Morty and Bob's, 30th August

So, you guys know I love bread and cheese right? And melted cheese and toasted bread are a combination made in the very belly of heaven itself. And luckily, quite a few street food places seem to agree. There’s the Cheese Truck, and Grill My Cheese, and these guys... and counting.

Now, I love street food – you can get some fabulous food for reasonable prices but it does have its drawbacks. They can be kinda flaky and a dedicated trip to get to their stall/van can lead to disappointment if you don’t check ahead. Such was the case the other week when I decided I wanted to finally try Morty & Bob's cheesy goodness only to discover the stall was shut and they were at Wilderness or something. Instead I had the worst banh mi of my life from Caphe VN. It was a bad day.

But I went back, and got treated to a supersized toastie with cheese lava cascading down its sides. I decided to try their ‘straight up’ and see what it was like unadulterated by bacon or pulled pork. I didn’t even get any jalapenos or add any hot sauce. They use a cheese mix of three cheeses plus their own secret sauce and they add some spring onions and regular onions and to be honest, this is all you need for a hearty breakfast. Stephen practically ate half of mine and I was still sated. Mmmmm. I think they should quickly go away to some more festivals to stop me going back every weekend! I could practically feel my arteries turning to cheese. *happy face*. A couple of pickles could be found hiding round the back in case to give you a palate cleanser partway through in case the cheese became too much at any point. 

Stories and The Souls, 25th July

Last time I went to the Cat and Mutton I made the mistake of not having any food there. And this time – I kinda did again! Fate had determined that I was to have a work lunch that day and it kept me surprisingly full for so long that by the time we went to the Cat and Mutton for our dinner reservations, I wasn’t hungry. We did manage to fit in a couple of things, but first, we went to Stories.

Stories

There seem to be some places that you just instantly like, without even knowing why. Stories was that kind of place. It’s the sister venue of the Book Club and has that same kind of laid back, light and airy feel to it. Long tables in the middle and smaller ones round the edge are all loomed over by huge white lamps. 

We were there for drinks only but we saw other people’s food and it looked great. It also wasn’t too busy for a Friday night, meaning we could get a table and have a catch up without feeling cramped and without having to shout. We stayed for about an hour and had two cocktails, although the last one had to be gulped down rather quickly. We ordered at the bar but the drinks were brought to our table and I must admit the last one took so long to arrive I began to worry they’d forgotten about us.

Drinks were good – Alison had the Naughty which she wanted me to mention was possibly the best tequila cocktail she’s ever had. It was tequila, apple, cucumber, chili and lime. I had the Kiss and Tell – gin, strawberry and balsamic syrup, lemon and cucumber. I thought this was summery and fresh but I would say that the ingredients sounded more interested than they actually taste. However, for my next – a Likely – I was wowed. This was basically a rum and coke but with the addition of Disaronno, giving it an extra dimension. I could happily go back and while away a few hours sipping on these.

Find the menu & restaurant information on Zomato

Licky Chops (Pearl's) at Cat and Mutton

And so, we arrived at the Cat and Mutton and went straight upstairs to Pearl where we joked with the host about our need to make a reservation (it was empty). We got a bottle of wine to share – a nice picpoul, after much debate about trying the one recommended by our host until it turned out they didn’t have it! And then we still weren’t really hungry so we decided to get another bottle of wine. But I really wanted to try some food despite my lack of appetite so we also got some bread with smoked butter and the beetroot hummus with homemade vegetable crisps. As far as ‘nibbles’ go these were some high-end fare. The bread was amazing – chewy, dense. The butter was so thick it was like clotted cream – I never before have scooped bread into butter as if it were a dip. I loved the veggie crisps even if a couple were a tad chewy rather than crispy, and the hummus was lovely and light (though the beetroot seemed to mostly add to the colour rather than the taste). And our waiter was just lovely the whole time. I already liked the downstairs part of the pub but climbing those beautiful wrought-iron stairs is well worth it too for a less pub-like atmosphere.

