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Loula

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Everything posted by Loula

  1. I have to ask! Was it Fistful of Tacos? Legendary for selling cheap margheritas to sixth formers... not so great when I tried to 'rediscover my youth' and buy food as well...
  2. Yeah but it was fruit n veg. Now if it had been a Mcdonald's delivery............(and before ye start. i was born and brung up in 'ackney) On the contrary, people share their takeaways round here these days - many a time I've woken up to find a gift of last night's left over chips on my doorstep...
  3. Hmm, we had a 'trial run' with Farmaround (yep, those big brown sacks) and were disappointed - the fruit was imported from far flung places when we were expecting if not local, at least British farm produced fruit and veg - I didn't really want a long-travelled pineapple when 6 apples would have been great! The veg was pretty poor quality as well. They did leave it outside the door and it was perfectly safe and I've seen other people in our street with their delivery outside the door and it never seems to be touched (and this is in 'ackney). Not that this is helpful to you as it is by no means a recommendation - but maybe I'll have a look at Abel and Cole now...
  4. Try getting a cab into San Pedro de Alcantara which is not far from Puerto Banus. I much prefer it for food and affordable drinks! I've been to several restaurants in San Pedro which were good and very reasonably priced: La Barca is a fish restaurant in a side street to the right (with the sea behind you) off the main street and there are others whose names I can't remember, sorry - but anyway, it's worth a visit.
  5. I do smoke and agree that smoking is a filthy habit. I would like to think that I am as considerate as possible when in public. If I go to a restuarant that does not have a smoking section, I mention to the waitress that I would like to smoke and that I would like to be seated away from those who are not smoking, so as to cause as little offence as possible. I recently asked to be moved from a 'good' table where there were non-smokers on either side, to an isolated 'poor' table as I would not have wished to inflict my smoke directly upon those sitting by me. Perhaps having legally enforced smoking and non-smoking sections with a proven effective air con system would be the answer, with smaller restaurants unable to do this being non-smoking? But what if the restauranteur wants to allow smoking? Should the government forbid him to allow this on his own private premises? I don't drive. I don't like being blasted by harmful car fumes every time I leave my house, especially as so many journeys are unnecessarily made by car, but I am not asking for unnecessary driving to be banned.
  6. That's what I thought Charlene, and it's on the Evening Standard website, here but you need to faff around registering and I haven't but remember the article only a few days ago (but can't find it in the recycling box, sorry!). A friend used to work there and said the booze was astonishingly cheap, but then it needed to be for the paltry wages the MP paid her. Granita's not the New Labour of old place anymore, same name but new owners (I think) - they advertise a very cheap prix fixe on a board outside if you fancied a trip for 'background' info. A brief Billingsgate aside - my local bus has introduced signs which say 'Would all customers returning from Billingsgate please ensure that all purchases are appropriately wrapped for the comfort of other passengers'. In case you are bitten on the leg by a stray trout perhaps?
  7. There's Frank Godfrey in Highbury - is that the one near-ish to Steve Hatt that you mean Jon? We wanted to order beef from FG for Christmas but he wasn't taking orders and instead opening very early on Christmas Eve to all comers - I presume he take orders at any other time of the year. I didn't want to risk everything on that so went to Canary Wharf Waitrose instead and bought a fantastic 3 rib of aberdeen angus that was spot-on. So I would recommend either of those two. I've bought chicken, turkey and sausages from Hesters near Vauxhall when living in Kennington a couple of years ago and that was all fine, good service there too - haven't bought beef there though. And I've only bought sausages in Moen's probably because it is so expensive!
