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London Blaggers' Banquet

Have you heard about the super-exiting Blaggers' Banquet that Niamh over at Eat Like a Girl has organized? All in support of Action Against Hunger. On November 15^th, a bunch of U.K. bloggers (mostly food-oriented, but we're an equal-opportunity bunch) will be taking over Hawksmoor, the revered steakhouse in Liverpool St, for the Blaggers’ Banquet. This will be an exciting dinner created entirely by bloggers and using only food that we have blagged and that we ourselves will cook and serve^*.

There will also be a blaggers’ auction, where we will be auctioning exciting items we’ve blagged. This auction will be two-fold, a portion of it on the night, and the rest in the weeks following. Further details relating to the auction will be announced as they become available.

We’ve got just over three two weeks to pull all of this off but we do love a challenge. All proceeds go to Action Against Hunger, a great cause.

PRODUCERS: Want to donate some produce? Food, drink, items for the auction? It might be a good way to get your products seen by thousands of blog followers and sampled by the lucky few who get tickets for the banquet. Please get in touch! We want to hear from you.

BLOGGERS: We’ve had a lot of blogger volunteers, but we could always do with more! We will need people in the kitchen, people front of house and blaggers. If you are interested in getting involved and haven’t been in touch already, please email Niamh at blaggersbanquet@gmail.com.

AUCTION: We need lots of stuff for auction. Whatever you’ve got. Equipment, food, wine, trips, posh dinners. Whatever you’ve got, seriously! There will be an auction on the night and an online auction. Let me know if you'd like to donate anything!

* Have no fear. I will not be in the kitchen. I'm a front-of-house gal.

Hix Oyster & Chop House, Clerkenwell

Hix Oyster & Chop House
36-37 Greenhill Rents
Cowcross Street
EC1M 6BN

Date of Last Visit: Friday, October 23, 2009

The Victim: Me

The Damage: £30

The Background: My flight back from Chicago landed at Heathrow at 12. Eyeballs scanned, I was home at pretty much exactly 2 and at Hix Oyster & Chop House by 2:30 p.m. I had been saving myself for this particular Hix...ignoring the soul-destroying breakfast of warm yogurt and stale pastry on my flight. Knowing...knowing that there was a very very good lunch just waiting for me.

The Entrance: A good-sized late lingering lunch crowd was, well, lingering. The hostess put me at the bar, which I like. File Hix Oyster & Chop House away as a good place to lunch alone.

The Food: An immensely delicious beef and oyster pie. (Plus a side salad of watercress and shallots to get my five-a-day.) This pie ranks up there with the most delicious things I have eaten all year. Really...the crust!! You should have seen me there, chinking the crust off the porcelain serving dish. (My apologies to my neighbour on the left, who was inadvertently attacked by flying pie crust bits.) Desperation, I tell ya. This pie was so delicious that I had to see if the newer Hix had the same on their menu because maybe, just maybe, I could have this pie two days in a row...And they did! (Albeit a quid or two more expensive.)

The Service: Cheerful. Knowledgeable. Brought me over the Hix books to peruse while I dined alone. Hix' British Seasonal Food looks great. If I ever move back to the States, now you know what to get me as a going away present. I ran into my server again the next day over at Hix Soho, which was fun.

My Other Reading Material: The last ever issue of Gourmet. Sadness.

What I Did Next: Made plans to have lunch at Hix in Soho the next day!

The Verdict: I will be back. And why haven't I been here sooner?

Hix, Soho

Hix
66-70 Brewer Street
W1F 9TR

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, October 24

The Victims: Feathers, Jen

The Damage: £20ish each. I think I owe Jen money.

The Background: The longer I write this blog, the shorter my reviews. Sometimes I'm sorry about that, but then I think, "But really, I don't have that much time. I should be doing laundry. Or something." So let me cut right to the chase...I like Hix. A lot. (You'll see this even more when you read my blog tomorrow, Tuesday.) I have to tell you that now, upfront, such is the hugeness of my current passion for the Hix empire and their very British, very delicious creations.

Let me also note, however, that visiting Hix at 4 p.m. on a Saturday probably didn't lend itself to a typical experience. You see...Hix was empty. REALLY empty. Like only one other table full when we walked in. Maybe four tables full when we walked out.

