Mar 212013
 

I had a doctors appointment this morning,  and conveniently my doctors office is right near the Nordic Bakery in Marylebone. (There are two locations in London) The design of the shop is clean, simple, almost barren. It does not matter- they have these Cinnamon Buns that I think are to die for. I usually like a lot of icing on my cinnamon buns, theirs have non and I am completely okay with that. They are baked throughout the day and always fresh and hot. Now they sell other Nordic treats, I can’t say I have tried any of them. Why would I, when all I want is the Cinnamon Bun. I am probably missing out on something great, in this case I am okay with that.

Nordic Bakery

Nordic Bakery

So my treat to myself since I was going to the Doctors was I got to get a Cinnamon Bun! I should make Doctor’s appointments all the time! OMG, I later today I was walking down Dorset street and smelled CINNAMON, there is another Nordic Bakery that just opened. This could be trouble, there is one even closer to me!!!

The Cinnamon Buns

The Cinnamon Buns

I love them so much ,I would work there for free to learn how to make them! They do have a cookbook which I want to get, with the Cinnamon Bun recipe, I am skeptic though that it will taste the same… Will let you know when I try. Here is the recipe is you want to try…

Brought it home and still warm!!

Brought it home and still warm!!

Golden Square, London

14a Golden Square
Soho, London W1F 9JG

New Cavendish Street, London

37b New Cavendish Street
Marylebone, London W1G 8JR

 Dorset Street, London

48 Dorset Street
London W1U 7NE

Mar 182013
 

Perched up on the 40th floor of the Heron Building close to Liverpool station, sits Duck and Waffle. Unlike most of London that shuts down at a certain hour, Duck and Waffle stays open 24-hours a day. From the name you would think there would be all different variations of Duck dishes and waffles, but actually there is only one dish that serves both duck and waffle with a fried duck egg. This restaurant is great because the views are amazing, the best I have yet to see in London. Better than the London Eye. The menu  is small plates with a few large plates.

Now,the Shard (Europe’s Tallest Building) has recently opened their viewing platform charging £40 pounds per person to go up and see it. Now this seems insane to me because I can’t believe the views are any better there than they are at the top of the Heron Building, so I might as well have some food and drink to go along with my view!

A view from our table, looking out towards East London

A view from our table, looking out towards East London

The friend I went with was very hungry when he arrived and decided to pretty much order a lot of the menu so I got a fairly good tasting. The food is good but not incredible. I would come back with someone who is visiting London but would not go with someone who lives in London again. The Views are truly spectacular and worth a visit.

 

Cocktails!

Cocktails!

Chorizo and Octopus - AMAZING

Chorizo and Octopus – AMAZING

BBQ Spiced Crispy Pig Ears- Interesting

BBQ Spiced Crispy Pig Ears- Interesting

Bacon Wrapped Dates- Recommend

Bacon Wrapped Dates- Recommend

 

Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut- So So

Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut- So So

 

Duck and Waffle!

Duck and Waffle!

 

Duck and Waffle

Heron Tower  110 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 4AY
020 3640 7310

Feb 182013
 

My sister is in town visiting from Boston. She wanted to go to Brussels for the day, which in theory seemed to be a good idea but ended up being one of those days where everything kind of did not go our way.What we learned- Don’t go to Brussels on Monday. Pretty much everything is closed.

Although in the end despite nothing going how we had planned when we arrived back to London tonight we all said what a great day.  We did accomplish what we wanted: Ate a waffle, Fries, and had some beer. I highly recommend trying   cherry fruit beer.

 

Waffles at Le Funambule

Waffles at Le Funambule

Right next to the Manneken Pis- The fountain statue of the little boy going to the bathroom who is only about 1 foot tall!

Funambule Waffles

Funambule Waffles- You might want an extra fork! Our forks kept breaking

Mary's Chocolate

Mary’s Chocolate-According to Neil’s Belgium Co-worker the best chocolate in Belgium

Beer in the Grand Place

Beer in the Grand Place

Perle Sugar

Perle Sugar

I did buy some Perle Sugar at a mini market to make Belgium waffles at home!!! Neil, though just wants to eat the sugar straight from the box. Good thing I bought 3 boxes.

