SBonner

← "Food concept architect" ?? I have two degrees in English and I have no idea what that's supposed to mean. And it makes me think of euphemisms like "sanitation engineer" which make me grumpy. ← The job title is silly but he needs a paycheque like everyone else.

Look a small bag of iron Buddha tea from ten ren in Chinatown...very lovely tea. SB

The Riedel Tempranillo glass is my personal favourite. Great shape, balance, and weight. SB

Take the Heathrow Express (runs Xmas day) and then from Paddington hop in a taxi over to Clerkenwell. Give the Hoxton Grille at try. Lots of great establishments in this trendy hood or if the new BA terminal is open just eat there and avoid the chance of missing your flight. SB

According to Opentable: Here are your options: O'Doul's, Figmint, Elixir, and Maurya are open on Xmas day. SB

Helen and I are off to Mauritius for a week in the new year. Any recommendations on where to eat. Thank you, Stephen Bonner

A fat Alsatian Gewürztraminer will work. Stephen Bonner

I would think the Stock Shop on G.I. would have some. Stephen Bonner

I remember having a fun meal at an Arabic place (Zara?) which I believe is/was in your hood. Stephen Bonner

Peachy Canyon and Treana for sure. Stephen Bonner

For me CUISINE Magazine from New Zealand. Great articles, recipes, and content and near impossible to find on newsstands. http://www.cuisine.co.nz/ Stephen Bonner

Vinoteca Wine Bar in Clerkenwell or Gorden Ramsey's The Narrow gastropub (restaurant side) on the Regent Canal in Limehouse are two options. Helen and I were at both in the last fortnight. For a casual dinner with rustic Med food and good drinks try The Eagle also in Clerkenwell. Cheers, Stephen

Had a couple of pizzas at Pizza Express then several in Napoli in the last fortnight. I think Italy has us beat on this one. There's nothing like a simple pizza of fresh tomato sauce, fresh and fluffy buffalo mozzarella, and some simple herbs, like those made in the and around the Central train Station area of Naples. Stephen Bonner

I cannot think of any bars making there own. Alot of bars do buy some great bitters for their cocktail programmes but home made bitters that would be intriguing and a great article. SB

La Frenz Semillon would work very well with the sable fish (unsmoked). A smoked version is great with Gewürztraminer (Dirty Laundry or Wild Goose) Stephen Bonner

Helen and I checked out the new Coal Harbour Urban Fare today. It's about 2/3rd the size of the Yaletown location but nicer looking and better laid out. Great selection of exotic mushrooms, Hill'meats (1/3rd more expensive than Stong's), and cheeses arranged by style rather than geography. The cafe/coffee bar opens later this weekly. Stephen Bonner

Dropped by So.Cial two nights ago after a bit of an absence. Nice changes to the wine list (more BC focus) and a revamped bar and restaurant menu. The trio of house made sausages and the goat cheese cake were a delight. Sean's butcher shop is now stocking duck and chicken along with all the meat. Hopefully he'll branch into cheese so I can make it a one stop location. SB

I disagree...street people are the responsibility of the restaurant. Customer safety is as much a part of ‘the experience’ as service, presentation, taste, showmanship and ambiance. ← How do you deal with the street people? private security company, big burly sommeliers? just curious. Stephen

ITV is not available in Canada but I just downloaded a copy of the fist five episodes of season 3 from a family member's slingbox. Looking forward to watching it over the weekend and hopefully it is a refreshing change from the U.S. version that just ended here a fortnight ago. Stephen Bonner

Welcome to the hood. Unfortunately the street people are a constant sore on our streets. Glad you liked Jules; it's one of our regular haunts. Service is usually better than you experienced. Nice photo's. Cheers, Stephen

The profit margin on a quality cheese plate is low so I think from a business point of view they are not cost effective. Stephen Bonner

The smoked eel was delightful last year especially with a bottle rose brut bubble. Stephen Bonner

Chill Winston has a great patio and free wifi (just get under an umbrella so you can read your screen). Trans Continental and Jules also pick up free wifi (from somewhere) as well. SB

Racine - our default place to wine and dine with friends and family when in London. Some of the best rabbit dishes I've tried have been from here. As mentioned above good service standards and decent mark up on the wine. Great value by London standards when using a Canadian Visa card with the pound being $2.25 CDN Stephen Bonner

I remember meeting him in Vancouver five years ago. Great gent with a great palate and wit. He will be missed. I hope he passed with a dram of something special in his hand. Stephen Bonner