Refueling with Tradition... Some Thoughts on Dining in London Part 3

This post is a continuation of part one of this series on dining in London.

On Saturday evening I joined friends of mine at Simpson's in the Strand. Established in 1828, it gained fame around 1850, firstly for its traditional English menu, particularly roast meats, and secondly as the most important chess venue in Britain. As my grandmother dined here in the 1920s and I'd dined here with family myself, this restaurant holds special meaning to me.

Simpson's dinner specialty is their aged Scottish beef on the bone, traditionally carved at guests' tables from antique silver-domed trolleys for over 150 years. Other signature dishes include potted shrimps, roast saddle of lamb (which is not listed on the current bill of fare) and steak and kidney pudding. Having been remodeled in 2017, it appears the menu remains mostly the same with a wonderful assortment of traditional English deserts once again appearing on the bill of fare, but all slightly updated to modern tastes.

Featured by name in "The Guns of Navarone", "Howard's End", Sherlock Holmes stories such as "The Illustrious Client", stories by P.G. Wodehouse, and in film in Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film Sabotage, it is without a doubt one of London's most famous restaurants.

I began my meal with one of their specialties, Potted shrimps with Warm toast. Not something you see in America, and that is quite a shame. Delicious and I'd order them again without hesitation. 

 For my main, I decided upon another of their specialties, the roast saddle of Lamb with homemade redcurrant jelly & gravy, and for sides had the roast potatoes and Savoy cabbage. The lamb is carved at the table from one of their traditional trolleys. 

Americans don't eat an much lamb as the British. I'm not sure why, but if you are in the UK, try it, it is delicious. And don't worry about the mint sauce, go with the redcurrant jelly and gravy, it was delicious.

I will say I was disappointed that there was no traditional British desert on the menu, so I reluctantly tried the Simpson’s Quidditch, a chocolate concoction of the chef's design. It was tasty, but not very British. the current desert offerings since the remodel now consist of English summer berry pudding, Simpson's trifle, Scorched egg custard tart, Fresh goats curd with chilled poached apricots, Eton tidy mess, Ridgeview sparking wine consomme, coffee-chocolate knickerbocker glory, Simpson's cheese selection and a selection of ice creams and sorbets, which all make me want to return to try them and appreciate their return to traditional English deserts.

For more information on Simpson's in the Strand, please visit their website at https://www.simpsonsinthestrand.co.uk/

After dinner we took a short walk to Rules for after dinner drinks and conversation in their cocktail bar where I enjoyed a classic cocktail, the French 75.

More to come in the next installment of this post...

Refueling with Tradition... Some Thoughts on Dining in London Part 2

This post is a continuation of part one of this series on dining in London.

I spent most of my next day visiting with family and returned to my hotel late in the afternoon. I think we were all a bit knackered so the choice for dinner that night was the conveniently located Ebury Restaurant & Wine Bar at 139 Ebury Street. 

Located very near to my hotel, it was so convenient that it could not be ignored. But convenience is not the only reason to try this restaurant. Their food is delicious and this is very credibly rumored to be the location of Prince William of Wales bachelor dinner.

I decided to try their 3 course prix fix menu and started with the Smoked haddock gratin, leek and cheddar. 

For my main I tried their Pan roast sea bass fillet, pistachio risotto, courgette purée. 

And I finished things up with their Chocolate truffle torte, crème fraîche, filo crisp. This restaurant might be a bit out of the way for some, but it was incredibly convenient to my hotel and I would definitely make this a serious contender even if it was not so convenient.

For more information check out their website at http://eburyrestaurant.co.uk/

The next day, on recommendation of an American friend, I made a point to visit Rules at lunch time.

Rules was recommended to me by one of my American friends so I had a chance to do a little research on the restaurant prior to my arrival in London. It is located at 35 Maiden Lane in Covent Garden.  

Established in 1798, it holds claim to the oldest restaurant in London. This was also the location of private dinners in which Prince Albert entertained Lillie Langtree, as well as a site in the recent James Bond film, Spectre. These are just a tiny few of the historical facts about this special place in London.

I decided to have a light lunch in the cocktail bar and began by ordering a pint of Fuller's London Pride, served in a silver tankard, and a selection of Morcambe Bay Rock Oysters, Fines de Claires Oysters, and Native Oysters. 

Their service is with the top half of the shell still on the oysters and served with finely chopped shallots in red wine vinegar, as well as lemon. These are top notch oysters and this is from the perspective of someone who has grown up with Chesapeake Bay oysters.

