but there are very few "British" ones. Probably the most singular and individual chef at work at the moment is Shaun Hill at The Merchant House in Ludlow 2-3 hours outside London. You certainly wouldn't see any of the current London (or Bray) trends appearing on his menus, but again Shauns food reflects French Italian and Indian influences so exactly how British that makes it is hard to say.

That will do me fine, thanks for taking the time.

What was your opinion on what you ate?

I walked past last week and the builders had no idea when they would finish and the place looked like a buidling site still, very little in the way of completed interior finishes etc, if at all in fact. The following link should answer all your questions, if not I'd give the man a ring, I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Worth a try isn't it? Say you're from eGullet. I'd do it but I don't speak French. In fact I hardly speak English most of the time : click me baby one more.....time

....says the man with his face on billboards across Canada!!!

"If you like pina coladas, and gettin' caught in the rain....." come on everyone, sing along (click here) Sorry, I just couldn't resist.

Hey, sounds gre...... oh I can't be bothered. BLH, I'll mention the lime thing to Henry if i see him when I go.

Sounds great!!!! (Oh, the sarcastic wit of the man is unsurpassed).

You used the word Love, I didn't. I'm sorry this is too silly to respond to. I will however be very interested in your report. When LML has a go, it is usually done in a very considered manner, designed to get to the heart of the matter. I haven't in the past been particularly pleased to be on the recieveing end of some of his posts, but the last thing they are is "wild".

Whenever I read that a favourite book is going to be filmed, I hardly ever think,"Oh great, I can't wait to see it" because the screen version rarely adds anything to the experience of that first read. So I'm not waiting with baited breath for Brad Pitt to give us his Bourdain, although I could quite see from your point of view it could be a fun and deeply enrichening experience!

Whenever I read that a favourite book is going to be filmed, I hardly ever think,"Oh great, I can't wait to see it" because the screen version rarely adds anything to the experience of that first read. So I'm not waiting with baited breath for Brad Pitt to give us his Bourdain, although I could quite see from your point of view it could be a fun and deeply enrichening experience!

Stupid question maybe, but why is the terrine not on the menu? Could you not put it on and charge a supplement or something? This is not a criticism, just interested