The American Invasion continues: The Electric Diner, Portobello

It seems there is no stopping the American invasion. It's been a juggernaut since last year where parts of the London restaurant scene are starting to resemble New York, from Wolfgang Puck (Cut) and Serge Becker (La Bodega Negra) who opened last year to Keith McNally (Balthazar) and Brendan Sodikoff of the Electric Diner who have been more recent additions. Whisper it, we still have David Meyer and his Shake Shack looming over Covent Garden in the very near future.

Bringing the joy back: Rita's Bar and Dining

It's been a barren few months for my poor old blog, but after the shock of having written a bonafide blog post last week had worn off, I thought I would try and make an effort, and keep it up. Truth is, and strange enough to say, after nearly four years of blogging, it's started to feel like a real slog. Hard work, little gain, and recently, my real life has just demanded that little more of me. I think of the blogs I used to love reading, like American in London and World Foodie guide, and see how their life has simply taken precedence, and while I miss them and can finally understand why they stepped away. I don't think it's quite Game Over for me yet, but it's strangely satisfying to admit that I came pretty close. 

Speaking Easy: Evans and Peel vs Dach and Sons

In the ever evolving London bar scene, it seems merely calling yourself just a bar isn't enough. You seem to need a theme, apply some rules that are not to be broken or brew your own booze to stand out from the crowd. Once you're done, call yourself a speakeasy, adding an air of mystery, something that makes you feel that you're part of a special gang. Maybe a password, or a hidden door, or better still, keep yourself hidden out the back of some perfunctory diner.

Food trends, BBQ and Burgers (and Lobster)

Every year at about this time, there is always a little talk about what the newest food trends are going to be. Of what everyone will be eating and what to expect in the restaurants. I was pretty confident about my prediction of American based food last year, and I was mostly not let down. What we really wanted was some good old American BBQ and we certainly got that from the little silver bullet under Hungerford bridge in Pitt Cue. Barbecoa was less sucessful, but mainly for trying to cater en masse and the intention was there. Letting pre prepared mounds of meat to stew do not lend well to BBQ.



Burgers were also a huge part of 2011, with Meat Liquor opening and a dozen other places rising to prominence in the burger game such as Lucky Chip, Honest burgers and the Admiral Codrington. Burgers have always been a popular comfort food, so I guess it's rise once and for all was not too much of a shock.

What did surprise me was how well the street food scene has taken off this year. It's always been there in drips and drabs, but really just needed someone to grab it by the balls and get pitches. Petra Barran and her eat.st movement have been fundamental in making this happen, and we now have a burgeoning street food scene growing in London.



Personally, I don't envisage much of a slow down in the street food scene in 2012. In fact, I definitely see a significant growth in the New Year. With the success and growth of markets such as Brixton Village, Netil Market and the Long Table this year, I would be extremely surprised to see independents in decline. Even with some of the bigger boys entering the fray soon (rumours abound for a Jamie Oliver van, or even one from Pizza express), I don't think they will be able to cope. What these places have in their favour is that they specialise, and what they do they do well. I really think this specialisation is not only going places in the street food scene, but in the bricks and mortar scene too.



Only last week, I was lucky enough to pop into the new kitchen of Pitt Cue to sample some of their delights. Working amidst a building site (they hope to be fully open in early January), they managed to knock up the most amazing smoky little pulled pork bun. Adorned with some homemade pickles, each bite was bliss and before I knew it, it was gone. Then I tried a little of their beef cheeks and pickled shiitake and I was back there again, in that little meaty happy place. Pitt Cue aren't going to be messing about, they are going to stick to what they know and do it well. Pulled pork, ribs, pickles and a few little experiments when they have a little bit of time. Nice.



Which brings me to Burger and Lobster. There is so much I can say about this place already, but I will keep it short. I love it. The only menu they have is for the bar, and you merely get the choice between a lobster or a burger. At £20 each, they both arrive with fries, salad and condiments (pickles or a butter sauce). Although the burger may be veering towards the pricy end, the whole lobster is exceedingly good value. Only other menu additions are a lobster roll (at £18 I believe) and two mousses, chocolate and lime. I see myself developing a bit of a lobster addiction in the near future.



So there you have it, a few long winded (yet brief compared to what is actually going on in my head) thoughts on the year and what we may expect from the next. As with any trends, you are never truly able to know what is going to happen, but where we have seen food heroes made out of people such as Mark (aka The Ribman) and Abiye (aka Mr Big Apple Hot Dog), expect a few more in 2012. Embrace specialisation, after all, there is nothing wrong with actually being rather good at a few things.