The Souls

We ended the night on a high by dipping into The Souls (where Portside Parlour used to be). It’s still without any obvious sign it exists and is still incredibly dark down there, but it feels completely different to Portside cos now it’s all about the dancing! I would no longer use terms like ‘drinking den’ and ‘illicit’ instead I would say ‘party’ and ‘disco’! We ended up chatting to the guy who runs the place and his wife who’d been roped into working for the night but seemed to be having a whale of a time. Apparently his friend comes up with the cocktail concoctions while he concentrates on the ‘audio pleasure’ which is meant to be the main focus of the place. We had a taste or two of their frozen margarita which was great but for our nightcap I chose the fiery Fire and Ice - a dark and stormy with added storm (chili bitters). I would have happily stayed until it closed (about 2 am) – it was like stumbling on a private party getting into its stride (complete with resident cat uninterested in anyone) – but I had to get home. I was driving to Dorset the next day for a wedding! But I know I’ll be back.

The Cat and Mutton, 18th June

The Cat and Mutton recently opened under new management. That management being the people responsible for Ruby’s and also initiating a partnership with Licky Chops (the alterego of Lucky Chip), I was keen to get down there as soon as possible.

As with so many things on my List, asap turned out to be longer than I wanted but last week I finally got there. Unfortunately, we went there because we were booked in for a steak dinner at Buen Ayre, which means I didn’t get to try any of Licky Chops food, though I must say everything I saw going out looked gorgeous.

No, we just had a couple of drinks inside before moving on. The place has been given a distinctly pub feel but also one that is quite ‘clean’ and airy. There are some cute little touches that you might not at first notice, which give it its own personality. Like the table legs being made from vices. It’s very far from Ruby’s shambolic décor but it hasn’t gone completely the other way – there’s nothing sterile about the place.

I had a pinot grigio which was one of the nicest I’ve had in a long while. Incredibly pale and way too easy to drink. I had joined my companions partway through their pints yet finished my large one before they’d finished their drinks, that's how easily sippable it was.

It was a Wednesday evening so the place didn't have much custom, and therefore a direct comparison to the last time I was there under the old management, late on a Friday night, is hard to make. I can imagine that not much will have changed - it will still be full of people, still a great place to hang out, but perhaps a touch more grown up.

Find the menu & restaurant information on Zomato

Hackney Bureau, 5th May

Many’s the time I have walked past Hackney Bureau after a trip to Broadway Market and have been struck by its popularity. On a weekend, you’d have to be quick off the mark to get in there and get a space for brunch.

My friend and decided to meet there for a late lunch on the last bank holiday afternoon to check it out. Lunch specials are written on the blackboard inside and we were both attracted to the two dishes featuring avocado. In the end, Alison got the smashed avocado with feta and poached eggs on sourdough, and I had the harissa chicken and avocado sandwich. Other options included truffled mushrooms on toast, butternut squash, and a variety of cooked breakfasts.

We also had a cheeky spritz to go with it – Campari for her, Aperol for me.

The food arrived and we were both more than happy with our choices, although I admit, after having a forkful of Alison’s combination, I felt I'd chosen the slightly inferior dish. Her poached eggs were perfect – oozing thick yolk over the creamy avocado, and the feta gave it all a salty tang to it that was very agreeable.

I did enjoy my sandwich as well though. Delicious sourdough held together the strips of chicken and avocado, of which there was a generous amount. The chicken was soft and the harissa was more than just a token description.

Our spritzes were a little on the small side but were a perfect choice if I do say so myself for a spring day.

With appetites sated, we enjoyed a wander around Spitalfields with a glass of prosecco (for only £3.50!) from Bedales before dropping into the Hawksmoor bar for their Cinco de Mayo festivities, courtesy of the many-years-closed Green and Red Bar where Brewdog sits now. They had five different tequila based cocktails, all for £5, or you could have a tequila sangrita or verdita. This was a double shot of tequila to be followed by a concoction of coriander, pineapple and chilli. This was so good we decided to sip them instead of shooting them.

Finally, our wanderings took us up Hackney Road, where popping into Sager and Wilde for ‘one’ turned into a whole bottle plus a couple of their new small plates. We had a generous plate of manchego cheese (with a rather mean portion of quince) plus some gorgeous bread with oil, and a plate of speck with piquillo pepper. It confirmed how right I was to fall in love with the bar the first time, and Mr and Mrs Sager and Wilde were excellent hosts as before.

