Charlie O

I'll be there too on Thursday (at least, I think I will. Sheer ineptitude on my part meant that in trying to change my girlfriend's booking, I managed to book us in twice. All sorted now - I hope...). We'll be the party of four.

I ordered the cheapest probe-in, meter-out thermometer from Nisbets. Website is good (though it's down for maintenance over the Christmas period) and delivery was within a day. Only slight annoyance was that the packaging says the probe is not suitable for the oven -the website didn't mention this. Can recommend www.richmondcookshop.co.uk - service is really good and if you ever need to speak to them, they're very friendly and will do whatever they can to help.

Agree - thought this month's OFM was pretty interesting. I even received a text from a friend who knows that I'm interested in food suggesting I get hold of a copy. They don't normally do that when OFM is out.

Article in the Observer's Food Monthly: Is this the most futuristic pub in Britain Like the picture, Phil - will you be using it as your avatar?

Stretching the definition of cookbook, but I really enjoyed Heat by Bill Buford

Canteen has been mentioned a few times in passing in the forum but as far as I can see doesn't have a specific topic - correct me if I'm wrong. We found ourselves there on a wet and blustery Sunday afternoon. The sort of food they were offering seemed right for the weather. Some of its dishes worked, others were only ok but at this sort of price, and with the focus on quality British ingredients, we were forgiving. For starters my girlfriend had the potted duck. It came with equally-sized small jar of piccalilli and a pile of good quality toast. I had a plate of devilled kidneys on more toast. Both dishes were good - simple, rustic and just what was needed. If we weren't so hungry they could have sufficed as a light lunch-type dish. For mains, I went with a pie. Given the size of the starters, I was surprised to see how small the pie was but actually it was well-filled with pork and mushrooms. It came with a large mound of mash and some winter greens. My girlfriend's main was less successful. She had gammon with parsley sauce. To my taste the meat was a little chewy, though she liked it. The potatoes were slightly undercooked and the sauce was bland. I liked the restaurant however - London needs more of this sort of place: simple food, cooked well and at reasonable prices. I also appreciated the design of the interior - its obviously had a lot of 'designer-y' thought put in but it has been done in an understated way.

I picked up one similar to Divertimenti's range in Selfridges last year.

Hmmm... we need more food magazines published by Sunday papers to discuss. BTW - I had no idea OFM was so old. Though if I thought about it, I suppose it makes sense.

I don't imagine too many of Bacchus' customers go onto the Macbeth... Just had a look at the new website and it looks great.

I agree with just about all that has been said. I find the magazine far too celebrity obsessed and it isn't enough any more to persuade me to buy the (celebrity obsessed) Observer. But it's not just a problem with the magazine but with the British newspaper industry in general. IMO one reason why paper sales are declining in the UK. You're right, Jay, that I get much more of my information online but I've been known to hunt out magazines or journals when I hear about a good article. I also know a lot of people who are not as obsessed with food as I am but have more than a passing interest. These should be the people that the OFM should be targeting but they are not interested in a food-orientated Hello magazine. Having said that, it's easy to criticise and I don't have any answers - it's just frustrating to see what could be such a good opportunity wasted.

Went to Bacchus last week but haven't had the chance to write it up - sorry if my memory is a little hazy. Passing a reasonably quiet looking Bacchus on the way home we decided a quiet dinner locally might be just what we wanted. So after a quick bag drop, we returned 10 minutes later to find the place busy. Jay (FoH) was only momentary panicked to find that we didn't have a reservation before she managed to squeeze us in on a small table. The restaurant was busy throughout the evening which is great news. The food has really improved since my first visit (during the soft opening) and many of the dishes felt comfortably well put together. I had a starter of scallops (as the menu said, though when it came it was actually only one) with cauliflower purée and pinenuts. A good combination, although I felt that the scallop (which I assume had been cooked sous vide) lacked a bit of flavour because of a lack of browning. I can't remember what my girlfriend had, although she really enjoyed it. For mains, I had a cod dish that was very well put together (though I can't remember all of the components - if only the website was up and working so I could go back and remind myself ). My girlfriend had Halibut which she was very impressed by. We split an apple dessert, which I liked a lot more than the dolce latte ice cream I had last time. We liked the friendly service - Jay and her team have really got the right balance between informal-ness and knowing about each of the dishes as they present them. She had said that it had been a steep learning curve but from what I saw, I think they're well into their stride now.

