mrshugget

I wasn't really writing about you. Monsieur Rayner, I was writing about the odd slur about non food critic Chrissey iIlley. And the point about the Savoy booths is that they are much coveted; did y'all request one when you booked? Or were you whisked into them magically when you anonymously arrived? You make no claims to being anonymous - but by remarking about another journalist, Cicreplum did. Please understand this: The Savoy Grill is not 60% booths , it is exactly 25%.

Why should chrissey illey be anonymous, she's not a food writer or a critic, is she? Is she? And if Circeplum etc were all sitting in BOOTHS in the Savoy Grill, isn't it there anonymity - or lack of it - that is being compromised?

Yes, you must try Olde hansa (627 9020). It has a medieval theme going but somehow it escapes tourist trap status and has a lot of charm. There are huge wooden tables and chairs, staff wandering around in rough hewn gowns that look like they are made of jute and lots of candles and atmosphere, even at lunchtime. I had something called Magic Drops (or something) which was a pepper vodka so fiery it made tears stream down my face. I also tried the bear which came as a dark, dark stew and tasted unlike anything else I've ever tried; gamey and earthy and chewy and to be honest, not terribly nice. But they have lots of interesting things like warm honey beer etc. I tried two Indian restaurants; both terribly bland. At Elevant the curry was inspidi and if you ordered poppadums you got...one. Can't remember the name of the othr one. Egoist has the reputation of being the most expensive restaurant in the Baltic; the food is bland intrnational but the surroundings are amazing. However, the night I went, I was the only diner there. However, the best thing about Tallinn is the abundance of very good and very cheap caviar. I loved Mookkala, which has a great atmosphere and swing music, despite being the former execution house. You pull the curtains around your table, tap your feet and get stuck into caviar and fresh hot toast. There is another Russian restaurant next to the Russian cathedral, which I thought was a terrible rip off. But generally, the Russian and Estonian restaurants are your best bets. Fried blood bread, anyone? The countryside is supposed to be really beautiful, but I didn't have time to see any of it. You can also whizz over on the ferry to Finland, if you feel like it.

What about tea and cakes in the patisserie in Sketch? What with their lavender cakes and al, it sounds speace age and special. Also, you don't have to have full tea , just whatever cakes you fancy. At 9 Conduit Street in the west end, near Regent Street. Lebanese brasserie Noura open all day and has excellent value cheap menu until 6pm. Hobart Place, near Buckingham Palace and Victoria Station. Have fun!

Oh my Lord. The haute cuisine crowd. The haute cuisine - doncha just love the last casual bit - CROWD. Should we start a separate thread RIGHT NOW.

Interesting to hear about the arrogant waiter. I've been twice and on both occassions found the staff very snotty. They are really only interested in their regulars. Its a local restaurant for local people - there's nothing for you here!

Is Pierre Gagnaire going to the Fat Duck?

PLUS - has he been /is he going/ is he planning to go to Sketch?

What a lovely post - I enjoyed reading it so much, I almost forgot about my toothache. There can be no higher praise! The hazlenut fondant and brioche ice cream sound particularly delicious. Was the ice cream completely smooth, or did it have bits?

Was it dreary because hardly anyone was there? Or dreary because there was? Ooo, that quiche sounds delicious. Delicious! Real men eat quiche and share the experience. Thank you for that!

Sounds....not so great!

I did read the beginning of the thread, naughty Mr A, so I do understand how you KNOW Mr Harris and your brief history together. However, I do not understand why or how you LOVE him so. And you mentioned the L-word first! But am not having a wild LML-type go, I am really interested in your faith in HH and why you rate him so. I remain bizarrely unconvinced by tim's post, 'promising' house champagne, excellent fowl, poor desserts or no.You both seem madly keen to like Racine, come what may. But perhaps that is an article of faith in itself? But I want to like it, too - its near my London home - and will be there this week. Post as soon as you can after your visit!

dear andy, I have to say that tim young's post about Racine does not 'sound great', by any stretch of the imagination. It sounds okay-ish with some reservations on his part. Why do you love H.Harris so? Is there something we should be told?

Whoops! Gary, I'm having a Monday afternoon meltdown and somehow did not factor in that you requested a French brasserie and I have recommended an Iberian-y-ish inspired restaurant. Sorry! But its very good anyway. Now, time for my medication.

Eyre Brothers very good, at least it was the last time I went there which was a few months ago. Real food and a thousand times better than any of those horror Conran establishments dotted about city. Slick and glamorous in a low key way, excellent dishes from head chef David Eyre, formerly of The Eagle. Do try it! Eyre Bros, 70 Leonard Street EC2. 020 7613 5346.

Steve - no, I don't have the recipe for the cake. A waiter at one of my favourite Lebanese restaurants, Noura in Hobart Place, London SW1 told me about it. However, I will ask the chef if he has one next time I'm there.

Mastic is used in a celebratory cake baked in the Lebannon for new mothers. Can it possibly have medicinal/nutritious qualities? Its certainly the time when mom needs 'em most! PS I have never heard of any other cuisine which makes a post natal cake, have you?

I drove past the site today, builders still in situ and expect to be there for at least four weeks. There was also an informative article by Crista d'Souza in the current edition of British Vogue. Sorry, i don't have the link.

Can you believe those propane guys? A big hug for them. Before I met the charming Mr Hugget, I was wild about a man who was a vegetarian, and planned a big seduction dinner to get him into my clutches. To begin, we had an appetiser of red peppers stuffed with cherry tomatoes, herbs and garlic. He loved it, until he bit into something hard and crunchy, which he had to spit out. And there it was, gummy side up, on the table between us; the scarlet false nail - forgive me, it was the 80's - that had slipped unnoticed off my index finger. And that was The End of that big romance.

Oh, you lot. You have forgotten about 'and the meat simply fell off the bone', always written as if this was the highest culinary achievement imaginable. Or the basic lesson in English composition - compare and contrast - which reviwers are mad about because it is something solid to seize upon and sounds vaguely knowledgeable. Let us never, never forget how the sharpness of the lemon pointed up the sweet richness of the pork. Or how the chilli undertow of the sauce anchored down the lightness of the scallops. Triple barfo.