Bad Brownie Co, 14th February

It pains me to say it, but Konditor and Cook have some serious competition from the Bad Brownie Co, especially in terms of a rival to their fudgepacker brownie, previously my favourite brownie in all of fair London town.

I have actually had two Bad Brownies now, but slightly ruined the first one, bought at Broadway Market, by taking it home and nuking it in the microwave. Instead of bringing it up to room temperature, we melted it and though it tasted nice, the frosting was completely liquid and the brownie just tasted like cake. We had ruined the special brownie texture. The crunchy caramelised maple syrup bacon on the top also went a bit soft. 

I didn't think this did the brownie justice so on Wednesday I popped by their pop-up in Soho to get another one. This time I opted for the tantalising salted caramel brownie. They don't do things by half, this lot. This brownie is actually TWO brownies sandwiched together and the salted caramel that they make is the filling. If it sounds ridiculously rich and indulgent and gooey then that's because it is. A gold dusting deceives you into thinking this is a pretty little thing, when it fact it is a beast of a brownie. 

Couldn't resist having a bite before I took my picture

I'd be lying if I pretended this was a light snack. The brownies themselves are very rich and chocolatey and the caramel only adds to this. But my, is it good! A really good example of a brownie too, in my opinion. Brownies should be stodgier than cake, nice and dense with a top that is a little crunchy and starts cracking and flaking as you eat it. This fulfilled all these criteria. 

The salted caramel is  their best sellers, and I can see why. If you've got a sweet tooth this will tick all your boxes. Almost as popular is the peanut butter one, which will have to be next on my list, although they do all kinds of flavours; as well as the aforementioned maple bacon, they had a triple chocolate one and a rose pistachio flavour when I went. Utterly scrumptious!

The Frenchie, 1st February

I seem to be doing themes for my weekends - last weekend it was chicken, this weekend it was meat in buns, starting with The Joint on Friday night (fabulous) and following it up on Saturday lunchtime with an equally delicious 'sandwich' from The Frenchie.

These guys serve confit duck in a brioche bun, topped with melted cheese and garnished with red onion chutney, mustard and rocket. It tastes as brilliant as it sounds. 

This was maybe my third week in a row trying to track down the Frenchie after not finding it on Brick Lane a couple of Sundays in a row. This time I was taking no chances and went up to Broadway market. It was incredibly blustery and freezing while I waited for my duck to be cooked until it was slightly caramelised, and the smoked cheddar I had ordered started oozing on the grill. Other cheese choices are blue cheese or goat's cheese with truffle honey. Next time I might try the goat's cheese. I think the tang would work well with the sweet chutney and sweet brioche.

Not that I am complaining about the version I had. 'Duck crackling' is also added to the mix and it's all a completely satisfying melange of sweetness, crunch, the slight gameyness duck has , a sharp hit of mustard and proper pepperiness. I'm not a mustard fan but it was great with this, and in fact I would even have been happy with more as the other flavours are so strong they almost overpower the mustard. 

The only downside I would say is that for £6 it's a little small so not incredibly filling - especially compared to the monster buns I'd had the night before for only £7. But I have noticed that the price of street food has been creeping up lately, and £6 isn't an unreasonable amount to charge compared to other vendors. It certainly wouldn't keep me away. 

Portside Parlour and The Dolphin, 27th September

Friday night was a very special night. My friend Alison and I celebrated the fact that we have known each other for 20 years now. We have a reputation for cramming a lot in on a night out and we surpassed ourselves this night, but I won't go into too much detail on every place we went as a lot of them weren't on my List. Only Portside Parlour and The Dolphin made it onto that.

First a quick cocktail in the Covent Garden Cocktail club as part of the Chambord Challenge. It was incredibly lively in there and the bartenders had a certain flair with fire. Consdering we were in there at 6:30 and the atmosphere was in full party mode I'm sure this would be a good place to come for a longer night out.