Why lunch at 4 p.m.? Well, I was jet-lagged and had slept til 11 and my internal clock was very mixed up. Oh, and we wanted to swing by Anthropologie before it closed, and Hix was a super-convenient place to dip into before shopping.

The Entrance: Hix has a big door. I should have taken photos of said door, but I didn't. You'll have to visit for yourself and see. You also can't see into Hix because of its frosted glass windows. So while I was waiting for Jen out front and across the road, I saw person after person gingerly approach the restaurant, stare at the menu, waver in front of the door...and leave. Many people, it seems, fear the unknown.

Not me and Jen. We waltzed right in.

The Food: Fish fingers for me! With mushy peas. And chips. I know...it's just basic comfort food, but it was exactly what I was in the mood for. And the fish fingers were pretty awesome. Great breading. The mushy peas were some of the best mushy peas I've ever had in my entire life...and normally, I don't die over mushy peas. And the chips! Proper chips. Wrapped in old menu. Very good.

The Service: Lovely, really. But then again, we were one of their only tables.

The Cocktail Menu: A bit esoteric, perhaps? This isn't a bad thing...it just means it will take you forever to choose your cocktail.

The Wines: Available by the carafe!

The Cocktail Bar Downstairs: Very cool looking. Must return for this alone.

Interesting: The beef and oyster pie was a quid or two more here than it was at Hix Oyster and Chop House.

The Verdict: Love it. Love it. Love it.

Big Bowl, Chicago

Big Bowl
60. East Cedar
Chicago IL 60611
USA

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, October 18th, 2009

The Victim: Me

The Damage: Must double-check receipt but I think about $30

The Background: Big Bowl is my guilty pleasure. It's part of Chicago's vast restaurant conglomerate, Lettuce Entertain You. It's a Chinese "themed" restaurant. Yes, a themed restaurant.

But years ago, I fell in love with their ginger ale. And their beef and broccoli (copious amounts of garlic used). So when I was hungry last Sunday night, I wasn't sad that Big Bowl happened to be close to my hotel.

The Ginger Ale: Being a part of Lettuce Entertain You, I have to wonder...do they make their own ginger ale? Or ship it in from somewhere? Because it's delicious...full of big chunks of ginger--which considering the cold I obtained precisely upon landing in Chicago--made it even more of a winner in my book. 

 

The Food: Can you see the steam rising off the dish? This really isn't anything all that special. It's beef. And broccoli. And lots of garlic. But sometimes, that's all you need.

The Verdict: I always go back. That's what I love about Big Bowl. It just doesn't change.

M. Henry, Chicago

M. Henry
5707 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60660
USA

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, October 18th, 2009

The Victims: Christina, Kent

The Damage: $15 each + one $50 parking ticket.

The Background: I miss pancakes. And french toast. Home-made blueberry muffins. Corn muffins. Grits...I love grits. (And I'm a Yankee by birth. A southerner only by my parents' retirement--and many would argue that South Florida doesn't "count." But whatever the case, me liking grits is saying something.) Ah, and I miss American bacon, crispy crispy American bacon. I never knew there was any other sort of bacon until I arrived upon these shores and was handed ham when I asked for bacon. So my first stop last week when I arrived in Chicago was breakfast with my good friends Christina and Kent at M. Henry on Chicago's northside.

The Entrance: I've somehow convinced Christina and Kent to meet me at 9 a.m. for breakfast. This is way early for brunch. Even for the States. But we know M. Henry doesn't take reservations and we also know they're super-popular. And I also know that I'm super jet-lagged.

We arrive at 9 and already, there's a 15 minute wait for a table. We power through it and nearly exactly 15 minutes later, we're seated and ordering. Christina and I opt for the pumpkin and pecan pancakes, topped with blackberries, apples, and caramel syrup. They're pretty outstanding...soft and warm and delicious. Ah, and two sides of crispy American bacon, of course. My only possible recommendation is the pumpkin...pumpkin on it's own isn't so exciting. I think they could have tarted the pumpkin up a bit

Kent opts for the breakfast sandwich. That's toasted sour boule layered with two over-medium eggs, applewood bacon, sliced plum tomatoes, gorgonzola, & fresh thyme and served with house potatoes. Apparently, every time he goes to M. Henry, he tries to order something else, but he can't. It's always the breakfast sandwich. I have a moment of sandwich envy. But just a moment.