A note about the Eurostar- It is all about booking in advance. Tickets go on sale 4 months in advance and unlike  airline tickets where rates can vary and sometimes you can get a last minute deal, not the case with the Eurostar. They are always cheapest  buying further out and continue to get more expensive the closer to your departure time.

 

 

 

Feb 172013
 
Pintxos Bar - Ganbara

Pintxos Bar – Ganbara

Yes, San Sebastian is filled with Michelin Starred fining dining restaurants, but in the old town it is filled with fabulous Pintxos/Tapas Bars. The idea is that you have a tapas and drink at one and bar hop to the next. Now when we got in late on Friday night we went out for a short time but all the hot tapas were no longer being served.

Though on Saturday we started at 8:30 pm.  We were a group of 7 bar hoping for the evening. Everything at the bars is done on a honor system and what we did for our group was put a kitty together which made it much easier and faster hoping from bar to bar. It was such a fun evening and a great way to try all kinds of different Pintxos.

Octopus

Octopus Pintxos

 

Padron Peppers

Padron Peppers- a must in my book!

Rabbit at A Fuego Negro

Rabbit at A Fuego Negro- One of our Favorites

Cheesecake at La Vina

Cheesecake at La Vina- We had to double our Order. 

Here is a list of some of the recommended Pintxos Bars in the Old Town of San Sebastian

Ormazabal- Traditional

La Vina- Traditional

La Cepa- Traditional

Martinez- Traditional

La Cuchara de San Telmo- Modern and Creative

Gandarias- Traditional

A Fuego Negro- Modern and Creative

Atari- Modern and Creative

Aralar- Traditional

Portaletas- Traditional

Astelena- Traditional

Tamboril- Traditional

Ganbara- Traditional

Bartolo- Traditional

Txondorra- Modern and Creative

Zeruko-Modern and Creative

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 112013
 
Me at Extabarri

Me at Extebarri

I think it is rare that you have a dining experience that is truly unique and exceptional. Now good food is plentiful but coming to Etxebarri was a truly special experience relishing in the simplicity of the grill.  (Everything is grilled or smoked.)  As I mentioned last week, I went to Spain for the weekend to eat. San Sebastian has been on my list for a while since the food is suppose to be some of the best in the world.  Bilboa is just an hour and half flight from London and an hour drive to San Sebastian from Bilboa!

A friend of mine went on honeymoon to Spain, recommended that Asador Etxebarri, was truly a unique dining experience. She and her husband always know the latest and greatest restaurants from 3 Michelin stars  to the hole in the walls, so I decided this was a must on my trip. I made the reservation 90 days in advance to make sure I got one! To say I was not disappointed would be an understatement. The restaurant is located an hour outside of San Sebastian in Basque Country closer to Bilboa. It is modest in decoration, but situated around snow capped mountains, truly beautiful.

We arrived at 1 for lunch, (early in Spain) the restaurant was empty and my group poked fun, at my need to make the reservation 90 days out. Sure enough it filled up in no time.We had about 8 courses in total each one more amazing than the next, everything so fresh and succulent. They even baked me a birthday cake free of charge and not even requested. I was bold, since it was my birthday and asked if I could meet the chef Victor Arguinzoniz, I wanted to meet the genius behind this meal and see the space with my own eyes where all of this goodness was created. He couldn’t have been any nicer it was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

I would place this experience in top 5 dining experiences I have had in my life- the setting beautiful, the food simple and superb, and the service fantastic. A must if in Northern Spain, worth hiring the car to get there!

View Surrounding

View Surrounding Extebarri

The Simple Dining Room

The Simple Dining Room

 

Goat Butter

Goat Butter

Prawns- The BEST I have ever had! My Favorite item of the weekend!Prawns- The BEST I have ever had! My Favorite item of the weekend!

