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Spam

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Everything posted by Spam

  1. I bought some really good lemon marmalade from Daylesford Farmshop this weekend. Rather heavier than I usually prefer, but pretty bloody good anyhow.
  2. It could be completely my imagination, but did I read in one of the many interviews with Heston, that there are plans for another restaurant, possibly in London?
  3. Hop on a bus to Sandbanks, and try the Shell Bay Seafood Cafe on Studland Bay. Excellent local produce and amazing views.
  4. Christian Sandefeldt, who was Chef Patron at The Aquarium in St Katherine's Dock (which incidently, he sold last November), has taken over the stoves at Jason's. I know they are planning to do quite alot of cosmetic work on the site, so it may be closed at the moment. I don't think that number has changed since the last guys had it. Otherwise what about the Formosa Dining Rooms?
  5. I still think that it is turd. If it only satisfies the role of being a supermarket, what was the point of a multi million pound refit?
  6. I think not. I have not eaten trotters since a Victorian day at primary school when I was ten. How has Wishart served them in the past? More interestingly I hope than Bob Godfrey's Mum who boiled them in the washing machine and served them with a garnich of carrot leaves.
  7. I think that I sat at your table on Friday lunchtime Andy, and agree that it is not a great spot. When you are sitting on your own, which I was, you need as much to look at as possible. Fortunately I had spent a very comfortable hour in The Cooks Bookshop and had arrived laden with a broken carrier bag full of books. That definitely got the front of house running round. With water changes every two minutes, not only was I peeing like a goldfish (?), I also felt that I had to keep on saying 'thank you'. Thank you is an easy phrase to tack onto the end of a conversation with a supper chum, but when you are eating alone, it can become irksomely exhausting. The room was rather drab, and it was a quiet lunch with perhaps five other tables: a mixture of suits, local grandmothers and a couple of French tourists. None of this seemed to matter with champagne in hand, and food on its way. To start I had a puy lentil soup with langoustine. It was absolutely delicious, perfectly seasoned and modestly presented. A choice of four different types of bread - I opted for a walnut and raisin - and some good salted butter. For my main course I had a roasted breast of guinea fowl that was again beautifully presented - served with savoy cabbage, some potatoes and a buttery tarragon jus. Very straightforward, no messing around, excellent food. I finished with a plum tart. My bill was £40 including service, a glass of champagne, a coffee (£3.50 for a single espresso seemed steep) and a set lunch (£18.50). I left feeling (a) gastronomically content and (b) like I had had something of a bargain. The restaurant is located in Leith, which, as far as I am concerned, is a bit rank, but Martin Wishart must not be missed.
  8. It is indeed a new concept from Sainsbury's. the first phase of which can be seen at Bluebird on the King's Rd. It is their appauling attempt to recreate the feel of a farmers market, with the product range of a super market. I went to Pimlico Sainsbury's last night and thought that it was a pile of turd. I arrived around 7pm and most half interesting product lines were empty, apart from the olive oil stand which housed some 5000 different types of oil including The River Cafe's own label. It just does not work. I am a much bigger fan of Waitrose's local producer initiative. I think that it is important for these retail giants to re-establish themselves locally. It also bothers me that these new Sainsburys think that they provide the butcher, the baker and the fishmonger. My experience of the King's Rd store is that they know nothing. I have had to explain the very basics of a cow's anatomy to a half wit woman behind their butchery counter several times, and she still has no idea what I am talking about. Sainsbury's food market - good idea, but very badly executed!
  9. Spam

    Rabbit

    Big fan of Manor Game, and a big fan of cooking bunnies at home. Eating rabbit in restaurants seems to be a trickier business. I had Richard Corrigan's signiture dish of rabbit and black pudding wrapped in bayonne ham (I think) a month or so ago, and was disappointed at it dryness. Any one had any decent bunny in a restaurant recently?
  10. Christine was featured in The Independent on Sunday this last weekend, and not The Times as far as I am aware. The launch is tonight. Although I never ate at her Sydney restaurant before it closed, I have her latest cookbook "Stir" which is one of the most inspiring books I have bought this year. I think her entry into the London restaurant scene is really exciting, but I will be interested to see the critics' response to her arrival.
  11. Could that be the same 'jamieb' who part owns hush?
  12. You have clearly all been denied the opportunity of eating their banana and muscavado sugar ice cream. It is enough to bring this grown man to his knees. What is the point of making ice cream when you can buy tis stuff?
  13. Harry's Bar in London also has nothing to do with the Cipriani operations in NYC and Paris. The UK set up is owned by Mark Birley - who also owns Annabels etc. The Cipriani Group are opening in London early next year, but will not be under the the title of Harry's Bar either.
  14. How boringly conservative of you both.
  15. The problem with Rick Stein is that he is being used as some BBC dummy. The current programme is a plagurised version of Henrietta Green's valuable work. I really don't think that Rick Stein is terribly bothered by the local heros that he comes across - it was not his idea for a programme, and appears not to be his idea of fun. I saw the first programme of the new series and knawed half my arm of in boredom. And why does he always wear that navy blue ralph lauren shirt. He seems to wear it for every shoot ...
  16. I disagree. I think in terms of Italian restaurants, London has a good representation. Locanda Locatelli, Assaggi, Harry's Bar - what more could you want?
  17. Who decides what constitutes a years supply? I am a three a day man myself.
  18. None on the menu at the moment, but both Incognico and Deca have them on the menu occasionally. It is a shame that Maquis has vanished as I had some great frogs leg, very cheaply there a couple of times. What about Ma Cuisine down in Twickenham?
  19. I think that there are plenty of restaurants in London where you can eat well without feeling it has to be on expenses. I can think of at least ten restaurants within fifteen minutes walk of my house in battersea where I could eat well for little more than a tenner. I am not in a massively well paid job, so for me it is all about value. I think we are very lucky that in London eating out is more about value and less about pretention.
  20. It really is not very pleasant though, if it is the cigar divan that you are thinking of ... I would have said that it was a prime pick up joint too. What about Match on Margaret Street?
  21. Gabrielle Shaw Communications - based in Battersea. Not sure what the number is though.
  22. La Rascasse at Cafe Grand Prix on Berkeley Street - revolting interior but very good food according to some recent reports. Berkeley Square Cafe is supposed to be fun, but haven't been. Restaurant 1837 at the Browns Hotel, Albermale St - reviewed by Ramsey in the Standard yesterday. Chor Bizarre - Albermale Street - if you thought Cafe Grand Prix was bad, the interior here is even more naff, but it is Ismail Merchant's favourite curry house apparently. Then if you are prepared to walk a little further, you will hit Conduit Street (via Cecconi's - not of interest to you because its italian) - Sketch, Deca, Noble Rot ... Mayfair has its fair share of good places.
  23. Tasting menus generally have to be taken by the whole table I THINK. If you went to Thyme in Clapham, then you can order from three different tasting menus and that sorts that out. Passione - Gennaro Contaldo is the head chef, dubbed by Jamie Oliver as his London Dad, but don't let that put you off. Excellent shopping, fun atmosphere and reasonably priced - www.passione.co.uk I think?
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