Afterwards I decided to linger and ordered The Rules, a champagne cocktail made with Tanqueray, Dubonnet, and Vintage Crémant. This was not to be my only visit to Rules this day as I returned with friends for drinks in the cocktail bar after our dinner elsewhere. With the fireplace, it was the perfect place to enjoy a drink with friends. I shall definitely be returning to Rules on all of my future trips to London. For more information please see their website at http://rules.co.uk/

More to come in the next installment of this post...

Refueling with Tradition... Some Thoughts on Dining in London Part 1

This past March, I made a rather quickly planned trip to London. I probably could have done more to plan for the trip, but I didn't make my bookings until about two weeks before my flight. So with only one week before my departure for the UK, I started drafting plans for my free time.

As with any travel, dining is an important part of our planning process. We can make eat the same thing every day, or we can make an adventure of our dining experiences. I chose the later, attempting to embrace the London experience in a rather traditional manner. Yes I could look for the newest and hottest, but for me, it was a look to the past and those traditional places which still exist throughout London.

While I don't plan to cover each of the places I stopped for a drink or a bite to eat individually, I will mention them all here with some more detailed accounts to come in later posts.

Once on the ground in London, I had a rather tight schedule to keep if I had any hope of visiting each of the many varied locations I wished to see, as well as spending time with family.

I would be in London for four full days, so even jet lagged, I had to keep moving. One of my friends in London recommended my first dining venue, the Cittie of Yorke, located at 22 High Holborn.

This pub is owned and operated by Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, and while this current structure is a 1920's rebuilding of earlier structures, pubs have been on this site since 1430, and the current building features the Henekey's long bar located in the grand hall like back room, a late Georgian or Regency era triangular metal stove, and Victorian style cubicles.

I popped in just as they were opening for lunch which made service fast and easy, as it was not very crowded at that hour.

One of the biggest reasons for my visit was to sample their Old Brewery Bitter which is served from oak casks, the only real ale in London served this way.

And the food was delicious. I tried a pork sandwich, and were I a regular in London, this pub would be a regular destination for me. As it was I had many other places to try, but fond memories of that sandwich and ale remain with me to this day.

Before I returned to my hotel, I popped by a rather hidden gem, The Grenadier located at 18 Wilton Row, .

Originally built in 1720 as the Officers Mess for the First Royal Regiment of Foot Guards, the pub opened in 1818 as The Guardsman Public House. 

Rumored to be one of the most haunted pubs in England, past visitors have attempted to pay off the debt of the ghost of a savagely beaten young Grenadier, who was caught cheating at cards, by attaching money to the ceiling, which after over half a century, has been totally covered by "transatlantic money."

The pub has a wonderful selection of hand pumped ales including Courage Best, Morland Old Speckled Hen and Marston's Pedigree. On the search for some esoteric British real ales, I sat down with a pint of Sharp's Brewery Doom Bar from Cornwall.

You won't find The Grenadier without a map and a mission as it is tucked down a small lane near Belgrave Square. But that makes finding this little treasure all the more worth while. For more information check out their website at https://www.greeneking-pubs.co.uk/pub/grenadier-belgrave-square/c0800/

Finally after a busy day, and quite jet lagged, I decided to visit Trader Vic's that night for a light dinner and a few drinks to help me get some sleep that night, so off to the London Hilton on Park Lane I went. Why a tiki bar in London? 

The original Trader Vic's opened in 1934 in Oakland and franchise locations were opened beginning with Seattle in 1940. The London location opened in 1963 and is today the oldest Trader Vic's location in the world.

In full tiki style, this bar/restaurant hit all the points I needed for a traditional watering hole, even if some might consider this a bit unconventional for my London trip.

From the time I entered the door the barman and manager made me feel very welcome and I stayed there a bit longer than I intended for all the good reasons, because I enjoyed it and I wanted to stay.

I started out my "tour of the islands" with the Menehune Juice. It would not have seems right if I'd made this visit and had not a chance to see the fabled Menehune.

Their menu is full of all the tiki classics, which I do hope see a resurgence somewhere this side of the Atlantic.

I ordered the BBQ spare ribs from their 1972 recipe and they smelled so good I finished the first rib before I remembered to take a photo. My mouth waters just thinking about these as I type this post.

Next up was the Original Mai Tai, based on the 1944 version of this drink. They offer another version, but why anyone would attempt to improve on this classic I have no honest answer. Perfection!

When the London location opened, they crafted a special drink for the occasion, a London Sour, made with Scotch Whisky rather than traditional American or Canadian whiskies. The result was a sublimely smoky finish on this tradition sour.

