jayrayner
-
Posts
589 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by jayrayner
-
-
There is a great deal of bad blood between chefs and restauratuers and the food press in the UK, this incident is just the tip of the iceberg.
Sorry Andy, but that's cobblers. What do you base it on exactly? Compared to the stuff between theatre critics and actors/ directors it's nothing.
-
I'm probably going to regret this but...
The US and UK newspaper businesses are entirely differenet. How many critics are there in New York, for example, that really count? The NYT guy or gal, the Time Out person, a bit of stuff in the monthlies...
London has eleven people patrolling the waterfront, before we even consider the second division. I suppose, as the Observer guy, I am one of the eleven. THe economics are entirely different. Do not, for a start assume that the Sunday Telegraph's circulation even comes close to producing the economic muscle of the NYT. COmpetition for readers leads to price wars, ditto pulling in the advertisers. So no, budgets on british nationals are nothing like those on the US big boys; they genuinely do not have the cash to do three or four visits to each restaurant reviewed (would that they did), or to pay full time salaraies to enable critics to do that. (I do many other things other than my coumn)
Second point, our job - however much it irritates you folk here - is to sell papers. (I discussed this with Ruth Reichl once, incidentally, and she said the same). British columnists fight for distinctiveness; to be entertaining; to get you buying the paper week after week. For what it's worth in general I would accept that US journalism tends to be more accurate, but British journalism is a hell of a lot more readable.
Okay, on to the key point: dissing a restaurant on one visit. I have no problem with it. A standard good restaurant in Britain now charges 100 pounds sterling , that's $180, for two. $275 won't cause any raised eyebrows. $360 for two is not uncommon. And you know what? At those prices I don't think there are any second chances. Why the fuck should I keep going back and back to see if they can get it right? The readers don't, do they. You aren't allowed an off night at $180. I don't expect anyone here to agree with me but that's the reality.
-
I second the Jessicas reccomendation. Ate there yesterday. V good. Review to follow in print in a few weeks.
-
But of course. THe clue being the off menu chop steak. One of their little eccentricites, becoming now rather studied. All that said, I still like it very much. A comfortable pair of old shoes. It was one of the first places I went to regularly with my parents from the age of 10 or so onwards, and tomorrow night I'll be going there after the theatre with my wife for my birthday.
Still the best place for a caesar salad in London, and, given the ubiquity of appalling attempts at it, that's no small reccomendation.
back to you LML
-
No fishing now, LML. Choose one.
-
Jay Rayner at South Mims service station, or something . I don't know, you go and have a look, see if you can work out what he's going on about.
It's bloody obvious what I'm going on about. It's a restaurant called Mims, and I made a lousy joke about south mims services because it's, well, what it's newspaper johnnies do. I mean really, give a man a break. Oh, and it's a good restaurant. And it's not a service station.
-
Okay. This one looks indentikit. There must be hundreds of places that do this. Well yes, but there's a clear clue here.
Buffalo chicken wings.
Chop steak (off menu).
Brownie a la mode.
-
Jessicas in Birmingham. Or am I cheating Andy...
-
We went to Union-Undeb so you don't have to. Review appears on Sunday. Paul, I know, would reccomend Le Gallois and will probably be along shortly to do so.
J
-
Thanks Gavin. Had already tried them but they were fully booked the night I was looking for. May try them again, to see if they have a cancellation.
J
-
Looking even further north, I have to travel shortly to, well, 2 hours drive north west of Inverness. Think Ullapool and then up a fair bit. I'm looking for somewhere for a second night within about another two horus drive. ANy thoughts?
-
I've been just the twice this week, Monday and Wednesday, which both happen to burnt ends day. And they were, ooh, terrific. Had to go to Bodeans, of course. When you're doing the low carb high protein thing and you happen to find yourself on Oxford Street where else is there?
I think I may be addicted.
-
In the absence of Paul Bell, does anybody happen to be in Cardiff on friday night, have reasonable table manners, and hanker after a free meal in my delicious company at a top Welsh night spot?
Form an ordrely queue now...
-
I have to go there. I have to eat. Does anybody know how I might do this without causing injury to myself? (In other words: any good Tiger Bay tips?)
-
Stop typing so fast. I'm struggling to get it all into my notebook.
-
No, no. They don't. the local MPs keep challenging me to come and have a meal with them. This all very worrying. The idea of being forced to sit with some self-serving politica while eating shit is just too much. What terrible thing did I do? What crime am I being punished for?
Re John's post: you're absolutely right, of course; nothing has changed really, but it's worth saying every now and then. QAnd also, as I said, I never miss an opportunity to put the boot into the dry dock.
-
Sure, I stole the reference though, as I've already said to Simon in a PM, I hardly regard this as the theft of the century. the Thai vegetarian schnitzel was the perfect example of a dire trend. I put it in my piece. So shoot me.
Also at the risk of being overly defensive I think I have name checked egullet in print more often than any other journalist in Britain.
And don't attempt to reply with some witty put down. i'll only steal that too and pass it off as my own.
BTW - it seems the people of the Black Country hate me. i made the news pages of the Wolverhapmton Express and Star today and the evening bulletins on Birmingham based Heart FM, just for saying the food up there is crap. Then again perhaps it's just a slow news day.
J
-
I second the ham hock with the treacle glaze from the Orford smokery. yum. Didn't have space to mention it in my review but did somehow find space for it inside me.
-
-
Bill came to a pretty reasonable £60 per pop
...but only because this was the Majumdar boys, who insisted as SImon, points out, on two bottles of the pic st loup, plus a glass each of the sauterne, and a glass each of the eau de vie. Plus there was another main course he didn't mention of pigeon with cress and pickled walnut salad (the chitterlings were a starter) and the oilves. In other words we ate for four and drank four five.
I think you could get out of here for a full meal on £35 a head. SImon and Robin wouldn't dream of doing such a thing, of course, because that is not the majumdar way but I just thought you all ought to know.
-
Off the wall on the high street. Last summer lunch was £15.50 for three courses for serious cooking in a lovely airy room overlooking, but away from, the chaos.
v good. Tel 0131 558 1497
i note it's in the gfg
-
We were sat next to a food critic (can’t remember his name - tall, fat, floppy hair, 50 odd) who couldn’t wait to get his notepad out for everyone to see.
Jay Rayner?
S
Damn you all. I am indeed 36. My hair is short. And I've cut out the carbs so I'm a little less....
I think I can name the critic, but it would be unfair of me to do so from your description. Just out of curiosity, was his companion an attractive woman with dark curly hair?
-
I should opine for my paymasters, really, but - good, in places exceptionally good, but nose bleed on the bill now the opening offers have gone. Sorry to be so, er, coy.
-
What a difference seven weeks makes. A la carte up from £39.50 to £49.
Tasting menu from £49 to £59.
AA Gill and Co
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Dining
Posted
Parasites? Us? That's a disgraceful thing to say? Awful. Terrible I mean... ooh, but my heart's just not in it. Dig the pit. I'll push the others in and jump in afterwards. Then we can all fight to eat our way out through Michael WInner. He'll probably have the texture of Kobe beef. Yum.