We then went to get another free cocktail at the Salon bar in L'Atelier by Joel de Robuchon. This was the spectral opposite of CGCC - sleek, smooth, high end. We had complimentary olives and met Mr Robuchon himself on the way out. Another cocktail place to impress a date.

And then, because we're not total heathens, we had something to eat at Vasco & Piero's Pavilion. This was my second time there and Alison's third or fourth. We split a creamy burrata and a tangy tuna sashimi to start (weirdly they went quite well together on the plate) and then I had a buttery, rich, lamb tortelloni with rosemary and Alison had the prawn spaghettini. Tempting as dessert sounded, with half a bottle of red with our meal, and, delightfully, a glass of prosecco on the house (did they know it was a special occasion) we felt too full to eat any more. 

And so, we headed East. Northeast to Hackney where we managed to get into Portside Parlour before it shut. 

Portside Parlour

I had thought it stayed open until 2 but when we got there at about midnight, we were told they were taking last orders. So we did have time for just the one cocktail (even though I'd been hoping to have more) in there before moving on, and I think this was my favourite of the night. They have a fairly small but well-crafted selection of cocktails. Portside is a rum parlour so that features heavily - the first page is all rum-based cocktails, but on the second they cater to rum unenthusiasts. My cocktail, the Aged El Presidente, described as 'rounded and boozy' was pretty much all alcohol, but with enough of a fragrance to be drinkable. Alison's was bourbon based and fruitier with basil. Beyond that we cannot remember and I'm blaming it on the strength of those cocktails. The venue itself was very cool. If you didn't know it was there, you would never suspect, but I did and so with determination we made our way through the crowds in Off Broadway to the very back where there was a sign pointing you down the stairs. Had the door been shut down there, even then you might not have been certain you were going to a bar, as the door makes it look like it's just another toilet. If you go through that though you enter a bijou little den of drinking, with candlelight and a musky illicit aroma. Just my kind of place.

After this we went to the Cat and Mutton for a drink before they also called last orders and then went round to the London Fields for another before it seemed late enough to be appropriate to go to the Dolphin.

The Dolphin

If you've been adding things up you'll probably guess that we'd had a few by now, but in the immortal words of the Dolphin's faux twitter account 'Fuck it, it's Friday!'. But it did mean our time in the Dolphin isn't exactly crystal clear in my mind. What I do remember though is that we had an excellent time. I had been there on a Tuesday or something for a drink before Buen Ayre, but rather suspected this was not the best way to experience the Dolphin. After the recent announcement that they may lose their late-night license (a travesty - they're appealing the decision) I thought I'd better get there 'toot sweet' to see this bastion of revelry for myself. Either it is always that busy (possible) or a lot of other people had the same idea for it was packed. We made our way from the little cash bar and courtyard sort of area to the main bar area I'd been in before, where we almost instantly made friends with some guys who lived nearby. What can I say, it's a friendly place. I think it was at about 5 am that they started kicking everyone out, but not before one last R Kelly song. By all accounts, talking to strangers and dancing to R Kelly is exactly what the Dolphin is all about so I think we did the place justice, even if we didn't have any 'Forgot about Dre'- or indeed 'Independence Day'-gerbombs'. I really hope they can persuade the council to let them keep the late license - I will be really sad if that's my one and only experience of late-night Dolphin. #savethedolphin

Lucky chip, 14th January

We headed out at what was already way past lunchtime, down to Broadway market. We thought a stop at yum bun for one each and then sharing a banh mi before taking a leisurely stroll home in the sun would be a good way to while away our Saturday. But the food gods were against us.

First, to the school yard where yum bun are normally located. They weren't there. Ok, so we'll just both get a banh mi. We brave the crowded gauntlet that is Broadway market to get right to the end where the vietnamese ladies set up. They weren't there either. That's when Stephen suggested we go to Lucky Chip. 

There was quite a queue but it was a Saturday afternoon, even though by this point it as well past lunchtime. We joined it. It completely obscured two other food stalls, and we felt a bit sorry for them as no one would really even know they were there if you weren't already in the queue for Lucky Chip. But the fish guy seemed to get the odd person in the queue who was hungry enough to want to have a quick oyster while they waited, and I daresay the cheesecake guy got a few people who'd noticed him and wanted dessert after their burgers.

