Andy Lynes

Its a new series staring in April - full line is: South East - Atul Kochher - Stuart Gillies South West - Michael Caines - Mark Hix Central - Galton Blackiston - Sat Bains North - Marcus Wareing - Mark Broadbent Wales Bryn Williams - Matt Tebbutt Scotland - Nick Nairn - Jeremy Lee N. Ireland - Richard Corrigan - Noel McMeel

In the context of what New York offers as opposed to London, its significant, although arguably not significant per se. This piece is from New York magazine remember.

It's a useful round up for American readers of the current London restaurant scene, but given the embarrassing gaffs, it would appear that's down to the author's contacts in the city rather than his own knowledge and research skills. I realise the editor probably wanted a New Yorker's take on the London dining scene, but in this instance, I wonder if they wouldn't have been better off just commissioning Jay to write the whole thing himself. The headline "Has the food over there really become edible" is at the very least two years out of date given the March 2005 edition of Gourmet which claimed London as the dining capital of the world and more like nearly 20 years out of date when you consider that the London revolution began with Bibendum, Alastair Little, Kensington Place, Sally Clarke et al.

In town you could give Lumiere (click) a try, probably the most ambitious restauant next to Champignon but obviously not in the same league. Otherwise it depends how far you want to travel as you are at "the gateway of the Cotswolds" and there are a ton of great places to eat in the surrounding area including Bibury Court in Bibury (aroundf 20 miles away) or 5 North Street in Winchcombe which is about 7 miles out of town.

If you don't mind a 30 minute or so drive, you could check out Nathan Outlaw at the Marina Hotel click. I'm hoping it will be worth the journey as we've partly arranged our family summer holiday this year so we can eat there.

Possibly the only cafe in a kitchenware shop overseen by an ex-Gordon Ramsay head chef?

Stans Way House is the only restaurant in Horhsm itself that I have heard anything about. The chef appears to have a cracking CV that includes working with Philip Britten, Nico, Terry Laybourne, Bruno Loubet and others. Only rates 1 AA rosette at the moment though. website. There's a nice cheese shop, imaginatively called the, um, Horsham Cheese Shop, a couple of decent looking butchers, a Waitrose and a farmers market on a Saturday. Further afield you've got South Lodge Hotel which used to be in the Good Food Guide but no longer is. Its a lovely spot but I can't vouch for the food as the last time I went was about 13 years ago! In Cuckfield you've got the Michelin starred Ockenden Manor and Mansfields, the little remarked upon home of chef Gunter Schlender who once held two Michelin stars at Rue St Jacques in Charlotte Street in London (now Rasa Samudra and previously Interlude and Interlude de Chavot). People will probably tell you that Jeremy's is good. My experience is that you shouldn't listen to them.

On the menu: devilled lambs kidneys on toast (5.50); Huntingdon fidget pie (bacon onion and apple pie according to google) and mash (9.50); braised pigs cheeks with bashed neeps (12.50); boiled salt beef and carrots (11.50); gyspy tart (4.50); baked rice pudding and jam (4.00);original bakewell pudding (4.50). Sounds alright actually.

I did go to one - in fact I managed to find what is perhaps the only bad Chinese in Vancouver which I think you'll agree is something of an achievement. I will get my trainers on and sprint down there as soon as pressure of work allows.

That Bacchus appears to have divided opinion and that not everyone views it as a hot tip and a star. I have no opinion as I haven't been.

An alternative view of Bacchus from a recent Guardian review by a mysterious "roving chef" click.

Mark Palmer, a restaurant critic? Well, that really takes the biscuit (Huntley and Palmer's Cornish Wafer to be exact). Somebody had to say it.

I recently recieved a press release about Jack and Lulu's which opens in Hampstead next week. There's a holding website page here click which gives you a general idea. There's an under 3's menu plus organic baby food and things like pan roasted breast of guinea fowl with wold mushrooms and greens for the growns ups. Its the first of what's planned to be a national brand so its probably not going to be fine dining but it sounds like you'll at least be among friends.

"With or without critics, people are far more educated about food than ever before. Ease of travel abroad, the supermarkets hoovering up produce from around the world and television have all played their part in this culinary revolution." Erm, I think he may have missed something off that list...

He's done a few reviews in the past including Petrus earlier this year. Appears to be either a staffer or a freelancer doing food and travel.

Only my googling skills!

How about Anomalanthus, or maybe Anthopteropsis - keeping it in the Ericaceae family.

From a press release I received today: "Alexander’s at Limpsfield is pleased to announce the introduction of its new fixed price à la carte menu for the main restaurant. From Friday 9th March guests will be able to enjoy two courses for £33 and three courses for £40. In addition, there will also be a weekday set lunch menu at £19.50 and £23.50 for two and three courses respectively. Head chef Simon Attridge’s new menu reflects his undoubted skills that were garnered under such culinary luminaries as Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay. With no compromise on quality, it offers exceptional value for money and will allow diners to discover this fantastic dining experience without breaking the bank."

The following is an extract of an article called eGullet Now which I wrote for the April 2005 edition of Guild of Food Writer's magazine. At the time, I was still on the eGullet management team and wrote from that perspective. I now no longer have any connection with this site beyond being an active member but still stand by my words: "As new media, eGullet's relation with the traditional print media is not always a happy one. In October 2003, the Observer's Pendennis column lifted a report on eGullet.org about an incident over a bottle of wine at Petrus restaurant. The story was quickly picked up by the world's media, including the Telegraph who referred to "a gourmet website" but failed to mention eGullet.org by name. In May 2004, the New York Times printed the following correction "An article last Wednesday about home cooking in the style of avant-garde chefs omitted the name of the Web site that showed a picture of the innovative clam chowder prepared by José Andrés at the Minibar restaurant in Washington. It was egullet.com." Just a few weeks ago, Jay Rayner wrote in a restaurant review that "Stephen Jackson is an eating chef, although, when I first came across him on a food website, I knew him only as an eater." That food website was of course eGullet.org. There have been a number of other recent examples of eGullet.org not being properly credited as a source, including articles in Wine Spectator and Houston Press. Perhaps this is all due to simple oversight, but I can’t imagine The Guardian quoting the New York Times and getting away with an attribution to "an American newspaper." Whatever the reason (a partonising attitude hiding a fear of change perhaps?), I anticipate a long battle before egullet.org is routinely credited in the proper manner by the mainstream media. And perhaps by the time that happens, eGullet.org will be the mainstream media." So I think Jay has done exactly the right thing by crediting eGullet in his latest review. Its great exposure for the site, puts its membership in a very good light and helps to clarify and define the relationship between "new" and traditional media in a way that I think some others may in the past have prefered to ignore.

Actually, no. I just think if you're going to make statements like that you should be prepared to back them up.

Which begs the question, which chefs do you mean when you say "haute" and what are your reasons for saying they can't cook? Just all the names, blow by blow accounts of meals, any first hand experiences you have of seeing them at work in their kitchens plus any scurrilous rumours would suffice.

The restaurant's website is finally up and running - click here.

I think Brownbear is enjoying a moment of schadenfreude - if you search for his other posts on this site (try looking on the Nottingham thread) all should become clear.

Try here: Click me

I hope you're following Marco's highly entertaining reviews in Waitrose Food Illustrated. From his review of Fung Shing - "some dishes came with those carrot sculptures that always remind me of Jean-Christophe Novelli. Not his appearance, but the fact that J-C always liked to do that kind of thing to show off his knife skills. Someone must have given him a book on the subject for Christmas."