*Pitt Cue will be located at 1 Newburgh street and is due to open in early January. I was also a guest at a dry run for bloggers at Burger and Lobster.*

Burger and Lobster - 29 Clarges street, Mayfair London W1J 7EF

Mishkins and a little about burger fatigue

London has gone burger mad, and sadly, I have not. I LIKE burgers, however, I do not LOVE them. I often felt a little bit of a weirdo as all my burger hound friends around me regale at how their last burger was perfectly medium rare, how the cheese melted perfectly coating their exceptionally balanced patty like a snug yellow blanket. I wasn't always like this, I just think I have reached my fill for now. Living so close to the Meatwagon (in all it's incarnations) for such a long time has probably spoiled my immediate desire for "proper" burgers, a serious case of "too much of a good thing".

There have been a few recent run-ins which have worked towards semi lifting me out of this burger funk, one of which can be attributed to the diminutive 3oz steamed beef patty at newly opened Mishkin's. It may be small, but packs a deeply beefy punch, smothered in a delicate coating of cheese (Swiss) and sat atop the onions they were steamed on. Add a perfect little bun and you get a perfect little burger.

The rest of Mishkin's ain't too shabby either. Loosely based around a Jewish American diner, you can get a variety of dishes inspired by Jewish favourites (such as the matzoh ball soup and salt beef sandwiches). As with all Russell Norman led projects (he of Polpo and Spuntino fame), the focus is very much around the casual diner, a space which is alive with atmosphere, and plentiful with booze. The formula is straightforward, bar at the front, seating space out the back, good food throughout. Mishkin's definitely feels a little more spacious than any of the Polpos. Sat in a big booth on my first visit, and in the rather cute little radio box on my second, it never felt crowded or over noisy.

Other must orders for me include the Reuben and the meatloaf. The Reuben is quite a beast of a sandwich. Stuffed with mounds of pastrami, sauerkraut and swiss cheese, with a smear of the in house Russian dressing, the whole experience is enjoyable from first bite to last.

When I think of meatloaf, I normally think of a huge hunk of ground meat in the shape of a loaf of bread, almost akin to a very dark loaf of rye. Not really the most appetising sounding meal is it? Mind you, my school canteen was certainly no Mishkin's, and the version here is a much more delicate affair. Slicing into the moist spiced meatloaf in a tiny bread tin yields the reward of a perfectly soft boiled egg. More like a meat-scotch-egg-loaf. Whatever it is, each rich mouthful is normally followed by an approving gurgle.

I guess it's no surprise that I enjoyed Mishkin's. A lot. It might even be my new favourite of the Norman empire. The big bar (serving a number of gin based drinks) lends itself more towards a comfortable casual drink, or even the solo diner (I am one), and the vibrant restaurant space past the bar where you can lounge in the comfortable banquettes whilst enjoying your meal. Round off your meal with a bowl of bananas foster (caramelised bananas with a dash of rum and vanilla ice cream) and go home happy. I know I did.

*All credit for these photos go to Paul Winch-Furness, photographer extraordinaire. It's his job, and he's rather good at it. It was quite dark, rendering my camera helpless*

Mishkin's - 25 Catherine Street. London, WC2B 5JS

MEATLiquor 11.11.11

Just a short note about something many of you may already know about.

Yianni, he of Meatwagon fame, is about to open his first bricks and mortar venture. It will have his signature burgers, it will have all the other stuff he has sold from the #Meateasy (and his wagon), plus the addition of a few other mysterious items including Dirty Fried Chicken, Kurrywurst and "I am Lomo".

Alongside, expect lots of booze, and even desserts (Knickerbocker Glory Hole sets the tone).

Expect loud decor, expect love and hate in equal measures, but most of all, expect it to be busy and expect to eat one of the best goddamn burger you have ever had.

Keep an eye on their website, MEATliquor coming soon...

Big Apple Hot Dogs: Slaying the hype monster

I hate hype. When some places have an impending opening or start receiving a flood of adoration, you can't look left or right but to see a blog writeup, a newspaper review or a tweet. The main reason for my ire is that I have been let down by hype on many occasions. For example, I was non plussed by king Heston's Dinner, where a sadly overcooked piece of pork, an absence of atmosphere and haughty prices led to a disappointing experience. Much the same with Pollen Street Social, where a table of six was squirrelled away down the side the bar, again devoid of atmosphere and serving some badly cooked misjudged plates of food.

