magnolia

Vinopolis is at 1 Bank End, SE1 in Southwark. Closest tube/train is London Bridge. It's right near Southwark Cathedral, the Clink and Borough Market. Phone # is: 0870 2414040 Maybe this link will work... http://uk2.multimap.com//clients/browse.cg...dq&siteArea=edq

I believe there are pick-your-own listings here: http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/

Anyone been? Anyone have suggestions about where to go for Sat or Sunday lunch?

Vinopolis itself is pretty dire, but it's not due to laziness. Basically, it's an aboslutely wonderful space with rich history, and it was able to tap the resources of some of the top people in the wine industry. But it has suffered from the 'if you build it, they will come' philosophy of destination marketing - without knowing exactly what 'it' was supposed to be: a "museum"? an events venue? When it became clear that it wasn't attracting the kind of visitor numbers anticipated, the management had to cut back drastically on expenses and grand plans. They've had to turn to corporate profiteering, i.e. sponsorship for various exhibits, and soliciting freebies or discounted wines to serve to visitors for the wine tastings - which as you have noted, has resulted in serving very mediocre and standard wines in the very venue where people expect to be thrilled, and rightly so. It has all the right ingredients but I have always feared for its future. The Wine Wharf, however, is very good and worth a visit. This reminds me of another wine bar worth visiting - if only for atmosphere, though, the wine is nothing special - the George Inn, just across the road from Borough, in fact.

I am a big fan of Wine Wharf for several reasons. They serve food all day (at least they used to, so check if you plan to go at an odd time. It's not a scene of any kind, it's very low key and you can sit and relax for as long as you like. The food is very decent wine bar type food, and good value as well. Little hors d'oeuvre type dishes as well as sandwiches and the like, maybe something more substantial and lunch or dinner. They have a large (for London) selection of wines by the glass, but of course their bottles are more interesting - and the prices are not insane. Most of all, I find the staff there really know their stuff - in fact I'm willing to say they're more knowledgable about wine,on average, than at any other gastro pub or wine bar in London. They'll leave you to do your own thing, if that's what you want - but keen to recommend and discuss the wine if you want to engage them in conversation.

I found someone to drive me. That's the best option of all, : especially since I don't have a driver's licence.

Thanks for this - and also to VCerna for his insight as well ! I am going next week, happily I've sorted out my transport issues. I'm spending an afternoon in Bilbao to see the Gugg., then driving to Briones, staying overnight and touring the museum Friday, back to Londres Friday afternoon (sadly). Anyone in the area feel free to PM me, maybe we can figure out a way to get together.

Morgan M is a good option but be aware that you should only go if you don't have any plans for the rest of the day. I have eaten there twice, once for Sunday lunch and once for dinner during the week - and any concept of having a meal within a normal time frame goes out the window. The following aren't new but they are good, pleasant atmospheres - decent food and wine lists and possibly open Sundays...they are 'gastropubs' (someone please invent another terms - quick !) The Barnsbury 76075519 209, Liverpool Rd London N1 1LX The House 77047410 63, Canonbury Rd London N1 2DG Duke of Cambridge 73593066 30, St Peters St London N1 8JT

I'd love some 'vox pop' on the Dinastia Vivanco (www.dinastiavivanco.es) wine museum in Rioja. Is "Briones" central? Are there other things to see/do, and places to eat in the immediate vicinity ? I'm told the most logical airport (if arriving from the UK) is Bilbao. As renting a car is not an option for me, what are my other options for getting from a to b? Any/all suggestions most welcome. Thanks !

What is Israeli cous cous? I.e., how's it different from the "regular" (North African) kind? Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had cous cous in Israel so now you've piqued my interest... The only alternative I know of, to the regular cracked wheat cous cous, is barley cous cous and I've seen that at various supermarkets around town - the usual suspects. It's made by Belazu or something like that.