It took no time at all for our extremities to become extremely cold. I had purposefully left my scarf and gloves behind, thinking that if we were walking back, I'd warm up in no time and wouldn't have a need for them. I did not expect to be spending over an hour queuing for a burger. And when I say 'a burger' I do not mean one apiece because I do not even like burgers. This was part of Stephen's quest to find the best burger in London. While we waited, people kept going past with stupendous-looking onion rings and I decided that's what I wanted in place of a burger. I was also going to get a hot dog, which I had heard were pretty good as well, though my main thoughts were on the onion rings. With maybe a little garlic aioli. Finally, we made it towards the front of the queue and fortuitously some chairs freed up so I went over to nab them while Stephen queued the remainder of the time to order. I saw him texting and moments later my phone went off. He was informing me that they had run out of onion rings. Curses on you food Gods! Curses!

He ordered some chips instead. 

All through the last hour he had been debating on which type of burger to get. They have some specialty burgers, named after various film stars, which have interesting toppings. Stephen couldn't decide between the Sheen (philly cheese, cheddar, beer soaked onions, applewood smoked bacon and burger) or just a regular cheeseburger. Forty five minutes into waiting, with our noses colder than anyone's nose should be, Stephen declared that he didn't care how good the burger turned out to be, this would be his final visit. Nothing is worth queuing this long for. I suggested that if that were the case, then maybe going for the Sheen over the normal cheeseburger would be the way to go.

When he joined me at my seats (outside, and next to some heaters which curiously weren't turned on) he told me he'd taken the plunge and gone for the Sheen, which came along not too long after we were sitting. As did my hot dog and chips. Once again, I forgot to take any pictures, but the burger looked really good. Stephen was going to give me some as a way of easing me into burgers (I think I should take them up) but he was enjoying his so much he clearly forgot all about giving any away. The one little criticism he had of it was that it was a little overdone for a medium burger. However, he said that given all the sloppiness on top of it, a slightly sturdier burger was probably not such a bad thing.

My hot dog was ok. It definitely was a hot dog and not just an English sausage in a bun. But it still wasn't quite an American hot dog. And the bun was good (definitely better than some I've had) but it wasn't quite right. Hot dog buns should be longer versions of hamburger buns - slightly sweet like brioche. The chips were pretty tasty but I suspected not a patch on the beetroot onion ring beasts I had so set my heart on.

As we walked back to the bus stop, too cold to do anything but get back as quickly as possible, Stephen mused aloud about his next visit. "I thought you weren't going to go back there again," I said. "Well, next time I'd just make sure I got up early and got there before the lunch rush," he replied. I doubt, and I suspect he does too, that there isn't really a 'lunch rush' with Lucky Chip, just a steady stream of hungry hipsters. So I guess that's as good evidence as you can get that the burgers are pretty excellent.  

Tea at The Wolsley, 5th November, Part 1

My boyfriend's mother and her husband (obviously not Stephen's father or it would have been easier for me to say 'parents') were visiting over the weekend, partly because they hadn't for a while, and partly because it was the mum's birthday on November 5th. So we wanted to line up something a bit special for their visit. Stephen's mother and step-parent are not the easiest to entertain. It's not that they're picky exactly, it's more that they're not particularly interested in anything. They come to London to see Stephen and they could really be anywhere. They're not particularly interested in food, or drink, or art, or music, so coming up with something spectacular (other than Stephen becoming the model son overnight which was unlikely) for her birthday was a challenge. But we thought we had a pretty darn good solution: Tea at The Wolsley. What mum doesn't like the idea of afternoon tea and the kudos of saying their son took them to one of the better known venues in London?

