Le Cafe Anglais
I went
here for my birthday lunch today. It isn't my birthday, that was back in January. But we'd hadn't gone out then, and as we were sat in the restaurant I fancied a glass of champagne, so making someone else pay seemed intelligent.
It's a somewhat strange location, at the top of Whitely's shopping centre and (although it is enclosed) on the food level with the Cafe Rouges, and Yo Sushis. But it's nicely done out, looking a bit like an old-fashioned French bistro, and the Chef Rowley Leigh seems intent on making a nice atmosphere - he was either walking around chatting to the customers or drinking a large glass of red wine. The food was pretty good too - we had a lot of fish - kipper pate and mackarel teriyaki for starters, and fish pie and mackarel and rhubarb as mains. Anyway I'd probably recommend it, especially if there's a big group of you.
Labels: Food/drink
Pubs and burgers
Why do all pubs that tart up their food menu (I hesitate to say 'gastropubs' as gastropubs surely really means pubs that have proper chefs, whereas I just mean ones that don't call a spade a spade) insist on naming their burgers after the pub? For example, 'The Greyhound Burger' or the 'Duke of Wellington Burger', are two that I have seen recently, but most pubs do it. They don't feel the need to name their lasagne, or steak and chips.
Labels: Food/drink
Science Museum
We went to the Science Museum this morning, and their exhibition of
the history of computer games. Quite good fun as all are playable, although computer games aren't like films in the sense that old films are often better than new ones - although the old games are fun for a while, their limitations (in terms of graphics, gameplay, etc) are really glaring*. Still, they had a good collection (most of which you can now play on PCs through emulation), including a Bullet Train simulation game, which was novel, if rather limited (accelerate, brake, whoops I've missed the station). They also had the new PS3 and Wii, which both looked rather special, though I didn't dare attempt to muscle the hoards of children out of the way to have a go.
* I tried to explain to a 14-yr old son of a friend of mine how we used to play computer games. It stumbled on his not knowing what a cassette tape was, let alone the idea that it might load for 5 mins and then crash.
Then we had lunch in
The Greyhound in Battersea, which was better than your average pub food. By the way the prices in that review are wrong - it's now only £15 for 2 courses and £18 for 3.
Labels: Food/drink
Christmas Alcohol
I have been thinking about wine, and in particularly Australian branded wine, such as the standard UK versions of Jacobs Creek or Wolf Blass. I have decided that these drinks are not wine. I don't mean that in the snobbish sense that our upside-down cousins obviously have not the skill or heritage to make wine, or good wine, as I actually like the stuff very much indeed. I just mean that I think if you crave a glass of red wine, they don't really satisfy you, and perhaps that is because they should be seen as a different type of drink, more akin to a non-fizzy, relatively sophisticated, alcopop. One can, and I do, often crave a glass of this too, in which case a glass of 'wine' wine wouldn't work. But I'm not sure its the same thing (this applies to similar 'wines' from any country).
In fact, I think this might apply to champagne too, and perhaps is in fact how it is viewed. One can really not want a glass of white wine, yet want a glass of Champage - another 'wine' that is mass-produced, quality controlled. On this subject, I really recommend Corney and Barrow's (the shop, not the braying wine bars)
Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine, which is about 1/3rd the price of Champagne and tastes just as good (Blanc de Blancs means it is made using only white Chardonnay grapes, whereas most standard Champagne also uses red Pinot Noir grapes).
Labels: Food/drink
Hair of the dog
One of a
million articles in the national press on how to avoid a hangover, or at least reduce its impact.
I dispute this bit:
According to Prof Sir Colin Berry, professor emeritus of pathology at Queen Mary, University of London... "hair of the dog" merely postpones the agony.
It really doesn't. If you are very hungover, and have a few drinks, then go to sleep, you almost always wake up feeling much better than you did the previous morning. The principle is quite simple - you gradually drink less each day. The only risk is failing to do this. But the reason it is not a popular cure is it is obviously only practicable if you are a member of the international leisure class.
Labels: Food/drink