Mini Bites: Dante Fried Chicken @ Protein, Shoreditch

 

Fried chicken is one of those things that Londoners crave. It doesn't even have to be that good if the numerous "Chicken Cottages" and "Dallas Fried Chicken" have anything to go by. Having heard about Dante's Fried Chicken through the internet's grapevine (also knows as twitter), I definitely raised an eyebrow and wondered how good their chicken was. Coinciding with a friends state of malaise, I thought we would head on down to Shoreditch and give these fried chicken tacos a go. A three day pop up in advance of a proper restaurant being opened up in the US, it seemed strange to have a popup in London, but there was an aspect of buzz to it, so I thought it would be worth popping in to see what all the fuss was about. 

San Francisco: A brief retrospective (Day 1 and 2)

A street in Monopoli, Puglia

In all honesty, there isn't much point writing about my recent trip to Puglia from a food standpoint. Most of it was spent mucking about with friends at our Trullo and eating some lovingly prepared food by Lizzie and Helen using an array ingredients garnered from the local markets. Bar an amusing incident with some massive pizzas, and an excursion to the seaside where we ate some wonderfully fresh seafood, all of our eating was done in the security of our Trullo. You can check out pictures from the trip here or read about the food we ate on Helens blog here.

What it did make me think about was the fact that I hadn't covered any of the places I had visited on my recent trip to San Francisco. After my trips to Melbourne and Bali last year, where I never got round to detailing some of the places I visited, I definitely couldn't let San Francisco go down the same route. So here it is, a round up of 5 days of eating and drinking and a tip of my hat to Ben and especially Lara who kept me company, drank with me, and more importantly, organised the whole damn lot for me!

Rupert Street, Soho: Sinful times at Spuntino

Rupert street is quite the enigma. Once upon a time, it was the heart of the traditional red light district of London. A mere stones throw from Shaftesbury Avenue, you can choose from an array of strip clubs and ladies of the night (many slightly past their prime), harassing and propositioning you as you walk down the street. However, it appears Rupert Street is changing. Rupert Street is the new place to be in Soho.

Mini Bites: Pitt Cue Co, Southbank

Over the Summer, we will be seeing the Festival of Britain revived on the South Bank to celebrate it's 60th anniversary. As well as a variety of exhibtions and activities, we are seeing a few foodie related events springing up. We have already seen the street food festival which happened earlier this month, and the recent opening of Dishoom Chowpatty Beach, and now we have the arrival of the Pitt Cue co. Influenced by American BBQ culture, they are bringing the "Cue" to the Southbank.

Momofuku Ssam - New York

New York and London are alike in many ways. Both are a sprawling multi cultural metropolis, with many of these influences drifting in and out of everyday life. But one thing remains, this great mix of ethnicity tread these pavements as New Yorkers.

This ethos was also quite clear within much of the food of New York and none more so evident than in Momofuku Ssam. Part of David Chang's Momofuku "brand" of restaurants, it markets itself as selling delicious "American" food. What you find is a menu heavily influenced by Asian flavours.



Highly recommended by the masses, I needed to find out what all the fuss was about so dragged my cousin out down to 2nd avenue in search of Ssam Bar. When we got there, I was happy to see a reasonably priced set menu with a choice of three dishes for each course. Bypassing the rather unimaginative sounding pickles, we went for a portion of their famous buns and beef tendon.



I really don't know what possessed me. Not normally known for my adventurous tastes, I somehow convinced myself that I would enjoy beef tendon. And in reality, they were OK, and only OK. And in fact, that OK only lasted a few mouthfuls. The texture was soft and gelatinous but the sprinkling of rock salt just made it feel incredibly grainy. I just couldn't get to grips with the texture and it was just far too salty.



And so to the buns. When anybody mentions Momofuku, the buns are sure to follow. Slices of slow booked belly pork in a light bun with cucumbers and hoi sin sauce. Simple and delicious. As with everything that has tonnes of hype attached to it, this wasn't a life changing experience but were very nice. No ordinary buns, but hardly stellar.



So far, I wasn't really too sure what all the fuss was about. That was until my simply named "Rice Cakes with Chinese sausage" turned up. Small cylinders of rice cakes, flash fried to gain a crispy exterior, whilst being squidgy in the middle. These were smothered in a spicy szechuan style sauce, with mounds of sausage meat and crisp greens for company. Bite after bite, we just kept on coming back, a real winner.



The beef brisket was perfectly pleasant but nothing to shout about. Generous pieces of beef steeped in a tasty but simple broth. Our attention had very much been on those rice cakes.