The Verdict: I like M. Henry. They do good breakfasts. Constructively, I felt our silverware could have been cleaner. And I felt a little rushed, but that's probably only because I've lived in the U.K. too long and am just not used to having my bill arrive unasked for. I'd also say that if you're visiting Chicago, you should only go to M. Henry if you're up for a field trip...5700 North Clark is way north of downtown. (9 miles?)

Randall & Aubin, Soho

Randall & Aubin
14-16 Brewer St
W1F 0SG

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, October 10th, 2009

The Victims: Canadia Boy, Andrew, Jeremy, Christina

The Damage: I forget...but maybe like £20 each? Jeremy paid, which he shouldn't have!

The Background: Canadia Boy is leaving us. Not to Canada. (He's not from there anyhow.) He's moving to D.C. Like tomorrow. And he's taking Stacey with him. In December. It's all very confusing. And sad. I don't want them to go. I think about all the times they've invited me over for dinner on a random Sunday afternoon and I want to cry. And I do cry. In front of them both. Later in the evening.

At least we'll always have Biarritz.

Stacey has asked me to organize a little "Farewell London" food crawl for Canadia Boy. I know he likes oysters. A lot. So we start out at Randall & Aubin and get a platter of 18.

 

The Food: The natives are my favorite. Followed closely by the "oyster of the day," that we never quite get a clear answer on. The chips are good. The oysters are lovely. The service is slow but congenial and slightly charming. The atmosphere is Soho on a Saturday night. And the wine is a chilly smooth and stony Sancerre. Of course. We leave happy. And we're just getting started.

The Verdict: Fun.

The Book Club, Shoreditch

The Book Club
100 – 106 Leonard Street
EC2A 4RH

Date of Last Visit: Friday, October 16th, 2009

The Victims: Feathers, Jen, Mariette

The Damage: £15 each?

The Background: Home is no longer. I liked Home in the early days. The food was good. The service was good. But this was like 2005? 2006? Then something happened and it became tremendously average. Speaking of tremendously average, it was during my walk to Cataloupe for lunch earlier in the week for a terribly average lunch that I noticed The Book Club. And immediately made plans to dine there later in the week.

 The Entrance: I like the look of The Book Club. A lot. It's all Ercol chairs and simple furniture. The sun comes in through the windows just right. Everyone looks the tiniest bit more beautiful and we all feel very on trend.

 

The Food: We order a bunch of different things. For me, it's the risotto. But it's not really risotto. It's like orzo or something. There's no creaminess. It's just rice and veg. Hmmm. Not what I expected. And it's not very delicious either. A generous portion, sure. But there are lots of twigs in stems in there and I didn't come out for lunch to eat weeds.

 

Most egregious is the burrito. With CHIPS. With F*CKING CHIPS. I am reminded of the time I went to a Chinese restaurant in Stockholm and was presented with a bread basket. WTF?

 

OK, I lied. Even more egregious was the tomato soup. I should have brought a ruler or placed something else in the photo to give you a sense of scale. This was like a gallon of tomato soup. For £4.95...a disturbingly good value. Note I asked waitress, "How big is the tomato soup? Do you think the tomato soup and the risotto would be too much?" No, no, she said. You'll be find. It's a very shallow bowl.

Shallow my ass. With all due respect, of course.

Oh, and I haven't even talked about the taste. It's like all marinara. Would you eat a bowl of marinara for lunch? I didn't think so.

The Verdict: Go for the vibe. Not the food. 

Clissold Arms, Muswell Hill

Clissold Arms
115 Fortis Green
N2 - 020

Date of Last Visit: Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Victims: Al, Louise

The Damage: £25 each

The Background: It's been a really long while since I've added a new postcode. Well, here it is. N2. Exciting times, huh?

Up til the weekend before last, I'd never been to Muswell Hill before. But here's what I can now report. It's green. Very green. And suburb-y feeling.