I can also help with Dublin only...just got back from a weekend there, and had a great time. We stayed at the Merrion, and though we didn't eat in their (highly recommended French) restaurant, we did have tea and it was very cushy and cozy. Even saw Harrison Ford and the actress better known as Ali McBeal so it has celebrity endorsement. There's also an excellent spa which I am sure you can use even if you aren't staying there. I second the rec. for Mermaid Cafe (see http://www.mermaid.ie/) We had a great sunday brunch which included their rendition of kedgeree, great sourdough pancakes, and homemade cranberry meringue ice cream. I'd suggest booking because it got really packed. A great lazy afternoon would include brunch there, followed by a film at the nearby Irish Film Centre. Dinners: Frere Jacques, a well known French bistro which I really enjoyed...and Thornton's, which I believe has two macarons- the food was out of this world, however, very pricey for Dublin (more like Paris/London prices). An excellent wine bar with delicious food (the owner comes from a farming family and sources his products accordingly) is Ely's, which offers 80+ wines by the glass at any given time. 22 Ely Place, phone:676 8986 - plus they have continuous service so a great mid-afternoon stop. However I believe they are closing in August for renovations so best to check exact dates. For takeaway (or souvenirs ) , try Sheridan's cheese shop - one of the best I've ever encountered - anywhere - the people are very enthusiastic, knowledgable and have the largest selection of irish cheeses I've seen. We spent about 1/2 hour alone tasting and choosing cheese. Also, Avoca handweavers has a food hall downstairs with the most amazing bread - we bought a mixed seed brown bread that must weigh over 1kg (at least it felt like it as hand luggage!) and is the most amazing, complex and long-lasting loaf - we're still eating it eight days hence. There's a very small outdoor food market at Temple Bar - I can't recall if it's open both Saturdays and Sundays or just one - best to ask. It's just behind Dame Street (where Mermaid Cafe and Frere Jacques are) It has a bout 10-15 stalls, a few of which are prepared foods, including an outstanding smoked salmon (and other fish) stall - you'll see the queue for its fishcakes. And a very nice, small wine shop - should you be invited to someone's house or just feel like seeing a different part of town - is Terroirs, in a leafy neighbourhood. Good selection, very knowledgable and chatty owners. It's a bit more idiosyncratic than the better known, very historic and atmospheric Mitchell & Sons, also worth a look for its much larger but more standard selection, which includes a lot of spirits too. Terroirs is at 103 Morehamton Road, Donnybrook 667 1311. A word bout the bridgestone guide (mentioned above) it was first published in 1999 (?) and although I found a more recent edition, which I assumed was an updated version - however the entries are - from a pretty good scan - exactly the same, word for word, as the 1999 edition - down to the the dishes recommended per entry. The only obvious change is that the prices in the later edition are in euro, but I don't have much confidence that phone numbers, new management or closings, or whatever, have been addressed, so best to check before going anywhere it lists. A word on pubs -I don't care what smokers and traditionalists out there might say - now that there's no smoking in public, the pubs are better than ever. a real pleasure. I don't need a brown, choking haze to enhance my Joycean experience, thanks very much ! Have fun.

Very interesting...your travel 'requirements' are the diametric opposite of mine: I don't drive at all, and I nearly always look for places with pedestrianised zones and good public transportation. So my comments may have completely missed the mark...Even Lille - the centre is all pedestrianised so this might not be ideal but as I d. Regarding Fontainebleau, it has been a few years since I was there...there's a lovely town surrounded by the forest, and then of course there's the Chateau...the main attraction. The website is : http://www.musee-chateau-fontainebleau.fr/...d20498_u1l2.htm and probably has an ENglish setion too, which reveals all. Looks like it's open in February... The gardens are a big part of the trip, so definitely check if those are accessible for non-walkers. But it is drive-able from Paris.... PS This link - http://www.reimshotelreservation.com/conte...ook&c1nbstars=0 just happened to be at the top of the France forum, but I don't know if it wil move so I have posted it for you...

