silverbrow

er, no

I'm depressed to say that I've got a table for this Thursday night at 8.30pm that I'm going to have let go unless anyone on here wants to take it. It's been booked for the best part of 3mths and only cliches like sick as a parrot or gutted, truly express how I'm currently feeling. If you're interested let me know.

I thought the one thing missing was to get a stage in a (great) restaurant.

I'd go to Ottolenghi on Upper Street for great food. Holloway Road is a food desert.

that's slightly aggravating as I only took delivery yesterday of a copy of the original version. Michael - is it due out soon, should I return my so far unblemished copy to Amazon

According to this article in today's Evening Standard, The Ivy and the entire Signature Group are up for sale. egullet UK forum could branch out?

How about the Bleeding Heart or Clerkenwell Dining Room?

I'm looking for somewhere great for breakfast in Paris. I don't mind where in the city it is - have metro, will travel - but I'd like a great breakfast that will see me through until at least a mid-morning snack. I'm not staying in Paris, I'm just there for the day and will be flying into CdG. I'm more interested in focusing on great croissant or similar, rather than a cooked breakfast (which I understand isn't very French anyway??) and somewhere where I can sit down, rather where I'm forced to take it away.

The trip's now confirmed, all I've got to do now is sort out the meals. My one concern is whether I should try to eat at as many of the highly recommended restaurants or possible, or not worry too much, chill out and eat where ever I fancy because all the food will be great. I've been studiously trawling through this post, Kevin's and others on the area and have built up a stunning list of fantastic restaurants, but should I stop obsessing. My feeling is to go to one or two great restaurants, such as Picton, and otherwise follow my nose, literally, and of course, get lost.

Thanks, that's really helpful, I'll report back once they're made

Ore The Golden Hind is fantastic as are The Two Brothers in Finchley and Nautilus in West Hampstead.

On just this point I need to make a sausage that does not have any pork products in it - basically I'm looking at lamb or beef alone. I know the shoulder is the best bit for the meat, but what should I be using for the fat. No one one sausagemaking.org has been able to give me a definitive answer. I realise for many that a sausage without some pig is not a sausage, unfortunately there's nowt I can do about it. Also, I realise I may have caused this thread to go off on a tangent to that intended by Jackal, so if one of the moderator wants to move this to a new thread please feel free.

For Puglia lovers everywhere there is an article in this months edition of Conde Nast Traveller on Puglia. It's not yet up on the website but I'm sure it will be at some point in the coming weeks. It looks at five or six small hotels in the region, with Il Frantoio coming in for particularly high praise. Other hotels it looks at are among others La Sommita Relais Culit, Convento di Santa Maria. On this topic, is it possible just to go to Il Frantoio for lunch - for various reasons we can't stay there but I'd love to eat there.

On the topic of sausage making - as opposed to curing/smoking - are there any definitive books out there. I was going to look at Grigson's but given thomasrodgers' comments I'm not so sure. I'm a total beginner and would appreciate advice. FYI I have also been looking at sausagemaking.org.

Not sure of all these new age variations, for me the classic is best - with the absolute key being copious quantities of butter added during the frying stage. I also add a dollop of butter when it's served up. Top with salt & pepper. I use salted butter in this recipe as it adds more flavour than unsalted.

Here is a link to a review of a meal at El Bulli last week, that was printed in The Times in the UK.

That's great - thanks for all that advice. If anyone else has anything else to chip in please do so - the more info the better.

I'm interested in doing a bit of a cultural tour around those bits of Paris that either have historically had Jewish communities or currently have a large Jewish population. I'd particularly like to draw on this Board's knowledge for kosher restaurants and kosher food shops. I'm also interested to know in which arrondisment the majority of kosher shops/restaurants are. I know historically the Marais had a large Jewish population but my impression (perhaps incorrectly) is that this is no longer the case, although some restaurants and shops remain. All help gratefully received.

So I've got the table booked for June but the question I've got is whether or not it's worthwhile letting them know that there are some things I can eat and others I can't (not meat or shellfish but otherwise more or less anything.) I'd appreciate views on this from old Anthony's hands. For example I was looking at their ALC menu on the website and there is "Red Mullet,Langoustine, Almond Crème Caramel" - it sounds great but I can't eat the langoustine. I have no doubt that the is served as it is because it all works well so I'd be loathe to ask them to hold the langoustine. I'm therefore tempted to forewarn them, but what I'm wondering from you lot in the know, is what you think. Also any other recommendations for a day's walking in the Dales - either restaurants or hotels - the plan is to be virtuous by walking and then gorge at Anthony's the following day.

Origamicrane what was the Billingsgate course like? I'm also about to have some time off between jobs and have reserved (although not paid for) a place on the course. Did you find any other decent, short cooking courses? Did you do a stage at Pat Val? btw and off topic - thanks for the recommendation of Atari-Ya for fresh fish, the tuna I got was fantastic.

Here's a link to a piece in today's Guardian G2 section on the science in HB's kitchen. And here are excerpts from the phatduck blog, which may or may not have already been posted on the forum.

One option would be a champanois beer truffle. The best champagne beer I've had is Deus. You could try making a truffle out of this.

Has anyone got any views on Artusi's "Science in the kitchen and the art of eating well"?

Ore Having read your blog and postings on the Italy board I think you'll loveAnthony's in Leeds (Anthony's website). There is also The Star at Harome which is regarded as fantastic food. And while you're in the north of England and looking for fantastic (but far from cheap food) why not check out L'Enclume? For London, the recommendations are endless and apart from browsing through this board I also think that Squaremeal is excellent as a source. Some of the names that regularly get good reviews on here are J Sheekey - fish St John - meat, of all varieties and all parts of the animal Eyre Brothers - Spanish/Portugese/Mozambique influenced Cinammon Club - top-end Indian Tayyab - top-end Indian Locanda Locattelli - fantastic Italian Gordon Ramsay - in all his various restaurants In London we're not great on markets, but we do have is Borough market (nr London Bridge tube) on a Friday and Saturday, which is excellent, but fairly run of the mill compared to what you get in most Italian villages. A great food street is Marylebone High Street, which has an excellent cheese shop, La Fromagerie and a great butchers, the Ginger Pig,among lots of other interesting shops and restaurants. A great place for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) is Ottolenghi which is a very relaxed communal eating affair, which is a mix of Italian and Middle Eastern influences. The choices are pretty much endless and unfortunately so is the cost.

I was praised to the rafters - although I always have this nagging self-doubt that people are just being polite when they say how nice it was. Having said that, I enjoyed the food.