In each case these drinks were well made. The staff was friendly and have great passion for their drink making. I highly recommend this destination if you are looking for a different traditional London location. For more information check them out here http://tradervics.com/locations/london/

More to come in the next installment of this post...

A Taste of Cuba in London... Cuban Cigars and JJ. Fox

I must confess, that while I smoke cigars, I don't smoke them with any regularity. But I do appreciate them not only for the flavour, but also for the relaxation they provide. This is not a quick smoke, it is a ritual in which time must be set aside to enjoy them, time without interruption. And it is that break in the day which affords complete relaxation.

On a recent visit to London, I made a point to stop at a tobacconist and purchase some Cuban cigars to bring back to the States. This is something which has long been denied and on my last trip to Europe, I needed to be sure I'd smoked all my Cuban cigars which I'd bought, before I returned to the States. Oh how I enjoyed those Cohiba Siglo VI Tubos and how I wish I would have been able to bring even one back home to enjoy at a later date. Thankfully times have changed.

I'd done some research before my arrival in London, so I knew that in a very small area in St. James, I could find three excellent tobacconists, Davidoff, Dunhill and J.J. Fox, formerly Robert Lewis.

So on the day before my departure I set aside time in my afternoon and visited J.J. Fox. They have a sampling room, where you may smoke a cigar you have purchased from them, in the theory of sampling it to verify a larger purchase, though that is not required. This would allow me to try an unknown cigar first, and if I enjoyed it, purchase more before I returned to the States.

They have a beautiful shop and a large walk-in humidor filled with an incredibly large selection of Cuban cigars. Its not surprising that with so many Cuban cigars to choose from, the Dominican cigars which I find in the States were not to be seen anywhere in the shop.

I selected a Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No 2 http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/2016/hoyo-de-monterrey-epicure-no-2/ which was ranked the #9 best cigar in 2016 by Cigar Aficionado. The salesman cut and lit my cigar for me and I went upstairs to the tasting lounge. This is beautiful room with with leather chairs and sofas, provided with free Wi-Fi as well as tea and coffee. I settled down for the better part of the next hour and enjoyed this beautiful cigar. I knew almost instantly that some of these would be returning to the States with me.

After I'd finished my cigar, I went back downstairs and purchased a few more of these cigars for myself, a requested cigar for a family member back in the States, and a Partagas Serie E No. 2 for myself. Ranked as the #3 best cigar in 2016 by Cigar Aficionado and the highest ranked Cuban cigar in that ranking, http://top25.cigaraficionado.com/2016/partagas-serie-e-no-2/, it's a bit stronger than my typical smoke, so I'll be trying this at home at my leisure. If I like it, I may well buy more on my next visit to London.

Before you leave J.J. Fox, be sure to visit their cigar museum, filled with such historic artifacts as a box of Winston Churchill's cigars, the oldest box of Cuban cigars, and cigar ledgers for Oscar Wilde and Winston Churchill. Even if you don't smoke, this small museum is quite interesting.

Be sure to visit J.J. Fox on your next visit to London https://www.jjfox.co.uk/

Crossing the Pond... Thoughts on Travel to and from London from America

It has been far too long since I last visited London. This trip was prompted by the need to visit my Uncle who is quite up in years, and was not a visit to be delayed. While the personal family bits aren't quite the stuff for a blog post, I thought some out there might enjoy some of the other bits of the trip. The airfare was the single most expensive bit of the trip, so I was going to make the most of every moment I could while in London.

So, where to begin. Well, this first posting will be about the travel aspect of the trip. I booked my flight about 3 weeks before the trip on British Airways. Having traveled abroad before, I knew that I preferred European airlines and also direct flights. They European carriers tend to have better service in my opinion and I enjoy their food and beverage services. This flight would be 7 hours to London and just over 8 hours returning, so I'd rather not spend any additional time traveling, hence the direct flight. As I would also be traveling with family on the return, I followed in their planning and booked in premium economy. (More about that later)

I packed light. Being premium economy I was entitled to two carry-on bags weighing 51 pounds each and two checked bags weighing 51 pounds each. That would allow me 204 pounds of baggage fully packed! Knowing I might want to bring back some things from London, I packed a light briefcase for my iPad and papers, and a suitcase weighing on 30 pounds packed. I also packed a small duffel bag inside my suitcase if I needed more space or wanted to spread out the weight of anything I bought in London, avoiding a $60 fee for an overweight bag. so there I was with probably 160 pounds of available packing, just in case...