Others may disagree but I think it would be difficult for you to do a day or even overnight trip to Burgundy and really see/do much - it's very spread out - something like 200 km from northern most point of Chablis (which will be really gloomy in Feb) then a big gap, then the wine bit starts again, and stretches well south to around Macon); of the two cities, Dijon is not really in the midst of serious wine country, though Beaune is...both would probably have something going on on a Sunday. Both are lovely cities but you'd have to leave just as you arrived. In terms of visiting properties and tasting wine, there are hundreds of properties/negociants along the route - only a relatively small number of whom are geared up for visitors. You might be able to phone well ahead of time and make appointments but Sunday is not going to be a great bet. I'm not as familiar with the Champagne region, but I have been to Reims itself (albeit awhile ago) and that, in contrast, might actually make a good day trip - though I don't know how long the train takes to get there... It has a gorgeous cathedral and probably a number of decent restaurants, but again, you'd have to check on Sunday availability. If you are keen to get out of Paris, but do like a city - why not try Lyon? It's only a couple of hours (if that) on the TGV; has fantastic restaurants, some of which might be open on a Sunday, and is a very easy trip. Or even Lille, it's very underrated and has a character that's very different from that of Paris. Have you ever been to Fontainebleau? Versailles can't fail to impress, and there are some good restaurants there as well... Or why not pick a neighbourhood in Paris, an arrondissement you've never been to, and explore from scratch, it might be a whole new experience. I'd suggest Giverny but come to think of it, you won't get an inkling of its charms in February...

So do I ! And I found what looks like an awesome recipe in either "House and Garden", "Home & Gardens" or one of the other decorator-y magazine my mom gets (I cut out the recipe so don't remember the magazine). However it calls for "white chocolate flavored pudding mix", and on my last day in NYC I looked in three big supermarkets and none of them had such a thing. Any idea what company might make this stuff ? Brand name was conspicuously absent from the recipe. Though it has two strikes against it...it's white chocolate - and it's pudding mix...I admit to being smitten by the photos). I'm in London, perhaps by some miracle someone knows where in the UK it might be available? Otherwise, if available in New York City...I can ask a friend ito bring it over...Sorry if this is too off-topic ! But popsicle recipes would be a good thread...

Thanks for all of this ! And for the book recommendation too !

I understand that beetroot tops are edible (but are they good?). The only recipe I can find that uses them is one for stir fry and that's not my thing. What else can I do with them? Thanks!

I've posed a similar question (i.e. not specifically about organic produce, but about produce in general) to so many supermarket food buyers that I am thinking of making a tape, bringing it with me, and pressing a button. Their answer is invariably: "Our customers want it: they want certain foods all year 'round that we don't grow here. They want blueberries in January. Tomatoes in December. And they want everything - peppers/ carrots/ strawberries/ onions/ tomatoes/ apples/ oranges/ lemons/ etc.etc.etc.etc. to be *exactly* uniform: the same size, colour, texture, roundness, with the same number of surface markings, etc. tc. - as if they were made in a factory." The implication is that "our customers" don't care if a) they are supporting a giant faceless corporate farm at the expense of their next door neighbour, the UK farmer. b)their tomatoes/blueberries/apples etc. don't have any flavour by the time they get them. It just depresses me.

It has been such a long while since anyone has mentioned the culinary delights of squirrel that I thought I'd bring the discussion back around by citing an article from this week's "Camden New Journal", the high-minded newspaper of my 'hood. To be filed under "There will always be an England" I quote from "The Camden New Journal" w/o May 10: "Vanishing Squirrel Myster is solved" Regulars at Russell Square in Bloomsbury believe they have solved the mystery of their plummeting squirrel population which fell from 15 to just three in the space of a week. The drop had park keepers puzzled until a security guard spotted two men acting suspiciously with a bag of peanuts. Friends of Russell Square chairman Nick Riacon said the men lured them in and grabbed them. "They were working together and herded up 12 of our 15," jhe says. Bryan Coghlan who eats his lunch in the park said he saw the pair grab a squirrel bundle it into a bag and make their escape. "One grabbed a squirrel he had been feeding, threw it into a bag. I couldn't believe my eyes." Squirrel meat is turning up on the tables of London's trendiest restaurants and poorest households. And one regular squirrel feeder was told thatby the men when he approached them that squirrel meat was "tasty and nutritious". A council spokesman said: "We've never heard of this problem before."

Just to add to your dilemma, I'd recommend the Auberge de l’Ile on the Ile Barbe( Phone 04 78 83 99 49) a perfect small restaurant, very elegant and interesting. I'll see if I can find my menu over the weekend, if you aren't desperate. I also had a terrific - informal - meal on a boat just under one of the bridges, for which I broke my 'no eating on boats' rule, and I'm glad I did. The food was intriguing and the wine list, as long as my arm - with some serious bargains - and a decent choice by the glass. I will find the name of this for you as well. When are you going?