We were booked in for tea fairly late in the afternoon because we wanted to take them up the road to Broadway Market, our new favourite market. The amount of food on offer up there is ridiculous. I was very much looking forward to it and had even dreamt about it (well, I dreamt about food, I'm attributing it to excited anticipation). Last time we went I had vowed to have a Scotch egg as I'd seen someone eating a fine looking specimen but in the end I was sidetracked by Banh Mi 11 before I got round to the scotch egg stall. It was a most enjoyable diversion - I reckon it's the best Banh Mi in London. To commit full disclosure, I had eaten a Banh Mi from them before at Field Day and it was a very disappointing experience - all carrot and not much else. But I was prepared to give them a second chance, suspecting that they didn't bother to live up to their usual high standards for a bunch of drunk festival-goers. And I was right.

But anyway, I digress. This time around, I wanted to try a scotch egg, or perhaps a Yum Bun, or  a sweet potato flatbread. Or a brownie. Or a pie. Cripes there's so much there. In the end though, the in-laws were after a Full English. We managed to persuade them not to stop in the 'caff' and instead go to the Dove where the Full English boasted components made up from the produce being sold on the market outside. I'm not a massive fan of the classic English B so I opted for some eggs benedict on toasted muffin. Was not overwhelmed. My second egg was cold by the time I got to it and my muffin was using a different definition of toasted to one I am used to. There was also way too much hollandaise for me. But the Breakfast looked good and the others seemed pleased with it. 

And now I am going to build an element of suspense into my blog by not actually writing about the Tea until my next entry! I like keeping you on your toes.

Santa Maria del Buen Ayre, Tuesday 27th September

We hadn't managed to get to Shochu the night before and I desperately wanted to show Alison it's sleek glamour that made you feel like you were part of the elite (the steep cocktail price helps a lot with this as well) so we went for one in there before heading up to Hackney. We both of course had to go for cocktails with Shochu in them, I went for a Tanuki Peach (the green one, surprisingly) and I can't remember what Alison had! It was pink and fruity but mine was better!

I'd heard of The Dolphin as a bit of a late night Hackney party venue, so it was on my list, and very close to Buen Ayre, also on my list. It made sense to head there for one before going for dinner to see what it was like.

What it was like, was a dive. No one was in there and the jukebox karaoke they keep tweeting about was clearly not being used. But with a few more people in there I can imagine it could have a certain dishevelled charm to it. We only had one drink as we had to get to our reservation but I want to come back here, at a later time, maybe even on the weekend to see exactly what this place has to offer and give it a fair shot. They seem friendly and didn't scowl when Alison and I asked, like pretentious knobs, to try their house wine, or get miffed when we subsequently decided to order something else. Cider, if you're interested.

Anyway, off we went to Buen Ayre. This place has a sister restaurant in Clerkenwell (which is a little pricier and didn't get such good reviews) and is also possibly linked to the Santa Maria del Sur in Battersea. My boyfriend had been to that one and thought it was great, so we had high hopes for this one. I was not disappointed. It's right on Broadway Market and is quite small - you could easily walk past it and not know it's there. Someone had cancelled on me, so there were three of us not four, and we were asked if we minded moving to a smaller table. We didn't. Especially not with the food and service we received. We were waited on by a guy named Chico (I'm not making this up), an exuberant person of Latin descent (so exuberance came as standard). We all decided we had to have steak as that's what it is famous for, and we all went for the sirloin. Even though we suspected the portions would be sizable, we also ordered some empanadas to start. They were tasty but not the main event. We debated about how many portions of chips to order and Chico told us one each would be too much - go for one or two. We all really appreciated his honesty about that, and it was good advice. The steaks were massive (I couldn't picture what 14 oz actually translates to on a plate) and probably would have made a meal on their own. Not that I didn't appreciate the chips - they were great too, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. We got one portion plain and one with garlic and parsley.

Did I mention the steaks were massive? Massive and FANTASTIC! We all got medium rare and they were perfect for me. Nice char on the top, lovely and tender in the middle, and the chimichurri sauce didn't go amiss either. I couldn't eat all mine. Neither could Alison. My boyfriend, being the strapping lad he is, did finish his, but there were still chips going spare. We declined dessert. I think this is the best steak I've had in London and I'm placing it as #2 in my just now invented list of best steaks, behind the porterhouse at Peter Luger's which I don't think anyone will ever beat. Apologies for the very amateur photographs.

Find the menu & restaurant information on Zomato