Prawns- The BEST I have ever had! My Favorite item of the weekend!

 

Sea Cucumber

Sea Cucumber- Who knew I would love!

 

Artichokes - We thought we should have a veggie!

Artichokes – We thought we should have a veggie!

Chorizo Tartar- The Chorizo made onsite.

Chorizo Tartar- The Chorizo made onsite.

Grilled Grouper

Grilled Grouper

Ribeye Steak

Ribeye Steak

The Surprise Birthday Cake

The Surprise Birthday Cake

Basque Cake- Because the Cake was just not enough!

Basque Cake- Because the Cake was just not enough!

 

Where the Magic Happens

Where the Magic Happens

 

Wood Chips Burning

Wood Chips Burning

All the wood to produce the Magic

All the wood to produce the Magic

 The Best for Last!

Me and The Chef, Victor Arguinzoniz

Me and The Chef, Victor Arguinzoniz

Asador Etxebarri

Plaza San Juan, 1

48291 Atxondo- Bizkaia

Jan 292013
 

In the past year burgers joints have been opening left and right in London. It is a welcome addition! For the most part beef here in my opinion is not of the same standard that you might find in the States, Argentina, Australia or the beloved Japanese beef. I usually steer clear of it and realize I have fabulous, chicken, pork, and lamb options instead. Especially with the latest news from Tesco  that the ground beef contained Horsemeat??? It reminds me of China in the 80s when burgers were made out of dog meat.

Initially when I got here I would go to a pub and order the burger. They would look sooo good, with fabulous british cheddar cheese and bacon and then you bite into it. YUCK. But now that all these burger places are opening, the improvement on the American classic has been exponential.

IMG_0896

We are lucky because in our area Marylebone, I feel is a hub for hamburger places opening three with in the last year. The latest addition Patty & Bun. I figured appropriate because of the name I write about it.

The Burger at Patty & Bun

The Burger at Patty & Bun

Neil and I went recently on one of our snowy nights here and there was a wait. When asked for my name I said, “Patty,” then I was asked to spell it, I thought funny but will say it was the noise. With that Neil mentioned that he thought my name should move us to the top of the list, no such luck. We went out in the snow but when are table was ready they told me I would get a free burger because of my name! Brilliant. The menu is pretty simple with 6-7 burger options, wings and a few sides. We both went for the classic burger. It arrived quickly, hot  and fresh off the griddle. Overall it was a good burger and the side salad delicious as well as the chips/fries. I would rate the burger by standards here a B+ by NYC standards a B- but the overall vibe and ambiance an A-. Would definitely go back but would not wait in a line more than 15 minutes.

Sides at Patty & Bun

Sides at Patty & Bun

So if living here or visiting and craving a burger. Check out Patty & Bun at 54 James St , the best part the prices won’t burn a whole in your wallet and you leave feeling you paid what a burger should cost even if your name isn’t Patty!

 

 

Jan 222013
 

The name is telling, they serve Champagne and Hot Dogs, can we say AMAZING? Back in the Fall this new restaurant arrived to London.They offer three sides to go with your hot dog: Sweet Potato Fries/Chips, Tater Tots, and Cole Slaw. I was so excited to see tater tots as an option, something I have not seen here and definitely a comfort food! The Champagne list is quite extensive and fun to see boutique growers that I visited, when I was in Champagne country in the fall.

Bubble Dog reminded me of a NYC restaurant called Asia Dog, that has a similar concept of hot dogs with great unique toppings. I went for  more of a classic, a Chili Cheese Dog, my friend went for the Kimchi Dog. Overall it was a fun night. Would I go back? Although, I thought the food was great and I can never go wrong with Champagne , for me it was a one time experience. At the end of the evening I was a little overwhelmed what I paid for a hot dog. I do recommend trying it though but get there early as the line forms when the doors open. They do take reservations for parties of 6 or more.

Bubbledog

70 Charlotte Street

Lunch 1130:-4 Dinner 5:30-11