Monday 24 June 2013

Champagne with Your Hotdog, Madame?


Over the last two years, London has seen a vast array of sexed-up American fast food restaurants.  There doesn't seem to be one borough that has been safe from the onslought.  No longer the preserve of the poor, you now have to pay over the odds if you want a burger and chips.  Not even the best organic, hand-reared, preservative-free, organic grass-fed cattle can really do anything to elevate a burger, well, beyond a burger.  But every restaurateur in the land has tried.  First there came Meat Liquor, then Byron started popping up all over the place, and then even Jamie got in on the act.  Fresh from teaching Americans how to eat healthily, he came back to Blighty to serve us up the very thing he'd tried to steer them away from across the pond.  But oh how we queue for it.  These no booking restaurants thrive on queues.  Us Brits love to queue, and if we see one, we will join it.  We all want to know what the fuss is about no?  And I must admit, I was slightly interested to see what all the fuss was about about Bubbledogs.  I mean, is it actually any good?  Bubbledogs, you see, on Charlotte Street, Soho, has tried to distinguish itself from the saturated burger market by doing something entirely different.  That's right, they offer hot dogs instead.  And what is the obvious companion to a hot dog?  Yep, you guessed it, champagne.  Intrigued, I joined the queue one Saturday night.  I was instantly won over.  Yes you have to queue, which is a bit of a pain, but once inside, the restuarant itself is lovely and the food is excellent.  My Chilli Dog was delicious, extremely tasty and without any grease factor.  The sides of Tots and Sweet Potato Fries were both excellent.  But the best thing is the champagne list.  I was not entirely convinced beforehand as to the combination, but drinking champagne seems to have the desired effect that so many of the other burger-restaurants have been craving.  It immediately elevates the food, and the atmosphere.  We sipped and nibbled away quite happily, and I have never had a better "dog".

Saturday 1 June 2013

The Hawksmoor


What better gift can you give to a man for his birthday other than the gift of meat?  I asked myself this question, could find no better answer, and so promptly booked myself and my boyfriend into the Hawksmoor, Seven Dials, Covent Garden for the Sunday Roast.  I had heard it was very good. An Observer Food Award for Best Sunday Roast in the UK surely cannot lie?  With high expectations we ordered, and waited.  We did not have to wait long.  And gosh, when it arrived, it did not disappoint.  If I could eat this every Sunday I would.  Everything was done to perfection, but the star of the show really is the beef.  They're proud of it, and so they should be.  And it makes the most mouth watering, lip smackingly delicious gravy.  Delivered in a separate jug which was most pleasing.  (There's nothing more disheartening than having your gravy poured on by someone else, all over the "wrong" bits). I didn't want it to end, and it very nearly didn't.  Come with a big appetite would be my best advice!

We then moved onto dessert.  I was going to skip this as I really did not have the room for it, but obviously, it would be rude not to look.  And so it was that I glanced down the menu only to see the first item on the list - a Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart with Popcorn Ice Cream.  I had to try it.  The tart itself was very good.  (Although I do think I prefer the Salted Caramel Tart sans the chocolate, dished up at Pizza East).  However, the Popcorn Ice Cream, was out of this world.  I didn't even think I liked popcorn that much, but this was great.  With popcorn pieces inside, it was a delicious contrast of textures, but the flavour was the best bit, almost reminiscent of Kellogg's Corn Pops if anyone remembers those.  I thoroughly recommend ordering a few scoops.  And after a truly indulgent lunch with fantastic wine also, we stumbled out, defeated but victorious.  Two very satisfied customers; one very satisfied birthday boy.

http://thehawksmoor.com/