its trickier than we thought - we can get the veins in but it overpowers the ice-cream. and no strawberry's on the salmon too you'll be pleased to see mate ← When we were in, we didn't have the salmon but another table raised an eyebrow about strawberries in Oct - can't have been you though,, Matthew

Went to The Bacchus on Weds eve as it is just around the corner from where I live. It has quietly opened while they sort some of the final details out. I won't do a Maschler and post a detailed review so early on but there are pictures on the Dos Hermanos blog. First impressions - its a great space. The food is adventurous but very well priced.

St Johns B&W is a short walk away from Liverpool Street - well worth visiting. Brick Lane is further away but I really couldn't recommend a place there and it might be a bit lonely for someone dining alone...

I picked up an old analogue Grant water circulator and heater on eBay for about £50. I use it in a big stockpot. I also got a vacuum machine off eBay a while ago.

I've been intrigued by the threads in the Cooking section and have just started playing around with the technique at home. What I want to investigate more is the different sorts of texture that can be achieved. I've only cooked salmon using sous vide but the results were great, though hard to describe: tender and almost raw and yet cooked at the same time. I don't, however, believe that this is a technique that will really take off in the home kitchen. I don't think you can be absolute about it - there will be some chefs who will dismiss it (likewise, I recall that Escoffier refused to cook on anything apart from charcoals) and others who will be taken with the technology and some of the benefits it offers. I also don't think it will be the way for cooking meat in restaurants - a close reading of the huge Sous Vide thread reveals that only some cuts of meat are suitable.

Does anyone know where I can get a decent probe thermometer - the sort of thing with a wire that I can feed through the oven door? Thanks.

There was a thread here that got a lot of responses and resulted in an article in the Guardian: Which food blogs... Having just done a search I've found this one too: Favourite food blogs

Not sure if it will fit in with your timetable but in a few weeks there's the Abergavenny Food Festival. I haven't been for years but in Llanberis (at the bottom of Snowdon) is Pete's Eats - a greasy spoon caff that was famed for offering vegetarian/vegan versions of its breakfasts. If the weather is bad, its not a bad place to spend time drinking tea.

I often go to Yoshino Delicatessen which is in the basement of Japan Centre (I presume its the same place as the one you mention. Its all very confusing - you often see customers turned away from tills because they've brought the wrong produce to the wrong part) to get takeaway lunch. Its reasonable and the quality is ok - nothing special but better than other places in the area. I seem to recall that last year the Economist thought it was the best sushi in London - but this may be because its not too far from their offices...

There were a few suggestions in this thread: London Fish & Chips To be honest I've yet to find the perfect place (not that I've looked too hard).

Admirably late, Mr Rayner reviewed Arbutus in yesterday's Observer and, in the course of giving a positive review, reveals he has a 'drink problem'. Read the review here.

Feeling like the only London based member of eGullet who hadn't been , my girlfriend and I went last night. Having read many of the reviews, we were expecting a lot and, I'm glad to report, we have to add our voices to the chorus singing its praises. For starters, my girlfriend had smoked eel with beetroot whilst I had the braised pigs head. Both were superb - the pigs head was meltingly tender. Mains were lamb breast for my girlfriend and saddle of rabbit for me. The rabbit was without a hint of dryness and came with 'golden' carrots and a rabbit 'cottage pie' on the side. For dessert my girlfriend was surprised by the size of the creme brulee whilst I had a vanilla cheese cake with blueberrys. It was hard to fault any of the cooking and we took full advantage of the carafe system. I understand a lot of the comments about the decor- first impressions were that it was bland - but as the place became full, this became less noticable. We came away very impressed - espescially at these prices.

Or stay at home and get deliveries from the following Real Ale Ltd - shop in Twickenham that stocks a wide range of British beers. Pitfield Beers - on the other side of London a brewery that delivers its own as well as a wide range of continental beers.

The Economist has an article on the rise of gormet honey: "...honey is once again becoming a luxury item—the new olive oil, so to speak, defined by its myriad assortments, subtle personalities and soaring prices." Read more here. Personally, I only ever eat it with toast but this thread has given me ideas...