I'm not one to enjoy last minute issues at the airport, so I arrived 3 hours before my flight and had no issues checking in. As I'd downloaded the British Airways App onto my phone, I was aware of my flight time and the planned slightly early departure and early arrival in London. I could also browse the in-flight entertainment and decide how to bide my time on the long flight.

Once we were in the air and on our way, they offered beverages and I enjoyed a rather nice white wine. 

Dinner was then served and I enjoyed another nice white wine.

About an hour prior to landing, we were provided with a very light breakfast snack.

Our plane arrived at Heathrow ahead of schedule and we were parked slightly away from a terminal so that a set of stairs was wheeled to the plane and we then boarded a bus to the terminal. I packed light so that I had only my carry-on brief case. This made this portion of my trip easy. Once at Terminal 5, I went through immigration and when that was complete, my bag was there at baggage claim ready for customs. Checking my bag provided no time delay and given the stairs from the plane, I was much better off and lost no time compared with those who did not check bags.

I'd planned my trip in advance with some research. I had three options to get into London from Heathrow. Taxi, which would be the most expensive but most flexible and in greatest comfort providing door to door service. The taxi will run  £46 - £87 one way and there is no extra charge for additional passengers. I'd recommend this to anyone who might not be able to manage bags very well themselves. (For more information on taxi fares see https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares) Another option is the Heathrow Express which is a train line from Heathrow to Paddington Station in London and is the fastest way to go from Heathrow to London. From Paddington to your hotel, you would need to walk, take a taxi, take a bus, or take the Underground. Another option is the Underground which is the cheapest way to travel from Heathrow to London and is part of the Piccadilly Line. With this option I would not use this if traveling into Central London with anything more than carry-on luggage as the gap between the train cars and some platforms, as well as the stairs and escalators in some Underground stations might be problematic to negotiate. And the last would be National Express, which is motor coach service between Heathrow and Victoria coach Station which is adjacent to the Victoria Rail Station. These can be as low as £5 for the 8:50 coach and can be as much as £12.50 for some departures.  (For more information on National Express see http://www.nationalexpress.com/en/airports/heathrow-airport.aspx) 

Based on my hotel location, I took the National Express, which cost £5 and took about 1:30 to reach the Victoria Coach Station with no transfers. This put me only one block from my hotel which was an easy and quick walk.

As I did have some time to kill before I left Heathrow, I went to the Underground Ticket Counter on the ground floor of arrivals at the terminal. Here I was able to purchase an Oyster Card which covered my trips on the London Underground for my entire time in London.

For my return to America, I was not traveling alone but with my mother and uncle. We asked the front desk at our hotel to book us a car, which would allow us slightly more room than a London taxi. The ride took about 30 minutes (we were traveling opposite rush hour commuter traffic) and was just over £40 for the three of us. We arrived at Heathrow three hours before our flight. I'd not arrive any earlier as you cannot check bags more than three hours before your flight. Check-in took no time at all and we then proceeded to the VAT refund station. highly recommended if you've bought items costing over £100. I took my refunds in pounds sterling, which gives me plenty of cash for my next trip to the UK without having to stop at a money exchange before or after my arrival in the UK.

Once through security, we decided to stay in the main part of Terminal 5, rather than go out to Terminal 5B. Terminal 5B has a Starbucks and a Weatherspoon Express, but those are the only food options. for shopping they have a rather tiny Harrods shop, Boots, WH Smith, and World Duty Free among a few other shops. But the main Terminal 5 with the A gates has a much wider selection, which is why I decided to remain there until an hour before my departure time. For food, the main Terminal 5 has a nice sized Harrods shop, three separate WH Smith shops, Boots, Burberry, Cartier, Cath Kidson, Chanel, Dior, Fortnum & Mason, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Montblanc, Mulberry, Prada, Rolex, Smythson, Thomas Pink, Tiffany, World Duty Free, World of Whiskies, among other shopping venues. For food they have a Pret A Manger, Starbucks, Caviar House, Fortnum & Mason Champagne Bar, Itsu, Pilots Bar & Kitchen, and The Crown Rivers. With such a variety, you can see why I didn't make haste to Terminal 5B with so much time to kill in the airport before my flight.

Once in the air and on our way we were offered beverages, followed by a nice lunch, both of which I enjoyed with a glass of wine.

The lunch was quite lovely and before landing we were served second light lunch.

I can't say enough about British Airways or the entire travel experience and am already making plans to return to London, following the same travel arrangements as in this trip.

For travel reservations with British Airways, please visit their website at https://www.britishairways.com/travel/home/public/en_us