The desserts were much more of an east-meets-west affair. A Thai green tea parfait was pleasant with lots of different textures and flavours but it was the peanut butter and jelly pie which blew me away. The grape jelly pie was more of a grape sorbet in pastry but was so fresh and sweet. Served with the pie was a smear of peanut butter and nuggets of peanut butter clusters, both together were a very enjoyable way to end an interesting meal.

So that was Momofuku. I can't help but feel slightly disappointed by it all, but I guess that's what happens when hype starts to overtake the food. On reflection, it was a perfectly good meal at a very affordable price. The P&J pie was memorable, whilst the beef tendon I would rather forget. It does come recommended, just beware of the hype, those buns are just buns.

Oh! And before I forget, make sure you pop to the bakery next door. It serves top notch sweet goods including the infamous crack pie (I am well aware of the irony of this statement) and some ace cookies. The cookies I can definitely vouch for, get many.



Momofuku Ssam (website) - 207 2nd Ave. New York 10003

Burgers, an institution - New York

We do love our burgers over here in the UK. I mean, how else can you explain the constant expansions of new Gourmet Burger Kitchens, Ultimate Burgers and Burger Shacks across the capital. With the addition of Byron and Hache, and more recently, the highly researched Hawksmoor burger, burgers in London are constantly improving and appear to be moving in the right direction.

The thing is, London and the UK in general is very much behind the US in the burger stakes. Over in New York, burgers are a way of life. Here, where at the moment it seems to fulfill a purpose, out in New York, it often fulfills a passion.

I wanted to sample the best New York had to offer but the choice is vast. I mean, check this article out. It lists New Yorks 82 most notable burgers. All independent outlets, the choice is simply vast. I have been taken to JG Melons (not even mentioned in the former list) before, so chose the Shake Shack after Foodbymarks recommendation and the BLT Burger on my cousins.

Shake Shack



Shake Shack are famous for three things, their burgers, their custard shakes and the often monstrous queues. Originally modelled on a "roadside" shack in the middle of Madison Square park, Shake Shack now have 3 locations spread all over New York.



For some unbeknownst reason, I managed to totally miss the crowd. I turned up just before 7pm and needed to queue a mere 3 minutes. I had passed by at lunchtime and the famous queue was in action, its big and never seems to go down as more and more people stream in to get their hands on one of these revered burgers. They even have a webcam to monitor the queue situation so you can plan your attack. A minute after I ordered, the famous queue had once again begun to snake its way round the park. How jammy am I!



So, was this burger any good then? Two moist and tender patties of brisket, with chuck and short rib thrown in. Not greasy, a good yielding but firm bun (an essential component of the burger) and most importantly, a well rounded and deeply beefy flavour. A fantastic example of a burger. It almost made me begin to understand why some people would queue for over an hour for one of these (but not quite).

Special mention needs to be given to the special Salted Caramel frozen custard milkshake. Pure heaven in a plastic cup. Yes, it is as good as it sounds.

Shake Shack (website) - Madison Square Park, Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street.




BLT Burger



BLT is not named after the famous sandwich of the same acronym, but stands for Bistro Laurent Tourondel, chef and proprietor. My cousin likes it as she has a 15 month old daughter and the restaurant is extremely child friendly. It seems that this is not always the case in New York and word clearly spreads. On my visit, it was full of rowdy "Football" fans out the front, whereas the main dining room was crammed with strollers and young families.



The combo's are definitely erring on the expensive side ($17 for burger, fries and a shake). In this case, I opted for a "Rocky Road" shake. This was a chocolate shake filled with bits of brownie, almond and marshmallows. The shake itself was lovely but it was a little OTT on the added extras. It felt like a whole meal on its own.



This burger is a combination of chuck, sirloin and rib eye and is again perfectly pink. Whereas the Shake Shack aim for medium rare for every burger, you get to nominate how its cooked here. Medium requested, medium received. Again, a good bun but I was rather perturbed by the massive lettuce leaf which tried to prod me in the face every time I tried to take a bite. Here, they take extra measures to keep the burger moist. They soak them in cold water and glaze with butter before cooking, indeed keeping the burger moist and succulent, but I didn't find the flavour as good as the Shake Shack burger.

BLT Burger (website) - 470 Sixth Avenue, New York



So what's the verdict? The burgers in New York are clearly good and I really admire the dedication of the two burger joints I visited. I definitely favour Shake Shack but wasn't blown away by either. I still have great memories of JG Melon and am slightly sad I didn't revisit it on this trip, but I guess I will have to settle with the fond memories.