I can also report that The Clissold Arms is a VERY long walk from East Finchley tube. And it's a very long and miserable walk in the RAIN...especially when you've forgotten your umbrella. And when your friends have a car and you don't and you spend most of the walk thinking, "Why didn't I arrange for them to pick me up at the tube?"

The Entrance: But I enter The Clissold Arms and all is right with the world again. It's a bright and airy space, and it's packed to the gills with cheerful families and tumbling tots. In fact, everyone seems to have at least one kid with them. Except for the woman who's crying her eyes out in the bathroom. (Supportive friend: "Get a grip! Pull yourself together!")

The Starter: Sweetcorn fitter with black bean salsa. This is nice and crispy and I'm happy about all the rocket because you can never have too many vegetables. Not too sure how I feel about all the sour cream though. And it kinda needs salt.

The Main: Pan-fried fillet of sea bass with courgettes, asparagus, new potatoes and sugar snap peas. I really liked this. No idea how sustainable the fish was. And no clue how they got asparagus onto my plate in October. But good nonetheless. And colorful!

The Verdict: If I had kids and if I lived in Muswell Hill, I'd probably go here pretty often. But I don't have kids and I don't live anywhere near Muswell Hill, so I'll probably never go back.

Sedir, Islilngton

Sedir
4 Theberton St
N1 0QX

Date of Last Visit: Saturday, October 3rd, 2009

The Victims: Gerry, Ben, Matt, Carolyn, Anne, Tobias...and I feel like I'm forgetting someone.

The Background: We'd been to St. Alban's for the beer festival. Drinking beer creates hunger. So we found ourselves on Upper Street, walking from one restaurant to the next, seeing if they'd take eight people. No one would. Until finally, we entered the very empty Sedir--always a bad sign when you're empty at 8 p.m. on a Saturday--and they said "Eight? Sure, no problem."

The Smell: Sedir smells like gasoline. It takes me a while to figure this out. I start imagining that we're all going to be die from chemical inhalations. But then I realize it's the stupid lamps. The stupid lamp oil makes the whole place smell like nail polish remover or something. Uggh. Headache.

The Food: I order our server's favorite dish--the Iskender--it's grilled meatballs on a bed of diced bread & yoghurt, coated with a secret recipe sauce. When the dish arrives, I attempt to send it back, thinking that they've given me the wrong order. Because you know, my entire life? During my entire life, MEATBALLS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ROUND.

So I eat a few pieces of meatballs (?) and have a spoonful of whatever it is that the meat is sitting on. Well, it's exactly what the menu said. Yogurt. And bread. There's a lot of meat. And a lot of yogurt. And a lot of bread. I get bored after about three  bites. And it's just so gosh darned gloopy. Gloopy is really the best way to describe it. Gloopy meat and gloopy yogurt and gloopy wet bread. No thank you.

The Verdict: Eh. Not for me.

What I've Been Up To

Budleigh Salterton beach in Devon.

I'm never quite up-to-date on this blogging stuff. So here's a quick round-up of what I've been up to since my dinner at Kai Mayfair...

• Hanging out in St. Albans at the Beer Festival, getting some culture, and then doing a little pub crawl around town.
• Picking apart dinner at Sedir in Islington. (Write-up pending.)
• Shopping at members' night at Liberty with Jen, followed by some late night croquetas and jamon at Barrafina. (They really should stay open past 11 during the week.) But back to Liberty...How have I not discovered Libertys parties sooner? Ladies, you should get a Liberty member's card for the parties alone.
• Taking Canadia Boy and friends on a very sad farewell food tour of London...Randall & Aubin, Princi, Fernandez & Wells and then on to Soho House for Canadia Boy's going away party.
• Enjoying a lovely and relaxing Sunday lunch with Al & Louise at the Clissold Arms in Muswell Hill. (Coming soon!)
• Having a terrible lunch at Cantaloupe in Shoreditch. (Not worth writing up again.)
• Having a relaxing lunch with Geoff at The East Room. (Too lazy to write up again.)
• Training for the upcoming Nike 10k.

More planes, trains and automobiles to come. And then I'm fairly static til the end-of-the-year. Here's to all those November and December lie-ins in front of us.