My 2 best meals in London on the same day!

I have been looking forward to today for awhile now.  I have been working hard, studying hard, and eating hard.  But, today offers some new opportunities. 

Starting the morning, I hit the famed St. James Street area, near Buckingham Palace.  This area is known for its premium shops, high end boutiques, and 5-star accommodations.

 

Left to Right:  A hunting apparel store founded in the 16th century, the famous Davidoff cigars, and a hat shop - complete with personal fittings.

I was particularly interested in the men’s shaving shops with in-house barbers.  Wet shaving is an art form recognized by the Brits and used frequently by “proper” Englishman as a way of feeling tip-top.  The smell is of musty cologne bathed in deep, rich suds.  My wife knows how much I love a good shave, maybe a birthday present is imminent?  Oh yeah, ‘tripplin’ IS my birthday present……

 

From Left to Right:  An incredible spirits & wine shop specializing in distilling their own, a castle called the Clock Tower House at the end of the street, and an interesting Chopin marker.

When planning a trip to London, it doesn’t take long to figure out that one of the best places for eating is located in a couple of non-descript white buildings called St. John.  Zagat’s calls the restaurant, “unique”, “a must for foodies”.  Of the bread & wine shop they say:  “inventive, soul warming British fare”.  Cited in numerous articles, reviews, and other web-based publications, the St. John ‘company’ is a must for those interested in the best in food.  I call it ‘company’ because St. John has a couple of locations, all in London.  One is a restaurant, one is a bread & wine shop, and one is hotel.  Yes, a hotel.  You see the owners and their business have made such a buzz and impact on Londoners, that people have clamored for a place for which to be called home.

St. John Bar & Restaurant - located in Smithfields, London

Interestingly, this trip was filled with rain.  I know, I know, that’s what everyone thinks when describing London.  Actually, there has been much press here about the yearlong drought.  And in touché form, the front pages of newspapers have included the words ‘so this is the drought’ next to pictures of commuters walking the streets being pelted with rain, winds, and hail.  Personally, I visited both locations and was hit with downpours and tough winds.

The area of Spitalfields is where the bread & wine shop are located.  This area is defined by it's market.  Filled with neat trading tables, I am happy to report I found a knife there for all of my unpacking duties back in the States.

                                    

Inside the sparsely decorated dining area, just before it filled.

  

For lunch I went with the pig's head with kale stew.  The pork is cut down to the bone then cooked every so delicately.  The stew, draped in pork rich sauce was packed with staying power and interesting flavor changes, arriving at a fatty sweetness.  The pork was combined fat & lean pieces (mostly fat) that was so tender I could not stab it with a fork.  Further, upon mouth contact, it simply melted.  The kale was rich with flavor and color and oozed beautiful vegetable juice when you bit into it. 

There were also fresh carrots and breaded ‘croutons’.  The croutons absolutely stole the show.  Dripping in pork fat, they were both crunchy and soft.  The entire flavor of the stew could be found in each one of the bread bites.  I became so obsessed with them that I almost forgot the pig.

For dessert, I had the traditional eccles cake and Lancashire cheese.  It is a pastry that is cut in two with cheese added in the middle.  I have to be honest here, this was not my first time tasting this magnificent combo.  Martin, retail manager at NYD Covent Garden, turned me on to these.

           

                      



Normally, I am not a big raisin-in-my-dessert kind of guy.  (Whew….. getting that out sure takes a load off.)  The difference with this pastry is that it has a grape variety called a currant.  Through the heating up of the pastry, the currants become a delightful mash of goo.  Being decadent, sweet, rich, and without seeds makes me a raisin guy!  Of course, Lancashire cheese is one of the world’s finest cheeses.  It is a pride of the British cheese scene and made with the utmost care and finest precision according to the traditional method.  (For more on Lancashire, check back in).

It is rare that two basic and fantastic foods can be paired together and come out so good.  You see both of these actually elevate the other into a perfect cheese pastry/sandwich.  I will be mentioning this incredible little dessert to the fine folks of Zingerman’s Bakery for sure!!  The only problem right now is, that any of the foods carried at the markets in which I am working can be eaten for breaks.

Dear Martin & Michael:  you should now account for a loss in both eccel cake and Lancashire cheese. 

As of this writing, I had yet to go to Dinner.  But suffice to say, dining with the Percival's and some other cheesemonger's from NYD will be fantastic!!

On the Way to Dinner in Borough Market

With beautiful wines, Spanish Ham, fish soup, a fantastic beef over fresh vegetables, doughnuts with lemon curd, and more beautiful wine/gin, dinner WAS fantastic!!  

I took this photo during the meal as we sat and discussed the beautiful nuances of cheese, wine, and life.  "A private affair," said with eyebrow's raised.  LOL.