  8. No, not too late at all, it's a while off, but anticipation is one of the best parts! Plus, booking for a Saturday evening can be a nightmare. We're in east London, but anywhere (bring back the Central Line!) is fine, so location's not really an issue. Hmm, was looking at Pied a Terre - did you see AA Gill's "review" (when he got round to it) at the weekend - 4 stars is high praise indeed. Did you do the full 8 courses BLH? I would definitely go for that if I thought I could get to the end and not be in too much pain to enjoy every bit! What sort of things did you have? All the talk of food led us to search for a good meal on Saturday night and we wound up at The Fish Shop by Angel (fancied Moro thanks to your suggestions but it was fully booked). It was really excellent - I had scallops with sweet chilli jam and creme fraiche, pan fried sea bass with tagliatelle, ginger beurre blanc and fried leeks and then cheese. It was a reasonable £90 for two, friendly service with the owner popping up to chat a couple of times, nice wine and friendly atmosphere. On the downside the sweet chilli jam was more over-sweet than chilli and the fried leeks were completely pointless frizzy strips, also no sign of the ginger which had attracted me in the first place. But these criticisms aside, the scallops were amazing, perfectly cooked and the bass came as two juicy fillets with good pasta - too al dente for my boyfriend but just right for me - and so we agreed on an overall mark of 7 out of 10 and said we would certainly go back.
  9. I know just what you mean about the clingfilm, it ain't pretty that's for sure, but also found K and C a refreshing change after a couple of years of the many plastic/boxed Pret type outlets round Chancery Lane which can get a bit synthetic after a while. So I was pleased when they opened on Grays Inn Road so near my office - one thing to try perhaps if the sandwiches just defeat you is a really fab potato salad with chillies and sour cream - and the foccacia can be pretty good too (ditto the florentines). One thing I never did get though: how could they charge nearly £3 for a tub of crudites? I couldn't bring myself to pay that even in the unlikely event of wanting crudites for lunch!
  10. I love chorizo - but for cakey things/sandwiches/salads and so on and slightly to the side of the market, I like Konditor and Cook. Worth a take out at any rate for when you get home. Another great thing I've had from Borough Market (although this isn't an on-your-feet snack) is some goats cheese from a farmer and his teenage son - I can't remember the name, sorry - but they sell it in small logs wrapped in cling film from a fold out fridge. It's very good - we've especially enjoyed the cheese rolled in tarragon. Try it!
  11. Thanks so much for these suggestions - will definitely scoot around and find out some more now. I had been thinking of Moro and Locatelli, but Zafferano was a new one to me. Incidentally, re Cigala - I've been three times now and was only really impressed the first time (shortly after it opened). Subsequent visits weren't so good - bad bad bad solid yet soggy chips - and I thought the service was poor, too inattentive most of the time and rushed and a little condescending when it was there, but I like the atmosphere and by and large I have been pleased with the food. I still don't think I'd give it another go for a while yet. Ditto Armadillo, excellent first visit last summer (may have had something to do with the huge Mojitos to start us off) but not so good the second time when they tried (but didn't succeed) to put us in the bare upstairs room heated with a plug-in radiator on a freezing night when their heating had gone down - and there were plenty of tables downstairs! Argh, but I like it in general, plus it's local, so tend to be forgiving and may try it for a weekend lunch soon. Would be good to hear if anyone's been there recently and what they thought if so (before I take the plunge again!).
  12. Thanks for those suggestions (and re the search facility) - I'll look them up now, there've been quite a few reviews in the press for Chez Bruce recently I seem to remember? In retrospect of course I should have given some more clues - apologies for the vagueness! What I'm looking for, and most enjoy, is informal european food - places I've been to and especially enjoyed are Cambio de Tercio, The Real Greek, Cigala - and I've been to Riva a few times and always had a great time - but was thinking that rather rely on old favourites we should give somewhere new a try. So, relatively robust food - perhaps Italian, wide but not wildly expensive wine list, relaxed but quite lively/buzzy atmosphere and around £150 mark for two.
  13. Hello - new to eGullet! And wondering if you have any good suggestions for a good birthday dinner (in London)? Went to The Admiralty last year (great food, empty dining room at lunchtime and too fussy service) and were thinking perhaps Riva in Barnes this year (in the evening this time!) which we have loved before... any other suggestions? We would like to try somewhere new, great food, warm atmosphere, but not OTT formal, where we can spin an evening out... Any suggestions gratefully received... Thanks! Loula
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