Gramercy Tavern - New York

On my recent trip to New York, one of the things I wanted to experience was some fine dining, American style. I wanted to try and grab a table at Corton, highly recommended by Simon Majumdar of Dos Hermanos, but it appears my two weeks advance notice was insufficient. I needed closer to 2 months. A quick perusal of the Michelin guide showed that New York has quite a wealth of Michelin stars. Although not always a good indicator of a good feed, it certainly helps to point you in the right direction. One choice stood out, the Gramercy Tavern. Close to where I was staying and it looked like it served highly seasonal, high end American cuisine. A few clicks later and a table was booked.

The Gramercy Tavern is a truly stunning space. The Autumnal colours of soft oranges and browns of the dining room matched the changing seasons outside it's front doors. With a bar and open space bistro at the front of the restaurant, we were led past their roaring wood fired oven (where they freshly bake their own bread amongst other things) to our table towards the rear of the restaurant in the heart of their fine dining section.

We were given a menu and the waiter went through the list one by one. Most of the dishes appeared to be "amazing" in his humble opinion. And indeed the menu did appear "amazing", I wanted to eat everything, this menu was going to take some negotiating.



Calamari and Carrot Salad - A seemingly straightforward dish but it was absolutely bursting with flavour. Thin strands of perfectly cooked squid interlaced with uniform julienne carrots. There was an intense smokiness from the squid, I assume that these were flash cooked on a char grill, and the toasted pine nuts added another level. The zingy confit lemon dressing, the perfect bedfellow for these deep flavours. A highly accomplished dish illustrating what you can achieve with a simple combination of good ingredients.



Lamb Pappardelle with olives, lemon confit and swiss chard - Originally on the menu as a starter, I couldn't resist but upgrade this starter to a main. I love lamb and I love pasta, win win. Or so I thought. The potential combination of flavours really had me quite excited. In conception, the ingredients lend to an almost Mediterranean feel and I am sure that this would have been delicious had the chef not decided to lump a handful of salt into it. All the delicate flavours of the lamb, lemon and swiss chard, totally obliterated. On a good point, the pasta was well made and well cooked.



Pork Croquette with potato puree and bitter greens - This was a much more accomplished dish. The massive pork croquette was formed from slow cooked pork shoulder and just fell apart as I poked my fork into it. The unctuous meat of the shoulder, with strands of fat holding the croquette together, was well seasoned and was complemented by a smooth and buttery mash (although a teensy tiny portion).



Blueberry Corn Sundae with toffee popcorn - Before I start, I think I should let you into a bit of background. I love sweetcorn. In every format. If I had to eat only one thing for the rest of my life, it may well be sweetcorn. When I saw this, I ordered it immediately and certainly didn't regret it. Mounds of silky sweetcorn ice cream sat atop a blueberry compote studded with sweetcorn. On top, a dribble of cream and scattering of toffee popcorn. Truly scrumptious.

This was the first proper meal I had on my eating Odyssey of New York and it certainly got the trip off to a bang. It's a beautiful restaurant, one of the nicest I have been in, with plenty going for it but even the extravagant dining space can't cover up some of its failings. Poor seasoning is a cardinal sin in any restaurant, let alone a Michelin starred one. The saltiness in my main was unforgivable and on reflection, I should have sent it back, something I have never done before in a restaurant. And before I could get really annoyed, that joyous dessert turned up.

If you're in New York, give it a go. But if they serve you over salted pasta, just don't be scared to send it back.

Gramercy Tavern (website) - 42 East 20th Street, New York NY 10003

North America - Burgers, Ribs, Hot Dogs and all things Mexico

BURGERS
Byron and the Big D (Multiple/£20)
Hache (Multiple/£20)
Giraffe (Multiple/£20)
#Meateasy (*was* SE14/£20)
The Rye (*was* SE15/£20)
Bar Boulud (SW1/£30)
Lucky Chip (Mobile/£)
Mother Flipper (Mobile/£)
Patty and Bun (Mobile/£)
The Admiral Codrington (SW3/£££)




THE REST
Big Apple Hot Dogs (Hot Dogs/N1/£)
Pitt Cue Co (BBQ/*was* Southbank/£))
Spuntino (NY Diner/W1/££)
Dante Chicken (Fried Chicken popup/*was*EC2/£)
Spit and Roast (Mobile/£)




MEXICO
Chilango (Multiple/££)
Lupita (WC2/££)
Benitos Hat (W1T/£)
Chipotle (Multiple/£)
Poncho No8 (Multiple/£)
El Burrito (W1T/£)
Buen Provecho (SE1/£)
La Bodega Negra Taqueria (W1/££)
Mestizo (NW1/£££)

Key - (Info/Location/Rough price per head with no alcohol)