Thanks for all of this, including the advice about men. Wish I'd learned that ages ago, but I will test it out this evening when I ask him to make custard. : But I digress... The thermometer idea is a good one, I have a meat thermometer - do you think this is adequate? It's quite sensitive and even measures ambient temperature. I realise why a candy thermometer might be more convenient but I don't really need more equipment. It also occurred to me that the time I made the best custard, I used a double boiler, don't know why I got out of this habit...I think I'll go back...

Periodically, I make ice cream. And although I have successfully made a custard base, a coulpe of times, it hasn't worked (see below). Here's what I do: 1) whisk egg yolks with 1/2 the sugar 'til pale yellow 2) heat milk with 1/2 the sugar, v-e-r-y slowly 3) take the heated milk off the heat, cool slightly & then whisk into egg mixture 4) return whole thing to the heat, again heat slowly, mixing constantly until it coats the back of a spoon. Problem arises when it never thickens, never coats the back of the spoon. I turn the heat up a tiny bit but nothing happens. Ultimately I give up, and when I pour it out, inevitably there's some scrambled egg (which I determined happens when I turn the heat up in desperation). When I start over again, I follow the same procedure and it works. So what could be going wrong the other few times?

Thanks ! Great suggestions, all. Some of these things are available in the UK but either relatively costly or lower quality. For example even simple things like tuna packed in OO and capers are not pretty prosaic.

Some friends are visiting Sicily (Taormina, Siracusa, Palermo & Messina) and have asked if I'd like them to bring anything to me in London. Any advice about items that are: easy for them to carry (so not breakable or heavy); can't be found in London; and of course delicious, would be most welcome!

Nobody is ever complètement complet. This has happened to me numerous times at restaurants with those kind of time-sensitive booking policies - including l'Ambroisie - and I've always eventually gotten a table. You just have to be creative and persistent, and yes, it helps to speak French and have a local phone number (even a hotel). So depending on your situation (i.e. if you are based in Europe, and/or how easy it is for you to get there on short notice) here are a few suggestions: 1) keep calling and asking if they've had any cancellations, if you are in a position to, say you'll take anything. 2) if you feel your French is good enough to develop a brief 'rapport', play the flattery/sympathy/'special event card. Say that you've been trying for two years and always seem to miss their "deadline", but that you've heard such great things and it's your dream to eat there (flattery will get you far) that you are going to be in Paris for a special anniversary/birthday /whatever, just make something up. 3) Call the day before the 31 day window and if they say they aren't accepting them *yet*, say you know this but explain what has happened to you in the past, and ask if they would accept a fax from you or an email in anticipation of the reservations book opening, and say you are happy to call to confirm etc. 4) If you are in Paris, stop by the restaurant in person (or if you aren't, have a friend do this) and try to sweet-talk someone then. It shows commitment that you just came in off the street.

I guess nobody took Fat Guy's warning seriously...not even Fat Guy himself. I'm not a moderator but I can see where this is going and as this thread kicked off with Hiroyuki's innocent question, which elicited some interesting answers but then degenerated into a sillly but potentially offensive discussion...I will try to put the matter to rest before anyone gets hurt (my beau says his mother threw dishes at him if they weren't clean enough). Un-salubrious dishwashing behaviour is not the sole purview of Englishmen, believe me. Manual dishwashing (indeed machine washing too, what about those who wash the dishes before you put them in the dishwasher?) is highly individual, and transcends borders. I've seen appalling technique used in many countries and ...in my own house. (Don't worry, not when you guys are over ) An Australian friend uses the dirty-tub-of-water method too, he says his mother has always done this to "save water" (and at the risk of starting another tangential discussion, I'm sure our semi-reactionary friends at The Ecologist magazine would say it's better to ingest old pieces of food, salmonella spores etc. than to waste water and/or use too many detergents - go put a lock on *that* Pandora's box) I think we are all guilty of leaving that little bit of crud on the plates, and the sink. Enough said.